"Yo, Lilt. How'd it go?"

"Oh, no. I was close. I guess I got caught off guard because the first problem was so easy. ......"

"That's not like you. Well, if you've read so many books, you can't fail this one, can you?"



　Awen calls out to me encouragingly.

　He was a really nice guy.



"The last problem was hard, wasn't it? It was probably a military simulation under very similar circumstances to the current war situation.

"What is ......?"



　Huh?　

　Awen, expecting an answer, froze with his mouth open.

　Did I make a serious mistake?

　I'm worried. .......



"You don't think you've solved all of them, do you?

"What?　I thought that's what exams were for ......?"

"Speak idiot!　You only need to do half of that. You've read so many books, but you haven't read the one that talks about test preparation?



　Come to think of it, I think I remember a book like that.

　Anyway, I had to lower my priority to memorize all of them. ...... I should reflect on that.



"Well, I guess I didn't need it, so that's good. ....... You only need to answer 20% of the questions to pass the test. If you answer half of the questions in time and get half of them right, you'll pass the test.

"Is that what it's like ......?"

"You're missing some weird part of the story, aren't you? ......"



　I had nothing to say back to Awen.

　I think the young lady said something similar.

　Well, whatever. Let's just focus on the next thing.



"Next is the practical exam, right?"

"Yeah. Well, you won't have a problem with that one, and I won't have a problem with this one either."



　Certainly no one in the hall looks stronger than Awen.

　In terms of strength alone, Awen is right.



Well, good luck...

"Mr. Lilt, ......?　May I have a word with you, if that's all right?"



　Just as I was about to walk toward the practical test room, I was approached by Rear Admiral Girun, who was acting as the examiner.



"Yes ......?"

"No, I'm sorry to surprise you. You didn't apply for the use of magic, but from your answer sheet, I thought you might have used some kind of magic."

"Magic ......?"



　I ask Awen beside me for help.



"Ew⁉︎ Is that me? ...... Well, ...... he's probably the one who does everything on his own."

"No way. ...... If you took it too, you'd know, right?　As long as you answer all the questions in this exam and skim through it, there are no mistakes. Even the last question, for example,...... and to be honest, I doubt that even I could have come up with such a good answer,......."



　Rear Admiral Girn's face is tinged with bewilderment, which in this situation would indicate ...... suspicion of wrongdoing.

　Oh no.

　I guess the question is whether there was any magical wrongdoing, but it's hard to prove something you don't ...... remember. .......

　While I was puzzling over this, a man spoke up from the side.



"He was cheating. The fifth son of Viscount Mirto, Badra, was watching him.

"How ......?"



　The one who raised his voice was Baadra, the leader of a three-man group that included the cronies mentioned earlier.