Chapter 16: Entrance Examination (Part 1)

About two hours had passed.

The sun had set.

In the third-floor guest room of the Dream Travel Inn, the magic guide lamp emitted a soft orange glow.

Qiu Meng looked out the window. The canal water reflected the streetlights, the surface rippling in tiny circles blown by the wind. Occasionally a small boat drifted slowly under the bridge, the blue lantern hanging from its bow swaying in the breeze.

If she were just sightseeing, the city was undoubtedly beautiful—but the upcoming exam kept her distracted.

Qiu Meng sat by the window, her hands cupping her cheeks, staring blankly at the academy brochure. But she had barely read a few pages when she noticed the street opposite suddenly become lively.

Many students in magic academy uniforms were rushing toward the academy.

Some were fixing their cloaks as they ran, others carried toolboxes, and one student even had a bread roll clamped in his mouth, running toward the academy with a look of bitter determination.

“Huh…?”

Qiu Meng blinked and sat up a little straighter.

“What’s going on?”

She pushed the window open. The night air rushed in, carrying the mixed scent of sea breeze and damp wood. The sounds from the street became much clearer.

“Hurry! The registration office needs emergency repairs!”

“I heard a sage got involved!”

“A sage? Seriously? I thought it was just a small problem with the student council?”

“You call the registration office getting wrecked by a sage a small problem?!”

Qiu Meng rested her chin on the windowsill, her expression gradually turning complex.

“Sages… and Archsages, too?”

She wanted to listen more carefully, but the people below were too loud, and she couldn’t make out exactly what had happened.

A student shouted, “Hurry! I heard there was a fight!”

Another student gasped, “What?! Two sages fought? That’s a thing?”

A third student immediately retorted, “Don’t talk nonsense—it was just a wall that got blown up in the registration office!”

A fourth student refused to back down, “You’re the one talking nonsense! It was the sages fighting that destroyed the entire underground proving grounds!”

“…”

Qiu Meng stared blankly at them.

“What are these people even talking about…”

She pulled back into the room and tried to close the window.

But just as the window was halfway shut, another loud shout came from below:

“I heard a wanted criminal sneaked into the academy!!!!”

“And bugs! Tons of bugs!”

“Who in their right mind has an exam turn into a bug disaster?!”

Qiu Meng’s hand paused.

“Wanted criminal? Bugs?”

She kind of wanted to keep listening.

But the next second, two students started arguing again—one insisting that a sage had dismantled the registration office, the other claiming the registration office had exploded due to special circumstances. It was like a pair of kids debating whether the sun was closer at noon or at dusk.

Qiu Meng finally slammed the window shut with a bang.

“What’s the point… forget it…”

She rubbed her forehead and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

She had originally planned to use the quiet night to seriously think about how to pass the entrance exam tomorrow. But the chaos outside had only made her more nervous.

If the registration office was under emergency repair, could the exam even proceed normally tomorrow?

‘Could it be… that Vilindros’s Magic Academy is a school full of problem children…?’

Finally, Qiu Meng looked down at the open exam booklet in her lap and began reading the rules again.

“Never mind… I should just focus on how to get through the exam.”

She murmured softly.

“I can’t let my parents down.”

‘But… what advantage do I even have…’

Just as she was sinking deeper into discouragement, the door opened.

Shalin walked in.

She carried a mug in her hand, her golden hair casually draped over her shoulders.

“Not bad, Xiaomeng.” Shalin glanced at the window. “This is just an inn—thin walls are normal.”

Qiu Meng looked up.

“Mom, it’s so noisy outside.”

“How about after we sell the loot… I mean, after we sell the captured spoils, we buy a house, okay?”

Shalin very smoothly swallowed the dangerous word and replaced it with a more respectable phrase.

Qiu Meng was silent for a moment.

“Uh…”

She wasn’t sure if she should comment on that line.

Shalin walked over to the table, set down the mug, and then took out an object wrapped tightly in cloth from her bag.

Qiu Meng, who had been thinking about the exam, immediately had her attention drawn to the bundle.

“Mom, what’s that…?”

Shalin smiled at her.

“Didn’t Xiaomeng want to try a sleeve crossbow before?”

Qiu Meng’s eyes lit up.

“You already made it?!”

“Mmm~ It took a little time.”

Shalin unwrapped the outer cloth.

Inside was a leather gauntlet.

The leather itself was a bit worn, with noticeable fraying at the edges, but it had been reconditioned. Qiu Meng could tell at a glance that it wasn’t a new creation—it was a piece of gear Shalin had used before.

What caught her attention was the sleeve crossbow mechanism attached to the inside of the gauntlet.

The structure was special. Four small magic stones were embedded at the four corners of the crossbow body, each glowing faintly in red, blue, cyan, and yellow. A tiny gear on the inside allowed her to rotate it gently, switching the elemental attachment corresponding to each magic stone.

“Hmm…?”

Qiu Meng leaned in to examine it, her eyes full of curiosity.

“Is this a magic arm crossbow?”

“Pretty much.” Shalin handed the gauntlet to her. “It’s a bit of a cheap trick, but the Magic Academy also has courses in the physical department. Mom’s custom sleeve crossbow should help Xiaomeng get through the exam more easily.”

Qiu Meng took the gauntlet and carefully put it on.

“Doesn’t this count as cheating?”

She looked up, a little guilty.

Shalin thought for a moment.

“I don’t think it counts as cheating… It’s more like winning by an unfair advantage?”

“Winning by an unfair advantage is still serious!”

“As long as you pass the exam, isn’t that enough? Real battles don’t care about fair play~!”

Shalin said it with utter conviction.

Qiu Meng looked at the sleeve crossbow, then at her mother’s smiling face.

In the end, she very honestly chose to accept it.

“Mmm! Thanks, Mom!”

“By the way, how does the exam actually work?”

Shalin pulled a chair over and sat down, leaning on the armrest while looking at the ceiling as she thought.

“If you take the magic exam, there’s usually a mana detection test. Things like mana volume, elemental affinity, basic spell formation construction, mana stability, and so on.”

Qiu Meng’s expression gradually froze.

“But for Xiaomeng, that would be pretty difficult, right? Since Xiaomeng still can’t use magic well…”

“…Yeah.”

Then Shalin lowered her head and rested her chin on her hand.

“If you sign up for the physics department, you’ll probably be tested on combat ability.”

“Combat ability, huh…”

Qiu Meng looked down at the sleeve crossbow on her wrist.

“Then I guess I’ll have to sign up for the physics department…”

As she spoke, she lowered her head, lacking confidence.

Shalin blinked lightly.

“But I still think Xiaomeng could study. Like the Art Academy, or the Music Academy?”

Qiu Meng looked up.

“Those…”

She thought about her skill level in painting, musical instruments, and literary creation.

Then she helplessly shook her head.

“I’d better pass.”

Shalin lifted her head and thought again.

“What about the Literature Academy?”

“Mom, I don’t think I can save my life by writing essays.”

“Then… the Tactics Academy?”

Qiu Meng was taken aback.

“Huh?”

“It mainly focuses on governance, tactics, and strategy. After graduating, you could become a military strategist or something.” Shalin said. “It doesn’t rely heavily on direct combat ability, and it doesn’t necessarily require strong magical talent.”

“Military strategist…”

Qiu Meng unconsciously repeated the word. Her instinct was to say she wasn’t suited for it.

But the words caught in her throat.

She suddenly remembered her judgment during the fight with the Ice Magister. There was luck involved, and others had covered for her, but at that moment, she wasn’t completely useless.

Maybe, just a little.

A very small bit.

But it existed.

‘Do I really have that kind of talent…’

She asked herself quietly.

Shalin noticed her hesitation and leaned slightly forward.

“Hmm? Is Xiaomeng interested in tactics?”

“I’m not sure…”

“Then which academy does Xiaomeng want to apply for? Still the physics department?”

Before Qiu Meng could answer, the door opened again.

Dante walked in.

“Physics department?”

He looked at Qiu Meng, raising an eyebrow.

“No way, daughter. You’re going to the physics department? Seriously?”

Qiu Meng pouted in defiance.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“You’re not afraid of getting beaten into a cripple?”

“…”

“A… a cripple?”

Dante pulled a chair over and sat down, his tone unusually serious.

“Daughter, you can’t even lift a sword. And the whole assassin route isn’t something you can just fake with a sleeve crossbow. A real assassin needs strong magical talent, footwork, explosive power, and judgment. Especially in a school like this—the people who get into the physics department aren’t just idiots who swing swords.”

He paused and added:

“A lot of them could knock you out with one punch before you even had a chance to dodge.”

Qiu Meng was silent.

Dante continued:

“You really think you can beat a bunch of fighters who’ve been training with swords since childhood just by using a crossbow?”

Qiu Meng opened her mouth to retort, but then she remembered how Dante had caught a spear with his bare hands.

The speed and reaction time in that moment were no less than the exaggerated moves in action movies from her previous life.

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to compare it to cutting a bullet with a katana.

She lowered her head.

“I guess you’re right…”

Shalin took a quiet sip of water and said nothing.

Dante looked at his daughter, then slowed his tone.

“Your mom and I both think you’d be better off as a desk job.”

“So I’m stuck being a military strategist, huh…”

“It’s up to you.”

“Then I’ll study tactics…”

Even as she said it, she felt a lack of conviction.

Dante nodded.

“If you study tactics, the mana requirements aren’t as high, and the combat test only checks basic response ability—you won’t be forced to fight monsters hand-to-hand. But…”

Qiu Meng looked up.

“But?”

“As a tactics student, you’ll spend most of your time reading books. Just tactical theory alone takes about two years.”

“…”

Qiu Meng’s expression instantly lost its color.

She recalled scenes from her previous life—memorizing for the college entrance exam, slaving over five years of high school and three years of mock tests.

“Daughter, you definitely have to go to school. But you have to choose between fighting and paperwork.”

The room fell silent.

Qiu Meng looked down at her hands.

Suddenly, she felt lost.

How should she decide her future life?

Stay in the back, become someone in a safe position?

Or go out and see this world—not just watch it through a TV or a book like in her previous life?

But you only get one life.

Even if she had been reincarnated, that didn’t mean such a miracle could happen twice.

She wanted to put her parents at ease.

And she didn’t want to disappoint them.

But if she suppressed everything she truly wanted to do just because she was afraid of failure—wouldn’t she regret that?

Qiu Meng used her other hand to grip the sleeve crossbow on her wrist.

The old leather carried her mother’s scent, warm and real.

She raised her head.

“I’ve decided.”

Dante and Shalin both turned to look at her.

Qiu Meng took a deep breath.

“I’m going to the physics department!”

Dante: “…”

Shalin: “…”

Shalin was drinking water and nearly choked.

Dante looked incredulous.

“Daughter, you changed your mind again?”

“I didn’t change my mind.” Qiu Meng puffed her cheeks. “I just thought it through.”

“Thought what through?”

“I’d rather go see this world for myself.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was earnest.

“If I keep hiding in the back, just because I’m afraid of being knocked down, and choose a path that looks safe… I’ll definitely regret it later!”

Shalin blinked, suddenly putting on a pathetic expression like a little animal about to be abandoned.

“Does Xiaomeng not want to protect Mom anymore…?”

Qiu Meng was caught off guard.

“But how can a military strategist protect Mom?”

Dante watched Shalin’s pouty act, his expression struggling to hold.

‘Forget it… if I say anything else, I’ll get lectured again.’

Shalin asked again:

“So you’re saying you want to go out and see the world alone, without taking Mom with you?”

“Mom can come with me.”

Qiu Meng said it matter-of-factly.

“I was talking about traveling.”

Shalin froze.

“Oh… so it’s traveling!”

Qiu Meng saw her mother’s instantaneous reaction and suddenly had a scary suspicion.

Did Mom just think I was going to run away from home alone?

Or…

Did she want to come along as a student?

Thinking of the latter, Qiu Meng felt a chill run down her spine.

“Ugh…”

Shalin tilted her head.

“Xiaomeng?”

“N-nothing.”

Qiu Meng quickly shook her head, deciding not to dig into what her mother had just imagined.

If she asked any further, she might get an even scarier answer.

“Anyway, let’s focus on what’s right in front of me.”

Qiu Meng looked at the exam booklet on the table.

“I haven’t even passed the exam yet.”

Dante nodded.

“Then you’d better study hard, daughter.”

Shalin dropped the teasing and reached out to pat Qiu Meng’s head.

“Since Xiaomeng has decided, Mom will support you.”

Qiu Meng looked up at her.

“Really?”

“Really.”

Shalin smiled.

“But you still need to prepare for the exam. The sleeve crossbow can only help so much. When it’s actually time to perform, you have to rely on your own judgment.”

“Mm.”

Qiu Meng nodded. Then she picked up the basic magic theory book issued by the academy, planning to learn a little more before tomorrow’s exam.

Half an hour later.

Qiu Meng closed the book. Her face was ashen as she stared at it, then she sighed helplessly.

“Is any of this even useful…?”

The textbook started from page one by explaining how to draw a stable magic array.

The second chapter was about the angle and rhythm of mana infusion.

The third chapter discussed how different elemental flows affected the core circuit.

The fourth chapter required students to determine whether an array was closed using actual mana perception.

‘The problem is, I have no mana… so how am I supposed to judge whether the array is valid?’

Qiu Meng stared at the pages, feeling utterly lost. Not a single formula or derivation was given, and there wasn’t even a magic stone to use as a theoretical reference.

“If only there were some other way to verify magic arrays…”

Shalin was already organizing loot nearby, and Dante was checking the route and registration documents for tomorrow. Neither of them disturbed her.

But for Qiu Meng, this was pure torture. She couldn’t keep reading.

Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

“Forget it…”

She put the book on the bedside table.

“At this point, let’s just sleep first!”

She slipped under the covers and hugged her pillow.

The commotion outside had gradually faded. The inn had returned to its peaceful nighttime quiet.

The noise was finally over. Now she could sleep.

She took off the sleeve crossbow and set it by the bed.

“At least… I won’t regret this decision…”

And then, she finally fell asleep.

Meanwhile, over at the student council, they could only keep busy repairing the registration office.