The sound of the carriage wheel rattling and our own breaths were the only sounds in my mind. The snow outside had turned from pure white to a translucent, thin layer on trees and roofs. Still, even as they thawed, the air remained cold.

I wore a new set of travelling clothes as Carine, styling a warm, thick blouse covered with the tailor-made fur-coat I had worn before, paired with sturdy long pants. It kept me as warm as summer even as the carriage plowed through the thinning snow.

As for Feyt, ever since Mother had trained me personally, she had been giving me allowances, attire, and tailor-made training gear, something like the clothes I wore during the entrance exam. Her reasoning had been delivered with her usual bluntness:

"I refuse to be seen training a scoundrel. So, you will wear this whenever I call for you. Understood?"

It would've come off as an insult to anyone else, and I would've perceived it as so too if I hadn't known Mother's tendency to salt her words… At least, I hoped that was the case.

Since then, I had been wearing better stuff by the day, and that includes the gear I was wearing in the carriage. A thick, soft shirt beneath a sturdy coat and trousers made from a fabric that didn't itch and chafe, but rather, caressed the skin. No one would've suspected that I came from the boonies with this get-up.

The carriage jumped a little, and I nearly crashed into Mother, who was sitting beside me as Feyt. Thankfully, I didn't. She remained stiff as a board even as the carriage swayed here and there, her hands collapsed on her lap, and her eyes, even when closed shut, glared at something I couldn't perceive.

On the opposite side, or rather, my other side, I sat beside Leila as Carine. She, too, kept a stoic face and posture as the carriage rolled on. But she was more of a lake than Mother's boulder.

This whole carriage ride, of course, was for one reason alone.

The moment the knight had delivered the announcement, Father immediately barked orders for a carriage. But then Father realized gravely that he couldn't tag along; he needed to meet up with someone soon to settle the matter about Cornellia.

It was then that I approached Mother in her art room and told her of the announcement.

She painted it as a bother as she put down her brush on her easel with a sigh, but I could tell from her micro-expression that she was excited or anticipating the prospect, or so I would like to believe.

Naturally, Mother ordered Eliza to bring the news to Feyt and tell him to get ready for departure. But since I was already one step ahead, I was already dressed and waiting by the time the knock came at my door.

And that was how this group of four in the carriage was assembled. Oh, and yeah, Leila tagged along because, why wouldn't she?

Our destination was the Grand Square, the capital's largest and most public stage, located far to the northern side of the capital, which was still quite a pace away.

So, perhaps in order to pass the time or ease my anxiousness, Mother spoke up.

"Announced publicly…" she muttered. "What would possess the academy to do such a thing? Even Public Academies don't do such a thing."

"How are results usually announced, Mother?"

Mother finally opened her eyes as she lightly looked at me. "They're usually handled individually. Some academies would call over the examinees to the facility to tell them the results privately, which is how the Royal Governance announces its test results." Mother looked out the carriage window as she continued. "But many others resort to a simple messenger, and that's how the Royal Knights usually do it… until now, for some reason."

"The announcement did say it was done by the Third Prince's orders…"

Mother held back a sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is going to be catastrophic. I can't even imagine what the board must be thinking of right now."

I was concerned about it too. Having all the results posted publicly meant that my scores would be for all to see. I doubt people would look out for the name 'Feyt'... maybe. But Carine Sareid? With the spectacle I had put on during the practical exam, and the fact that I was the highest-ranked examinee in title in the academy for years…

It was safe to say, nearly all eyes would be on the lookout for my name, either out of curiosity, rivalry, or as a benchmark.

Before long, the carriage began to slow. The character of the noise outside shifted from the general clamor of the city to a concentrated, rising hum of countless voices. Leila leaned forward slightly, peering through the window.

"We are arriving, Your Grace," she announced.

"...Good."

I peered out the window from the other side, and there, I saw it.

The Grand Square.

A vast expanse of cobblestones, already teeming with a restless crowd. It was a mix of nobles in fine wear, middle-class citizens watching from afar, and knights in their armor. All of them were converging towards the far end of the square, where a long series of massive boards stood tall, still shrouded in thick, dark cloth.

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Weirdly enough, I couldn't spot a single instructor or academy staff anywhere, ones that were uniformed, at least.

I flicked my eyes away from the boards, afraid of spoiling myself in case Carine's eyes could actually pierce through those cloths.

Still, the scale of this place was daunting. The atmosphere made it feel more like an execution ground than a public square, which, considering the context, might not be entirely wrong.

We disembarked from the carriage, and the four knights who had been our escorts ever since we left the estate formed a protective circle around us. But Mother was the true vanguard of the group, as her glare and presence were enough to announce our arrival to those not even paying attention.

Before long, the crowd had quietly made way for us, and soon enough, we were settled in a perfect space. Close enough to see the board, but far enough not to be crushed by the crowd.

I wondered how long I was going to keep my eyes low to avoid spoiling myself before the official reveal, but thankfully, it seemed we arrived at the perfect time.

A palace official, cloaked in the official robe and everything, stepped onto a dais. The crowd's murmurs quieted down before finally reaching near-perfect silence. Her voice carried clearly throughout the square.

"By the orders of His Highness, the Third Prince, the results of the Royal Knights Academy Entrance Examination are now disclosed!"

My two hearts hammered a frantic, synchronized rhythm against my ribs. This was it.

Would I pass? Would I bring pride? Or would I head back home with my head held down?

With a flourish, attendants began pulling the dark cloths from the boards. They fell away one by one, like curtains rising on the most nerve-wracking play of my life. Massive parchments were revealed, nailed to the wood, covered in a dense, neat wall of text.

And what I saw made my breath freeze.

It wasn't a separate list. There wasn't a different board for the Gilded track or the Standardized track.

There was only one list, stretching from left to right…

…in a unified ranking.

Names, from both tracks, were painted side-by-side, both above and below each other. Next to each name were two scores, 'Written' and 'Practical', and besides that, a final number… the total.

The hell?

This wasn't just making the scores public. The Third Prince, or whoever designed this list, had thrown every noble and commoner into the same, open, public arena and pitted them against each other with direct comparison.

The crowd went awry. Their voices of concern and surprise were clear, especially from those of the higher-class.

But I didn't have the time to focus on them.

Instead, my eyes focused on the list, starting my scouting from the bottom of the list just in case.

The names blurred together in a sea of low numbers. There were… a concerningly large amount of examinees who scored in the single digits.

2…

Another 2…

4…

8…

It was a graveyard of humiliation. What was more concerning were how the names on this part of the list seemingly came from Gilded track examinees. It was definitely the result of guaranteed admission for that track... But I doubted that they would be so complacent if they knew the scores would be public like this.

Thankfully, I didn't spot my name there. When I finally hit the two-digit scores though, the relief was short-lived. My blood ran cold at a familiar name. Not one of my own, but rather…

Kyro de Astanista—[Written: 18, Practical: 0, Total: 18]

Eighteen… He'd scored an eighteen on the written exam, which, compared with the number of examinees below him, was respectable, showing he might be more than just brawn. But… a zero in the practical? It undermined his achievement completely.

And it was clear why he had a zero…

He was buried deep in the lower part of the list, and dread crept up on me.

What would be his reaction upon seeing that score?

Disappointment?

Anger?

Regret?

Had he chosen to keep the flags he had found for himself, he could've gotten more, gotten enough points to prevent ridicule or disappointment…

With a heavy heart, my gaze continued to scour the list. After a long list of examinees who scored in the tens… I finally reached the ones with the twenties. There, another name came upon me.

Clarissa Sayisied—[Written: 26, Practical: 0, Total: 26]

Twenty-six on the written was solid, a score to be proud of. But the glaring zero beside it made it look pathetic. It wasn't a zero out of incompetence; it was a zero because of my own selfishness. She had given everything to the group… to me.

A few names above her, I saw another name. A name that I had been trying to remember all this time, and it was revealed to me in a bleak manner.

Villius Torenkeid—[Written: 28, Practical: 0, Total: 28]

He too scored well enough on the written exam. But just like the others… he had sacrificed his share of the practical exam points to me… Another capable examinee dragged down because of me…

I kept scouring the list, flying past the thirties and into the forties. I was nearing the last few boards when I found another name.

Eveliana Limineid—[Written: 40, Practical: 0, Total: 40]

Forty on the written exam. She had practically aced it. It was a score that could've painted her as one of the top achievers in the entire academy. But the big, obvious zero next to it painted another picture instead…

She could've done so much better had I not accepted her offer. So much better.

I felt sick…

The four of them… Though they would still pass given they were in the Gilded track… they couldn't have known their scores would be revealed to the public like this, to be seen by everyone, to be compared by their friends and families…

Trying to win my favor had put them in this humiliating, regretful placing in the rankings.

My fingers dug into my palms as I wondered if this had been worth it.

I should've shoved those damn flags back into their hands…

I began to hate myself for even seeing them as mere 'advantages' during the exam.

This was the result of that.

I didn't even know where to begin to make it right to them…

But I didn't have the luxury to wallow. Not yet.

My names… I hadn't seen them throughout the list yet.

So, with bated breath, I continued to read through the rankings.

And there they were…

My names…

Both of them in the left-most board, the last—or perhaps first—piece of parchment on this long, unified ranking.

Ranked 6th: Feyt [Written: 42, Practical: 20, Total: 62]

I… hadn't just passed.

I had reached the top 10.

Then, almost against my will, my eyes were drawn upward, climbing the final, last few names.

The one ranked 5th had a total of 63.

The one ranked 4th… 64.

Ranked 3rd… 66.

Ranked 2nd… 67.

And then, there it was. The name at the very apex, the one name every person in this square was now staring at.

Ranked 1st: Carine Sareid [Written: 48, Practical: 31, Total: 79]

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