Chapter 62: Entrance Exam
The morning of the next day.
Today is the day of the exam. I proceed with my morning preparations while feeling a bit nervous.
It feels somewhat similar to the tension on the day of the university entrance exam. Well, I was even more nervous on that day. I was aiming for a slightly higher-ranked university, so it was a close call whether I'd pass or not. The day the results were announced was nerve-wracking. I even teared up when I found my exam number.
Compared to that, today is like a university student taking an elementary school entrance exam. Thinking that way, I should definitely pass.
To prevent stomachache, I have a lighter breakfast than usual and finish my preparations.
Phew, let's do our best!
I leave the room and head to the entrance hall. The carriage is already waiting, and as soon as I reach the front of the carriage, Lucian arrives as well.
"Good morning, Lord Lucian."
"Leon, good morning. Let's both do our best today."
After a brief greeting, we quickly board the carriage together. The guards are outside the carriage, so it's just the two of us inside. We have a short window to speak freely without formalities.
"Leon, we're alone together!"
"True. There aren't many chances to talk so casually, given that attendants are usually around."
"I wish you'd talk to me casually anytime."
"Well, that might be difficult."
It would be strange if I, a commoner, addressed Lucian without honorifics or spoke informally.
Besides, if I were to start speaking informally in front of others, I'm sure I'd slip up somewhere. I should have been more mindful of my position, but calling him casually is risky. That's why it's clearer when it's just the two of us.
Well, only Lucian's guard, Jack, is allowed to be addressed informally even when he's nearby, so I do that.
"Well, you're right... But more importantly, I'm looking forward to today's exam."
"You're looking forward to it?"
"Yeah, I haven't met kids my age since the party celebrating the Spring Moon. It's hard to talk much at parties, so I'm excited."
I see, the Royal School is also a place where noble children learn social skills. Learning about class distinctions, how to interact based on status, and proper manners are things that might not be fully grasped without practice.
Noble children apparently stay on their estates until they enter the Royal School. They only go to the capital to attend the parties organized by the royal family, which take place around the end of winter. They start attending around the age of five.
That means they hardly ever leave their estates for other reasons. Only those noble children who don't inherit titles other than the knightly ones seem to have that freedom.
"At the Royal School, it would be nice to make a lot of friends."
"That's true, but there are also many nobles you're better off not getting too close to. You should be cautious of those noble children. I'm looking forward to meeting kids from the same faction! After all, you're also part of the Duke of Townsend's family. You should be careful."
"Y-Yeah, you're right. I'll be careful."
Incredible... This is truly the upbringing of a noble child.
But really, I need to be careful too. First off, I should avoid the children from noble families that are hostile to the Townsend Ducal House.
If I'm going to be friends with anyone, they should either be from the same faction or at least from a neutral family. Well, considering I'm a commoner, I'm not sure if I can become friends with noble children.
I'll pay special attention to the children on the watchlist that Lord Richard provided.
Last night, I received a list of individuals to watch out for through Roger. The list contained names of nobles who pose a danger to me, and it was quite long. I was amazed at the number of them. Among them, I'll make an effort to remember the nobles I should be particularly cautious of.
While continuing to talk to Lucian for a bit, the carriage starts moving. The Royal School isn't too far from the duke's residence, so the carriage ride isn't too long. I guess from now on, I'll be going like this every morning.
After a while, the carriage stops.
"Lord Lucian, Lord Leon, we have arrived at the Royal School."
The coachman says so and opens the carriage door. Lucian and I get down from the carriage, feeling a bit nervous.
Where we got off was the carriage stop within the grounds of the Royal School. There are various carriages of different sizes around, and kids around my age are coming out of them. Coming out of carriages probably means most of these kids are nobles.
I take a deep breath once again.
"Please return to this spot after the exam is over. We'll be waiting for you."
"Understood. We're going."
"Thank you. Take care."
"Please go safely."
The coachman bows deeply and sees us off, so Lucian and I start walking toward the building.
The carriage stop from earlier seems to be located on the left side after entering through the main gate of the Royal School. Even just from a quick glance, the grounds seem quite extensive, with numerous buildings.
And it looks like the grounds are surrounded by tall walls. There's a knight at the gate, so only those with connections seem to be allowed in.
As we walk toward the buildings, the first thing that catches our eyes is the largest building directly in front of us. It's probably about three stories tall vertically, but it's wide. It has an opulent appearance, giving off an atmosphere similar to a noble's mansion.
On the right side of that building, there is a slightly smaller and simpler structure. This one seems older. Of course, if it were near my house, it would be luxurious enough, but compared to the central building, it's a few steps down. Could it be that the opulent building in the center is for high-ranking nobles, while the building on the right is for lower-ranking nobles and commoners? Do such distinctions exist?
In this world, that seems quite plausible...
And on the left side of the opulent central building, there is a slightly smaller yet equally luxurious structure. I wonder what this one is used for? Hmmm, I can't quite figure it out.
Then, further to the left of that building, there's a rather large structure. If I were to compare, it feels somewhat like a school gymnasium. Maybe it's a training area?
Currently, this is all that's visible from the front. I wonder if they'll provide facility guidance after enrollment? I'm looking forward to it!
Thinking such things, as I walked, I encountered staff members of the Royal School who were guiding the applicants.
According to them, the nobles head to the opulent building in the center, while the commoners go to the building resembling a gymnasium on the right.
"Lord Lucian, I'll be heading over there. I wish you the best of luck."
"Yes, Leon, I also wish you luck."
"Thank you."
With that, I parted ways with Lucian and made my way towards the building where the commoners were gathering.
At the entrance of the building, there were desks lined up, and a few receptionists were present. I went to an available desk, handed over my examination ticket, and the receptionist checked whether my name was registered before returning the ticket.
"Since I've confirmed your registration, please proceed to the examination hall. Show your examination ticket to the staff there, and they'll guide you to your seat."
"Thank you."
Upon entering the hall, it felt somewhat similar to a Japanese examination hall. Desks and chairs were arranged at regular intervals, with about a third of them already occupied. Since the space was quite large, the staff members seemed to be quite busy.
While gazing around the hall and feeling a bit nostalgic, a staff member approached.
"May I see your examination ticket?"
"Yes, please. Thank you for your help."
"Thank you. You're Leon, correct? Your seat is a bit far, so let me guide you."
Saying so, the staff member walked briskly, and I hurriedly followed. My seat was quite close to the front, which was quite a distance from the entrance.
"This is your seat. Please wait here until the exam starts."
"Yes, thank you."
I'm starting to feel quite nervous. Waiting feels like it's taking forever. It would have been nice if I brought some study materials, but I didn't think it was necessary.
As I waited a little restlessly, it seemed to be the time for the exam to start. Three staff members entered from the front.
"We are about to begin the entrance examination for the Royal School. The duration is one hour, and leaving during the exam is generally not allowed. Also, speaking to others is prohibited; any violation will result in disqualification. Now, we will distribute the exam papers."
As the exam papers were distributed, they were two slightly larger sheets than A4 size, with questions and answer spaces combined.
It felt somewhat like the test papers from Japanese elementary school.
"Please begin."
Starting from the first question, I proceeded to solve the problems. The first ones seemed to be calculation problems, and they were quite easy, just as I expected.
I smoothly finished the calculation problems, reading and writing questions, and the history questions.
It's already over, and it feels like only about ten minutes have passed. I'm pretty confident I'll pass; I'm fairly certain I got everything right.
There's still fifty minutes left. It's quite a bit of time.
Trying not to be seen as cheating, I casually looked around the surroundings. Most of the people around me were dressed relatively elegantly among commoners, so they must be from merchant families. They seem to be struggling a bit; it seems like no one has finished yet.
Even among the merchant families, there are probably quite a few children who couldn't devote much time to studying or spend much money, so these questions are probably quite challenging for them. Thinking about it that way, I understand why only a few commoners pass.
Considering such things, I managed to pass the time for about fifty minutes, and then the exam concluded.
"The exam is over. We will now collect the exam papers, so please remain seated until we have collected all of them."
Staff members started collecting the exam papers from the back. Although there were many test-takers, there were plenty of staff members, so the collection seemed to finish quickly.
"Now, today's exam is over. Your results will be sent to the department you're affiliated with, as indicated on your examination ticket. Please check there for your results."
Phew, it's finally over. I'm sure I passed. Actually, I'm pretty sure I got everything right; there was no way to make a mistake.
Rubbing my eyes, which were getting a bit sleepy from boredom, I stood up and started walking towards the exit. I wonder if Lucian is done too?