Maria - The Blind Princess

Chapter 5

"No! It can't be! I know well Richard can do better than that!"

Because Gerald had been practicing with Maria for 6 years. He knew well her power, she was as strong as him. If his score was 9 units then how her score could be just 4 units. The big difference was too suspicious to him.

"I demand a retry!" Gerald yelled. But he got the sea of noise from the crowd refusing his request. If the judges gave her a retry, that would be very cheating.

"Retry, please."

Maria heard the voice from the support teacher. But suddenly, after that, the crowd went silent. The judge replied him back with a cough.

"Your highness, I'm afraid that our academy has the fixed rule for almost 20 years. All of the candidates will only have one chance to be qualified so even with your position, you cannot change it."

Maria was confused when she heard the judges said "your highness". She went speechless, the support teacher who had been beside to guide her was actually...

"Let me tell you something. Even 20 years, 50 years, 100 years, everything will never be absolute. Same as what Gerald said, I also had the feeling something is wrong at this magic devise. I can guarantee with my name William Abraham Alexandre."

Now the fear has covered the entire of Maria's mind. She awkwardly kneeled in front of the direction of the voice. An invisible aura from the support teacher surrounded her, like a threat, forced her to not make any mistake. Or it was because she was overthinking...

"Don't let me repeat the second time, judges. I demand a retry."

"Yes... yes! Your highness!"

This time, William took his attention more carefully, watched the entire of the progress when Maria retried. Inside her mind, she had to do with her best once again.

A very strong punch, that the crowd could even feel the wind caused by her attack. Maria dried all of her stamina for this punch. It resulted an enormous sound same like an explosion. It was the power that everyone could never see before, even made the judges got shivered. It also almost broke the magic devise.

However, the score was the same again: 5 units. People around began discussing, the prince was right, something was wrong with the magic devise. With this such power they were sure that Richard might get at least 8 or 9 units. The fact that the devise scored him as 5 was totally impossible.

"Hmm..."

William thought a little while. He then tried to open the devise and took out a small thing looking like a bug.

"A slave bug, it's a magical invention from a student at Academic Management class. I think I know who made it." He then whispered beside the bug "Mister Logan, as your homeroom professor, I will kindly give you a chance to not being expelled from the academy, as long as you move your a*s over here to say sorry to Richard Tranchant."

The crowd of the people went suddenly "wow" when they could witness the badass side of the gentle prince. A moment later, a 4th year student timidly arrived, stood in front of Maria and the prince to apologize. However, when he interrogated why he did such a terrible thing like that, especially targeting a blind boy, he just answered that someone told him to do that with the trade that he got 50 coins of gold.

"You don't know who told you?"

"Yes.. yes, professor. Please forgive me..."

"We will discuss about it at my office room later. Now tell me, how could you hack the magic devise?"

".... I waited until Richard's turn, and order my bug to fix his score, reducing by 5 units...."

"It meant Richard's real score was actually 9 units at the first time and 10 units at the second time right?"

Maria couldn't believe by herself. 10 units meant the highest score of the physical strength test. And she did it!

The judges then announced once again, to modify Richard Trachant's score of physical strength test: From 4 units to 10 units. Gerald couldn't control his emotion, rushed to Maria, shouted "that's my brother!!!" and hugged her. Surrounding her currently, the sound of the applause came from everywhere. Maria smiled, kept saying thank you to everyone and the prince. 

***

Maria and Gerald went to the academy's restaurant to take their lunch together. The result would be announced at the beginning of this noon.

"You are so excellent Maria, got the absolute score at physical strength test... Meanwhile I don't know if I will be chosen to become the student or not...."

"What's wrong? You got 9 units, the second highest just after me so I think you will be chosen easily."

"Because... I was so bad at the IQ test..."

"Don't worry Gerald, the judges at profile checking already told you. You must be present in the class to support me studying. So even if you aren't chosen as the student, it doesn't mean we will be separated."

Suddenly, behind both of them, a familiar gentle voice appeared made Maria startled.

"My apology for interrupting your lunch time, gentlemen."

"Oh, professor... I meant your highness. It's my honor to see you here." Gerald replied, he didn't forget to kneel in front of the prince.

"Stand up please, Mr.Tranchant. In this area, I'm not the prince anymore, a professor instead. Actually, the accident earlier was the first time I had to use my name to clarify all the mess. It's the shame of our academy to let this such scandal happen. So I want to represent Eurydia Academy to say sorry, for causing inconveniences to you two."

"It's not your fault... professor." Maria said "You also helped me a lot the whole today, I haven't had a chance to appreciate all your effort yet."

"Of course it's a duty, a job of a professor like me. Please do not mind about it."

William then changed the topic.

"Mr.Tranchant, after the lunch, please guide your brother to the academy's main square area. The judges will announce the list of chosen students at there 1 hour later.

I have a business to take care of so cannot join to witness the result with you two. Still, I wish you to have a good luck and can see you at my mathematics class."

"Thank you very much, professor."

After the prince William left the restaurant in front of surprised eyes of other students, Gerald then teased Maria.

"Hehe Maria, don't tell me you fall in love with the prince eh?"

"Of course I won't." Maria tried to ignore Gerald and finish her lunch "My main purpose to come here is ONLY study, to become a greatest knight ever. Love will never be in my dictionary until I achieve my dream."

Gerald thought, he had teased the wrong person.

Meanwhile, William went to his office room, opposite of his working desk was the student who caused the trouble earlier.

"No one can listen the conversation between us now. You can be honest and tell me who forced you to do that."

"Professor.. He is..."

Hearing the name, William's serious expression and attitude completely changed into silence and unexpected. He then thought a while. "That person... but why...? It seems I need to do some investigations then."

***

It was time for the result's announcement, Gerald and Maria already gathered at the main square area as the prince told them. They took attention to the judges who announced the list of 7 students to become the official students of Eurydia academy.

"First, Bran Boullevardo."

"Second, Zandre Blancbaston."

"Third, Jean Harcourt."

"Fourth, Gerald Tranchant."

Hearing the judges just told his name, Gerald startled and went speechless. He couldn't believe himself, that a normal servant like him could become a student of honorable Eurydia academy. Maria sitting next to him whispered "Congratulation Gerald!" with cute smile and a thumbs up.

"Maria... I did it..." He hugged Maria.

"Hehe see? You passed the IQ test as well so don't be unconfident at your intelligence."

"Fifth, Vincent Louet."

"Sixth, Tristan Lelievre."

"The last, also the one who got the highest score of Eurydia Academy entrance test for non-noble candidates...

...congratulation, Richard Tranchant."

Currently it was Maria's turn to be stunned. Her body had become as hard as stone and went awkward in front of the crowd's applause. Once again, she couldn't remember how many times Gerald kept yelling "That's my brother!!" with full of pride.

"Daddy, if you're watching me from the heaven, I eventually become a student of Eurydia Academy now." Maria thought "I will become a greatest knight ever of the kingdom's history, that you have been proud of..." 

***

The night time of the entrance test day, the 7 chosen students also met the ones from noble families. They had a time to eat dinner together during the ceremony of a new study year. Gerald couldn't control himself when in front of him now, there were so many of luxury and delicious foods. He recalled his childhood as an orphan, he would die in peace if he could eat as much as foods like this.

"Your spirit seems to be attracted with the foods a lot." Maria could hear his satisfying munching noise, it was time she wanted to tease Gerald again "6 years ago you couldn't eat delicious foods like these at my castle?"

"No of course Maria. Lord Beauvallet before treated me very well too." Gerald answered "I got recalled back then... Before I became your servant at Beauvallet castle, I was an orphan and was raised up at the orphanage. I left that place because the foods tasted so bad..."

"Ah I see..."

"This veggie stew tasted same as my mom's home cook." Gerald wiped his tear "But she passed away due to a disease when I was six years old..."

Maria patted Gerald's shoulder to ease his sadness.

"I was told that my mother abandoned daddy and me since my birth. So like you, I could never have any chance to meet her...

Anyway, just eat as much veggie stew as you can tonight. If you love it, let me try to ask the prince who the chef is. We can together learn making veggie stew for you."

"...ye...yes."

Maria couldn't see Gerald's face, but the sensitive ears allowed her hearing small sniffing sounds of his. She kept rubbing his back, while her other hand hold the spoon to eat the soup.

After the dinner party at main square. All of the first year student prepared their luggage to the dormitory area.

"Huh? We aren't in the same room?"

Gerald looked at the dormitory schema. Every students were already arranged to sleep who with who so they couldn't change the room freely.

"What is my room's number Gerald?"

"Your room's number is 13..." Maria thought how she could get a super unlucky number like this "My room's number is 9. We are kind of near each other so if you need anything at night, just come to my room okay?"

Maria couldn't believe herself when Gerald got the luckiest number!

Gerald helped Maria setting her luggage beside her bed. They had to act silently because Gerald saw someone sleeping at the other side of the room. After finishing everything, he gave back the cane for Maria, told her to be careful with her room mate and returned to his room.

Being left alone, Maria felt a little stressing when hearing someone else snoring at the other bed. She then recalled herself that she forgot asking Gerald, where is the bathroom??

Maria shook her head, she had to do everything by herself. So she took her cane, trying to find the way to the bathroom to change the costume. Suddenly, someone's voice came from behind her.

"Oh, you're that first year blind student?"