Myoil stroked the cat’s whiskers.

Then, the rock in front split like tofu.

“Wow…”

Wendy, who saw it, was amazed.

The reaction was unbearably cute.

Thinking so, Myoil manipulated the magical power with delicate hand movements.

The magic carved and shaped the cut rock, turning it into a chessboard in no time.

“Little girl.”

“Huh?!”

“Do you know what chess is?”

Wendy shook her head.

“Oh, no… I’m sorry…”

“Hahaha. No need to apologize for that. It’s something you might not know.”

A stone seat built near the shrine.

Myoil and Wendy sat facing each other.

And between them, the newly made chessboard was placed.

“Simply put, this is a game where two people compete in skill.”

“Skill…?”

“That’s right.”

Myoil took out white chess pieces from his apron.

“Here. These stones are your pieces.”

“Okay…”

“Move these to defeat all my soldiers, and you win.”

“These are soldiers…?”

“That’s right.”

The pieces placed on the chessboard.

Myoil placed his hand on the board.

Then, a change came over Myoil’s pieces.

“Wow…”

The white stones slightly crumpled and turned into soldiers in armor.

Some stones became cavalry on horses, others archers with bows.

They all shone with a golden light.

“Myoil, how did you do that just now?”

“In chess, we use special stones called magic shape stones. When you pour your magical power into them, they transform into soldiers according to your nature. In short, you create your own army with stones.”

“My own army…”

Seeing Wendy deep in thought, Myoil smiled.

It felt like watching a great-granddaughter, unbearably cute.

So, Myoil looked forward to the tricks this cute girl would show.

“Alright. Now, little girl, you try. First, place the pieces on the board.”

“Okay!”

“And imagine. A sturdy army that can protect you.”

“Okay.”

“Good. Now, slowly release your magical power.”

As Wendy infused her magical power, the pieces changed.

The chess pieces became heavily armed cavalry.

Knights with spears roared.

They were all clad in pitch-black armor.

A unit of black knights.

Myoil’s eyebrows raised.

“Hoho… This is…”

“I did it! Myoil’s are gold, but mine are black.”

“I see… unmistakably black…”

Not hearing Myoil’s mutter, Wendy smiled brightly at her black knights.

Magical power carries the user’s unique traits.

Like fingerprints, no two are the same.

But ‘color’ is different.

An attribute of magical power, a privilege only special individuals can have.

Of course, Myoil expected white chess pieces…

‘It wasn’t a trick, but talent…’

But this talent is very dangerous.

It must be guarded against.

The bloodline of Ruelberta, who saw through my ‘true self’.

Her servant was also no ordinary person.

After a moment of thought, Myoil composed himself.

And with the same nonchalant attitude, he spoke to Wendy.

“Well done. How about a game right now?”

“Huh? Myoil, but I don’t know the rules well…”

“It’s fine. The rules of this game are practically non-existent.”

Myoil’s army formed a formation.

“The way to win is simple. Use your army to defeat the opponent’s army. Or…”

At the head of the golden army was a commander in luxurious armor.

“Or defeat the opponent’s commander first to win.”

“I see…”

“But…”

Myoil tilted his head and asked about something that had been bothering him.

“Why is your commander so fat?”

“Huh?”

Wendy looked at her army, and indeed, a fat black knight stood proudly at the front.

*

It was quite some time later when I came out of the library.

Repeatedly using greed and patience had left me completely exhausted.

Wendy and Myoil, who were playing chess, stood up abruptly when they saw me.

“Did you find the book you were looking for?”

I nodded.

“The organization of the materials was excellent. Myoil, you managed it well.”

“Haha. Not at all. The ancient magic library is a place people rarely visit, so it was just left alone.”

“Hmm.”

I took out a watch from my pocket to check the time.

The exam time Mondri mentioned was approaching.

“It’s time.”

“Time…?”

Wendy answered Myoil’s question instead.

“Yeah… I have to take an entrance exam soon, and I don’t know what to do…”

“The little girl is taking an entrance exam? Here at Meikhael University?”

“Yeah… that’s right… Not just any exam, but a special talent exam… Ugh.”

Wendy made a pained face.

But Myoil’s expression was微妙.

“So that’s how it is…”

“Myoil…?”

“Haha… It’s nothing. I’m just worried about the little girl taking the exam.”

“You’re so kind, Myoil…”

Wendy hugged Myoil tightly.

Myoil patted her head with his cat hand.

It was unclear if it was a grandfather comforting his granddaughter or a girl hugging a cat.

Anyway, it seemed the two had grown quite close in my absence.

“Oh? Count…”

Then, Wendy asked me.

“What is it?”

“Have you lost some weight…?”

Perhaps it was from repeatedly using my personality trait.

“I’m just a bit tired.”

“Haha. The Count seems tired too, so why not go directly this time?”

“Fine.”

“Understood. Here we go.”

Myoil did a somersault.

But this time, unlike before, he spun twice in the air.

Then, my vision flipped twice.

As if we had teleported, the scenery before us changed.

“Myoil… where is this?”

“Haha. If the little girl is taking an entrance exam, it can only be here.”

A circular arena reminiscent of Rome’s Colosseum.

Exactly as described in the original work.

This must be the underground arena of Meikhael University.

We stood right in the center.

“Huh?”

Someone was visible over there.

Seeing us, a familiar figure approached in surprise.

It was Mondri.

“Count? How did you know to come here?”

“I brought them.”

“…Old man?!”

Mondri was greatly startled upon seeing Myoil.

Understandably so.

“No, weren’t you always in the Forest of Truth? How did you get here…”

“Haha. Reading books made me restless. The library’s owner came, so I thought I’d drop by to see your face.”

“That’s… You could have at least told me you were coming…”

Truly, the personality of a recluse master.

Myoil isn’t one to step forward easily.

Rather, he finds everything bothersome and dislikes the mundane world.

Even Mondri, the university chancellor, speaks respectfully and can’t treat him casually.

Of course, I knew the reason, but I just watched silently.

“So, are you preparing for the exam now?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… You’ve prepared quite a variety. Do they select students with these nowadays?”

Myoil pointed to the various magical tools used for the exam.

Each one was a high-end magical tool worth at least 100 million Kael.

“Yes. Since it’s for selecting special talents, we need a level of skill that everyone can accept-”

“Pointless.”

“Excuse me? Pointless, you say…?”

Myoil took off his apron.

“Who are the examiners for today?”

“It was a sudden exam, so I only contacted Hans and Beatrice. You might not know, but Hans is the admissions director-”

“Too soft.”

“Excuse me?”

Mondri couldn’t help but be flustered.

“Then, what should we do about the exam?”

“I’ll participate as an examiner.”

“My, Myoil, you’re saying you’ll participate directly?!”

“Yes.”

The university chancellor was flustered by an old cat, quite a peculiar sight.

“Even if you say so, as the chancellor, it’s difficult for me…”

“Your position is none of my concern.”

“Old man…!”

“Now, Mondri, how long will you be stubborn? Don’t you trust your great teacher?”

“No, wait, that’s a secret-!”

Mondri glanced at me and spoke.

“Ah. Understood! I’ll do as you say, so please stop talking.”

“Hahaha. That’s more like my disciple.”

“Sigh…”

Mondri covered his face with his hand, looking utterly defeated.

The chancellor’s dignity must have plummeted.

Myoil, seemingly unfazed, spoke.

“I detest dragging things out. It’s better to decide things decisively.”

“…Are you suggesting we use the classical method?”

When Mondri asked as if he had guessed, Myoil nodded.

“That’s right. It’s obviously a special exam requested by the Count, isn’t it? There should be some penalty to make it fair.”

Myoil looked at me and asked.

“Count, you have no objections, do you?”

I nodded in agreement.

“Allowing the exam is enough. Myoil, or should I say, Myohail Cremont?”

The old cat smiled at my words.

He was the first head of the Cremont family, the first to earn the title of Sage.

And the ‘true’ chancellor of Meikhael University.