"Now, I will announce the top three students of this year," Cecilia said, her voice ringing across the hall.
As she spoke, a large board shimmered into existence behind her—a projection spell, bright and precise.
"The third place is... Antoine Ostines!"
The name appeared in bold letters, and beneath it, two scores:
Physical Exam: 250/250
Written Exam: 236/250
Total: 486/500
But no applause followed. Just silence... then whispers.
"Why is he only third?"
"Then who's first and second?"
Antoine stood frozen, his eyes wide, unblinking. Horror crept into his expression.
It was the first time in the academy's long history that a royal hadn't taken the top spot in the entrance exam.
He could already see it—the capital, the disappointment, the shame. He didn't move. Just stared at the board like it had betrayed him.
Cecilia didn't give him time to recover.
The crowd was fully alert now, every pair of eyes fixed on the stage, hearts racing with anticipation.
Who could possibly outrank a prince?
They even forgot about their results that would come later.
"The second place belongs to... Seila Springold!"
This time, the room erupted with noise. Shocked voices, rapid chatter—no one had expected her to fall short either.
On the board, her scores lit up:
Physical Exam: 243/250
Written Exam: 250/250
Total: 493/500
Seila stared at the numbers, stunned. Then slowly turned her head toward Colt.
He wasn't smiling, not really. He looked... apologetic?
Is he pitying me? No—does he actually feel sorry for me? Why, though? You don't even know me.
She remembered Cecilia's words. There is always someone stronger.
It still stung. But she accepted it.
With a small sigh, she stepped closer to Colt and extended her hand. "You can call me Seila."
Colt blinked, surprised, then gave her a crooked grin and took her hand.
At the very least, they were friends now.
Of course, it wasn't over yet. Colt's name hadn't been called as the top scorer.
Cecilia raised her hand one final time.
"The first place goes to... Colt!"
A murmur swept through the hall.
"Colt?"
"Who's Colt? What's his family name?"
"Is he a commoner?"
"Don't be ridiculous. A commoner beating the second prince and Count Springold's daughter? Not possible."
Cecilia ignored the crowd and continued, "Colt, please come to the stage."
He stepped forward, calm, and climbed the podium.
The hall fell into a stunned silence. He didn't look like a noble—and somehow, that made it more unbelievable.
Then the board behind Cecilia lit up with his name and scores.
Physical Exam: 300/250
Written Exam: 300/250
Total: 600/500
"What?!"
"Is the board broken?"
"No way—it's Lady Cecilia's magic. It can't be wrong."
"Then how...?"
Cecilia addressed the murmuring crowd. "There is nothing wrong with the numbers. Colt surpassed the testing criteria in both exams.
Some of his answers in the written section were so advanced that our headmaster approved them as worthy of academic publication."
The crowd was stunned into silence again.
Seila blinked, trying to make sense of it. How? He's just a commoner...
Not in a condescending way—just genuine confusion.
For someone to give answers that could be used as academic publication, they would need immense access to knowledge and resources.
Then she remembered the gold coin Colt had handed to the food stall owner. One gold. As a tip.
Is he actually a noble from another country?
Even the richest commoners, the famed merchants of the Union, wouldn't waste gold like that.
No, especially they wouldn't.
Colt was surprised, too, when he saw the score. Every few years, some genius would claim the top spot with perfect marks.
But this? This was the first time anyone had broken the limit.
While he processed it, Cecilia continued speaking. "This doesn't mean it's over. Nothing is decided yet!
From this point forward, each of you who passed will be given a student number. That number reflects both your grade and your rank in this exam.
For example, Colt's current number is 11—but it's only temporary."
Colt felt a headache forming. He could already tell he wouldn't like what came next.
"Once the academy begins," Cecilia said, "you'll be allowed to challenge students ranked up to twenty places above you. Which means—"
She glanced at him.
"Anyone ranked 121 or higher can challenge Colt for his position. Your rank will influence many things here, so it's something you'll want to protect."
Colt's stomach sank.
Oh no...
Naturally, nobles knew about this rule. But most commoners didn't—and the look on Colt's face made that clear.
Cecilia turned toward him. "Would you like to say a few words?"
He refocused, steadying himself. He had a punishment to deliver, and this was the moment.
"I have only one thing to say," Colt said, voice calm but clear. "I'd like to thank the Second Prince Antoine for encouraging me by placing a bet."
A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd. Antoine stared at him, eyes blazing.
The three young nobles standing nearby gave Colt stunned looks. He was provoking the second prince publicly.
But Colt wasn't finished.
"Of course," he said, voice even, "I have full faith in the royal family, and I know the prince will keep his word... and grant me the royal promise he wagered."
Even Cecilia and the other teachers flinched while the commoners asked, "What? What is that?"
"The royal promise?" Some of the commoners whispered—but no one answered. Everyone who did know what it was was still reeling from what Colt had just said.
Then he smiled politely and added, "Ah—and I'll be unavailable this coming week, so there's no need to send a messenger for the badge. I can accept it when the academy starts."
He turned to Cecilia and gave a shallow nod. "That's all from me."
"R-right. Thank you. The rest of the results can be found on the boards," Cecilia said, stumbling slightly.
As she spoke, magical boards appeared across the area, displaying everyone's rankings just like they had for the exam areas.
Antoine stormed off in silence.
He didn't say a word. But in his mind, the situation had already grown much worse.
Thanks to Colt's very public announcement, the bet was no longer a private matter—it was official, and the entire academy had witnessed it.
And now, he couldn't retaliate.
He could have had Colt killed. But if it were discovered, the royal family would disown him, maybe even banish him.
So for now, he had no choice but to suck it up.
But he would never forget.
***
When Colt stepped down from the podium, the three young nobles looked at him—serious, unreadable.
But Colt had expected this.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that," he said, voice steady. "But there are some things I won't overlook."
His gaze shifted to Seila. "I'd understand if you wanted me to keep my distance."
What he'd done was risky. Challenging a prince, even indirectly, could bring trouble—not just to him, but to anyone associated with him. Nobles couldn't afford careless ties.
Colt meant every word.
Of course, he wasn't truly worried. He was strong enough to protect them, to handle whatever fallout might come. But they didn't know that. And he wouldn't ask them to trust something he couldn't prove.
So the choice was theirs.
Hei and Myrin frowned, exchanging a glance. The weight of what Colt had done wasn't lost on them.
But Seila didn't hesitate.
"He definitely deserved it," she said, a smile tugging at her lips.
The other two turned to her, startled.
But when they saw her smile—genuine and unbothered—they relaxed too.
Whatever danger there was, they'd face it together.
And in this life, Colt was accepted as their friend at last.