30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 198

The cadets were filled with mixed emotions.

“Can you believe the second semester is already coming to an end?”

“I’m still amazed we’re even surviving at the academy.”

“Same here.”

It had been almost a full year since the first-year cadets began attending the Pendragon Royal Academy.

During that time, many had failed to endure the grueling schedule and dropped out, while others had been expelled due to poor performance.

More than half of the commoner students had already left, and even about 30% of the nobles had withdrawn.

Out of the thousand who entered, only a hundred were likely to graduate—a testament to the academy’s role as a cradle for exceptional talent.

It wasn’t just about education. The academy served to filter out the best candidates through competition and trials, and it had been fulfilling that role admirably.

By now, the students who remained were the ones who had been sifted through the academy’s strainer, leaving only raw gemstones. All that was left was for the surviving first-years to advance to the second year.

And as the academy lost students, it also needed to replenish its ranks.

“Hey, who are they?”

“Outsiders?”

“Wait... Oh! I just realized—it’s that time of year already!”

It was the season of clear autumn skies dotted with beautifully shaped clouds.

The time for the academy’s entrance exam for new cadets had arrived.

“Haaah...” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Ihan covered his mouth as he yawned.

He was struggling to stay awake out of sheer boredom.

[The process of selecting new cadets is not just about admitting students. It is a crucial step in choosing future pillars of the kingdom. So, I earnestly hope all of you approach this with determination! Also!]

...It was the same speech for the tenth time now.

Anyone who didn’t find this repetitive rhetoric dull would have been an oddity.

Indeed, some people in the conference room were nodding off, and others were visibly squirming from boredom. However, no one dared to fall asleep entirely—not in front of the former chancellor, now the academy headmaster.

Focusing with a sense of tension was the obvious choice.

As for Ihan...

“Look over there. Is Sir Turtle in a meditative stance or something?”

“No way.”

“He looks like he’s floating.”

“You’re imagining it. Besides, how could anyone meditate for three hours and still look that relaxed?”

“R-right...”

For Ihan, even this tedious time served as an opportunity for training, which helped alleviate some of the boredom.

A few observant individuals had noticed his discreet stance, resembling a mounted position, maintained without drawing attention.

‘Not that it matters if they notice.’

After all, he wasn’t bothering anyone, nor was he ignoring the headmaster’s speech.

‘New cadets, huh? Things might get messy.’

The mention of new cadets stirred a slight sense of unease in Ihan.

It was a perilous time, with the temple maniacs targeting his disciples.

And now, the academy was opening its gates for new cadets?

‘It’s practically an open invitation for trouble.’

Should he speak to the headmaster and suggest postponing the entrance exam?

‘...Not going to happen.’

Even if Ihan had little interest in academy events, he prided himself on understanding how the world worked.

He knew full well that an event as significant as the [Entrance Exam] couldn’t be stopped.

The exam wasn’t just an academy tradition but also one of the most important events in the capital.

Just as the midterm evaluations had opened the academy to outsiders, the entrance exam would also be a public event, attracting everyone from commoners to nobles.

In the entertainment-starved medieval era, canceling such a grand event would almost certainly provoke an uproar.

The headmaster, for his own sake, would ensure the exam went ahead no matter what.

Even though rumors had circulated about the monster attack during the midterms, those eager for entertainment had already dismissed it as ancient history.

To ensure safety, the royal family and noble houses were said to be sending their knights to guard the event.

“...People take their fun seriously, no matter the world.”

Ihan couldn’t help but respect their commitment to leisure, even if it required deploying knights.

At that moment...

[Ah, and Instructor Ihan.]

“Hmm?”

Ihan looked up, startled by the sudden mention of his name.

“Did you call for me?”

[It’s nothing major. I just wanted to inform you—since you missed the last meeting while on leave—you’ve been assigned as one of the examiners for the entrance exam.]

“...Me?”

[Yes. You can refuse, but I’d appreciate it if you could take it on.]

“...”

[We’ll give you a bonus.]

“Hm.”

[A 15%, no, a 30% increase.]

“...Oh.”

[Haha, I’ll take that as a positive response.]

The headmaster smiled warmly.

*****

"Kind-hearted, my ass! That was a sly grin, like a scheming raccoon! Why would you fall for that and volunteer for unnecessary suffering?"

Damian Follett, the slave—no, the assistant—clutched his neck as if the situation was driving him to madness.

"Do you know how much work examiners have to do? It’s not just about guiding the applicants; you also have to grade them yourself! And after the scores are released, do you know how many parents will bombard us with complaints? Just thinking about it is horrifying! Instructor, reject the offer while you still can!"

Damian's fiery advice to decline the role sounded almost convincing.

Indeed, the job seemed like it would come with its fair share of hassles.

However...

"Is it really something to get this worked up over? Sure, it looks like a lot of work, but it doesn’t seem all that difficult."

While it was undeniably a challenging task, it didn’t appear insurmountable. Ihan wondered why Damian was so agitated.

At this, Damian retorted:

"It's not that it's impossible. But you're just going to dump all the work on me anyway!"

"Of course."

"...Can you at least hesitate for a second before answering? Don’t be so quick to agree!"