The halls of Arcadia Academy bustled with life as freshmen, sophomores, and seniors roamed about.
I found myself seated in the far back of a lecture hall. The professor's aide droned on with her lesson, some students listening attentively, while others only pretended to.
As for me? I couldn't care less. My gaze lingered on the nearby window, drifting outside.
I never imagined I'd be stuck in class again. After all, I'd already graduated college years ago. And now here I was, back in the body of a teenager—back in high school. Honestly? It was weird. Really weird.
I smirked faintly, pulling an ornate pendant from my chest pocket. "Still… I'm glad I managed to get this," I whispered.
The certification pendant of Arcadia Academy. Embedded with the royal insignia, it was proof that I was a student here. Carrying this thing anywhere—whether in Arcadia, Yuraveil, or any other city in the Nebula Kingdom—meant instant respect. Better treatment than adventurers. Sometimes even better than nobles.
I slipped the pendant back into my pocket, smiling. Yeah. I couldn't wait to use it.
The lecture hall doors suddenly swung open.
A man entered—draped in a black mage's garb lined with faintly glowing mana gems, a silver satchel over his shoulder, and fine gloves that shimmered with faint magical light. His hair was streaked with silver, betraying his age, and his sharp red eyes swept the room.
His gaze fell on the professor's aide. "You may leave," he said flatly. She bowed and slipped out.
Now alone at the center of the hall, the man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Quiet down, everyone. Pay attention."
I stiffened. I knew this man.
"My name is Professor Argois Threpter," he said. "We will be taking an exam shortly. Put away everything except writing supplies and notes." His red eyes scanned the room like a hawk. "Other items—glasses, books, trinkets—must be examined beforehand."
I froze. An exam? Right after the entrance ceremony? That… wasn't in the game. Then again, I had skipped a lot of cutscenes.
Still, I remembered enough from the lore. Arcadia Academy was stricter than any school on Earth. High school, university—none of it compared. The first day alone included the dreaded Class Purging Exam.
Basically? A test that sorted students into ranks. Fail, and you ended up in the bottom classes—Eor F. Succeed, and you could land anywhere up to the elite S-Class.
The professor handed out the exam papers, rows of parchment passing hand to hand until one landed on my desk.
I glanced down, then chuckled nervously. …Yeah, I had zero clue what any of this meant. I didn't even recognize the language.
Other students, though? Especially the main characters? They breezed through it like it was child's play. I already knew they'd end up in S-Class.
But me? Dean Mayfest? Lowest placement in academy history. Rank 2,300 out of thousands. A literal nobody.
I wondered, What if I just skip writing anything at all? What could they even do—expel me on day one?
Nah. Probably not. Right?
Still… even if I wrote something down, the game dictated I'd land in F-Class. That much was inevitable.
My eyes wandered across the hall—and stopped on Hayden Break.
He lounged in his seat, resting his chin on his palm. His paper? Already filled out. Completely. Before anyone else had even finished reading the first page.
I clicked my tongue. Typical Hayden. Perfect in looks, brains, and power. The guy really was born blessed. His family was one of the Ten Great Houses, after all.
I sighed, hoping Yang—the protagonist—would manage to sway him to the side of good. If Ethris ever got their hands on him, it'd be disastrous.
But that was her job. Not mine.
I turned back to my own paper. My pencil hovered uselessly above the parchment. Yeah, nope. Not a single word made sense.
That's when it hit me.
I slid a hand under the desk and whispered, summoning Archiver. The book materialized in my palm, and I set it on the desk as casually as possible, trying to make it look like an ordinary notebook.
"Archiver," I thought. Find the exam answers.
The book flipped through its pages with a blur until it landed on page twelve. And there they were. The full set of answers.
A grin spread across my face. "No way… it actually worked."
Just as I picked up my pencil—
A shadow loomed over me.
Professor Argois.
"What is that book?" His voice was cold.
I froze. My body went stiff, sweat beading down my neck. Slowly, I looked up. "…Uh. Well…"
"Did I not say that glasses and textbooks must be examined before use?" His red eyes narrowed.
Crap. He had said that.
He extended his hand. "Give it here." His tone was sharp, no-nonsense.
I hesitated but had no choice. Refusing would look even worse. Reluctantly, I handed over Archiver, praying it wouldn't expose me.
Argois flipped through the pages. My heart hammered in my chest.
That's when the system's voice chimed in my head.
[Item "Archiver" is no longer in your possession.]
[Would you like to recall it? Y/N]
No! I screamed inwardly. No, no, no!
Argois studied the book carefully, his brows knitting together. Then, to my surprise, his irritation faded into… confusion? Bewilderment?
"There's no magic in this book. And… no text either." He glanced at me. "Why exactly do you have something like this?"
My jaw went slack. Wait. He… can't see the text?
I quickly snapped out of it. "I-It's just a notebook, sir," I stammered. "I… uh… haven't written anything in it yet. I was thinking of using it for notes."
Argois stared at me for a moment, then sighed. "Next time, have it examined first. Don't pull it out in an exam again."
He set it back on my desk and walked off.
I exhaled so hard it was almost a wheeze. Somehow—I'd gotten away with it.
I flipped Archiver back to page twelve. The answers were still there. Relief washed over me. Smiling, I picked up my pencil and got to work, scribbling answers down while pretending to jot notes in Archiver at the same time.
At this rate, I might actually land a decent—
"Pencils down. The exam is over."
My hand froze mid-word. My pencil hovered above question three.
"…Huh?"