I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

C83: The First Test (2)

I also worked on the comments issue(maybe you didn’t notice but the comments didn’t appear even though they were approved). Leave some comments to this chapter so I can check if everything works.

Only the sound of magic pens across the paper echoed softly in the quiet classroom. It seemed like the sound of insects gnawing at something, but in a way, it was not a wrong expression. Because the students’ mental strength was being gnawed by a bug called the pressure of the test in real time.

“Ugh, it’s hard. What is this?”

“I saw it in the book, but why can’t I solve it? Is this a real problem?”

“How could I be so stupid?”

He didn’t say those words out loud, but he can see the students’ thoughts.

‘It will be very painful.’

Rudger stood upright on the platform and stared at the students.

As previously warned, the test is held in an open book test. It means that it doesn’t matter if you look up the contents related to the problem in the textbook. But if you look at the textbook and know the answer right away, can it be called a test?

’It’s not just about asking for one-dimensional knowledge. I twisted the questions over and over again, so you won’t be able to see through the hidden trap.’

He added a trap in the middle of the problems. It’s in all the test questions, so students will be troubled. There are only 20 questions, but that is the reason why the exam time was 3 hours.

‘Oh my gosh. Even though I studied hard, it’s difficult!’

Rene also felt steam coming out of her head. Her eyes are spinning, and the letters on the test paper seem to be dancing. It was very difficult, although she never missed a review.

She was confident that the first test would check the basics, and from the moment she faced the first problem, her hair felt white.

[Question 1]

[The magic liquid serves to store mana inside in the process of absorbing mana from the atmosphere. After 10 years of exposure to nature, the magic liquid can be converted into a magic stone that supplies mana that wizards can use. In order to induce crystallization with magic stones by refining this magic liquid in its pure form…….]

First of all, the relationship between magical liquid and magic stones is basic knowledge that is learned in the magic release class.

The magic liquid that has matured for more than 10 years crystallizes and turns into mana stones and then it’s processed in order to make artifacts or magic tools used by wizards. The wands that wizards use are made by mixing special wood with mana stones.

‘I expected this to be on the test. Mr. Rudger said over and over again that it’s going to be in the test.’

So she studied carefully and in order to not forget anything.

“But it’s still too hard!’

Rene kept on reading the question while screaming inside.

[……….Hereinafter, the magic solution was added to an aqueous contra solution and melted to form A, and B, which was aggregated by adding calidium metal. When you try to grind these A and B substances in the same laboratory under the same conditions, describe the formula for which of the two can be made first.]

(However, the temperature of the laboratory remains constant at 30 degrees, and the pressure is 0.982 atmospheric pressure.) The crystallization reaction of B applies the standard rate of change.)

“This is only question number one?”

What’s even more surprising is that this question #1 had the lowest score!

She wondered if she was the only one who thought so, and the other students around her were also grunting.

They were prepared, but the questions were more difficult than they expected, so the pressure felt by the students must be considerable.

“Get a hold of yourself!”

Rene thought she was fine so far, and she glanced over the problems.

Yes, it’s all difficult, but if she read them carefully, she could see that the questions were only from what she actually learned.

Rudger did not lie, the questions were from what he taught in class.

She could be sure because she listened to his class more enthusiastically than anyone else.

‘Maybe it’s because you’re a sophomore, but you’re solving it right away.”

Princess Erendir, who sits next to her, is already in the middle of solving the problems. She is a model student and Rene felt motivated seeing her.

‘I can do it!’

Her eyes sparkled.

* * *

‘Hmm. It’s a pretty complicated formula.’

Flora Lumos solved the test questions with a blank face. Her hand, holding the pen, did not rest for a while. Rather, it was almost twice as fast as other students who work hard.

She also vaguely felt it. Rudger said they were given three hours of time, but that was cutting it close.

‘If I write continuously without resting as much as possible, it will only take about 2 hours and 45 minutes.’

The questions were also tailored to the level of freshman, because Rudger understands the average abilities of students. Moreover, it is not just difficult to solve the problems.

‘Hmm. This matter follows the Empire’s basic standards, but it’s actually a trap. The Ruplamosk Experimental Formula came from the Durman Kingdom, not the Exilion Empire, so of course I have to follow that standard. The standard itself is a kind of deception. He taught very little in class and if students neglect to take notes, they are bound to be wrong.’

Flora grasped the intention of the examiner at once and wrote down the correct answers. While looking calm on the surface she continued to explore the problem inside and was admiring the way the examiner made it.

‘You’re going to change the magic formula like this? Example 1 and Example 2 are superficially similar, but the direction of the flow is fundamentally different. Students who don’t know will think it’s the same.’

That’s a good question.

Flora thought she could solve everything in an hour at this rate.

Realizing something, she suddenly stopped her pen.

‘Am I really enjoying this test right now?’

It was unbelievable. For her, tests were nothing more than a boring event.

Writing down and explaining all the facts that she already knew in a way that is not difficult. What could be less interesting than that?

It is possible to fall into contemplation in a class where teachers with insufficient ability talk freely, but in a test, it is annoying to move your hands directly. Nevertheless, she did not miss the top spot.

She is not only gifted with the ability to feel magic, but also has an excellent brain that understands magic. Therefore, it was true her life in Theon did not have any particular stimulation.

She finished most of the tests in less than 30 minutes but for the first time she was interested in test questions and found them interesting.

‘It can’t be.’

I can’t believe I’m having fun on the test!

What a disgrace!

Flora shook her hand without a pen and clenched her fists.

‘I can’t help but solve the problem to build up my self-esteem.’

Flora imagined Rudger’s reaction when she submitted a blank paper.

[Hmm. Is that a blank sheet? I see, after all, this was your limit.]

Yeah. I’m sure he’ll say this.

He won’t get angry or annoyed, he will just bluntly point out her shortcomings. He wouldn’t even ask why or what happened.

Other teachers would make a fuss!

[No! I’ve never seen anything like that!]

So what should I do? There is only one way. The best way to surprise him is to do the best in this test.

First place? No, the important thing is to aim for a perfect score.

Yeah, this is a fight for pride. A fight between students and teachers, a fierce battle that has been going on between her and Rudger with her record being two wins and two loses.

How can I forget those painful days of defeat?

‘Not this time! I’ll show you that I won by getting a perfect score!’

Rudger himself didn’t think much of it, but Flora had already decided on her own.

Flora showed strong motivation and began to focus on the problems. She defended herself that she was just trying hard to beat Rudger. She was not aware that the more she solved the problems, the more she was immersed in them.

* * *

‘It’s quiet.’

At first, the sound of suffering that was heard here and there disappeared after about 30 minutes. Rudger, who was standing on the platform and monitoring possible cheating, thought this was enough, and gave Sedina a signal.

“Yes!”

She answered in a very small, yet strong voice.

Without a word, Rudger pointed his finger at two chairs in the corner. Sedina nodded and brought the two chairs to the platform.

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Let go.’

‘Yes! And?’

‘Sit down.’

‘Yes? yes.’

Sedina put a chair aside and sat down, Rudger also put a chair nearby and sat comfortably.

‘Take a rest.’

‘Yes?’

‘There are still two and a half hours left before the exam is over. As it is the first test, I, a teacher, and you, an assistant, cannot be left out, but your legs hurt if you continue to stand for the rest of the time. So sit back and relax.’

‘Sir……!’

Sedina looked up at Rudger with her impressed look. Rudger, who is now familiar with the gaze, suddenly realized that another gaze was on him and turned his head.

Among the students taking the exam, a girl with pure white hair was staring at him with a strong gaze.

‘Julia Plumhart.’

As soon as she met Rudger’s gaze, she immediately focused on solving the exam questions, but Rudger was only bothered for a moment by the disrespectful gaze she had sent. Also her target was Sedina not him.

‘Well, that’s it. There is no need to point it out.’

Rudger sat in a chair with his arms folded and his legs crossed.

The remaining time is 2 hours and 30 minutes. It’s quite long from a waiting standpoint, but it will feel very tight from a student’s point of view, because that’s how he coordinated it.

‘Even if it’s only the basics I deliberately twisted the questions so it’s going to take a while.’

If they can’t solve all the problems, they need to focus on what they’re good at. These students were not fools, so they were focusing on questions they could definitely answer.

Even the least accomplished students will be able to specialize in some aspects as long as they enter Theon. As a result, the students were now in a trance and into solving problems.

For a teacher, it was a very desirable appearance. Flora Lumos was also staring at the test questions.

‘There are a lot of good students.’

Rene and the princess sitting next to her were working hard. Aidan and his friends sitting behind him also looked troubled, but they didn’t seem to have given up.

‘The beast girl over there is good too.’

Is she Iona Obeli?

She had brown skin and much darker black hair and was working hard at the problems in an unflappable manner. He thought it would be difficult for her because she is a beastman, but she was surprisingly quick to adapt.

‘Is it the beast people magic?’

The beast people also have their own culture, history and traditions. Instead of using magic the beast people used the power of Mother Nature called ‘Spirit’.

Spirit is similar to the spirits of nature, but it is distinctly different. If the spirit is shaped in any form by the rich vitality of nature, Spirit is a big concept that encompasses not only nature but also ancestors and animals.

‘In the magical summoning series, the specialization called <Negative> belongs to that.’

Originally, there was no <Negative> specialization in the summoning series, but it was added as humans in the past suppressed the beast people and absorbed their culture. Of course, the beast people were angry that humans had bound their long traditions to a category of magic.

‘Because of the repulsion at that time, the beast people reject magic, so it must be the same now.’

But a beast girl came to learn magic at Theon, a general organization that teaches magic.

‘Her last name was Obeli? I know that the surname of the beast people is influenced by their bloodline.’

Although her last name is Obeli, that is so it can be called comfortably in human society. In fact, her last name was O-Belly, which had to be said with a slightly increased accent. It means Belly’s blood, and for humans, it was like a noble family.

‘Belly, I think I’ve heard of it somewhere.’

I don’t know much about the beast people, so it was a little vague. I have no choice but to look it up later.

Thinking so, two hours passed before I knew it.

“You have 30 minutes to finish the exam. I won’t accept submissions if you’re even a minute late, so keep that in mind.”

The students’ pen speed became urgent at his words.

‘The next test will be fun since it’s a little different.’

Rudger took a strange pleasure from seeing the students in pain.