Chapter 33 - I Became the Daughter of the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 33 33 - Passing the Entrance Exam <33 - Passing the Entrance Exam> Whyhem. Hearing that absurd name, the first thing that came to mind was the name of the butler, Jonah Whyhem. “That’s the surname of our butler.” “Indeed, candidate Oknodie must have been a prospective scholar of the foundation.” “I don’t know about that. I’m just Papa’s daughter.” “Papa? That’s an adorable nickname. What might be the name of your father?” “I can’t tell you that.” “Of course. All of the foundation's scholars are orphans.” Does that mean the butler has no family? I suddenly feel guilty. 'How did I treat such a butler?' -Enough with the spinach! -I don't want to eat the same dish again! -I'll go out for a walk in the night, just for an hour, okay? -Young lady, where are you hiding now? -You haven't got dust on your clothes again, have you? -I've told you many times, you shouldn't sneak out to eat rocks. All this time, running around hiding here and there, sneaking rocks when I was told not to eat them, complaining for different side dishes, how much trouble did I give him? And if all that was patiently endured because he had no family? Could it be that the butler thought of me as family? “Ugh.” Tears are about to come out. I feel like I'm quietly shedding tears, remembering the times I wronged my parents! "Speak. What's the purpose of the Whyhem foundation? What nefarious deeds are you plotting this time?" "Don’t speak ill of the name Whyhem! Someone with that name has treated me so well!" "...As expected, you know nothing. What Whyhem Foundation truly stands for. Nor the reason why your foundation gathers only parentless orphans." "Why do you keep saying nasty things? I have Papa, you know!" "Referring to a parent whose name you cannot mention?" Geez. He's real, though. My Papa insisted that I attend the academy, even sending Jonah and giving me a hundred gold! “Err? Candidate Oknodie, I didn’t mean to make you cry…” “I do have Papa. I have a Papa. Why do you keep saying I don’t?!” Choking back tears of frustration, Oknodie's voice wavered, and Minerva's summon creature scratched its head. “...Fine, it’s not the child’s fault. I was too harsh. My apologies." Examiner Minerva gave up on the interrogation. * * “Did you cry?” “I didn't cry.” “Your eyes are red. Why lie?” Oknodie, embarrassed, tries to avoid eye contact, but Giselle insists on prodding irritably. Son Ocheon, even more eager, bristles fiercely as he threatens. “Who made our Oknodie cry? Just say the word, and I’ll take care of it.” With the tactlessness of these men, Isabelle pinches their waists. “Ugh!” “Argh!” “You’re not supposed to nag like that. It’s normal for a child to cry when overwhelmed.” “Why pinch when you could just have said so?” "This party...why are all the women so formidable?” Grumbling, Giselle and Son Ocheon let Isabelle take the reins, albeit tactfully yielding. We might have always seen her as brave and clever, but one can’t forget that Oknodie has been raised as an assassin within a noble family. It's a mistake to think of her as an emotionally typical child. “It’s okay. Whatever made you sad, we’re all on your side, you know that, right Oknodie?” Oknodie nods slightly. When offered a hanky to wipe her eyes, she scrunches her face. “It smells like sweat.” “Sorry, it’s the one I carry around.” “...Thank you, still.” “That’s all that matters.” “Do you want some candy?” “Go on, have a lot.” While Oknodie's party takes a comfortable break. Other mighty competitors using magic circles arrived at the finish line one after the other. Shalock Pirate Jigoku. Northern Grand Duchess Irene. Andersen Pretzel. The strong leading and supporting characters all used magic circles. After about a day, some candidates who had taken detours or struggled through despite mosquito bites began to reach the finish line sporadically. “The exam is over.” When Minerva snapped her fingers, all the holders of the ticket-watches scattered throughout the forest were summoned in turn. The second test was over. It was now time for results. * * Second test examiner Minerva proclaimed. "The second gate test, 'Hunter's Forest,' has ended. Out of 185 candidates, 23 have successfully completed the test. 102 were disqualified after tearing their watches. 47 withdrew. 13 exceeded the time limit." "Of course, those disqualified or who withdrew have not been summoned. Only those who exceeded the time limit have been." Among the candidates who exceeded the time were Dorothy as well. By her disappointed face, she seemed to have managed to touch the black-hat instructor at the last moment. Had she been searching for her until the end? The hopeless NTR-male Rockfell was also within the time-exceeded group. It was unexpected that the NTR-female Yui was still here, but it was clear from her face. She ultimately failed to touch the black-hat instructor. "Hey, Oknodie. Those guys are disqualified anyway, does the score even matter?" "It's hard to say." Minerva continued. The scores for those who completed successfully juxtaposed with those disqualified, those who withdrew, and those who exceeded time. Exactly. Time exceeders are not included in the disqualified group. This is an unexpected nuance of the second exam that beginners and NPCs do not realize. "Instructor! Why are those who exceeded time being summoned? Aren’t they all disqualified?" "I don't recall saying that." "Then do those who exceeded time pass the second gate, just like us who completed it?" Those who thought they had failed and were expecting to try again next year were shocked. "To allay Hertz’s candidate's concern, while everyone who completed the gate received 50 extra points, the time exceeders did not receive the completion score of 50 points." "You may think that scores don't matter since the test is over, but these points directly relate to early admission. Anyone who scores over 100 points in the entry test is admitted immediately." "!!" "The candidates that scored over 100 points are Oknodie, Giselle, Son Ocheon, Isabelle, Zhwang, Weather. The mentioned six individuals have met the requirements in the second gate and are thus informed of their successful immediate admission." Son Ocheon lets out a roar of joy. Isabelle, hands clasped and shaking with joy at the pass. Giselle smiling, thankful to have passed together. Their fellow companions displayed evident happiness. Of course, other candidates witnessing their reactions were filled with discontent. "It seems there's much dissatisfaction. If one does not understand the motto of the second gate, such feelings might arise." "Some among you might be stronger, possess superior skills, or have exceptional combat capabilities. All those are beyond my interest as the examiner." Minerva's criteria were clear. "Those with wisdom advance ahead of the strong, and if wisdom is lacking, one must excel in combat to lead the way. A score of 100 points is the emblem of that proof." "Don't get too disheartened. As soon as your remaining points exceed 100, you'll pass in the third gate as well." The clever mind spares the body from hardship. If the body is really capable, the mind need not be used. This is the motto of the second gate! "There might be candidates among those who exceeded time with over 100 points, but for the sake of fairness, scores of all time exceeders will be reduced to one percent of their original." "Of course, this only applies to those who succeeded in escaping tag; those who failed to escape will all attempt the next gate with a -50 point starting deficit." "If you feel wronged, then reflect. Reflect on your complacency with the bare minimum passing score of 50 points. Reflect on the folly of wasting points on mosquito repellent and necessities." This important information was vital to those who still had to take the third exam, but it had no bearing on us who had already passed. "What about those who held on till the end but then withdrew?" "A lack of creativity requires strength to survive, and an unyielding spirit to persevere. No one can save those who give up on themselves." Minerva's harsh doctrine showed no mercy for those who withdrew. "Those who passed, follow Sir Myongho to the rest area. Candidates for the third gate, follow me to the next venue." Examinees heading for the third gate glanced at us, with eyes more hostile than before, a sign they were firmly resolved, realizing that while one defeat might be chance, two indicated a lack of skill. Sharing the academy life with game characters, I had yearned for good relationships with my peers, so their piercing stares felt rather painful. “Hehe, just as expected. I thought Miss Oknodie would surely succeed in early admission through the second gate.” Sir Myongho laughed heartily, then led us to the rest area. “Hey, you're an assassin too, right?” On the way to the rest area. A girl with a mask approached and struck up a conversation. ‘This child is……’ The second gate's secondary quest. The competition to snatch the golden ball placed amidst the vine projectiles. There, I’d encountered the 0.1% landmine. The Binder Assassin <Zhwang>. “No, I'm not.” "Lies. You knew my skills." “That’s because…” It’s because I'm a player. I've been directly targeted and knocked out by Zhwang's skills before. “See. You knew, didn’t you?” “Anyway, I don’t!” “So where did you learn it?” “What?” “What do you mean, what? Techniques, of course.” “From the butler and the maids.” “Huh. So it was domestic education. Must be nice. I learned from my master.” As a result, Zhwang's approach seemed awkward and hard to get used to, despite her easy-going demeanor. Typically, just by looking at her, you’d want to disqualify her on the spot, showing aggressive behavior and hostility, but here she was, making friendly conversation. Is this the affinity of a young girl? Perhaps it was just as well that instead of being a muscle-brained male character, I ended up as a girl. As I indulged in this felicitous thought, Uncle Ocheon's large hand suddenly ruffled my hair. "Hey, Oknodie, where did you find a friend who looks so much like you?" "Ah, stop it!" I grumbled lightly, and Zhwang, intrigued, asked brightly. “Should I tell him off for you?” Her pitch-black eyes stared straight at Son Ocheon. Far from fearing the large monkey beastman, she had a dangerous aura, her suppressed killing intent peering through her eyes. Despite being a 1.5-tier assassin supporting character. I knew she was supposed to be a character working on gaining affection with nice words. Yet, for some reason, it felt uncomfortable. “Don’t.” His actions could be tough, sometimes irritating. Sometimes, I even felt the urge to attack him. “But Uncle Ocheon is my companion.” Though my party ended up with no prestige characters from the original game, Son Ocheon was now one of my cherished comrades. Author's Note New characters more precious than 1.5-tier regular supporting characters! Isn't it capitalist-proven common sense that new characters are strong?