Day of Gula. Month of Minerva. Today is one of the most important days in the Goethe Kingdom. The first day of the week and the 4th month of the year. A day of all of the Goetia Kingdom's existing nine academy entrance exams for aspiring mages.
Normal citizens of the Goetia Kingdom who wanted to rise to the top. Entering the Academies to seek their potential to become a powerful mage or dreaming to replace the current 72 Tower Lords of the Goetia Kingdom.
Elites, Ordinaries, Insects, Excelsior (Upper Region Citizens), and Infernus (Lower Region Citizens). The background and status don't matter.
As long as a person has the potential that the Academies are seeking and passes the entrance exams, the 9 Academies will accept the person.
However, entrance exams aren't easy.
"What?! "
Gretchen exclaimed when she heard Wagner explain to him the requirements for this year's entrance exam. Hearing Gretchen's loud exclamation, the people around them glance at their group before losing interest.
"Shhhhh, quiet Gretchen."
Faust blocks Gretchen's mouth with his palm. Seeing that Gretchen realizes her error and sends him an apologetic gaze with her crimson-red eyes, Faust removes his palm from his mouth and wipes it from his clothes.
Gathered together and whispering are Gretchen, Wagner, and Faust. The trio encountered Rumpel two days ago. Currently, they are in front of the Alloces Academy, waiting like the rest of the other examinees for the gate of the Alloces Academy to open and welcome them.
The sun hasn't yet risen from the sky, and the examinees waiting outside are discussing and thinking about the entrance exam. What kind of tests, requirements, or strategies?
Looking around and making sure that no one was listening to them, Gretchen whispered to Wagner while Faust was listening.
"Is what you gathered real? Are you certain?"
Sweeping his brown locks away from his eyesight and fixing his round glasses, Wagner replied.
"It's a rumor."
"Then"
"But it's better if we consider the rumor. So, let's just do our best and aim at the top, Gretchen."
Gretchen nodded her head and looked at Faust.
"The current examinees exceed 1,000 people. What do you think would happen if the rumor Wagner heard was true?"
Golden eyes narrowed, Faust replied.
"A bloodbath."
Gretchen gasped when she heard Faust's conclusion. After a second, she sighed with a resigned expression.
People dying every day is normal in the Goetia Kingdom. Murders and killings are common, and when a person sees a stranger dead and lying on the ground, they won't bat an eye and keep walking, minding their own business.
But that kind of mentality isn't something that Gretchen can accept. She knows it, but she refuses to adhere to it.
While the trio of childhood friends were huddled and talking to each other silently, they heard a noise coming from their direction. Unconsciously, all of them glance at the source of the noise.
Different expressions cross their faces. For Faust, it was an expression of controlled dislike and open annoyance.
A person was walking towards them. Golden, wavy hair that reaches his neck and eyes, along with expensive attire, was the first thing that everyone would notice by looking at this person. The person was younger than them by a few years. Noticing that they were looking at him, the person gave them an amiable smile.
Eventually, he managed to reach them in close proximity.
"Greetings, Miss Gretchen, Sir Faust, and Wagner. I am glad to meet you once again. Are you ready for the entrance exam? Let's do our best!"
Under the smile directed at them, both Gretchen and Wagner smile hesitantly, while Faust's face shows a dissatisfied expression. Rumpel, talking with them, gained their attention. Faust doesn't want people to pay attention to them and just mind their things.
"Young Master Rumpel."
"Young master, you're being too distracting."
"I apologize; should I have approached you later?"
"No, it's fine."
Faust sighed.
How did it become like this?
Two days ago, it all started because Gretchen informed them that she had found an interesting Grimoire from Madam Mirada. The owner of a Grimoire Shop in the Alloces Domain's Black Market. In the Alloces Domain Ordinaries, Miss Mirada is pretty well known for selling fake Grimoires. But there were also times when she would sell genuine Grimoires from her shop.
As for how she could obtain them, there are speculations that Madam Mirada is a person who has a connection to a magic tower or that she was connected to someone who explored the Limbo.
The Limbo, which was outside of the Goetia Kingdom, is filled with monsters and unknown phenomena that drive even the strongest person to cowardice and insanity. But sometimes, it was also a place full of opportunities. Artifacts and scrolls containing magic spells can be acquired if someone is fortunate in the Limbo.
Gretchen has painstakingly acquired 3,000 gold coins so that she can obtain the Clear Grimoire that she wants to buy from Madam Mirada. Wagner and Faust just let her do what she wanted while they made preparations and gathered information for the entrance exam at the Alloces Academy.
Hours later, Gretchen didn't return, and they decided to go to Madam Miranda's Grimoire Shop. Asking the old lady about Gretchen. Madam Miranda answered that he was invited by an elite Excelsior. Both Faust and Wagner assumed that something bad had happened to her. For the hour, they spend their time finding information about the Elite Excelsior and Gretchen. Their minds keep spiraling down, thinking that the worst has happened to their childhood friend.
When it comes to Elites and Excelsiors, Faust and Wagner don't have a group impression. In their eyes, they are scum. And when those two types of status were combined, it was the worst. They heard a lot of unpleasant things that the Elite Excelsiors were doing when they decided to go down to the lower layers.
Flaunting their wealth, privileges, and benefits and doing what they want because of their status. Getting away with so many things as long as the Tower Lords and their mages allowed them.
Eventually, Faust and Wagner arrive at the inn, where they learn that an Elite Excelsior is currently residing. Seeing Gretchen go with the Elite Excelsior while being guarded by high-ranking adventurers.
In worry, concern, and panic for Gretchen, Faust has no time to think of a plan or be the level-headed person he normally acts. The only thing that he knows is how to get Gretchen away from that disgusting Elite Excelsior.
Faust expected Gretchen to be in trouble and the Elite Excelsior to do deplorable acts to Gretchen. When they arrived, that wasn't the case. Gretchen isn't being humiliated or insulted. She was there fine, eating with the Adventurers and the Elite Excelsior.
At first, Faust was upset and disgusted by the Elite Excelsior. After a while, Faust reigned his anger and unconscious and biased dislike towards the Elite Excelsior. Gretchen explained what happened, and she willingly went with them for free food and to answer some of the Elite Excelsior's questions.
Faust and Wagner learned that Rumpel Stelzehaut is an Elite Excelsior who came here to the lower region for a better chance to become a mage. Also, he was 5 years younger than them, which was better than what was assumed—that Gretchen was invited by an old gross man—because they were in a hurry to catch up to their friend and not asked about the Elite Excelsior's appearance.
There was still a small chance that the Elite Excelsior was attracted by Gretchen's looks, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The young master is only interested in the Alloces Academy's entrance exam information.
And unexpectedly, their encounter with the young master ended up with him making a proposition to them. An offer to work together on the upcoming entrance exam.
He didn't even know them. Why would he offer such a thing? It was suspicious, and the young master was a stranger to them. Why would they even accept his offer?
However, Rumpel Stelzehaut made such a tempting offer.
"I can provide items and things that all of you three will require. In exchange, you would help me pass the entrance exam. I heard that accidents in entrance exams are a common occurrence."
It's true. Accidents in entrance exams are a common occurrence. Most of the people in the Goetia Kingdom would do extreme things just for a chance to become a mage. And once a person becomes an official mage, the atrocities and cruelty would be countless.
The Goetia Kingdom is the last bastion of civilization. The last stronghold of humanity is the Kingdom of Magic.
It was common sense for most of the citizens that the Nine Rings Kingdom was a place built on blood. Trampling kindness and morality would continue on that path as long as the kingdom's pursuit of survival, magic, and knowledge would never stop.
Gretchen dreams of a utopia for everyone in this messed-up kingdom. A kingdom where kindness and morality wouldn't be squashed when time passed. A place of equality and freedom.
Gretchen's dream is impossible and beautiful. But Faust wanted to see her fulfill her dream. He would follow Gretchen and help her reach her beautiful dream.
And Faust isn't naive enough to assume that their path wasn't something paved in blood. They need strength, knowledge, and connections.
Faust dislikes elites and excelsiors. But for the sake of Gretchen and the beautiful dream that she has, Faust would swallow his dislike for elites and executives.
"Young master, do you have the items in your storage ring?"
"Yes."
Faust would do anything, including paving a path of carnage and blood, to reach Utopia.