# Chapter 1: Harpist Academy (10)
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Just as the big screen switched to the testing arena where a white ball popped up from the wall, there stood Edith in the center, looking fabulous.
Originally, the directors had instructed the two hosts to introduce all ten testing arenas in order before zeroing in on specific competitions for commentary. But apparently, once Blake and Betty spotted Edith, they quickly realized she was a hot topic—a real audience grabber!
In no time, the imaging crystals that required the Mage’s control suspended in mid-air and began to focus intently on Edith’s test.
Of course, the graduating class had no clue about the live streaming. Sure, there were a few hundred people in attendance, but compared to the tens or even hundreds of thousands at home, they were practically a drop in the ocean. To avoid interrupting the students’ performances, the academy decided to keep this little detail under wraps, telling students that some imaging crystals for monitoring would be present, with footage kept as reference material. So naturally, even Lin Nan didn’t connect the dots between those hovering crystals and modern-day cameras.
“Attention, viewers! The graduate you see on screen is the genius contestant we mentioned earlier, Edith. Will she hit it big in her first test? Let’s find out!”
Just five minutes later, when all three female judges held up “SS” grade cards at the same time, cheers erupted from both the audience in front of the big screen and the enthusiastic listeners outside the academy.
“Fantastic! Is this the terrifying power of a genius harpist?”
“Right? She’s unbelievable! This is only her first round, and she scored higher than a perfect score.
So jealous… Aah!”
“Whoever gets to marry her must be the luckiest person ever. I have a feeling she’ll be the only SS-grade harpist of this batch, breaking all past records.”
As a senior Mage, Blake was equally impressed by Edith’s performance, “Not bad, your junior really is something else.”
Betty was about to chime in when she noticed another jaw-dropping figure on the screen.
“Isn’t that the genius harpist Trissa from last year? What’s she doing here?”
At that moment, a staff member hurriedly delivered a note to Blake.
He quickly glanced at it and smiled at the audience, “Breaking news! If you remember the graduate assessment from three years ago, you must be able to call out one name.”
Indeed, quite a few viewers began shouting it out.
“Trissa! Trissa! Trissa!”
Blake, as if hearing their cries, nodded, “Exactly! It’s the genius harpist Trissa. In her last assessment, she scored eight S grades and two A grades, deemed a genius harpist by the academy. Three years later, she’s back.
Just now, we received news from the academy’s examination department that Trissa has applied for a re-evaluation of her harpist level.
It seems we’ll be fortunate enough to witness an epic clash between the former genius and the current one. So who is the real genius?”
As the daughter of the Foreign Minister and a star from three years ago, the nobility in the Imperial Capital knew Trissa well. So, naturally, Blake was captivated by this news, unintentionally glossing over the second bit of info—that the foreign woman Lin Nan had also applied for harpist assessment.
Betty remarked, “In general, the level achieved during the graduation assessment is the apex for harpists; it’s rare for someone to break through years later. After all, harpists rely heavily on talent. Trissa attempting to break the mold is genuinely admirable.”
Yet, deep down, Betty wasn’t so convinced. Trissa was fierce in her cohort, unmatched in talent. But now there was another genius, Edith…
This was awkward. If Trissa didn’t show up, her title as the previous genius harpist could remain her shiny badge. But knowing that Edith’s talent could potentially surpass hers, Trissa chose to compete against her, giving Edith an excellent opportunity to prove herself.
If Edith outshone Trissa, say goodbye to Trissa’s genius status.
“Next up, we see last year’s champion, Trissa, standing proudly in the center of the arena.”
On screen, Trissa didn’t seem fazed by Edith’s “SS” grade. Instead, she was downright calm, legs slightly bent, fully focused on the wall.
“Testing is about to begin!”
“Three, two, one!”
With the countdown finishing, three white balls randomly shot out from the wall at lightning speed. If the testing student didn’t manage to knock them down before they hit her, she’d be deemed unqualified.
While the two hosts explained the testing rules, they kept their eyes glued to Trissa’s performance. Just as they expected, while Trissa was fast enough to knock down the three balls almost simultaneously, it was obvious to anyone watching that she was on a different tier compared to Edith.
Sure enough, all three judges held up “S” grade cards. While that score was excellent compared to other graduates, with the brilliance of Edith before them, Trissa’s result felt like a mere side act.
The camera immediately shifted back to Edith.
Edith, seemingly prepared, didn’t show much glee.
“Trissa, my advice? It’s not too late to back out now. Because in the upcoming projects, facing me would mean you have zero chance of winning.”
Trissa, feeling a tad disappointed, thought to herself that after spending so long with Lord Lin, she ought to have improved somewhat. Yet, she still lost to Edith—what a puzzlement!
But since she had chosen to re-evaluate, she wouldn’t throw in the towel after just one loss to Edith.
“You don’t need to worry about me; even if I lose this one to you, I won’t give up.”
Edith sighed, “What a pity! Your confidence will be crushed bit by bit under my feet until it’s utterly destroyed.”
Trissa, “……”
Meanwhile, from the live streaming room, Betty sighed inwardly. Trissa was just too proud.
She must have felt challenged by Edith’s appearance against her past reputation, prompting her to come back for a retake to defend her pride.
If only…
“Wait!”
A cool voice suddenly echoed in from beyond the imaging crystal’s captured scene.
