Chapter 13
The next morning arrived.
Today was the day the successful applicants would be announced.
…I passed, right?
No, passing was a given.
The question was whether I came in first.
Would I really be the top student?
I was confident about the practical exam.
No, “confident” didn't even begin to cover it. Surely that had been a perfect score.
But the written exam…
...Hah.
I didn't even want to think about it.
I had guessed on more questions than I'd actually solved.
'What if my written score drags me down…?'
The moment that thought crossed my mind, my chest inexplicably tightened.
If I missed first place, I'd lose my chance to give a speech at the entrance ceremony.
That would be a little disappointing…….
I scratched my head vigorously and opened the door to the lodging the Extreme King had arranged for me.
Cold morning air brushed past my face.
The clean air carried the smell of freshly baked bread and the bustle of merchants preparing to open for business so early in the morning.
As I drew in a light breath, my inexplicably anxious heart seemed to settle a little.
The capital had a completely different atmosphere from yesterday.
If the streets had been filled only with people nervous about the entrance exam until yesterday, today they were packed with people waiting for the results.
I saw nobles anxiously tapping their fingers inside carriages, and families patting their children on the back and telling them they would be fine until the very end.
In contrast, every examinee wore a stiff expression.
“…Everyone's really nervous.”
It wasn't as if I wasn't nervous, either.
I'd claimed I would come in first, but you never knew what might happen.
'What if they deducted a lot of points because of the written exam…?'
That thought left a bitter taste in my mouth for no reason.
“…Aw, come on.”
I immediately shook my head.
I had sent the golem packing with a snap in the practical exam. Surely I couldn't not be the top student?
Reassuring myself that way, I slowly started walking.
After walking for a while, the academy's enormous main gate came into view.
There were several times more people than yesterday.
Examinees, parents, nobles, servants, and even citizens who had come to watch the results.
There wasn't room to set foot anywhere.
“Make way! I'm coming through!!”
“What number was our son's again?”
“I heard the competition was fierce this time, too. You know why? They say it's the Golden Generation!”
Voices burst out from every direction.
I pushed my way through the crowd.
Fortunately, perhaps because of my small frame, I was able to slip through surprisingly easily.
Hmm, a little kid's body sure is convenient at times like this.
I walked along, chewing on a chicken skewer I didn't even remember buying.
-Munch, munch.
I saw a magic screen installed in front of an enormous white marble wall.
Nothing was displayed on it yet, but countless people were staring at the screen.
A short while later.
Vmmm—
With a deep, weighty hum of flowing mana, the screen took on a blue glow.
The noisy square fell silent as if by magic.
Thick lettering soon appeared.
【Astell Imperial Academy List of Admitted Freshmen】
Hundreds of gazes turned toward the screen.
“It's up!”
“It's here!”
The list began scrolling upward slowly, in order.
Each time another successful applicant's name appeared, joy and sorrow alternated throughout the square.
“I did it!!”
“You passed! Just as expected of my son!! I'm so proud of you!!”
Some parents hugged their children and wept.
“Aaaah… I failed…….”
“It's all right, sweetheart… We can try again next year…?”
One girl collapsed right where she stood.
Her father approached and patted her shoulder, but she couldn't even lift her head for a while.
Pass or fail.
It was only a difference of one name, yet the weight of it was so different.
I stared blankly at the scene, then suddenly had a thought.
Isn't this exactly like a university admissions announcement?
Not that I'd ever attended university.
It was astonishingly similar to something I'd once seen on Reels.
Anyway, where does it show the top student?
I bit into the chicken skewer and looked up at the screen.
Munch.
Munch.
Come on, hurry up.
That was when it happened.
Once the entire list had finished, the screen went dark for a moment.
Then it lit up brightly again.
【Combat Department Top Student】
A brief silence fell, and in the next moment, a single name filled the screen.
【Lee Rowoon】
【Final Ranking: 1st Place】
Oh.
A gasp of admiration escaped me before I knew it.
Even after bombing the written exam that badly, I was still the top student.
As expected of the Combat Department!
From now on, any attack on the Combat Department would be considered an attack on me.
Apparently, the practical exam carried overwhelmingly more weight.
It had been worth sending that golem packing with a snap.
The corners of my mouth slowly lifted.
Then the name of the runner-up appeared below it.
【Combat Department Runner-Up】
【Cedric von Estellia】
【Final Ranking: 2nd Place】
Oh, it's the male lead from the original story.
The crown prince of the empire!
I kind of felt bad for taking his top spot.
The names of third and fourth place appeared in order below them, but…
people's attention had already shifted elsewhere.
“Lee Rowoon? Who's that? I've never heard that name before?”
“Is he from a ducal family?”
“That's an unusual name… Is he a noble from the eastern continent?”
“Wait.”
Someone's eyes widened.
“Could he be... that little brat from yesterday? The one from the practical exam!!”
“Then it wasn't a fluke? No way!”
Oh crap. They've caught me.
At those words, some of the gazes around us began turning toward the crowd one after another.
I wasn't entirely averse to attention, but I didn't want to get tangled up in trouble this early.
I was planning to claim the spotlight when I gave my entrance ceremony speech, after all.
I took another bite of my chicken skewer as if nothing had happened.
Munch.
Then I, too, began looking around among the people.
“Hmm… Where is he…? That little brat…?”
My muttering was perfect, too.
The middle-aged man beside me even chimed in.
“Indeed. Where did he go?”
“...Indeed.”
With a shameless expression, I chewed my chicken skewer and slipped away while pretending to look for the top student.
Hmm. Perfect acting.
Should I join the drama club later?
People's attention was still focused on the list.
Thanks to that, getting away was easier than I'd expected.
I quietly slipped out of the crowd and headed straight for the registration office.
Hmm, it's still pretty empty. Good thing I came early!
If I'd been even a little later, the registration line would've grown endlessly long.
This was where my past life's experience truly shone.
I wasn't Korean for nothing—I had endured hellish subway commutes and countless lines.
First, I'd better finish registration quickly and have a look around the dormitory,
then meet my roommate.
I hope they're a good friend. Hehe.
As long as they don't snore, I'll be satisfied.
I jingled the tuition pouch the Extreme King had handed me and headed toward the registration office with a hum rising naturally from my lips.
***
I was sprawled out on the bed in my dorm room.
And… there's nobody here…!
It seemed my roommate was running a little late.
Well, I was used to waiting.
I'd waited for people countless times in the tower, too.
I killed time by rolling around on the bed and sitting at the desk to spin around in the chair.
After spending quite a while like that, the sunlight streaming through the window had gradually turned red.
Hmm.
They might be spending their last moments with their family outside.
Once classes began, they wouldn't be able to see their families for a while.
I'll be understanding. I'm the older brother, after all.
…Or so I thought.
Then I suddenly noticed something strange.
One bed.
One desk.
One chair.
One wardrobe.
…Wait a second. Why was there only one of everything?
I slowly looked around the room and froze.
Come to think of it, in the original story, the male lead who came in first had used a single room as a special privilege.
“…….”
“……Ah.”
I'd forgotten!!
No, I'd been really looking forward to it.
My first friend my age in this other world.
Eating late-night snacks together, getting caught by the dorm supervisor while talking at night, and cramming together during exam periods—that kind of ordinary school life!
I'd wanted to experience that at least once.
Isabel felt more like an older sister.
And the Extreme King was… hmm.
No matter how I thought about it, the Extreme King wasn't someone I could be friends with.
So I was alone again.
I let out a deep sigh and flopped down on the bed.
But as I lay there staring at the ceiling, I looked around the room again, and my thoughts shifted a little.
……Wait, but my dorm room…
It's huge.
Was it because of the top student's privilege?
The room was an unusual size.
The bed was large, and the desk was big enough for two people to use with room to spare.
There was even a sofa, along with a small separate sitting area.
There was even a bathroom inside.
……Why is there a bathroom?
It was less like a student dorm room and more like an annex where noble heirs stayed.
No, why hadn't I noticed this?
I must have been so fixated on having a roommate that I didn't see anything else!
Tap tap tap.
Before I knew it, I excitedly scampered over to the window.
The huge floor-to-ceiling window was free of even a single scratch, and the faintly mana-infused glass sparkled as it reflected the sunset.
As befitted the top student's room, it was clearly furnished at considerable expense.
When I turned my gaze outside, the academy's night view spread out before me.
I could see the black sky pricked with stars, magic streetlamps lighting up the streets one by one,
and students training in the practice grounds late into the night.
And even the enormous magic tower rising high in the center of the academy…….
Pretty.
They'd even turned on the lights, giving it a majestic feel.
Huh? Why are the lights on? It's really late right now.
Hmm.
It seems the assistant to the academy's magic professor is suffering some serious abuse.
Let's pray for them.
Anyway, it was a little disappointing not to have a roommate,
but a room like this was more than enough to make up for it.
Money really is a wonderful thing.
Money is the best! It's thrilling! It's always something new!
I threw myself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Starting tomorrow, my real academy life would begin.
I'd attend the entrance ceremony, meet the professors, and make new friends, right?
“…….”
And I had to give the top student's entrance ceremony speech.
“……Should I run away?”
I seriously considered it for a moment.
I was twenty-three, to begin with.
I wasn't too old to be scared of one little entrance ceremony speech!
…I was just a little nervous.
I thought briefly about what I should say in my speech, then gave up.
Well, wouldn't tomorrow's me figure something out somehow?
With that thought, I hugged the blanket and closed my eyes.
Let's get a good night's sleep today.
Starting tomorrow, my real academy life would finally begin.