Chapter 3

Entrance Exam
At last, I turned fourteen, and the time had come to take the entrance exam for the academy.

The test comprised two parts: written and practical.

Thanks to the mock exams prepared by the private tutors my father hired, I was confident I could pass the written portion.

The real concern was the practical test.

For the practical exam, I’d received rigorous training from a specialist tutor who gave me a seal of approval.
Still, the outcome could heavily depend on the skill level of my opponent, so I couldn’t confidently say I was completely safe.

Feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension, I headed to the outdoor training grounds of the Royal Academy, where the exam was being held.

There were twenty of us gathered.

The goal here was straightforward: test combat ability.
It was a one-on-one elimination format, with the ultimate victor being granted admission. As for how the winner was determined, this wasn’t a battle to the death—of course.
Before the exam, a magic instructor from the academy cast a powerful protective spell on each participant.

The spell shattered when a certain threshold of damage was reached, signaling the loser’s defeat.
The person who managed to keep their barrier intact until the end would be declared the winner and pass the exam.

I had already gathered information about the other candidates.

The one to watch out for was a particularly large and muscular boy. His name was Adon.
Despite being my age, he boasted an impressive physique and strength, earning a reputation for being undefeated in street fights.
He worked as a bouncer for a prominent farmer and was rumored to have passed the written exam only due to pressure exerted by his employer.

“What an imposing figure. It’d be reassuring to have a bouncer like him on my side.”

While my primary motivation for joining the academy was to build connections with nobles, I had another crucial goal in mind.

It was to assemble a reliable team.

Running a trading company isn’t something I could do alone. I needed dependable companions.

But not just any companions.

I sought individuals willing to dirty their hands for me—pieces to be used in my pursuit of an illustrious but morally dubious path. Ideally, they’d also be cute girls, but…

Adon, unfortunately, didn’t fit that description, though he still made it onto my shortlist of potential recruits.
However, since he was already employed, causing unnecessary trouble was out of the question. I decided to let him go.

At the very least, I hoped not to face him in a match. After all, I had yet to acquire “that”.

If I had "that", I could easily defeat everyone here.
But since that wasn’t possible now, I could only pray as I drew lots to determine my opponent.

The result? My turn came in the very first match.
On the stone stage, I faced my opponent, who turned out to be—

“A… girl?”

She seemed a bit older than me, with short, orange-colored hair. She was quite cute. Perhaps she was aiming to transfer into the academy?

Or maybe she just looked mature for her age and was actually a peer.
Either way, it was only polite to introduce myself.

“I’m Lake Gallard. Nice to meet you.”

She ignored me entirely.

When I extended my hand for a pre-match handshake, she brushed past it.
Her face might’ve been adorable, but her manners were less than charming.

Once preparations were complete, the referee—a teacher—gave a brief rundown of the rules. During this, I learned her name: Lucina Timmons.

… Timmons?

I felt like I’d heard that name somewhere before.

As the thought crossed my mind, the match began.

“Whoa?!”

Lucina launched an aggressive onslaught.
The wooden practice sword, meant for safety, was wielded with such ferocity that it felt as if she might actually cut me in half.

And that sword… was it handmade?

With the referee’s approval, contestants could use their preferred weapons. I, too, was using the familiar practice sword I’d trained with. However, her weapon appeared to be custom-made.

Its unique shape and unfamiliar material stood out. As a merchant accustomed to dealing with weapons, I couldn’t help but notice these details.

Regardless, her combination of power and speed astonished everyone. Even the spectators murmured in surprise, some relieved they weren’t her opponent.

A true dark horse.

—But I couldn’t afford to lose.

Reborn into this world, I intended to follow a glamorous yet villainous path unlike anything in my previous life.

To achieve that goal, I couldn’t afford to stumble here.

“Haaah!”
“Guh?!”

Taking advantage of an opening, I landed a counterattack, causing her to stagger.

“Oh, wow! He’s holding his own against her!”
“Lake Gallard… living up to the rumors.”

The observing teachers seemed impressed.

After about fifteen minutes of fierce back-and-forth, the match finally reached its conclusion.

“Take this!”
“!”

Dodging her sweeping leg attack, I quickly retaliated with a strike to her side.
Though the protective magic nullified any actual damage, the sound of shattering glass echoed as her barrier broke.

The referee raised his hand high.

“That’s enough! The winner—Lake Gallard!”

The announcement was met with cheers.

“I… won?”

The realization of my victory brought a smile to my face.
I’d secured my place at the academy and taken a significant step toward realizing my ambitions.

But what excited me just as much was discovering Lucina, someone truly remarkable.

I wanted her to become my bodyguard.
With her skill at crafting weapons, she might even make an excellent blacksmith.

—A blacksmith?

“A blacksmith… Timmons… Could it be?!”

I frantically searched for Lucina, but she had already left the arena.
If my suspicion was correct, though, I’d find her soon enough.

I would track her down and convince her to join my company.
Someone as talented as her was exactly the kind of person I needed.