Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

The types of fame and honor are truly diverse, and they’re not limited to individuals alone.

This applied to the students of Frauzen as well.

Despite being a much smaller group than countries or cities, there was an ongoing struggle for honor among them.

The method of measuring this honor was simple.

‘Which school produced the most new students for the Federal University of Magic?’

There were a total of four secondary educational institutions in Frauzen, releasing thousands of graduates into society each year.

Befitting the birthplace of magic studies, a considerable number of these students aspire to attend the Federal University of Magic, so the number of magic university freshmen produced by each school each year often circulated as a minor topic of conversation among faculty members.

It’s difficult to judge when this became overheated.

What’s certain is that as long as the number of admitted students remained in statistics, it was bound to happen at some point.

Is it human nature to rank things when seeing quantitative data?

At some point, not only the faculty but also the students of the four schools joined in, starting to rank the schools based on how many new students they produced for the magic university.

Each has a long name, but everyone calls them Schools 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Examinee number 1217, Eva Torricelli, was a student from School 1, undoubtedly considered the best among the four schools.

The number of students admitted to the university last year was a whopping 155.

A number that easily overshadowed the other three schools.

Eva was a talented student who ranked in the top five of such a prestigious school, so it was natural for friends and teachers to place their expectations on her.

“Miss Eva. You’ll definitely pass!” *1

“The prestige of School 1 will rise even higher. Ah…”

“Prospective top scorer Eva! Prospective top scorer Eva!”

If it were an ordinary student, they might feel anxious under such heavy expectations.

“Hey, everyone? I can see Auchelime’s statue in the distance. I can clearly see a future where my statue will be erected next to it in ten years!”

Eva Torricelli was the opposite.

How could she feel anxious? It would be resolved by making all those expectations a reality.

Flipping her characteristic flowing blonde hair, Eva turned around.

Seven friends looked at her with envious eyes. In their minds, they must already be picturing a future where they walk the campus with the top-scoring entrant of the magic university.

Eva was confident she could make that dream a reality.

With a confident expression, she declared.

“Let’s go. To the exam hall!”

A particularly large group among the examinees started to move.

Unfortunately, their rapid advance was halted sooner than expected.

“W-What’s this?”

The crowd was blocking the way.

The Gate of Knowledge adorned both sides of the main road. Due to everyone stopping in front of its majesty, severe congestion had occurred.

Clack. Eva lightly bit her nail.

“This is different from what I expected…”

Last night, before falling asleep, she had imagined herself. She imagined herself gracefully passing through the Gate of Knowledge, showing off her radiant appearance among the shabby examinees.

But what’s this?

The weather is cold and cloudy; it’s raining, so the ground is muddy, and the crowd is blocking the way to pass through.

“E-Eva. What should we do?”

“It would be awkward to walk on the grass in this situation… I guess we have no choice but to wait a bit.”

Her friends threw in a word or two.

But it’s not like her to be discouraged here.

Flipping her blonde hair even under the umbrella, she answered.

“Let’s push through.”

So, a group of School 1 students started to squeeze through the crowd.

Fortunately, the students were busy looking at the inscriptions on the Gate of Knowledge, so Eva was able to quickly reach the very front of the crowd.

“I’ll be the first to pass through…!”

Just as she was about to lightly pass through the Gate of Knowledge…

Thud. Her feet stopped.

Looking around, she found about 20 examinees lined up horizontally, but none of them were trying to move.

No. Is it that they can’t move?

Eva finally raised her head and looked directly at the Gate of Knowledge.

[Let those who wish to learn enter here]

[Let those without the desire to learn not approach]

“……”

For a moment, she hesitated.

Am I really passing through this gate because I want to learn?

Isn’t it just for the sake of being admired?

Just as Eva was hesitating like that and beginning to recall the academic enthusiasm buried somewhere in her heart…

Splash—

Splash!

She lost the lead.

The exam venue was the Grand Hall, and after separating from students taking exams elsewhere, Eva’s group was reduced to six people.

As the crowd dispersed and everyone headed to their respective exam halls, a sense of reality gradually set in.

The exam was approaching.

Eva felt anxiety slowly seeping out from within her.

Even with skills well within the safe zone for passing, a slip-up could lead to failure.

If she failed, a precious year of youth would be wasted.

If that were to happen, it certainly couldn’t be dismissed as a mere embarrassment.

Just as she was being a bit more reserved and keeping her mouth shut…

{Lucky us. I didn’t want to take the exam surrounded by pseudo-intellectuals hesitating at the Gate of Knowledge. I’m glad at least you’re here, theorist.}

{It’s Eugene, I tell you.}

A voice far removed from the solemn atmosphere was heard.

Eva slightly furrowed her brow and traced the direction of the voice.

{As you know, I am a genius and destined to become the federation’s top experimental magician.}

{…I don’t think I know that first part?}

Two men walking side by side.

Eva recognized the black-haired man among them.

“It seems that guy is also taking the entrance exam after all.”

“Miss Eva. Do you know him?”

“Well, yes. You’ve probably all heard his name, at least. Werner from School 4.”

“…Wow. I’ve only heard rumors.”

When the name was mentioned, the five friends also made expressions of furrowing their brows or showing surprise, as if they knew.

He was an extremely notorious person.

School 4. The worst school that hasn’t escaped last place in producing new magic university students for nearly five years.

In School 4, where fistfights were said to occur at all times, Werner was a man who gained notoriety throughout Frauzen solely through eccentricity, completely unrelated to violence.

Conducting explosion experiments on the playground right after enrollment…

casually displaying extremely toxic chemicals on his desk in the classroom…

…and the burning down of School 4’s laboratory a year ago.

The last one was the main cause of his notoriety. While all the students and teachers fled, he alone remained, admiring the fire caused by his mistake for five minutes before extinguishing it himself.

“He’s just a crazy person. I heard he studies well, but how well can he do being in the upper ranks of School 4?”

Eva inwardly prayed for Werner’s failure and lost interest.

Rather, what caught Eva’s interest was the man next to him.

Did Werner have someone he could call a friend?

Under the pretext that he was a person of interest, Eva observed the man’s back until just before reaching the Grand Hall. It was absolutely not to admire his good physique and well-trained physical beauty.

And.

After walking through the increasingly growing crowd, nervous murmurs, and magic university staff carrying exam papers.

Eva Torricelli arrived at Hall 1 of the Grand Hall building, the exam venue.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

“Exam paper distribution completed.”

“Thank you.”

Voices echo.

Despite over a hundred people filling the large space, the only sounds heard were the ticking of the clock’s second hand, the conversations of the invigilators, breathing sounds, and one’s own heartbeat.

The upside-down exam papers looked like an untrodden snowy field.

For some, it’s a playground to freely show off their skills, but even if someone is buried under that snow pile, no trace would be visible.

A total of 21 questions. Eight sheets of paper.

As Eva newly realized the weight of this stack of papers, her heartbeat accelerated further.

At the same time, the invigilator on the platform checked his wristwatch.

In the cold silence, his mouth opens.

“We will now begin the entrance examination.”

Flutter!

122 examinees simultaneously flip over their exam papers.

Some solve from the front, while others employ tactics of solving subjects they’re confident in first.

The competition to leave graphite footprints on the white snow field has begun.

Scribble scribble scribble—

They write down their solutions.

Some stop, and some rustle their papers. Eva focused entirely on her exam paper, thoroughly ignoring all external stimuli.

5 arithmetic questions, solved.

7 algebra questions, struggled a bit with the highest difficulty problem but finished solving it.

Problems like world history or grammar were solved in less than ten minutes.

“Phew…”

She checked the time while catching her breath for a moment.

The Federal University of Magic’s entrance exam involved solving all questions consecutively without breaks. It induces stress while demanding thorough time management.

Fortunately, the current time is just right. Not too fast, not too slow.

Eva picked up her pencil again.

She solved questions under basic calculus, basic physics, and basic chemistry consecutively up to the high-difficulty questions.

Although the difficulty had increased compared to previous years, she eventually managed. At this point, assuming no mistakes, she already had a score corresponding to passing.

There was still quite a lot of time left.

About an hour.

This could be said to be time allocated entirely for the highest difficulty problems, and as if to prove this, there were a considerable number of examinees in Hall 1 who had put down their pencils.

There are two types. Those who can’t solve the highest difficulty problems, or those who have reached the passing line and see no point in solving further.

However, Eva was aiming for the top score.

She steeled herself and picked up her pencil again, barely managing to solve the last problem for basic calculus.

She solved it but wasn’t confident it was the correct answer.

Eva slowly raised her head.

Almost all the students in front of her had put down their pens despite about 30 minutes remaining.

From what she heard, this phenomenon occurs every year due to the peculiar difficulty distribution of the entrance exam.

More than a few examinees were falling asleep face down or endlessly twirling their pencils.

After confirming that the highest difficulty problems in physics and chemistry were incredibly grotesque by flipping through the exam paper…

Tap.

Eva put down her pencil with satisfaction.

She solved 19 out of 21 questions. If all are correct, she’ll have a score that could aim for first or second place.

Even if some are wrong, it’s definitely a score within the passing line.

The prestige of School 1 was about to rise even higher with this.

Then.

“…?”

Eva Torricelli saw it. 30 minutes before the end of the exam. The back of a man in the seat right in front of the platform, writing down letters as if engaged in a battle with the exam paper.

Ding dong—

A bell sound that seemed to resound throughout the entire campus.

Along with it, the invigilator declared.

“Exam time is over! Now, everyone, put down your pencils.”

As most students had already put down their pencils long ago, this proceeded smoothly.

Collecting exam papers. Confirming quantities. Permission from the invigilator.

Only after this procedure, which took about ten minutes, did the examinees finally regain their freedom.

“It’s over! Damn it!”

“Hey, hey. What did you write for calculus question 2? 2π? Isn’t it 3π/2?”

“I’m screwed.”

“…Huhuhu.”

Over a hundred examinees simultaneously left their seats.

Some were noticeable for spewing curses or secretly wiping away tears, while most left the hall with deep sighs.

Similarly, heaving a deep sigh, a female student from School 1 tapped Eva’s shoulder and said.

“Miss Eva. Let’s go.”

“…Alright.”

Contrary to her words, Eva stood near the exit, looking inside the hall.

Hall 1 had emptied seats in an instant.

However, only one person remained.

Right in front of the platform. Only the gray-haired man was still sitting, taking rough breaths and looking up at the ceiling.

His mouth corners were slightly curved, making it difficult to distinguish whether it was a smile or not.

His reddened right hand was still frozen in a posture of gripping the pencil.

T/N

Based on this chapter, I’ll have to change Mr. Torricelli to Ms. Torricelli from when Eugene waits for his turn at the registration. In the process, I’ll be revising the name of Director Loverace to Director Lovelace (referencing the English mathematician and writer Ada Lovelace), as mentioned by Akgbdb in the comments of Chapter 30. 

Hello! Axiomatic here.

Thanks for reading, see you in a bit for the third chapter!