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Mondri couldn’t say a word.

It felt like a cold hand was squeezing his heart tightly.

With a pale face, he barely managed to respond.

“I’m sorry… I can’t help… The selection of special students is entirely up to the admissions director… I only give the approval…”

It was right after that.

The anger that had been pressing down on Mondri disappeared.

Tristan leaned back in his chair and spoke.

“I see. I understand what you mean.”

Mondri, finally able to breathe, gasped for air.

‘This brat…’

Mondri barely held back the curse that was about to slip out.

Mondri Cremont, the legendary magician who was the chancellor of Meikhael University and was said to be close to the realm of a Sage.

Everyone who recognized him bowed their heads in respect.

But this brat wasn’t intimidated at all.

Like father, like son, they say.

Mondri stared at Tristan.

He was an eerily gloomy man.

His murky eyes, like the deep sea, reflected nothing.

In that emptiness, Mondri felt an inexplicable fear.

‘Wait… I’m scared? Me??’

To feel fear in front of a noble who looked younger than his own son.

It was humiliating.

‘Am I seeing the ghost of the late William…?’

Mondri was confused.

Yet, the reason he didn’t change his expression was simply due to the power of experience.

“Thank you for understanding. If you wish, I can call the admissions director to discuss further.”

“Then do so.”

“Yes. But… may I ask one thing?”

“What is it?”

Mondri voiced the question he had been pondering.

“Well… Count, it’s surprising that you’ve discovered the joy of learning, even if late. But for a student without magic power to study at this school…”

“Sir Mondri.”

Tristan cut him off.

His expression was微妙.

In that moment, Mondri realized his mistake.

Not being able to use magic had always been a sore spot for the Ruelberta family.

He had touched a nerve.

“Ah, my apologies. That was out of line…”

“It’s not me.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s not me who wants to enroll in this school, but my servant.”

A wrinkle formed between Mondri’s brows.

Did he hear that wrong?

Mondri slowly took a sip of tea.

In that brief moment, he replayed the conversation in his mind.

Was the Count perhaps at the wrong school?

This was Meikhael University.

Surely, he knew this wasn’t a place for mere servants.

Mondri spoke again, with the same expression as before.

This, too, was the power of experience.

“Not the Count, but the Count’s servant… you mean?”

“Correct.”

“Then where is this servant?”

“This child here.”

Count Tristan pointed to a girl in a coat standing right beside him.

Hmm?

When Mondri stared at her, the girl flinched, as if intimidated.

She had been keeping her head down the whole time.

With her voluminous curly hair, she looked like a small pet.

“…I thought she was the Count’s younger sister. But she looks quite young. How old is she?”

“Twelve.”

“Ah… Then she won’t be able to take the entrance exam for at least five more years.”

“I believe the special student selection isn’t bound by age.”

“Ah? That’s true, but…”

“I intend to enroll her as a special student.”

“Eek! Count, I, I can’t—!”

Tristan raised his hand to stop the girl’s words.

“She has the qualifications.”

“Qualifications, you say…?”

“She has a talent that surpasses others.”

Mondri’s eyes narrowed.

He stared at the girl Tristan had brought.

She looked young and frail.

She seemed to lack confidence and mental strength.

She didn’t look like someone with talent at all.

‘Hmm…’

Seeing this, Mondri fell into thought.

Meikhael University, the top educational institution in the country.

According to the Empire’s laws, which strive for equality in education, ‘on paper,’ anyone can enroll.

But if you look at all the graduates, over 99% are nobles.

The reason is simple.

The exorbitant tuition fees.

A year’s tuition alone costs at least 20 million Kael.

Even if you manage to pay the fees, the entrance exam is no walk in the park.

Many students take the exam multiple times just to get into Meikhael University.

If the regular admissions process is this tough, the special admissions process is on a whole other level.

Special admissions are for students with exceptional talents.

It’s not something you can pass just by working hard like the regular admissions.

Only those chosen by talent can pass through the narrow gap of the special admissions process.

The Count must know this.

Mondri quietly observed Tristan.

The thoughts of the young Count before him were completely unreadable.

“If that’s what you say, I understand. I’ll call the admissions director right away. The special exam will take some time to prepare, so shall we proceed this afternoon?”

“…That’s fine.”

Even after saying this, Tristan remained composed.

As if he truly believed this girl had some extraordinary talent.

Allowing the exam was simply out of curiosity.

Mondri was intrigued.

The intentions of Tristan, the son of the only man he had ever feared.

That damn William never lied, after all.

Mondri decided it was worth giving it a shot.

If she failed the exam, he could just reject her.

Mondri stood up from his chair.

There was still time, but he needed to start preparing for the exam.

He asked Tristan,

“Then, will you wait here for a moment? I’ll start preparing for the exam right away—”

“There’s a place I want to visit before the exam.”

“Hmm?”

Mondri stroked his beard and asked,

“Where would that be?”

*

“Co-Count… are we going together…?”

Wendy, following behind, spoke in a voice on the verge of tears.

I was now climbing the stairs.

In the main building of Meikhael University, there was a staircase that led into the void.

Known among students as the Stairway of Truth.

“Wendy, stay down here. I can go alone.”

“B-but… I want to, but…”

Wendy looked at me with teary eyes.

“I can’t go down… Ohh…”

There was nothing beneath her feet.

The Stairway of Truth was a special structure created by magic.

In other words, it was transparent.

So Wendy looked like she was floating in mid-air.

“Wendy. Calm down.”

“Count, I’m sorry… I think this is as far as I can go… Ohh…”

Her words were so pitiful that I almost laughed.

To her, this must feel like a life-or-death situation.

“That’s why I told you not to follow me.”

“B-but… I’m your personal attendant… I have to stay by your side always…”

“……”

Well, her enthusiasm was commendable.

But coming this far was the result of her own courage.

I wasn’t rotten enough to dismiss that.

No choice, then.

I turned around and descended the stairs I had just climbed.

With each step into the void, I felt a strange sensation, and soon I stood before Wendy.

Tears streaming down her face, she said,

“Co-Count… leave me behind and go ahead… Please remember that I didn’t cry until the end… Sniff.”

“……Close your eyes.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t make me say it twice. Close your eyes.”

“Okay…”

Wendy obediently followed my instruction.

I took her small hand in mine.

Her tiny body flinched, and I could feel it through her hand.

“Wendy. Listen carefully.”

In fact, there was a secret to these stairs.

“You’re in the middle of the stairs now.”

“Okay…”

The way to climb these magical, transparent stairs.

“I’ll hold your hand, so take one step at a time.”

“Okay?! But I can’t see anything…!”

“Even if you open your eyes, you won’t see anything.”

On these magical stairs, the next step appears where you think it should be.

So you just need to climb them like normal stairs.

“So close your eyes and climb the stairs like this.”

“Sniff… Count… what if there’s no step in front of me…? I don’t trust myself… Ohh…”

In other words, only those who believe can climb the stairs.

“Don’t you trust me?”

Therefore, if you don’t think you’ll fall, you never will.

“Then trust me.”

“…… Sniff.”

Wendy, with her eyes closed, wiped her tears.

“I trust you, Count… Ohh…”

Then Wendy slowly lifted her right foot.

One step.

Her small foot was supported by the void.

She lifted her left foot.

Two steps.

After that, she picked up speed.

Wendy climbed the stairs with determination.

Reassured, I held her small hand and climbed the stairs with her.

Looking around, I saw students who had come out to study during the break.

As I climbed the incredibly high stairs, I looked to see if any notable characters were among them, but there were none.

As I climbed the Stairway of Truth, I stopped.

“Wendy.”

“Yes?”

“You can open your eyes now.”

What lay before us was far grander than what I had read about in books.

“We’ve arrived.”

It was the Magic Library, the pride of Meikhael University.

 

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