I watched as the strongest mage in the kingdom put his hands behind his back and began his speech. “To everyone here, I thank you for coming to take the test of the Royal Magic Academy. It is my pleasure to be able to see so many aspiring mages and knights wanting to make a name for themselves and serve their kingdom. You make me proud to be the Dean of this academy.

“While I wish that all of you could pass, I know this is not the case. For those who fail today, you will still have a chance next time as long as you have not passed the age of eighteen. You must understand that being someone who is to become a leader of this kingdom or their respective kingdoms, you must have the necessary skills from the start. We do not wish to see young ones lose their lives chasing dreams they are not deemed to see to fruition.” I have to say this man had a way with words. He is not beating around the bush, yet he is not degrading the people who may fail either. He gave a good reason on why they do not accept everyone.

“While I know those who fail will be heartbroken, I do hope that in the future, you will find another path in life. Never give up hope and always look for the next best thing.” The Dean paused for a moment before continuing.

“Now then. Let me explain to you what the tests will be this time around. The first part of the test will test your physical combat abilities to see if you are able to join any of the knight courses. The second part will consist of testing your magical abilities to see if you can join any of the mage courses. Those who pass both may freely choose courses from both sides, that is, if you are able to pass the last part of the test, which will be to venture into a newly discovered dungeon….” Now, this was new…. I heard about small worlds but not anything about any dungeons….-.“I can see some of you are confused as to what I mean. As of late strange areas have begun to pop up around our kingdom and other kingdoms as well. These areas are now called dungeons and have new kinds of monsters inside. Some of which are humanoid in nature. Even if cleared out, unless you destroy the dungeon core at the end of the dungeon, the monsters inside will always reappear and will also never leave the dungeon itself. The dungeon you will be going to has many different monsters but mainly a new species we call goblins. They are humanoid and can use weapons and magic. But they are very weak.

“As you all know, to join our academy, you must sign a waiver in case of death. Starting this year, the waiver must be signed before you join in case you die during the test. We will begin with registration first, and then you will be led to a waiting area where you will be tested. Please make note that this may take a few days as we will be dealing with one examinee at a time, and once you enter, you may not leave until the end of the tests.” The Dean explained. I was happy that I always had sleeping gear in my inventory. At times like this, it was very helpful. Speaking of sleeping gear.

I looked over at Lance and asked: “Did you bring a tent?”

“Ah!….” Lance lowered his head, his cheeks turning red.

“He can just sleep outside!” Adel said with a snort.“No, he can’t. But…. I do have a big enough tent for all of us so we can just share. Lance will just have to sleep on the far side of the tent.” We already lived under the same roof, so sharing a tent with him wouldn’t be much different. It’s not like we would be taking our clothes off or anything.

“Faith, I don’t think that is…..” Lance tried to reject my offer, but I raised my hand, stopping him from speaking.

“Lance, what is my job?” I asked.

“To protect Adel and I….” Lance replied.

“Exactly. If I made you sleep outside during the tests, I would not be doing my job correctly. I was already stabbed once to save you. I do not wish for you to lose your life any time soon. As long as you do not get any funny ideas about Sally while we are all asleep, there will be no issue.” I explained while still tossing in a jab at him, causing Adel and Sophie to giggle and Sally to give me a confused look.

“What!? What does Miss Sally have to do with this!” Lance yelled out in a cracked voice.

“Oh? I was only joking. Why are you suddenly getting all flustered? Did you fall in love with Sally at first sight?” I asked in a teasing manner, causing Lance’s cheeks to turn red. Now, this was really entertaining. I nudged Adel, who gave me a nod and a knowing look and smiled. “Sally, what do you think of Prince Lance?”

Sally still seemed confused about the situation as she looked over at Lance, who was smiling at her with the same stupid grin on his face that he always had. Only this time, his cheeks were red, and his eyes held a bit of expectation. “He has a creepy smile, so I think he is a creep?”

“Pfft!” Adle spat out as she heard Sally’s answer. She looked up at her brother and shook her head while trying to stifle her laughter. As for Lance, he lowered his head once more. The smile on his face also disappeared.

“I told you so!” I said teasingly. “Maybe if you get rid of that smile, maybe she will start to like you.”

“Faith, did I anger you at all?” Lance asked with a pitiful look on his face. I sighed as I shook my head. “No, I was just making a point. Sally can not go against my commands, so if I ask her a question, she will speak the truth. Although I did not expect you to like Sally, I was only joking there.”