The test had begun. Before the students stood ten massive doors, each crowned with a number ranging up to 100.
The headmaster stepped forward, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Today's trials were designed by each homeroom teacher. One hundred people will enter through each door, according to your choice. Of course… you won't know which teacher awaits you until you cross the threshold. Haha… And don't think the number 100 means a hundred students will end up in the class. You know how brutal our exams are. Last year, only one student was accepted by a certain teacher."
He raised his hand high. In an instant, all the teachers vanished.
The test could begin.
The students rushed toward the gates, each one certain of their choice.
"Don't take the same gate as me… I'd like to protect you, little sister, but if you don't prove yourself… Mother will always see you as tainted blood, unworthy of living in this family."
The speaker was Zach Eternhal, younger brother of Lux Eternhal. Like everyone else here, he was fifteen. Standing right beside him was the black sheep of the Eternhal family: Aria Eternhal, also fifteen. She did not bear the duke's signature traits—white eyes and black hair—but those of her commoner mother. Still, the duke had accepted her as his daughter, and even Lux had loved her, regardless of their different mothers. Aria hated her stepmother and suffered from a crushing inferiority complex compared to the legends of her family.
Watching her brother walk away alone, she clutched the necklace Lux had given her tightly, then headed toward a different door. She hoped to find a respectful and kind teacher… or at least that was what she hoped.
But when she opened her eyes to a vast green plain, all hope for the future vanished. Standing before her was Lamia Grandcester. Everyone knew her dreadful personality. Aria had never met her, but the newspapers described her as a walking disaster. And now… she was a teacher?
Aria let out a sad sigh. Suddenly, the young princess Leslie Daven stepped forward among the students. Her golden hair and crimson eyes—undeniable marks of royalty—made her stand out immediately.
"Lamia Grandcester? This has to be a joke. Since when are you a teacher? Listen, I came here to become a heroine, to defeat Vespia… and the one who devours nobility. Not to be taught by a woman who clearly lacks any education! As a noble lady, you should—"
Lamia yawned loudly enough to cut her off.
She stretched, then swept her gaze across the students around her. "Leslie, you talk too much. Argh… Didn't your father ever tell you? Talking too much stops you from listening. Anyway, I'm here because I passed the tests to become a homeroom teacher. So no complaints, okay? Hehe… Besides, you don't have a choice."
Lamia placed an enormous floating hourglass above a stone and flipped it. "This plain is surrounded by vegetation, forests, caves… It's a fairly large sub-world created by the Academy. As soon as I flip this hourglass, you'll have fifteen minutes to hide from me. Once the time is up, I'll flip it again and hunt you for two hours—that's the time limit of the test. Anyone who escapes my touch will join my class!"
Most students realized it was a simple children's game. But one student pointed out: "…You already flipped the hourglass before explaining the rules…"
Lamia blinked. "Ah? Yeah… I guess you have ten minutes left, then."
A deathly silence fell. Then, like a slap, all one hundred students scattered, running to find a hiding place.
Only one person remained.
"Leonard… I'm surprised you ended up in my class. But even for my little brother, I won't go easy."
Leonard straightened his clothes. He rarely saw his older sister, so he took every opportunity he could. "I'm not stupid, I'm going to hide too. But Father asked me to tell you he's very angry… He's reached his limit with your nonsense and wants you to come see him as soon as possible."
Leonard walked away. Lamia remained seated alone, irritated by the message. "I guess I'll let loose on this test before I go see the old man."
Meanwhile, Aria was out of breath. In those ten minutes, she had reached a forest and thought she could hide perfectly. Time was up. She had to survive two hours.
Suddenly, a massive explosion roared in the distance. In the artificial sky of the sub-world, the number 100 dropped to 80.
"Not even a minute and twenty people are already eliminated?!"
Calmly, a young woman with long pink hair approached. She hesitated for a moment, shy, then gathered her courage. "It must be the ones who can't use concealment spells… In Davenguard, that's basic knowledge. Hello, my name is Sasha. Just Sasha. If you don't mind, we could work together?"
Aria understood that having no family name meant she was a commoner. She should maintain her noble dignity… but deep down, even she didn't want to run alone. "It's better that way, yes… Despite her awful personality, our teacher is known for her immense magical talent. Surviving together will help us pass this test, but we have to stay discreet, okay?"
Sasha nodded. Without hesitation, she followed her.
On the other side of the sub-world, near the explosion site, a red-haired commoner boy was breathing heavily, exhausted. Beside him stood two girls: one calm, the other visibly annoyed. The latter, also a commoner, shook the boy named Ben. "You did it again, Ben! What was that?! Screaming because the teacher's attack was 'too cool'? Without Miore, we would've been caught!"
Miore, the calm commoner girl, scanned the surroundings to check if the teacher had left. Lost in thought, she wondered whether she should keep helping these two… Vespia had told her to pass the test. She had also warned that she wouldn't hold back if they crossed paths during the trial. These two might slow her down… And yet, she wanted to keep helping them. She sighed. It wasn't good for her—the youngest of the Devourers: Miore, the one who devours space.
She was pulled from her thoughts by Oria. "Thank you, Miore… We barely know each other and you're already helping us. You're a good friend. If we pass, I'll treat you to some meat skewers. And sorry about Ben—he's just obsessed with magic, so he got excited."
Miore replied calmly: "No problem… The teacher's magic is beautiful. Oria, Ben, we still have time to hold out. Let's not stay in the same spot."
Shaking his red hair, Ben stood up and ran forward… only to get smacked by Oria a second later.
A little farther away, inside a cave, Princess Leslie walked alongside Leonard and another hooded noble carrying a blade: Daniel Hautherra, member of the renowned swordsmanship family Hautherra. "Princess, as you said, these stones block mana. Staying here will save our energy… but if we stay too long, the teacher will eventually come. After all, she designed this testing ground."
Leslie stopped, then turned around. "She may be unworthy of being a noble, but her talent is undeniable. If back then she had helped Hero Lux instead of staying home stuffing her face, we wouldn't be in this situation… Same goes for my older brother. If he hadn't been jealous of Lux, he could have helped too. Hmph… What do you think, Leonard?"
Leonard touched one of the mana-blocking stones, then looked at the princess. "I agree… My sister was even accused of being Vespia because of her laziness. But I was there, and she wasn't doing anything except what she wanted. Whenever I tried to shake her awake, she just said the hero had everything under control… I understand. We all thought the hero was invincible."
Leslie sat down and sighed. "Vespia… She probably planned everything. Sorry to say it, but no matter how talented they were, neither your sister nor my brother could have beaten her."
The sound of heels echoed. Lamia appeared.
"I see that, with one hour left, you think you have time for a nice little chat? That's adorable, cute, and… insulting. Haha… Guess I'll have to raise the difficulty, then!"
Elsewhere, Aria clutched her necklace tightly. She glanced at Sasha—timid but brimming with mana. Suddenly, the nearby cave exploded, sending debris flying everywhere. The next instant, Leonard, Leslie, and Daniel burst out running from the ruins. Without waiting, Aria and Sasha fled as well.
The remaining hours were going to be extremely long.
End of Chapter 3