Setosia, Capital City of Setus

5th of Priverra.

The carriage rattled softly against the uphill cobblestone road. I sat across from myselves, with Father by Carine's side and Leila at Feyt's side. I tried my best to keep my expression to a minimum, but no matter what I did, I was absolutely shaking as Feyt.

I trained so much for this… If I fail now…

I kept thinking what would happen if I failed. Not only would I, Carine, be alone in the academy… Would Mother and Father still let Feyt train under them? Maybe they would deport me back to the village?

Every time I thought of the worst-case scenario, another one popped up to take its place.

Father, both sitting beside and across from me with his arms crossed, cleared his throat.

"Feyt, listen to me."

"Y-Yes?!" I shot my head up.

He gave me a warm smile as he continued. "This exam. If you do your best, I'm sure you will pass."

"B-But…" I held back a whimper. "I heard they're intensifying the standardized test…"

It was news that I received not long ago, from a certain royal highness.

Father exhaled as he continued to stare at me. Then, he let out a warm sigh.

"Then I have a suggestion for you, Feyt."

"W-What is it?"

Any advice would be greatly needed.

"Stop thinking about the test or chance of failure. Instead, think of what you'd be able to do if you pass. Encourage yourself."

He has a point. Throughout the carriage ride, I could only think of what I would do if I fail… as if I would never pass to begin with. How could you blame me? I heard the news of the sudden difficulty spike of the test way too late!

But I needed to change my outlook.

If I pass this test... Not only would I be around myselves a lot more, to train and protect each other, I would also be attending one of the most prestigious academies in the kingdom.

If I pass this test… It would mean everything to me.

And it wasn't like I had no chance of passing either. My training was intense. I was given basic written knowledge education by Mother, but I had no need since I had access to Carine's repo of books. But it was clear Mother and Father had trained me for the exam as well.

They even paid for the exam for me. I heard in passing from Father about him mentioning how it was cheaper than last year, but considering the reports I read about the number of participants, I doubted it was affordable.

"See? You calmed down already!" he said with his usual booming voice. "Are you ready to face the test?"

I nodded. "Yes, Instructor! I'll pass! I'm sure of it!"

A chuckle came out of Father. "With that determination, I'm sure you will."

He then turned his head, facing the other me sitting by his side.

"Carine?"

"Yes, Father?"

"You look as calm as ever," he said with a warm smile. "Are you confident about the exam?"

I was about to nod, but then I remembered the promise I made to the Third Prince. My optimistic thinking immediately turned back to pessimism. Things would be easy for Carine, as my passing was already set in stone. But now, I had to do more than just pass.

"Carine? Are you nervous?" Father asked.

"Slightly," I said truthfully.

Of course, I would be.

"What would you be worried about? I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors," Father continued.

Silence stretched inside the carriage. Then, out of nowhere, Father ruffled my hair. My body jerked at the sudden motion.

"Don't worry too much! As long as you do your best, your mom and I will be proud." He turned to face the other me. "You will too, right Feyt?"

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Huh? Me?!

"Y-Yes, of course!"

He lifted his hand with a chuckle, leaving my hair slightly disheveled. Leila didn't waste time and immediately leaned forward with a comb to fix it.

Father said that, but I didn't doubt that if I could fulfill the Third Prince's test, it would make them the proudest. I wanted to prove to them that I could fulfill their wishes, that I, with barely any Talents, could stand at the top…

Tall order, sure… But I had no choice anymore. I mustn't fail.

—

Soon enough, we arrived at the academy. One by one, each of us descended from the carriage.

The Royal Knight's Academy.

Located near one of the northern gates of the capital, it was one of the largest infrastructure in the kingdom, both in land size and in name. It was rivaled only by the royal palace and the Royal Governance Academy.

The academy itself was… grand.

We only stood at the front gates, specifically the southern gate. Its metal frame was opened wide, with Royal Knights guarding both outside and inside of the academy's towering walls.

I felt nervous just standing here.

"Ahh, I remember the day I walked through those gates the first time," Father reminisced. "Hmm… This place looked a lot smaller back then."

Father slapped both of my bodies' shoulders, causing us to yelp.

"Well then, you kids have some fun!"

What fun?!

"Leila and I will be heading to the spectators' booth, so put out your best out there!" he said loudly.

There's a spectator booth?!?!

With both of us stunned, Leila approached us. She adjusted Carine's collars and sleeves, making sure they all looked presentable.

I was wearing the newly acquired academy uniform. It consisted of a well-made shirt paired with a relatively thick outer blazer. The blazer ended around the upper thigh level. It was primarily white in color with dark blue accents, and the fabric was made with high quality materials, at least that was what my skin told me. It was comfortable, light, and warm at the same time.

Meanwhile, Feyt was wearing… nothing.

No, I wasn't naked. But apparently, those who took the standardized test—AKA, commoners—weren't given their uniforms until they passed the exam. So, I was left with wearing a modest, high-quality shirt that allowed me to move around easily, pairing it with similar loose training pants. Inside, I was wearing a thin layer of leather armor. It was something Mother prepared for me the day before the exam, tailor-made too. It looked good enough to pass me off as someone of the middle to the upper class while still being practical at heart.

Leila ended her adjustment by puffing up Feyt's collar. Then, she gave both of us a very, very small but genuine smile. "Good luck, you two."

I gave her my nods as I watched her walk back to the carriage with Father. They waved through the window as the carriage rattled to life. Before long, the carriage disappeared at a distant turn, the sound of its wheel fading.

I turned back to face the open front gates of the academy. I could see the countless potential students inside, and I could hear both their confident and nervous chatter.

Beyond those gates lies my biggest hurdle.

My goals were two-fold.

The first goal was to pass the standardized test as Feyt. This was paramount and couldn't be negotiated. If I failed this exam, who knows when I would get another chance?

The second goal, however… It's a hard one.

My mind recalled that night, the conversation I had in the royal palace's garden.

—

"How about it, Lady Carine?" The Third Prince, Julient, said as he held up a thick slip of paper. "This cheat sheet contains information about both the written and the practical exams. And since I was the architect of both this year, I can even provide some… advanced insight."

My eyes locked onto the paper. Though he angled it away, my vision was sharp enough to see through it—and sure enough, there it was. A summary of topics for the written exam, and a list of equipment and materials prepared for the practical.

Steel beams... dyed cloths...

On their own, the details were simple. But it was enough to draw a rough map of what awaited. It was a massive advantage on its own.

And more than the notes, his words echoed in my mind. The architect. He had designed both exams himself. Which meant he wasn't just handing me answers—he was offering me the blueprint.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Something I couldn't possibly miss.

If my face allowed it, I'd be drooling by now.

I turned to face him directly, ready to accept this apology of his—until the weight of the long night finally struck me. A pressure gathered behind my nose, and before I could stop it—

—I yawned.

I forced it silent, my lips tight, but my face still scrunched in the effort.

Julient blinked. His head tilted. Seemingly taken aback.

"My, my… what's with the glare?" he asked, smiling lightly.

Glare?! No, wait! That wasn't a glare, I was just—

"Hehe…" A small chuckle slipped from him. Then, all at once, it unraveled into full-bodied laughter. "Hahahahaha!"

I froze, stunned.

W-what's going on?

When his laughter finally tapered off, he straightened, eyes glinting. "Forgive me. It seems my offer offended you."

Before I could correct him, his hand crushed the paper in a single, heavy motion, crumpling it into a ball.

"But," he said, his tone softening into something sly, almost satisfied, "I'm glad I was right about you."

"That was a test," he said plainly. "To see what kind of person you are. One who takes the easy route… or one who refuses to abandon her potential."

…Of course, that was a test.

My stiff shoulders eased, though only slightly.

So the cheat sheet was bait all along?

I let out a quiet breath through my nose, careful not to look too relieved. Still, my heart thudded against my ribs.

Seriously, I almost fell for that.

Talk about dodging a bullet.

Julient straightened fully now, the crumpled paper stuffed in his pockets. His smile lingered, but his eyes sharpened, narrowing in focus as they locked onto mine.

"Then, Lady Carine," he continued smoothly, "allow me to offer you something more real. A deal."

"A deal?"

This won't be another test, is it?

"If you can fulfill your part," he said, his voice dropping lower, more deliberate, "I promise to reward you with something… magnificent."

Something magnificent from the Third Prince himself? I wasn't sure whether to feel intrigued or terrified.

"And what would my part be?" I asked.

He paused for a moment and then delivered it like a decree.

His words that night still lingered in the back of my head.

And as I stood before the gates of the academy, it echoed once more.

"Earn your place as an Honors student."

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