NOVPUBThe day the first test loomed right before them.
Ludger finished reviewing the final test questions he would be administering, sitting in his office.
Across from him, his assistant Sedina was busily organizing all sorts of documents.
''Sedina.''
''Y-yes! Pro— I mean, Professor Ludger!''
''Has anything unusual happened recently?''
Without taking his eyes off the test questions, Ludger asked Sedina.
Watching him concentrate like that, Sedina unintentionally spaced out, staring at him blankly before snapping back to her senses and replying belatedly.
''N-not really. Nothing in particular.''
''Is that so. What are the other members of the organization doing?''
''They’re all laying low. Perhaps because the Lord Protector visited Seorn recently—everyone’s being cautious.''
''The Lord Protector, huh. I see.''
Ludger nodded slightly.
He was honestly relieved that the Black Dawn Society hadn’t made any sudden moves for the time being.
They were the kind of people whose actions were completely unpredictable—he had been worried they might try something during the first test.
That would have been a real mess.
'That woman is useful at times like this.'
Terrina Lionhowl, the Lord Protector.
A troublesome opponent when faced as an enemy, but this time, the situation was different.
Because she had come to Seorn under the pretext of investigating the Rederbelk incident, the members of the Black Dawn Society had decided to stay quiet and cautious on their own.
The empire’s guardian shield—and, to the Black Dawn, the most dangerous threat among the Security Bureau's elite.
Given the accomplishments she had stacked up until now, their wariness was only natural.
How many secret organizations had she crushed with her own hands? How many criminals had she killed?
If she sensed anything suspicious and started an investigation, it could result in a massive loss for the Black Dawn Society.
'Of course, this side is no ordinary organization either, so there are undoubtedly hidden powerhouses.'
If the two sides were to clash, Ludger wouldn’t shed a tear no matter which one lost.
''That’s why, at least within Seorn, most are advocating caution. Even when they do meet with each other, it’s outside the academy and very discreet...''
''A gathering, then.''
''Yes. You could call it that.''
''Sedina. You didn’t attend such gatherings, did you?''
''Eh? N-no. I... just...''
Seeing Sedina shrink in discouragement, Ludger thought he might have asked something unnecessary.
After all, she had always been somewhat of an outlier in the Black Dawn, which is why he had personally taken her in.
Still.
In the past, Sedina would have clearly looked dejected in situations like this—but this time, she didn’t seem too affected.
Back then, she had no one around her. But now, she had Ludger.
Just as their conversation was about to die down, Sedina seemed to remember something and opened her mouth.
''Now that you mention it—there was something a little odd.''
''Something odd?''
''Yes. Honestly, I was hesitant to even report it to you, Professor Ludger, but...''
''Explain it. I’ll judge for myself once I hear it.''
''Ah, yes. Just two days ago, three of the organization’s members in Rederbelk were caught by the city police. They were all from the Third Order.''
They were caught by the police?
That was a little strange.
''Hmm. Even if they were just Third Order, they shouldn't have been sloppy enough to get caught by mere city police.''
''Yes, that’s exactly right.''
''Then someone else must’ve gotten involved. Who was it?''
''That’s the thing... it was a student from Seorn.''
''A student?''
Ludger finally took his eyes off the papers and looked at Sedina.
Maybe because of the attention, Sedina hunched her shoulders more and gave a small nod.
''Yes. There were three students in total. Two male students and one female. You might know them, Professor—they’re from your class.''
''Students from my class.''
Two boys and one girl.
Ludger could guess that peculiar combination immediately.
''Aidan. Leo. And Taishy Friad, right?''
''Yes, that’s correct. You remembered immediately... as expected of you, Pro—Professor.''
''How did those kids manage to track down operatives outside the city... no, I get it. You don’t need to say it.''
Ludger recalled the presence of a certain system within Seorn.
The bulletin board.
Its formal name: the <Request Application Board>.
A legitimate means for Seorn students to earn money.
''A student taking on a request must’ve found some traces, huh.''
''That’s what it seems like.''
The request system functioned similarly to mercenary commissions.
Serious, high-risk requests usually went through formal mercenary channels. But there were always smaller, lower-priority jobs that mercenaries wouldn’t bother with.
Seorn was an expensive school.
There were scholarships, yes—but those only covered tuition. Not the cost of personal supplies, experiment materials, or books.
Some clubs received steady funding, but starting a club wasn’t exactly easy.
'For students short on money, this request board is their lifeline.'
There were other options, like doing part-time jobs inside the academy, but—
These were people trained in magic. Doing those sorts of menial jobs would hurt their pride.
So the request system became the go-to option.
'Most of the users are commoner students with financial difficulties.'
Nobles, or children of wealthy merchants, had no need to worry about money.
They always had plenty of support and could get whatever they wanted.
So naturally, the majority of students using the request board were either commoners or poor.
Occasionally, some nobles would take requests for fun.
The <Request Application Board> was open to all, but not without rules.
Requests had difficulty and risk levels, and a student’s year was a key factor in determining what they could accept.
The higher the year, the more difficult the requests they could handle. Otherwise, they were limited to the simpler ones.
Of course, even first-years could apply for temporary permits if they passed an internal Seorn verification test.
'Still, those kids are just first-years.'
Even if Aidan used unusual types of magic, he shouldn't have been able to accept a high-difficulty request.
Yet somehow, while carrying out one, he’d managed to track and take down three Third Order members of the Black Dawn.
'It may have been coincidence—but what an uncanny coincidence. As if fate were guiding him.'
That was the reason Ludger had begun keeping an eye on Aidan in the first place.
He had sensed it during the werewolf incident as well—Aidan had some strange force that pulled incidents toward him.
Ludger imagined a single board in his head.
A massive chessboard made of alternating black and white tiles.
He began identifying the pieces on the board that he could use.
'Pieces I can move.'
The organization’s operatives were all elites, each with outstanding abilities.
Rooks, knights, bishops.
That was their role.
'On the other hand, Aidan and his friends... honestly, it’s hard to even call them pawns.'
They were still nothing more than naive idealists—kids.
But in chess, the pawn could sometimes be the most dangerous piece.
A pawn that survived to the end could become a bishop—or a knight.
'Or even a queen.'
Promotion.
A pawn was a disposable piece—but precisely because of that, it held the purest potential to become anything.
Ludger rated Aidan very highly. Not just for his magical talent—but more than that, for his mental strength and tenacity, which couldn’t even be compared to other students.
Reality wasn’t as simple as chess, so surviving to the end didn’t guarantee promotion.
But if it were Aidan—
If it were that kid, maybe—
He might not just become a queen. He might even become a king.
That was what Ludger suddenly, unavoidably thought.
''Professor Ludger?''
''What is it?''
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Ludger returned to reality at the sound of Sedina’s voice.
''I asked about the treatment of those students.''
''Treatment, you say.''
''Yes. No matter how /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ coincidental it was, they played a decisive role in capturing members of our Black Dawn Society. On top of that, that student named Aidan used that strange anti-magic spell.''
Which is why Sedina was making a suggestion here.
To cut down the sprout called Aidan early.
Because he was dangerous.
Ludger shook his head.
''Leave him. Let it go.''
''You’re going to let it be?''
''Yes. He doesn’t pose a direct threat to us at this moment. Besides, if we go after Seorn students during this already noisy period, we risk exposing ourselves.''
More importantly, Ludger added:
''Frankly, anyone who got themselves caught by mere students is useless to our organization. If anything, this just helps us weed them out.''
''I-I see!''
Sedina was impressed by Ludger’s words.
As expected of a First Order—his perspective on matters was different.
To someone else, he might have seemed like a cold-blooded monster, but to Sedina—already utterly infatuated with him—this ruthlessness seemed like the virtue of a true officer.
''Sedina. Anything else?''
''Yes. The members have all agreed to stay quiet until the test period ends. That’s the current stance.''
''I see. Got it.''
Ludger said that and rose from his seat.
Sedina, as if she’d been waiting for it, stood up with him and picked up the bundle of test papers.
''Let’s go.''
''Yes!''
It was time for the first test.
* * *
A tense air lingered in the lecture hall where 80 students had gathered.
Of course it was natural to be nervous now that the first test was fully upon them—but this time, the situation was a bit different.
The very first day of exams. The very first test.
And opening the grand three-day relay was none other than Ludger Cherish’s test.
Even worse—it was an open-book test. To the students, it felt like the final boss had shown up at the very beginning.
''Ughhh! I studied, but I still don’t get anything!''
''Maybe if I open the book, the answers will be there...?''
''How hard must the test be if it’s open-book...''
Seated at their desks, the students could do nothing but tremble as they watched the seconds tick by.
Some bounced their knees. Others bit their nails.
As the clock’s second hand ticked around and pointed squarely at the hour—
At last, the appointed time had come.
Clack.
The sound of the door opening thundered through the quiet hall.
At least, to the students awaiting the exam, it felt that way.
The one who stepped through the door was Ludger.
Unlike his usual coat, he wore a simple outfit today—white dress shirt, gray vest, and formal pants.
But the sharpness in his gaze hadn’t dulled one bit, so the atmosphere didn’t relax in the slightest.
''As you all know, today is the first test.''
The small-bodied assistant beside Ludger heaved and groaned as she lifted the test papers onto the podium.
''The exam time is three hours in total. As announced beforehand, it’s open-book. You have five minutes before we begin—if anyone hasn’t gone to the bathroom, go now. Once the test starts, no one is allowed to leave until they turn in their paper.''
It was to prevent any possible cheating.
Every year, a number of students were caught this way.
''If you studied diligently, you should be able to do well. There are partial points, so don’t turn in a blank even if the question seems difficult.''
And then came the real warning.
''Let me make one thing very clear. If anyone is caught cheating on my exam—''
Ludger’s voice, already cold by default, dropped even heavier in tone.
Goosebumps ran across the students’ skin.
''—then I promise, I’ll make sure you pay the proper price.''
''......''
The entire hall froze under Ludger’s warning.
Even those who had vaguely considered cheating quickly erased the thought from their minds.
Absolutely no cheating. That was now a given.
''Naturally, I’ll be overseeing this exam myself.''
Of course!
If he was the proctor, then no matter how confident someone was in their magic, they wouldn’t dare try anything.
Some students, whose last bit of hope had just been crushed, could do nothing but shut their eyes tightly.
''Now then. The test begins.''
No sooner had Ludger finished speaking, than wind stirred atop the podium.
Fffwshhhh.
The stack of test papers fluttered.
Ludger’s wind magic lifted every single page and scattered them across the room.
The swirling sheets gradually descended—each one landing gently in front of a student.
‘Wow.’
To distribute exams to 80 students using wind magic...
They’d seen something like this before, but back then, they had simply thought it was impressive.
Now, after studying magic at Seorn and learning all they hadn’t known before—
They could finally understand just how absurd and incredible Ludger’s display really was.
The more you knew, the more you could appreciate it.
''Seems like no one needed the bathroom. Good. Looks like you’re all prepared.''
Ludger pulled a golden pocket watch from inside his jacket.
''The test begins now.''
The first wall every Seorn freshman must face—
The First Test began with Ludger’s words.
