The Entrance Exam Begins!

Author: Unicoon
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n8138gc/9/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

Under a clear sky, a splendid building towered high.
Romulus Academy: largest and oldest in the Kingdom of Romulus.

Today was the entrance exam.
Nearly a hundred young people had gathered on the green lawn of the schoolyard.
The examinees.

“Look at this! Father bought me a sword for the exam. Beautiful ornamentation, isn’t it?”

“I had new armor made! The silver inlay is my particular point!!”

“Do look at my staff! A natural magic stone is set in the tip. It amplifies magical power, you know!”

The examinees clustered in the middle of the yard, showing off their gear.
Lady Ulrika and Olivia, meanwhile, stood off at the edge.

“Hmm, hmm… everyone looks energetic. That’s a good thing… crunch, crunch…”

“Lady Ulrika… it’s before the exam. Please have a little more tension.”

Lady Ulrika was munching cookies anyway.
The other examinees whispered.

“Is she really ten or older? She’s still a child.”

“A servant with her? Is she here to make fun of us?”

“What shabby equipment. What is she thinking?”

“I’m sorry, Lady Ulrika. I couldn’t prepare proper gear…”

Olivia apologized.
Lady Ulrika’s equipment was only the wooden sword from the drill and the small staff Olivia had given her.
Clearly behind the other examinees. She did not care at all.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t need weapons to begin with! Besides, I couldn’t bring myself to use crude goods like theirs.”

“Crude? They look like splendid weapons to me.”

“Those are crude goods of low workmanship. Not practical. Using them in a real fight would just be hardship.”

Lady Ulrika spun the staff on her fingertips.

“See? The staff you gave me is lighter and easier to handle.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that.”

“Mm!”

Staff spinning, cookies crunching, Lady Ulrika was in a good mood.
Then Princess Charlotte arrived, entourage in tow.

“My. The country-girl Demon King has terribly unsightly equipment.”

“Charlotte! Let’s both do our best today!”

“As rude as ever…”

Princess Charlotte pointed her staff at Lady Ulrika.
Goldwork and a red gem: luxurious at a glance.
Lady Ulrika stared at it.

“Oh? Is my staff of interest?”

“Mm. Charlotte, you’ll take the exam with that staff?”

“That’s right. It’s a first-class staff prepared for the exam. Something you’ll never have anything to do with in your life.”

Princess Charlotte smirked.
Lady Ulrika, for her part, looked worried, brows drawn.

“Hmm… I won’t say anything unkind, so you should prepare a proper staff even now.”

“…Ha?”

“That staff is far too sloppy in its make. Mana doesn’t flow through it well. And that pebble at the tip is blocking the flow. It’s a lump of waste.”

Lady Ulrika poked the gem on the staff.
The young ladies erupted in protest.

“How dare you speak that way of Lady Charlotte’s staff!”

“Nothing but nonsense. She’s not in her right mind!!”

“Is that so? The more I look, the cruder it seems…”

Lady Ulrika’s words were unreserved.
Princess Charlotte’s temple twitched.

“Hmph… Fine. A country girl who doesn’t even know the value of things. No need to take anything she says seriously.”

“I see… Charlotte is stubborn.”

Princess Charlotte glared.
Then a loud voice rang across the schoolyard.

“The exam will now begin! Examinees, gather!”

“My, it’s about time. Do try your hardest with that unsightly equipment. It’ll be wasted effort anyway.”

“You do your best too, Charlotte!”

“…Hmph.”

Princess Charlotte and her entourage left.
Lady Ulrika pattered off toward the middle of the yard as well.

“I’m going, then!”

“Yes. Do your best!”

“Mm!!”

And so Lady Ulrika’s entrance exam began.