34 – Gateway
Students who viewed exams as endlessly harsh could be found without much effort, yet looking back on history, exams were not always so.
In ancient times, to those who wore crowns or governed territories, talent was either a blessing or a curse.
In a society where marriage was valued to the extent of using it as a tool, recruitment was undoubtedly biased.
Exams opened the door of possibility for talents buried by social status. Geniuses, hard workers, and others who, despite having sufficient skills, lacked opportunities, could find them through exams.
However, this was purely from an observational standpoint.
For students, exams were undeniably harsh.
The one who told this story was none other than Benjamin.
Sure. It was when I asked about the federal education system.
“The federal education system. It’s so well-developed that it can’t be compared to self-study. It’s an undeniable fact.”
“Indeed.”
“But you always have to deal with exams. It’s not a method that I particularly like.”
As someone who lived as Benjamin’s disciple and had no connection to exams, I couldn’t understand why Benjamin looked so serious.
When I asked him the reason, Benjamin replied like this.
“For educators, it’s an evaluation method that is very convenient, but for students, it’s a burden.”
“A burden?”
“Because it’s a consequential method. The time and effort you put in become meaningless in front of the score. Well, I’m not here to judge right or wrong. Just listen to the words of a retired, disqualified old educator who was dismissed in just two months.”
Instead, Benjamin had one request.
“When the time comes for the exam, remember this one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t let go of your pencil until the very end.”
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At that time, I didn’t know the meaning behind Benjamin’s advice, so I relatively recently buried it in the depths of my memory and didn’t recall it.
Now that the exam is over, I finally understand its full meaning.
“Sigh…”
My hand hurts.
Perhaps because I held it too tightly. Even though the pencil slipped from my hand right after the paper announcing the end of the exam was handed in, my hand still remained in the same shape, holding the pencil.
Slowly, my senses return.
The blackboard and the podium. The invigilator. The surrounding test-takers gradually come into view, and I can also hear the buzz they create.
In the midst of that confusion, I lifted my head.
At this moment, correct and incorrect answers, success and failure, were beyond my concern.
I faintly smiled.
The snowy expanse of unanswered questions.
The exam paper, a pure white field. The subtle joy of the explorer who conquered its end heated my entire body.
After a while.
I gathered my belongings and stepped outside the auditorium.
Since most of the test-takers had already left, I walked along the deserted path, passed through the square, and entered the beginning of a familiar street.
And finally, I arrived in front of the familiar house.
Climbing the stairs, opening the door, I uttered,
“I’m back.”
The exam results would be out in a month. All that was left was to wait.
December 4th. Slightly cloudy.
It’s an early winter morning.
The winter in the Empire and the Federation had distinct characteristics. If the Empire’s winter was practically a monsoon, then the Federation’s winter was a season of biting winds and snow.
In other words, getting up in the morning was even more challenging.
“…”
Now, about fifteen minutes after waking up.
I was still lying in bed, blinking my eyes.
If the diligent second child were here, they would scold me. Even during the exam preparation period, I had lived almost two months without lying down, sticking to my desk.
“Ah…”
It’s warm.
With the winter cold seeping into the storage room, the warmth from the blanket and bed was so precious that I couldn’t bring myself to get up.
It was just when I was about to absentmindedly close my eyes.
Kwaaang!
As if someone had kicked it, the door to the storage room opened with a loud noise.
I was startled and quickly got up, throwing off the bedding.
A chill ran down my spine.
It wasn’t just because of the cold.
Who came in?
Susan is always gentle, and Lena is generally well-behaved. One thing is for sure, whether it was Susan or Lena who came in, the fact that they opened the door so roughly meant they were very angry.
It’s a well-known fact that when a gentle person gets angry, it’s the scariest.
I cautiously turned my head towards the wide-open door.
And in the next moment, I had to lower my gaze more than expected.
“hehehe…”
Blonde hair tied tightly behind and mischievous emerald eyes.
It wasn’t Susan or Lena who opened the door, but Ellie, who was smiling mischievously.
Ellie shouted in her unique loud voice.
“Oh, Father! Are you awake?”
“…Yes. Thanks to you.”
“Let’s have breakfast!”
“Got it.”
“And then let’s go outside!”
“Huh?”
The logic leaps.
A declaration difficult to grasp with the mind of a nineteen-year-old, no matter how sharp the brain.
As I try to keep my mouth shut, Ellie grabs my hand with a sulky expression and starts pulling me.
“Come out of the room!”
“Uh, umm?”
Eventually, I find myself being dragged to the table just as I got up from the bed.
At the table, there’s Susan smiling gently as she serves my breakfast, Sally dozing off, and Lena, impeccably dressed as always.
Ignoring Lena who sneaks glances in my direction, I ask Susan.
Even after sitting down, Ellie keeps punching my back.
“Why is Ellie suddenly like this?”
“…Sorry, I spilled the beans.”
“What?”
Only after Susan adds an explanation do I finally grasp the situation.
December 4th. Today, exactly one month after the entrance exam, is the day the results are announced.
Although they could have sent the results by mail, the Federal Magic University adopts the bizarre method of requiring exam takers residing in Prussia to come in person to check the results.
Therefore, to see the results, one had to go all the way to the bulletin board inside the university campus where the list of successful candidates was posted.
It’s not like I was pressed for time, so I planned to leisurely step out.
Just a while ago, Susan spilled the beans to Ellie about my plans to go out.
“I want to go too! To school!”
“So that’s why you’re in this state.”
Susan slowly nodded her head.
“Lena goes to school early, and today I also have work, so I have to go out. It seems like a day when Ellie and Sally have to stay home together, so they must be bored. Wait a moment. I’ll be quick; I’m going to tie my hair.”
“Tie your hair?”
“It’s an important day. It’s not just a casual walk. You have to go with a calm mind, right?”
“I can be quiet!”
Watching Susan pinch Ellie’s cheek lightly, I chuckled at the casual thought.
Since the exams ended, I’ve been working as an auxiliary knight in the Eastern Front State. I’ve had more chances to chat with Lena in various ways.
However, on the flip side, I haven’t spent much time with Ellie, Sally, the twins. There’s still a somewhat awkward feeling with Sally.
“Hmm.”
It sounds good in theory, but the reality check is that it’s not much different from the correctional walks at the Federal Magic University.
After some contemplation, I reached a conclusion.
“Susan.”
“Why are you like this?”
“I think it would be nice to go and check with Ellie and Sally. I’m worried about leaving just the two of them at home.”
“…Are you sure that’s okay?”
The answer came with a refreshing laugh.
Elli smiled and shouted enthusiastically.
“Wow! Big brother! I love you!”
“……”
It was a breakfast time that made me realize anew the awkwardness of responding to a child’s straightforward expression of affection.
After a while, Lena and Susan went out.
I finished preparing the twins for their outing with my clumsy skills, then gathered my belongings.
A newly bought winter coat with my entire month’s salary. Things like a bag in case any unexpected documents come up.
And as I was about to leave the room.
Something caught my eye.
A neatly folded, well-worn black scarf in a corner of the room.
One of the few things I brought with me when I left the empire.
A gentle smile formed on my lips.
Right. It was already winter.
*
“Um, Eugene, b-brother.”
“Yeah?”
On the way to the Magic University, I learned a few things about Sally.
First, the term “brother” felt awkward in English, and second, she was unexpectedly outspoken.
“What if I fail the entrance exam? W-what should I do?”
“Ugh.”
I closed my mouth.
To be honest, it’s true that I did well. Among the exam takers, how many could solve all 21 questions on the entrance exam?
So, unless a pile of mistakes is discovered, there should be no need to worry about passing.
“I don’t know if I can get the top scholarship, but…”
“I-if you don’t get the top spot?”
“Ugh.”
“Sally! Don’t talk about ominous things!”
Despite Ellie’s protest, my words were stuck.
Not getting the scholarship.
Even if it’s not a full scholarship for second place, some scholarship money is given, so it’s worth aiming for.
If I miss even the second place, I can only hope that the six hundred pounds I anonymously invested in Lena will yield substantial returns.
I said that, but.
I didn’t want to miss the top spot.
Not just for the scholarship, but because I have to push down Werner’s arrogant nose.
Thanks to having traveled the road once before, I reached the magic university without the worry of getting lost.
Although not as crowded as the day of the exam, there were still quite a few students walking with uncertain steps.
The gaze that usually has to be avoided did not feel as noticeable today.
Just looking at my heart rate was enough to guess the reason.
It was only natural that the tension for the results was greater than the day of the exam.
Passing through the main gate, a vast lawn and a landscape of trees unfolded, and in the middle of the continuing path was the Door of Knowledge. Since today I wouldn’t be using the campus facilities, there was no need to go all the way to the Door of Knowledge.
Finding the notice board with the results posted was an easy task.
A place bustling with people.
“Ellie, Sally, would you like to play here on the grass for a while?”
“Yeah! Big brother! Sally wants to play too!”
After letting go of the twins’ hands, I slowly moved toward that place.
Thump, thump.
Navigating through the crowd, I headed towards the bulletin board.
Unlike exam days, sorrowful sounds echoed from all directions.
Of course, it was natural. The names on the board determined whether one would pass or fail among all the test-takers.
“Uwaaa! I passed!”
“Oh.”
“…”
Amidst varied reactions erupting all around, I reached right in front of the bulletin board.
[726. Exam Number 1097 Emil Hertzsprung]
I lifted my head.
Although the number of successful candidates was not high, the lowest-ranking successful candidate had the number 726. The board was quite large, and one had to tilt their head considerably to see the end.
Starting from the very bottom, I began the confirmation.
A list of successful candidates, approximately two hundred in groups of four columns.
From the far right column, from 601st to 726th, my name was absent.
[569. Exam Number 2273 Gustav Mach]
Even up to the 401st place, my name was nowhere to be found.
[224. Test number 0424 Joseph-Louis Lamarck]
The same went for anything below 201st place.
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There are two possibilities. Either my score is among the top of the successful candidates, or I failed.
Suppressing the feeling of a heart about to burst, I slowly raised my gaze from the bottom.
[177. Test number 1820 Julia Müller]
None.
[86. Test number 0028 Evangelista Rovelli]
None.
[4. Test number 1217 Eva Torricelli]
Still, none.
And then.
I finally looked at the top of the bulletin board.
There were some peculiar numbers and additional words.
[1. Test number 1880 Eugene Oslo (Joint First Place)]
[1. Test number 2729 Werner Ross Diemann (Joint First Place)]
“…Huh?”
“Well, this is quite ambiguous.”
Thunk!
Someone tapped my shoulder and started speaking.
It was a familiar voice.
“Werner.”
“Scholar. As co-chief, interesting results came out. What do you think?”
Werner smirked.
“Should I consider this as stealing the chief position?”
“……”
“hahahahaha! What serious thoughts are you pondering? It’s obviously a joke.”
He chuckled heartily and then looked at me abruptly.
“Scholar. I acknowledge you.”
His shameless smile filled his face, but I felt it was a profoundly serious expression.
He reached out his hand.
I did the same.
“Werner Ross Diemann.”
“…Eugene Oslo.”
Clasping our hands tightly, we both thought simultaneously. Prussian Federation School of Magic.
I am going there.
