Jack silently cursed. His examiner was none other than the guy who could somewhat read minds. What Jack dreaded was not being caught cheating—no, he had studied diligently and didn't need to cheat. What he truly feared was the fact that Girrafe might discover his real identity: that of Clock.
Calming down, Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He slowly began to open them, only to find his face just a few centimeters away from the Great Sage's. He was being intensely glared at.
The Great Sage placed a piece of paper on Jack's desk and stared even harder, watching his every action silently.
Jack felt a mix of fear and confusion: fear that he had been caught, and confusion about why the Great Sage was merely staring. Jack did his best to keep all thoughts out of his mind, but couldn't resist the occasional internal eruption of, "Are you crazy!" and "Damnation!" whenever Girrafe's gaze intensified.
The test paper did not contain even a hint of sorcery; it was just a mundane piece of paper. The five questions, however, were unlike anything he had expected.
The first two were math questions: one on arithmetic progressions and one on geometry. The third and fourth were history questions: one about the academy's history and one about the First Contact Incident. Jack managed to solve them all. They were difficult but not impossible. Using his vast knowledge, crammed information, and skilled writing, he was able to present the answers beautifully.
However, as soon as he saw the last question, his mouth hung open:
"Why can't I read your mind? Explain within 140–160 words or you'll be banned from ever attempting this exam."
Jack slowly raised his eyes toward the glaring Great Sage. There was no expression on the man's pale face. Jack looked back toward his paper, then at his watch. He was running out of time.
'Okay, calm down…'
'DAMN IT!'
Jack was both relieved and stressed. On one hand, he now knew that Girrafe couldn't read his mind for some reason. On the other hand, he was now under suspicion for that very reason. Jack kept searching for an explanation that might save him, but every plausible answer led to his identity being exposed. Sweat beaded on his brow.
Then, a sudden thought struck him: "Truth… I'll use the truth to my advantage."
At the Evening…
It was cold. Walking up the stairs to the watchtower at the top of the academy felt like climbing a mountain. It was winter, close to the harvest season, and the cold was much harsher than usual. Jack rubbed his shoulders and palms to keep warm.
He had managed to pass the exams—not just pass, but ace them. His answers were praised by many of the teachers during the result announcement. He was now going to be awarded a badge for his achievement, and his documents were going to be inspected at the Headmaster's office before he received his scholarship.
The other successful students were signing their admission forms below, in the central plaza. The walls of the ascending stairway were transparent. Jack could clearly see the defeated expressions on the faces of the students who had failed as they trudged out of the main gates.
'What morons… you had two months, no, a whole year… what were you doing?'
Jack quickly dismissed these thoughts as he saw the door to the watchtower's highest room, where the Headmaster resided.
As he opened the door, he was welcomed by a soft voice filled with wisdom. In one corner, he saw a familiar figure: it was Girrafe.
Behind Girrafe, seated on an old wooden chair, was a man in his fifties. His silver-gray hair glowed golden from the sunrays streaming through the window. His body was thin and his face was small, yet he did not emit even the slightest hint of weakness. This was the Headmaster—the man who had become a Great Sage in his twenties, formed this academy, and had now, just greeted Jack.