Volume 1: Enrollment at Magias Academy of Magical Arts
Chapter 3: But You Get Full Marks for Effort ☆
Magias Academy of Magical Arts.
A prestigious institution at the heart of magical technology in Griefia, the continent’s hegemonic power, and the alma mater of countless renowned mages.
Its entrance examinations were held at irregular intervals.
Whenever one was announced, enormous numbers of applications flooded in from within the country and abroad. After document screening and the examination itself, an average of only forty candidates reached the passing line.
In short, that was the kind of institution Aunt Coffey had described to me.
“The exam isn’t that difficult, so you don’t need to be nervous.”
“That’s the only thing you ever say, Aunt Coffey…”
The day of the entrance exam had arrived.
I’d ridden my momentum all the way to the royal capital and spent a brief while dazzled by the city’s bustle.
Then, on our way to the examination venue, Aunt Coffey casually explained all that as though making small talk, and now—far too late—I was growing anxious.
I’d mocked myself by saying that I was only a country prodigy, but to be honest, I was confident enough in my magic to believe I could manage at a moderately prestigious school.
Brendan Walker’s life had, so far, been devoted to magic.
But I’d never competed at the very top, against the cream of the cream of the cream.
The bad feeling I’d had during our first conversation proved correct.
My aunt’s standards were simply distorted.
One hour remained before the exam began.
The written examination would take place in the morning, followed by the practical in the afternoon.
The temporary magical-beast carriage bound for the venue would arrive in a few minutes.
My aunt could accompany me no farther.
“I looked over your research, and your fundamentals should be fine. The practical is the only concern.”
We’d had enough time to cover the written material, but not every possible topic for the practical exam.
I was about to walk into an examination without having much idea what the school would test me on. I was essentially a baby.
“We sparred yesterday, and you were reasonably strong. You’ll probably be fine even if you don’t know what they ask you to do.”
She meant last night.
Aunt Coffey had proposed a quick spar to assess my ability, and she’d beaten me black and blue.
I thought I’d gained a fair amount of combat experience against Grandpa and magical beasts, but I couldn’t fully defend against her magic. She sent me flying about a hundred meters through the city, and the military police who rushed over scolded us.
So, when all was said and done, I really was only a country prodigy—an ordinary person once I came to the city.
“Just show them everything you can do, Bren. You passed the document screening, so you’ll be fine!”
My aunt’s encouragement snapped me awake.
She was right.
I honestly had no idea why an applicant with no accomplishments had passed the document screening, but now that I’d come this far, I had no choice but to try.
Time to show them what a country prodigy can do!
“Aunt Coffey, I’m done worrying! I’ll pass this exam, no matter what!”
“That’s the spirit! Now you sound like my nephew!”
With my aunt waving me off, I climbed aboard the magical-beast carriage.
The cowardly version of me from moments ago was gone.
◇
“No. I’m doomed.”
I thought so the moment I reached the examination venue.
The Magias school building was too enormous.
Calling it a school building was misleading. It was a colossal tower.
By my estimate, it stood taller than Tokyo Tower.
The sheer difference in scale between me and the building felt horribly appropriate.
So that structure I’d been able to see throughout my time in the royal capital was the Magias campus.
Even the school gate was magnificent, broad enough for roughly three hundred gorillas to charge through at once. The applicants flowing in and out radiated such an intimidating presence that they all looked like gorillas to me.
The atmosphere overwhelmed me, making every step heavy.
Come to think of it, had I brought everything required for the examination?
That trivial worry distracted me enough that I stopped and checked my bag.
“Hey.”
I turned toward the voice behind me and found an applicant around my age standing there—a girl with slightly drooping eyes and a somewhat sleepy expression.
“Move.”
“Oh, sorry.”
I stepped aside to let her pass.
Without realizing it, I’d stopped directly in the entrance and blocked the flow of people.
“Mm.”
The droopy-eyed girl, who gave off a cool air, proceeded farther into the venue without exchanging another word.
Amazing… I’d seriously spoken to a girl for the first time in years.
“Everyone taking the written exam in Venue Two, it’s this way! Please take your seats early!”
I turned toward the voice giving instructions in a tone that sounded oddly out of place.
This time, I steeled myself, stepped into the venue, and headed directly to the seat assigned to me.
◇
“Okaaay! Time’s up, everyone!”
The examiner’s magically amplified voice echoed through the hall.
The morning’s written examination ended surprisingly quickly.
“Great work, everyone! You did such a good job all the way to the end! Was it nerve-racking!? I’m so proud of you for finishing! Make sure you praise yourself lots and lots today!”
The young examiner had the energy of a children’s television presenter. Apparently, she was an associate professor at this school named Professor Yuriha.
Throughout the test, she’d constantly offered everyone such extremely valuable advice as “You can do it!” and “Don’t give up until the very end!”
She’d been incredibly, unbelievably loud.
“I’m going to grade your papers now! Put down your pens and stay in your seats!”
“Huh?”
She intended to do it here?
By a conservative estimate, about five hundred people sat at desks in Venue Two. The papers hadn’t been collected, but surely we were meant to move to the next venue. That would be normal.
The next moment, before my confusion had cleared, Examiner Yuriha’s figure blurred.
It blurred and became two.
The two afterimages became four, and the four became eight. I stopped counting at around a hundred.
Before the examination hall could even erupt in alarm, more Yuriha examiners than anyone could sensibly count filled the entire room.
In an instant, every copy was positioned perfectly beside a candidate’s desk.
Was she truly planning to grade all our papers, right here, like this?
“Your name is… Brendan! Nice to meet you!”
“Mercedes! Where did you travel from today?”
“Gerald, your hair looks perfect! Did you do just as well on the test?”
“Luluk, what a lovely name! Are you from a family of witches?”
The Professor Yuriha assigned to my desk greeted me with a red pen in her right hand.
The same thing was happening at every other seat.
It was an undeniably disturbing sight.
“Wow! Brendan, you answered every question! You worked so hard to finish in such a short time! You must have studied a lot! I’m so proud of you!”
“Yes…”
“This one and this one are both excellent! Mm-hmm, everything was perfect until partway through! But did you rush a little at the end? There are a few small mistakes, so I’ll have to take off a tiny bit! But you get full marks for effort ☆”
“………”
“Everything you could do and everything you couldn’t do represents your ability right now! You’ll be able to do even more next time, so don’t worry!”
You’re so loud. Just hurry up and finish.
“Graaaading complete! Wow, what an amazing score! You worked especially hard, so I’m giving you a gold star! Congratulations, Brendan Wal—”
She abruptly froze.
Examiner Yuriha had stopped as though she’d noticed something.
“Is something wrong?”
Thump!
She slammed a stamp onto the exam ticket lying on my desk, then vanished like smoke.
I hadn’t expected applicants to be barred from the practical unless they passed the written portion, but either way, I’d made it.
I rose from my seat and headed to the next venue.
Looking around, I saw many applicants with slumped shoulders. Their copies of Professor Yuriha seemed to be consoling them.
“That’s all for today, everyone! You worked so hard! I’m incredibly proud of you! Congratulations to everyone who passed the written exam! If you didn’t, let’s stay cheerful and try again next time! Bye-bye!”
After leaving only those words behind, the Examiner Yuriha who’d watched us from the beginning also disappeared like smoke.
I’d known from the start that the spell created duplicates.
But even the first one hadn’t been the original…?
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