Just as parents once sent their children to take the college entrance exam, sending them off to board the carriage of /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Cariliman Academy was a significant event.

In the Royal Capital of Camellia, many street vendors had set up their stalls early in anticipation of the occasion.

After all, the carriage of Cariliman Academy couldn’t travel to every city across the continent.

The Kingdom of Camellia had designated the royal capital as a special “boarding point,” and during these days, noble heirs from all over the kingdom had gathered here, filling the hotels to capacity.

As soon as one stepped out onto the streets, one could see young girls dressed in vibrant, colorful outfits gathered around the boarding platform, full of excitement and spirit, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the academy’s carriage.

In the eyes of the confident nobles, there was both pride and anticipation—a sense of superiority over others.

However, not all of them were such self-assured geniuses.

Many were clearly nervous, especially heirs of lesser noble families or invited commoner geniuses.

For nobles, entering Cariliman Academy was desirable, but even if they failed, it wasn’t shameful.

It was a common result, and they could still enroll in a reputable academy within the kingdom or return to inherit the family estate.

But for commoners, it was different.

They knew this was likely their only chance to change their fate—from obscurity to renown.

Success or failure would be decided here, and their futures rested on the outcome.

Naturally, the psychological burden on commoner candidates was far greater than that of nobles.

They needed a diploma from Cariliman Academy to prove their talent, to gain recognition from the king and nobility, to elevate their status from commoner to noble.

Whether noble or commoner, the freshmen preparing for the entrance exam were visibly tense.

They waited in front of the enormous platform specially prepared for the Cariliman team, appearing idle on the surface, but secretly clenching their fingers—none of them willing to give up.

Of course, not everyone was nervous.

“Hello, this is my qualification certificate,”

A silver-haired girl with a fairy-like presence suddenly appeared at the base of the platform and presented her credentials to the Wrathful Dragon Knight guarding the area.

Cariliman Academy was responsible for cultivating talent for all nations, and its annual freshman entrance exam was heavily supervised by royal authorities. King Camellia himself had dispatched the Wrathful Dragon Knights to maintain order.

“I wish you success, candidate,” the knight said after inspecting her documents, handing them back with a nod.

They served under the king’s command and gave this blessing to every candidate.

After all, many of these youths, if admitted, would one day become their juniors.

Offering encouragement was only natural, especially since many of the Wrathful Dragon Knights serving at the palace were graduates of Cariliman Academy themselves.

When the knight looked up and saw the girl’s face clearly, he was momentarily stunned by her breathtaking beauty—but quickly composed himself.

Noticing the calm demeanor in her expression, and the faint sorrow in her eyes like a deep, still lake, the Wrathful Dragon Knight couldn’t help but feel admiration.

No matter how calm the candidates appeared, the experienced knight could always sense the anxiety beneath the surface.

But this silver-haired girl—her presence alone eclipsed every other candidate present.

Naturally, he had no way of knowing that this girl had lived through two lives, and this wasn’t her first time participating in such an assessment.

“Thank you,” the girl said softly as she retrieved her credentials and ascended the high platform with graceful steps.

Her arrival quickly attracted the attention of the crowd.

This was the true “ceiling” of appearance on the Terraria Continent.

Many candidates unintentionally glanced at the silver enchantress—and were instantly captivated, unable to tear their eyes away.

Especially the civilian candidates, inexperienced and naïve, were completely mesmerized by her flawless face and silver hair shimmering in the sunlight.

Their cheeks flushed red, and like teenage boys encountering their first crush, they quickly realized their loss of composure and looked away in embarrassment.

Seeing this, someone in the crowd let out a silent sigh.

She really is the protagonist.

The lethal charm she carried could make even a stone-faced statue blush.

Retracting his gaze, Vinny shrugged and handed over his credentials while everyone was still distracted by Aesphyra.

“Ahem, Mr. Knight, these are my documents,” Vinny said, offering the papers.

“…”

The knight, who had been cheerful just a moment ago, immediately adopted a blank expression. His movements became cold and mechanical.

“…”

Vinny felt a wave of resentment.

The difference in attitude between how the knight had treated Aesphyra and how he was treating him was staggering.

He knew his reputation wasn’t the best, but no matter how bad it was, shouldn’t a knight serving the royal family at least pretend to be professional?

Was the disdain so necessary?

Tch.

“You’ve passed,” the knight said flatly after checking the credentials. He handed them back without the slightest trace of warmth.

No well-wishing. No blessing. Not even a perfunctory nod.

It was like going through the motions with a background character no one cared about.

That’s how it is, huh?

“Mr. Knight,” Vinny said, unable to resist, “aren’t you being a little biased? Couldn’t you offer at least one word of encouragement?”

“Fine. Have a nice trip,” the knight replied, still expressionless.

So that was it?

Not even a “good luck” or “hope you succeed”?

If he hadn’t spoken up, he wouldn’t have gotten anything at all, right?

Tch.

Vinny pursed his lips and said nothing more.

He put away his documents and stepped onto the high platform, scanning the other candidates around him.

The nobles wore elegant aristocratic attire.

The children of wealthy merchants were dressed in fine fabrics.

Even the commoner candidates had put serious effort into looking presentable.

Compared to them, who all tried to display their status through clothing—

Vinny, wearing a simple casual gown, stood out like a sore thumb.

His brown jacket, white robe, cowhide trousers, and fleece boots gave off the vibe of someone who’d gotten dressed in the dark.

He looked down at his outfit and realized just how out of place he appeared among the crowd.

Sometimes, being too different makes you stand out in all the wrong ways.

And Vinny clearly belonged to that category.

After everyone had finished admiring the beauty, it was time to turn their eyes to the beast.

As Vinny climbed the platform, many eyes shifted to him.

Several people even recognized his face.

Although—for some reason—this infamous young man looked more refined and pleasing than before, most of the gazes he received were still filled with ridicule.

The looks of surprise and sarcasm on their faces seemed to say:

“You really dared to show up for the entrance exam?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep