Ch.17Written Exam (2)

“Put away your books and take out only your writing tools.”

Kendra Hemington, the proctor, was a strict person. As a mathematics teacher at Stellarium Academia, she was notorious among students for her eccentricity.

She was also quite meddlesome.

“I don’t know how many of you here will pass, but do your best. Since you’ve entered the finest educational institution, solving problems half-heartedly is nothing short of an insult to our school.”

See that? More unnecessary talk.

Still, she’s not a bad person.

A few minutes passed like that.

We received thick exam papers and answer sheets.

The sound of chairs scraping. The ticking of the second hand. A heavy silence descended upon the exam room.

An uncomfortable atmosphere. Students cleared their throats one by one.

I took a deep breath and picked up my pens. One in my left hand, one in my right.

It was time to test the skill I had acquired just this morning. I loosened up my hands while fiddling with the edge of the exam paper.

Finally.

With the sound of a bell, the exam began.

***

Stellarium’s written test takes place over a total of five hours.

The first two hours are for in-depth Korean and mathematics.

The remaining three hours are for skimming through fourteen subjects.

There’s a saying that the first round of acceptance is determined solely by Korean and mathematics. That’s how heavily they’re weighted.

However, to reach final acceptance, one cannot neglect the other subjects.

Shortcuts don’t work for Stellarium entrance exams. In the end, well-rounded students win.

Anyway, it’s certain that the first two hours are the most important. Kendra thought about this as she looked beyond the podium.

‘They all look so clueless.’

She smirked.

Having to watch the examinees’ faces in one classroom for two hours (actually more than five hours) would be maddening, but what could she do? She decided this was the fate of an educator.

Though boring, it had its own charm. Watching students rack their brains was quite entertaining.

Some breezed through the problems.

Others just kept sighing.

‘Maybe I’ll memorize the examinees’ faces.’

It was something she did every year. A kind of game she created to endure the boredom.

Kendra set out with a board to check the exam tickets.

‘First row first.’

She faced each examinee one by one. Kendra had no trouble. Her memory was excellent. She quickly memorized the names and faces of students she saw once.

However, her steps halted at the third row.

White hair and purple eyes.

A girl with an unusual appearance.

First, the white hair wasn’t that of an old person. Nor was it dyed. It gleamed with a luster as if it had been its natural color since birth.

‘Mixed with Adelbein blood.’

It was a fact everyone knew, not just Kendra. Indeed, the students who saw this girl’s hair color seemed visibly intimidated.

Moreover, her violet eyes, as noble as if dissolved in Tyrian dye, were as sharp as a beast’s.

‘Not a branch family, but direct lineage…’

Though the class system disappeared long ago, noble bloodlines still persist. Adelbein is the bloodline of the imperial family that once led the empire, and their influence remains undiminished in the current federation.

Kendra checked the girl’s exam ticket and…

‘Zernya von und zu Trisha Adelbein.’

Her suspicion turned to certainty.

‘This one will pass.’

The Adelbein family is famous for their academic excellence. Kendra quietly smiled as she savored the girl’s name.

It’s rare for even one student from a class to pass the first round. But for the Adelbein family, especially direct lineage, passing is guaranteed. Everyone knows how strict the Adelbein education method is.

Kendra moved on.

Soon she met another girl with a similar aura to Zernya.

She also had silver-white hair. However, her eyes were golden. Gold was also evidence of superior lineage.

Seti von Adelbein Rheinland.

After checking the exam ticket, Kendra barely suppressed a chuckle.

‘What a coincidence.’

It was surprising enough that an examinee had Adelbein blood, but she even bore the Rheinland surname.

What kind of family is Rheinland?

A prestigious family that reached the TOP 10 in the business world through medicine alone.

Unlike other prestigious families involved in various businesses and politics, the Rheinlands gained money and honor solely through study. Historically, they were all born bookworms.

About half of Rheinland’s children pass Stellarium. They typically show excellent grades in the Academia course and often advance to Medical College.

As a result, when this surname appears in Stellarium entrance exams each year, other examinees must be on edge. It’s a famous story.

‘…This year is lucky.’

Kendra speculated that perhaps two successful candidates might emerge from this exam room.

Next, Kendra made eye contact with a blonde, blue-eyed girl. Her name was Rustila Kersil. She was a child of the Kersil family, which had some reputation in the legal world.

As it was just an average prestigious family, Kendra was about to just check the girl’s face and exam ticket and move on.

But she couldn’t.

“……”

After facing Rustila, Kendra returned to the podium. Carefully, so as not to disturb the other examinees, she took out a box of tissues. After pulling out a few sheets, Kendra returned to Rustila’s seat.

Kendra carefully placed the tissues on the desk. Rustila silently nodded and wiped her eyes. She looked indescribably haggard.

It didn’t seem like she had this expression simply because the exam was difficult. There must have been some circumstances.

Kendra now headed to the fourth row. The boy sitting at the front sensed her presence and looked up.

Golden eyes identical to Seti’s.

His face… slightly different but strangely similar.

‘Eidel von Rheinland.’

Suddenly, cold sweat broke out on Kendra’s spine.

‘If it’s Eidel, he’s that notorious troublemaker from a while back.’

Eidel had been a famous figure since Kendra first started working at Stellarium. It began with his appearance on programs like “My Child Won’t Change.”

There, Eidel was a person of character who grabbed his brother and sister’s hair and shook them violently. Besides that, he committed so many evil deeds that all sorts of harsh words were exchanged among the galaxy’s residents who watched the program.

Kendra also enjoyed watching that show. She had once thought that if Eidel were her child, she would have abandoned him.

Anyway, Eidel occasionally showed his face in the news afterward. Mostly stories about crime. Whenever Eidel caused trouble, the Rheinland family always stepped in to clean up. She remembered he didn’t face criminal responsibility as a juvenile offender.

Kendra glanced at Seti at the end of the third row.

‘Did they come together?’

Kendra turned back. Eidel was staring at her intently. There wasn’t a single tremor in his yellowish pupils.

She felt an inexplicable madness.

But Kendra thought it was just her imagination.

In any case, it wasn’t her business. If he had come to his senses, that was good, and if he caused trouble here, she would just call security to throw him out.

After completing the identity check, Kendra returned to the podium. She slightly lifted her chair, placed it beside her, and observed the students as if surveying them.

Now began the long time of yawning…

‘…Huh?’

Eidel gripped his pens. One in his left hand, one in his right. He secured the exam paper with both elbows. He was solving problems simultaneously with both pens, making scratching sounds.

‘Am I seeing things wrong…?’

Kendra rubbed her eyes.

No, she wasn’t.

Flip!

Eidel turned to the next page. And he repeated what he had just done like a hamster on a wheel. Kendra slightly craned her neck.

There was no disorder in his writing. He was solving two problems simultaneously with precision and considerable speed. One was a non-literary text, and the other was a literary text.

Eidel read the non-literary text while checking answers for the literary questions. He continued like this for several pages.

Kendra barely managed to close her dropping jaw.

It was the same for essay-type and math problems. Eidel’s eyes were looking in different directions. If seen momentarily, he might appear cross-eyed. Either way, it wasn’t something a human brain should be doing.

‘The other students…’

Kendra shifted her gaze to Zernya, who was likely to pass. She solved some problems with ease and struggled with others.

This Stellarium entrance exam is difficult. The examination committee had significantly increased the difficulty level upon hearing that smart kids would be entering.

Only two students were solving all those problems with effort: Eidel of the Rheinland family and Zernya of the Adelbein family.

It was neck and neck. Kendra’s breath caught. It felt like watching a horse race with her entire fortune at stake. Her eyes moved restlessly between left and right.

Who would be faster?

Who would finish first?

Who would get more correct answers?

She was incredibly curious. Kendra wished the results would come out quickly. Yet, she didn’t feel this time was boring at all.

And for good reason. The madly scratching sound tickled her ears and heart. Moreover, that sound brought despair to the rest of the students in this exam room.

Despite using both hands, Eidel’s speed was similar to Zernya’s. She wondered if it wouldn’t be better to solve one problem at a time.

‘Well, that’s not for me to interfere with.’

She wiggled her toes, waiting for the hour hand to reach noon.

***

Meanwhile, Eidel, who was continuously solving math problems with both hands, inwardly cursed at Kendra, who was staring at him.

‘For goodness sake, stop shaking your leg…!’