LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 36
“With that, the entrance exam for the Royal Comprehensive Academy is now over.”
Two days had passed since then.
The 21 of us, including myself, gathered at the starting point when the exam period ended.
We were then boarded onto a ship and returned to the royal capital.
Upon returning to the capital, we were met by the exam proctor who had stood before us at the beginning of the exam and explained the contents.
He stood on the platform, looked us over, and declared the end of the exam.
“The number of examinees for this exam was 200. Of those, the 39 of you standing here are the ones who have passed.”
We, who had lined up in front of the proctor, were significantly fewer than at the start.
It seemed that this exam had been particularly harsh. Those of us who remained exuded an air of competence and capability.
I had heard that the Royal Comprehensive Academy was a school where around 1,000 students would live together for three years.
If this year’s passers were only this few, would such a large facility go to waste?
‘Well, in any case, monsters kept coming at us until the very end.’
As I mused over the situation with a sense of boredom while the proctor spoke, Eve spoke up.
Thanks to the illusion magic from the other day, I could easily imagine her smiling.
(At the end, even C-rank monsters started attacking us.)
For some reason, powerful monsters, the kind that would have been called formidable foes, came to our campsite almost daily.
Most of the time, I left the fighting to Eve and Kaiser, but last night, an ogre, a C-rank monster, appeared.
Ogres are massive creatures with extraordinary strength. They would pull trees out of the ground and hurl them, a ridiculous display of power, and their durability was also outstanding.
Even with Eve’s magic or Kaiser’s charges, they didn’t seem to take much damage, and the ogre was about to invade the campsite. But when I faced it directly, I took its charge head-on.
Perhaps because I’d been eating Kaiser’s eggs daily, I didn’t feel the impact of the charge too strongly, and with a mighty swing of my first log (Log No. 1), I delivered a home run, snapping its neck and killing it.
I wasn’t sure if there was any demand for ogre materials, but for now, it was safely stored in the cold room.
Anyway, despite how tough the exam seemed, it was ending today, and we were done.
“Well then, Erik, I look forward to seeing you at the academy.”
After boarding the ship and returning to the city, the other examinees, perhaps relieved that the exam was over, thanked me and went their separate ways.
In the end, Roberto returned with the promised reward, saying, “Here is the payment,” and I gladly accepted it. The sound of coins scraping together filled the air, and the weight in my hand increased. It seemed like quite a substantial amount.
“Thank you as well. I look forward to seeing you again.”
After shaking hands, we parted ways.
The next time we’d meet would probably be a month from now at the entrance ceremony.
There were many things I wanted to do in the meantime—improving the facilities in the room, acquiring a new core, and so on. Time was limited.
‘It seems he paid a good amount after all.’
I nodded at Eve’s words.
As promised, Roberto had paid a large sum. Apparently, some of it had come from Angelica’s family as well.
She had to leave immediately upon returning to the royal capital, so I wasn’t able to say goodbye, but I planned to thank her the next time we met.
(With all this money, it looks like I can do a lot, but for now, let’s just move on.)
Since we’d had plenty of time on the deserted island, I had already decided what actions to take after returning.
“First, let’s head over there.”
I started walking, ready to take care of the necessary tasks one by one.
“Lady Angelica, thank you for your hard work.”
“You two did well as well. Thank you for your efforts.”
Angelica sank into the plush seat of the luxurious carriage, finally feeling a bit more at ease.
“You look quite exhausted.”
The butler, who had come to greet her, spoke to her. Angelica responded, though she seemed a bit reluctant.
“We were attacked by a pack of dire wolves.”
“What? I’m glad to hear you’re safe.”
The butler seemed shocked by the news.
“I was helped by someone.”
“Could it have been the young heir of the Cavero family who came to your aid?”
Certainly, without Roberto, life on the deserted island would have been nearly impossible.
Having grown up in the royal palace, Angelica had no experience with preparing even a simple meal.
“Yes, he was of great help.”
But the person Angelica had in mind wasn’t Roberto.
“One month until the entrance ceremony. It feels like a long wait.”
“Did something happen, Lady Angelica?”
Sara, who had been spacing out from fatigue, responded.
“No, don’t worry about it.”
Angelica, trying to appear calm, looked out the window, but…
“Dire wolves, huh… Could this be sabotage from another faction?”
Although Angelica’s claim to the throne was not very strong, she was still a princess. While there were personal reasons for her participation in the exam, it wouldn’t be surprising if assassins had been sent to take advantage of the situation.
“It’s possible. If that’s the case, then…”
Perhaps she was just lucky. There had been no further attacks after the dire wolves, but if there had been, she might not have made it out alive.
“I can only be grateful to Erik.”
As she remembered the elusive young man, she suddenly realized that she hadn’t said her proper goodbyes. A soft smile spread across Angelica’s face.