Chapter 37

… The chairman of Imperial University Tower's board of directors received interesting news from the private office.

It was an order from Bercht regarding the Red Box.

If this were a game, most people would've gambled 10 million or 100 million Elnes that they would be commanded to begin the Red Box oppression.

However, the result was quite the opposite, and Deculein's fierce contribution to that outcome made it all the more surprising.

"What is this…"

"I know how you feel."

At the chairman's office, thirteen faculty members gathered, including Relin and Letran.

The chairman often gave an audience to the professors at least once a month, the only person who had never stopped by for it being Deculein.

"I'm curious why you're all here today. Did you meet someone at Madoho?"

The Professors just laughed at the chairman's question.

There were many schools in this magical world, just like how there were multiple factions all over the continent. Relin and the rest belonged to an organization called Madoho.

Deculein wasn't tied to any school. The Yukline Family itself was no different from being a godfather of the magic world, after all.

"Louina attended Madoho this time. I've been talking to her for a while…" One of the professors spoke up, causing the chairman to smile bitterly.

Louina competed against Deculein for the Head Professor position, at least until she voluntarily resigned due to an "unexpected incident."

She was now the Head Professor of the Kingdom University Tower.

"Is she coming back to the Empire?"

"Hahaha! Well, if you can guarantee her seat, she definitely will. If that happens, our tower will definitely greatly benefit from it. Weren't her achievements in the kingdom remarkable?"

"…"

"On the other hand, Professor Deculein is a bit… strange these days. He's even defending the Red Box. Based on his behavior at Bercht, Professor Deculein seems…"

The chairman smiled and gestured, knowing full well what the professor was trying to convey.

"Alright. If Louina says she'll come, I'll take it into consideration. Well, let's end this meeting here for now. I have something to do today."

"Yes, chairman!"

They were turned away positively, and the professors left the office with bright faces.

"Hmmmmm…" Deep in thought with his chin resting on the back of her hand, the chairman pulled out some documents.

Papers were flowing in since they were in the middle of an exam period. A lot of test questions, in particular, had reached her office.

It wasn't his habit to rummage through them, but…

"How did he make this problem?" She was surprised by the exam Deculein prepared. She even felt proud of himself for being able to solve at least its last question.

"I don't think I can create something like this even if I used the other exams as reference."

She wasn't joking around. Its problems were good enough to be used for the 'Solda' promotion test.

However, the chairman was not naive enough to think that Deculein made the problems himself.

"Hnngg… He's hiding it well this time… Who would it be…" She mumbled in a small voice and grinned.

"Well, who cares? It's rather fun."

Wouldn't he be flustered if she asked him about the test questions? Professor Deculein would look pretty cute then.

"I'd have to tease you later!"

*****

Wednesday.

The examination day for the 5-credit class.

Since this exam was as important as the first three combined, Epherene decided to go to the tower earlier than usual, immediately heading to the [30th Floor], the entirety of which was reserved solely for their incoming test.

She opened the door with the nameplate [Examination Waiting Room] attached to it.

"Woah."

Epherene was startled.

It was only 8 AM, but more than a hundred people were already gathered.

"…"

"…"

Their silent chatter stopped. Maybe because of the recent events, all eyes were on Epherene.

Epherene's nickname these days was the thoughtless commoner, although she wasn't a commoner.

Epherene sat near Julia and the other club members. "Ifi, did you just wake up?"

"No, I didn't sleep."

She could no longer remember how many cups of coffee she consumed throughout the night.

But that was how exams usually affected students anyway. However, due to her nervousness and the caffeine in her body, she couldn't fall asleep. However, she was more faultless now than before.

"Ifi, do you want to look at my notes? I wrote down my discernment yesterday." Julia grinned.

"Okay, I'll show you mine too."

The two exchanged notes, studying together until the clock struck 11 and Assistant Professor Allen came in.

"Good morning. I am Allen, the Assistant Professor. The midterm exam for [Understanding Pure Elemental Magic] will start without roll-call."

Allen read the paper he had in his hand.

"Beforehand, I'll be providing you with some information about it. First and foremost, it will have no time limit."

"?"

The wizards were taken aback for a moment. Allen also covered his mouth and stared at what he was reading suspiciously as if he said something wrong.

"Rather, the test's deadline is next Sunday at midnight, which is a week after the tower's exam period."

The wizards became even more dumbfounded.

It was currently Wednesday. If the deadline was at midnight next Sunday, that meant that they had ten days to take the test.

While Epherene was trying to make sense of such puzzling information, Allen continued talking.

"Of course, you can take other exams during that time. You can eat outside, sleep at home, wash up, go play to relieve your stress. However, the test paper itself can't be taken outside."

She found it strange. No, it was an interesting method.

"Additionally, each person will be given a private room as their test site. You can even sleep inside it. However, you must bring your own pillow and blanket. Bringing and eating food inside it is allowed. The same goes for bringing and reading books and theses. Moreover, this test allows open notes."

Epherene's eyebrows began to furrow in doubt. If the test was expected to last ten days despite allowing them to look at their notes, how difficult could it be?

No, could such a level of difficulty even be possible?

"Lastly, Head Professor Deculein left a few words of motivation."

Allen cleared his throat and imitated Deculein.

"'If ever someone gets a perfect score, I'll write a Letter of Recommendation as the Head Professor—'"

Letter of Recommendation.

All the wizards' eyes widened at those words. He was a wizard above Monarch.

Among the 11 wizard ranks, he was at the 4th. No, maybe even at the 1st. Regardless, the Head Professor's Letter of Recommendation was extremely valuable.

This would be a bit of an exaggeration, but it essentially meant that they automatically passed the Solda promotion test apart from its interview.

"…"

The wizards' enthusiasm burned up even though the test was very strange.

Of course, they had already expected Sylvia to claim 1st place with an overwhelming lead, but the Letter of Recommendation wasn't just for one person, but for everyone who got a perfect score.

It was a good chance for late-bloomers to rise and make a name for themselves.

"I will now assign each of you an exam room. Please stand up and follow me, starting from the front row."

Fifteen people in the front row of the waiting room got up first. He repeated that same procedure ten times.

Sylvia was assigned to room number 23, and Epherene and the other club members were assigned to room number 73~78.

"… Good luck, Ifi. Fight!"

"Yes, you too." Knowing that she had a lot of time made her anxiety die down.

While they were exchanging encouragement, Allen shouted. "Okay. Everybody, go in!"

Epherene took a deep breath and went inside.

The room was a little wider than the one-person room in the dormitory. It had a desk, a chair, and a clock. On top of the desk was the test paper.

Epherene immediately sat on the chair and looked at number one.

[1. Calculate the circuit of the following technique.]

She was certain it was a theoretical question.

Epherene took out her pencil. At the same time, she released mana through her fingers.

Epherene calculated the theory by using intuition, recreating the circuit with her mana as she computed.

"… Whoo."

She solved it in an hour. Epherene instilled the proper amount of mana on the answer column before turning the page.

[2. Inferring from the key circuit of the following technique, describe its flow of mana.]

Question number 2 was a little difficult, but it was still theoretical, as expected. She spent 3 to 4 hours solving it.

But the real problem came after that.

[ 3. The following circuit is part of a specific magic. Deduce the above formula through the following conditions, express the magic, and implant it to the test paper.]

Epherene thought about how to handle it best, assuming it would be easy at first.

However, she couldn't develop a solution for it no matter how long she spent pondering about it.

"I'm sleepy."

Epherene eventually put her pen down and laid on the floor.

"… Haaaaaa."

She closed her eyes in this rigid place to take a little break, and before she knew it, a day had passed.

*****

The fourth day of the 'Understanding Pure Elemental Magic' exam.

The knight cadets who left for their exams on Saturday had returned, and most of the tests of the regular undergraduates were coming to an end.

However, the tower itself was still hot and bustling.

Right now, not only the university tower wizards but also the outer kingdom tower, cadets, and undergraduates were paying attention to it.

The reason was, of course, Deculein's marathon exam, which apparently was hard enough to warrant having an entire week or two dedicated to challenging it.

However, the test this time was promoted by the chairman herself.

"Yes! The exam is still ongoing on the 30th floor!"

Thanks to that, many came to gather news materials, and the chairman came forward to respond to their queries.

"What is its level of difficulty?"

"Nigh-impossible, but I felt really happy after I solved it! The students will feel enlightened once they've finished it! It's worth trying!"

"Do you intend to publicize the test questions afterward?"

"I think you should ask Professor Deculein about that! In my opinion, even the 'Isle of Wizard's Wealth' would want to pay for it too!"

All sorts of people surrounded the tower.

Having finished their exams, the undergraduates and cadets came to check the commotion out as well before training for the season of festivities and MT of the entire university, which would begin in two weeks.

"By any chance, can we get an interview—"

"Are you a debutante? Please wait—"

The reporters grabbed the wizards and asked for an interview. Most of them refused, but Epherene agreed in exchange for 4 cups of coffee and three pieces of bread.

"No one's given up on the test yet?"

"Probably."

"What do you think is the reason?"

"I'm not sure."

Epherene drank the coffee without answering properly.

The truth was she knew all too well the reason why they didn't give up.

This exam was an extension of his class.

Just like Deculein's somehow unfriendly yet friendly lectures, the test was leading them to growth.

Review everything you've learned from Deculein as you solve the problem, use it arbitrarily, and comprehend the application.

"What do you think of the wizards discussing the test among themselves and leaking out the answers to each other?"

Epherene almost spat out coffee at the reporter's naive question. Smirking, she shook her head. "That's not possible. Wizards are very individualistic. And it would be too obvious if we did that. Magic and mana have their own 'characteristics,' after all. Think of them as fingerprints."

"Aha…"

"Ten minutes have passed, right? I'll be going now." The promised interview duration had ended.

Epherene got up from her seat with 3 cups of coffee and two pieces of bread remaining.

*****

Early Monday morning.

Sylvia woke up in the test room and warmed up her food with magic.

"Nom nom—"

She ate breakfast as she looked at the test paper.

[7. When the magic with the above core circuit satisfies the following four conditions, infer the whole formula and implement the magic.]

She was thinking about manipulating the mana according to the conditions in question number 7.

"… Ugh."

She failed to solve it yesterday despite attempting to find the right answer all day, and since she still couldn't come up with an answer for it, she decided to take a different test for now.

"…."

Sylvia came out of her test room and approached the Assistant Professor in front of the elevator.

"Are you giving up or going out?" Allen asked.

"I'm going out to take another test."

"Okay, Ms. Sylvia. Good luck."

Sylvia then took a refinement test outside the tower at the 'Theo Hall.'

*****

Finishing the 2-hour exam in 20 minutes, Sylvia made her way back to her test room, finding the attendants of the mansion waiting near the tower to give her packed lunch and dinner.

"Good luck, Lady Sylvia! I know you'll be able to solve all of the questions!"

"Don't give up! You're going to be the greatest wizard to ever exist, so I know you'll be able to do it!"

Sylvia returned to her room after receiving their support.

It was strangely burdensome. She didn't feel this much pressure during the entrance exam.

The possibility that she couldn't solve it was growing in one corner of her mind, but she refused to acknowledge it.

"Don't be impatient."

Reminding herself of the Professor's words, she steeled her mind.

[Room #23 – Sylvia]

Sylvia's test room had all the things she needed. She made a bed using her magic and brought blankets and pillows. She also had books and research papers to serve as references.

It had become a capsule where she cycled between eating, sleeping, and solving the test. She sat behind her desk and challenged question #7 again.

1 hour.

2 hours.

3 hours.

4 hours…

She put her heart and soul into it as the time passed.

It wasn't only because of the level of difficulty of the exam.

Its questions were indeed difficult, but Sylvia would have already told her father if it was needlessly so, calling it a garbage exam that wasn't worth spending ten days on and its creator a trashy professor.

But this exam was nothing like that.

Each problem presented new possibilities and directions, induced unexpected transformations, shocking utilization and application out of her, and promoted flexible thinking inherent in the problem itself.

Regardless, it was no different from participating in a 'boot camp.' Its level of difficulty also greatly increased starting from the 6th question.

The wizards believed that they would rise to an entirely different level if they got a perfect score. The Letter of Recommendation was just an unexpected bonus.

10 hours.

11 hours.

12 hours…

"…!"

Twelve hours today and eighteen hours yesterday. After a total of 30 hours of hard work, she finally solved number 7.

Sylvia manifested the circuit through magic, which rose in the air in the shape of a sphere.

It looked like a blazing star that combined fire and earth, wind and water, causing a brilliance so bright it reached even the edges of her room.

Sylvia was briefly mesmerized by its beauty.

But soon afterward, she sighed as she looked at the clock.

[6 PM]

It was time to take another test.

After combing her hair, she walked out of the tower. There were still many people at the main entrance, so she went around the back, where she ran into someone.

"Oh, Sylvia?"

Epherene.

"… Are you going to take another test?" Epherene asked.

Sylvia walked without bothering to answer, but at some point, they both asked the same question.

"At what number are you—" Their words overlapped.

Sylvia grew silent.

Shrugging, Epherene spoke first. "… I'm currently solving number 7."

Sylvia answered honestly. "Number 8."

"What? You already solved all of them?!" Epherene's eyes widened out of envy.

"Solving."

"… Ah. You're fast. I'm stuck at number 7."

Epherene smiled bitterly as she scratched the back of her neck, but Sylvia walked past her without saying much.

However, she felt twisted deep down.

If she was already answering number 7, then Epherene was much faster than she expected. There was only one problem separating them apart.

'Is she lying? Or am I just too slow?' Sylvia resented her for reasons she couldn't quite fathom. The problem was time.

The false tests were taking too much of it, preventing her from spending all of it on the real tests.

*****

Epherene, who went separate ways with Sylvia, reached the cafe. She felt like she had used up almost 1 thousand Elnes on coffee alone during the exam period.

She scanned the interior for any reporter. For her, the formula was 'reporter = interview = free coffee and bread.'

"… None. Tsk." She was left with no other choice but to buy coffee and bread with her own money.

Sylvia's words came to mind as she sat down. "Number 8… I've been stuck on number 7 for the past two days."

During those forty-eight hours, she felt as if she caught an illness.

She even cried out that she would quit out of sheer rage, but she calmed down and felt a lot better after finding a hint to the problem's solution.

The happiness that moment brought was incomparable to anything she ever felt before. "… Whew."

Epherene conjured mana at her fingertips and thought about number 7 while drinking coffee and chewing on bread.

Out of the blue, she wondered about what Deculein was doing.

"I will solve it even if I have to come after you…"

Epherene walked out of the establishment as soon as she finished eating and went back to the tower.

Looking up at the sky, she found a star shining so bright it looked like a marshmallow floating amid the vast darkness of the universe.

"…!"

Epherene's eyes widened, her pupils reflecting the celestial object.

Enlightenment spread down her spine.

She rushed straight back to her test room and began to release mana.

"It's working. It's definitely working! This better be it…"

The star in the night sky served as her inspiration.

She calculated the circuit under the condition recorded on the test paper to identify the solution, created an estimation using the formula that the solution used as its basis, and implemented the magic that met the conditions of the problem…

"… Have I solved it?"

She conjured an [Artificial Star] by gathering the fire, wind, earth, and water attributes. The pure and gentle cohesion made Epherene tear up without even realizing it.

"Oh, come on…"

For thirty minutes, Epherene's tears rolled down her cheek ceaselessly.

"Sniff… Sniff…"

Epherene wiped her drenched eyelashes and turned to the next page.

"…"

The moment she saw number 8, the last question, and its magical circuits and conditions that filled half the page…

"Ah no, this crazy—"

She almost fainted.