Chapter 44 Entrance Exam
......
Ryu deadpanned at the horrifying scene before him, his usual calm expression cracking ever so slightly.
"I see…" he said slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So after developing a sudden interest in cooking, you decided to showcase your culinary skills for Shiori-sama…"
Kuro puffed his cheeks out defensively.
"And you also wished to prepare a meal for your friends." Ryu glanced around at the collapsed bodies scattered across the dining hall. "Unfortunately, what you have created is not food. It is a national disaster."
Before him, several residents of the demi-plane were clutching their stomachs in agony after consuming Kuro's homemade dishes.
"I-I can see the other side…" Liam wheezed dramatically while coughing up blood.
"This… is merely a scratch…" Dayama muttered despite the fact that his vision had clearly gone blurry.
"We're dead for sure…" Emma groaned weakly beside Marcus and Lance, who had already accepted their fate and laid flat on the floor like corpses awaiting burial.
"Unknown texture… unknown flavor…" Rei whispered hoarsely before choking.
The rest of the victims were already unconscious
"I anticipated something like this might happen," Kyokota sighed while holding a first aid kit. "So I brought medicine."
He paused while staring at the motionless bodies.
"…Though it appears we were too late."
"Our comrades!" Haru cried dramatically while shaking Liam's shoulders. "Stay with us!"
Kuro blinked innocently at the chaos around him.
"But why did this happen?" he asked in genuine confusion.
Ryu slowly turned toward him with the most exhausted expression imaginable.
"…Are you seriously asking that?"
Kuro tilted his head.
Ryu let out a long sigh before turning to Haru.
"What exactly was today's menu?"
"Ramen, miso soup, and grilled chicken," Haru replied nervously.
Ryu stared at the dishes smoking ominously on the table.
"…That is not what those things look like."
The food emitted terrifying clouds of purple, green, and black smoke that hissed like cursed magic.
"The leaves in the ramen are slicing the inside of my mouth…" Yamada complained weakly while bleeding.
"Oh! I picked those fresh from the forest!" Kuro said proudly.
"…Those are Viper stems ," Rei explained weakly while laying face-first on the floor. "A monster species with blade-like leaves that shred their prey from the inside…"
"A living monster?!" Ryu immediately scooted his chair farther away from the ramen.
"Can they at least be prepared safely?" he asked cautiously.
"They can," Kyokota answered calmly.
"When properly processed, they become seasoning powder."
Kuro brightened.
"See? I knew they were edible!"
"That is not helping your case," Ryu muttered.
"But I'm especially confident in my meat dish!" Kuro declared proudly.
Several people attempted to cut into the meat.
"Sorry, Kuro-dono…" Marcus said while sweating. "No matter what we do, we can't cut through it!"
The group continued sawing desperately at the meat with knives.
CRACK.
Their utensils snapped in half. The room suddenly became silent.
"Our friends are gone!" Haru wailed dramatically.
"Different types of monster meat require different levels of preparation…" Ryu said while facepalming.
"True," Kyokota agreed casually as he stabbed the meat with a fork.
CLANG.
The fork shattered instantly upon impact.
"…Though this particular one may genuinely be impossible."
Kyokota picked up the dish and sniffed it.
"…And this isn't vegetable oil."
Everyone looked at him hopefully.
"It's Hepile Oil," he deadpanned. "A construction lubricant."
Silence..
"…Excuse me?" Emma whispered.
Kuro froze.
"That can't be right?!"
Emma and Lance slowly rose from the floor like angry spirits.
"You fed us INDUSTRIAL OIL?!" Emma screamed in disbelief..
"GREASE?!" Lance cried..
"We only agreed to eat this because we sensed our beloved berries…" Emma muttered dreamily.
"How could you sacrifice innocent berries to this abomination?!" Lance sobbed.
Both fairies carefully picked the berries off the plate with trembling hands before eating them dramatically.
"…At least your deaths weren't in vain."
POOF.
Two more gravestones appeared. Everyone sweatdropped.
"You garnish food with fruit?" Ryu asked slowly..
"Well yes," Kuro replied confidently. "At the restaurant, they served dishes with fruit. Sweet and sour pork, for example."
"That's completely different fruit!" Haru cried.
"How can this be…?" Kuro mumbled in shock. "I followed instructions from Master's memories perfectly…"
Ryu softened slightly at Kuro's genuinely confused expression.
"Cooking isn't just about using good ingredients," he explained patiently. "Taste differs from person to person. Balance matters too."
"I like spicy food," Liam admitted weakly from the afterlife zone.
"I prefer salty dishes," Yamada added.
"We love berries!" the fairies declared cheerfully despite looking dead.
"I like ice cream!" Haru chimed in.
"Cooking is far more complicated than I thought…" Kuro muttered, completely stunned.
Ryu nodded solemnly.
"Perhaps you should train under our head chef before causing another extinction-level event."
Kuro blinked.
"…Ryu."
Ryu immediately stiffened.
"Are you suggesting I leave the spiritual space and search for Axel?"
"…That is not what I—"
"GENIUS!"
Kuro suddenly grabbed Ryu's hands tightly.
"I shall embark on a journey far and wide until I master the sacred art of culinary excellence!"
He raised his fist dramatically toward the sky. Everyone else immediately began cheering in support.
"Go, Kuro-sama!"
"Become the ultimate chef!"
"Please don't cook for us again until then!"
Meanwhile, Ryu, Haru, and Kyokota quietly sighed in relief.
I cannot allow Shiori-sama to become involved in another one of his cooking experiments…. Ryu thought tiredly.
...........
It had already been a week since I arrived here.
Yuishiro and Shinso had left two days ago to attend matters at the Merchant Guild, leaving me with far too much free time on my hands.
lately, I'd been gathering information about the academy while occasionally visiting the restaurant Nanami recommended.
Without realizing it, I smiled faintly at the memory.
Flashback…
"Here you go~"
Nanami happily placed a cream hotpot in front of Shinso while Yuishiro ordered sandwiches and fruit juice.
I ended up choosing chicken hotpot for myself.
"Nothing beats sweetness~!" Shinso practically sparkled while devouring his meal.
I giggled quietly at his childish reaction before glancing at Yuishiro. His cheeks were stuffed full of food like a chipmunk preparing for winter.
I secretly took a picture while he wasn't looking.
"Thank you for dining here!" Nanami smiled brightly.
"No problem," I replied.
"Nanami! Table seven needs their order!" another waiter shouted.
"This place has been really busy lately," she sighed before quickly smiling again. "Call me if you need anything!"
She rushed off toward another table.
"I'm glad she's smiling again…"
"Shiori-sama! Can I get seconds?!" Shinso begged immediately.
Aren't you worried about your blood sugar levels…?
Flashback Ends
I hummed softly to myself.
"Shiori-sama, your bath is prepared," Daisy called from outside the room.
"Be right there."
.. .......
The next day, I stood outside the academy examination building alongside hundreds of other examinees.
The atmosphere was tense. Everyone looked either nervous, excited or determined.
Meanwhile, I just stared at the massive building with a blank expression.
So this is Examination building.
We entered the examination hall and each sat down on our assigned sits. the invigilator was already waiting by the podium preparing to speak.
"You will undergo two forms of testing..." he began
"The written and physical segments, The written examination comes first. Pass the answer papers to the person seated beside you and do not begin until instructed."
I adjusted my glasses and looked down at the exam sheet in anticipation.
"Begin!"
The room immediately filled with frantic scratching sounds as people hurriedly answered questions.
Chris and Oliver are in separate halls, I hope they're doing alright...
I glanced around. Most candidates looked completely lost already. I however was panicking for a completely different reason.
If I score too highly, I'll attract unnecessary attention. But if I score below average I'm cooked
That would be troublesome.
I deliberately answered a few questions incorrectly. Not a lot but enough to tell the teachers I don't need supervisor.
An hour later—
"Time is up!"
Groans echoed throughout the hall while the invigilator collected the papers using his wand to manipulate wind magic.
"This is an elite institution," I thought calmly
"Seventy-five percent should appear average enough. So getting 80 and above is a decent score for a bookish kid like me"
"When I call your name, stand and proceed to your assigned hall."
One by one, students were separated into separate rooms, their faces screaming anxiety.
"Shiori Komori."
I stood upon hearing my name
"Hall B."
I nodded and walked towards the door labeled B.
Once passed the door, I froze.
A greenhouse?
Plants surrounded the room from every angle while countless examinees waited nervously.
After the final candidate had entered, the doors disappeared, vanishing like dust.
"Congratulations on passing the written exam."
A woman with long green hair stepped onto the podium gracefully.
"My name is Eris Ross, and I am one of the professors at Draco Academy."
The candidates all murmured excitedly.
"Time is valuable, so I'll keep this brief," she continued. "Your practical exam is simple."
Several glowing marbles appeared floating in the air.
"These magic orbs are designed to evaluate combat compatibility. Your task is to retrieve three of them."
She smiled faintly.
"We can provide weapons if necessary. However, food and shelter are entirely your responsibility."
Ah. So it's basically a survival game.
"There are monsters within the testing grounds,Cooperation is allowed. Fighting over resources is forbidden. Stealing another candidate's orb results in immediate disqualification."
The room grew tense.
"You have one week. Ring the bell provided once you complete your task. Good luck."
A magic circle appeared beneath our feet.
The next moment, the world flashed white.
I opened my eyes in the middle of an unfamiliar forest.
"So this is the testing area…"
The environment was dense but manageable. Water and food shouldn't be difficult to secure here.
A red orb zipped past me.
"Oh?"
I quickly opened the instruction sheet.
"Each orb corresponds to a specific attack type. Successfully striking it with the correct method will cause it to deactivate."
I continued reading.
"If the wrong attack is used, the orb will shatter."
[Red Orb — Direct Attack]
[Green Orb — Ranged Attack]
[Purple Orb — Magic Attack]
"Direct attack…"
I nodded before proceeding to punch the red orb.
CRACK.
It shattered instantly.
"…Huh?"
Did I misunderstand the colors?
A purple orb floated nearby.
"Maybe a water spell…" I rose my hand
"Sapphire Spear."
CRACK.
"…Again?"
The third orb appeared.
"A ranged attack should work here…"
I fired an arrow.
CRACK.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
By sunset, I sat curled up beside a mountain of shattered orbs.
"I've genuinely been trying my best all day…" I sulked. "Why do they keep breaking?!"
I spread webs around the area for protection before laying down.
"Oyasumi…" I drifted off to sleep
. ..... ... ....
The Next Morning, i woke up beside a pile of chopped monster corpses.
At this point, I wasn't even surprised anymore.
I buried the rotting ones before cooking the fresher meat and bathing in the river nearby..
I patiently waited for another orb appeared.
"Alright," I muttered seriously. "This time I'll reduce my power tenfold. Feather-touch precision."
I fired an arrow carefully. Just as the arrow brushed against the marble, The green orb spun—
—and teleported away.
"…What? They never mentioned teleportation."
Another orb appeared and I repeated the process.
"It teleported again."
"AHHHHHHHH!!!" I grabbed my head in frustration. This forest has been nothing but a nuisance!
"That's it. I'm burning this entire forest down."
I paused.
"…No. Calm down, Shiori. Arson is not the solution.".
Probably.
I tracked the orb carefully and fired another weakened shot.
The orb darkened before finally dropping.
"I DID IT!" I squealed as I caught it midair like a baseball player catching a home run.
By evening, I successfully obtained the purple orb as well.
"Yes! Two down!" I celebrated by eating roasted monster meat. I was too happy to care about the second presence I sense nearby.
"Someone's approaching… oh well As long as they leave me alone, I don't really care."
The Following Day. I woke up to yet another pile of monster corpses. Oh And a man dressed entirely in black.
"…What the—" I stared in confusion
The man instantly vanished.
Dude. I can literally sense you standing behind me. At least commit to the stealth act properly.
I jumped away—but suddenly felt my hair get yanked. I fell backwards as The assassin swung a dagger at me.
I caught it effortlessly and snapped the blade in half..
The man leapt back in surprise
"Who hired you?" I asked
"I don't know the client," he admitted coldly.
"I simply accepted a request from the Assassin Guild."
There's an Assassin Guild too…?"
"Not my business then," I nodded.
"Wise choice."
"Were you sent to kill me?"
"Merely to intimidate you into forfeiting. But now that you've destroyed my blade…"
He glared murderously..
"You shall pay with your life."
"…That thing wasn't enough to kill me in the first place." I deadpanned, patiently dusting myself off without rush.
"This blade was coated in a fast-acting poison!" he snapped smugly.
"…Fast acting?" I tilted my head
He blinked.
"…Why aren't you dead?"
My poisonous mist skill is significantly more toxic than most poisons. My body adapted long ago
"I'm immune to poison," I answered simply.
"Impossible!"
He suddenly froze. "Why can't I move?!"
"I've paralyzed your body from the neck down," I explained calmly. "Please leave peacefully if you value your life."
"I CAN'T LEAVE IF I CAN'T MOVE!" he spat
…Fair point.
"Wait—what are you doing?!"
I ran over and kicked him away with all the frustration I'd built up from the orb challenge.
His scream echoed through the forest.
"Now then," I sighed. "Back to the exam." I smiled cheerfully
Hours later, I stared bitterly at another pile of shattered red orbs.
"This stupid thing keeps breaking no matter what I do…" I glared in futstration
Then an idea struck me.
"…Wait."
I slowly pulled out my pocket knife.
"I'll use the blunt side." Carefully, I tapped the orb.
FWIP.
It teleported away.
"…Good. Still intact." I chased after it immediately.
"And now…"
SLASH.
The orb darkened and fell into my hands.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
I raised all three completed orbs victoriously.
"So long, unnamed forest! I shall never forget the emotional damage you inflicted upon me!"
I rang the bell as the world flashed again.
"Candidate 137, Shiori Komori, has passed." a robotic voice echoed
I smiled faintly while standing among the other successful applicants.
"Excellent work," Professor Eris announced.
"The entrance ceremony will begin in two weeks. Uniforms and the first year student's starter packs will be distributed shortly." lady Eris said
As she left, staff dressed in navy blue entered to take measurements.
"Name?" one woman asked.
"Shiori Komori."
"…Interesting name," she muttered while writing it down.
.........
A few days later a package arrived at my inn room.
"Finally…" I grinned
Inside the box were basic textbooks, a mana wand, a detailed academy manual, a student handbook and my new uniform.
"So dorm residency is mandatory…"
Why is this manual the size of a weapon…?
I crossed my arms while staring out the window thoughtfully. One of the greatest magic academies in the world.
Filled with elites…
Potential enemies…
And monsters disguised as students. Classes difficult enough to break geniuses.
A place where only the strong survive.
Draco Academy.
Let's see what you're made of