I have to admit that this was quite an awkward situation. I hadn't realized the presence of these two until we almost passed each other. With that, I mean we are now just a few meters away.

"So you were a magician after all. What year?"

The one who broke the silence was the black-haired girl; her cold words stabbed my heart while her fierce ruby eyes rebuked me with their gaze.

"If I pass the exam, this would be my first year…"

"At least you have some of an excuse, but why didn't you at least try to do anything?"

Of course, they wouldn't take me seriously if I told them my [Blue Phoenix Ring] could have incinerated Anna along with the thugs. And they definitely wouldn't believe that I planned to go for help either; it would sound like an excuse.

I am not a warrior; I can't see myself winning in a melee fight, and although my [Diamond Silk Garment] protects me to a certain extent, a stab to my jugular would be enough to knock me out, and thus, I would not have helped anyone.

"Because I'm a coward…" I had no choice but to answer honestly.

"I see," replied the girl, closing her eyes thoughtfully.

"Your Highness, it is getting late," the young man named Eberhard said into my interlocutor's ear.

The young woman nodded, and the two left without saying another word. Who would have thought there really was a "Highness" among them... After all, I think my decisions were the right ones; if I want to remain incognito, it is best to stay away from them... It's not because I'm embarrassed to talk to famous people! Though I am.

"It's been a while since I've heard Princess Adelaide's voice," said a weird-looking guy; well, he didn't stand out that much in this goddess world. He had sharp green eyes, but what really got my attention was his messy purple hair.

"Adelaide?" I asked; I didn't know the name of any royal family member.

The young man who was watching the princess's departure with a smile a few moments ago gave me a look of disgust that surpassed even that of the other two. Then he reached out and grabbed me by the collar of my robe.

"May your dirty mouth not pronounce that name again. If you're not a noble, and you're not because I don't know you, you should call her "Highness." Do not forget it."

The purple-haired guy dropped my clothes and proceeded to leave the hall. Of course, I was left alone with the onlookers' dumbstruck stares.

Honestly, with all these encounters, I wasn't really sure if I wanted to pass the exam...

Jokes aside, I saw that the nice guy was carrying a pamphlet with information, probably about the exam. It means that if we pass, we'll be in the same year; I just hope I don't share classes with him.

However, according to the only law that has survived into our times, Murphy's, not only will we have shared classes, but he will surely sit next to me.

In the first place, what was his problem? Only because I said a name? Or is he jealous that I talked to her? But shouldn't he care more about that Eberhard guy in that case? The girl clearly hates me!

Resigning myself to having to accept that it was all because of my bad luck, I decided to continue on my way through the murmurs that surrounded me towards the desk where I could register for the exam.

The lady who worked had heard the scandal and was looking at me with pity while I filled out the form she had given me. I could only swallow my tears.

After completing the form (of course, with false information that could not be detected), the lady handed me an envelope with a forced smile. I said goodbye with the same smile and started getting away from the place as fast as possible.

Once in the academy gardens, I opened the envelope that had been given to me, and from inside emerged the informative pamphlet that I had already seen a couple of times in the hands of other applicants. After concentrating on it for a few seconds, I began to doubt what my eyes were reading.

The entrance exam would not be taken by the magician himself but by one of his magic knights...

Why such a cruel twist of fate? When I had just solved the problem of getting a servant, now I need a knight.

It is true that, in the first medieval era, millennia ago, there were knights who represented the nobles in duels, but in an admission exam? What the hell was the academy thinking…

Firstly, it is imperative to understand what a magic knight is. Simply put, it is someone without magic affinity but still has the aptitude for using magic.

If magic affinity refers to your ability to use magic. When we talk about magic aptitude, it means how well you can use that amount of magic, specifically, the potential of each one of the magic units your affinity lets you use from your magic capability pool.

Let's say that a magician is a "car," think that "Magic Aptitude" is the ability of the driver, "Magic Affinity" is the engine of said car, "Magic Capability" is the size of the gas tank, and "Magic Units" are the gas itself.

Magic knights do not have a working engine, but a magician can act as an engine for them through a magical contract and, if necessary, can also provide them with "gas."

It's basically another kind of slavery. But magic knights have a much higher status. Within a magician's forces, they are the army's officers, so to speak, and below them are magical soldiers like Roy.

I've already mentioned it before, but being a magic knight doesn't mean you can only use a sword and shield; it can be any ability the magician can improve with magic.

However, not everyone can become a magic knight, which makes this task much more complex than finding a servant.

While magicians can share their magic affinity and even contribute magic units, he can do nothing about the magic capability and, more importantly, the magic aptitude; those two are entirely up to the knight in question.

Aside from the unbelievable fact that I wouldn't be able to take my own test, something else was bothering me.

Usually, magicians got their first magic knights in the academy itself. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that the squires (students aspiring to become magic knights) had six years to appeal to the magicians, and if no one accepted them in that period, they had no other future but to join the kingdom's army.

Joining the kingdom's army was a one-way ticket to dying fighting monsters in disadvantageous situations due to the little magic the realm could assist them with. Any knight would prefer a thousand times to be part of a magician's personal army.

But what would happen to the squires if the magicians brought their own magic knights to the academy, be it a trusted person from their families or through some other means?

Most magicians cannot magically support more than three magic knights, many only one. This exam will immeasurably reduce the number of squires being selected by magicians.

In addition, the squires of the academy spent six years refining their aptitude for magic, which was the goal of the Department of Magic Knights. Why is the academy forcing magicians to choose someone who might be much less prepared?