The Girl Who Hacked The Magic System-Chapter 104 - The entrance exams

Lillian, Levinna, and I enter the main building at the entrance of the Royal Academy of East Rising.

The hall is bustling with dozens of families. Everyone is bringing their little ones to the entrance exams.

Almost everyone I see are nobles, though several of them are visibly foreigners, even to my untrained eyes.

A world without mass media is a world where fashion is very localized, after all. There isn’t a generic piece of clothing everyone would use.

But, despite the different nationalities, the loudest divide is the class one. It’s easier to tell commoners and nobles apart than it is to tell two nationalities apart.

The difference in clothing between the two classes is glaring already, but they also create a physical divide, with all the commoners grouping on one side and the nobles maintaining a distance.

My first impulse was to go to the commoner’s side, but Mom stopped me.

"Where are you going, Aurea?"

I look at the commoners, as if that is enough answer.

"You shouldn’t do it like that."

"Why?"

I look at her, a bit puzzled by her answer.

"They grouped because they aren’t comfortable being among nobles. If you, a royal, walk into their middle, you might cause more harm than good."

"Lily is right, dear. They will be really uncomfortable with your presence there. You will need to work slowly to lower their guard and earn their trust first."

"... Thank you, Moms. I just don’t want to mingle with—"

"Oh, princess Lillian. What an honor to meet you here, Your Highness."

"Count Edward. The honor is mine. Is your son joining the academy this year as well?"

"Indeed. Bertram, let me introduce you. This is princess Lillian Annes. Your Highness, Bertram is my oldest son, a very nice boy."

"I’m pleased to meet you, Your Highness."

The boy bows gently, in the manner appropriate to addressing someone of a higher standing. To which Mom answered with the appropriate nod and then introduced me and Levinna.

You see, this is what I didn’t want. There is so much formality and stiffness in all this. All the little gestures you have to memorize and remember to use at the right moments.

Not only that, but also pay attention to the small gestures the other people are doing, because I have to ’protect my standing’ and all that bullshitery.

Because I am a princess and Bertram is the son of a count, I have to do a specific nod that acknowledges him as inferior. It’s infuriating.

Soon other people approach as well to talk to my mother and introduce their sons. Yeah, only families with sons came to talk to us.

Probably aiming for a marriage in the future, between those sons and me. How do I know that? Because my etiquette teacher told me to expect it.

And it’s all happening exactly the way she said it would.

Empty flattery, sugarcoated words, ’this is my awesome, totally-a-worthy-husband son’ boasting, and some more small talk.

:::

After half an hour, which seemed more like an eternity, a man entered the hall and called for everyone’s attention.

It’s time for the children to go to the exam rooms.

I say goodbye to my mothers and walk in, along with several other kids aged around ten to twelve.

Having experienced the entrance exams for universities in Brazil, this group seems too small for the greatest academy on the continent. Only a couple hundred students.

Even small universities would have more than that in any semester. For this world, it seems that it’s a big deal.

Well, whatever. I just need to do my part well.

We are guided through some corridors until we reach another, smaller hall. In that hall there are four different doors, and at the side of each door, there is a list of names.

Okay, I just need to find my own name and go through that door. Easy peasy.

After a couple of minutes, I find myself in a big room, along with around twenty other students.

I take my seat and wait for the test to start.

:::

Okay, I wasn’t expecting to face much difficulty from the written test, but it was still easier than I expected.

After I handed the sheet with my answers to the exam taker, a professor came and took me to another place.

We went outside of the building, to some training grounds. Apparently, I’m the first student to arrive for the practical test today.

The test consists of a simple duel against a teacher, with both that teacher and a second one who is watching as the responsible party for attributing my score.

I’m expected to use at least two spells, which could be offensive, defensive, healing, or buffs. And each has to be of one of those ’schools,’ so if someone only casts two offensive spells, they won’t pass.

The professor who brought me here will be my opponent, while another is taking notes at the side.

"Aurea Annes. You might begin at any time. Show me what you’ve got."

"Right!"

I remember my training, so I don’t go overboard. I start by casting some fireballs at the professor while running to the side in a zigzag.

The professor easily stops them with a water barrier, then launches a water cannon at me.

I quickly chant another aria that allows me to jump higher. All of this using an actual chant, so they can hear what I’m casting.

Then I jump out of the water cannon’s way and cast a bigger fireball from the air towards the professor.

He quickly casts another water barrier, but it isn’t able to stand up to the fireball and collapses.

Before I set my feet on the floor again, the professor has already fallen to the ground, with his clothes showing some signs of burning.

"I’m sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, Aurea. It’s okay. It would take more than that to actually harm me. I was surprised, though; your magic power is very strong, it overwhelmed my shield so easily."

I didn’t expect him to be overwhelmed by such meager magic, though.

"For these tests we cast weaker barriers, so we are able to properly evaluate the strength of the student’s spells, so we are already prepared for having small wounds like these."

The one who was taking notes dispels my doubts and helps the professor to get to his feet.

"In three days you will know the results of the exams, along with everyone else. Good luck."

"Thank you!"

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