The Day of the Instructor Selection Exam Finally Arrives.
Before heading to the academy, Kalia and I went over our plan one last time.
“So, if I pass the selection exam, I’ll hire you as a professor.”
“And I’ll use that as an excuse to roam the academy’s archives, looking for misdelivered books.”
“You told me to set the employment contract for a year, right?”
“Yes. Once I find the books, I’ll have no reason to stay here. Staying too long would only interfere with my main job.”
It was a simple plan.
We would infiltrate the academy under the guise of an instructor and assistant, secure our target documents, work for a while, and then leave when the time was right.
The subject was finance—essentially a mix of mathematics, economics, and fiscal studies.
Something about teaching how to manage and operate assets?
That was right up my alley.
All I had to do was stand in front of a classroom and teach, so there wouldn’t be any difficulties.
I could just think of it as going back to my original profession and enjoy it.
“If you happen to find any talented individuals who might fit into our organization, that would be appreciated. Anyone capable of entering the academy is rare.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
By teaching, I’d naturally get a feel for each student’s tendencies.
This world was overflowing with injustice and oppression.
No matter how talented someone was, they could be pushed aside due to their status.
Even if they achieved great accomplishments, nobles would snatch them away.
Royalty could massacre civilians without facing any punishment.
In a society like this, there had to be at least a few people harboring resentment.
“But… where did your horns go?”
One thing bothering me was Kalia’s appearance.
She was dressed in a black mini-skirt that covered her knees and a white blouse with frills—an elegant, classic teacher’s outfit.
It accentuated her slender figure and highlighted her natural beauty.
If a woman like her existed on Earth, she would undoubtedly be a top-tier model.
That is, if I ignored the fact that her black horns, which once protruded from her forehead, were gone and her ears had changed shape.
“Oh, this? It’s a type of disguise magic. Demons aren’t allowed in the academy.”
With a snap of her fingers, she reverted to her usual form.
So, there was a trick like this.
I had been inwardly shocked, thinking she had cut them off.
“Is that so? I wasn’t aware.”
“It’s not explicitly written in the rules, so it’s normal that you wouldn’t know.”
She shrugged and clicked her tongue.
“There isn’t a single nation that recognizes demons as citizens—or even as beings equal to humans. How could we enroll in an academy?”
That made sense.
Demons were discriminated against even worse than Jews in Earth’s history.
Ever since the Demon King was slain by the Goddess’s chosen hero, no country had been friendly toward demons.
Humanity had taken over most of the continent, and the deep-rooted hatred of demons, fueled by the Goddess’s religion, had been ingrained for centuries.
Who would welcome them?
Maybe an anti-government, anti-social organization like ours.
“If I reveal my demonic form at the academy, they’ll probably tear me to pieces.”
“…And yet, you’re going on this mission? Wouldn’t it be safer to send someone else?”
“There’s no other choice. Who else could keep up with you?”
“……”
That almost sounded like a love confession.
As if she were saying, “There’s no one else who can handle you.”
She must have realized it too because her face turned slightly red, and she cleared her throat.
It was adorable—completely different from the impression she first gave me.
“Ahem. That was a slip of the tongue. Please forget I said that.”
“You sounded awfully confident about it, though.”
“For-get-it.”
“If you insist.”
She was glaring at me so seriously that I decided to comply.
Teasing her any further would probably backfire.
Though… it seemed like it was already too late, as her face turned even redder.
*****
Finally arriving at the exam site.
“Is this the place?”
“Yes.”
“It’s huge.”
The building designated as the temporary exam hall was massive.
It was as large as the grand cathedrals I had seen in documentaries and photos in my past life.
How many floors did it have?
Fifteen?
No, judging by the windows, it could be over twenty.
“If this is just a research building, how big is the main campus…?”
“You can look forward to it. The academy gathers the best talents and wealth from across the continent—its splendor is unmatched.”
Studying and living in a palace-like school would certainly be a source of pride.
It would make you feel like you truly were an elite.
And honestly, that wouldn’t be wrong.
Anyone who got into this academy was either from a prestigious family or an extraordinary genius who had shown remarkable talent from a young age.
Either way, their future success was practically guaranteed.
Even if they dropped out midway, just having attended would be enough to make a name for themselves back home.
“Applicants for the Finance Instructor Selection Exam, please gather here!”
A faculty member’s voice called out at just the right moment.
Leaving Kalia behind, I picked up my belongings.
“Looks like it’s about to start. See you later, Kalia.”
“Good luck. I’ll be expecting great things.”
With her encouragement, I stepped into the academy.
The exam begins.
“Let’s see… Miss. Leamis?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Graduated from Henderland University, completed your PhD, then focused on private research before applying here, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Impressive for someone so young. Please proceed inside.”
The first step was identity verification.
I handed over my fake ID and recommendation letters to the security officer.
After a brief Q&A to confirm my name and background, I was let inside with the other candidates.
The exam room was a large hall with dozens of desks neatly arranged in rows.
“Please take any seat you like. The exam will begin shortly.”
How difficult would the questions be?
This was the world’s most prestigious educational institution.
Surely, they had prepared high-level questions to test our abilities.
I was aware that academic development here was still in its infancy.
That was an unavoidable limitation of the era.
But they should at least be selecting instructors based on the best knowledge available.
With a bit of anticipation, I opened the test booklet—and was immediately stunned.
The shock of the exam questions.
1. Derive the general formula for solving cubic equations and explain its applications.
This is way too basic.
That’s something you’d find in a high school math textbook.
But okay, maybe they’re starting easy to calm our nerves.
2. You are the chancellor of a nation.
If you implement a price ceiling to stabilize the market, what potential problems could arise?
A simple question about supply and demand.
Any student who had studied microeconomics—or even middle school economics—should know this.
Still, maybe the first two questions were just a warm-up.
What about question three?
3. If a government issues paper currency to replace gold and silver coins, what measures should it take?
I give up.
This isn’t even an exam question.
It’s just general knowledge.
A glance around the room showed how others were reacting.
“Price ceilings? Is that even possible?”
“Cubic equations? I only learned up to quadratics…”
“As expected of the academy… Their selection process is thorough.”
Was I in a Truman Show?
Or had I been caught in some elaborate prank?
Flipping to the back, I saw there were only five questions in total.
If three were this bad, the rest were probably no different.
Then it hit me.
‘Ah.’
I had forgotten.
This world was still stuck in the 17th century.
Here, just knowing these concepts meant you were an advanced scholar.
I sighed, running a hand down my face.
‘This is going to be boring as hell.’
Oh well.
If I had to go through with this, I might as well put on a show.
I’d give them a taste of 21st-century knowledge—so irresistible they’d have no choice but to hire me.
‘It’s time to return as the genius professor, Kang Cheonsu in his twenties.’
Stifling a yawn, I scribbled down rough answers to each question.
And with a perfect score, I confidently secured first place.
*****
Then came the individual interviews for each candidate.
“Next applicant, please come in.”
“Is this the last one?”
“Yes. Despite finishing in the shortest time, they got a perfect score.”
“Impressive. It took me nearly two hours just to understand the questions.”
The academy instructors responsible for selection couldn’t hide their anticipation.
Who was this individual that had flawlessly solved the challenging problems they had carefully crafted?
Just how exceptional was this person to produce such clear and precise answers?
With excitement in their hearts, they welcomed the only applicant who had achieved a perfect score on the written test.
“Welcome, Miss. Leamis.”
“First of all, congratulations on your excellent performance in the written exam.”
“We would now like to assess your teaching ability. Would you be able to give us an impromptu lecture here? You can choose any topic.”
“Hmm… That’s not difficult at all.”
And so, unknowingly, they had invited their own downfall.
“Have you ever heard of the invisible hand? What about the neutrality of money?”
And with that, their minds were utterly shattered.