When Rest and Diebl returned to the Rosemary marquis household's mansion after completing their monster subjugation, Viola and Primula were waiting in the entrance hall.
The moment the sisters caught sight of Rest, their faces lit up with radiant smiles.
"Oh, welcome back! Rest!"
"Welcome home, Lord Rest. You're not injured, are you?"
"I'm home. Viola, Primula."
Rest smiled warmly at the sisters who had come to greet him.
They rushed over and grabbed hold of his hands tightly.
A year had passed since he came to this mansion, and he was now fifteen, but nothing had fundamentally changed in the relationship between Rest and the sisters.
As always, the two were excessively affectionate with their skinship, yet they maintained a careful balance that never crossed the line.
If anything had changed, it was that Viola had started calling Rest by his first name without honorifics, and Rest had stopped using formal language with the sisters.
"So, how were your exams? Were they tough?"
"Nailed it! Flawless!"
"No problems at all. I'll probably pass."
"That's the best news I could hear. I was worried, so it's a relief."
"Now it's your turn, Rest. If you fail, you'll have to answer to me!"
"Of course. I'll absolutely pass — you can count on it."
At Viola's emphatic urging, Rest nodded firmly.
Of course, he had no intention of failing.
This exam would likely shape the course of his life — he would pass it no matter what.
The entrance exams for the Royal Academy were divided into a "noble track" and a "commoner track," with the commoner exams held one week after the noble exams concluded.
The academy was divided into five departments: the Magic Department, the Knight Department, the Civil Service Department, the Clergy Department, and the Arts Department. Rest and his sisters would be taking the Magic Department exam.
"It sounds like the exam content is the same as last year. First there's a written exam common to all departments, and then practical exams broken down by department. The Magic Department exam is the usual target-shooting test."
Primula explained the exam details.
Target-shooting was a standard method for measuring a magician's abilities — you fired magic at a target and measured the power output using a special magic item.
It seemed the Magic Department exam was following the same format as every other year.
"Oh... now that I think about it, I saw your brother at the exam venue."
"Cedric?"
"Yes. He looked like he was about to come talk to us, so I ignored him."
"......"
Rest raised an eyebrow slightly at Viola's words.
It was only natural that Cedric would be taking the exam too, since they were the same age... but Rest had forgotten about it, as he hadn't heard his name since they'd arrived at the marquis's estate.
(It's been a year since we last met. After that massive failure of his, I can only hope he's reflected on it and grown as a person...)
"His practical exam results didn't seem to be very good, apparently. He was causing a huge scene, shouting things like 'This is unfair!' and 'I demand a retake!'"
"He was also saying things like 'This is some kind of conspiracy'... How should I put it, it was really quite unsightly."
"He hasn't changed at all, has he. No, to be honest, that's exactly what I expected."
Rest gave a bitter smile at the two sisters, who were scowling in discomfort.
It appeared that Cedric had caused a disturbance at the exam venue.
The cause seemed to be poor results on the practical exam... though that was at least a little unexpected.
"......I could maybe understand doing that on the written exam, but he pulled that stunt on the practical exam? That Cedric?"
He may have problems as a human being, but... his talent for magic was supposed to be top-class among his peers.
Against anyone other than an outlier like Rest, who possessed limitless mana, he would never lose.
When it came to talent alone, even Marquis Rosemary acknowledged it, and that was precisely why she had made time to introduce him to her sisters.
"Having *that* as your brother must really be tough. Isn't he just a disgrace to the family?"
"I've sometimes wished I had a brother or a younger sister, but... I don't want *that* one."
The sisters' assessment of Cedric was scathing.
After all, he had nearly gotten them killed, so it was only to be expected.
"It depends on the written exam results, but... with the way he's been acting, he might actually fail."
"......Is that so?"
If Cedric failed the exam, his goal of becoming a court magician would be cut off.
Without some extraordinary reason, the royal palace would never employ someone who hadn't graduated from the Royal Academy.
*(In that case, House Eberun's long-cherished wish of an honorary viscount becoming a full viscount would go unfulfilled too... Father's going to fly into a rage.)* House Eberun had been granted honorary viscount status for two generations running, and if Cedric had become a court magician and earned the title of honorary viscount, the family would finally have been elevated to full viscount status.
His father, who was absolutely certain his son would become a court magician, who had hailed Cedric as a genius — if that Cedric actually failed, there would be no containing his fury.
*(And if I, the good-for-nothing with no mana whom he thought was a disappointment, actually pass the academy entrance exam, how painfully jealous will that make him?)* He wasn't exactly planning to take revenge on his father or his brother, but he would gladly welcome their regret.
At best, he'd let them throw pathetic, unsightly tantrums.
"Well, my motivation just shot up. I've got one more reason to pass."
Setting aside whether Cedric passed or failed, he was going to pass no matter what.
Rest solidified his resolve once more.