I Was Reborn in Another World, but Hold On – No Parents? Was I Abandoned? - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Troubles Before the Entrance Ceremony

In the blink of an eye, time passed, and Arus celebrated his 9th birthday.

The butlers adorned everything splendidly, the chefs Marie and Cook put extra effort into crafting the dishes, and the maids brought it all in.

“Happy Birthday, Arus!”

From Keires, not a training weapon but a sword specially commissioned for this day from a renowned blacksmith in the capital was sent.

“Congratulations, Arus!!!”

From Marie, a valuable ring that could assist in casting magic, serving as an alternative to a staff, was sent.

“Big brother! Congratulations!!!”

From Mel, a portrait.

“Oh, thank you, everyone!”

Arus felt somewhat embarrassed, but a smile lit up his face.

“Arus! Do you remember what I told you a long time ago? When you turn 9…”

“’I can go to school’?”

“Yes! You remembered!”

He somehow anticipated that this kind of conversation would come from his mother.

Enrollment in the Rosen Kingdom Royal Officer Academy.

“When is the exam?”

“You already took it.”

“Huh?”

I took it? When? I haven’t taken any exams, right? Huh? Did I take it?

“The other day, didn’t the tutors come for the final exam? That was the entrance exam! It’s customary to conduct surprise exams for noble children! Sorry for keeping it a secret. Among them, the teachers who taught you are well-known with strong connections to the Royal Officer Academy! So, the school knows their accuracy very well! Normally, teachers would be sent from the school, but in your case, your tutors conducted the exam.”

“So, how did it go? Did I pass?”

My father asked my mother before I could.

“Well… I guess it’s pointless to keep you waiting, so I’ll tell you first! Congratulations! Arus, your enrollment has been approved by the school!”

What, I passed?!

“Oh, that’s great, Arus! The Royal Officer Academy is one of the top-notch institutions! The level is significantly higher compared to national and other schools!”

“Wait a moment! There’s more to it!”

“More?”

Is there still something?

“Actually, it seems that the result of Arus’s exam this time was quite impressive. They want to enroll you as a scholarship student and have you give a speech at the entrance ceremony as the representative of the new students!”

“What? Arus as the representative of the new students? And a scholarship student… Well, Arus is really smart, so it’s not surprising.”

“Each year, there are 100 new students, and among them, the top 5 based on the entrance exam scores become scholarship students. Furthermore, the student who secures the 1st place in the entrance exam becomes the representative of the new students for that year! In other words, you passed the entrance exam as the 1st place!”

“Um, is this the part where I say ‘Yay’?”

“Of course! Well done, Arus!”

“Arus, I’m so proud of you!”

“My big brother is amazing after all!”

“Congratulations, Lord Arus!”

I’m really happy… but suddenly, I’m feeling incredibly anxious.

After all, in this world, I’ve only met family, butlers, maids, and Officer personnel, and maybe a few monsters. I don’t have any friends of the same age.

Is everything going to be okay?

“Don’t worry, Arus! You’ll be fine.”

My father says, patting my shoulder.

He’s my father after all.

However, what should I talk about in the speech?…

And then, the entrance ceremony of the Royal Officer Academy.

I rode in our large carriage with my father, mother, and sister, heading towards the school in the capital.

“The capital is amazing! Is it always this prosperous?”

“Absolutely! It stands as one of the three great capitals worldwide. While our territory is faring well, distinctions between social classes are still evident.”

“It’s a boarding school, but you’re allowed to go out on holidays! Just make sure not to get too carried away.”

“No way! On holidays, my big brother will come to see me!”

“Got it! Yeah, I should definitely come back to see you on holidays, Mel.”

At the age of 7, Mel, who has grown a bit more mature, still hasn’t wavered in her affection for her older brother, and that makes me very happy.

“Yeah! In two years, I will be going to school and studying with my big brother!”

I won’t mention anything about different grades or classes.

I can’t make my adorable sister sad.

A vast expanse of land, a little away from the bustling streets of the capital, unveils a large building surrounded by a formidable-looking fence.

“Arus! This is also my alma mater, the Royal Officer Academy.”

One immediate impression: It’s incredibly massive.

“Now, parents, please come here and fill out the paperwork!”

The carriage stops, and a robed man is loudly guiding people as they enter the premises.

I also joined my parents, heading to the area where paperwork is filled out.

“Well, well, long time no see, Count Reynard! And Mrs. Marie. So, this intelligent young boy must be Arus…”

A well-built, tidy old man approaches my father and mother, who are about to fill out the paperwork.

“Long time no see, Headmaster. Yes, this is our eldest son, Arus.”

The headmaster of this school?

“Nice to meet you, I’m Arus.”

“Oh! You have good magical power… I’ve heard that your magical abilities are also splendid. Normally, we would conduct aptitude tests right here, but let me do it personally in a separate room to avoid unnecessary commotion. After that, regarding the practical test, it seems there are no issues according to the reports, so shall we quickly wrap that up too? Then, there’s the entrance ceremony. Well, I must say, it’s delightful to welcome such a promising young boy!”

The headmaster looks at me with a gentle smile.

After filling out the paperwork, as instructed by the headmaster, the aptitude test is conducted in a separate room.

Utilizing the same method as at home, albeit with a crystal much larger than the one at home.

I extend my hand towards it.

An astonishing light emanates in the surroundings.

“Oh!! Marvelous!!! I was half in doubt until I saw it with my own eyes, but there’s no mistake, this is definitely 7 elements!! Hohohoho, an outstanding talent!”

The headmaster engages in a cheerful conversation with my father afterward, and I am guided by a staff member to the next venue for the practical test.

It appears that the choices are either engaging in one-on-one combat with an examiner using training weapons or showcasing magical abilities.

I’m informed that the outcome doesn’t carry much weight.

“Now, onto the next… Arus Reynard.”

I am called to face the examiner.

For some reason I don’t understand, my opponent seems much stronger than the other examiners.

I grip a training sword, anticipating their action.

Whispers can be heard from the boys and girls waiting for the practical test.

“That’s the eldest son of the Reynard family.”

“The son of the current general…”

“He ranked first in the exam and is the representative of the new students.”

“The son of the general and the former chief court mage… This is going to be something extraordinary.”

“That kid is so cool!”

I’m drawing attention. Ignore it! There’s no point in worrying about it. I just need to be myself.

“Magic usage is also allowed. However, the use of powerful magic attacks that can cause fatal injuries is not permitted.”

“Now, feel free to attack!”

The examiner in front of me declares and assumes a stance.

It’s a mid-level basic stance, but with few openings.

They’re quite skilled… But perhaps still underestimating me.

If I can use their perception that the opponent is a child to my advantage, I can win.

Without resorting to magic, I gather strength in my legs and dash towards the examiner at full speed.

The examiner hastily adjusts their grip on the sword, but I leap and strike from above.

The examiner raises their sword just in time, anticipating the blow, but the impact I was supposed to deliver never arrives.

It’s a technique my father used in the past.

After the motion of striking from above, drop the sword in mid-air, switch to a lower position, and change the stance to strike the opponent’s side, targeting the flank.

It’s a move that didn’t work on my father.

Please, let it work this time!!!

The sound of bones snapping and a tremendous roar echo.

Then, the examiner is sent flying…

The audience is left in astonishment…

Soon after, the medical team rushes in, and the examiner is carried to the infirmary.

“That was definitely a snap, right?”

“Yeah, I heard it clearly.”

“The top-ranked student is insane.”

“It was so fast I couldn’t really understand what happened.”

“Seriously, the examiner got blown away… That’s insane.”

Huh? Am I in the wrong here??

Then, the headmaster, my father, mother, and sister appear.

“Hohohoho, incredible… I never expected to send an examiner to the infirmary during the practical test. Well, that’s splendid.”

“Headmaster, I apologize. Arus, you went too far! Show a bit more restraint.”

“Arus did it seriously!”

“My big brother is amazing!!”

I really didn’t mean any harm, okay?? Seriously!!

The audience, who were making a fuss about my actions just a while ago, falls silent as my father and mother suddenly appear.

“General… Count Keires Reynard…”

“The bewitching witch… Former chief court mage, Lady Marie Reynard…”

“It’s them! Amazing!”

As expected, my father and mother seem to be popular.

“Arus! Normally, you choose either the practical test or magic, but how about trying magic as well?”

The headmaster gives me a challenging smile.
This person is definitely enjoying this…

“Arus… since you’re here, why not give the magic test a shot?”

Mom enthusiastically encouraged me.

With that, I am brought to the venue for the magic test.

The test content is simple: cast your most proficient magic towards a humanoid wooden doll.

I need to control myself…

Hmm, but if I need to do something flashy, I might as well go all out, right?

But, will it turn into another weird situation?

Maybe it’s better to reduce the power but make it flashy?

That’s right, isn’t it?

Yeah! Let’s do it.

Alright, if that’s the case, a flamethrower spell sounds good, right?

It’s intermediate magic, and, after all, it’s flashy.

I direct both hands towards the wooden doll.

Imagine my body as the main body of the cannon, now I form the barrel with wind.

The projectile is a compressed mass of flames, then, I use compressed air as fuel to cause an explosion…

Alright, I’ve significantly reduced the power, okay? Just half of the usual.

The deafening noise subsides, the smoke clears, and I find myself breaking into a cold sweat.

Not just the smoke, but even the wooden doll and the others in a row have exploded and vanished.

Turning cautiously, I meet the gaze of my father and mother.

My father is holding his head, my mother sports a proud smile while glancing downward, and my sister bounces up and down, fixing her gaze on me.

“Hohohoho, well, magic of this caliber! Marvelous! It wasn’t merely a flamethrower! Composite magic, isn’t it? Compressing the wind to enhance the power with an explosion… I didn’t anticipate such an enhancement in a flamethrower! I’m really looking forward to your future growth!! It has stirred my teacher’s heart after a long time! Hohohoho.”

Despite the explosive reaction from the audience, the headmaster, for some reason, joyfully chuckled as I quietly rejoined my parents.

“Show some restraint.”

“I did show restraint!”

“Arus… that was great!”

“My big brother is amazing!!”

Amidst this chaotic situation, my father, mother, and I looked down, my sister bounced around, and the headmaster laughed heartily.