Mission 4 (
Summary[]
Loid notices that he is being watched
It is now the day of the Eden Academy admissions interview. The Forgers arrive at Eden Academy among a crowd of parent and child applicants. As Loid Forger steps in through the front gate, he senses that someone is watching them and soon realizes that the gazes are coming from the faculty members of Eden Academy, indicating that the selection process has truly started. The observing faculty members fail various applicant numbers and greet Housemaster Henry Henderson as he arrives to observe the applicants as well.
The Forgers salute the statue
Henry scorns the applicants for their lack of elegance but spots the Forgers, noting some elegance in them. He becomes shocked as the Forgers salute the statue of the Eden Academy's founder, and he quickly gets the other faculty members to identify them. He is shocked by Anya's terrible test scores, and the staff wonders if their marriage is fake upon finding that it is Loid's second marriage. At the end of the screening, failed applicants are directed to Assembly Hall B, while the passed applicants are directed to Assembly Hall A, including the Forgers. Loid discretely warns Yor and Anya that they are still being observed.
On their way to Assembly Hall A, Loid notices a plump Eden Academy student crying out for help as he is stuck in a gutter and quickly realizes that it is obviously a test set by Eden Academy. The other parent applicants also realize this and keep their distance from the troubled student, fearing the mud from the gutter. Loid motions to Anya to take the initiative to help the boy, deciding that they simply need to pass the test. The Forgers approach the stuck student, checking on his well-being, and another family also approaches, offering their assistance to the Forgers. The stuck student pretends to struggle in the gutter, splashing and revealing filthy water in the gutter.
Henry's overexcitation from an excess of elegance
Although the other family is too fearful of getting filth on their clothes right before the interview, Loid puts a foot in the gutter and pulls the stuck boy through the air and splashes filthy water all over himself in the process, to the disdain of Henry, who instructs the faculty members to remove the Forgers. As the boy apologizes out of guilt, the Forgers once again shock the housemaster by revealing that they prepared an extra change of clothes and graciously make an excuse to spare the boy's feelings, moving Henderson with their elegance. However, Henderson is determined to expose Loid as the commoner he believes him to be.
The Forgers are suddenly interrupted by a stampede of animals that escaped from the school farm, and the other applicants panic, running away in a mad rush. Loid believes it to be another test, but the confusion of the observing faculty members reveals that the stampede is not intentional, and some of them are instructed to quickly put a stop to the crisis. Some of the parents are arguing to get ahead of the crowd, their negligence causing one of their children to trip and nearly be run over by a cow. Loid manages to grab the child before he is gored, the horns tearing off part of his suit. He returns the child to his father while Anya once again becomes dizzy from the panicking of the crowd.
Yor neutralizes the cow
Loid realizes he must bring down the cow leading the stampede but is reluctant to use his gun in public. Before he can do anything, Yor interrupts him and disables the cow by attacking its pressure points, surprising Loid and Anya, and scaring the other animals. Anya senses the fear of the cow with her telepathic abilities, and she approaches the cow, gently assuring it. The cow, now calmed by Anya, gets up and leads the animals home. Henry is moved by the elegance of their actions and runs out to thank the Forgers for their help, advising that they clean up their appearance and return to the assembly hall as they have shown their abilities for a place at the school. Loid shows gratitude for the Housemaster's consideration but reassures him with another change of clothes, shocking him.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- This is the first appearance of Henry Henderson, though his name was not yet introduced.
- Sharon is present in the crowd of applicants in the chapter cover.
References[]