Her full name followed, complete with the many middle names befitting someone of royalty.
And when she finally ended with “Grace,”
“Grace…?”
“A member of the royal family…?”
Go Eun-bi and Yeon-ha-neul were visibly stunned.
Only now did they realize the girl sharing jjapaguri with them was a princess of the Grace Empire.
Their demeanour shifted at once.
“I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you were royalty. I shouldn’t have been so casual…”
“If we were disrespectful in any way, please accept our apology.”
The two quickly straightened their backs and bowed their heads.
Risa gave a sheepish smile and shook her head.
“Please don’t be like that. Lift your head.”
Even with the delicate grace of royalty, Risa’s tone was gentle.
“Even if I’m of royal blood, I’m just another applicant like all of you. We’re not in the Grace Empire, and here, titles don’t mean anything. So please, talk to me casually… treat me like a friend. As equals. That’s all I ask.”
“She’s right,” I added. “No need to be so formal. Once we enter the Academy, we’ll be attending the same classes. Talent will matter far more than birthright. So let’s just take it easy.”
“Gyeon-woo… you don’t look the part, but you’re bolder than I thought…”
“But still, she is royalty…”
“Then what about me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m from the Sword Clan. You’re not being formal with me.”
“Eh? Well… now that you mention it…”
“…True. Alright then, I’ll treat you casually too. But… that’s okay, right?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Risa said with a warm smile.
“Then me too! Risa—no, just Risa—talk to us casually too!”
“I feel more comfortable speaking this way,” she said. “If it’s okay with all of you, I’d like to keep it like this.”
Those born into power often carried with them a sense of entitlement—an unshakable belief that they were inherently above others.
Especially those who had been raised with reverence from the moment they drew breath.
But Risa Grace defied those expectations.
She never looked down on others, emphasized duty over privilege, and loved her homeland deeply.
It didn’t take long for both Go Eun-bi and Yeon-ha-neul to realize her sincerity—and to visibly relax.
“I’m gonna grab some snacks! Anyone want in?”
“Didn’t we just eat?”
“Hey! The snack stomach is not the same as the dinner stomach!”
“She’s got a point. I’ll go grab something.”
“Ah—Gyeon-woo, I…”
“I’ll bring strawberry milk too. What do you two want to drink?”
“Mm, thanks.”
As Risa had hoped, our conversation grew more relaxed after that.
But that was when the incident happened.
“I’m going to use the restroom for a bit.”
Risa got up, still laughing and nibbling on snacks.
And when she returned—
“Um… this was in the sink. What is it?”
…
She held up something small, pale orange, and round—almost like a vitamin C tablet.
Dangling in the air, the mysterious object swung gently between her fingers.
Silence fell like a curtain.
“That’s… that’s what I think it is, right?” Eun-bi blinked. “Never seen one in real life before. So that’s what they look like…”
“….”
“But like… what were you doing with it? Huh? Gyeon-woo, tell us! Come on!”
“What… what exactly is it?” Risa asked, tilting her head.
“Gyeon. Woo. Yah?”
Eun-bi smirked like a troublemaker.
Risa looked genuinely puzzled.
Ha-neul tried to hold in a laugh.
I averted my eyes and mumbled.
“…It’s a water balloon.”
I swear.
I wasn’t even lying.
“Really? A water balloon? That brings back memories. I used to throw water balloons at people when I was little… until my nanny caught me and gave me a scolding. Those were the days…”
Only Risa believed me.
After chatting for a while longer, we eventually returned to our respective rooms to rest.
There was still some time left before the banquet began.
Once I saw Yeon-ha-neul, Go Eun-bi, and Risa off, I decided to lie down and close my eyes.
I had no idea how much time passed before—
“Gyeon-woo, wake up.”
“Mmm…”
“It’s time for the banquet.”
When I opened my eyes, Ha-neul was standing by the bed, having climbed up to shake me awake.
I rubbed my eyes and sat up.
“What time is it?”
“Six thirty. Hurry up.”
“Just ten more minutes…”
“You’re going to sleep through it?”
“What’s there to prepare? I can just go like this.”
“Without even washing your face?”
“Cleanliness Magic takes care of that.”
I cast the Cleanliness spell on myself.
Honestly, being able to wash your entire body with one simple spell? Might be the single greatest magical invention in history.
It didn’t even cost much mana.
‘Wait a second…’
Then it hit me.
Cleanliness Magic removes dirt, oil, bacteria—anything on the surface of the skin.
Which meant, theoretically…
‘Couldn’t it be used to remove other things too?’
I voiced my idea.
“If you keep relying on Cleanliness Magic like that, you’ll become lazy,” Ha-neul chided. “Besides, it never feels like you’re really clean. And look at your hair—it’s a mess.”
“Ha-neul.”
“Yeah?”
“What if you enhanced Cleanliness Magic? Couldn’t it be used in battle? To eliminate monsters?”
“The idea’s not bad, but… I don’t think it would work.”
“Why not?”
“Cleanliness Magic is meant to be used on yourself. Every being that holds mana has mana resistance. But when it’s your own magic, you don’t resist it. That’s why it works so effectively on the caster. But on others… it’s much weaker.”
“So if I used it on a monster, it’d resist?”
“Exactly. And if you enhanced it to become offensive, it’d resist even more. The stronger the target, the stronger the resistance.”
“Then… I just need to develop a spell with higher output than the monster’s resistance.”
“Even if you could, it’d be super inefficient.”
“Why? The mana cost is low.”
“That’s because it only removes surface-level gunk. You can’t equate that to erasing an entire being.”
“…Makes sense.”
“Instead of pushing Cleanliness Magic past its limits, it’s better to just invent a low-cost, high-damage offensive spell. Still… your idea’s interesting. But come on—we’re going to be late. Fix your hair.”
“Ugh… can’t be bothered…”
“Geez. Sit still. I’ll fix it.”
“Thanks. That’d be great.”
I had thought my idea was revolutionary… but alas.
Feeling a little disappointed, I let Ha-neul take over.
She gently ran her fingers through my hair, using magic to neaten it up.
“All done. Let’s go.”
“Alright, alright.”
The banquet was about to begin.
With everything ready, I headed out of the room with Yeon-ha-neul.
The banquet hall was already bustling with fellow applicants.
“Applicants, please take one of these.”
“Feel free to grab a drink too.”
An assistant at the entrance handed each of us a card and a pen.
Another, holding a tray of drinks, offered us glasses as we entered.
“What’s this?”
I blinked at the card I’d been handed.
The back looked like something off a playing card.
The front had a grid.
What were we supposed to do with this?
I glanced around while waiting for the instructor’s explanation.
Delicious food lined the tables throughout the hall, and small tables were set up here and there for seating.
Some applicants were already nibbling on the food, so it seemed eating was allowed.
But most, like me, were simply observing the situation while sipping from their glasses.
“…It’s good.”
“It’s sweet, with a bit of fizz. Not alcohol, right?”
“Probably non-alcoholic.”
Ha-neul and I sipped together.
It tasted like champagne—smooth and flavourful, easy to drink.
Too easy.
Before I knew it, my glass was empty.
“Would you like another?”
“…Thanks.”
The assistants quickly replaced our glasses whenever we finished.
Standing around with a fresh drink in hand, we tried not to look awkward.
“Yo! Do Gyeon-woo! And… Yeon-ha-neul!”
“…Didn’t know he was here too.”
It was Yong Hae-rang.
His hair was still messy like he had just crawled out of bed, but he looked genuinely happy to see us.
Ha-neul quickly hid behind me.
“Fancy meeting you here. You got a good room, right?”
“Went with a suite. You?”
“Same! It’s huge! I was training, but I collapsed on the bed and passed out—almost missed this! What about you, Yeon-ha-neul? Bet you got a suite too?”
“I booked a Standard Room.”
“Ha-neul says she got a suite.”
“Gyeon-woo, you traitor…”
“Thought so! Knew you’d go big too! Man, I can’t wait to get into the Academy!”
Yong Hae-rang’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
He looked like he was dying to spar with one of us.
“Anyway, once this is over, wanna drop by my room for a quick duel? Or we could go to yours…”
He tried to be subtle, but it was clearly a challenge.
Naturally, I dodged it with an excuse.
“Ah, I’ve gotta maintain my gear later. I didn’t clean my sword after that ghost rabbit fight earlier.”
“Then how about Ha-neul—?”
“I-I have to clean mine too…”
“She’s exhausted, actually. Right, Ha-neul?”
“Mmhmm…”
“I see. Well, take care of yourself, then. A real warrior always takes care of their body! Wait—I brought some herbal medicine from home. Great for boosting stamina and restoring energy. Want some?”
“Just tell him we’re grateful for the offer.”
“Ha-neul says thank you kindly. I’ll grab it for her later.”
“When did I say that?!”
She gave me a soft thump on the back.
But honestly, the Yong Clan was known for their traditional medicine and tonics.
If Hae-rang was offering, I wasn’t about to say no.
‘Might even help with muscle growth…’
Not that I’d keep it all to myself.
I wasn’t that selfish.
I was definitely planning to share some with Ha-neul too.
At that moment, the examiners stepped onto the stage.
“Congratulations on passing the third practical exam,” said one of them, his voice warm and genial. “This banquet has been prepared for all of you—who’ve worked hard these past two days. So please, for now, set aside your worries about the exam… and simply enjoy yourselves.”
“…”
The examiner’s face wore a gentle smile, his tone almost fatherly.
“Just relax and enjoy the banquet,” he says…
Yeah, right. As if we could take that at face value.
Judging by the expressions of Yeon-ha-neul, Yong Hae-rang, and the others, I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.
Then came the real twist—
“The fourth practical exam is nothing difficult,” the examiner continued. “It’s simply this banquet. This one day in the hotel. That’s all. In fact, you could say the purpose of this test is to allow you time to relax, to recover from the exhaustion of the previous trials and to prepare for the fifth. So, just enjoy.”
The nonsense rolled smoothly off his tongue.
A ripple of disbelief passed through the hall. The applicants began murmuring, exchanging glances.
“Of course,” he added, “even if we say ‘just enjoy,’ it’s not easy to relax when you’ve been in competition with one another until now. So, to break the ice, we’ve prepared a simple game to help you get to know each other. Don’t worry—it won’t affect your scores.”
“…”
“You should have received one of these cards from the assistants at the entrance,” he went on. “From now until the end of the banquet, your task is simple: walk around the hall and introduce yourself to ten fellow applicants. That’s it!”
Cheerful music suddenly began playing—
du-dum-chit, du-dum-chit.
The entire atmosphere turned cold in an instant.
Was I here for an exam or a school retreat?
At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if the night ended with a campfire, followed by a teary “I love you, Mom and Dad” moment, complete with forced sentimentality.
I sipped my drink, staring into the fizz.
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