In the western part of the city, at the "Come Again Tomorrow" tavern, the day before the officials' exam.

The atmosphere of the tavern tonight is completely different from usual.

On ordinary days, the sailors who told dirty jokes, the scholars who talked about current affairs, and the soldiers who discussed the war situation all started talking about the same topic—exams.

"Is it really okay to use the methods teachers use to test students to select officials for the kingdom?" a young man dressed as an apprentice asked, putting down his beer.

A small vendor with a cross around his neck waved his fried shrimp: "I heard that this exam was organized by the King himself. From setting the exam papers to reviewing them and conducting the interviews, His Majesty did it all personally."

The appearance of the word "King" immediately silenced the dissenting voices, and the tavern fell silent for a few seconds.

A moment later, someone chimed in: "Regardless, I think this method is fair. Putting aside identity, it at least gives everyone an equal opportunity to compete."

Someone suddenly asked, "Could His Majesty have pre-selected the candidates, and is this examination merely a formality?"

The person who asked the question was immediately ridiculed by everyone.

"Fool! If His Majesty wants to promote someone, he can simply issue an appointment letter. Why go through all this trouble!"

"Such actions are pointless!"

After the agitated crowd gradually calmed down, someone asked, "Who will pass this exam?"

The group debated this issue.

First, the scholars boasted: "When it comes to exams, no one has more authority to speak than us. At Taylor College, those students studying business subjects, whether in legal knowledge or market management, underwent countless tests. In the end, the person selected this time will definitely be a seasoned scholar."

The merchants immediately objected: "Scholars only know how to talk on paper; how could they possibly understand business? In my opinion, His Majesty will ultimately choose a seasoned merchant."

Such arguments continued for a long time, and even after the bars closed late at night, similar conversations could still be faintly heard on the streets.

The next morning, the square of the Knights' headquarters was packed with people. A sign reading "The First Selection Examination of the Kingdom of Twilight" was hung on the main gate, and fully armed soldiers were responsible for maintaining order.

Applicants of all skin colors and ethnicities gathered together, and those who knew each other would exchange the rumors they had just received, all waiting for the notification to enter the venue.

Besides them, there were also onlookers and vendors who seized the opportunity to make a profit.

The sounds of hawking, chatter, and laughter mingled together; the aroma of food, the sweat of the crowd, and cheap perfume mingled, turning this serious and orderly exam into a joyous and lively celebration.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the gates of the Knights' headquarters opened.

Soldiers and nuns conducted a rigorous screening of attendees, checking their identities and genders against registration forms and resident registers. A series of security procedures, including body searches and X-ray inspections, were followed without exception.

Due to the number of applicants far exceeding expectations, the number of examination rooms was increased from one to three, and some of the Knights' warrior regiments and scout battalions were temporarily reassigned as invigilators.

Each participant was given a wooden tag with a string of numbers written on it as their identification number.

Everyone can easily find their place by following the signs and their assigned number.

At 9:15, everyone was seated, and the examination room doors were closed.

At 9:20, the chief examiners in each examination room began to read aloud the "Examination Rules" written by His Majesty himself.

People sat in their respective places, their small world consisting of nothing more than a simple set of hastily made table and chairs, a pencil, and a few sheets of paper for calculation.

Slogans in red letters, such as "No whispering, no bringing in materials, no peeping at others," were posted on the walls of the examination room.

Fully armed knights patrolled and monitored the examination hall, occasionally whispering reprimands to a candidate.

Only then did the applicants feel the tension and oppression for the first time; some timid people loosened their collars and began to sweat.

Here, wealthy merchants sit with their male servants, and academy professors compete against their former students. People finally understand the meaning of the word "fairness" in the exam announcement.

9:30.

Knock knock knock!

The timekeeper in charge of the examination rang the bronze bell, announcing the official start of the examination.

The exam papers, printed with the test questions, were distributed to each candidate.

When people opened the paper, a chorus of murmurs immediately arose.

The military commander in charge of maintaining order in the examination room roared, "No talking! Focus on the questions!"

The sound gradually faded away.

Everyone started answering the questions, even if they were terrified.

The exam paper is divided into three parts: 20 multiple-choice questions, 2 points each; 10 true/false questions, 2 points each; and 2 short-answer questions, 20 points each.

The strange questions on the exam paper stumped the vast majority of test takers.

Here's a problem: "A farmer bought a chicken for 8 copper coins and sold it for 9 copper coins. But he felt he sold it too cheaply, so he bought it back for 10 copper coins and sold it again for 11 copper coins. How much money did the farmer make in total?"

In addition, there is this question: "What tonnage of cargo ships are most commonly found in Muxi Port?"

There's even a question like this: 'The Muxi Market currently has 10 stalls arranged in a row. Four of the stalls are currently rented out, and each rented stall has two empty spaces on either side. How many different arrangements are possible?'

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