Chapter 8: Entrance V
Yosen Magic Affiliated College – Entrance Exams. A couple of months ago.
8:00 AM. Helia standard time.
Today was the day of Yosen's Freshman's Entrance Exams.
This year, the number of applicants had skyrocketed—more than any previous year.
Yet, despite the influx, only a select few would earn a coveted spot within Yosen Magic Affiliated College.
Celeste Blackwood sat in the faculty room, casually flipping through a stack of applicant profiles while puffing on a cigarette.
Her eyes scanned each document with a particular disinterest, until a low mutter escaped her lips.
"A Tendou... Beastfallen... even those ancient practitioners managed to slip in."
She exhaled a plume of smoke, watching it swirl above her.
She rubbed her temple, the dull pressure building behind her eyes as she sifted through pages of names and data.
"I swear, every year it just gets weirder. But this one…"
She glanced over the files again, her lips curling into an involuntary smirk.
"Though I must say, this year will certainly be interesting. A lot of these kids look interesting."
"A lot of attention this time. Probably that girl's influence."
A pair of her fellow instructors stood in the corner, murmuring between themselves.
One leaned slightly closer.
"Things did change the moment she enrolled. She's even part of the boards, not that the higher-ups likes it."
Celeste shot them a brief glance but said nothing.
"Fuu." She exhaled almost irritatedly as she ran her hand over her hair.
And probably like most instructors here. They don't have any big names attached to her name.
But then, when going over the files, she suddenly paused.
"Hm?"
'Quadruplets?'
Her cigarette paused midway to her lips as she scanned the files more closely.
There they were—four applicants, all sharing the same last name.
"Creed?"
She studied their photos.
At first glance, they looked nothing alike—different builds, different postures, different expressions.
Yet, at a glance, she could tell.
"....Damn."
Before she could dwell on it, further, another instructor leaned through the doorway, calling out.
"All instructors, report to the main facility. The exams are about to begin."
Celeste sighed deeply, running a hand through her messy hair.
"Fuu... More work already?"
With a flick of her wrist, she stubbed out the cigarette and rose to her feet.
The instructor offices were located on the first floor of the administrative building.
The instructors gathered in the main facility beside the auditorium, receiving instructions for the day's schedule.
The entrance exams were to kick off with the written test—two hours starting at 9:00 AM.
After the written exams, there would be a one-hour break, and during that time, students would get prepared for the physical and magic assessments.
And it went as planned.
The written tests were merely to test students knowledge, and there were a few questions included that students wouldn't be able to answer.
But it is standard.
Many didn't focus on the written test as much as they did for the physical and magic assessments.
You could say that's something every student knows.
"Look at this," one instructor murmured as they reviewed early results on their data tablets.
"As expected of a Tendou. Top-tier magic control, and her physical scores aren't far behind."
"No surprise there." Another instructor chimed in.
"But in terms of raw strength? That Beastfallen boy crushed her record by a margin."
"Hm. I think it's only natural, given he comes from a family that mottos brute force."
The other instructors muttered in amazement when comparing the data of the students.
Most of their focus centered around students vying for a spot in Class A—the elite of the elite.
However, … "This… this is…" Celeste muttered under her breath, her brow furrowing as she rechecked the results.
"What is it?" a colleague asked, stepping closer.
The result was shocking. The top four position was unexpectedly swept by a single name: Creed.
"Unbelievable."
"Celes, what's going on?"
Celeste Blackwood's amazement caught the attention of other instructors who also came over.
And as they did. "Impossible." Was the word other instructors muttered.
But no matter how much they were amazed. The final decision was left to the higher up.
And they too—the higher-ups too… made a fuss about it.
Yosen Magic Affiliated College – Conference Room.
The conference room was packed with key figures—members of the board, the chairman, the vice-chancellor, and even the Student Council president.
Normally, entrance exam results didn't warrant this kind of gathering.
But this year was anything but normal.
"So you're telling me," one board member said, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Four siblings dominated the entire entrance exam?
"Correct," the vice-chancellor replied, his expression calm but tired.
"I've reviewed the results myself. There's no mistake."
But this wasn't a concern to the board. As another board member leaned forward, frowning deeply.
"I heard, a Creed shattered a crystal calibrated to measure up to Enlightened-above mana levels?"
"Yes, that is correct." the vice-chancellor confirmed. "His name is Enma Creed."
"But then, mana quantity does not equate—"
"—Equate to strength, yes. But then he went ahead and scored first in the physical assessment too."
"What!?"
Murmurs of discontent spread among the board members.
The board members exchanged uneasy glances. Several leaned back in their chairs, crossing their arms.
It was clear that many of them were visibly unhappy with the idea of unknowns like the Creeds taking top positions.
The vice chancellor was the one actively restraining them with facts and results, while the chairman and the Student President kept their silence.
"But then, what do you want the Drakemont, Faulkner or Kerrigan family to say? They won't be pleased, that's for sure."
"The results are clear. And we've reviewed the recordings—there was no cheating involved."
The vice-chancellor rebated a member of the board that went against the Creed.
"But then, what about magic booster. They could have—"
"—Impossible." The vice-chancellor countered again.
"They were thoroughly checked before the assessments. You know how strict our screening process is."
"Kuh!"
The arguments raged on until the chairman finally slammed his hand on the table. "Enough!"
The room fell into an uneasy silence as all eyes turned to him.
"Eira," the chairman said, addressing the Student Council President. "What do you think?"
The Chairman asked, but there was an obvious scowl on the faces of the board; it was clear they were opposed to this—the Chairman asking for a child's opinion.
The board all viewed her as someone who is not fit to be here. They were opposed to her overall standing.
"Disregarding the physical and magical assessments aside, the written exams, they all aced that too."
"I took the liberty of reviewing the security footage, and sure enough, they did it with their own knowledge."
Unlike a normal college, Yosen isn't as practical as other colleges when it comes to written exams.
"Besides, a Creed got the highest mark, even surpassing the second rank by a margin."
"This…."
Eira Seiravelle's words left them in a perpetual silence that not even one of the boards could retort or push the discussion any longer.
"Seems like there's nothing to be said anymore."
"Now that everything has been settled, I hereby decree—"
The matter was settled.
The Creeds would enter Yosen College with the highest rankings—much to the dismay of certain families and board members.
And that wasn't all.
The Awakened Association had openly showed interest in the four brothers, discouraging other families from openly opposing the Creed's—at least for now.
Back in the faculty offices, Celeste slumped in her chair, rubbing her temples in frustration.
"What a hassle," she muttered under her breath.
The pile of paperwork related to the Creed brothers had grown exponentially, thanks to the uproar surrounding their performance.
As if that wasn't bad enough…
"Dear Celeste Blackwood, you're hereby chosen as…"
"...The instructor of Class A…!?"
Celeste eyes twitched as she read that message, running a hand through her hair.
"Of all the people they could've chosen, they picked me?"
"Damn the higher ups what do they take me for?"
She muttered with an especially annoyed expression. But no matter how much she grumbled, there was no way around it.
The decision had been made.
"Haah. Fine then."
Resigned to her fate, Celeste stubbed out her cigarette as she relapse her back to her chair.