Abandoned in the mountains, I was adopted by a lizard ~I mastered magic and surpassed my parents, but I didn't know they were legendary ancient dragons~

Chapter 9 I was accepted as a scholarship student

Ten days had passed since the entrance exam.

Today was the day of the results announcement. After finishing breakfast at the inn where I was staying, I decided to go check the results immediately.

“I’m going out, so I’ll return the key for now,” I said.

“Alright, take care,” the receptionist responded as I handed back the room key at the lobby.

Whether I extend my stay here or check out today will depend entirely on the results I’m about to see. I chose this inn for its convenient location, just a five-minute walk from the academy. If I pass, I’ll continue staying here; if I fail, there’s no reason to stay, so I’ll check out.

I had only applied to Zelgius Royal Magic Academy this time. Without any backup options, failure would mean starting my year off as a ronin (a student who failed to get into the academy). Whether I study at my mom’s cave or enroll in a cram school remains undecided. Most cram schools have dedicated dormitories, so either way, I’d be leaving this inn.

Given how the swordsmanship exam went, I wasn’t confident. But I hoped that choosing the creative test format for the magic exam had been the right decision.

Lost in these thoughts, I soon arrived at the front gate of the academy. On either side of the gate were bulletin boards: the one on the right for regular passers and the one on the left for top scorers.

Even though it was still early in the morning, there was already a crowd of examinees and what appeared to be their parents in front of both boards. Some zealous individuals had even reportedly camped out in front of the gate the night before. It was truly an astonishing sight.

Since I didn’t want to get too close to the crowd, I activated my clairvoyant telephoto magic from a distance of about 5 meters to check the bulletin board.

Of course, I was checking the bulletin board for normal passers on the right side.

“My exam number… my exam number…”

To make sure I didn’t overlook anything, I painstakingly checked each number one by one.

But… the result was cruel. My exam number wasn’t there.

Does this mean I’m definitely retaking the exams?

I guess starting to solve mock exam books only a month ago wasn’t a good idea after all.

Of course, the main reason must be my swordsmanship, but even with the written part, maybe I just thought I was doing well without actually understanding it.

Even if I distract myself by solving extra subjects, maybe if I had just focused on one subject instead of two, I could have had more time to review…

It’s useless to worry about it now, but thoughts like that keep swirling around in my head.

…Let’s go home.

Just as I thought that… I overheard a pair of examinees passing nearby saying something like this:

“Hey, wasn’t that scholarship student’s scores kind of weird?”

“Yeah, seriously. Especially that magic exam thing, it’s practically a bug.”

…To be able to get excited talking about other people’s scores, successful applicants really have a different kind of peace of mind.

Here I am feeling so down.

However… hearing that conversation unavoidably made me curious too.

I activated my clairvoyant telephoto magic again and checked the bulletin board for top scorers.

Unlike the regular bulletin board, this one seemed to disclose specific scores for each subject.

The order wasn’t by exam number but by total score from highest to lowest.

The exam numbers and scores of the top three were written in red, and it seemed these three were scholarship recipients.

From the conversation earlier, it seemed that one of them had suspicious scores.

As I looked… it was immediately clear what was abnormal.

One person had a score of 300 points in the magic exam.

“… A typo?”

I thought for a moment, but upon closer inspection, there was a note written in small letters below.

“Exceeded Creative Points Limitation Due to Special Circumstances”

It seems it wasn’t a typo after all.

The score is absurd, but apparently the examiners earnestly assigned this score.

Thinking it’s one of those unusual things, I tried to leave the place.

—But then.

Next to the score, I came across another shocking fact.

“Wait, this exam number…”

Just to be sure, I double-checked my exam ticket.

…No mistake.

This is my number.

Normally, finding out you passed would be cause for great joy, but with a score like this, it’s hard to fully grasp.

Of course, I’m happy, but… why did I get such a score?

A gravity manipulation device, within the range that can be made with that magic stone, is decently high-level, but it shouldn’t be such a remarkable magical tool in itself.

If it had just added up to the maximum of 30 points, that would be one thing, but why intentionally exceed the limit?

Maybe… the essence of that test was about “how to choose a magical tool that other examinees wouldn’t create.”

It was a bit exaggerated, but from the reaction of the examiner at that time, it was clear that the gravity manipulation device wasn’t something that many other examinees had chosen.

Probably, I gained favor because I made a magical tool that people don’t often make.

It’s debatable whether personal feelings should determine grades, but it’s best not to say anything extra if it benefits me.

By the way, when I checked the scores for other subjects, even the swordsmanship exam was perfect.

I guess I saved more expenses than I thought, and I could afford a better sword than the one I broke.

There are still many unknowns, but for now, now that I know I passed, it’s important to switch gears for the upcoming school life.

Following the route marked “Successful Applicants Here,” I received the entrance guide and headed straight back to my lodging.