Capítulo 8: Entrance Examination
Napoleon surveyed the room. The spacious classroom was arranged in the typical fashion, with rows of wooden desks and chairs arranged in columns facing the front of the room. The desks were topped with inkwells and quill pens, and the chairs were made of sturdy wood with plush cushions. A large blackboard took up the front of the room, and a chalk tray ran along the bottom.a
The only source of light in the classroom was natural light coming from a tall window, which also gives a great view of the lush gardens outside.
And by just looking around, it seems like Napoleon is not the only one who will take the entrance examination.
So he took his seat at the back, by the window. He waited there patiently until students at his age began entering the classroom. They entered in groups, giving him the idea that they are friends, which Napoleon doesn't have for the moment. They were wearing nice clothing, reflecting their status and wealth.
"Rich kids huh…" Napoleon thought to himself as he watched them take their seats.
Ever since his reincarnation, Napoleon had grown up in a modest household, and the idea of attending a school as prestigious as Brienne-le-Château had seemed like a far-off dream until recently.
His father has invested a lot of money in him, believing that he can achieve greatness. And Napoleon isn't going to let him down.
As more students filed into the classroom, Napoleon is beginning to sense that the entrance examination is about to start. Speaking of the devil, the proctor, a stern-looking man in his forties, walked into the room and called for everyone's attention.
"Greetings students. My name is Pierre Dubois and welcome to Brienne-le-Château's entrance examination, which will assess your skills and knowledge in writing, reading, arithmetic, geography, and history. As you all know, Brienne-le-Château is one of the most prestigious schools in the country, and we only admit the best and brightest students who demonstrate academic excellence, creativity, and a passion for learning."
He paused to let his words sink in before adding, "Today's examination will consist of multiple-choice questions, essay questions, and practical exercises. The passing mark is 75 percent. If your test result is below that, then you will not be admitted into Brienne-le-Château. So I urge you all to do your best and show us what you're capable of."
Napoleon listened intently to Dubois' words, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. This is really like the same experience he had in his college entrance examination in his past life.
Dubois continued, "Before we begin, I want to remind you all of the importance of honesty and integrity. Cheating or any other form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in immediate disqualification. I will distribute the test papers now. You may start once the test papers are handed out, and you will have three hours to complete the examination."
Napoleon felt his heart racing as Dubois began passing out the test papers. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Seconds later, Dubois arrived in front of him and handed him the test paper.
"Okay lezzgaw!" Napoleon screamed inwardly and read the first question.
[In the following passage from Voltaire's "Candide," what does the character Martin mean when he says "Il faut cultiver notre jardin"?]
Napoleon's eyes widened. "What the heck is this question?! GG, I haven't read the book Candide…wait, Il faut cultiver notre jardin means we must cultivate our garden in English. So, what is Voltaire trying to say?"
Napoleon racked his brains. He never expected that the questions would be difficult and that he had to answer that in essay format. Wait…just as he was thinking, he has a Wikipedia system granted by the Goddess of Fate. So he opened the user interface and searched for relevant information about the passage.
There he learned the meaning of the passage and quickly wrote down the answer. Reading questions is probably the hardest for him, as most of the questions asked in that field are related to books that Napoleon hasn't read yet. In writing, it is basically asking him to translate German, English, and Spanish sentences into French. Of course, he wouldn't know the answers to those questions but thanks to the blessings he got from the Goddess of Fate, he was doing well.
As for arithmetic, things are simpler. For example, the question in number 20 was to simplify the following expression: (2x + 4y) - (x + 3y). The answer to that basic question is x + y. No formula is needed, all mental. But there are also head-scratching questions that kids of his age won't be able to answer like:
[A rectangular field is 30 meters long and 20 meters wide. A path of uniform width runs all around it. If the total area of the path is 480 square meters, what is the width of the path?]
Of course, that question can be solved using the quadratic equation, which is a concept that kids of his age don't have any idea of.
Speaking of which, he looked around briefly and noticed that most of the students are having a hard time. Some were muttering under their breaths, some were scratching their heads, and some were even biting their nails.
He understood their struggles, after all, if he were, to be honest, the test was hard. Really hard, like the school doesn't even want to admit new students so they made it harder. But, unlucky for them, Napoleon is finding it easy with his skills.
The answers for geography and history can be looked up in his user interface. Though he wasn't sure about the history, assuming that his previous world and this new world are the same, he might get it right. But this is just an assumption.
And in less than thirty minutes, Napoleon stood from his seat and raised his paper.
"I'm done!"
A collective gasp echoed throughout the room as everyone turned to look at Napoleon. Dubois looked surprised but quickly composed himself and walked over to Napoleon's desk to check his paper.
As the proctor of the exam, Dubois knew the answers to the question and as he read through his papers, he couldn't help but be amazed. Napoleon got all the answers correct, even the ones that seemed impossible. Dubois looked at Napoleon with a mix of admiration and suspicion. He had never seen a student like Napoleon before.
"Very well…" Dubois stammered. "You may go now, Mr?"
"Buonaparte, Napoleone Buonaparte, but I'd rather you call me Napoleon." Napoleon replied. "Napoleon Bonparte."
With that, Napoleon left the classroom, leaving his fellow exam takers to continue struggling with the exam.
Meanwhile, one of the exam examiners sneered subtly.
"He is done? In just thirty minutes?! No way…It must be a mistake…his answers must be all wrong because if I couldn't solve the hardest question, then that means no one can…Napoleon Buonaparte…I will remember you."
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