Chapter 7:

When the thought of transporting to different worlds crossed Eres’s mind, she’d thought of dragons, adventures, babes, and barbarians. If there were a concept so far removed from those ideas it could truly be considered its antithesis, it would be…homework.

Yet, here she was. Ahhh to be young again. Is that something one should think at the age of twelve? For most, probably not. For Eres and Leo, however, they cried together when they realized that even sons and maids of the ducal family must attend public education. 

They’d had tutors, of course. Leo and Eres had both attended their lessons with startling obedience. The teachers, thinking themselves skilled, had no idea that the cause of their attentiveness was a personal bet.

It had begun with a joke. Leo had mentioned that Eres seemed like the type to be a horrible student. As often happened, a joke turned to banter, turned to a fight, turned to a blood feud. 

Eres had pointed at Leo, anger righteous. “I will score higher than you on the entrance exam! Leo! You coddled, silver-spoon bitch! Get ready to taste defeat!”

It was a very public and very debated topic in the mansion. Even now, Eris regretted—or, rather, her bottom regretted saying that in earshot of the formidable Head Maid. Eres had thought she’d be long over corporal punishment,  but Lana had little tolerance for young ladies with foul mouths. 

So, they sat next to each other in the mansion’s library, each taking notes at a speed any teacher would be shocked to see.

What were the ingredients to make a good student? Intelligence, surely, but what good is a brain with no motivation? No, the strongest chemical in the cocktail of a valedictorian was pride. Pride and fear in equal measure make a successful student. Pride in their abilities, fear in the sword that swings over their neck should they fail. 

And so, Eres and Leo butted heads in their first battle decided by brains. 

“Eehhh, young master, could it be you didn’t take calculus before traveling?”

“Oh, Eres. It seems you’ve forgotten more than you thought~!”

The tutors stood behind them, backs sweating and eyes wide. Forget the entrance exam, were they planning to enter the Mage’s tower by the age of thirteen…? What the hell were they even studying?

The children laughed as they poked at each-other’s mental weaknesses. The energy had become so dark, even Lana feared to intervene. 

The Duchess stood outside the door to the library. “Lana…what is going on…?”

“The children are fighting.”

The sound of a high pitched cackle erupted from Eres, piercing through the library’s door. 

“…”

The two adults wisely backed away. After all, they had hired the tutors for a reason, right?

Besides. The academy’s exam was only in a week. Just one week until those two twerps were gone…

Lana felt unexpectedly sad. She’d grown quite fond of her red-haired little troublemaker. If ever she were to have  a daughter, she hoped it could be Eres. She’d have adopted her already had it not been common knowledge Leo was pursuing her. 

“I shudder to think of their arguments when they’re married.”

The Duchess’s face paled, if it even could. She shook her head and walked away. 

***

Eres and Leo stood off in the hallway leading to the entrance exam. Eres smirked. “Oh? You’re approaching me? Instead of running away, you’re coming right to me? Even though you know you’ll be defeated, like an ex—”

“Eres.”

“Like an ex—”

“Eres. Stop. I know the line.”

“…”

Leo sighed, grabbed Eres by the shoulder and dragged her into the room. Eres glared at him, her eyes strangely wide.

He froze. “Did you just…try to stop time?”

“N-no.”

“You don’t need to lie, Eres. It’s me. Did you try to stop time?”

“Try?” Eres chuckled. “I already did.”

“…!”

“Check your underwear, Leo. It’s already soiled.”

Even though he knew she was joking…somehow, Leo thought that if anyone could do it, it’d be her. He pretended not to shuffle strangely as they walked to their seats.

Eres stared at the exam in confusion. 

…That was it? Really? She’d already checked it over three times, yet no student had turned it in yet. Could she really be the first?

…

No, maybe it was that classic exam feeling. “Wow, that was easy. I was the first one done, everyone else is a moron bahahaha.”

Only to realize you were the only one who had no idea what was going on…

She pictured Leo’s smug face if he beat her. Her hand clenched so hard her pencil nearly snapped.

Hehehe…No. Check it again! Again!

And so, Eres, despite finishing first and changing absolutely nothing, left the exam room last, having resolved every problem twice over just to be sure.

Her handwriting was small, but even so it still filled every blank margin of the test.

…This wouldn’t be a problem, right? Surely not.

Her exam proctors eyes had nearly bulged out of their sockets when they saw the density of her writing, but she left the answers clear. They couldn’t dock her points. 

Leo was leaned against a wall, his posture confident. “Well well well…If it isn’t the late-bloomer.”

“…?”

“Everyone was talking about you. How you were the last one out. I heard them giggling.”

Eres shrugged. “They can laugh if they beat me.”

“Why’d it take you so long? I finished mine in twenty minutes.”

“I finished around then too…but I got paranoid and checked it over and over until the timer.”

Leo’s lips twitched. “Were you really that upset that you might lose?”

Eres looked up. Yes, that’s right. Up. This bastard had gone and gotten taller than her in only four years…in fact, he’d left her in the dust.

So what if she was vertically challenged! It didn’t matter! Because she was going to be the top student and prove this moron wrong!

She affirmed her victory, muttering to herself crazily as they left. 

The other students gave them wide berth. 

1. Leonard Fritz | Eres 100 points

2. Arille Frey | 99 points

3. Eliza Calin | 98 Points

“…”

“We tied?”

Eres dropped to her knees. No…it couldn’t be…her glorious revenge. Hic~!

She blinked away tears. 

“Hey, isn’t that the late bloomer? Guess she failed, huh? Hahaha…”

Eres clenched her fists and glared at Leo. “Next time…I will get 101.”

***

She really thought she’d never have to go through school again. What was the point of all those sleepless nights? That struggle? What was the point of her ignoring all her homework to game, only to end up in an alternate world with no games…

Her lost hours in those mmo’s! Dammit! Bring back her character! Eres lamented as she lay on the couch in the head maid’s room. 

Lana sat next to her, knitting and occasionally patting her on the head.

“I don’t understand why you’re so upset. Do you know how rare it is for someone to pass with a perfect score? Let alone two? Really, you’re both the pride of the Fritz household.”

“I wanted to beat him…”

“You should really learn to get along. You’re his future wife, after all.”

Eris glared at her. “I’m not marrying that egghead.”

“…Egghead?”

“His hair. It’s an egg, so he’s an egghead.”

Lana stopped knitting, looking down at her in bewilderment.

“Are you in your right mind? What’s the matter?”

“Stomach hurts.”

“Eres.”

“Hmm?”

“Where does your stomach hurt?”

Eres looked up, irritated. Did it matter? Whatever she’d eaten with Egghead earlier must’ve irritated her stomach. She jabbed at her lower abdomen.

Lana sighed. “So, it’s that time. I suppose I should teach you about such things.”

“..Things?”

“Well, you are a growing woman.”

Eres’s blood ran cold. No…it couldn’t be. Right? She was only twelve!

She sat up. Something moved. Ah.

“AHHHHHH!”