Only 500 people are admitted each year—and those 500 are chosen from millions of applicants.
The qualification threshold to participate in the Cariliman Academy assessment isn’t particularly high.
All that’s required is the qualification certificate issued by the academy.
However, the admission threshold is extraordinarily high.
It’s important to note that these 500 spots are the quota for the entire continent.
No matter how many people apply, only 500 will be accepted in the end.
Among the candidates are members of the royal family, prominent nobles, declining noble houses, minor nobles aligned with powerful factions, commoner geniuses whose exceptional talents have earned them the support of nobles, and even many candidates from non-human races.
To stand out among such a fiercely competitive group is no simple matter.
The original Vinny had relied on the power of a Dark-type Soul Armament, which nearly exposed him in the dungeon due to his desperate thirst for strength.
Now that he walked a so-called righteous path, the challenge felt even greater.
Every single person taking part in the assessment was formidable in their own right.
To be honest, if Vinny hadn’t awakened his bloodline, he would have seriously wondered how someone with a mere one-star magical qualification could even begin to compete with the top talents on the continent.
It felt almost delusional.
Even now, after awakening his bloodline, Vinny still found it hard to believe in his chances.
No one in the entire kingdom had any expectations for him.
Everyone believed his participation only tarnished the prestige of Cariliman Academy.
But even if the chances were slim—he had to try. If he didn’t even fight for it, he’d never have a chance at all.
Vinny fell silent, staring at his palm, which was still slightly cold from the frost.
Among all the candidates, there were hardly any with lower magical qualifications than him.
And the geniuses—were truly overwhelming.
Yet here he was, once just a cannon fodder character, now struggling to carve out even the smallest chance of survival.
“Ahh... The heroines have luck on their side. No matter how dangerous the situation, it becomes an opportunity for them to shine. But me? Every step I take is a gamble. I can only rely on myself—and a single misstep would be the end of just another insignificant NPC in this world.”
Do you really think you can run away after becoming the enemy of a heroine?
Unless you know how to disappear from the world entirely, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough to save you.
Vinny clenched his fists.
At that moment, a soft knock came from the courtyard gate.
Someone was actually here looking for him?
After thinking for a moment, Vinny guessed it must be a messenger from His Majesty the King, here to deliver his assessment qualification certificate.
“Coming,” Vinny called out, opening the gate.
But instead of a royal messenger, he found a girl with shoulder-length hair in a maid’s uniform standing outside.
Vinny recognized her—Mirecia’s maid.
He was surprised. What business could Mirecia’s maid possibly have with him?
Could she really be here to deliver his entrance exam qualification certificate?
Judging by the box in her hands, that might actually be the case.
Wasn’t this supposed to be something handled by the king’s officials in the original storyline?
Was this a sign # Nоvеlight # that the butterfly effect was already affecting important plot points?
“Young Master Vinny, this is the Cariliman Academy assessment qualification certificate. Her Highness asked me to deliver it to you,” the maid said plainly.
Without any small talk or unnecessary emotion, she handed over the box and stated her purpose directly.
“If you wish to use this certificate, you may board the Cariliman Academy convoy in a few days. If not, it’s just an ornament,” she added.
“Please convey my thanks to Her Highness, the Princess,” Vinny replied, nodding as he accepted the elegantly packaged pink box.
This was the first time he had received something from Mirecia—though it wasn’t exactly a gift in the strict sense.
Vinny didn’t dwell too long on the change from the original plot, nor on the fact that Mirecia had personally sent her maid to deliver the certificate.
He recalled the doll he had given Mirecia a few days earlier.
This was probably her way of returning the favor. Mirecia was known for her politeness and would never accept a gift without offering something in return.
“Thank you for making the trip,” Vinny said respectfully.
“There’s no need for formalities,” the maid replied, her tone softening slightly.
The blue-haired young man before her carried himself with calm humility—completely different from the rumors she had heard.
His delicate face, now free of blemishes, and those clear, lively eyes made him appear... almost handsome?
The maid quickly lowered her gaze and fell silent.
“Young Master Vinny, Her Highness also said—if you decide to take the entrance exam, she wishes you success. She’ll be waiting for you at Cariliman Academy.”
“Please tell Her Highness that I will definitely keep the appointment,” Vinny replied with a faint smile.
“Understood. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Goodbye,” Vinny said, closing the door after she departed.
He opened the beautifully packaged box and found a silver-plated magic card inside, along with two alchemical potions—one green, one blue.
Vinny picked them up and looked at the labels.
One was a stamina-restoring potion, the other a mana-restoring potion.
Both were high-grade potions.
This “return gift” far exceeded the value of the little rag doll he had given her.
Even the lowest-grade alchemical potions were more expensive than a handmade doll—let alone high-grade ones, which cost dozens of times more.
For Mirecia, this may have been nothing—but for Vinny, it was a great help.
He needed potions like these desperately.
As for why they weren’t healing potions, that had to do with the Church of Radiance’s monopoly.
Only alchemists with the [Holy Emissary] Soul Armament could craft potions that healed injuries or cured disease.
And those with that Soul Armament were always priests or nuns—in other words, the Church controlled the entire supply.
The royal family could still purchase them, but the available quantity was nowhere near as plentiful as other types of potions.
Even though Vinny himself possessed [Holy Emissary], that didn’t mean he could dismiss the importance of healing potions entirely.
After all, Vanessa couldn’t always be at his side.
Especially during the Cariliman Academy entrance exam—her appearance would only be possible in extraordinary circumstances, as a last resort.
With a few days remaining before the convoy’s departure, Vinny focused all his efforts on intensive training.
He wasn’t out chasing virtue points or looking for distractions—missing the convoy would be a fatal mistake.
He spent those days at home, grinding away to improve his strength before the exam.
And in the blink of an eye, the day arrived.
The capital city was bustling.
The Cariliman Academy convoy, dispatched to collect candidates from the Kingdom of Camellia, had arrived.
Candidate or not, the streets were packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse.
For ordinary folk with no magic ability, the magic convoy was a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
To ensure the safety of the candidates on the journey, Cariliman Academy sent its own specialized escort team each year.
After verifying each candidate’s ticket, families were allowed to see them off as they boarded the magical carriages bound for the academy.
But there was no need for sentimentality.
Most parents would see their children return on those same carriages in a few weeks.
After all, the Cariliman Academy entrance exam was known to eliminate over 90% of its applicants.