The entrance exam has ended.
To be honest, while it was referred to as an exam, it was mainly to assess abilities and assign classes before admission. Aside from a few who got caught cheating, we’d see all the new students’ faces again.
At this point, I wondered if it was a bit too much.
Of course, I still planned to do whatever I wanted now that I was reincarnated. However, defeating every new student in the practical exam was so exhilarating that I might have overdone it a bit.
It was too late to regret it now, but I still found myself worrying about how to handle the attention that would be coming my way.
Even if my stats were high right now, there was no doubt I’d soon end up at average, or even below it. I needed to find a way to keep up with others.
“What are you thinking about?”
At that moment, Seria, who was walking in front of me, casually glanced back and asked.
Right, I was being led by Seria, who had declared, “Follow me,” right after the practical exam. I had no resistance to her summoning.
Given my actions and the fact that she was the one avoiding eye contact with me, I had been trailing behind her and ended up reflecting on the situation unnecessarily.
“I just thought I might have been a bit too excited.”
“That’s understandable. Nevertheless, you made a record that will be remembered in the academy’s history, right?”
You don’t get my struggle… Unlike you, who will grow to be the strongest in this world, I, just an extra, have to endure to avoid getting kicked out of the academy.
But of course, Seria wouldn’t know that, so I just smiled it off. Well, what can I do? I’ve already done it.
I could tell from our conversation that she wasn’t angry, so I seized the opportunity to ask her something I was curious about.
“By the way, where are we going now?”
“To the lounge. The supervisor who treated you asked me to bring you.”
Wait, she’s taking me to that person? It made sense; we were going the opposite way of the exit.
I thought we were going to hide somewhere quiet to avoid people, but we were heading deeper inside.
“This is it. They should be waiting, so let’s go in quickly.”
We arrived at the lounge before I knew it. As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, I felt a warm atmosphere. There was also a soothing scent in the air. The vibe was just like a nurse’s office.
Well, it was a lounge, but it served as a medical room for treating those who got injured or were in poor condition during the sparring, so it was indeed closer to a nurse’s office.
Inside, there was one table and a bunch of beds set up for the injured, but aside from one bed, the place was mostly empty.
I mean, of course. I handled all the students carefully, so nobody got hurt.
Lilith was a different case; she had passed out from overexerting herself. As for Seria… I really am sorry. Should I bang my head one more time?
“Welcome! You’ve brought him, I see? Now, both of you, please sit here.”
The supervisor… well, now that the exam is over, is she simply a professor?
Anyway, she was sitting at the table, so I couldn’t slam my head again and instead walked over to sit across from her.
“Do you like coffee?”
“I eat anything.”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Seria isn’t too fond of coffee; she prefers tea if she has to drink something in a setting like this.
In the end, we both didn’t like either that much, so if you want to give us something we actually enjoy, just get some milk or strawberry juice.
However, since coffee or tea was the norm in such places, there was no helping it.
Two cups of coffee, one glass of water, and a few snacks appeared on the table. The professor took a sip of her coffee before opening her mouth.
“First, let me introduce myself. I’m Reina Trier, a professor at Rubetia Academy.”
The Trier family. A prestigious lineage of healers known for inheriting healing traits through generations.
To put it bluntly, even Rubetia wouldn’t dare to be rude to the Trier family, which accurately reflects their high standing.
Since I already knew this from my first glance, I simply nodded. But Seria, in a somewhat excited tone, expressed her surprise.
“Ah…! No wonder you seemed familiar; you’re a distinguished member of the Trier family!”
“Distinguished member, please. That’s too grand of a title. Just call me Professor Reina here at the academy, regardless of my background.”
“Yes, Professor Reina.”
A classic cliché of the academy’s rules. No distinctions based on status, ensuring equality.
Of course, it couldn’t stop the implicit discrimination among students, but at least it prevented the academy from completely becoming power-centered.
Thanks to this, even those with very high statuses… It’s pointless to hide the academy’s name from the perspective of a Rubetia member.
Princess Seria Rubetia could go by ‘Seria’ in this place, instead of ‘Rubetia’.
Besides, since the Trier family was quite noble, almost on par with the royal family, it wasn’t too burdensome for these two to speak comfortably with one another.
“I remember something. I came to see you once when you were in diapers, and you grabbed my finger then.”
“I don’t remember at all. But, um… since Rudion is here too, talking about diapers and stuff is a bit…”
“Aw, don’t be shy.”
How comfortable must they be to talk about things like that freely?
Seeing two people who knew each other only through their families chatting while shedding their statuses almost felt like they were sisters.
While I sipped my coffee and didn’t intrude on their lively conversation, Professor Reina turned her gaze towards me, suddenly acknowledging my presence.
“By the way… Rudion?”
“Yes?”
“How can you be so composed?”
She had an incredibly inquisitive look in her eyes.
Well, if you have the Princess of Rubetia and a noble lady from Trier casually conversing right in front of you, even commoners would be shaking and unable to hold a coffee cup.
Not to mention, I’m just a commoner. It’s impossible for me to appear unfazed in front of a princess and a noble lady, so I can understand why even the academy staff, who adhered to equality, would feel a disconnect.
But from my standpoint, I really had nothing to say. I couldn’t just blurt out, “I’m a reincarnator, so I know everything.”
So, I ended up mumbling something vague.
“I don’t know… I just don’t worry about stuff like that.”
“Well, I have a lot I want to say, but it seems we can’t communicate, so I’ll drop it.”
Good decision. I’m also unsure of how to explain it.
Surprisingly, Seria seemed delighted with my response and smoothly shifted the conversation to me.
“Still, with that level of ability, isn’t such boldness quite natural? I feel like the royal family will try to keep you close once they catch wind of it. It’d be a problem if you become too timid then.”
“I can agree with that. Even I, who prides myself on having seen a lot, was surprised.”
“Really. It’s the first time someone knows my name and treats me this way, so I was flustered, but now it feels kind of justified…”
“Lucky for you. If I thought there were more like you, it’d be a bit daunting.”
“That’s true.”
Excuse me, ladies? Were you insidiously throwing shade at me just now?
Girls’ talk can be terrifying. Complimenting while subtly backbiting is a natural talent.
After a while, their conversation continued until all cups on the table were empty.
“Phew. That was a pleasant chat. Honestly, other professors and students tend to hesitate to talk to me.”
Professor Reina said that, clearing the empty teacups and resuming her seat.
Finally, we got to the main topic.
“Are you curious why I called you here?”
“Of course. Everyone must be heading back to prepare for tomorrow’s entrance ceremony.”
“It’s not a big deal. I just… want you and Seria to visit the student council for a bit.”
“Pardon?”
The student council? Why would a soon-to-be-newbie like me go there before even the entrance ceremony?
“You’re supposed to follow the professor’s instructions and say, ‘Yes, I’ll go!’ What are you babbling about? Learn a thing or two from Seria.”
“But Seria’s position is different. She’s a princess, and I’m a commoner.”
“If you put it that way, then you’re also a legendary warrior…”
Well, that’s true. I concede.
“So they’ll tell me why they called me, right?”
“Exactly. You’re really good at this, I see.”
In the end, instead of just Seria going to the student council alone, I was pulled along too.
I already knew the reason for the invitation, but it seemed unnecessary to act like I knew it.
I didn’t need to stay here much longer, so I promptly left with Seria to the student council room.
And so, Rudion and Seria left the lounge.
Just when it seemed like the always bustling space, filled with conversation, had become quiet, the sole figure lying on one of the beds opened her eyes.
“Ugh.”
“Are you awake? The aftereffects of magic depletion can last a while, so you probably won’t be able to move right away. Please rest for a while.”
“Uh… where am I?”
“This is the lounge where those who got hurt or exhausted during the practical exam come to recover. You’re the second and last guest today.”
“Did the exam…”
“It’s already over. Don’t worry. What you showed was enough to qualify for the advanced class.”
Lilith was torn between feeling happy about that or being horrified by the fact that a man couldn’t even touch her when he was at the same advanced level.
So, what happened to that man… Rudion? He charged in so fiercely that she thought he might have at least worn out a bit, right?
“Rudion? He hasn’t gotten off the training ground until the exam ended. He didn’t look tired at all, and it’s strange because he didn’t even seem to be managing his stamina.”
He was completely fine? How could that be? He must have fought countless battles before facing her.
She understood she was lacking in skill. She was lucky to have awakened, but before then, she was nothing more than a princess who had learned a few self-defense techniques.
Still, she never expected to feel such powerlessness during the entrance exam.
‘The world really is vast. I’m glad I came to the academy.’
She didn’t feel disheartened by the wall that appeared. After all, her purpose was to grow stronger and take revenge on the Demon King’s army, so she simply aimed for that wall instead.
Someday, she would possess enough power to subdue everyone, just like the one who had mocked her.
Although her target level had shifted compared to the original work, Lilith had no way of realizing that.
‘…But thinking back, I spoke as if I’d crush that guy without any doubt…’
Her face suddenly flushed. If she could return to that moment now, she wouldn’t have shown such confidence at all.
After awakening as the Saintess, she had only skimmed the surface of studying Holy Power, and that shallow study had become a problem.
The Dunning-Kruger effect… commonly known as the peak of ignorance? People with vague knowledge tend to be particularly arrogant and lack humility, and Lilith was exactly that.
As she belatedly realized her mistake, she felt a desire to kick the sheets in frustration, but her body didn’t comply due to the aftereffects of magic depletion.
All she could do was wiggle slightly.
Reina smirked at Lilith, who had started to squirm.
“Feeling a bit embarrassed now, huh? Make sure to feel the embarrassment; it’s all part of the experience.”
Reina laughed as if she found it adorable, but the more Lilith felt that laughter, the more embarrassed she became, making her squirm even more.
Ignoring the squirming Lilith, Reina went to brew another cup of coffee and sat back down at the table to enjoy her time.
Normally, dozens of students would come in with various injuries, causing the place to be lively and bustling for several more hours, but this exam was different.
Thanks to a particularly special student, Rudion.
“Thanks to that, I got to enjoy an easy shift. I should ask him next time if he wants to join me directly.”
If Rudion could hear that, he’d probably retort, “That’s quite the horrifying proposal you have there.” But since he had long departed, he had no way of noticing Professor Reina’s ominous intentions about ‘picking a slave.’
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