Youngest 091
by CristaeEpisode 91
“When did you even have time to prepare for that?”
I blurted out the question in Khalid’s stead, startled. Father, as if he’d anticipated it, replied nonchalantly.
“With money and coerc—no, with money and negotiation skills, anything is possible.”
“Ah… I see…”
Truly, you are remarkable.
I was about to ask if it wasn’t all a bit much, when suddenly the knights, having just arrived, shouted from behind.
“Go, Khal! If you don’t place in the top three, we’ll sprinkle flower petals over your bed!”
“If you win, we’ll tell you the secret location of that northern dessert shop you keep obsessing over! Though, did he even like cake?”
Just what kind of life does he lead among the knights?
The shameless Khalid coughed loudly and averted his head.
As all eyes turned toward him, I could clearly read his lips: “I don’t know those people.”
“Pfft, he’s embarrassed.”
The tips of Khalid’s ears, hidden behind his hair, turned bright red.
Thanks to our family’s boisterous spectacle, everyone’s cheering grew louder in a bid to compete. Walled in by that noise, I called out softly myself.
“Do your best, my friend!”
Even though my voice couldn’t possibly carry, Khalid looked up at me in a flash.
As the announcer entered and the feverish atmosphere hit its peak—
“All right! For everyone’s safety, please be careful as you… Ready, set, go!”
The race had begun!
“Hm. To think such talent was hidden in the north?”
At the judge’s table for the riding event.
There sat the competition’s panel, endowed with the authority to award “star stickers.” Most of the judges were academy professors.
“Headmaster Odelli, I see you’re interested.”
Odelli nodded emphatically.
“Very much so. Healthy mind, healthy body. That calm face even after winning—especially impressive.”
His victory was a veritable whirlwind.
Khalid shot out like an arrow, finishing the race in a flash with a lead of overwhelming distance over the others. Not even out of breath—he didn’t even seem to have tried his hardest.
Odelli tore out a strip of star stickers, while a professor commented with concern.
“He doesn’t seem to be one of the noble children… Wouldn’t it be hard for him to enroll at our academy? He looks to be past the entrance age.”
Odelli replied sharply, brow furrowed.
“Why do you think I established the scholarship and transfer systems?”
“Ah, of course.”
“Send him an academy brochure immediately.”
The professor nodded his assent. Then, another professor on the opposite side spoke.
“Come to think of it, I believe the young lady of the duke’s family is about to reach academy age, too.”
Odelli smiled brightly.
“Yes. We absolutely cannot miss out on either student. I trust everyone is aware our academy’s registration rate is falling every day?”
“Gasp, yes…”
“We can’t let those two fall into the hands of southern Mariard!”
The young lady whose entrance was already extraordinary, and that boy at the center of today’s excitement—
“By any means necessary, bring them to our academy!”
Odelli’s eyes blazed with the discovery of new talent. But just then, a professor who had been quietly observing doused the mood with cold water.
“But from what I hear, Duke Zevert won’t let his youngest out of his sight even for a moment. Wouldn’t he hire private tutors instead of sending her to the academy?”
“No parent can ever win against their child.”
“Pardon…?”
“Professor Yuliope, what’s our academy’s camp schedule?”
From the very back row, a tired young professor answered,
“…Tsk. There were no plans this year.”
“Plans are made to be changed.”
Odelli announced cheerfully.
Oh, I hear it, I hear it now—the sound of work piling up. The professors’ eyes wobbled in dismay.
“Anyone free this autumn? A golden opportunity to lure—no, to meet our adorable prospective students. It’s only ten days, you know?”
“Ahem, I suddenly have urgent business…”
“Oh dear, my stomach hurts…”
The professors averted their eyes from the headmaster’s nonsense with practiced skill.
“You were amazing.”
I gave Khalid two enthusiastic thumbs up.
“You didn’t use any acceleration magic, did you?”
“Who do you take me for.”
“Really, you were incredible! First place!”
As I applauded, Khalid looked a little shy and fiddled with his lips.
‘He really was so fast!’
The other kids didn’t even come close, lagging behind by several laps. The exclamations of the amazed spectators still rang in my ears.
“Here.”
Khalid handed me a golden badge.
“Huh? Why are you giving this to me?”
“I have no use for it. And all these star stickers, too.”
He handed over a card covered in star-shaped stickers. With ten in all plus the badge’s points, 150 in total!
“But is it okay to give these away like this?”
“They said it was fine as long as it’s between participants. See, those kids are pooling their star stickers too.”
I looked where Khalid gestured with his chin.
Several kids clustered together, and some were, as if prearranged, handing all their event star stickers over to one child.
Though no one broke 100 points that way.
“I see… So negotiating for badges and stickers can be part of a winning strategy too.”
I looked at the badge and stickers in my hand.
Wait, if I pick up a few more star stickers in the maze, maybe I could aim for the grand prize myself!
“Thanks, Khal!”
I grinned from ear to ear, excited.
“Well, it’s because you cheered me on…”
“Huh? Isn’t that a bit much for just cheering?”
Khalid cleared his throat, his embarrassed face looking away as he muttered,
“Yours was the only voice I could hear anyway.”
“Eh, really?”
Not that you didn’t want to hear the others, right?
The second day of the competition.
Today was Youth Day for Liam.
“Now, let’s begin the quiz bowl!”
The children were seated in rows upon the tiered stage.
“This year’s quiz topics are history and biology!”
The emcee announced the quiz topics.
‘Huh? Not herbology?’
Seated with the spectators, I tilted my head in confusion. Olivier and Titi had both said it would be herbology, but it turned out their information was wrong.
‘Good thing neither of them decided to enter.’
I’m relieved none of us faced the misery of studying the wrong material…
One by one, the contestants began to enter.
“Did you eat your lucky caramel?”
“Don’t forget your fork! Pick the right answers!”
Worried parents cheered eagerly from behind.
“Okay, everyone, put your books away. Now your true skills will be revealed. If you read your textbook three times, there’s nothing to worry about.”
The emcee’s strict tone…
‘Is this a college entrance exam or what…’
Among the competitors, Liam Zevert pushed up his glasses with a cool, aloof face.
On his sharp shoulder, perfectly organized, was a brightly colored sash of encouragement.
‘Glad he liked it—I thought he might hate it.’
It was the handwritten banner I’d stayed up late making the night before.
“Go, Brother!”
I called out bravely, and Liam answered with a calm wave of his hand.
“Now, question number one! History! We’ll start easy with a legend of Babylon!”
It had begun at last!
“Now, when the goddess Wystal fled the curse of the first Mage King and arrived in this land, the first one she met was…”
Beep. Liam blew his horn.
“I haven’t even finished the question yet… Yes, Liam Zevert?”
With all the confidence in the world, Liam answered coolly.
“The founding emperor, Lin Babylon.”
“Which Lin Babylon?”
“……”
“For the first question, since it’s a warm-up, we made it multiple choice. Starting this year.”
I saw, with perfect clarity, a hairline crack form in Liam’s face. But the boy did not falter.
“Which number?”
“Pardon? I couldn’t quite hear you.”
“One, two, th, fo… five…”
“……?”
A sly smile tugged at the corner of Liam’s lips.
“Number three, Lin Babylon?”
“Oh! Correct!”
Incredible—such a skill!
To probe the host’s subtle reactions by cycling through the answer numbers…
“Lucky guess. Next question!”
Liam’s moment of fluster lasted only an instant.
From then on, it was all his show.
“Pointed ears, body as hard as stone… Yes, Liam Zevert.”
“Orton forest boar. A species native mostly to the eastern region, often mistaken for a magical beast due to its size, but it’s actually quite tame…”
“That’s enough details. Next question: How do you remove the toxins from a swamp creature—”
“Pound it, double-boil, then dry.”
“Then the next quest—”
“Mud worm.”
“I haven’t even started the question yet!”
The host yelled in frustration. Liam, wearing that sharp look, pushed up his glasses and replied,
“Judging by recent trends, I figured it was about time for that one.”
You, who can read even the intent of the question-setter.
Should I call it impressive, or simply exhausting…