Chapter 11

Perfect Score on the Entrance Exam

Everyone in the banquet hall turned toward the entrance at the sudden loud noise. Standing there were a girl and a boy.

They were none other than Nigel—the one Allen had been desperately searching for—and… Noah Vesellion.

“Ah, once again, we have a latecomer today. Don’t worry, come on in; Sienia always stands by those who are tardy,” Widlun joked, lightening the mood.

Meanwhile, Allen’s eyes narrowed.

The social scene’s most prominent catch, Noah Vesellion, had no official fiancée until he turned seventeen, even though it was widely expected that he would be engaged to the Duke Dien’s eldest daughter.

Although there were recent rumors that he had abandoned joining the royal knight order, Allen had dismissed them as mere gossip. Yet seeing someone who rarely appeared in society here at Sienia was astonishing.

Seeing him in person, many realized that the praise for his exceptional appearance was not exaggerated in the slightest.

‘Oh… Vesellion doesn’t get overshadowed even standing next to Nigel. But why… are they together?’

No, Allen had a hunch.

Seeing Nigel’s free-spirited hair, Allen let out a small, amused smile.

Then, as if hearing his voice—or perhaps sensing it—Nigel’s gaze fixed on Allen, staring intently.

Nigel immediately approached with confident steps, like a foal finding its mother.

Regardless of who was watching, Nigel walked straight to Allen and found his face.

Nigel, whom Allen hadn’t seen in a week, looked like a perfect lady compared to the messy-haired, time-worn individual from the first encounter. Except for the flushed face and slightly disheveled hair from running.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“No, it’s my fault for not explaining properly.”

Nigel’s face was flushed, and several leaves clung to his hair. Seeing this, Allen’s earlier urge to scold him melted away.

“Um… your hair like this really suits you.”

Nigel awkwardly spoke first.

“Right? Sebastian had a hard time with my topknot earlier. You look beautiful today too! I almost didn’t recognize you at first.”

“…So, what were you doing?”

“I think I can guess what happened to you without you saying a word,” Allen said with a hearty laugh, tidying Nigel’s hair.

“Ah, thanks.”

Allen removed the leaves and placed them in Nigel’s palm.

“Uh… who’s the boy standing behind you?”

Allen pointed to the boy standing like a shadow behind Nigel—Noah Vesellion.

“Hmm…”

The boy who would one day become a hero of the Arenium Empire—or the male lead in the original story… or not.

Not the one they met at the lake while looking for the Golden Dragon… also not that.

“…Nothing special. Just… met him on the way.”

At Nigel’s words, Noah’s expression darkened noticeably, like a large dog betrayed by its trusted master.

‘Oh…? This is interesting.’

The two seemed to be hiding something, and Noah subtly paid extra attention to Nigel.

This was definitely going to be entertaining.

Allen’s face brightened with excitement at having made a friend.

“Hey, Allen. So, what did that guy say?”

“Oh, the principal? He said the perfect-score student… that is, the top scorer should come forward.”

“What does the top scorer get?”

“Um… as far as I know, probably a teleport stone usable in the academy for the first semester and a private dorm room.”

“Then we have to go immediately.”

“Exactly. What could happen to the top scorer…? Nigel…?”

Ignoring Allen’s bewildered expression, Nigel strode confidently and quickly reached Widlun.

“The hero comes late, but today, that seems exactly right, doesn’t it?”

Widlun looked at Nigel and smiled kindly.

“Everyone, please give a round of applause. A perfect score for the first time in ten years, from the Magic Department, Nigel As!”

Clap, clap, clap…

Awkward applause filled the hall. Everyone clapped earnestly, yet it somehow sounded uninspiring.

Even the occasional whistle and cheer couldn’t mask the lethargic clapping.

Some openly scowled at Nigel, clearly displeased.

Nigel returned to Allen, holding the teleport stone wrapped in a luxurious velvet box. He gripped it tightly, looking oddly satisfied, which made Allen twitch her lips.

“Ah… the perfect prize for you… Congratulations on the perfect entrance exam, Nigel.”

“If you can’t hide it properly, you might as well laugh openly.”

“Really? Hehe, ahahaha! Nigel, you won’t get lost at Sienia! Hahaha!”

As if waiting for that, Allen threw her head back and laughed heartily.

Tsk, Nigel silently turned his head.

He noticed many eyes glaring at him, displeased—more than a few, in fact, making them hard to ignore.

“Allen, Allen. Stop laughing. Why are they looking at me like that?”

“Hmm… probably students from the Political Department,” Allen replied, wiping away tears of laughter.

“And? What does that matter?”

“They have many good students, so they rarely miss the top score. Especially the top entry… for ten years… no, you broke it, so the Political Department hadn’t had a top entrant for nine years.”

“Ah, so they’re a bit rigid, huh.”

“Yeah… you could say that.”

Allen smiled wryly under the sharp stares.

“By the way, Nigel, how did you end up coming with Vesellion?”

Allen glanced at Noah, who kept sneaking looks at Nigel while surrounded by people. Something interesting must have happened between them.

“He? He didn’t even join the knight order,” Nigel said, gulping the fruit aide the waiter offered.

Clearly, something was going on between them!

Allen’s mind ran wild with scenarios.

Nigel finished one glass straight, then immediately emptied another.

“Nigel, drink slowly. You’ll ruin your stomach.”

“You talk about drinking aide like it’s alcohol?”

“I’m just worried. You drank two or three cups on an empty stomach while waiting, and it hurt.”

“….”

Nigel’s hand holding the empty glass trembled for a moment. A skilled waiter quickly collected it before it could fall.

“…Sorry.”

“Ah, it’s fine. Friends can be like that. Don’t sulk. Let’s have fun—I have so much to tell you!”

“…Okay.”

At the word “so much,” Nigel’s shoulders twitched. Allen, smiling, pretended not to notice, as a good friend would.

“Ugh…”

Nigel groaned and woke from sleep.

His head ached as if he had been drinking, though he hadn’t. It was his fault for underestimating Allen’s “so much.”

Normally not a dreamer, Nigel found Allen chasing him even in dreams.

He barely put on his uniform and tie and gripped the teleport stone.

“Teleport, dining hall.”

In the blink of an eye, he moved from his private dorm to the entrance of the dining hall. The blue-uniformed students blinked at him in shock.

Meanwhile, students in red and green uniforms yawned calmly as they entered the hall.

The first time felt amazing, like it did for the new students in blue uniforms, but after teleporting thirty times yesterday due to someone pestering him, Nigel felt nothing, like a second- or third-year student.

“Good morning, Nigel!”

Hearing what sounded like Allen, Nigel accidentally dropped spoonfuls of soup onto the table.

“Did you get home safely yesterday? The party was so much fun! Especially the teleporting!”

It wasn’t a hallucination.

Allen, now properly dressed in uniform, sat across from Nigel.

Thunk.

Allen set down his plate. While Nigel had a plate full of bread, soup, and crisp sausages, Allen’s morning plate had only a few pieces of fruit.

Thunk.

A salad with only olive oil dressing and chicken breast sat beside him.

“Good morning.”

At the voice Nigel shouldn’t have heard, his sausage plunged into the soup bowl.

“Noah, come on over.”