Noon.
The light streamed through the Conference Room, its soft, pale walls reflecting across the spacious windowsill, where green plants added plenty of life and vitality to the space.
But at this moment.
In the Sage Institute's Conference Room, which had suddenly erupted into heated debate over the controversial topic, everything was in a chaotic state.
"Compared to that candidate from the Knight Institute whose intelligence and mentality are both zero, ours seems to have intelligence and mentality that are a little too high."
"Rather, they're a little too high."
After witnessing Lanchi's actions, most of the teachers were shocked and doubtful. They discussed this outlier with bewilderment, questioning their lives.
Some teachers frowned in thought from time to time, then looked up again at the replay on the Magic Screen.
Just what kind of mental state had this kid been in when he took the exam?
They didn't understand.
The teachers now had to complete their teaching and research duties, review this exam, and urgently conduct a manual evaluation of every candidate's results.
Clearly, Lanchi had presented them with a difficult problem—
How should they score him?
"You have to admit, this guy's awareness of the law is seriously strong. No normal person would have gone to look at the legal code first in that situation."
"No, wait. Our institute recruits law-class professionals, but that means the law of magic, not the law of jurisprudence!"
Another argument broke out, and a teacher slammed the table and shouted.
"He might be better suited to being recommended to Hutton National University of Economics and Law."
"Boo—!"
Just imagining Lanchi becoming a judge in the future was enough.
The teachers present all found themselves thinking, I absolutely don't want to see him in court in this lifetime.
Various documents, charts, and notes were scattered across the tables in the Conference Room.
The clock on the wall ticked without pause.
Vice Principal Ron said nothing as he recorded the key points of several different opinions on the draft paper before him, trying to organize their assessment of the candidate.
Dean Loren was currently being berated at the Magic Engineering Institute.
So Vice Principal Ron had to preside over the meeting in his stead.
No one from the Sage Institute was willing to go to the Magic Engineering Institute and face that eccentric Professor Bora Ao.
What was more.
If Professor Bora Ao heard that someone had damaged the activation terminal for the artificial Shadow World...
He would be furious!
Yet there was nothing they could do. The terminal was still needed for the Third Round Exam.
Someone brave had to go and ask Professor Bora Ao to bring technicians from the Magic Engineering Institute and repair it as quickly as possible over the next two days.
"Sigh, if I were Loren, I'd probably just grab this kid named Lanchi and take him to the Magic Engineering Institute."
Their dean was simply too honest and upright.
After sighing inwardly, Vice Principal Ron finally tapped the table twice.
He signaled that the teachers should return their discussion to the main topic.
"From the perspective of the Shadow World's core, he seems to have offered another interpretation of the 'heart of benevolence and righteousness.'"
Ron sighed and spoke, helplessly acknowledging the significance represented by Lanchi's successful completion.
"Using violence to suppress violence, and evil to suppress evil, may likewise be an effective means of doing good."
Those who studied and discussed the Shadow World were not limited to combat-oriented challengers.
Many theologians, historians, and philosophers were also frequently active in the field.
Scholars' excavation and analysis of Shadow World stories could likewise help challengers organize intelligence and expand their approaches to conquering Shadow Worlds.
Gradually, the Sage Institute incorporated numerous academic studies into its development.
For example, all new students of the Sage Institute had to study Introduction to the Shadow World, which was also the most widely recognized Shadow World theory in the Real World today.
It stated that Shadow Worlds were miraculous spell formations created by the gods before their disappearance. They could independently record key historical moments from numerous worlds and other worlds, copy and preserve fragments of them, and transform them into projections.
Once a Real World had evolved through repeated destruction and rebirth until it possessed enough power to open a Shadow World, that Real World would become connected to the Shadow World.
Afterward, the beings of that world could enter the Shadow World and reenact a projection of history under the guidance of the Shadow World's central system.
These historical projections from different world lines and timelines could be called excellent study materials or treasure troves of knowledge for any living being.
The gods hoped that living beings would reflect on these projections of vanished historical fragments, gain experience, learn from one another, and make the Real World in which they lived more stable and beautiful.
Thus, the Real World and the Shadow World came into existence as two interwoven worlds, like substance and shadow.
After Vice Principal Ron started things off.
The atmosphere in the Conference Room gradually returned to that of a normal review meeting.
"Discussing Lanchi's solution to the artificial Shadow World used in this Entrance Examination simulation might even allow us to publish a paper in an academic journal."
"I've discovered that he may have an even greater talent for academic research."
At the round table of the healing mage group, Teacher Theresa looked at Lanchi's information and spoke softly.
She had already sensed during his entrance application that although the boy possessed little talent as a mage, his calm, composed, and refined temperament seemed to mark him as a born scholar.
Often, if such people were willing to work hard at their studies, they would be favored by many academic societies.
After all, assisting with reviews and conducting research in administrative departments were equally important clerical jobs.
"Indeed. He has mentality when it comes to mentality, intelligence when it comes to intelligence, and when it comes to morality, he has both mentality and intelligence."
Many teachers voiced their agreement.
"In short—his ranking comes before Duke Miss of Aransal Hughberlian's. That means first place, correct?"
Vice Principal Ron lightly tapped the tabletop with his index finger, hesitated slightly, then summarized.
Since they could not determine his score, they could only decide his ranking for the time being.
This would directly affect the group assignments for the exam the day after tomorrow.
At those words, many of the teachers present either nodded or remained silent.
Their attitudes were somewhat subtle, even carrying an air of wanting to avoid suspicion.
"Although his completion time was extremely fast, he actually hit almost none of the originally designated scoring points. According to the algorithm originally set by the Magic Engineering Institute, his score might not necessarily be particularly high..."
A hesitant voice came from the healing mage group's round table.
Vice Principal Ron looked over and saw that Teacher Theresa, who had received Lanchi during his entrance application, had spoken.
"Teacher Theresa, that wouldn't be fair, would it?"
However.
At another table, a young teacher had one hand resting on the back of his chair. He turned around to look at Theresa and interrupted her.
"He should rightfully be first. That cannot be changed."
"..."
Theresa pressed her lips together and did not dare say anything more.
She knew that what she had said was unreasonable.
But she truly wanted to help Lanchi.
Because first place was by no means a good position in this year's Sage Institute examination.
In fact, the most troublesome new student for the institute this year was neither Frei nor Lanchi.
It was Duke Miss Hughberlian.
Most of the teachers were unwilling to become involved with her lightly.
The reason Duke Miss Hughberlian had not held back during the second round of the exam was that she feared receiving a poor ranking and being matched with nothing but assigned actor teammates in the third round.
Only with the highest possible ranking would she have a chance of being assigned powerful teammates whom even the institute's hostile factions could not manipulate against her.
Yet judging from the current situation, if Lanchi happened to be placed in first position.
Then it would most likely satisfy quite a few people's wishes, allowing them to justifiably turn Lanchi into a tool for dragging Duke Miss Hughberlian down during actual combat.
After all, there was truly no outstanding combat ability visible in Lanchi.
"Ferrat, I don't really have much to say. But regardless, please don't go beyond the rules. Otherwise, Loren won't stand by and do nothing."
Ron gave a deep look at the young teacher who had interrupted Theresa, then spoke.
"Of course."
The young teacher named Ferrat stood up and bowed elegantly to Vice Principal Ron.
"Within the established rules, if nothing unexpected happens, the students ranked near the top should be assessed by me. I will do my best to screen out candidates without the necessary qualifications. This is for their future safety."
The corners of Ferrat's lips remained curled into a confident smile.
"..."
Vice Principal Ron silently turned the page in his hands, wanting to end the topic.
As a White Mage, Lanchi Wilford's talent was extremely mediocre.
He was inherently unsuited to the Sage Institute.
Shadow Worlds above Tier 1 required not only thought, but also a considerable amount of practical combat ability.
No matter which group he was assigned to, he would most likely be eliminated in the third round.
So, in a sense, even fate had arranged for him to be on the same team as Duke Miss Hughberlian.
No one could blame either of them for holding the other back.
In any case, separated from each other, the two of them would have almost no hope of enrolling either.
Before you continue