The Noble Lady Without Magic Aims to Become an Adventurer! - Chapter 17

“Anna, I’m feeling a bit tired.”

“Understood. Then let’s head to the pastry shop we mentioned earlier.”

The shop Anna guided us to was reputed for its delicious cupcakes. As we entered, the sweet aroma of freshly baked goods mingled with the scent of tea filled the air. The shop was bustling with nobles and wealthy commoners enjoying their treats.

“Fars, which one do you want?”

“Wait, I get to eat something too?”

Fars looked a bit surprised but eagerly browsed the selection with a delighted expression.

“Of course. Anna, you should pick something too. I feel like enjoying this moment with the three of us.”

Anna raised her eyebrows slightly but agreed. Normally, it would be unthinkable for a noble to eat alongside their servants, but this time, she let it slide.

I picked a cupcake with orange filling. Fars chose one topped with a generous amount of whipped cream, and Anna opted for a baked pastry called a financier. We also ordered iced tea to accompany our selections.

“Lady Marloa, is there anywhere else you’d like to go?”
“I’d like to visit a shop that sells commoners’ clothing. I’ll need it for tomorrow when I accompany Fars.”

“Commoners’ clothing, my lady?”

Anna paused for a moment to think before responding. It seemed as though she was mentally mapping out the best route.

After enjoying our tea and pastries, Anna said, “It’s a bit of a walk,” and guided us to a clothing store located at the border between the noble and commoner districts.

The shop had been chosen with safety in mind. Anna explained that newcomers to the royal capital, like us, were often targeted by scammers.

The store Anna brought us to sold men’s clothing as well, so I decided to pick out some outfits for Fars while we were there.
“I’m fine with whatever,” Fars said nonchalantly, grabbing random items. I stepped in and picked out practical clothes that would be easier for him to move in for tomorrow’s activities.

For myself, I purchased trousers, a shirt, a bag, and a pair of shoes. Anna, however, disapproved. “Women should only wear trousers for horseback riding. It’s improper,” she said. But on this matter, I wouldn’t budge.

I considered that if I passed the exam, I’d likely have to buy additional items, so it might be a good idea to explain the situation to Anna later.

The clothes in this shop were reasonably priced, enough to be paid for with pocket money. As I reached for my coin pouch, Anna intervened. “We have plenty left over from the dress budget, so the payment won’t be an issue,” she said, covering the cost.

When we returned home with all the items, no one in the household paid us any attention as the servants carried the packages to my room.

Thanks to the head maid’s thoughtful arrangements, I didn’t have to join the family for dinner. She informed them that I was too tired from shopping and would be having my meal in my room.
Naturally, no one objected. This gave Fars and me valuable time to prepare for tomorrow’s exam, which was a relief.

The next morning.

“Well then, we’re off.”

Using the somewhat forced excuse that I needed to accompany Fars, my personal attendant, for his academy entrance exam, I hurriedly left the estate.

I tied my hair into a single ponytail, wore a shirt and trousers, and carried a sword at my side.

Otto, the steward, seemed to have been informed by the head butler, Hubert, about my intention to join the knight department rather than the lady’s department. He had anticipated today’s exam and discreetly handed me some prepared supplies at the front entrance.

The head maid had also styled my long hair to keep it neat and out of the way.

While the servants were helpful and considerate, my family showed no interest in me. Even when passing me in the hallway, they regarded me as just another servant. They didn’t even notice that I was leaving.

Is it really okay for bl00d relatives to act like this? I felt a twinge of unease but quickly dismissed the thought. It would be inconvenient if they started showing concern now. Things were fine the way they were.

Fars and I took a carriage to the academy. When we arrived, a long line of commoners around our age was forming outside.
“Those taking the exam, please head this way!”

A teacher stationed by the gate called out while raising his hand.

“Fars, over there. That’s the exam hall. Let’s go.”
“Got it. Try not to get lost.”

We joined the crowd filing into the building.

Inside, the examinees were divided into classrooms. The first thirty were sent to Class A, the next thirty to Class B, and so on.

Fortunately, Fars and I managed to sit next to each other in the same classroom.

After a while, the examiners entered and handed out exam tickets for us to fill in with the necessary information. For commoners, who often lacked formal identification or stable addresses—especially those from villages—pre-registration wasn’t an option.

The entire process, from the exam to the announcement of results and dormitory arrangements, was completed on the same day.
The examiners explained that top-performing students would be eligible for special privileges, with notifications sent later via magical post.

The exam ticket included a section asking whether we would commute from home or stay in the dormitories.

We filled in our place of origin as Lanloft Village and checked the box for dormitory accommodation.

The examiner distributed the test papers, and with the call of “Begin!” the exam started.

I had been nervous, expecting difficult questions since my teacher had drilled me thoroughly. But when I looked at the test, I was stunned.

It was incredibly easy.

I almost burst out laughing in the silent classroom at how simple the questions were.

I quickly completed all the questions and raised my hand to submit the test paper. The examiner graded it on the spot and stamped my exam ticket with a “Pass” for the written portion. Fars followed shortly after, his ticket stamped with a “Pass” as well.

“That’s great! We both passed the written test!”

“Yeah! It was so easy I almost laughed out loud.”

“Me too, me too!”

Still buzzing with excitement, we headed to the next venue.

Commoner girls didn’t aim for the lady’s department. Instead, they aspired to become civil servants, knights, or maids.
From here, we moved on to the aptitude tests for our chosen paths.

Since we left the classroom early, we managed to get in line for the knight department’s aptitude test before it got too crowded.
“Examinees, this way.”

We followed the examiner’s instructions and approached the registration desk.