Chapter 34 The second is even more heavyweight
Arthur Sunny, a second-tier Holy Light Magician, with a minor in Provocation.
He was born into a ducal family.
His birth was anticipated by many with great expectations.
"The Radiant Young Lion" was the title bestowed upon him by the Goddess on the day of his birth.
The history of the border ducal family is deep-rooted, with generals and marshals among their ancestors, abundant in martial virtue but lacking in culture. Moreover, there has never been a Pope from the Radiant Holy See in their family, and naturally, the Pope should be someone who practices Radiant Magic.
Therefore, Arthur was brought up as the future of the family, immersed in the knowledge of the Holy Light from a young age, training under the guidance of the household elders and distinguished tutors. He did not disappoint and even learned how to do splits.
Compared to magic, he preferred wielding a greatsword and striking down foes.
This was very stylish.
'Knights are cooler than mages'—this had always been his creed.
An Su did not want to agree to Arthur's request, as he was already laden with tremendous wealth.
Moreover, as the noble elder brother Xianzong, free from lowly desires and a man of high refinement, a true academic achiever, An Su loathed cheating more than anything else.
Mainly, he detested others cheating.
He would not only refuse to help in cheating in tomorrow's written exam.
He would even go so far as to maliciously disrupt the mental state of other examinees.
This approach was actually in line with Miss Enya's strategy of annihilation, only more conservative.
If his competitors did not do well, then An Su would be ranked first.
"Arthur, please calm down."
At that moment, a calm and elegant voice interrupted their conversation.
"Do not forsake the decorum befitting a noble."
This was the second roommate.
The man was truly elegant, with glasses framed in gold, clad in a snow-white robe, with slender and fair hands holding a pot of tea, his demeanor was lofty and proud, his manner exuded an aura of exceptional class.
"The Moonlight of the Goddess"—that was his title.
Lister Muen, a second-tier Holy Light Magician with a minor in Water Magic, was also from the borderlands.
He was the eldest son of the Moon Family, the second most historically prestigious great family of the borderlands.
At the same time, he was ranked second in the "Seaside Morning News" most desirable saints list, with a clear and aloof temperament being the reason for his high ranking.
"We must compete fairly and cannot resort to cheating," Lister said as he delicately sipped his tea, "This is the elegance and honesty of a saint, the most noble of virtues."
Maintaining a noble demeanor and honoring the pride of a saint was Lister's utmost concern, focusing on the grace and artistry in his speech and actions at all times.
'One must have grace in their actions,' this was the principle taught to him by his father.
This was a man dedicated to a lifetime of elegance.
"So, have you studied for the exams?" Arthur asked him.
"No," Lister replied gracefully and honestly, with even a hint of pride in his tone, "I haven't read a single word."
"Then what are you proud of?" Arthur inquired.
"If I had studied, upon seeing the questions, I would have the answers from the book in my mind."
Listen explained calmly, "I would end up transcribing the answers hiding in my mind onto the paper, wouldn't that be equivalent to cheating by copying answers?"
"That wouldn't be fair to the other examinees, so I chose not to read a word.
It's not because I'm lazy or unable to comprehend, but because the pride deep in my soul won't allow it. My haughty soul refuses to stoop to the despicable act of 'studying from a book'."
"As an honest and fair saint, I cannot condone any form of cheating."
"Then how will you handle the exam?" Arthur asked again.
"The Goddess will favor those who are honest and noble."
Listen once again elegantly sipped his tea, still speaking with an air of high stature, "My heart will honor the guidance of the Goddess and choose the correct path."
"I see," Arthur said thoughtfully upon hearing this, "Brother Lister, your words make a lot of sense!"
...Isn't this just guessing?
Watching the conversation between the two, An Su let out a sigh.
At this moment, he unexpectedly began to miss Kavensis. They were both scripted as prodigal scions of noble families, yet Kavensis managed to play the part quite convincingly.
"Why were we three assigned together?" An Su asked.
"It's based on regional division, Big Bro An Su,"
Arthur had already started to call him 'Big Bro', "We three are all from border cities and are students of Radiant Magic, naturally grouped together."
That small border city unexpectedly produced the three of us, remarkable talents.
An Su thought to himself.
Continuing, Arthur added,
"There were supposed to be four of us, I have no idea why Kavensis didn't come."
It seems the Church has sealed the news very tightly.
"He took a leave of absence to study." An Su responded.
In his heart, he added: parental leave.
"Haha, I see, did he take sick leave?" Arthur laughed.
"You could say that."
Parental leave is a kind of sick leave after all.
"So when does his leave end?"
"Generally it's ten months, but he's faster."
"That long, huh? Didn't he go to receive the blessings of the Holy Light for healing?" Arthur asked.
"He did, which is why he's faster."
An Su added in his heart: He "gave birth" so fast it nearly "killed" him.
----
The night passed without incident, and the entrance examination for the Church finally began.
The Order Church divides its dioceses, and the first tower's third floor was also the site for the written examination.
Only by walking through the Imperial Capital Diocese during the daytime could one feel its grandeur and vastness.
The brilliant golden sunlight filtered through the colored-glass dome, scattering dazzling specks of light atop the ancient marble columns.
The columns were carved with scales and rulers, the symbolic emblems of the 'Order Church' among the faith of the Seven Gods.
The full name of the Order Church is 'Church of Order and Law,' with the Goddess of Order as its divine patron.
Due to the characteristics of the Church, its dioceses were often used as the main examination venues.
The esoteric religion opposing it is the Sanctuary of Chaos, officially known as 'Esoteric Religion of Chaos and Ladder,' with the Mother Goddess of Chaos as its divine patron.
Radiant Saint third examination room, room 301.
An Su observed the expressions of the other candidates. There were about sixty people in the examination room, but there they were, nervous—some continuously tapped their feet, some even took out books to review, and most remained silent, anxiously waiting for the exam to start.
Time ticked away steadily, and steady footsteps echoed in the hallways.
The newcomer was dressed in a snow-white clerical robe with the emblem of the Order Church embroidered on the chest, and the stigma on the left shoulder indicated his position: Priest.
He carried the examination papers with a dignified air and entered the examination room,
"The examination is about to begin. Please put away all unrelated items. Anyone caught cheating will be immediately disqualified... I am the invigilator for this examination. You may address me as Priest Paxi."
"The examination time is two and a half hours. Please answer carefully,"
The Order Priest broke the seal of the examination papers, and an assistant helped him distribute the papers.
[Question twenty-one, please discuss the Druid pea's magic hybridization experiment.]
Having received the paper and flipped to the last question, An Su knew he had it in the bag.
'Mother' 'hybridization' 'modification' 'dissection'...
A series of taboo keywords resurfaced in An Su's mind, linking up his memories.
Thank you, dear Miss Enya!
The other questions on the exam tested knowledge that An Su had also reviewed; the notes organized by Luojia were exceptionally comprehensive.
Meanwhile, the candidates around him all showed constipated expressions—it seemed they too had flipped to the last question.
Their eyes revealed a clear sense of bewilderment and helplessness.
The exam questions of the Radiant Holy See were not too varied, and they even provided an exam outline, almost entirely encompassing the Radiant Holy See's politics, history, strategic reasoning, casting theory, and other humanities composite topics.
Except for the last question.
The last question was set by the chief examiner, completely deviating from the given outline—so offbeat that it even ventured into topics from other sects, and it carried a lot of weight.
Just like the last question in the previous year's Radiant Holy See test, [There are four types of threaded connections: bolt connections, double-end stud connections... Please expound on this using alchemic principles.]
This delved into the fields of alchemy and mechanical sects!
The last question was entirely down to luck.
According to the chief examiner, it was to cultivate all-rounded candidates and more importantly, to select those most favored by the Goddess.
Those with good luck, who had coincidentally learned similar knowledge, would pass.
Those with bad luck, it was as if they weren't looked upon by the Goddess, and they wouldn't be accepted.
----In a way, the theories of the Moon Family's brother were indeed correct.