The Ainzlark Academy Exams buzzed with anticipation as aspiring students from all corners of the Eastern Kingdom gathered in the grand hall. The air was thick with excitement and nerves, the scent of parchment and ink mingling with the crackle of magical energy. Neron stood at the threshold of the examination hall, his heart pounding with a contradicting mixture of anticipation and apathy.

On one end, he was pretty unimpressed by the quality of candidates that showed up to take the exams. Other than a few people who seemed somewhat decent, the rest were fodder that he considered too weak by his own standards.

There was only one exception among the students, and it was the girl that remained by his side through most of the event.

—Serah Crimson.

She was not only incredibly talented, but she was also very skilled in Magic—more than what he could say for even the decent ones among the crowd.

Even without her Magic prowess, he found it difficult to ignore her since she constantly screamed in his ears if he didn’t pay her the right amount of attention.

Fortunately, the exams started pretty quickly and they were eventually silenced by the proctor who conducted the exams for thousands of candidates.

Everyone was taken to a very large hall that accommodated their numbers.

Inside the hall, rows of desks stretched out before him, each one occupied by a student bent over their parchment, scribbling furiously. The atmosphere was tense, the only sound the scratching of quills against paper and the occasional muttered curse.

Hardly anyone was calm after seeing the exams, but… of course Serah was an exception.

She actually kept shut and concentrated on each question, seriously engaging her paper. It seemed, given the right circumstances, she could actually be sensible.

‘I guess I should begin…’

Neron took a deep breath, readying himself for the written portion of the exams. He scanned the questions before him, his mind already racing with the right answers.

‘As I expected…’ Raising his pen as he put it to paper. ‘It’s easy!’

As the minutes ticked by, Neron’s quill flew across the parchment, his hand barely keeping up with the flood of ideas pouring from his mind. He drew upon the lessons he had learned from his Mordred and Aldred, as well as the countless hours spent poring over ancient books and materials in the Kaelid Manor library.

Time seemed to blur as Neron lost himself in the intricacies of magical theory. He tackled each question with precision and insight, weaving together complex theories and practical applications with ease. He noticed a few people staring at him—students and staff alike.

The examiners watched in awe as Neron’s answers flowed effortlessly from his pen, his knowledge shining through in every word.

‘I guess they can see what I’m writing. With Magic, most likely. That’s how they’re able to check for malpractices too…’

Unsurprisingly, some idiots ended up getting caught cheating and they were immediately disqualified. It was foolish to even attempt something like that in a Magic Academy, and Neron wondered why the cheaters hadn’t thought of that.

‘Besides, even if they cheat and manage to enter, isn’t that even worse?’ The most difficult parts were yet to come, after all.

If aspirants had to cheat to enter the Academy, they wouldn’t be able to last within its walls. Didn’t they recognize that?

‘Well, whatever. It’s not my business anyway.’

Finally, the last question was answered, and Neron set down his quill with a sense of satisfaction. He glanced around the hall, seeing the exhaustion and relief etched on the faces of his fellow students. But there was no time to rest, for the practical portion of the exams awaited.

************

The practical examination took place in the academy’s grand auditorium, where a stage had been set up for the students to showcase their magical abilities. The hall was filled to bursting with eager spectators, the air alive with anticipation.

Neron stood backstage, his heart calm with ease as he awaited his turn to perform. While had little expectations regarding the display of the other students around, he still managed to be disappointed by their lackluster performance.

It was almost unbelievable how bad they were.

‘Some of them cast Basic Spells and they still fail in its activation. That’s just… how?’

Yes, Neron knew very well that he was privileged to have been taught by a very competent Mage, and that he had talent in Magic. But, he thought any aspiring student in this place had to have some measure of talent and skill.

It, however, seemed his standard for that was too high.

Once again, only Serah managed to make him leak out a smile from the bottom of his heart.

She cast a Basic Class Spell at the highest Tier, making a big uproar among the students and proctors who watched with amazement.

Still… it was nothing compared to what he had in mind.

As the previous student finished their display and stepped off the stage, Neron stepped forward, his head held high and his gaze steady. He could feel the eyes of the audience upon him, their whispers of anticipation echoing in his ears.

Perhaps some had heard rumors about him, while others thought he was acting snobbish by not interacting with anyone. They could have also been jealous about his relationship with Serah—wishing they were in his shoes—even though he wasn’t particularly hogging her to himself.

He shrugged all those thoughts aside and simply focused on the task at hand.

Taking a deep breath, Neron raised his hands, summoning a swirling vortex of elemental energy. The air crackled with electricity as he wove together strands of fire, water, earth, and air, creating a dazzling display of magic that danced and sparkled before the enraptured audience.

With a flick of his wrist, Neron sent the elemental vortex soaring into the air, where it exploded into a spectacular display of light and color. The audience gasped in awe as the magic unfolded before them, their applause ringing out like thunder.

‘That’s Magic of the Intermediate Class. With this, I’m bound to get a perfect score…’ Looking at the faces of the Proctor, he already knew that would be the case.

Everyone was simply stunned and amazed by him.

As the last embers of his magic faded away, Neron stepped off the stage to thunderous applause. The examiners watched in silence as he bowed gracefully, his eyes shining with pride and satisfaction.

‘Well… now all I have to do is wait for the results.’

***********

When the results were announced, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Neron had passed with flying colors. Still, no one could have guessed that he would get a perfect score.

Well, no one but him.

His perfect score—100 full marks—was a testament to his skill and dedication, earning him the respect and admiration of his peers and teachers alike.

‘I guess I’ve broken a record. No aspiring student has ever achieved this high.’ Yet he broke it very easily.

This already seemed like a strong sign of how boring life in the Academy would be.

‘But, well… I’m here already, right?’ He told himself.

‘Might as well make the best of it.’