Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You Vol 7. Chapter 24: Written Exam Phase

In addition to Leon, Isha, and Claudia, three more candidates arrived one after another.

All three were Dragon Kings of their respective clans. Judging by appearance, they were even older than Claudia—definitely part of the older generation of dragons.

Leon quickly tried to recall whether he’d ever interacted with them before, but soon confird: nope. Not even during his ti in the Azure Dragon Army had he crossed paths with their clans.

"Looks like there are still plenty of low-profile heavyweights among dragonkind," Leon muttered softly.

After ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) exchanging polite nods with the three Dragon Kings, Isha lowered her voice to speak to Leon as well.

"That’s right. These clans tend to rank upper-middle in combat strength, but they also possess ample resources and territory.

Because of that, whether it’s civil war or external conflict, you rarely see them on the frontlines."

"Red Dragon Queen is correct," Claudia chid in quietly.

"For them to show up, it must an one thing—the position of Vice Principal at Saint Heath Academy."

Leon blinked. "Why’s that? Is the Vice Principal position really so special?"

"Not exactly ‘special,’" Isha explained.

"They value the connections and convenience that co with the title. Don’t forget—it was thanks to holding the title of Principal that King Oritrand was able to smoothly carry out the Arctic expeditions and later searches for divine relics."

Leon had a look of realization, nodding slowly.

"So at the end of the day, it’s still about getting benefits for themselves and their clans?"

Isha thought for a mont and gently shook her head.

"Calling it ‘personal gain’ is a bit much. After all, the academy wouldn’t appoint soone who’s only in it for their own interests.

But fact is, as long as your position is legitimate, whatever you do becos easier here—so why not go for it?"

"Got it."

"Anyone who can beco Vice Principal is soone who can strike the perfect balance between benefiting the academy and its students,

and... ‘if I don’t look out for myself, heaven will strike down.’"

Once all candidates had arrived, Principal Wilson stepped up to the podium in the reception hall. After a brief introduction, he got straight to the point.

"Welco, esteed candidates, to Saint Heath Academy. Your presence here ans you’ve all passed our background screening and officially entered the second phase of selection. You’ll now undergo one week of assessnts. The tests include a written exam, real-scenario simulation, negotiation ability evaluation, and combat capability demonstration. This isn’t an elimination-based exam. Each test will be recorded and scored by the academy board according to a unified standard. Your final score across all categories will determine who is most qualified for the role of Vice Principal. That’s the structure of this competition. Any questions?"

The three late-arriving Dragon Kings glanced at one another, discussed briefly in low voices, and one of them stepped forward to ask:

"While preparing for this, I consulted a predecessor who participated in the previous round. Everything you’ve ntioned lines up with what I was told—except for the ‘real-scenario simulation.’ Was that not part of the last cycle?"

Principal Wilson nodded with a smile.

"That’s right—the real-scenario simulation is a new addition this year."

"And what exactly will it simulate?"

"I’m afraid I can’t disclose that. You’ll discover the answer for yourselves during the assessnt."

Leon ntally nodded. That new simulation phase seed quite reasonable.

And it definitely piqued the curiosity of the other candidates:

What form would this “simulation” take?

During their month of prep, Rosvisser hadn’t covered anything like that. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any surprises...

But before they reached that point, the first hurdle was the written exam.

"If there are no further questions, let’s proceed to my private library for the first phase of assessnt."

Principal Wilson gestured graciously.

Leon and the others stood and followed him out of the reception room.

Under Wilson’s guidance, the group arrived at his private library.

Six separate desks had already been arranged, each bearing a test paper and a naplate indicating the assigned candidate.

Leon found his seat and sat down.

A quick glance at the exam revealed short prompts—but with huge blank spaces between them.

aning: each question demanded at least several hundred to thousands of words per answer.

"For the written portion, you have six hours to complete the exam," Principal Wilson announced.

"As you’ve probably noticed, this isn’t like the multiple-choice quizzes we give the junior and youth dragons. No dice rolls, no lucky guesses. It’s all essays, right? Hahaha."

His little joke helped break the tension slightly.

Wilson continued:

"You must write your responses based on your personal understanding of the prompts. There are no standard answers. The clearer, more logical, and more structured your argunts are, the higher your score will be. Use your six hours however you like. You may leave and return freely, but be warned: all exams will be collected precisely at the six-hour mark. Not a second late. Use your ti wisely. If you need anything, I’ll be in the adjacent office. Well then, I won’t keep you."

Wilson gave a slight bow and exited the library.

Just as one Dragon King let out a sigh of relief, Wilson suddenly popped his head back in—startling him.

"Oh, one last and most important rule, everyone."

Wilson pushed up his glasses and said sternly:

"No cheating. No discussing. Keep your answers to yourselves."

After that, he finally left for real.

Once his footsteps faded, the startled Dragon King muttered,

"Are we really being treated like students again? He even had to warn us not to cheat."

"Classic Wilson," another Dragon King chuckled. "Even after getting promoted from Vice Principal to Principal, he still jokes like a kid."

Leon didn’t say much to those two. He didn’t know them well enough.

But he did agree with the one who’d called Wilson an overgrown child.

“Old guy’s still a rascal at heart.”

"You’re... the Silver Dragon Leon, Leon Casmod, right?"

A voice interrupted his thoughts. It was one of the Dragon Kings—Nebula Dragon King Beren.

Leon gathered his focus and turned to him politely.

"Yes, and you are...?"

"King Beren of the Nebula Clan."

Beren smiled.

"Didn’t expect to compete alongside the pride of the Silver Dragons. I’ve heard your na for a long ti—hope you’ll go easy on in the coming exams."

Leon raised an eyebrow. The other’s formal tone made him a little uncomfortable.

He scratched his nose. "I wouldn’t say that... we’re all—ow!"

Before he could finish, a pen cap hit the back of his head.

He turned to see Isha, smirking while spinning her uncapped pen in her fingers.

"A dragon who pranks and still acts cocky after!"

"Sis, what the hell?!"

"What? Just reminding you—no peeking at my answers!"

Then she leaned her cheek over her test paper like a child guarding their notes during a test.

Leon frowned and glanced at the pen cap that had hit him.

There seed to be a tiny wad of paper tucked inside?

Curious, he picked it up and muttered:

"Don’t tell she’s passing answers...?"

He unfolded the note.

[Don’t talk to Beren.]

No explanation. Just that.

“Too bad it’s just a note—can’t cheat with that.”

Leon folded the paper carefully and tucked it into his pocket.

"So, Leon—what made you decide to join this competition? I rember the Silver Dragons are quite well-off these days, with growing prestige in dragon society."

Beren tried to strike up conversation again.

This ti, Leon gave only a curt reply:

"Not much. I’m starting my exam now."

And with that, he turned away and focused on the test in front of him.

Even though his big sis hadn’t explained why he shouldn’t talk to Beren, Leon chose to trust her unconditionally.

And so, the first round of the assessnt officially began. Inside Wilson’s library, the only sounds left were the ticking of a clock—and the scratch of pens racing across paper.