After getting ready, I headed to the dining hall, which was the reception area.
There were a lot of people in the dining hall.
It looked like there were about 100 people, and they were talking with their friends, so the entire hall was filled with the sound of their voices.
I scanned the crowd from the edge and saw a flash of yellow hair. I decided to head toward the man with that hair.
"Good morning, Day. Let's do our best today."
I approached Day, whom I met yesterday, and greeted him.
It would have been difficult to talk to him if he was with other people, but luckily he was waiting alone, so I could talk to him easily.
Day noticed me and turned to face me.
"Hey, Yuto. Are you ready for the exam?"
Day asked me kindly.
"Well... I wouldn't say I'm perfect, but I'm pretty confident."
I answered.
I learned a lot from Reina's lessons.
Thanks to her, my anxiety about the written exam turned into confidence. If it weren't for Reina, I wouldn't be this confident.
"I see... Huh? Wait, you're a transferred person, aren't you? Then why..."
Day was about to say something when...
The dining hall doors slammed open with a loud BOOM!
Everyone was startled and turned to face the doors.
"Good morning! Is everyone ready for the exam?!"
A loud voice boomed through the dining hall.
Everyone was shocked and went silent, except for the owner of the voice.
A group of people, led by a well-built man, were standing at the doors.
"We are the faculty members of the academy you wish to enter! We are here today as your proctors!"
The man spoke in a very loud voice.
The other faculty members and the examinees all looked annoyed and covered their ears. Many, including me, looked away.
But the man, who didn't seem to mind at all, continued to speak.
"Alright! Let's go to the exam hall now..."
"Excuse me, will you please be quiet, Lucode."
The loud man's voice suddenly stopped.
I looked up to see the proctors.
A woman who was a little smaller than the man named Lucode stepped in front of him.
"You skipped the necessary explanation. I'll take it from here. Everyone, please help this man cool his head."
The moment the woman said that, the other proctors seized Lucode.
"W-wait! I haven't had a chance to connect with the examinees yet!"
Lucode tried to resist, but he was outnumbered. He was pulled away by the other proctors and was still loudly protesting as they left the dining hall.
The woman who saw them off sighed and looked at the examinees.
"First, let me introduce myself. I am Annis, who has taken over from the incompetent proctor Lucode. It's a pleasure to meet all of you, examinees."
Unlike the loud proctor from before, she had a calm and strict demeanor.
"Now, let's begin the explanation of the exam."
The examinees were relieved that the proctor had changed to a more serious person, but Annis's overwhelming presence filled the dining hall.
The examinees, who were just relaxed, became serious in an instant.
"First, the contents of the exam. The exam will be conducted in three parts.
First is the written exam. This exam measures whether your academic ability is up to the academy's level.
Next is the magical power measurement. This is a test to check your potential as a magic user.
And finally, the practical exam. This is a test to measure your current abilities. Your acceptance will be determined by the results of these three exams. Are there any questions?"
The explanation was given very quickly.
The examinees were confused by the rapid-fire explanation and didn't know what to ask, so no one raised their hand.
"Good, there are no questions! Prohibited items and other rules will be explained at the time of the exam. Now, let's head to the exam hall. Follow me!"
It seemed the exam hall was in a different location. Annis opened the dining hall doors and led the examinees out.
I was a little behind the other examinees and was about to follow them when...
"Yuto, good morning."
A voice called from behind me.
I turned around and saw the person who called me.
It was Reina, with her beautiful silver hair and adorable appearance.
"Oh, good morning, Reina."
I wasn't supposed to be staring, so I quickly replied.
"How are you feeling about the exam? Are you confident?"
Reina asked, seeming to worry about me.
I was a little worried, but thanks to Reina, it wasn't as bad. I wanted to reassure her.
"Yeah, thanks to you, I feel like I can do my best. Thank you."
I replied, expressing my gratitude.
Reina smiled happily when she heard that.
"Yuto... who is this?"
Day, who was left behind, seemed to notice and joined the conversation.
"Oh, right, Day and Reina haven't met yet. Let me introduce you. This is Day. He helped me out yesterday."
I held my hand out toward Day and introduced him to Reina.
"And this is Reina. She's the first person I met in this dormitory. She's a very kind person who taught me how to study."
Then I introduced Reina to Day.
Reina seemed happy to be called "kind" and made a cute, shy gesture.
After I finished the introductions, Reina and Day greeted each other with a "Nice to meet you."
After they greeted each other, the three of us left the dining hall and followed the other examinees to the exam hall.
We walked in a group for a while.
During that time, the three of us talked.
"Well, my parents were bad at teaching me how to study, so I never had good grades."
Day said as we walked.
From listening to Day and Reina, it seemed that the education system in this world was different from my world. Parents taught their children at home, and when they turned 15, they would get an education at an academy.
I felt good learning about the different culture in this world. I also talked about the education system in my world, and we had a good time.
They were interested in the fact that I had been going to school since I was a child.
While we were talking...
"Hey, look at that!"
Reina pointed to something in front of us.
In front of us was a large white building.
The group of examinees in front of us was heading toward it, so I knew that was the exam hall.
The group entered the white building.
The inside was very spacious and beautiful, and I was in awe. But the group kept walking, so I had to follow them.
After walking for a while, we arrived at a room with many desks, like a university classroom.
The door closed, which probably meant all the examinees had entered.
"Everyone is here. Now, we will begin the explanation for the first exam, the written exam. There is a name written on each desk, so please find your desk and sit down."
Annis gave the instructions, and we split up to find our seats.
Since there were 100 seats, it took a while, but I finally found my seat.
My seat was a little off-center.
I sat down and waited for the next instructions.
I could see the other examinees finding their seats and sitting down.
When Annis confirmed that everyone was seated, she went to the front of the classroom.
There were other proctors, but they didn't come to the front. They stood on both sides of the room as if they were watching over us.
"Everyone is seated. Let's begin the explanation for the written exam. The exam is 50 minutes long, and you will only have one chance.
Next, let's talk about the prohibited acts. There are two main ones.
First, cheating. Second, using magic during the exam. If we see either of these, the examinee will be disqualified and immediately sent back to the dormitory to pack their belongings and leave."
The exam rules were explained.
I can't use magic right now, so the only thing I have to worry about is cheating.
Then, the exam papers were distributed from the left, and they were passed to the right.
My heart was pounding as I looked at the exam paper... I was nervous now.
And finally...
"Now, the first exam, the written exam, will begin. Are you ready? Then... START!!"
The moment Annis gave the signal, all the examinees started writing on their exam papers.
The exam had begun.