Even though less than five minutes had passed since the exam started, she was waving her test paper as if she had finished?

Seeing this, Riena made a dumbfounded expression.

‘…What? Not even pretending to take the test?’

She had the fleeting thought that perhaps Sien was planning to bribe the examiner during grading. But thinking it through, that wouldn’t be possible. There would be observers present during grading as well.

In that case, there could only be one explanation.

‘I guess she was just being stubborn earlier, and has given up on the test!’

Riena pulled up the corner of her mouth. She broke the rule that neither observers nor test-takers should speak during the exam.

“How pathetic.”

It was a very quiet remark, but everyone present thought the same.

Voices could be heard saying things like ‘No matter what, isn’t throwing away the test like this just stupid?’, ‘At least make an effort. Are you trying to silence people with money? As expected of a Mirmode.’

The worst possible atmosphere had formed for Sien.

However, Sien merely watched expressionlessly as the proctor collected her test paper.

“Since I’m done, can I do whatever I want now?”

Evan, who was supervising the test, muttered with a dazed look.

“I… suppose so.”

“Okay.”

And so, out of the total 60 minutes for the exam…

Sien, who submitted her test paper in just 5 minutes, dozed off with soft snores.

As if all of this was no big deal!

Riena gritted her teeth and glared at the test paper the proctor was holding.

She really looked forward to what would happen an hour later.

Sien Mirmode.

That girl would surely be utterly humiliated and embarrassed in exactly one hour!

At last, all the exams were over.

Riena took her eyes off the masked Leonhart and stood up. Though the test was over, observers had to remain present for the grading as well.

Since the grading would take place in another classroom, the observers had to move to a different location.

As she walked to observe the grading, Riena mentally estimated their scores.

‘At a glance, it seemed Leonhart Mirmode knew quite a bit of ancient language.’

Her thoughts drifted to Acid. He was a child who only smiled when next to Sien Mirmode, and immediately had a calm and subdued gaze when her eyes left him. From what she heard from her mother, he was supposed to be a healer…

‘I’m not sure about that Acid child… But if he’s a healer, he should at least qualify to enter the academy. Even if he is a thorn in my side.’

But from what she saw, Sien was different. She seemed to have guessed the multiple choice questions and written any nonsense for the essay questions.

How else could she have finished all the problems in just five minutes and fallen asleep?

‘Sien Mirmode is wrong. She couldn’t have done it properly like that. How stupid!’

Sien Mirmode was too cute to have any destructive power for such an infamous Mirmode. That made her even easier to ignore.

Riena smiled, pulling up the corners of her mouth. Her mind filled with elation at the thought of finally being able to humiliate the Mirmode family. Her mother, who was part of the Crown Prince’s faction that grinds their teeth at the Mirmode family, would be pleased if she knew about this situation.

“Now, we will begin the grading.”

It seemed the teacher had brought the test papers while she was simulating their scores in her head.

The grading began in front of everyone.

First, Leonhart’s test paper was spread out. One by one, circles and slashes were drawn, revealing the outline of his score.

“Eighty points.”

It was a remarkably good score. Probably no other student would have received 80 points on such a difficult ancient language test. Leonhart said, lifting his nose high:

“See? I told you I’d be first place. I’m a genius after all!”

Riena tried hard to calm herself. She had already anticipated that Leonhart would achieve an outstanding score, so it wasn’t much of a blow.

Next was Acid’s turn.

“Since Acid is already a recognized healer with holy power, it doesn’t matter much, but…”

The grader’s expression darkened slightly. It was certainly inferior not only to Leonhart before him, but also compared to others.

But Acid was a healer, rare even on a continental scale. It meant that his abilities wouldn’t be marred just because he wasn’t good at ancient language.

Finally, it was Sien’s turn.

Everyone expected that Sien had not taken the test properly. Riena smiled bitterly, anticipating Sien’s face contorting upon receiving a zero.

But when the grader brought the red pen to the test paper, he tilted his head and then drew a circle.

“Wow, lucky. Getting it right by guessing.”

But that was only the first question. Thinking this beginner’s luck would end there, Riena fixed her trembling lips back to a horizontal line. But then…

“Eek!”

“Wh-what’s this?”

As the grader’s pupils dilated greatly, his hand began to draw circles relentlessly.

Circle, circle, circle…

The observers, including the grader, trembled at the succession of circles being drawn without hesitation.

Except for just one person.

Sien was acting bored, tilting her chin and just wiggling her toes, but everyone here knew how amazing what she had accomplished was.

When the grading finished quickly and the test paper passed to the inspector’s hands, the grader who put down the red pen on the desk looked at Sien with wide eyes.

“Th-this is a first in the academy’s history.”

Sien asked indifferently:

“First, you say?”

“…Yes! It’s a first! A perfect score in ancient language. This is unprecedented…! And they said they made the test extremely difficult…!”

Sien smiled, lifting the corner of her mouth.

“It wasn’t much.”

At those words, everyone began to stir.

Leonhart and Acid turned to Sien with excited faces and said:

“Sien, you’re really amazing!”

“That’s right! How did you get them all correct?”

It was then. A shrill scream was heard from the distant observer’s seat.

“Th-this is impossible!”

It was Riena.

The people who had been looking at Sien turned to look at Riena in the observer’s seat.

Seeing Riena with both hands on her cheeks, some whispered.

“In the end, it just proved that Sien Mirmode is a genius, right?”

“Riena just ended up humiliating herself.”

Those words reached Riena’s ears too. Riena shouted, her body trembling:

“This really is im-impossible!”

“What’s impossible?”

“Could she have cheated?”

I tilted my head askew while resting my chin on my hand.

‘These people, do they see others as mere objects when they look at them?’

I spoke while pushing the graded paper with my fingertip.

Until now I had stayed quiet, but having proven my ability, there was no need to remain silent any longer.

“Your name was Riena, right?”

While my gaze was fixed on Riena, my fingertip was pointing at the brilliantly perfect 100-point test paper. The principal’s seal was stamped on it.

In other words, it meant that cheating was absolutely impossible, and my ability was personally guaranteed by the principal.

I whispered to her with my chin raised:

“You, seriously need to stop.”

“…”

Riena bit her lip with an expression of being at a loss for words. The children sitting next to her as observers were the same.

“According to what you’re saying, this test paper with the principal’s seal is wrong?”

When I invoked the principal’s authority, Riena flinched. It was time to deliver the final punch.

“Then go and argue with the principal yourself. Don’t do this to me.”

Riena just breathed heavily, unable to continue speaking. I looked around at the children beside her. No one could speak.

Having crushed them with my ability, it was my perfect victory.

I glanced at Riena, who was panting but unable to utter a single word, then turned my gaze back to Teacher Evan.

“Teacher Evan! What’s tomorrow’s test?”

Evan, who had been rolling his eyes at the noble children’s power struggle, opened his lips.

“Ah, ah…”

‘He seems quite flustered.’

I waited for him to wipe his cold sweat and calm down. After quite some time, Evan opened his mouth.

“Tomorrow is swordsmanship and magic.”

“Okay, that’s good.”

I nodded and stood up.

It seemed the tests were being conducted like formal academy exams.

Of course, thanks to already getting a perfect score in ancient language, I had more than qualified for academy admission.

‘I just need to avoid failing in swordsmanship and magic!’

I felt much lighter. I grinned and shrugged my shoulders.

Putting people who look down on me in their place was always exciting.

With that, Sien left with the teacher. There was no need to stay any longer since the test and grading were all finished.

But the children of the Crown Prince’s faction, led by Riena, remained in the classroom.

“This is impossible.”

“That’s right.”

There was a scraping sound as a chair was pulled back. It was a boy who had been watching the situation silently with his eyes closed until now.

“What’s impossible?”

The boy’s mysterious purple eyes stared intently at Riena. Flustered by the arrow-like words shot at her, Riena hurriedly called out his name.

“What’s wrong, Martin?”

Martin walked out of the classroom, tidying his coat as if he had no interest in Riena. Of course, he didn’t forget to whisper mockingly to Riena at the doorway.

“She proved it in the end.”

“…!”

“Didn’t she?”

It was true that the class president Riena set the mood of the classroom.

But each of Martin’s words clearly resonated.

Although he was said not to keep close friends around him, he was the only son of a viscount family and the top entrant to the academy. Not only that. He was already famous as a genius who could create aura on his sword.

There were many children who secretly admired Martin. Riena’s lips trembled. She had already rushed out towards Martin, who was slipping out the doorway. Perhaps because his gait was so fast, he was already far down the hallway.

Riena shouted towards Martin’s receding back.

“Martin! So you’re taking Sien Mirmode’s side? Your family has suffered a lot from the Mirmodes too!”

Martin turned his head. He lifted the corner of his mouth as if mocking and said:

“I was pointing out your obstinacy, not taking Sien Mirmode’s side.”

“…What?”

A spark flashed in his purple eyes.

“I don’t like the Mirmodes either. You know I’m not interested in much, right?”

Martin looked at Riena with an inorganic gaze unlike his age.

He was right. Riena liked Martin, so she knew his every move.

She watched Martin’s departing back with a face as white as a sheet, without a hint of blood.