Noon.
Alchemy Holy See District, Sixth Church.
The Alchemy Holy See's full name was the Alchemy and Mechanical Holy See, which worshipped the Lord of Alchemy, who governed alchemy and magical machinery.
The Alchemy Holy See's saints were all proficient in alchemy. They were also skilled at crafting Alchemy Arrays, designing Alchemy Dolls, and manufacturing Magic Tools.
They also handled parts of the design and exploration of the world of the Naraku Game—though, of course, that important work was mainly carried out by the Astral Holy See.
The third day's test, the final test, would take place within the Naraku Game—the game that pleased the gods.
Incidentally, the green-skin train from Ansu's hometown had also been made by saints of the Alchemy Holy See.
Using cheap, overage first-tier sorcerers as power sources to drive Magic Trains forward was also an ingenious design conceived by the Alchemy Holy See.
They studied civil engineering, but they did not only study civil engineering.
The interior of the Alchemy Cathedral had a distinctly civil-engineering feel to it, standing a full six stories tall.
Metallic murals, statues forged from pure white mercury, enormous Alchemy Arrays, and emblems of solid iron gears—all of them displayed the Holy See's striking style.
Sunlight pierced the mercury dome, enveloping the Alchemy Cathedral in glaring metallic light. Outside the window, Wutong Tree leaves cast specks of green shade. The Sixth Church's hall was enormous, as large as a football field.
A huge Magic Screen hung from the center of the ceiling, capable of displaying the entire hall.
Tomorrow's examination would be held in the hall of the Alchemy Sixth Church.
And this Magic Screen would broadcast their actions live.
Ansu felt that the gazes of the examinees around him carried ill intent.
It was already noon.
News traveled slowly in the Border City, and the first morning papers had already been printed, making revisions difficult.
But at the examination venue of the Seven Holy Sees,
especially among these saint candidates, news that Ansu had been the first to hand in his paper had already spread through a small circle.
More or less, the examinees already knew about Ansu. They also knew that the moment he had left the examination hall, he had said, "The final question was easy. Anyone who can't solve it is an idiot."
Thus, the looks they gave Ansu became complicated.
Especially those examinees who had been in the same examination room as him.
Incomparably deep resentment, silent fury, and intense malice, with even a trace of envy, admiration, and respect hidden beneath it—it was such a complicated yet all-encompassing emotion.
Ansu was familiar with such looks. In his previous life, when he had ranked first in his grade, he had often been subjected to the same treatment.
"Hmph."
He could even hear someone snort coldly.
"What's so great about him?"
Faced with those hostile, bullying stares, Ansu recalled how he had handled such situations in his previous life.
He had always dealt with these interpersonal issues in a very appropriate and amicable manner.
"Keep staring at me, and I'll recite the answers to the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions."
Ansu said with a smile, his grin bright as sunlight.
"Let's compare answers."
Back in high school in his previous life, Ansu's favorite thing to do after an exam had been returning to the classroom and loudly reciting his answers—watching his classmates wear constipated expressions had been immensely satisfying.
The instant he said that, more than half the hall fell silent.
Silent as cicadas in winter.
The looks directed at Ansu no longer contained anger or resentment, only respect and wariness.
The effect was even better than the descent of an evil god.
No one wanted to compare answers with the top student in the grade unless they were second in the grade. Especially on the first day of exams—this was the same in every world.
Otherwise, their mentality would collapse for the rest of the exams.
The surroundings finally quieted down. Ansu raised his eyes toward the church's second floor, his eyes narrowed slightly.
At the same time, on the second floor of the Alchemy Holy See, several Alchemy Priests and clergymen were observing the examinees below through an alchemical screen.
They were the proctors for tomorrow's examination. Gathered around a huge round table, they carefully observed every examinee and occasionally exchanged quiet words.
Although the examinees below were all Acolyte Saints of the Radiant Holy See,
if any of them performed exceptionally well, then as long as the price was high enough, it would be perfectly possible to poach them for their own Holy See.
After all, the Seven Holy Sees were one family. Wasn't believing in one god the same as believing in another?
"Priestess Ashley, which examinee do you favor most?"
An elderly bishop held a newspaper in his hand. "I think this student named Ansu Morningstar is rather good. He handed in his paper early."
"From the border," Priestess Ashley replied without even lifting her head.
"Oh, right, I remember now. You don't like border people." The clergyman gave an awkward smile.
"They're from the border, after all. They always seem to have a certain smell."
Ashley had no favorable impression of the Border City. She was a native-born Imperial Capital Aristocrat, and her family even shared some blood ties with the royal family.
She herself was also a genius, possessing rare all-element talent. Therefore, aside from alchemy, she was proficient in magic of most attributes as well.
"On the Allocation and Reuse of Sorcerer Memory Slots"—the paper Ashley published at nineteen had allowed her to ascend to the rank of priestess at a very young age.
She was now twenty years old and already a near fourth-tier sorcerer.
"Magic Genius"—that was how the outside world evaluated her.
"Tomorrow's assessment will be your responsibility." The District Bishop of the Sixth Church slowly spoke from the head of the round table. "Be a little careful when you act."
"Yes, Your Eminence."
Ashley answered, though her mind was on something else.
Her senior brother Percy from the Order Church had come to see her just now.
Her senior brother had listed three names and warned her to be on guard against those three examinees from the border—none of the three were easy to deal with.
But it did not matter.
They were only from the border, after all.
That tiny place.
Hmph.
She truly did not take them seriously.
Ashley was proud, and she had every right to be.
Seeing that the time was about right, Ashley stood up and gracefully gave the bishop a salute.
She wore a snow-white long dress, her robe embroidered with brilliant gold patterns and its collar bearing a gear emblem. As she saluted, she lightly lifted the hem of her gown.
"Then I shall go read the precautions to the examinees first. Your Eminence, please excuse me."
Perhaps because they had waited too long for the proctor, the hall downstairs had begun to grow noisy again.
Yet Ashley seemed to possess magic. She merely descended the stairs at an unhurried pace, making no sound at all, but simply standing there was enough to quiet the examinees around her.
Ashley swept her gaze over the examinees, her thin lips parting slightly.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
"I am your examiner for tomorrow, Ashley Milton. You may call me Priestess Ashley."
"Alchemy is a wonderful discipline."
"Wisdom, courage, and perseverance—these are the three great elements of alchemy, and likewise, the important virtues of magic."
"Tomorrow's examination,"
she said elegantly,
"please use your meager wisdom, employ your scant courage, and, of course, draw upon your unyielding spirit—bring these three virtues into play and do your utmost to defeat me."
The entire hall erupted in an uproar.
Defeat a near fourth-tier priestess? Was that a joke?
"Please be quiet." Ashley had already found the three examinees from the border—their clothing bore border insignias. A faint smile rested on her lips.
"Now, I will begin announcing the Exam Rules."
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