009 The Entrance Exam (1)

The day of the entrance exam has come.

Fenris had been studying strenuously in preparation for this moment. He woke up early in the morning when everyone else was still asleep, still feeling groggy from staying up late last night.

After using magic to splash water on his face, he fully woke up. Fastening on his clothes, he stepped out of his bedroom into the hallway. 

Fenris began walking downstairs to where the maids and servants rested, heading towards Sophia's room to wake her up. But just before he turned the doorknob, he suddenly had second thoughts.

"Should I...?" Fenris said. But soon afterwards, he shook off his doubts and entered her room anyway.

Watching the beautiful albino-haired half-elf sleep was such a mesmerizing sight that Fenris could watch it forever. But he couldn't, so he approached Sophia's unconscious body and gave her a nudge.

Her eyes fluttered as Fenris's silhouette slowly came into view. When she fully opened her eyes, Sophia shrieked in embarrassment as she quickly sat up and hid herself with the bed covers.

"W-What are you doing here?!" Sophia exclaimed, her eyes widening in both surprise and fear.

"I came to wake you up, the entrance exam is today," Fenris replied. 

"It's today?!" Sophia yelped as panic overwhelmed her, prompting her to hastily gather her belongings together.

"I'll be waiting outside," Fenris said with a soft smile, stepping out of her room.

After a few minutes of waiting, Sophia was ready. However, logic finally caught up with her as she started calming down. A thought popped up in her mind.

"Fenris? Why did I have to get ready, as well? Aren't you going by yourself?" she said.

"Because servants of nobles are allowed to attend too. Although in the academy they are counted as individual students, regardless of whether they are free or not," Fenris explained.

"Oh, I see—wait, does that mean I get to go with you?!" Sophia's face shines with hope as the prospect of being beside Fenris puts a big smile on her face.

"Mm-hmm," Fenris nodded.

Sophia squealed with excitement, her resolve strengthened knowing that she'll be attending alongside Fenris. Her doubts seemed to wash away, feeling almost certain that she'll pass with flying colors.

Only one question remained on her mind, "How will we get there, though?"

"We'll just teleport there," Fenris replied at once.

"Wait, really?! You can do that?" Sophia asked, stricken with curiosity.

"Mm-hmm," Fenris nodded. He pushed off from the wall he was leaning against, looking down at Sophia with confident eyes. In the face of that, Sophia felt—no, knew he could do anything.

"Alright, if you say so," Sophia said.

The two headed back upstairs, where Fenris made a detour to his parents' room, slipping a letter of departure underneath. After that, he and Sophia headed outside of the mansion, where the two held hands as Fenris casted teleportation magic, transporting them near the entrance to Lodonea.

"Wow, I can't believe it was that quick and easy!" Sophia remarked, amazed by how quickly they arrived at their destination.

"Yup. Teleportation magic is useful for getting around places, though the only downside is that you have to know the coordinates of where you're going," Fenris explained.

"Oh, well....that's very convenient still!" she said. 

As they faced Lodonea Academy, the two couldn't help but admire its splendor, especially seeing it in-person for themselves.

Lodonea's campus consists of a magnificent castle-like structure that towers over the surrounding landscape. It is made of weathered gray stone and red bricks, with intricate carvings and gargoyles adorning its façade. It is surrounded by a lush forest and a moat, adding to its sense of grandeur. The most striking feature of the castle is its central tower, which is taller than all the others. The tower is topped with a golden spire that can be seen from miles away. The castle's main entrance is located at the base of the central tower, and it is flanked by two large statues of lions. The other towers are also very impressive. Some of the towers are used for classrooms, while others house the academy's library, laboratories, and other facilities. The castle also has a number of large courtyards, which are used for gatherings and events.

"Looks like this is it," Fenris said with a heavy breath. He looked aside to Sophia before walking in. The interior was filled with students who were walking between hallways presumably to take their exams, just like Fenris and Sophia. They arrived at a receptionist counter where an auburn-haired lady examined both of them with squinted eyes, before greeting them.

"Welcome to Lodonea. Please state your name," the receptionist lady said.

Fenris willfully ignored the receptionist's squinting, and proceeded to introduce himself. "My name is Fenris, madam."

"Last name?" she replied.

"Tonelico," he said.

"Ah, so you hail from the esteemed Tonelico family. I'm sure you'll fit in here just fine, then," the receptionist replied in a positive tone. "Now what about you?" she turned to Sophia.

"Sophia," she said.

"Last name?" 

"Erm, I don't have one," Sophia replied.

"Ah, then perhaps you're a commoner?" the receptionist asked.

"Not exactly, I'm actually Fenris's servant," Sophia said.

"Okay, then. Now please place your hand here so I can assess what elemental attributes you have," the lady pointed to a crystal ball which acted as a tool for measuring mana.

Fenris went first, placing his hand over-top the ball, which shone a bright white light, illuminating the main lobby. This result wasn't surprising to him, as he was well-aware of his outstanding capabilities by now.

"Wow, that's amazing! You possess all six elements?" the receptionist asked, her eyes widening with surprise.

"Mm-hmm," Fenris replied. Without indulging in conversation any further, he steps aside, as it was now Sophia's turn.

She placed her hand over the ball, displaying three colors of mana circulating inside it - red, green, and blue, representing Fire, Earth and Water. For someone without a noble background, her magic affinity was quite impressive.

"Alright, you two may go now," the receptionist said with a soft smile. She handed Fenris and Sophia a slip of paper indicating which room they were supposed to be in. Coincidentally, they were in the same classroom together.

When they arrived at their classroom, Fenris and Sophia exchanged expressions hoping for good luck, as they sat down in their seats.

The side-chatter exchanged between students halted as a woman, presumably middle-aged, entered the room. Her tight posture and facial features gave her a strict demeanor. It was generally assumed that she was their teacher.

"We're going to start the written portion of the entrance exam now. If you are caught cheating, you will be dismissed on the spot, so be careful," the woman spoke with a commanding tone of voice as another, younger girl handed out the papers to the students. "The exam will last two hours. Now...begin!" she added.

Fenris let out a heavy sigh as he looked face down into his paper, channeling all of his brain power into acing this exam.

◇ ◇ ◇

Two hours have elapsed, and the written exam portion is now over.

"Okay, stop," The teacher clapped her hands, signifying that time was up. "Please take your hands off and put down your answer sheets."

Everyone did so promptly. Fenris had finished the exam early, but he waited patiently for everyone else to finish.

"We'll now move on to the practical exam, where you will test your magic and swordsmanship," the woman said.

This was it. The exciting part Fenris was waiting for. He felt that he would excel here given all of the training he has done up to this point. His smile widened into a grin as confidence flowed throughout his body.