### Chapter 0: Harpist Academy (9)
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The audience seats in each testing area totaled over two thousand, which was still far from enough to satisfy the demands of the entire Imperial Capital’s spectators.
In an attempt to appease the masses, the renowned Mage School, not wanting to be outdone by the Harpist Academy, dispatched some elite students to set up a magical screen in the square in front of the main building, capable of switching images at any moment.
Tons of seats were lined up in front of the screen like ducks in a row.
But even then, the entire square could only hold around twenty thousand people at most.
More citizens were being held back outside the academy by fully armed soldiers, raising their fists in protest and shouting in frustration. They refused to leave empty-handed after coming all that way.
In a desperate move, the Mage School set up a dozen magical loudspeakers outside the academy, featuring a sweet-voiced girl and a rugged yet professional-sounding male host providing live commentary to soothe the restless crowd.
This was a classic move used during the student evaluations at the Harpist Academy.
As the big screen lit up and the loudspeakers crackled to life, the ruckus outside finally quieted down as everyone turned their attention to the commentary.
“Greetings, loyal subjects of the Empire! I am Blake,” announced the male voice.
“And I’m Betty!” chimed in the female voice.
On the screen appeared two strikingly good-looking faces, one male and one female.
“What’s the deal with these two?” someone from the audience asked immediately.
“Hey, you don’t know? Blake is royalty, but what he really loves is showing off, performing on the harp while belting out high notes. It’s all the rage lately! And that’s Betty, his partner and an A-level harpist.”
“I see!”
Blake continued, “Let’s kick things off by explaining the evaluation process for graduating students from the Harpist Academy.
Each graduate needs to go through ten projects that will determine their final grade.
However, to spice things up this time, after the evaluations wrap up, the school will hold a harpist team competition, with the ultimate winner getting a chance to bump up a grade!
Betty, as one of the successful alumni, what are your thoughts on this year’s graduating evaluations?”
Despite being a last-minute addition to the broadcast, Blake was surprisingly unflappable, and with his encouraging gaze, Betty maintained her composure and steady tone.
“The competition is fierce this year, and it seems there are even more talented candidates than before.
For example, we have the genius girl, Edith, whose talent rivals, if not exceeds, last year’s top student. It’s quite rare for the academy to have two genius harpists back-to-back.
Aside from Edith, there are at least five to six other students with chances of hitting that S-grade evaluation.
I believe this year’s evaluations will leave the audience with unforgettable memories.”
After glancing at Blake, she continued, “As for today being the open day for the academy, it’s reported that at least hundreds of thousands of citizens came to watch, but unfortunately, due to space limitations, most couldn’t get in.
But don’t worry, with us by your side, you’ll have an experience that’s just as good as being here in person—we’ll keep you updated on all the latest happenings at the testing areas.”
With a sweet smile, Betty added, “Now let’s dive into the various testing projects while we report the results live!”
“This particular test project focuses on how well a harpist can add defensive skills to a target.
Our target? A cute little bunny, which is about to come face-to-face with a leopard cat that hasn’t eaten in three days!
The evaluation will be based on how long the little bunny can survive being chased by the leopard cat after receiving those defense skills.
I’m pretty sure the soon-to-be harpists don’t want to see the bunny brutally slaughtered by a wild beast—they’ll be pulling out all the stops to boost its survival chances!”
As she spoke, the screen showed a leopard cat, three times the size of the bunny, viciously chasing the frightened little creature.
Meanwhile, a student was perched on a suspended platform in the enclosed testing area, frantically plucking the strings of a simple four-stringed harp, sending bursts of hurried and soothing notes into the air.
Just as the leopard cat lunged forward, its sharp claws nearly piercing the bunny’s fur, a yellow-brown light enveloped the cat.
The audience could almost hear the deafening screech of claws scraping against a stone wall.
Thanks to the sturdy wall skill, the bunny managed to escape this time.
But the starved leopard cat wasn’t giving up, and the bunny continued its panic-fueled dash.
The protective aura flickered around it as the student struggled to maintain the buff with her frantic strumming.
Then, just as the bunny’s movements were obscured by dust kicked up from the leopard cat’s sprint, that poor student was totally blindsided, unable to correctly target her spell.
“Pfft…”
The leopard cat bit into the bunny’s neck, bl**d dripping onto the ground like a broken faucet.
“Ah!” The student couldn’t help but scream, devastated that the bunny hadn’t lasted longer.
The three judges collectively raised their paddles displaying a “B” grade, but the female student did not seem happy with her result. Alas, it was too late to change it; she could only leave the testing ground with a long face.
After all, they had practiced for this moment countless times before!
And with only one shot to prove themselves, they had to quietly accept whatever verdict was handed down in front of the people of the Imperial Capital.
Even being the worst C-level harpist meant you’d leave the academy as a hot commodity, with plenty of suitors lining up.
But if any unsightly traits popped up during the evaluation? Now that could spell trouble!
Betty explained, “Due to strict criteria and requirements at each grade level, the judges can only afford to be a little lenient within certain bounds.
Typically, if a candidate meets the minimum requirements, they’ll at least nab a C-grade.
However, if something like a bunny getting chewed to bits by a leopard cat happens—before they even had time to cast their defense buff—well, that’ll be a clear fail.
If two tests out of the ten are failed, it means your evaluation is over.
You’re then faced with two options: slink away quietly from the Harpist Academy or continue studying for two to three more years to take part in the next evaluation.
Of course, there’s only a one-time chance to redo it.”
Blake dramatically gasped, “Wow, the academy’s rules really are strict!”
“Indeed they are,” Betty replied proudly.
And just then, the screen switched to a testing area focused on the wall-bouncing ball attack reaction test.
