30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 200

The doors of the Royal Academy had been opened.

A crowd surged forth, brimming with people eager to enter the academy at any moment. However, given the string of incidents and accidents earlier this year:

"Please present your identification."

"Kindly complete the necessary paperwork."

"Groups of more than four are not permitted."

The conditions for visiting the academy were far stricter than the day before.

Some grumbled and voiced their dissatisfaction, but under the sharp gaze of the guards, they either shrank back immediately or fled outright.

As for those who fled:

"Suspicious individual! Apprehend them!"

The guards acted promptly.

This ensured the elimination of any potential threats, demonstrating how vigilant the academy—or rather, the royal family—had become.

Seeing this, anyone with even a hint of ulterior motives for visiting the academy had no choice but to abandon their plans. After all, provoking suspicion might lead to being blacklisted not just by the royal family but also by numerous noble houses.

At that moment:

"Here, I have my identification."

"...!!"

"Oh, I also have my applicant certification. Where should I go as a candidate?"

"Ah, w-well...."

Gulp.

The guard swallowed dryly.

'Who is this woman?'

She exuded a sense of dignity rarely felt outside the realm of great noble families.

Her short, golden hair and striking beauty were certainly eye-catching, but it was the undeniable aura of sophistication that made the guard tense.

It was obvious, even at a glance.

'She’s no ordinary woman.'

Although her identification card stated she was of common birth, that couldn't possibly be true.

'She’s suspicious....'

There was nothing overtly wrong with the ID itself, but the guard’s instincts blared a warning. This needed to be investigated....

"—There’s nothing strange about this, is there? Don’t you agree?"

Whoosh!

"...Ah, you’re right. Of course."

The guard realized he had been mistaken. Right, she was a commoner—but simply an extraordinary one, radiating such poise.

With that realization, he stepped aside.

"Best of luck with your exam."

"Thank you, soldier."

She smiled warmly as she swiftly passed through the gate.

It was a benevolent smile, and the guard, dazed by its charm, could only stare after her with a dreamy expression.

"...Phew."

Not long after entering through the main gate, her face shifted, the warmth replaced by a blank expression.

It was a face as emotionless as a doll’s, and anyone who saw the rapid transformation would have been left wondering how such a quick change was even possible.

The woman then moved to a secluded area and retrieved a small cross from her pocket, pressing it to her ear.

"I’ve successfully infiltrated. However, I don’t think I’ll be able to report again until after the exam concludes."

[----.]

"Understood. I’ll dispose of it immediately."

Barely audible, faint [orders] came through, and the woman promptly crushed the red gem embedded in the center of the cross.

She destroyed it so thoroughly it turned to powder, and had anyone known that the gem was worth the equivalent of three years' living expenses for a family of four, their faces would have been filled with dismay.

But to the woman, a tool was nothing more than a tool. After ensuring the gem was thoroughly pulverized, she resumed walking as though nothing had happened.

The fragments of the gem scattered naturally with the autumn breeze.

Like grains of sand.

*****

The number of academy entrance exam candidates was staggering.

At least 30,000 people had gathered, a spectacle in its own right.

But did you know? Even this figure of 30,000 had been carefully filtered. Every single one of them had been called a genius or prodigy in their hometown.

It was, in a way, to be expected. While there were many academies, this was the Pendragon Royal Academy.

An institution that carried the name of Pendragon, supported by the royal family and the great noble houses.

Simply being admitted and graduating from here would pave a golden road to success.

A gateway to glory.

No matter what others said, entering the academy was a badge of honor.

...Though, not everyone would make it.

"If even a thousand of them pass, they’ll call it a bountiful year, right?"

"Isn’t that an exaggeration? There are 30,000 people here, all of whom were hailed as geniuses in their villages!"

"...Idiot."

"Like you’re one to talk, country bumpkin!" ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

"Sure, I’m a country bumpkin too, but you’re an even dumber one. No sense whatsoever."

"You little—!"

"Do you think being the best in a village of 50 to 80 people is the same as being the best in a town of 10,000?"

"......."

One of the candidates, who had been about to argue, fell silent, blinking dumbly.

"Of course, even in the countryside, there are exceptional people. Just like lions and eagles are born on the plains, sometimes anomalies disrupt the ecosystem. But that’s rare."

"Well, yeah, I guess."

"There are probably plenty of mediocre ones among these 30,000 too. Frogs in a well, you know? Some might be acting all arrogant, thinking they’re the best, but once the test starts, plenty of them will fall into despair. So, manage your mindset. Don’t start bawling because you got cocky."

"...Are you giving advice or nagging me?"

As the nameless candidate pointed out, even with all the filtering, there were still plenty of mediocre candidates.

Among them were the eldest sons of nouveau riche families who had bribed their way in, as well as spoiled noble children who grew up pampered and mistakenly believed themselves to be geniuses.

But such people would undoubtedly fail.

Even though the academy was said to have declined from its former glory, it still had never admitted those lacking talent.

And at that moment:

[Testing, can you hear me?]