### Official Results Posted
The morning after the Written Examination, a massive enchanted scroll was unfurled in the main courtyard. Gold lettering glowed against the parchment, visible from anywhere on academy grounds.
Students gathered in silence. Parents, nobles, and faculty watched from the surrounding balconies.
The scroll read:
---
## TIANLAN ROYAL MAGIC ACADEMY
### S-CLASS SELECTION — YEAR 1473
### FINAL RESULTS
**Total First-Year Candidates:** 4,000
**Passed Examination 1 (Mirror Dummy):** 1,876
**Passed Examination 2 (Arena of Echoes — Team Battle):** 700
**Passed Examination 3 (Written Exam — Final):** 400
**S-Class Selection:** Based on cumulative performance across all three examinations.
---
### CLASS DIVISION — YEAR 1473
| Class | Number of Students | Description |
|:-----:|:------------------:|-------------|
| **S-Class** | 40 | The elite of the elite. Top 10% of remaining students. |
| **A-Class** | 60 | Excellence. Top 25% of remaining students. |
| **B-Class** | 80 | Above average. Strong potential. |
| **C-Class** | 100 | Standard. Solid foundation. |
| **D-Class** | 120 | Passing. Room to grow. |
**Total Students:** 400
---
### THE S-CLASS ROSTER — YEAR 1473
**(Top 40 Students — Ranked)**
| Rank | Name | Kingdom | Path | Examination Notes |
|:----:|------|---------|------|-------------------|
| **1** | Noah Von Reinhart | Mana Empire | Mage (Ice/Gravity) | Highest written exam score. Dual casting. Perfect tactical assessment. |
| **2** | Sora Yamino | Qi Empire | Knight (Unarmed) | Flawless combat record. Near-perfect written score. |
| **3** | Ren Takami | Chakra Kingdom | Knight (Sword) | Consistent excellence across all categories. |
| **4** | Mochiko Qiuyue | Qi Empire | Knight (Phoenix) | Top combat score. Phoenix mark evolution recorded. |
| **5** | Kagari Hitsugi | Qi Empire | Mage (Hellflame) | Near-perfect written exam. Emotional control praised. |
| **6** | Ryo Kazehaya | Chakra Kingdom | Knight (Wind) | Fastest dummy completion. Written exam... creative. |
| **7** | Leo Willheim | Qi Empire | Theoretical | Second highest written exam score. Dummy anomaly noted. |
| **8** | Mira Ashford | Mana Empire | Mage (Fire) | Strong across all categories. |
| **9** | Kaelen Voss | Glaciar Kingdom | Knight (Greatsword) | Endurance and strategy noted. |
| **10** | Lin Wei | Qi Empire | Mage (Wind) | Speed and precision. |
| **11-40** | [Various] | Various | Various | See full roster in academy archives. |
---
### Examination Statistics
| Metric | Exam 1 | Exam 2 | Exam 3 (Final) |
|--------|--------|--------|----------------|
| Total Participants | 4,000 | 1,876 | 700 |
| Total Passed | 1,876 | 700 | 400 |
| Pass Rate | 46.9% | 37.3% | 57.1% |
---
### Written Exam Top Scorers
| Rank | Name | Score | Notes |
|:----:|------|:-----:|-------|
| **1** | Noah Von Reinhart | 50/50 | Perfect score. First in academy history. |
| **2** | Leo Willheim | 49/50 | One question deduction for handwriting. |
| **3** | Sora Yamino | 48.5/50 | Philosophical answers impressed faculty. |
| **4** | Kagari Hitsugi | 48/50 | Elegant and precise. |
| **5** | Ren Takami | 47.5/50 | Practical and efficient. |
---
### Team 47 Results
| Name | Exam 1 | Exam 2 | Exam 3 | Final Rank | Class |
|------|--------|--------|--------|------------|-------|
| Noah Von Reinhart | Pass | Pass | Pass (Perfect) | 1 | S-Class |
| Kagari Hitsugi | Pass | Pass | Pass | 5 | S-Class |
| Ryo Kazehaya | Pass (Unorthodox) | Pass | Pass | 6 | S-Class |
| Mochiko Qiuyue | Pass | Pass | Pass | 4 | S-Class |
| Leo Willheim | Pass (Anomaly) | Pass | Pass (Top Score) | 7 | S-Class |
**Team 47 Achievement:** All five members selected for S-Class. Ranked #1, #4, #5, #6, and #7 overall.
**Historical Note:** First time in academy history that an entire friend group has achieved this, let alone captured five of the top seven spots.
---
### Faculty Comments
**Professor Whiskerbottom:**
*"A perfect score on the written examination. In sixty years of teaching, I have never seen it. The Von Reinhart boy's mind is exceptional — cold, calculating, and utterly precise. Combined with his combat performance, he is without question the top of this year's class."*
*"The Hitsugi girl continues to impress. Her control over hellflame at this level is rare, and her written answers showed remarkable depth. I suspect we will see great things from her."*
*"And the Kazehaya heir... I still don't understand how he passed, but he did. Consistently. That consistency itself is noteworthy."*
**Headmaster Oniwaban:**
*"Four thousand became four hundred. Four hundred became forty S-Class, sixty A-Class, and so on. These students represent the future of Eldoria. Watch them carefully. Some will become legends. Some will become warnings. All will be remembered."*
---
### Public Reaction
**Mana Empire:** Celebratory. Their prince ranked first overall. Emperor Von Reinhart's single-word response: *"Acceptable."* Empress Von Reinhart sent a longer letter. Noah burned it.
**Chakra Kingdom:** Proud. Two of their own in top ten. Himari Kazehaya sent another gift basket. The faculty is afraid to open it.
**Qi Empire:** Dominant. Eight of top ten are Qi students or affiliated. The Four Great Houses are quietly competing over who contributed most.
---
### A Quiet Moment
As the crowd dispersed and students returned to their dorms, two figures lingered near the results scroll.
Noah stood reading the faculty comments for the third time, his expression unreadable.
Kagari approached silently, stopping a respectful distance away.
"Congratulations," she said softly. "Rank one."
Noah glanced at her. "You're rank five."
"Yes."
"Your written score was fourth highest."
"I know."
A pause.
Then Noah, almost reluctantly: "Your answer to Question 23 — the new spell design. Hellflower Bloom. It was... elegant."
Kagari's eyes widened slightly — the closest she ever came to surprise. "You read my answers?"
"The faculty released top responses for study. Yours was included."
"Oh."
Another pause. Longer this time.
Kagari's voice, even softer than usual: "I read yours too. Your calculations on Question 12 were... beautiful. Like music."
Noah's expression didn't change, but something in his posture shifted — a barely perceptible relaxation.
"That's an unusual compliment for mathematics."
"Mathematics is music for the mind."
He looked at her then — really looked. Her crimson-pink eyes held his without flinching. Her expression was calm, but there was something underneath. Something warm.
"...I suppose it is."
They stood in silence, watching the sunset paint the academy in gold and crimson.
From a nearby balcony, Leo whispered to Mochiko: "Are they... having a moment?"
Mochiko grabbed his collar and pulled him away. "Walk. Now."
"But—"
"NOW."
Ryo, somehow already asleep standing up, was dragged along without waking.
---
### That Night
The five of them sat on the balcony of their new dormitory — a shared space they'd somehow claimed despite not officially rooming together. The academy stretched below them, lights twinkling in the darkness.
Leo couldn't stop glancing between Noah and Kagari, who were sitting slightly closer than usual. Not close enough to be obvious. But closer.
Mochiko caught his look and kicked him under the table.
Ryo, miraculously awake, watched the exchange with lazy amusement. "So. Rank one and rank five. Sitting together. Stargazing. Very romantic."
Noah's voice was flat. "We're sitting on a balcony with three other people."
"Details."
Kagari's lips curved slightly — that tiny, rare smile. "It's nice. All of us together."
Leo nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Team bonding! Friendship! Comrades in arms!"
Mochiko facepalmed.
Ryo snickered.
Noah said nothing, but when Kagari shifted slightly closer to escape the evening chill, he didn't move away.
---
### The S-Class Dormitory
Later that night, as everyone settled into their new rooms, Noah stood at his window, staring at the stars.
A soft knock.
He opened the door to find Kagari holding two cups of tea.
"I made too much," she said. "Would you like one?"
He took the cup. Their fingers brushed — barely, briefly.
"Thank you."
She nodded and turned to leave, then paused.
"Noah."
He looked up.
"I'm glad you're rank one. You deserve it."
She walked away before he could respond.
Noah stared at the closed door for a long moment.
Then he looked at the tea. Then at the door. Then at the tea again.
He didn't sleep well that night.
But for once, it wasn't because of nightmares.
---
`[System: S-Class Trials — Complete]`
`[System: 4,000 → 400 Students Remain]`
`[System: Class Division — Finalized]`
`[System: S-Class — 40 Students]`
`[System: A-Class — 60 Students]`
`[System: B-Class — 80 Students]`
`[System: C-Class — 100 Students]`
`[System: D-Class — 120 Students]`
`[System: Team 47 — All S-Class]`
`[System: Noah Von Reinhart — Rank 1 Overall]`
`[System: Kagari Hitsugi — Rank 5 Overall]`
`[System: Relationship Status — Developing]`
`[System: Congratulations, S-Class Bastards]`
`[System: Next Volume — The Real Nightmare Begins]`