Kian Goldmaul POV

  A month has passed since the tournament.

  It is the school finals days.

  I am currently in the classroom, sitting at my assigned seat with other students around me answering exam questions.

  Today is the last day. I am working through the language exam.

  The questions are quite easy. Too easy, even.

  Well, it is not a surprise. They were made for an average eleven-year-old child—not for me, with an adult mind and an advanced learning program unlike other kids.

  After an hour, the monitor finally allows me to leave the classroom. He will not let anyone exit before half the exam time has passed. Since this is the last exam of the day, I head straight out of the school.

  Finally, I do not have to spend most of an hour sitting around after I have already answered everything in twenty minutes.

  I did not chat with anyone throughout this week and so there is no need to wait for anybody or say goodbyes.

  After arriving outside, I spot my mother, who has just arrived as well.

  I go to her, and we start heading home.

  “So, how were the exams today?” my mother asks.

  “They were easy, like the previous ones,” I answer.

  She nods casually, not surprised by my reply.

  We arrive home, and my father asks me the same question.

  I tell him what I told my mother.

  A few hours later, while I am idle playing a game on the computer, something suddenly makes me curious.

  “Dad.”

  “Hmm?”

  “How will the exam results arrive?” I ask.

  “Oh, right,” he says, opening his eyes. “I forgot to tell you that.”

  “They will arrive via email—a digital email. They will be sent to your mother’s account.”

  “And when would that be?” I ask.

  “Probably in four days or more, depending on the numbers of the students that did the exam in that school.” he replies, sounding unsure.

  …

  …

  …

  It has been five days since the last exam day.

  Just as my dad said, it has been over four days, and the results have just arrived.

  Unsurprisingly, I received full marks in all subjects, placing me first in my class and school.

  If I had not received full marks, I would be useless. An adult mind combined with advanced learning program—even without preparation I would have secured first place in the school. I think to myself.

  They congratulate me for the results, though they easily predicted I would achieve a perfect score.

  I am pretty sure that if I had not received a perfect score, they would have assumed I was being targeted by someone.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Mira, get copies of the results and hand them to Kian so he can bring them to Thaddeus.” my dad says. My mom nods.

  She prints the results on paper and gives me a digital copy on a flash drive.

  They could simply email it to Thaddeus, but I guess they do not want it traced back to them.

  Though it is impossible for an ordinary citizen to trace it, it would be an easy task for another general.

  You might wonder why Mother cannot just send it herself—after all, she is my teacher in name.

  Well, I heard the email account was created by Thaddeus, so technically, it is Thaddeus’s email.

  “When you arrive there, Thaddeus will explain some other things after you hand him the results.” my father says.

  I go to my room in Thaddeus’s house and start looking for him.

  I find Thaddeus sitting in the living room, scrolling mindlessly on his phone.

  Ophira is not here, likely in another room.

  I hand him the printed results and the flash drive while speaking. “I got a perfect score.”

  He looks at the results after hearing me. “Perfect marks?” he says, smiling. “Congratulations. Nico got the same as you when he took his exams.”

  I nod, not surprised. They never told me Nicolas’s results, likely to avoid putting pressure on me.

  “My father said you would tell me something after I showed you my results.” I say.

  He nods. “It is about Godspire Academy. There are things I need to explain for you to know.”

  “Godspire Academy is considered a military academy in name, but it teaches far more than just military subjects.”

  “Many of the current top politicians, engineers, and generals graduated from it. The academy covers a wide range of disciplines.”

  “There is a minimum requirement every student must meet—obviously, as with every top academy.”

  “But do not think they accept everyone as long as they meet the requirement. There are many things they do not know how to teach.”

  “Ahem… anyway, you will undergo the entrance exam. It is a digital exam, mostly to check your talent and foundation level—whether it meets requirements.”

  “You should start preparing for it. It will take place in a few months from today.”

  “What exactly will it be about?” I ask.

  “It will cover writing, magic exams, and different talent assessments.”

  “Talent assessments?” I ask.

  “Yes. It will give you random questions on topics not taught in school to see how you respond.”

  I nod.

  “By the way, you mentioned the exams will be digital. Why is that?” I ask.

  “It is simply because too many people apply to the academy,” he says.

  “Digitally, it makes the process easier for everyone to begin, keeps stress minimal, and prevents cheating.”

  “Oh,” I say. “And where will I take the exam? It can’t be at home?”

  He shakes his head. “The writing portion will be on a school computer. Other sections will be in VR or done in front of a teacher, likely in VR.”

  After finishing, he pauses for a second before speaking again. “But for you, you do not need to worry about the exams too much.”

  “Huh? Why?” I ask.

  “The exam for you is just a formality. And it is also a way for the academy to assess your level and determine what they should teach you.”

  “After all, unlike others, being my son—at least on paper—grants you the right to enter any academy, even if you do not meet the minimum requirements.”

  “It is one of the many perks of being the son of a pillar.” he says.

  After hearing that, I ask, “Who else receives this perk?”

  “Hmm. All pillars and semi-pillars, including people with sufficient merits—knights, nobles, politicians, engineers, and so on.”

  “Otherwise ordinary students must gain entry through the exams.”

  He pauses for a few seconds before continuing. “But even if they fail to meet requirements, the academy provides alternative outside academy options based on their grades.”

  “But like I said, you do not need to worry about this.”

  “Oh… so what now?”

  “I suppose just prepare for the exam. Even if you do not need to exert much effort, and achieving high grades is beneficial. It saves the teachers time from administering additional talent tests.”

  I nod.

  Oh well. Even more studying…

  I sigh helplessly.

  Speaking of studying—since I was born into this world, my thinking process has improved significantly. I now have nearly a photographic memory.

  It is a good thing since I will not have to worry about struggling to understand things once my adult mind no longer gives me an advantage.

  But is my improvements because my current body is special? Or is it something entirely different?

  My personality itself did not actually change because of this. The shift in personality comes mostly from this new world, which is massively different from my past life’s world—not in a bad way.

  Chapter End