The Vermillion Empire.
Royal Embassy.
Several luxury sedans slowly came to a smooth stop.
As the engines shut off, a group of individuals in sharp formal attire opened the doors and stepped out into the sunlight one after another.
"Welcome, esteemed Chairwoman of Hagun Academy, and all the honorable examiners."
After a brief polite welcome from the officials of the Vermillion Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the individuals referred to as examiners politely returned the greeting with their own nation's customary bows.
Hagun Academy.
Located in the southern Kanto region of Japan, it was one of the prestigious Seven Mage-Knight Academies, and the specific knight school that Stella had applied to attend.
The woman referred to as the Chairwoman removed her dark sunglasses and smiled.
"Minister, there is no need to go to such lengths for us. If possible, we would like to meet Her Highness, the Second Princess Stella, as soon as possible."
"Since you have made such a request, naturally, the venue has already been prepared. Please, everyone, follow me."
The group had just stepped out of their luxury cars, but they immediately boarded a secure, tinted bus heading straight to the examination venue.
Inside the moving bus, the examiners from Hagun Academy reviewed the digital profiles of all the candidates participating in today's examination.
For the struggling Vermillion Empire, any child who awakened the talent of a Blazer was considered a vital national asset.
To help them progress, the nation was willing to cover all their tuition and living expenses.
As long as they passed the entrance examination, the country would take care of everything that followed.
Even if they failed the Hagun exam, they would still be enrolled in the best local schools within the country.
However, everyone knew that the educational capabilities of the Vermillion Empire were far behind those of the Japanese Seven Mage-Knight Academies.
Whether a student could actually attend depended entirely on their raw abilities.
"Hmm? Minister, doesnt this male candidate appear to be underage?" an examiner asked, holding up a tablet with Noah's profile.
The Foreign Minister's expression shifted slightly before he leaned in to take a look.
After seeing the attached photo, he smiled awkwardly and said, "Ah, this student just came of age last month. Perhaps his physical development is a bit slower than his peers, so he might appear somewhat young."
The examiner let out an "Oh" of understanding and continued casually reviewing the profiles of the other candidates.
The minister breathed a heavy sigh of relief in his heart.
Both the Princess and even the King himself had specifically instructed him to conceal Noah's true age from the Japanese officials.
He certainly didn't want to cause any international trouble today!
Unbeknownst to the nervous minister, his relieved thoughts were clearly reflected on his face.
The female Chairwoman of Hagun Academy was watching his expression intently from across the aisle, as a meaningful smile appear on her face.
...
The bus entered directly through a highly secure checkpoint, driving all the way into the underground interior of the royal examination venue.
Passing through a long, reinforced tunnel, the group from Hagun Academy finally stepped out into an enormous, cavernous space.
"It is almost like a professional football stadium..." one of the examiners exclaimed in awe.
Before arriving here, they had heard rumors that the Vermillion Empire was a small impoverished Western nation with a sluggish economy and heavy internal turmoil.
Yet, everything they had seen since getting off the airplane seemed remarkably pleasant and prosperous.
There was no criminal chaos in the streets, the local economy didn't appear sluggish in the slightest, and the number of happy tourists shopping in the capital was overwhelming.
"It is entirely different from the rumors," one thick-skinned examiner accidentally blurted out.
His colleague quickly smacked him on the back of the head.
'Idiot, is that something you say out loud in front of their Foreign Minister? Do not act so arrogantly and cause a diplomatic incident!'
"Ah, my apologies!" the man hurriedly bowed.
However, the Foreign Minister didn't seem to mind the gaffe and instead laughed heartily.
"Hahaha, it is fine! After all, those dark rumors were actually true a few years ago. I'm not afraid of you laughing at our past, but all these massive economic and safety changes in our Vermillion Empire have only occurred in the past two years."
'Two years.'
"Such significant, sweeping changes in just two years?" The speaker was an examiner who had visited the Vermillion Empire before.
About three or four years ago, he had stayed here for a month due to corporate work.
At that time, the Empire was a depressing, dangerous world compared to the bright city he saw now.
"Well, in any case, quite a few things have happened recently," the minister smiled proudly without elaborating further, skillfully shifting the topic.
"Shall we begin the examination now?"
"Ah, please do."
The minister nodded and immediately instructed his royal subordinates to relay the message to the waiting room.
Soon, a small group of five teenage individuals emerged from Gate B and confidently entered the massive arena.
Leading them was the Second Princess—or rather, the famous "Crimson Princess," Stella Vermillion.
As Blazers, each prominent individual possessed a unique title.
Everyone's title usually aligned with their combat characteristics.
This cultural practice was actually a continuation of the title system from ancient knightly traditions.
As a candidate today, Stella received no special royal treatment compared to the others.
She remained silent and focused, awaiting the start of the examination.
Over two years had passed since the parade incident, and the 15-year-old Stella had grown into a graceful, strikingly beautiful young woman.
Her presence alone demanded attention.
Beside her, Noah remained perfectly silent.
Having lived and trained in this modern world for two full years, his physical body was now 13 years old.
The once massive height difference between him and Stella had narrowed to just a couple of centimeters.
His facial features had also sharpened considerably, losing their soft childlike roundness.
Now, no one would immediately mistake his appearance for that of a little kid.
Oh, right—for the sake of today's paperwork, he was legally claiming to be "15 years old."
...
"Greetings, candidates. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kurono Shinguuji, the newly appointed Chairwoman of Hagun Academy and today's chief examiner."
After introducing herself with a lazy wave, the woman named Kurono casually reached a hand into her suit pocket, but suddenly froze and quickly withdrew her empty hand.
Any seasoned smoker would be highly familiar with this series of twitchy actions.
Yes, she had instinctively reached for a cigarette.
Perhaps she suddenly realized that a formal high school examination wasn't an appropriate occasion to smoke around minors, so she gave up on the idea.
"Kurono Shinguuji!" Stella gasped softly. "Could it be... the World Clock?! The former rank number three in the entire world?!"
Hearing the famous name, the boy standing silently beside Stella lifted his eyelids and carefully observed the tired-looking Chairwoman.
In reality, he was quietly using Truth Seeker.
[Kurono Shinguuji]
Blazer Rank: A
Device: Goddess of Thought (Dual Pistols)
Ability: Causality Interference System (Time Manipulation)
Title: World Clock
Attack Power: A
Defense Power: B
Magic Power: B
Magic Control: A
Physical Ability: A
Luck: A
Note: Four years ago, she was a highly active, dominant participant in the official KOK A-League tournaments, and was formerly ranked third in the world.