Chapter 1353: Chapter 83: Rebuilding the Nation (11)

[Maplestone City]

[City Hall]

In a meeting room temporarily transformed into a grading room, someone was having a tantrum.

“Listen to this! What the hell are these answers!”

Andre picked up the test paper booklet that he had slammed on the table, turned around to face the others in the grading room, and read out loud word by word:

“General Knowledge, Question Five, [Why can boats float on water]? Answer, [Because wood can float on water, so boats can float on water].”

The grading room instantly erupted with joyous laughter.

“[Curse]!” Andre slammed the test paper back on the table and cursed: “The answer was given in the question, and it’s still wrong!”

The laughter in the grading room grew even louder.

Andre forcefully tried to pry open the edge of the test booklet—the part covering the name and seat number—attempting to open a gap.

Finding that the binding of the test booklet was quite solid and couldn’t be torn apart by hand, he started searching around for a paper cutter.

“No, I must see, I must see, just who is the idiot that can be this stupid!” he muttered neurotically.

“Hey! The one in your hand is good compared to mine! Listen to mine!” Another one-eyed cavalry captain grading papers nearby turned around, holding up his test booklet, and read with exaggerated intonation: “General Knowledge, Question Five. Ask, [Why can boats float on water]? Answer…”

The one-eyed captain intentionally paused for a moment, building suspense for the others, before finally unveiling the answer: “…[Because it’s the Lord’s will].”

The grading room was once again filled with raucous laughter.

The one-eyed captain picked up a handkerchief, lifted his eye patch, and wiped the hollow of his empty eye socket: “Oh dear, this is so funny it makes my wound ache.”

In a certain sense, this exam, covering all informal officers in the New Republic Army, was almost a massive assessment of the army’s capabilities, so the exam results were naturally crucial intelligence.

The preparatory committee couldn’t—and wouldn’t dare—use outside personnel to grade the papers.

Therefore, every official officer who wasn’t on duty and was still able to move, including injured persons like Captain Luosong, appeared on the grading site.

With Andre and Luosong firing the first and second shots, the atmosphere in the grading room became thoroughly lively.

A group of official officers eagerly shared the absurd answers they encountered.

“Politics, Question One, [What is the full name of the ‘Alliance’]?” someone laughed heartily: “Answer, [The full name of the Alliance is ‘Alliance’].”

“Geography, Question Two, [In the Two Mountains Narrow Land, which two mountain ranges do the ‘Two Mountains’ refer to]?” someone chuckled helplessly: “Answer, [South Mountain and North Mountain]. Hey! You can’t say he’s entirely wrong; at least the directions are correct.”

A voice floated from the corner of the grading room: “Then listen to the answer from the one I have. [In the Two Mountains Narrow Land, which two mountains do the ‘Two Mountains’ refer to]… [Big Mountain and Small Mountain].”

Another officer wouldn’t be outdone: “[White Mountain and Black Mountain].”

“[Yunque Mountain and Tie Feng Mountain].” Someone killed the competition by joking: “Only just found out that the ‘Land’ in Two Mountains Narrow Land refers to Newly Reclaimed Land!”

“Geography questions are a small matter, listen to mine! Current Affairs, Question Three, [Who was the former Chief Secretary of the Federated Provinces and who is the current actual ruler of the Federated Provinces]?”

Someone laughed so much they leaned back and forth: “Answer, [The former Chief Secretary is the Blood Wolf, the current ruler is Winters Montagne].”

One answer sparked a thousand reactions, and immediately someone followed up, loudly reading: “Current Affairs, Question Four, [Who is the current Speaker of the Grand Council of Kingsfort, who launched a coup at the beginning of 559 that ignited a civil war]? Answer, [It’s the Blood Wolf].”

“Current Affairs, Question Five, [Who is the current Marshal of the Rainbow River Military Government]? Answer, [It’s His Excellency Winters Montagne].”

“Current Affairs, Question Six, [Who is the current ruler of the Vinea Republic]? Answer, [It’s His Excellency Blood Wolf].”

“Current Affairs, Question Seven… [Blood Wolf].”

Upon comparing the answers, everyone suddenly realized that whenever a question asked for a name, it was almost inevitably inundated with “Winters Montagne” and “Blood Wolf.”

Captain Luosong patted Andre on the shoulder and teasingly asked: “Lieutenant Cherini, what’s going on with your men? Do they only know one Blood Wolf?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Andre grumbled angrily: “The one I have now, when asked who is the head of the Rainbow River Military Government, answered [Richard Mason]!”

The grading room burst into unprecedented laughter, everyone was laughing so hard they had tears flowing.

After the laughter subsided, Andre let out a long sigh, slumped onto the only recliner in the grading room, covered his face with a paper, and shouted in anguish:

“Have we been fighting a war relying on such a group of illiterates all this time?!”

Captain Luosong couldn’t help but laugh: “What did you think? Did you think everyone was as knowledgeable as we are?”

Richard Mason, pushing a small cart of newly bound test paper booklets, distributed them along the way and just happened to overhear the conversation when he reached Andre and Luosong.

Watching the parade of cavalry and infantry alumni in the grading room openly mocking others, Mason couldn’t help but gently shake his head and sigh.

“What are you sighing about?” Andre sensitively caught the slight change in his senior’s expression, and as if pricked by a needle, he immediately sat up straight: “At least I know that boats float on water because of buoyancy!”