A Villain's Will to Survive novel Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Exam (3)

The Chairwoman of the Mage Tower of the Imperial University received intriguing news in her private office. It was a directive from Berhert, stating, among other things, that the matter concerning the Scarletborn would be postponed until the next meeting.

If one were to gamble, most would bet millions on suppressing the Scarletborn. Yet, the result was surprising, especially because it was due to Deculein’s vehement opposition.

“What could it be...”

“Indeed, it’s quite curious.”

In the Chairwoman’s office, there were thirteen professors, including Relin and Retlan. Professors usually visited the Chairwoman once a month, but Deculein had never attended these meetings.

“So, why are you all here today? Did you meet someone at the Mage Council?” the Chairwoman asked, addressing the group of professors.

The professors merely smiled. Factions existed in the Magical Realm as well. There were many different sects of thought, and the professors were part of a regular gathering called the Mage Council. However, Deculein did not adhere to any sect, as the Yukline family itself was a dominant force in the Magical Realm.

“Miss Louina attended the Mage Council this time. I had a conversation with her and...” one professor said, mustering the courage to bring up the topic.

The Chairwoman gave a wry smile at the mention. Louina had once been Deculein’s contender for the position of Head Professor.

However, due to an unexpected incident—or perhaps Deculein’s scheming—Louina had voluntarily resigned and was now a Head Professor at a Mage Tower of the Kingdom University. The memory of their rivalry still lingered, adding tension to any mention of her name.

“Did she say she’d be returning to the Empire?”

“Hahaha. Well, if her position is guaranteed, wouldn’t she come back? If that happens, our Mage Tower would benefit greatly. Miss Louina’s achievements in the kingdom have been outstanding, after all.

“On the other hand, Professor Deculein has been somewhat odd lately. Who would have thought he’d defend the Scarletborn? I never expected such behavior from him at Berhert...” said a professor, his disapproval clear.

The Chairwoman chuckled, waving her hand dismissively and said, “I understand. If Louina is indeed returning, we can consider it! But for now, you should all leave. I have work to do today.”

“Yes, Chairwoman! We’ll be going now!” the professors said, pleased with her response, left the office with bright faces. They were satisfied with the Chairwoman's openness to considering Louina's return.

“Hmmmmmmmm...”

The Chairwoman, resting her chin on her hand, pulled out documents from the Mage Tower of the University. The exam period had flooded her with paperwork, particularly exam questions. She usually didn’t enjoy sorting through exam questions...

“How did he come up with all these questions?” the Chairwoman asked, astonished by Deculein’s exam. Solving the final problem left her deeply impressed. “Even if we combined all the other exams, they wouldn’t match this one.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration—the quality of the questions was high enough to be used in the Solda promotion exam. However, the Chairwoman wasn’t na?ve enough to believe that Deculein had crafted these questions himself. She suspected there was more to the story.

“Hmm... he hid it well this time... Who could it be...” the Chairwoman murmured to herself, then smiled. The quality was exceptional this time. “Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s actually quite amusing.”

I wonder if he’d be unable to answer questions about his own exam and end up flustered. If Professor Deculein did that, it would be quite cute, the Chairwoman thought.

“I've got to try it next time! It'll be fun messing with him!”

***

Wednesday marked the day of the crucial five-credit lecture exam. This test was as significant as combining two or three other exams, so Epherene set out for the Mage Tower early in the morning.

30th Floor

The exam was set to take place on the 30th floor of the Mage Tower. The entire floor had been reserved exclusively for this important exam.

Exam Waiting Room

She grasped the doorknob labeled Waiting Room and opened it.

“Oh my,” Epherene exclaimed.

It was only 8 a.m., yet over a hundred people were already gathered, chatting quietly. Their conversations halted as their eyes turned to Epherene. Because of recent events, she had earned the nickname Clueless Commoner, even though she wasn't a commoner. Epherene sat near Julia and the other club members.

“Did you just wake up, Ephie?”

“No. I didn’t sleep at all.”

She had lost count of how many cups of coffee she had consumed. But that was the nature of exams; the combination of caffeine and nerves made sleep impossible. Instead, she felt more alert than ever.

“Ephie, want to see my notes? I had an enlightenment yesterday and wrote it down,” Julia said with a playful smile.

“Sure. I’ll show you mine too.”

The two exchanged notes and studied together. As time passed, by 11 a.m., Assistant Professor Allen entered the room.

“Good morning. I’m Assistant Professor Allen. We’ll begin the midterm for Understanding Pure Element Magic without taking attendance,” Allen announced, reading from a paper he held.

“Before we begin, let me provide some information about the exam. First, there is no time limit for this exam,” Allen stated. The mages looked momentarily confused. Realizing his mistake, Allen tapped his mouth and corrected himself. “Oh, I mean the exam period lasts until midnight next Sunday, the end of the exam week.”

The mages were even more baffled. It's Wednesday at 11 a.m., and the exam period lasts until midnight next Sunday? Are we really supposed to take one exam over ten days?

As Epherene blinked, trying to process the information, Allen continued, “Of course, you can take other exams during this period, eat outside, sleep at home, wash up, and relieve stress. However, you cannot take the exam papers outside of this room.”

It sounded like a strange, yet fascinating, method of taking an exam.

“Additionally, each of you will have a private exam room. There will be one person per room, and you can sleep inside if you wish, though you must bring your own pillows and blankets. You can also bring food to eat inside, and you can refer to books or theses. This exam is an open book.”

At that point, Epherene's eyebrows twitched in confusion. An open-book exam? And it lasts for ten days? How difficult is this supposed to be? Can they even balance the difficulty? It seems like everyone will either get a zero or a perfect score.

“Given this, the professor has said,” Allen cleared his throat and mimicked Deculein’s voice, “If anyone scores a perfect mark, I will write them a letter of recommendation as the Head Professor of—”

At the mention of a letter of recommendation, all the mages' eyes widened. Deculein’s recommendation was immensely valuable, given his effective rank as third, with Monarch being the fourth rank and Archmage the first out of the eleven ranks in total. To exaggerate slightly, it almost guaranteed passing the Solda promotion exam if one made it to the interview stage.

The mages, forgetting their doubts about the exam method, were filled with determination. While Sylvia was an overwhelming favorite, the letter of recommendation was not limited to one person but to anyone with a perfect score. Thus, there was a real chance for the underdogs to shine.

“Now, I’ll assign exam rooms to each of you. Please stand up and follow me from the front row.”

The first fifteen people in the front row stood up. This process was repeated ten times, assigning Sylvia to Room 23, while Epherene and her club members were assigned to Rooms 73 to 78.

“... Do well, Ephie. Good luck!”

“Thanks, you all too.”

The ample time helped to ease their nerves as they exchanged words of encouragement, calming each other.

Allen called out loudly, “Alright, everyone, please enter your rooms!”

Epherene took a deep breath and stepped inside. The exam room was slightly larger than a single dormitory room, furnished with only a desk, a chair, and a clock. A thick exam paper lay on the desk. She sat down and began to read the first question.

1. Calculate the circuit of the following spell.

It was a purely theoretical question. Epherene took out her pencil and simultaneously released mana from her fingers, calculating with the pencil while forming the circuit with mana—a method that combined intuition with theory.

“... Whew.”

An hour later, she had the answer. She infused the answer sheet with the required mana and turned the page to continue with the next question.

2. Infer the core circuit of the following spell and describe the flow of mana.

The second question was also theoretical and slightly more difficult, but she managed to solve it after three to four hours of intense thought. However, the real challenge began with the next question.

3. The following circuit is part of a specific magic. Use the conditions below to infer the formula and manifest the magic onto the exam paper.

Epherene pondered over the problem. Initially, it seemed manageable. However, no matter how much time she invested, the solution eluded her, always tantalizingly close but just out of reach.

“I'm sleepy,” Epherene said. Finally, she set down her pen and lay on the floor. “... Yawn.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, intending only to rest briefly on the hard floor. When she realized, an entire day had passed.

*** _{ƒreewebɳovel.com}

On the fourth day of the Understanding Pure Element Magic exam, the Mage Tower was still bustling with activity. It was Saturday, and the knight cadets who had gone for practical exams had returned, while most regular students were wrapping up their exams.

The Mage Tower was bustling with energy, attracting attention from not only university mages but also those from the external Mage Tower of the Kingdom, media personnel, knight cadets, and students. The reason was Deculein’s marathon exam, which could be taken over nearly two weeks.

Other professors had tried similar concepts before, but they were usually rejected by the Chairwoman. This time, however, the Chairwoman actively supported it, resulting in significant media coverage.

“Yes, the exam is still ongoing on the 30th floor!” the Chairwoman said as she stepped up for an interview.

“How difficult is the exam?”

“It is challenging! Even when I solved it, I found it would be very rewarding for the students. The mages will understand this as they work through it. It’s definitely solvable!”

“Will you release the exam questions afterward?”

“I’d have to ask Professor Deculein about that! But I think even the Floating Island would want to buy them if they could!”

The area around the Mage Tower was bustling with people. Students and knight cadets were relaxing after their exams. With the upcoming festival and Educational Retreat in two weeks, the entire campus was open.

“Ah, I understand...”

“Nom nom,” Sylvia mumbled as she ate her breakfast while looking over her exam paper.

7. Given that the magic containing the core circuit meets the following four conditions, deduce the complete spell and implement the magic.

“Ugh...”

Sylvia - Room 23