By: Rhenhwa_est_Empero
Horsemen of the Beyond
Chapter 5: Entrance V
****
Yosen High
Entrance Exams,
A couple of months ago,
8:00 AM. Helia standard time,
On this day were Yosen National-Affiliated Freshman's Entrance Examinations.
Inside the faculty room, rather long room that appears to be made up of at least two standard classrooms joined together, has more space than clustered desks.
This year, the number of applicants had skyrocketed beyond any previous year.
Yet, when all is said and done, it's common knowledge that only a very few would manage to secure a coveted Yosen National-Affiliated College spot.
A dark blue-haired women sat in faculty room, flipping through a stack of applicant profiles while casually smoking a cigarette.
Her eyes scanned each document with a particular disinterest until a low mutter escaped her lips.
"A Tendou... Beastfallen... even those easterners managed to slip in. No surprise."
She exhaled a plume of smoke, watching it swirl above her.
After that, a hand rubbed her temple while the dull ache firmly settling in her eyes and she sifted through names and data.
"I swear, every year it just gets weirder. But this one…"
She glanced over the files again, her lips curling into an involuntary smirk.
Celeste threw the stacked, stapled papers back onto her desk as she collapsed back into her chair, closing her eyes.
"Though I must say, this year will certainly be interesting. A lot of these kids look interesting. A lot of attention this time. Probably that girl's influence, however,…"
Celeste blinked open her eyes as she turned her attention to a pair of her fellow instructors in the corner of the staff room, murmuring between themselves.
One leaned slightly closer.
"Things did change the moment she enrolled. She's even part of the boards, which the upper board members certainly don't appreciate."
Without stirring her attention away from them, Celeste offered a lazy glance.
Without engaging in that conversation, she chose silence – it wasn't worth the trouble, and honestly, it was a hassle.
Exhaling out a "Fuu" in annoyance, she ran her fingers through her hair in contemplation.
Most of those instructors have no sound name to set for themselves.
But with the students at Yosen, even if they aren't the strong, they have a promising future ahead.
Affiliated regard a Yosen diploma as a qualifying credential, which allows a graduate to work with them.
Hence, with all the major names like Beastfallen, Tendou, Rosebell, and Echress, this year was certainly going to be exciting.
But then, her thoughts shifted instantaneously. When going over the files, she abruptly paused.
"Hm?"
'Quadruplets?'
Her cigarette paused midway to her lips as she scanned the files more closely. There they were four candidates, all sharing the same last name.
"Creed?"
She studied their photos.
At first sight, they looked nothing alike.
Different builds, different postures, various expressions, and distinct attitudes, just by looking at their profiles.
Yet, at a glance, she could tell—
"....Damn. How troublesome."
She muttered as her cigarette hung from the corner of her lip.
However, before she could linger on it further, another instructor leaned through the doorway, calling out.
"All instructors report to the main facility. The exams are about to begin."
Celeste sighed deeply, running a hand through her messy hair. "Fuu... More work already?"
With a flick of her wrist, she stubbed out the cigarette and rose to her feet.
The instructor's offices were located on the first floor of the administrative building.
They had been told earlier on their gathering site, which was in the main facility beside the auditorium; that is where the practical test would take place.
But before that, the entrance tests would begin with a two-hour written test commencing at 9:00 AM.
After the written exams, there would be a one-hour break, during which students would prepare for the practical assessments.
Of course, it went as planned.
Written assessments were only to evaluate students' knowledge, and there were a few questions added that pupils would not be able to answer.
But this is standard.
Many didn't focus on the written test as much as they focused on the physical and deployment assessments. You could say that's something every student knew beforehand.
And by the time teachers began examining the students' results after the exams ended…
"Look at this," one instructor murmured, reviewing early results on their data tablet.
"As expected of a Tendou. Top-tier Entropy control, and her practical scores aren't far behind."
"No surprise there."
Another instructor chimed in.
"But in terms of raw strength? That Beastfallen boy crushed her record by a large margin."
"Hm. I think it's only natural, given his family's motto is brute force."
The other instructors mumbled in disbelief when comparing the pupils' statistics.
Most of their focus was around pupils striving for a position in [Special S]—the elite of the elite.
However, …
"This… this is…" Celeste murmured under her breath, her brow furrowing as she rechecked the data.
"What is it?" a colleague asked, walking over to her desk.
The results were surprising, to say the least.
The top four positions in the practical and written exams were unexpectedly swept by a single name: Creed.
"Unbelievable."
"Celeste, what's going on?"
The amazement Celeste Blackwood experienced drew over other instructors.
Other instructors simply struggled to verbalize their thoughts with "impossible".
Despite the shock, those instructors knew the final call rested at the top. The board members, too, were equally busy bickering over the matter.
As all instructors predicted, a meeting was summoned.
Yosen National-Affiliated College,
Conference Room.
Present in the conference room were the board members, the chairperson, the vice-chancellors, and the president of the student council.
Under usual circumstances, the results of an entrance examination wouldn't call for this extreme of a gathering, but this year was unique.
"So you're telling me," one board member said, his voice laced with disbelief, "that four siblings dominated the entire entrance exam?"
The vice-chancellor, who was clearly drained but kept a neutral, replied,
"Correct. I've reviewed the results myself. There's no mistake."
But this was not a concern to the board as another board member leaned forward, frowning deeply, his hands constantly slammed the table between his words.
"I heard a Creed shattered the machine calibrated to measure Enlightened Entropy levels?"
"Yes, that is correct. His name is Enma Creed."
The vice-chancellor nodded his head, hands together as they rested against the table.
"But then, Entropy level quantity does not equate—"
"—To potency, yes. But then he went ahead and scored first in the practical assessment, as he did with the deployment assessment."
"What!?"
Murmurs of discontent spread among the board members. They exchanged anxious glances. Several leaned back in their chairs, crossing their arms.
It was evident that many were visibly uncomfortable with the prospect of unknowns like the Creeds obtaining high positions.
The vice chancellor actively restrained them with facts and outcomes, while the chairman and student president stayed silent.
Although she was a board member, the majority remained unsatisfied with her position. After all, she held the same standing as them.
"But then, what do you want the Central, HQ, and other families to say? What about the Rosebells? They won't be pleased, that's for sure."
"Regardless, the results are clear, no? Besides, we've reviewed the recordings. There was no cheating involved."
The vice-chancellor rebutted another member of the board that went against the Creed calmly.
Having been in this position, he was one of the advocates of equality amongst them.
"But then, what about the Entropy booster? They could have—"
"—Impossible."
The vice-chancellor countered again.
"They were thoroughly checked before the assessments, and you of all people know how strict our screening process is."
"Kuh!"
The discussions continued on until the chairman eventually banged his hand on the table. "Enough!"
The room fell into an unsettling quiet as all eyes went to him.
"Eira," the chairman said, addressing the Student Council President. "What do you think?"
The chairman asked this, and this is when things took a turn. There was an unmistakable scowl on the faces of the board; it was plain they were opposed to this—the chairman asking for a child's opinion, to put it simply.
The board all considered her as someone unworthy to be there. They were hostile to her overall status. If she were to graduate with her position, their positions would be challenged.
All this indicates how much they disliked her presence here.
"Disregarding the physical and deployment assessments, they aced the written exams as well."
"I reviewed the security footage, and they did it using only their own. Additionally, the sensors discovered no means of cheating being exploited."
Unlike normal institutions, Yosen is less practical regarding written exams. However, they have the required instruments for monitoring.
"Besides, a Creed got the highest mark, surpassing the second-ranked student by a significant margin."
"This…"
Eira Seiravelle's statements put them in a constant silence that not even one of the boards could react or push the debate any longer.
"Seems like there's nothing more to be said."
"Now that everything is settled, I hereby decree—"
The matter was settled. The Creeds would enter Yosen College with the highest rankings, much to the dismay of certain families and board members.
And that wasn't all.
In addition, National-Affiliated had openly showed interest in the four brothers, preventing other families from overtly opposing the Creeds, at least for now.
Back in the faculty offices,
Celeste collapsed on her chair, massaging her temples in frustration. "What a hassle," she mumbled under her breath.
The mound of documents related to the Creed brothers had risen dramatically, thanks to the controversy surrounding their performance. As if that weren't horrific enough…
"Dear Celeste Blackwood, you are hereby chosen as…"
"...The instructor of Class A…!?"
Celeste's eyes twitched as she read the letter, running a hand through her hair. This was pretty much a death sentence for her, which meant extra labour.
"Of all the people they could have chosen, they picked me?"
"Damn the higher ups what do they take me for?"
She muttered, with an especially annoyed expression. But no matter how much she grumbled, there was no way around it. The decision had been made.
"Haah. Fine, then."
Resigned to her fate, Celeste stubbed out her cigarette as she fell back in her chair.
"At least, be worth the trouble, damn Creeds."