I had a vague sense of it.
Professor Antorelli’s exam wouldn’t be as easy as he confidently assured.
The A-class students, including Chloe and Laura, who regularly attended his classes, felt this even more. They thought that just because Professor Antorelli’s exam was completely an open book and involved a professor from the Department of Theology, the questions wouldn’t be easily solved.
However, the other students—the ones outside of A-class and the professors from the Department of Theology—were different.
They had not attended Professor Antorelli’s classes. To them, Professor Antorelli was just a person who greeted them with a stern face when they bumped into each other in the hallway. That was as far as it went.
They had heard the A-class students rave about his classes, but one wouldn’t understand unless they experienced it firsthand.
Thus, when Professor Antorelli announced he would conduct the first-year integrated theology exam, the remaining students, excluding A-class, immediately began to look for theology professors who had free time.
Studying for the theology exam was important, but anyway, if they solved the problems together with a theology professor, there would be no obstacles.
Yes, that was definitely what they thought.
But then.
“What is this…?”
Professor Marcello stared at the exam paper with a bewildered expression. It was surprising enough that the test papers were distributed even to those who were merely present as references, not as the main actors taking the exam.
[ Who are you? ]
This first question. This single question.
It turned Professor Marcello’s mind completely blank, like a blank sheet of paper.
The first problem written on Professor Antorelli’s theology integrated exam paper. Professor Marcello stared at that question for quite a while.
“…What on earth.”
He raised his head and looked at the podium in the auditorium.
Professor Antorelli’s expression was no different from usual.
As if to indicate that there was no problem.
Professor Marcello lowered his gaze back to the exam paper. No matter how many times he stared at Professor Antorelli’s face, the answer to this question would not come out.
“What…”
He had thought the problem would stem from the Bible. An exam conducted in the theology department, no matter how much one struggled, couldn’t escape from the framework of multiple-choice questions based on the Bible, or essay and descriptive questions rooted in it.
Yes, he was sure about that.
[ Who are you? ]
This question, heavy with philosophical meaning rather than theological, what on earth did it mean?
And only then did Professor Marcello understand what Professor Antorelli had said.
In fact, yes. It was a question that could be answered without reading the Bible.
It wasn’t presented using any verse from the Bible, nor did the question itself impose any restrictions on the answer. In fact, the header of the exam paper even stated, “Answer freely.”
So, it was a question that strayed from the Bible. It made sense that someone who had not read it could answer it. But…
“Is this… theology?”
If he were to ask whether this was theology, the answer would be no. At least, that’s what Professor Marcello thought.
He wanted to demand an explanation from Professor Antorelli. Even while boasting about how the exam wouldn’t stray beyond the confines of theology, how was this a question from a theology exam?
It was not a resentment born out of grievance. It was purely out of curiosity and disbelief. Even so, he couldn’t share opinions with the other professors seated next to him.
This was an exam. There’s no more thoughtless action than professors chattering and sharing opinions during an exam time.
Professor Marcello looked down at the exam paper again.
There was only one question on the paper, but the blank space beneath the question was excessively large. There was no other problem to solve after skipping this one; there was only one question.
‘Could it be that the reason for this large blank space is, perhaps…. to fill this exam paper with answers?’
If that were the case, it would be a typical example of the dogmatic folly of a theology exam. This exam paper would unconsciously force the need for long-winded answers.
‘…First, let’s try to answer it.’
Thus, he had no choice but to tackle this question first. Professor Marcello buried his head in the paper again and groaned while staring at the problem.
Of course, merely staring in silence wouldn’t make the answer pop out.
Professor Marcello was groaning in pain. The question appeared simple yet seemed as though it demanded something without asking for anything at all.
The answer required by the question felt elusive, like trying to grasp a notion that was just beyond his reach.
His frustration and fear of being lost without knowing the answer made Professor Marcello suffer.
It felt like something deep inside was being pulled out. An intellect he never wanted to show others was slowly shedding its shell and coming out into the world.
And so, five minutes passed since the exam began and then ten minutes.
“Ugh…”
Professor Marcello still hadn’t written a single word.
And it seemed that the other students were in a similar position. The first-year students sitting near Professor Marcello were all shifting in their seats and groaning.
Right now, everyone sitting in this exam hall was stuck… from the very first question.
[ Who are you? ]
It was truly frustrating, this one simple question.
Who am I? Could there be a harsher question than this?
‘Who I am has been defined by the Lord, and if His mercy follows the Lord…’
Professor Marcello’s head was becoming muddled. He could feel the heat against his forehead; his head was burning. He couldn’t help but cry out the name of the Lord.
“Lord… why have you subjected me to such a trial…!”
To be subjected to a trial.
Who I am is defined by the Lord.
…
…
To be subjected to a trial.
‘…Ah.’
Professor Marcello, as though entranced, took up the pen. The pen, which had left his hand for ten minutes and had already grown cold, was returned to his grip.
With that action from Professor Marcello, everyone in the exam hall seemed to start moving their pens simultaneously as if orchestrated. The sound of scratching filled the exam room.
– Scratch. Scratch.
While writing down the answer to the question, Professor Marcello felt a clarity in his mind as if it had cleared, and unconsciously, his body began to tremble.
‘This is, this is….’
Having thought of it as a complicated question, he had spent ten minutes wrestling with it. Thanks to that, Professor Marcello realized what this question wanted.
It is not such a complicated question. It was, in fact, a very simple question.
Who am I? To answer that question, Marcello could respond very boldly.
Even though it looked simple, it felt like a philosophical question, and then, and then…
[ My name is Marcello. ]
Just a question about me.
The incomparably simple question was being answered by the intellect hidden within Marcello.
[ A servant of the Lord, born into this world by the Lord’s grace, Marcello. A Dominican Intermediate Priest. ]
I am a blessed person born by the Lord’s blessing.
I am a person who can breathe the air of this world, see the light of this world, and awaken the wisdom of this world through the Lord’s grace.
I am the servant of my Father in heaven.
The baptismal name is Dominico, Marcello the Priest.
[ I am here by the call of the Lord. ]
That I am here.
Philosophy is the handmaiden of theology.
If one wishes to discuss theology, it is insufficient to simply recite the Bible. Reason must be united with theology.
One might call this blasphemous or sacrilegious, but if one wishes to discuss theology, reason must inevitably be seen in the duality of that piety.
Therefore, I must awaken the intellect sleeping within the students.
My first lesson was meant to give the students free will.
My second lesson was to gain insights into spirituality through spiritual theology and demonology, breaking free from simple constraints to discuss a more advanced theology.
Therefore, my third lesson is.
‘Awaken your reason.’
Awaken your reason.
And, be subjected to the exam.
The good and evil that nest within your reason, and…. the purity of reason stemming from this exam that distinguishes them. The primal essence that becomes one with theology…
If that is fully revealed.
– Bloom—!
A flower blooms on the exam paper.
‘The proof of faith.’
That is the process of proving belief.
The proof of faith is the process of proving faithfulness.
The proof of faithfulness is the process of proving goodness.
Goodness stems from reason.
Now, having taken a step forward in proving reason.
Now, I shall prove the goodness within.
A flower blooms.
A very small and delicate flower, a little golden flower that seems like it would fade away any moment.
Yes, it was a golden flower.
Chloe stared blankly at the small flower blooming on the exam paper.
‘This is….’
The soft hue of the golden color filled Chloe’s view.
The Lord said, “Let there be light,” and from there, the divine nature of the beginning blossomed.
The divine nature of the beginning. The proof of faith.
Previously, on the first day of class, Professor Antorelli had showcased the light of the whole world.
The flower of the beginning shyly blossomed before her eyes.
Chloe hurriedly glanced around. She knew this wasn’t something to do during the exam, but that wasn’t what was important right now.
“No, this is….”
“Aah…”
The flower bathed in golden colors that bloomed from the exam papers of those sitting in the exam hall.
Chloe wasn’t the only one to bloom the flower of the beginning.
“Ah, ah…”
The theology professors sitting in the back row too.
“What is this…?”
“Could it be the flower of the beginning…?”
Other students from different classes, staring blankly at that flower.
Everyone had bloomed a flower. Chloe stopped looking around and slowly directed her gaze back to the exam paper.
– Scratch. Scratch.
“…Huh?”
The golden light emanating from the flower of the beginning. As that light settled on the exam paper, letters hidden beneath the first question began to appear.
[ Love your neighbor as yourself. ]
A verse that even Chloe, not belonging to the Department of Theology, might have heard somewhere. Below the excerpt from that Bible verse, another line of text appeared.
[ Who is your neighbor? ]
The second question of Professor Antorelli’s theology exam.
