Chapter 127 - exam begins
I woke up in the morning and looked around the unfamiliar room.
For a few seconds, I simply stared at the ceiling.
Then I blinked.
Oh.
I’m at the academy.
I immediately got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
After taking a refreshing shower, I returned to my room and neatly made the bed.
Today was finally the day.
The entrance examination.
I put on the suit Amy, Elena, and Luna had chosen for me.
Afterward, I stood in front of the mirror and carefully checked my appearance.
Everything was perfect.
My clothes were neat.
My hair was properly arranged.
Nothing was out of place.
Satisfied, I finally stepped outside.
And immediately spotted Luna waiting nearby.
She was wearing an elegant white dress.
There wasn’t much decoration.
Only a small necklace rested around her neck, with a gemstone matching the color of her eyes.
The simplicity suited her perfectly.
It gave her a unique, elegant beauty.
I smiled and walked toward her.
"Good morning, Luna."
Luna looked toward me.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Oh, good morning, Gray."
I looked her up and down for a moment before chuckling.
"What are you trying to show today?"
"You’re a princess."
"The words practically seem plastered all over you."
Luna’s expression immediately changed.
"You..."
"You only know how to tease people."
I shrugged.
"I don’t tease everyone."
"But after seeing you..."
"The urge to tease you reaches its maximum."
She immediately hit my shoulder.
"You bully!"
"Let’s go."
I rubbed my shoulder and protested.
"Me? The bully?"
"You’re the bully!"
"You’re the one who resorts to violence at the drop of a hat."
I muttered under my breath.
"Evil princess..."
Luna’s eyes twitched.
She immediately raised her hand again.
I quickly dodged.
"See?"
"You just proved my point."
She didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
"So what?"
"It’s your duty to take my punches."
"Don’t dodge."
I stared at her in disbelief.
"Huh?"
"My duty?"
"Where does such a duty exist?"
"If I find it, I’ll destroy it before it spreads like a virus."
Luna laughed.
"Hmph."
"You can’t destroy it."
"It’s already ingrained in the world."
She gave a small snort.
I stared at her for a moment.
...Aaa.
My heart almost melted.
Even with my Ice Affinity...
I wasn’t sure I could keep my heart intact for much longer.
Fortunately, before I could say anything embarrassing, Elena appeared.
I looked toward her.
"Good morning, Elena."
"Good morning."
We exchanged greetings before I looked around.
"Where are the others?"
Then I thought for a moment.
"More importantly..."
"Where is my lazy sister?"
Elena immediately laughed.
Instead of answering, she subtly pointed behind me with her eyes.
I suddenly had a very bad feeling.
Before I could turn around—
Bonk!
Something struck the back of my head.
"You brat!"
"Who are you calling lazy?"
I slowly turned around while rubbing my head.
Amy stood behind me with an irritated expression.
I glared at her.
"You’re the lazy one."
"Lazy glutton."
Amy narrowed her eyes.
"Hm..."
"It seems you haven’t learned your lesson yet."
She raised her hand.
I immediately responded.
"I won’t give you any food."
Her hand froze in midair.
I smiled victoriously.
Luna and Elena immediately covered their mouths, trying not to laugh.
Amy slowly lowered her hand.
"...You fight dirty."
"You started it."
"You called me lazy!"
"Because you are lazy."
"You’re impossible."
"And you’re a glutton."
"Brat."
"Lazy sister."
"Little brat."
"Glutton."
Our argument continued for another few moments before we finally headed toward breakfast.
Luna and Elena followed behind us, talking amongst themselves while Amy and I continued bickering.
Eventually, we arrived at the dining hall.
It looked almost identical to the dining room we had used yesterday.
We took our seats and greeted everyone before beginning breakfast.
The Empress immediately looked toward Isabella.
"Are you ready for the examination?"
Isabella nodded confidently.
"Yes."
"I’ve prepared myself."
The Empress smiled.
"Good."
"You’ve worked hard for this."
We continued talking about the academy and the entrance examination while eating.
Isabella remained calm and confident throughout the conversation.
After breakfast finally ended, she left to register for the examination.
The rest of us headed toward the observation area prepared for VIP guests.
Amy and I followed Mother.
Luna and Elena followed the Empress.
When we entered the room, I immediately looked around.
Wow.
The place was incredibly luxurious.
Comfortable seats were arranged in rows facing a massive screen.
This wasn’t simply an observation room.
It was clearly designed for the most important guests attending the examination.
I looked around.
There were people from many different races.
Dragons.
Elves.
I could recognize them immediately.
Then I spotted a woman with black hair and blood-red eyes.
Vampire?
There was also a beastman covered in fur.
A short figure who was most likely a dwarf.
Another woman had blazing hair and striking orange eyes.
And there were many others.
Each race had sent representatives.
Kings.
Queens.
Emperors.
Matriarchs.
And some of the strongest individuals within their respective races.
Their children were present as well.
After all, this wasn’t merely an entrance examination.
It was also an opportunity for the younger generation of every race to demonstrate their potential.
I followed Mother toward our seats.
Luna and Amy sat nearby.
Mother and the Empress sat beside each other.
Once everyone settled down, I noticed several gazes directed toward us.
Some were curious.
Some were hostile.
Others carried obvious disdain.
I didn’t react.
Neither did Luna.
We simply ignored them.
In this world, there are no true allies.
Everyone is looking for something.
Everyone wants to gain something from someone else.
That’s simply how the world works.
I leaned back slightly and kept my expression neutral.
There was no reason to waste my attention on people who hadn’t even done anything yet.
Still...
I noticed several children from the other races watching me.
Some were around my age.
Others were slightly older.
Their eyes moved between Luna and me, clearly curious about who we were.
I ignored them.
If they wanted to stare, they could stare.
Eventually, the massive screen in front of us lit up.
The room immediately became quiet.
A commentator’s voice echoed throughout the observation hall.
"Welcome, everyone, to the entrance examination of the Imperial Academy."
The screen displayed the academy’s emblem.
The commentator continued explaining the purpose of the examination and how the event would proceed.
Then the screen changed.
Thousands of participants appeared.
Humans.
Elves.
Dragons.
Dwarves.
Beastmen.
Vampires.
And countless other races.
The sheer number of participants was staggering.
I watched silently.
Then—
The image shifted.
A woman appeared at the center of the examination grounds.
Purple hair.
Amethyst eyes.
The moment she appeared, the atmosphere itself seemed to change.
It was Astrea.
Principal of the Imperial Academy.
Her presence alone commanded the attention of every participant.
She calmly looked over the enormous crowd.
Then her voice spread across the entire examination grounds.
"Welcome."
"Today, you will prove whether you are worthy of becoming students of this academy."
Her gaze swept across the participants.
"There will be no special treatment."
"No matter your race."
"No matter your status."
"No matter who your parents are."
"Only your ability will determine whether you pass."
I smiled slightly.
That’s exactly the kind of academy I expected.
Astrea continued.
"Now..."
"Let the examination begin."
I stared at the screen for a moment.
Then I blinked.
Wait... what?
She didn’t even explain what they were supposed to do.
She just teleported them into the examination area.
I couldn’t help but find it amusing.
That’s certainly one way to start an exam.
Just then, I sensed a slight fluctuation in the surrounding space.
My attention immediately shifted toward it.
A moment later—
Astrea appeared inside the VIP observation room.
She calmly looked around the room before giving everyone a small smile.
"Good morning, everyone."
Several representatives greeted her in return.
Astrea then walked toward her seat and sat down, turning her attention toward the massive screen.
I did the same.
The screen displayed an enormous forest.
It was so large that I couldn’t see its full extent.
Then—
One participant after another began appearing throughout the forest.
They were scattered across different locations, with considerable distances between them.
Most of them looked confused at first.
Some immediately looked around.
Others checked their equipment.
Then they noticed the wristbands around their arms.
Several participants touched them, and holographic screens immediately appeared above the bands.
They began reading the information displayed there.
Their expressions quickly changed.
Confusion disappeared.
Determination replaced it.
One by one, they began moving through the forest.
I watched silently.
So that’s how the academy was conducting the examination.
Without warning.
Without giving the participants time to prepare together.
Just throw them into the environment and see how they adapt.
It was actually a pretty good test.
Then Astrea finally spoke.
"You might be wondering what today’s examination is about."
Everyone in the observation room turned their attention toward her.
Astrea continued calmly.
"It’s a straightforward test."
"There are flags scattered throughout the forest."
"However, the number of flags is limited."
"The objective is simple."
"By the end of the examination, each participant must possess at least one hundred flags."
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A/N :-
Echo_7642 thank you so much for the magic castle I will upload the Chapter soon really appreciate your support ❤️❤️❤️
Winter_Metor,thank you so much for the Golden Tickets!❤️