Chapter 8: Handsel

The entrance exam was scheduled to be held in the academy’s training grounds.

Since it involved using magic, it was said that there might be problems with property damage if it were conducted in the auditorium.

To eliminate those concerns from the start, they seemed to be holding it in the academy’s training grounds, which were made to be almost indestructible.

Well, if property damage occurs while taking the entrance exam, whose fault is it?

To put it nicely, the student worked too hard on the entrance exam, and to put it badly, they couldn’t control their magic properly, but if they were to charge the student for the property damage, it would be a very funny situation.

‘······Or, maybe they don’t care because they have a lot of budget.’

Come to think of it, I don’t think they’ll charge for the cost.
The academy must have a lot of money.

Anyway, even if money wasn’t the problem, there was no need to proceed by gambling on whether something that could be prevented from happening would happen or not.

“We’ve arrived. This is our academy’s training grounds.”

As I walked, thinking about various things, I arrived at the training grounds.

“Wow, it’s bigger than I thought?”
“I think it’s dozens of times bigger than the training grounds at my house.”

‘Oh…’

Almost all the freshmen were impressed by the magnificent training grounds, and I was no exception.

Exercise equipment that gleamed as if it had just been wiped, and a magic testing room surrounded by a mana protection barrier.

And even scarecrows that considered people who use swords, although it’s rare.

It seemed like everything that helps in training in the empire was gathered here.

“Were you surprised?
Don’t be too surprised, because this is the training ground that the freshmen will use directly from now on.”

Perhaps the principal liked the students’ excellent reactions, and the school’s pride was evident in her words.

If you were the principal of a school with this kind of facility, you would be justified.

That’s because the academy’s facilities were more outstanding than I thought.

I could boast that I had grown up without any shortcomings while being raised as the eldest son of the Count’s mansion, but even I, who was like that, was stunned for a moment.

The principal gave the students time to look around for a while, and then gathered everyone.

“If you’re finished looking around the training ground, let’s start the entrance exam.”

It was finally the start of the main event.

“Is there anyone who wants to go first?”
“···”

Silence filled the room.

Perhaps there was no one with the courage to take the exam first in this place where there were many people they were meeting for the first time.

It’s the same for me.

“Is there no one?
That’s a shame, I was going to give extra points to the first person.”

And as soon as the principal finished speaking, hands went up in an instant.

“Me!”
“I will.”
“I’ll try it!”
“···”

It’s not that they don’t have the courage, they were just trying to see how others do it and follow them.

Unlike me, who hadn’t expected this situation at all, the principal chose a student, as if she knew this would happen.

“Then… I’ll call anyone among those who raised their hands?
······Magnus Firewall student?”
“Yes!”

A person with impressive reddish-orange hair strode forward towards the principal and answered energetically.

“The exam is simple, you just have to use the magic you are most confident in on the glass sphere in front of you.”

Looking at the place the principal pointed to, there was a sphere of an odd color, slightly larger than a person’s fist.

A very fragile-looking sphere.

‘······It looks like it’ll break if you tap it?’

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like it would break easily, but fortunately, I wasn’t the only one with this question, and there was a kind friend who asked the question for me.

“Excuse me… Principal?”
“Are you trying to say that the sphere might break?
Don’t worry, the sphere has never broken while taking the entrance exam for hundreds of years.”

That the sphere had never broken.
Is that sphere a crystallization of magical power, or are the seniors who took the entrance exam just weaker than I thought?

The truth couldn’t be confirmed, but it was something that I would know soon enough if I experienced it directly.

“Alright, Magnus?
Just use the magic you’re most confident in.”
“Then I’ll use it?”

The male student named Magnus still looked as if he couldn’t believe that the sphere would withstand his magic, but he couldn’t skip the entrance exam, so he chanted a magic spell.

“Fire Ball.”

‘Fire Ball.
That’s a safe choice.’

I expected it because the name suggested that he would use fire-related magic.

Even though it’s a 1st circle magic, he must have chosen it because he was confident since he’s used it countless times while living as a fire mage.

Kwang-

“That’s amazing?”
“I thought it was a 1st circle magic and ignored it, but it was more powerful than I thought.”

Even if it’s a 1st circle magic, it’s natural that it’s more powerful than a 2nd circle magic, since he’s been using it for a long time.

Of course, I don’t know if the student named Magnus is at the 2nd circle.

“So, what’s the result?”
“I don’t know, I can’t see because of the smoke.”

As the Fire Ball, which was more powerful than expected, exploded, the state of the sphere couldn’t be seen due to the smoke unique to fire magic.

A little later, when the smoke cleared, the students couldn’t help but be surprised.

“What?
Didn’t it hit for sure?”
“That’s right, it definitely hit.
I saw it with my own eyes.”
“But that is…”

Because no scratches occurred on the sphere.

I was also quite surprised.
Since I mainly used fire magic before I awakened my unique magic, I knew how powerful the Fire Ball used just now was.

‘I’m sorry to the nameless seniors.’

I felt sorry for the seniors I had cursed without thinking before.

“Uh…”

The student named Magnus looked like his mental state had deteriorated a bit.

As the one who watched, it was hard to endure the mental breakdown, so how much more so for the person himself.

“Don’t be discouraged, Magnus.
That’s normal.”

Rather, this principal was a little surprised because the magic was more powerful than she thought.
Even at the principal’s words, Magnus didn’t seem to be able to recover his broken mental state easily.

“Next student?”

After that, similar scenes were performed as they were.

“Wind Cutter!”
“Lightning Bolt.”
“Aqua Ball!”

Although the students used various attribute magics, the sphere didn’t even have a scratch despite the successive impacts.

“That’s impossible…”
“How could this happen…”

As with Magnus, all the students who took the test seemed to be quite shocked.

It was natural because the magic they had studied and trained with pride couldn’t be used.

“Adel Listonia student?”
“······Yes.”

As the students’ turns gradually passed, it was finally Adel’s turn.

Swish-

She stood in front of the sphere and seemed to be chanting a magic spell, but she suddenly turned her beautiful face and looked at me.

What is it?
What’s the intention?
Is she asking for encouragement?

“······Fighting?”
“···!”

Fortunately, it was the right answer, she quickly turned her eyes away from me and focused on the sphere.

“Oh, they’re so close.”
“That’s right, it’s different from the rumors.”
“Something romantic…”

The students around didn’t know my situation and said those things, but my heart was just burning.

‘I think I said before that there’s no need to act like this.’

If the rumors spread that we were close, my goal of living an ordinary life would be ruined…

Is she saying she won’t listen to my words?
I felt sad, as if I had been ignored.

Whether she knew that I was thinking like this or not, Adel was only focused on the test in front of her.

“Come out, Undine.”
“Did you call me, Master?”

At the sudden appearance of Adel’s spirit, the surroundings became noisy.

“That’s… a unique power.”
“She’s cute…”

“A spirit… As expected of Adel, who has a unique power.”

It wasn’t just the students who were surprised, the principal was also, and the principal, who had only been comforting the disappointed students until now, was speaking for the first time.

“Undine, Water Strike.”
“Understood, Master!”

A huge pillar of water exploded toward the sphere, and the power of the magic was so strong that the water splashed on the people who were far away.

“Wow, look at that!”

Was the magic that powerful?
A small scratch appeared on the sphere, which hadn’t even had a scratch or a speck of dust until now.

“You’re the first one to make a scratch among the freshmen, congratulations, Listonia student.”
“······Thank you.”

Even though she received praise from the 6th circle mage, the principal, Adel didn’t seem to have any feelings.

Of course, it was enough to make the other students and me, who watched it, feel a deep sense of frustration.

‘Is this the protagonist?’

She’s fundamentally different from an extra like me.

“Next… Rian Kindred student?”

Even the next turn was me.

This comparison couldn’t be avoided.

“That’s the famous…”
“Is that person that person?”

With the whispers that have almost become a passive skill, I forced my unmoving feet to move and stood laboriously in front of the sphere.

‘First of all, should I use fire magic?’

I awakened my unique magic, but since it’s the magic I’m most familiar with, maybe it will work.

“Fire Arrow?”

I whispered it quietly because I didn’t think it would work, but it really didn’t.

What should I do?
I couldn’t think of any way to get out of this situation.

Since I wasn’t using the magic I was supposed to use, I just stood there and the principal asked, looking puzzled.

“Kindred student?
Aren’t you going to use magic?”
“······Just a moment.”

And then, the whispers that I wouldn’t be able to hear if I didn’t hear them.

“What is it?
What are you doing?”
“Isn’t he going to use magic?”
“Come on, surely.”

That ‘surely’ is the correct answer.

‘What should I do?’

I couldn’t drag out the time like this all day, so I had to think of a way somehow.

Magic, fire magic, mana, fire… mana of fire?

‘Wait a minute, the mana of fire?’

Then, I suddenly had an idea.

If I can absorb a person’s disease, can I absorb not only the disease, but also the mana?

At the same time as that thought, I used my unique power towards Magnus, who was sitting in front of me.

“······Absorption.”

And at the same time, the hot mana that I could feel entering my body.

It was so hot that it was hard to stand.

As my head spun from the mana I felt, I couldn’t help but use a magic spell.

“Inferno.”

And with that, the flames covered the surroundings.

The flickering flames grew as if they were going to swallow the entire training ground.

Ugh-

And the acrid smell of blood, that pricked my nose, came out of my mouth.

Without confirming the state of the sphere, I collapsed with hemoptysis.

“······An?
Ri···an.”

I felt like someone was calling me desperately, but I couldn’t confirm who it was with my closed eyes.