Ch.3333 – Passing the Entrance Exam

# 33 – Passing the Entrance Exam

Wiheomhae.

When I heard that bizarre name, the first thing that came to mind was my butler’s name, Jona Wiheomhae.

“That’s my butler’s surname?”

“So the Oknodie candidate was indeed a scholarship candidate of the Foundation.”

“I don’t know anything about that. I’m just Papa’s daughter.”

“Papa? What a cute term. What is your father’s full name?”

“That… I can’t tell you.”

“Of course not. All scholarship students of the Foundation are orphans after all.”

Does that mean my butler has no family?

I suddenly feel sorry.

‘How have I been treating my butler all this time?’

-No more spinach!

-I don’t want to eat the same dish again!

-I’ll just go for a night walk for an hour. Please?

-Young miss. Where are you hiding again?

-Isn’t there dust on your clothes again?

-I’ve told you many times, you shouldn’t sneak out to eat rocks.

I’ve been hiding everywhere to level up my [Hiding] skill behind my butler’s back, eating rocks I was told not to eat, complaining about side dishes, causing so much trouble.

If he endured all my tantrums silently because he had no family…

Did my butler think of me as family?

“Uuugh.”

I’m about to cry.

It feels just like shedding tears while remembering past mistakes with my parents!

“Tell me. What is the purpose of the Wiheomhae Foundation? What evil scheme are you plotting this time?”

“Don’t speak ill of the Wiheomhae name! Someone with that name has treated me so well!”

“…So you really don’t know anything. About what the Wiheomhae Foundation is. About why your Foundation only gathers orphans without parents.”

“Why do you keep saying such terrible things? I have a Papa!”

“You mean the parent whose name you can’t even mention?”

Tsk. He really does exist.

My Papa sent Jona to help me and even gave me 100 gold to enter the Academy!

“Oh? Candidate Oknodie. I didn’t mean to make you cry…”

“I have a Papa! I do have one! Why do you keep saying I don’t?!”

With tears welling up from the injustice, I shouted, and Minerva’s summon scratched its head.

“…Right, what fault does the child have? My thinking was narrow. I apologize.”

Examiner Minerva gave up her interrogation.

* *

“Were you crying?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Your eyes are red. What’s the point of lying?”

Oknodie tried to avoid eye contact out of embarrassment, but Giselle kept pressing the issue.

Son Ocheon went even further, bristling his fur aggressively.

“Who made our little mouse cry? Just tell me and I’ll…”

Isabelle pinched both men’s waists for their lack of tact.

“Ugh!”

“Ouch!”

“Don’t pry like that. Kids can cry sometimes when they’re having a hard time.”

“You could have just said so instead of pinching.”

“What’s with this party? Why are all the women so fierce?”

Though they grumbled, Giselle and Son Ocheon tactfully handed control over to Isabelle.

It’s easy to forget because she always appears confident and clever, but Oknodie was raised as an assassination prodigy in a noble family. She shouldn’t be thought of as an emotionally normal child.

“It’s okay. Whatever made you sad, we’re all on your side. You know that, right, Oknodie?”

Oknodie nodded slightly.

When Isabelle wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, Oknodie wrinkled her nose.

“Sweat smell.”

“Sorry. It’s the one I’ve been carrying.”

“…Thank you anyway.”

“That’s all that matters.”

“Want some candy?”

“You eat it.”

While Oknodie’s party was taking a comfortable rest, other strong candidates who used magic circles began arriving at the finish line one by one.

Pirate Zigoku.

Northern Grand Duchess Irene.

Andersen Pretzel.

All the major supporting characters who seemed strong had used magic circles.

After about a day, candidates who forced their way through while being bitten by mosquitoes or those who chose the long way around also arrived sporadically.

“The exam is over.”

When Minerva snapped her fingers, all ticket-watch holders scattered throughout the forest were summoned in sequence.

The second exam was complete.

It was time for the results.

* *

Second exam proctor Minerva spoke.

“The second gate exam <Hunter’s Forest> has ended. Out of 185 candidates, 23 completed the course. 102 failed by having their watches torn. 47 withdrew. 13 exceeded the time limit.”

“Of course, those who failed or withdrew were not summoned here. Only the 13 who exceeded the time limit have been summoned.”

Dorothy was among those who exceeded the time limit.

Judging by her disappointed face, she must have managed to touch the Black Hat instructor.

Perhaps she had been searching for her until the end.

The NTR victim Rockpell was also in the time-exceeded group.

It was surprising that the NTR girl Yuie was still there too, but one look at her face told the story.

She apparently failed to touch the Black Hat instructor.

“Little mouse, do those guys’ scores even matter since they failed anyway?”

“That remains to be seen.”

Minerva said:

She mentioned those who completed the course, those who failed, those who withdrew, and those who exceeded the time limit.

That’s right.

“Time-exceeded” was not included in the failed category.

This was an unexpected twist in the second exam that beginners and NPCs wouldn’t know about.

“Professor! Why were the time-exceeded candidates summoned? Aren’t they all disqualified?”

“I don’t recall saying such a thing.”

“So the time-exceeded candidates will pass the second gate just like us who completed the course?”

The time-exceeded candidates, who had already resigned themselves to trying again next year, were startled.

“To ease Hertz candidate’s concerns, all who completed the course received an additional 50 points, but time-exceeded candidates do not receive the 50-point completion bonus.”

“You might think points don’t matter now that the exam is over, but these points directly relate to early admission. Those who accumulate 100 points or more in the entrance exam are immediately admitted.”

“!!”

“The candidates who have accumulated 100 points or more are: Oknodie, Giselle, Son Ocheon, Isabelle, Zhang, and Weather. These six have met the requirements at the second gate and have successfully gained immediate admission.”

Son Ocheon let out a joyful roar.

Isabelle grabbed hands and shook them excitedly, celebrating their acceptance.

Giselle smiled, glad they had all passed together.

My companions were visibly delighted.

Of course, other candidates who saw this were full of complaints.

“There seems to be much dissatisfaction. You might think that way if you don’t know the motto of the second gate.”

“Some of you might be stronger, have better skills, or superior combat ability than those who passed. All of those things are outside this examiner’s concern.”

Minerva’s criteria were firm.

“The wise advance before the strong, and those lacking wisdom must have combat ability superior to anyone else to advance. A score of 100 points is proof of this.”

“Don’t be too disappointed. As soon as your remaining points exceed 100, you’ll pass at the third gate as well.”

If you’re smart, your body suffers less.

If your body is truly exceptional, you don’t need to use your head.

That’s the motto of the second gate!

“There might be time-exceeded candidates who scored over 100 points, but for fairness, all time-exceeded candidates’ scores are reduced to one-hundredth.”

“Of course, this only applies to those who escaped the tag game. Those who failed to escape will all challenge the next gate with a -50 point penalty.”

“If you’re frustrated, reflect on yourself. On settling for the minimum passing condition of 50 points. On your foolishness in wasting points on mosquito repellent or daily necessities.”

These are important instructions for those who must take the third exam, but they don’t concern us who have already passed.

“What about those who held out until the end but then withdrew?”

“If you lack creativity, you should at least have the skill to survive and the mental fortitude to never give up. No one can save those who give up on themselves.”

Minerva’s cold doctrine showed no mercy to those who withdrew.

“Those who passed should follow Monk Myungho to the lounge. Third gate candidates will follow me to the next exam site.”

In the distance, candidates heading to the third gate glared at us.

Their gazes were even more hostile than after the top entrance exam, as if they realized that while one defeat might be coincidence, two defeats proved it was skill, and they were clearly determined to overcome this.

From my perspective, hoping to build good relationships with game characters now that I’d be living with them at the Academy, those looks were heartbreaking.

“Ho ho. It turned out as expected. I thought for sure Oknodie would succeed in early admission at the second gate.”

Monk Myungho said this with a gentle laugh and guided us to the lounge.

“Hey, you’re an assassin too, right?”

On the way to the lounge, a masked girl approached and spoke to me.

‘This girl is…’

The second auxiliary task of the second gate.

The competition to steal the golden ball placed in the vine ball.

The 0.1% landmine I encountered there.

It was the binding assassin <Zhang>.

“No, I’m not.”

“You’re lying. You recognized my technique.”

“That’s…”

That’s because I’m a player.

I’ve even been eliminated by Zhang’s techniques before.

“See? You do know.”

“I don’t know anything!”

“So where did you learn it?”

“Learn what?”

“What else? Your techniques.”

“From my butler and maid.”

“Huh. Home education, I see. Lucky you. I learned from my master.”

Perhaps that’s why Zhang’s friendly approach felt awkward and unfamiliar.

Normally, she should have been giving off hostile vibes, wanting to eliminate me just by seeing my face.

Is this the social ability of girls?

Maybe it’s fortunate I became a girl instead of a muscle-bound male character.

While I was happily lost in such thoughts, Ocheon’s large hand messed up my hair.

“Little mouse, where did you already find a friend who looks just like you?”

“Ah, stop it!”

As I grumbled lightly, Zhang’s eyes lit up and she asked:

“Want me to scold him for you?”

Her pitch-black eyes stared directly at Son Ocheon.

Far from being afraid of the large monkey beastkin, she had a dangerous look with killing intent compressed within her, peeking through her eyes.

She’s a 1.5-tier assassin supporting character after all.

I know she’s a character I should be friendly with to build affinity.

But somehow, it made me uncomfortable.

“Don’t do that.”

His actions can be rough and sometimes annoying.

Sometimes I even feel like attacking him myself.

“Uncle Ocheon is my companion.”

Though my party ended up without any of the proper main or supporting named NPCs from the original game, Son Ocheon had become one of my dear companions.