Buze stared blankly at Grinya’s self-righteous expression, completely stunned.
Well, he hadn't asked!
So what now?
More and more people were gathering, and the academy gates had become seriously congested since earlier.
"Master Buze, if there is nothing else, could you please let me go?"
Grinya had never felt so embarrassed.
It was the first time she had been stared at by so many people, making her feel like a monkey being watched at a zoo.
If she weren't afraid of offending the Kritov family, she would have bolted long ago.
"No, you must fight me today," Buze said hurriedly.
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and quickly added, "We can go to the academy’s training hall. They have weapons there for you to use."
"But, Master Buze... I am not yet a student of the academy. If I pass the academy’s evaluation today, I would be happy to fight you in the training hall all day long. But since I am not yet a student of Yiertaya Academy, I have no right to use the academy’s resources."
Grinya lowered her head slightly, looking troubled.
She just wanted to find an excuse to shake Buze off as quickly as possible.
But Buze clearly misunderstood her meaning. He looked delighted and said, "Wonderful! Once you’ve enrolled, I’ll be waiting for you at the academy training hall."
He had already assumed that Grinya would smoothly pass the academy’s interview.
After all, Grinya’s practical exam result was a perfect score. She only needed to get 20 points on the theory test to secure a spot at Yiertaya Academy.
While getting a perfect score on the theory test might be difficult, getting 20 points...
Unless Grinya had an intellectual disability, her admission to Yiertaya Academy was practically a foregone conclusion.
Not only Buze, but even the students watching nearby—anyone who had heard of Grinya’s glorious deeds from yesterday—had no doubt she would pass the academy’s tests.
So, in everyone's ears, Grinya’s words sounded like a subtle way of accepting the challenge.
Seeing that everyone assumed she had accepted Buze’s challenge, Grinya opened her mouth to speak but found no words to argue back.
Thank you all so much for believing in me!
Grinya, receiving such trust for the first time, didn't feel any excitement. Only she knew how terrible her performance on the theory test had been.
The good news was that Buze thought she had agreed to the challenge, so he stopped pestering her at the gate. She finally had a chance to escape from everyone else.
The bad news was that she would either fail to enter Yiertaya Academy and be seen as mentally challenged by everyone, or she would have a stroke of incredible luck and get in, only to have to face Buze’s challenge at the training hall.
Neither situation was particularly good for her.
At the thought of this, Grinya couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
Why did misfortune always follow a poor person like her?
"Grinya, we meet again."
While Grinya was lost in thought, Ruiya had appeared on her path at some point. She stood with her hands behind her back, looking at her with a smile.
"P-Princess Ruiya..." Grinya was overwhelmed by the attention. "Did you sneak out again?"
She had actually run into Princess Ruiya inside the academy again!
Was it a coincidence... or did she have some other motive?
Ruiya covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "I didn't sneak out today. It’s the academy's opening day, so I’m here for my enrollment. After all, I am a freshman too."
Grinya suddenly understood.
Right, Ruiya was the princess of the kingdom. She didn't need to take the entrance exam like her and then foolishly wait for a notification.
Just like Buze, Ruiya’s surname was her admission notice.
"Are you going to collect your admission notice, Grinya?" Ruiya asked.
Grinya hesitated, saying a bit awkwardly, "Well... the result isn't certain yet..."
"It’s all the same. Since you already got a perfect score on the practical test, even if your theory score is very low, you’ll definitely clear the academy’s passing grade."
Ruiya took Grinya’s hand and smiled. "I’ll take you to get your admission notice."
Grinya: "..."
Everyone really believed in her.
If only she could believe in herself that much.
However, compared to the others, Princess Ruiya was truly kind. Talking to her always felt inexplicably gentle and comfortable.
"You seem a little different from yesterday, Grinya," Ruiya suddenly remarked.
Grinya froze, laughing guiltily. "Do I?"
"Maybe it's just my imagination." Ruiya smiled, not taking it to heart.
Grinya looked closely at Ruiya’s face.
Beautiful, noble, kind... there were no flaws.
Was it her imagination?
For a split second just now, Grinya felt that the Princess Ruiya before her had suddenly become a bit of a stranger.
That sentence didn't sound like a concerned inquiry, but more like... a probe!
...
In the office, Grinya nervously fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, not even daring to look up at the middle-aged teacher sitting across from her.
The middle-aged teacher pressed his palm onto the desk, and a light screen was immediately projected onto the surface.
"Grinya Loran... the Loran name, I remember it has been in decline for many years, hasn't it?"
The middle-aged teacher chatted with the young girl while operating the light screen.
Grinya nodded timidly.
"If I remember correctly, your father also came to take the academy’s entrance exam twenty years ago. Unfortunately, his practical score was somewhat disappointing, and he missed out by a single point."
The middle-aged teacher sighed with some emotion.
"That's just how society is. Educational resources are extremely unfair. People from large cities are born with better educational resources and environments. From the starting line, they are already far ahead."
"The gap in theory can be bridged with diligent study, but once it comes to practical combat, without the guidance of famous masters and a rigorous teaching system, students from rural areas and those from large cities become two extremes."
"So the descendants of nobles remain nobles, and the descendants of farmers will forever be farmers."
"Although this phenomenon is unfair, as a beneficiary of it, I cannot criticize it."
Grinya listened silently to these words. She didn't offer any opinion, only nodding quietly.
How could she and her father not understand these truths?
She didn't put in any less effort than the great nobles in the city, but her starting line was naturally far behind others. Even with several times the effort, she couldn't erase that gap.
Compared to the children of actual farmers, she was already much luckier.
At least her family was only in decline; they still held a title passed down from their ancestors.
The middle-aged teacher’s hands gradually slowed down.
"Found it. Grinya Loran, your practical score is..." He squinted his eyes, and after he saw it clearly, they suddenly widened. He exclaimed, "One hundred points!"
He looked at Grinya in total disbelief.
A girl from a fallen noble family in a remote small town had actually managed to get a perfect score on the practical test at the talent-filled Yiertaya Royal Academy!
It was practically a miracle!
He smiled and nodded toward Grinya, saying, "I don't even need to look further. Practical testing is the biggest disadvantage for us commoners compared to the great nobles. But in theory testing, I believe you wouldn't lose to them."
"You are already a student of Yiertaya Academy!"
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
Grinya pointed her finger at the light screen.
The middle-aged teacher followed her gaze.
【Name: Grinya Loran.】
【Practical Score: 100.】
【Theory Score: 0】
Middle-aged Teacher: "..."
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