33 – Gateway
There are various types of fame and glory, and they are not limited to individuals.
This was a story that also applied to the student society in Prussia.
Even though it was a much smaller group compared to countries or cities, there was fierce competition for honor among them.
The method of determining that honor was simple.
‘Which school produced the most freshmen for the Federal Magic University?’
In Prussia, there were a total of four secondary education institutions, which graduated thousands of students into society every year.
As the birthplace of magic, a considerable number of students among them hoped to enter the Federal Magic University, so every year, it was a small topic of conversation among the teachers to see which school produced how many freshmen.
It was difficult to determine when it started to become heated.
But one thing was certain: as long as the number of incoming students remained in the statistics, it must have happened at some point.
When it comes to quantitative things, is it human nature to form lines?
At some point, not only the teachers but also the students of the four schools joined forces and started dividing the rankings based on how many freshmen each school produced for the magic university.
Although they all had long and elaborate names, they were all called the First, Second, Third, and Fourth schools.
Eva Toricelli, admission number 1217, was a student of the First School, which was undoubtedly the best among the four schools.
The number of magic university successful candidates produced in the previous year was a staggering 155.
It was a number that easily surpassed the other three schools.
Eva was a prodigy who made it into the top 5% of the entire school in such a prestigious institution, so it was only natural that the expectations of her friends and teachers gathered.
– Eva, you’ll definitely pass!
– The prestige of the First School will rise even higher. Ah…
– Valedictorian Eva! Valedictorian Eva!
If an ordinary student were crushed under such heavy expectations, they would feel anxious.
“Everyone? Over there, you can see the statue of Oshurime-nim. I can clearly see a future where my statue will be standing next to it in ten years!”
Eva Toricelli was the opposite.
How could she feel anxious? It would all be resolved if she made all those expectations come true.
The distinctive rustling, with blonde hair fluttering, Eva turned around.
Seven friends looking at her with eyes of admiration. In their hearts, the future of walking through the correction with the top student of the Magic University is already being envisioned.
Eva believed in herself to make that dream come true.
With a confident expression, she declared, “Well then, let’s go. To the exam hall!”
Even among the crowd of test-takers, a particularly large group began to move.
*
Unfortunately, their triumphant advance was halted sooner than expected.
“What’s, what’s going on?”
The crowd blocked the way forward.
The gates of knowledge adorned on both sides of the street. It was due to the severe congestion caused by standing still in awe in front of their imposing grandeur.
In frustration, Eva lightly bit her fingernails.
“This is unexpected…”
It was what she had imagined around the time she fell asleep last night. A vision of herself, shining among the humble test-takers, elegantly passing through the gates of knowledge.
But what is this?
The weather is cold and cloudy, rain is falling, and on top of that, blocked by the crowd, she can’t even pass through.
“Uh, Eva. What do we do?”
“In this situation, we can’t step on the grass and go, and… we’ll just have to wait a bit, I guess.”
Her friends threw one or two words.
From Noble mtl dot com
But getting discouraged here is not like herself.
Shyrarak, even under the umbrella, replied while flicking her blonde hair.
“Let’s break through.”
Thus, a group of first-year students from Shyrarak’s school began squeezing through the crowd.
Fortunately, the students seemed too busy looking at the inscription on the door of knowledge, so Shyrarak quickly reached the front of the crowd.
“I’ll be the first to pass through…!”
It was a light remark as she tried to pass through the door of knowledge.
Abruptly, she stopped.
Looking around, she found about twenty test-takers lined up horizontally, but none of them seemed to be moving.
No. Can’t they move?
Only then did Shyrarak lift her head and gaze directly at the door of knowledge.
[Those who wish to learn, enter here]
[Those without the intention to learn, do not approach]
“…”
She hesitated for a moment.
Am I really passing through this door because I want to learn?
Or is it just for admiration?
As Shyrarak hesitated, she recalled the academic enthusiasm buried somewhere in her heart.
Thump―
Thud!
She ended up losing her lead.
The examination venue was the auditorium, and Eva’s group, consisting of six members, was separated from the students taking the exam in other places.
As the crowd dispersed, each heading towards their respective exam rooms, a sense of reality gradually set in.
The exam is imminent.
Eva felt a growing unease from within.
Even with the skills to secure a passing position, a slight misstep could lead to failure.
A year of youth, as fleeting as blood, would be lost.
If it came to that, it would not be a matter easily dismissed as a simple embarrassment.
She was reflecting on this with a bit of self-restraint.
—”I didn’t want to take the exam with those clueless fools lingering around the door of knowledge. Glad you’re here. The theorist.”
—”Because it’s Eugene.”
A voice, quite distinct from the solemn atmosphere, echoed.
Eva furrowed her brow slightly as she followed the direction of the voice.
—”As you know, I am a genius and will become the Federation’s foremost experimental mage.”
—”You think so?”
Walking side by side were two men.
Eva recognized the man with black hair among them.
“So, it seems even the author is taking the entrance exam.”
“Eva Yang. Do you know him?”
“Well, yes. I’m sure you’ve heard the name as well. Werner from the 4th School.”
“…Wow. I’ve only heard rumors.”
As the name was mentioned, the five friends all seemed to know, each displaying a furrowed brow or a surprised expression as if acknowledging it.
His notoriety was exceptionally high.
Fourth School. The worst school that, for the past few years, never failed to surpass the quota of expelled magic university freshmen.
In Fourth School, known for frequent fistfights, the man who gained infamy throughout Frausen solely through his exploits, unrelated to violence within Fourth School, was none other than Werner.
Shortly after enrolling, he conducted an explosion experiment on the school field. Then, casually displaying potent substances on his desk in the classroom.
Up to the incident in the Fourth School laboratory a year ago.
Particularly, the last incident was the primary cause of his notoriety. While everyone, students and teachers alike, fled, he alone remained, watching the fire caused by his mistake for five minutes before putting it out himself.
“He’s just insane. They say he’s good at studying, but even if he’s in the top at Fourth School, how good can he really be?”
Eva secretly wished for Werner’s failure and shifted her attention away.
Surprisingly, what caught Eva’s interest was the man next to him.
Did Werner have someone worthy of being called a friend?
It wouldn’t hurt to check on this key figure.
Under that pretense, Eva observed the man’s back until just before arriving at the auditorium. It wasn’t to admire his undoubtedly good physique and well-trained charm.
And…
Amidst the growing crowd and anxious murmurs, navigating through the magic university staff carrying test papers.
Eva Torichelli arrived at the main hall of the auditorium, the designated examination venue.
*
Tick. Tick. Tick.
“The test papers have been distributed.”
“Thank you.”
The voice resounds.
In a spacious room filled with over a hundred people, the only sounds that can be heard are the ticking of the clock, the conversations of the invigilators, the sound of breathing, and the beating of one’s own heart.
The overturned test papers resemble a vast, unanswered wilderness.
For some, it is a playground to showcase their abilities, but even if someone were to be buried under that pile of papers, no trace would be revealed.
There are 21 questions in total, spread across eight sheets of paper.
Eva’s heartbeat quickens as she realizes the weight of this stack of papers.
At the same time, the invigilator on the podium checks his wristwatch.
In the chilling silence, his mouth opens.
“We will now begin the entrance exam.”
Flutter!
All 22 examinees simultaneously flip over their test papers.
Some start from the beginning, while others employ the strategy of solving the subjects they are confident in first.
A contest begins, leaving graphite footprints on the snowy white wilderness.
Square by square by square―
They write down their solutions.
Some pause, while others flip through the pages. Eva completely ignores all external stimuli and focuses solely on her test paper.
5 questions in arithmetic, done.
7 questions in algebra, struggled a bit with the most difficult one, but managed to finish the solutions.
History and etiquette issues were solved in less than ten minutes.
“Huuu….”
Taking a moment to catch her breath, she checked the time.
The entrance exam for the Federal Magic University was a relentless sequence of solving all the questions without any breaks. It induced stress while demanding thorough time management.
Fortunately, the current time was just right. Not too fast, but not late either.
Eva picked up her pencil again.
From basic calculus to advanced questions in physics and chemistry, she solved them one after another.
Although the difficulty was higher than previous years, she managed to pull through. Assuming there were no mistakes at this point, she already had a score that would qualify her for acceptance.
There was still quite a bit of time left.
About an hour.
It could be considered a time allocated solely for the most difficult questions, and as if to prove that, many test-takers within the first lecture hall had already put down their pencils.
There were two types. Those who couldn’t solve the most challenging questions or those who, having reached the passing score, saw no meaning in solving them.
However, Eva aimed to be the top scorer.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her pencil again and somehow managed to solve the last problem in basic calculus.
She had solved it, but there was no certainty that it was the correct answer.
Eva slowly lifted her head.
Almost all the students in front of her had put down their pens. Even though there was still about thirty minutes left.
Rumors had it that due to the unique difficulty allocation of the entrance exam, this phenomenon occurred every year.
It wasn’t uncommon to see students lying down, falling into sleep, or aimlessly twirling their pencils.
And as Eva flipped through her exam paper, confirming the absurd difficulty of the highest-level questions in physics and chemistry, she…
Percussion.
Satisfyingly, I set the pencil down.
I’ve answered 19 out of 21 questions. If they’re all correct, it’s a score that could aim for the top or second place.
Even if a few are wrong, it’s a score that definitely crosses the passing line.
The reputation of the first school was destined to rise even higher with this.
And then.
“…?”
Eva Torichelli looked. It was 30 minutes before the end of the exam. In the front row, as if in a battle with the exam paper, a man was writing, lowering his back.
*
Deeeng―
A bell that seemed to echo throughout the campus.
Along with it, the supervisor declared.
“Exam time is over! Now, everyone, put down your pencils.”
Since most students had already put down their pencils long ago, it was done in a hurry.
Collect the exam papers. Confirm the quantity. Supervisor’s approval.
After about ten minutes of procedures, the examinees finally regained their freedom.
“It’s overrr! Dammit!”
“Hey, hey. What did you write for the answer to the second question of calculus? 2π? Not 3π/2, right?”
“I lost.”
“…Sob.”
Hundreds of test-takers crowded the seats all at once.
Among them, some cursed under their breath or discreetly wiped tears away, catching the attention of others, while the majority let out deep sighs and exited the auditorium.
Likewise, a determined sigh escaped a female student from School 1 as she tapped Eva’s shoulder and said, “Eva, let’s go.”
“…Okay,” Eva replied.
Contrary to her words, Eva stood near the exit, gazing back into the auditorium.
The first auditorium now emptied of seats in an instant.
Except for one person.
Right at the front. A man with ash-gray hair still sat, breathing heavily, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
Barely discernible, whether it was a smile or not, his lips were slightly curled.
His tense right hand still held a pencil firmly.
