Several days swiftly passed, and a new week arrived in the blink of an eye.
It was the 13th of August, and Derek stood in front of the Lewis Estate’s gate with a proud smile on his face.
The time had finally come!
He was about to leave for the Lucia Magus Academy’s entrance exams.
The event lasted an entire week, from the 21st of August to the 27th. It was famed to be a rather grueling experience for Magus Apprentices—those who had just begun their journey into Magecraft.
Derek naturally felt some trepidation in his heart, but he was mostly reeling from excitement.
"Have a safe journey, Derek." Melanie returned him to reality with her soothing but stern voice.
"Head back as soon as you finish. We will be expecting your prompt return."
Derek was a little stunned by her evident concern. She didn’t have to say so many words at once, yet she did.
Still, he repressed his emotions and nodded.
"I will."
He turned his attention to Emma, who avoided his gaze while begrudgingly also wishing him a safe journey.
This was part of the mandatory family practices, so it could not be ignored.
As for Klein, he was still bedridden, so he couldn’t see Derek off. Emma’s terrible attitude and obvious impatience stemmed from this fact.
She wanted to get this over with so she could return to her older brother’s side.
Despite noticing all of these things, Derek maintained an amiable smile and kindly responded.
"Thank you."
He took one final look at the Lewis Manor, and the many staff that had seen him off and were currently bowing.
His carriage was right behind him, alongside skilled entourages and a capable coachman who doubled as an Official Magus.
Derek knew the security provided was sufficient for the journey ahead, but he still felt a little apprehensive.
’Will that culprit make a move now that I am away from the Estate?’
It could certainly happen.
However, Derek wasn’t as frightened by this possibility as he would have been in the past.
The reason was quite obvious.
Even though only a little over a month had passed since then, he was no longer that helpless boy who nearly lost his life that cold night.
Derek had grown considerably.
"Farewell, everyone!"
He boarded the carriage and started his week-long journey to the Academy City of the Eastern Theocracy.
The reason this nation was known as the Eastern Theocracy had to do with its position in the Eastern Continent of the world.
There were naturally other nations in the Western, Southern, Northern, and Central Continents.
Within the Eastern Continent alone, all kinds of beings existed, most of them having non-human civilizations.
The Mainland, also known as the heartlands, was where the Theocracy marked its territory.
It spread from the west to the center of the Eastern Continent, and it was surrounded on all sides by all manner of threats and unknown entities.
Speaking of the Theocracy, The Holy City, also known as the Capital, proudly stood at its epicenter. As for the Lucia Magus Academy, it was located far west.
These two were well-regarded as the safest areas of the nation.
Derek knew that as long as it wasn’t related to a scheme involving his family, the journey to Lucia Magus Academy would be fraught with very little trouble.
His entourage and the Lucia Family crest were enough to ward off any stragglers or criminals that they could encounter on this journey.
Still, he chose to remain alert.
[Host, you need to have proper rest. If the entrance exams are as difficult as everyone implies, you’ll need your full strength to pass.]
"You’re right..."
Derek let out turbid air and closed his eyes.
Even though he wasn’t quite out of the woods yet, he allowed himself to relax. Almost as soon as he did that, his exhaustion finally caught up to him and he fell asleep.
....
The days passed peacefully.
There wasn’t a single attempt on Derek’s life throughout his journey.
Naturally, due to the nature of the routes passed, certain areas had wild beasts or persistent rogues that needed to be exterminated, but they were largely inconsequential in the trip.
At the end of the sixth day, Derek entered the Academy City without even a scratch.
Once the Lewis Family’s identity was confirmed, they were welcomed into the vast city and shown to a luxurious residence.
As one of the Major Magus Households of the Theocracy, the Lewis Family naturally had an exclusive manor in the city. It had all the amenities one could ever need, and it had clearly been maintained despite no one occupying it before Derek arrived.
Derek spent his night peacefully and spent the next day touring the great Academy City.
Since this was his first time outside the Manor, he was very excited.
He ate all kinds of new foods for the first time and visited different fascinating places. Of course, he didn’t stint on study and preparations, but he also made sure to experience as much as possible.
By the time evening arrived, it was time to proceed to the Lucia Magus Academy’s front gate.
The entrance exams started the following day, and they would last a whole week.
During this time, examinees would not be allowed to step outside the Academy premises.
Because of this, Derek had made sure to have as much fun before coming.
He only had two guards escort him to the gate while the rest waited for him in the city’s manor.
Once he reached the gate, however, something shocking happened.
"Your Entrance Slip, please?"
"W-what?"
Derek was perplexed by the stern request of the guards.
’What slip?’ He asked himself. ’I wasn’t aware of anything like that.’
At first, he thought he misheard, so he showed the guards his copy of the Entrance Examination Application Form instead.
The form had the unmistakable seal of the Lewis Family. He even went ahead to show his identification to prove his status as a genuine member of the Lewis Family.
But—
"You can’t step in." This chapter is updated first at g.com.
—All of them were rejected.
"Why?!" Derek found himself screaming, unable to understand what was happening.
Perhaps one of the guards took pity on him. His expression softened as he patiently explained the situation.
"After submitting your form, it is processed by the Academy and, after a few days, an Entrance Slip is sent to your address. This slip has your Serial Number and also confirms that you indeed registered on time for the exams."
Derek felt his face turn pale once he heard those words.
"I-I... I didn’t know..."
All he received was his copy of the Application Form.
Now that he seriously thought about it, that wouldn’t be enough to prove the authenticity of an examinee.
Anyone could bring their form and claim they had submitted on time.
It was only by using the Entrance Slip that participants could show they had been approved by the Academy.
And Derek currently didn’t have said slip!
"Didn’t your family inform you of this?" One of the guards asked with genuine confusion.
Since Derek was from a Magus Household, such an oversight should not have been possible.
They looked at his entourage, but the two escorts shook their heads.
None of them knew a thing.
They, too, had expected Derek to be with his Entrance Slip.
It seemed like the only one unaware of the situation was Derek himself. He was completely left in the dark right until the very end.
"My family, huh?" Derek’s gaze darkened as he recalled something.
’Back then—!’
Melanie had told him to hurry back, and that they would be expecting his prompt return.
Derek had flagged her words for being uncharacteristically excessive.
But what if she was trying to send him a message?
’Was she behind this? She intentionally kept this from me so I wouldn’t be able to take part in the exams even if I successfully registered!’
Since she actually completed the registration, it wasn’t like she went back on her word.
She never really lied to Derek.
However, by omitting such a crucial detail, Derek would be unable to take part in the exams.
He would have to wait until the next year!
’Melanie, you...’ The more Derek thought about his sister, no, his entire family, the more furious he became.
The pain in his chest had reached an unbearable point.
He knew his siblings hated him, but for them to go as far as to jeopardize his future and make a fool of him after all his efforts...
... It was too much!
But what could Derek do now?
Without an Entrance Slip, he couldn’t take part in the entrance examinations.
’I’m stuck!’