8. Entrance Exam
The next morning, Emma woke up early and began preparing to go to the exam venue.
The antique wooden box given to her by Louis, called the "Infinite Box," was small but contained a hidden dimension where she could store an infinite number of items. Certain people could also enter the box, but it was possible to take things out from the outside.
Emma opened the Infinite Box and said, "Entrance exam clothes, a wand, and a pen," and white blouses, a black skirt, the beginner's magic wand Louis had given her, and a quill pen flew out from the box.
"Alright."
Having finished dressing in her robe, Emma checked the map she had reviewed several times the night before and headed toward the exam venue.
When she arrived at the exam venue, she found a large, heavy wooden door. She pushed the door open, and a spacious room unfolded before her. Lamps floated in the high ceiling, casting a soft light throughout the room.
"Please take any available seat."
As instructed by the exam proctor, Emma found an empty seat and sat down.
"We will start the exam in 15 minutes. The first part will be a written exam. You will have three hours to complete it. Once you're done, please bring your answer sheet to me, and you can proceed to the next exam venue."
After all the examinees had gathered, the proctor signaled the start of the exam. The entrance exam for the magic school had finally begun.
When the signal to start the exam was given, the paper in front of Emma automatically moved, and the questions began to appear.
(Alright, I can do this. I've read about this in the magic books.)
Emma calmly started solving the written exam questions.
Once she finished the written exam, she brought her answer sheet to the proctor as instructed.
"What's wrong?"
"Um, I've finished, so here's my answer sheet."
"Huh?"
Looking around, Emma saw that most of the examinees were still desperately solving the questions. The proctor glanced at Emma's answer sheet, showed a brief expression of surprise, but quickly returned to a neutral face.
"Please proceed to the next exam venue. If you go straight down this hallway, you'll see a door labeled 'Practical Exam Venue' on the left."
Emma followed the proctor’s instructions and headed to the next exam venue.
When she arrived at the practical exam venue and opened the door, she found a completely different space compared to the written exam venue. In the center of a large hall was a circular arena, and a woman who appeared to be a proctor was waiting, holding a wand.
"You're fast. Welcome to the practical exam venue."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Emma Brown. It's a pleasure."
"We'll begin immediately. The exam content is simple. Please demonstrate any magic of your choice. If it's an attack spell, I will defend. If it's a defense spell, I will attack."
"Understood."
"Then, please come this way."
Emma walked toward the arena where the proctor was standing.
(A magic I like… what should I do… Attack and defense magic have too little magical power to be of any use…)
Standing in the arena, Emma hesitated for a moment before attempting to cast a spell. However, she quickly stopped herself and lowered her wand.
"Sorry. If the other examinees will also gather in this room afterward, could you possibly move my turn to later?"
"That's fine."
"Thank you."
After a while, other examinees who had finished the written exam began entering the practical exam venue.
The examinees taking the practical exam demonstrated attack spells using light, defense spells using plants, and some created illusions with illusion magic.
"Next, Emma Brown. If you're ready, please come this way."
"Yes!"
Emma stood in the center of the arena. All the other examinees and the proctor turned their attention to her. Her hands trembled from nervousness, but Emma took a deep breath and reassured herself.
(It’s alright. I can do this.)
Emma gripped her wand tightly and quietly closed her eyes.
"…Incensum Flura."
As Emma uttered the spell, a small flame appeared at her feet. The flame did not blaze up but instead became a soft, swaying light that gradually spread.
The flame transformed into the shape of flower petals, which began to bloom one after another. At first, a single small flower bloomed, and then it spread, creating a vast field of flowers.
"How beautiful…!"
The proctor couldn’t help but exclaim. The other examinees gasped in awe. The flame-filled flower field, with its warm glow, seemed to purify the surrounding air.
However, that wasn’t the end. When Emma lightly waved her wand, some of the flower petals danced in the air like the wind, eventually touching the arm of one of the examinees. The moment it touched him, the shallow wound on his arm slowly began to heal.
"Healing magic… healing with fire?"
The other examinees gasped in surprise. Normally, fire magic was considered a symbol of destruction. To use it so gently and beautifully for healing was unprecedented.
Emma lowered her wand, took a deep breath, and dispelled the flame flower field.
"This is… my magic."
The room fell silent for a moment before erupting into applause.
"Wonderful. It’s not just a healing spell; by combining it with fire, it creates a spell that captivates the viewer and heals both body and mind."
Emma smiled a little shyly, but inside, she was filled with a sense of accomplishment, having been able to prove her magical ability.
After finishing the practical exam, Emma, being exempt from the interview, returned straight to her room at the inn. She jumped onto the bed and lay down, and Louis appeared, asking, "How did it go?"
"I don’t know. But I did everything I could."
Louis smiled and answered, "That’s enough. You’re already sure to pass."
Emma felt a bit of courage from those words and looked up at the floating building in the sky outside the window.
"From here on out, a truly new adventure is about to begin."
