Astr took the test papers distributed by Felix's assistant. The test papers were all tied with red ribbons. After you unfold them, they will feel soft and thick.
Astr picked up the quill pen, dipped its yellow copper tip into the glass ink bottle, tapped off the excess ink, and wrote his name at the top of the test paper.
The examination room was extremely solemn, and rows of quills were seen shaking. Slowly, some time passed.
Upon writing his name, Astr set down his pen and scanned both the front and back of the test paper.
Lines of remarkably familiar questions appeared, and the answers practically leaped off the page.
'Well, it's the same as what I have seen,' Astr thought while looking at the question paper.
"Ring ring ——" The slightly harsh bell rang throughout the auditorium, signalling that the Astral entrance exam had officially begun.
When the bell sounded, all the candidates bent down one after another, picked up papers lying on the wooden table, and stared at the examination paper with a pair of eyes, as if they had encountered their hardest opponent.
And in this tense atmosphere, there is an exceptionally relaxed face, which is Astr.
Astr held his chin in contentment and looked at the test paper boredly. His right hand was writing on the exam paper non-stop, looking like he was scribbling.
It is in sharp contrast to other candidates.
The hook-nosed examiner, Felix Radar, seated at the front of the auditorium, naturally observed this distinctive candidate.
His sharp eyes were fixed on Astr like an eagle watching its prey, and he frowned.
'What is this guy writing so blindly?' He blew out a breath of disdain from his nostrils.
'In the entrance exam, there are always a few rich boys who take the exam casually just to deal with their parents. Apparently, the same goes for this white-haired boy. I think.'
'...Wait, white hair!' The headmaster of the alchemy department narrowed his eyes.
He remembered the "kind little gentleman" he had commended, the Herbology Professor, who accidentally broke one of his wizard's talent measurement tools a month ago.
'I remember he is called Astr, I think'
Suddenly, Felix felt even worse because he didn't want good people to go down a bad path.
He rose and walked towards Astr.
Along the way, every assistant Felix met lowered their head nervously and got out of the way, not even daring to look at Felix.
Felix stood in front of Astr's row and squinted at the name on the exam paper.
Astr Serene
'Its him, the guy who broke an expensive Alchemy tool that was supposed to last for the next ten years, but this guy broke that tool.'
Felix looked at Astr with an angry expression, but he was also confused.
'How did it break? And it was broken into piles of debris. You know, even if that muscular poet from the Knight Department hits it with his heavy hammer, it will be more difficult to break it.'
'It was more like...being crushed directly to pieces by a terrifying force.'
Felix suspected that Astr Serene had something to do with this matter.
'What a "kind and generous little gentleman", huh? I don't believe it at all. You know that the alchemy tool was made myself with my hard work.
Without the interference of strange forces, it would never ever turn into that miserable state'.
The more Felix looked at Astr's face, he became more and more dissatisfied with Astr. After swallowing his anger, he looked critically at Astr's exam paper.
[Question 1: What is the scientific name of the substance that the wizard absorbs through meditation?]
[A. Mana]
[B. Elemental energy]
[C. Source of matter]
[D. Symphony of Phantom Ephemera]
Astr's answer is D.
Felix had an imaginary question mark appear on his head.
Because this is a question that even a three-year-old knows. The correct answer should be B, elemental energy.
'Option D: I have never heard of the Phantom Ephemera. It seems like our crooked principal wrote it casually.'
At this moment, Felix's impression of Astr had hit rock bottom, and he believed Astr to be an unfamiliar gangster.
Just as Felix was about to resume reading, Astr coincidentally flipped the test paper over. It was also at this moment that Astr noticed the examiner had surprisingly positioned himself in the corridor near his row.
Astr nodded politely, but the examiner looked as if he had eaten a fly. He turned his head and strode away.
"..."
Astr looked at the examiner's back in confusion, wondering how he had offended him.
Touching his face, Astr thought deeply,
'No one has ever distanced themselves from me despite witnessing my attractiveness. Ha, what an intriguing individual! You've caught my interest... kidding.
I am not inclined to harm this old man—and I am not inclined in that way at all. After just one encounter, I can determine that I and the examiner are incompatible.'
At this moment, the seat on the side of Astr suddenly shook.
He looked to the side towards the black-haired girl.
She is trembling at high frequency. It's like stepping on an electric wire without slippers.
Because the seats are all connected together, Astr, who is closest to the black-haired girl, felt that the whole world was shaking.
"Tap." Astr tapped the table, tactfully reminding the girl that it affected him.
Then the girl trembled even harder.
Astr: "..."
Astr gazed in astonishment at his neighbour, whose posture remained upright, calmly focused on the test paper. However, the subtle trembling throughout the person's entire body did not escape his notice. Inwardly, Astr pondered
'I didn't do anything, and are you fucking this nervous? Nowadays, you can't really tell people by their appearance.She looks like a strong Icy beauty, but now she is trembling after seeing the question paper.'
Astr kindly withdrew his gaze and stopped putting pressure on the black-haired girl.
Anyway, there is still a lot of time left, so he started by checking what he had written earlier.
'Umm, looking at my answer, I am going to be a high-profile person in the academy, but who cares? That's what I want,' Astr thought while looking at his answers.
After a while, the shaking gradually stopped. Astr glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
Except that she no longer trembles, she looks the same as before: 'Very elegant' but there are small tears in her eyes.
"...Pfft." Astr couldn't help laughing and then coughed to cover it up so as not to disturb or get the attention of the examiners.
'What a pitiful girl.' Astr searched his mind and found no memory related to this girl.
'Hiss—it doesn't make sense. She's so stunning that she should undoubtedly top the female NPC ranking list in "Nightmare Invasion." How is it that I have no recollection at all?
Could it be that she vanishes from the storyline in the future?'
This doubt flashed lightly in Astr's mind. After some thinking, Astr left this question for later.
Now Astr focused all his attention on the test paper again, with no intention of hiding his strength.
'I am the person who will win the Empire's renowned "Hamlet Award" sooner or later, so I should be used to being in the spotlight.'
......
Two and a half hours later,
With the harsh ringing of the bell, the written examination ended. For most candidates, this means liberation.
"Oh my god! The exam is finally over. I don't want to study anymore in this life.
"I just want to go back and sleep in the dark..."
"I also chose D for the last one, so is it right or wrong?"
"Yes and now Get out of here; I don't want to talk about studying and exams now."
Young-looking boys and girls, with expressions of relief on their faces, rushed out of the auditorium.
Of course, there are some people with serious expressions among them. Because the "admission fee" is 5 gold coins. And it is not a small amount for everyone.
Astr followed the flow of people and slowly walked out with the support of the wall, feeling nothing about the exam.
The only thing he was thinking about now was that the black-haired girl was actually taller than him!
Astr decided to go back and drink more milk.
'I am only 14 years old now, and I am still growing. Ummm, that must be it. I am still growing, but wait a minute, she also looks around 14 or 15.'
'Fuck, I want to grow my height'