Once the exhausting trip to the shop was over, things returned to their regular course. Layla was busy with her studies once again.

Especially since the practical exam was coming up soon.

She planned to skip a grade, but to do that, and she needed to show incredible potential.

If Layla succeeded, she could enter the Central Magic Academy a few years early. She wanted to head there and grow her influence before the main characters were to enter that place.

However, that place required numerous achievements to enter if one did not pass the criterion.

On that note, none of the main characters had met that criterion. They had all been admitted due to 'special' circumstances of their powers, making them 'one-of-a-kind.'

That was also why the academy ignored most of their activities and the many classes they missed.

"Layla never originally attended the academy, and when she finally did appear there, her circumstances were not the best. I would like to avoid that fate as soon as possible."

The influence and difficulty of entering the academy could be seen in Layla's current situation.

Out of all of Duke Lockhart's wards, only Henry could enter the Academy. And that was also because he begged the Duke to pull some strings.

Layla would not take the same approach since it would quickly harm her relationship with the Duke.

"I will worry about the academy later. For now, I should focus on the test. I will finally have a few days off once the exams are over. I need to think about the orphanage once I have time."

Layla sighed as she picked up her book to review it once more.

The exam she was about to take might be practical, but the professor had let it slip that there would also be a large theory portion.

It would be better if Layla glanced at some books and was prepared beforehand.

...

'I should not have revised that hard. I feel like I got no sleep whatsoever.'

Layla held back her yawn as her body protested against standing up. Jolts of pain shot through her body as she tried to move, but Layla pushed herself forward and somehow stood up on her feet.

Her body had fallen asleep, and the sensation of putting weight and moving it felt like thousands of needles were stabbing her every second.

"This sucks. I feel like I am going to die. But I am too young to die."

Layla sighed as she finally pushed herself forward. Her situation slowly improved to the point where she felt comfortable moving around.

Mary did not say anything to her, but her amused expression told Layla what she thought about the situation.

Layla ignored her as she walked toward the exam center. She wanted to be there before the exam began.

She ended up being the first one (and also the only one) and had to wait half an hour for someone else to show up.

The first one to do so was her class's second and first topper. They looked startled to see Layla before them, and a tense expression spread across their faces.

"You-! What are you already doing here? Did you give your paper to an adult to decipher? No, it can't be! Those papers had magic on them to prevent that…"

The first topper of the class looked unforgettable as he looked at Layla with a complicated expression.

But the open hostility on the second topper's face made Layla look away and want to run.

"Forget about it! People cheat all the time, especially on tests. Layla has not shown any special skills during her class. There is no way she got here before us all on her own. But don't confront her about it, or you will get into trouble."

The second topper spoke these harsh words while watching Layla and seeing her expression.

The curiosity in his eyes told Layla that he was waiting for a signal from her. She was sure the second topper wanted to see her cry, but she would not give him this satisfaction.

Seeing how Layla remained impassive and not bothered by what the pair were saying, they quickly fell quiet but not unbothered. They continued to shoot her glances occasionally while keeping an eye on the instructor.

No other kid showed up before the instructor did, and the man looked flabbergasted to see this.

"Is it only you three this time? Where is everyone else? Is this test some kind of joke to you kids where you can decide not to show up?"

The instructor looked angry as he looked at the three kids before him. He considered all possible explanations for this situation, but nothing he knew seemed to click.

"Professor, we were given these instructions about where to gather. Would you like to take a look at it?"

The second topper handed his paper to the professor, and the older man took it with a heavy sigh.

That expression changed as soon as his eyes fell on that paper, and his annoyance replaced the anger.

"What the hell-! Who gave you all this paper? I need to talk with that professor about what is appropriate for what skill level. *Sigh* So, who was the fool who put you all up to this? I need to call them asap. Tell me the name of the professor-"

The acting head professor finally looked down at the paper and noticed the name printed on it.

As soon as his eyes landed on it, they widened for a minute because he noticed the words, 'first class' Great Wizard Rodric Burnance on the paper.

"You know what? Let's forget all about this. I'll hold a test for the others later since they will miss this one. As for you all, you have a choice—take this test now, or you can come back and retake it once I check it out."

The professor offered the students, and he had good intentions.

Unfortunately, Layla was going to capitalize on this mistake.