Chapter 12: 151-160
I watched as the strongest mage in the kingdom put his hands behind his back and began his speech. "To everyone here, I thank you for coming to take the test of the Royal Magic Academy. It is my pleasure to be able to see so many aspiring mages and knights wanting to make a name for themselves and serve their kingdom. You make me proud to be the Dean of this academy.
"While I wish that all of you could pass, I know this is not the case. For those who fail today, you will still have a chance next time as long as you have not passed the age of eighteen. You must understand that being someone who is to become a leader of this kingdom or their respective kingdoms, you must have the necessary skills from the start. We do not wish to see young ones lose their lives chasing dreams they are not deemed to see to fruition." I have to say this man had a way with words. He is not beating around the bush, yet he is not degrading the people who may fail either. He gave a good reason on why they do not accept everyone.
"While I know those who fail will be heartbroken, I do hope that in the future, you will find another path in life. Never give up hope and always look for the next best thing." The Dean paused for a moment before continuing.
"Now then. Let me explain to you what the tests will be this time around. The first part of the test will test your physical combat abilities to see if you are able to join any of the knight courses. The second part will consist of testing your magical abilities to see if you can join any of the mage courses. Those who pass both may freely choose courses from both sides, that is, if you are able to pass the last part of the test, which will be to venture into a newly discovered dungeon…." Now, this was new…. I heard about small worlds but not anything about any dungeons….-.
"I can see some of you are confused as to what I mean. As of late strange areas have begun to pop up around our kingdom and other kingdoms as well. These areas are now called dungeons and have new kinds of monsters inside. Some of which are humanoid in nature. Even if cleared out, unless you destroy the dungeon core at the end of the dungeon, the monsters inside will always reappear and will also never leave the dungeon itself. The dungeon you will be going to has many different monsters but mainly a new species we call goblins. They are humanoid and can use weapons and magic. But they are very weak.
"As you all know, to join our academy, you must sign a waiver in case of death. Starting this year, the waiver must be signed before you join in case you die during the test. We will begin with registration first, and then you will be led to a waiting area where you will be tested. Please make note that this may take a few days as we will be dealing with one examinee at a time, and once you enter, you may not leave until the end of the tests." The Dean explained. I was happy that I always had sleeping gear in my inventory. At times like this, it was very helpful. Speaking of sleeping gear. 𝐢𝘯𝑛𝓻𝚎𝙖𝑑. ᴄ𝗼m
I looked over at Lance and asked: "Did you bring a tent?"
"Ah!…." Lance lowered his head, his cheeks turning red.
"He can just sleep outside!" Adel said with a snort.
"No, he can't. But…. I do have a big enough tent for all of us so we can just share. Lance will just have to sleep on the far side of the tent." We already lived under the same roof, so sharing a tent with him wouldn't be much different. It's not like we would be taking our clothes off or anything.
"Faith, I don't think that is….." Lance tried to reject my offer, but I raised my hand, stopping him from speaking.
"Lance, what is my job?" I asked.
"To protect Adel and I…." Lance replied.
"Exactly. If I made you sleep outside during the tests, I would not be doing my job correctly. I was already stabbed once to save you. I do not wish for you to lose your life any time soon. As long as you do not get any funny ideas about Sally while we are all asleep, there will be no issue." I explained while still tossing in a jab at him, causing Adel and Sophie to giggle and Sally to give me a confused look.
"What!? What does Miss Sally have to do with this!" Lance yelled out in a cracked voice.
"Oh? I was only joking. Why are you suddenly getting all flustered? Did you fall in love with Sally at first sight?" I asked in a teasing manner, causing Lance's cheeks to turn red. Now, this was really entertaining. I nudged Adel, who gave me a nod and a knowing look and smiled. "Sally, what do you think of Prince Lance?"
Sally still seemed confused about the situation as she looked over at Lance, who was smiling at her with the same stupid grin on his face that he always had. Only this time, his cheeks were red, and his eyes held a bit of expectation. "He has a creepy smile, so I think he is a creep?"
"Pfft!" Adle spat out as she heard Sally's answer. She looked up at her brother and shook her head while trying to stifle her laughter. As for Lance, he lowered his head once more. The smile on his face also disappeared.
"I told you so!" I said teasingly. "Maybe if you get rid of that smile, maybe she will start to like you."
"Faith, did I anger you at all?" Lance asked with a pitiful look on his face. I sighed as I shook my head. "No, I was just making a point. Sally can not go against my commands, so if I ask her a question, she will speak the truth. Although I did not expect you to like Sally, I was only joking there."
"No, that's not it, I just…." I watched Lance become even more flustered, making me smile inside. This little brat likes to love and forget. I wonder if he will fall for some girl in the academy next.
"We need to go. They are forming a line. I, for one, do not wish to wait all day!" I said before taking Sophie and Adel's hands and pulling them along with me, leaving Lance behind.
One thing that was really starting to get annoying was the stares. I just wished people would stop being so concerned about us, but I guess there is not much I can do about it since I was with the prince and princess of the kingdom. However, I think most of these stares are not because of that but more because I have a big target on my back but whatever.
If they come, they come. I am already expecting it, so it is not like I will be surprised. But I guess this means that even if someone tries to be friendly with me now while I am at the academy, I will need to keep my guard up. It sucks, but it is a reality that I will need to accept. I sighed as I looked out over the line of people. Well, I guess I will have to see what the future holds. I was kinda starting to feel depressed. I mean, I did… I did wish to make more friends.-.
The long line continued until high noon. The sun was hot, so I was glad I brought a lot of water and ice cubes. I was quite excited about all of this, so I had Annie help me prepare everything that I might need. Annie went out of her way to make a lot of food and snacks.
Adel went ahead of me. She didn't even need to show any kind of proof of who she was. They let her go right through after she signed the waivers. Even royalty had to sign these waivers. This was a rule passed down tens of years ago, I guess. Adel told me that many years ago, a prince from another kingdom who was going to the magic academy had died in a small world, and they wanted to cause a fuss about it but were quickly shut down.
When it was my turn, I walked forward and handed the middle aged man my letter of recommendation. If I did not have this, I would need to pay the fee just to take the test. So the letter of recommendation was a free meal ticket, I guess you could call it.
"Oh?" The middle aged man took my letter and looked it over before looking at me as if I had done something wrong.
"Is there a problem?" I asked. I guess it was not just noble kids who were going to be giving me a hard time this year….
"Baroness Cyrilia…." The middle aged man began in a loud voice so that everyone around could hear him. "What is the meaning of you giving me a fake letter of recommendation?"
"Heh…." I couldn't help but laugh. I mean, really? Are you really saying my letter of recommendation was fake? How much of a fool can this man be? 𝒾𝐧𝚗𝙧𝙚𝐚d. 𝗰o𝓶
"What's so funny? Do you know what happens to those who try to fake their way in? They get stripped of all their titles and imprisoned for life in the slave mines." The middle aged man spoke with all the righteousness one would need. I could hear the murmuring behind me, but I did not care. My hand moved faster than he could see and took the letter back before he could do anything to it.
I looked at the letter in my hand and then looked at him. "So a letter signed by King Gravos himself is a fake letter. Then who does my letter need to be signed by, God?"
"You! Give that back right this instant!" The middle aged man stood up and reached out, but instead of grabbing my letter, he got my boot to his face knocking him back into his seat and onto the ground.
"You seem to really want my letter. Is it because you do not want the proof that you are lying to be shown to others?" I asked with a mocking smile on my face. The man had stumbled backward and fell over his seat, so he was not looking all too good at this time.
"Faith, what happened!?" Lance ran over, followed by Sophie, Sei, and Sally.
"What happened? This idiot is saying the letter His Majesty gave me is fake. Lance, tell me, is your father really the king of this kingdom?" I asked with a smile on my face. But my eyes were burning with fire. I wanted nothing more than to shove this man's head up his butt.
"That is ridiculous! I was there when my father wrote and signed all the letters of recommendation this year! Who are you!? Who told you to do this!?" Lance asked as he walked over and grabbed the middle aged man by the scruff of his neck.
"What is going on here!?" A voice came from overhead. I looked up to see the Dean of the school walking down from the sky until he stood on the flat ground.
"I guess this man is a teacher at the academy, correct?" I asked. I know I should show a bit more respect, but sadly I am angry right now.
"That is correct? What has happened? Prince Lance, why are you holding him like that?" The Dean asked.
"Your teacher says letters I personally witnessed my father write and sign for recommendation are not real. That they are fake. Let me ask you, Dean, are your teachers not screened to see if they are working for others outside the academy? If I am not wrong, the academy is supposed to be neutral territory." Oh? I have to say, when Lance acts like this, he seems kind of handsome although I still wouldn't date him… Since I know the true Lance. But he does seem more Princey this way. So I will give him two thumbs up in my heart.
"Oh?" The Deans's eyes glowed as he looked at the teacher with cold eyes. "You dare help out outsiders!?"
A great pressure suddenly fell on the man as magic circle after magic circle began to form in the air around him. Seeing this, I couldn't help but be shocked. It was my first time seeing so many magic circles formed in an instant without a single one being written by hand, besides the ones I have created. I was truly impressed and kinda wished to sit down and talk with this old man about magic. i𝒏𝑛r𝑒𝘢𝙙.＆nbsp;com
"Do you know the punishment for conspiring with outsiders!?" The Dean yelled out. I watched as the teacher was pressed against the ground. Blood began to trickle out of his nose, eyes, ears, and mouth.
"Dean! You shouldn't kill him! We need to investigate who he was working for." A young woman flew over and placed her hand on the Dean's shoulder.
The Dean's brow twitched, but the magic circles all disappeared, along with the pressure in the area. "Take him away. I want to know who is behind this by the end of the day. Once he is no longer needed, you know what to do."-.
"Yes." The woman bowed her head. She looked over at the man with a bit of disdain in her eyes. She then looked over at me and smiled warmly, which made me tilt my head in confusion. I wonder if she knows me or something….
"Continue with registration. Little lady and the three behind you with letters, please hand them to me." The Dean walked over and sat down behind the registration table.
"This is my letter of recommendation. And thank you." I handed the letter over and gave my thanks. It was the least I could do. After all, I wanted to become friends with this old man! And he did just help me. I am glad he was not someone who was also on the side of those who wanted to take me down.
"All is in order, Baroness Cyrilia. I do apologize for the lack of training of my staff. I do hope you will not hold it against the academy." The Dean's words surprised me. I did not expect an apology. It was not like he could control everyone here.
"No, it's fine. I did not plan to let the people who are trying to scheme against me get away with it easily. That was why I caused a fuss. I should also apologize for my rudeness earlier as well." I was quite rude. Hopefully, he will not take my rudeness to heart.
"It's fine you were angry. I would have snapped too. Once we figure out who is behind it all, I will call for you and let you know." The Dean waved the whole thing off, which made me let out a relieved sigh. "Just sign this, and you will be all set."
I signed the papers and said goodbye to the Dean before walking through the gates to the first testing area. I quickly found Adel, who was surrounded by quite a few guys. She had a look on her face that showed she was not happy one bit, but the people around her kept trying to suck up to her. I guess this is what it means to be royalty. People will always try to earn your favor.
I sighed and walked over and pushed the group of boys out of the way. "Who the hell just pushed me!?"
One boy yelled out. I turned to look at the boy with a mocking smile. "You! You're the new upstart! Do you know who I am?"
"A boy who yells a lot?" I answered in a matter of fact kind of way, causing the boy's face to turn red and the finger that was pointing at me to freeze. The other boys began laughing at him, causing his face to grow a deeper shade of red.
"Faith!" Adel yelled out as she walked over and took my hand. "I must go now. I need to wait for my other friends."
I said nothing more as I let Adel lead me away but stopped short when I heard someone speak under their breath. "Tch…. This bitch rather hanging out with upstarts. Let's see how well she will react when things happen later on."
"Adel, wait here…" The boy's voice was low, but I could not allow what was said to pass. I let go of Adel's hand and disappeared from where I stood, and reappeared in front of the boy with my fist already drawn back. "How dare you speak about my friend in such a manner!"
<strong>*Bam!* </strong>
I punched him directly in the face. While I was not using my full strength, he still flew quite a few feet end over end until he fell to the ground in a heap. My face was heating up. My anger was starting to take over as I stomped my way over to the boy. When I arrived in front of him, he looked up at me with fear filled eyes. But I did not care. I reached down and grabbed him by the neck. "What do you mean you have plans for her later on? What did you plan to do to Adel!? She is not only the Princess of this kingdom but also my best friend! Tell me now! Or else I will snap your neck!"
"Faith!" Adle ran over and hugged me from behind. "Faith, let him go. Or you will be kicked out of the academy."
"Adel, this jerk wanted to do something to you!" I yelled out, my gripping tightening on the kid's neck. He was clawing at my hand as his face turned purple.
"What happened now!?" The Dean's voice filled the air. I looked up to see the Dean landing behind the young man. He did not move to make me release him, he just looked at me with questioning eyes. "Baroness Cyrilia, what happened?"
"He spoke about planning something against Adel. I have no idea what it is but I heard him speak of it as we were walking away. My hearing is quite good after all." I answered honestly.
"I see… But we can not do things about words only. So please let him go. As it is a crime to plot against the crown even inside the academy, we will investigate what he planned to do. He will then be punished by the academy rules. Is that fine?" The Dean asked. His voice was calm. It seemed he was used to such situations.
"Yes…." I tossed the boy in my hand to the ground like tossing out a piece of trash. I then looked at the Dean and bowed my head. "I apologize for causing a fuss."
"It's fine. But I do hope you will not resort to violence right away each time." The Dean said sternly. I could only bow my head in apology. I kinda lost myself there when I heard the kid talking about Adel.-.
After the Dean left, I met up with Sophie and the others. We sat and chatted while waiting for the registration process to finish. Hundreds of examinees were being registered, so it took quite a long time before we were able to finally hear how the first test would proceed.
"Now that you are all registered, the first part of the test will now begin. In order to keep things flowing, tests will start now and continue non stop until each one of you has been tested. On this stage over here, you will all come up one at a time and fight against one of our instructors. Do not worry. You do not need to win to pass this test. It is just to see if you have what it takes to take the knight courses or not. You may also abstain from taking this test if you wish to wait to take the second test. I have said what is needed to say, so let's begin!" The Dean fished his words and flew off. I guess he needed to go deal with some things.
The first battle was a young man who looked around seventeen years of age. I can only guess he was a noble because his clothing looked pretty fancy. Well, fancy to me. I, for one, would never wear something like that to an entrance exam. To me, it did not make sense, but when I thought about all those who pay their way in, I figured this was probably the reason why. Even I and the others all have free passes and are only taking the exam for show. But even still, at least come looking like you were going to try…. i𝗻𝚗re𝗮𝐝. 𝙘𝑜m
Obviously enough, the young man didn't last long. And the next person up was another young man. But he was much different than the last. He had a serious look on his face. It seems he was not someone who could pay their way in. The instructor allowed the young man to charge at him. It was a swift charge, and he seemed to have a lot of power in his swing. He began attacking at an incredible speed as well. But sadly, the instructor stood there with a smile on his lips and one hand behind his back. Just seeing this made me want to make him use his other hand.
But I could tell one thing about this instructor. He was watching each and every one of the young man's moves, and even during the fight, he was giving advice on the young man's movements. He was someone who knew how to teach.
One after the other, I watched as people climbed onto the stage and either forfeited, pretended to fight, or fought with everything they had. Surprisingly the number of people paying to get in was quite few and most worked hard to try to fight as best as they could against the instructor. Some were even strong enough for the instructor to try to counterattack. As the day passed, at least one hundred people had already finished their test. Currently, I am surrounded by sleeping people. Adel and Sophie were using my lap as a pillow while Grace leaned against my back. Lance sat on my right side while Sei was on the left side. As for Sally, she leaned against her hammer, but she was wide awake, just like the other two.
"You guys can sleep, you know." I said to the three who were still up.
"Not a chance. Right now, we need to stay on guard after what happened this afternoon." Sei replied. She stretched her arms and looked up at the starry sky above. "Plus, I am used to staying awake for weeks on end. A few nights won't make a difference."
"I have also gone through some of the black knight training, and staying awake was one of the things I was well versed in." Lance stated proudly. Why he was proud about being able to stay awake, I do not know.
I turned and looked at Sally, who was nodding off, and smiled. "Sally, just take a rest."
"Must…. protect…. Young Miss…." Sally said in between dozing off. I waved my hand and cast a sleep spell on her causing her to fall fast asleep. With a bit of wind magic, I was able to gently lay her head down so she would not fall over and hurt herself.
"I will set up a barrier around us so we can all take a nap. We will probably be going up tomorrow with how fast these matches are going." I also wanted to rest, so the barrier I put up did three things. One was to protect us all together so no one could get near us. The second thing was that if someone attacked it, it would repel the attack back at the attacker with triple the force. And lastly it would wake us all up if someone did attack it.
The only reason I was willing to sleep was because there were still about two hundred people ahead of us. They were following the order of registration.
I was woken by Sei earlier in the morning. My turn was next after the girl on stage was finished. She only lasted a few rounds with the instructor before being knocked down. The look of disappointment on her face shows just how much she must have trained. She was not half bad from how I saw it. She was just too over eager to try to score a hit on the instructor and was not watching his reactions.
"Next! Faith Cyrilia!" I heard my name called. I stood up and turned to the two girls who were still yawning and half asleep. "I am off!"
"Mmmm… good luck…." Adel's voice sounded as if she was talking in her sleep.
"Good luck!" Sophie said softly in a louder than usual voice.-.
While I know I do not need to try hard during these tests, I want the academy to know that just because I have a recommendation letter, that I am not here just for a free ride. That I came to this school to work hard and learn everything I can while I am here.
I have so much I wished to accomplish here that I did not want to play around. So even as I walked up to the stage, I already had my sword drawn and was ready to fight. I stood in front of the instructor waiting for him to begin the match.
"Oh? Now, this is interesting. It seems you have been in a real fight or two." The Instructor said with a smile. His eyes seemed to change compared to how he looked at the other examinees.
"You can say I have been in a fight or two. I guess you haven't heard the rumors about me." I replied with a slight smile. I am not sure if he is playing dumb or just didn't hear about the war. 𝙞𝓷𝙣r𝚎𝓪𝑑.＆nbsp;𝒸𝗼𝒎
"Wait…. Faith Cryilia…. Ah! It's you! Hahaha! What a pleasure! I get to go one on one with the girl who wiped out an entire army, The Demon of the East, Faith Cryilia. The fairy who dances in the blood of her enemies." I think I just heard another really embarrassing nickname just now. I will ignore it. I do not want to hear all these strange names that people are pinning on me. "I hope you will give me a good fight. Please, you can go all out while fighting me but remember, no attack magic spells, only body enhancements."
"Alright. But I should ask. Can I put up a barrier just in case?" I did not wish for our fight to hurt anyone around us, so I figured at least a barrier should be put up.
"Yes, you are right. Can I ask you to do the honors?" The Instructor asked.
"Sure." I answered before writing a quick magic circle in the air. "Five layer barrier…."
Barrier five layers thick formed around the battle stage. I could hear the voices from below all cry out. Which is to be expected. I mean, none of the other matches needed a barrier, yet now one was being deployed and by the one taking the test. But this made things safer for everyone as I would not go easy on the instructor after he had asked me to go all out.
"Haha! Really good! I see you will also pass the magic ability test without issue. Before we start, let me give you my name, Demon of the East. You can call me Bill Reliks. It is a pleasure to have a match with the rising star of the Gravos Kingdom." It was nice that he introduced himself but did he need to call me the Demon of the East during his introduction?
"It is a pleasure." I answered back with a small pout. I really do hate this name.
"Then let's begin, shall we?" Bill smiled before charging forward. Since he started taking the test, he had not once moved from where he stood, but now he was charging forward to take the initiative to attack.
I smiled. My blood was starting to heat up. I had not had a real battle since fighting Gesel. I was getting very excited. I watched as he buffed himself up with speed and strength enhancements. I went ahead and did the same. As his sword swung down towards me, I swung mine towards his.
As the two swords made contact, it was as if no sound was heard for almost a whole second when a loud thunderous boom was heard, and a shock wave spread out in all directions. Our swords moved so fast that they broke the sound barrier, causing a sonic boom. The ground under our feet shattered and a huge crater formed in the middle of the stage. The entire stage began to crumble and fall apart.
But this did not stop us from continuously swinging our swords, meeting attack with attack. This was only pure swordsmanship, no attack magic whatsoever. With each clash, another sonic boom was heard, and the ground began to break up more. I had no idea what our battle looked like to those outside the stage, but my guess is that they were shocked at what they were seeing.
"Hahahahahaha! This is so much fun! Demon of the East, you really live up to your name!" Please stop with the name already! I wanted to cry. This damn name sucks!
But I could stop my lips from curling up and smiling as I continued my attack. My instincts were telling me to continue for as long as I could that this was where I belonged. Swinging my sword in the midst of battle. I have no idea if this was my dragon instincts or my demonic instinct or maybe a merger of the two that makes up my dragonic bloodline. I am not quite sure, but all I know is that I am having so much fun! "Hahaha! Come! Fight me with everything you have!"
The two of us were both smiling and laughing like maniacs as we attacked each other. We were just about to clash again for the umpteenth time when a voice rang overhead, and both our bodies were frozen in place. "What the hell are you two doing!?"
𝐢n𝒏𝘳𝙚𝒶𝘥.＆nbsp;𝗰𝚘𝓂
I shrunk back, hearing the voice up over my head. I have heard this yell many times. I didn't even need to look up to know that it was the Dean. Sure enough, the Dean landed in between us and looked at the destroyed stage and then back at us. "What is the point of destroying the entire stage!? This is a test, not some battle to the death!"
"Ummm… Dean, Instructor Bill told me to go all out." I quickly threw the instructor under the bus. I mean, he really did! I wasn't lying!
"Oi! What happened to buddies in arms!?" Bill yelled out. I just turned and looked away. Sorry Bill, but I have already caused a scene a few times now. If I get yelled at anymore, the Dean might kick me out!
"It doesn't matter who started it! This is just too much! Baroness Cryilia! Please keep things in moderation! Fix the stage and go wait for the next test!" After giving me my orders, he turned and looked at Bill. "And you! You are an instructor! What is with you laughing like a maniac while fighting someone who is taking the exam? People are waiting for their turn!"-.
"Dean, I just…. Sorry…." Bill lowered his head. He dared not argue anymore.
"Alright, get down and let Baroness Cyrilia fix the stage." I wonder if the Dean knows that there are two more people here who will be smashing the stage up as well. Awe well, not my problem….
I waited for everyone to leave the stage before putting it back together and getting down. After a ten minute break, it was finally Sophie's turn. I placed my hand on her head and smiled at her as I said: "Just do your best."
"Mmm…" I think Sophie wished she was Adel or Lance. The two did not even need to take the tests. Not even standing on stage. This was the reason why Sei woke me up when the girl before me went on since she was before Adel. And Adel's name would not be called. Although Adel did say she planned to go up on stage for the mage test.
Sophie, on the other hand, was different. She had a recommendation letter so she could give up, but I talked her into at least trying. She had learned a bit of sword during our time together. How well she could use it is another story. I do know she practices a lot now.
Sophie pulled her sword from its sheath and got into her fighting stance. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, the Sophie whose eyes were always gentle and lowered, not wanting to make eye contact turned sharp. She looked at Bill, who was standing back in his normal spot as if he was the demon king and she was the hero who had to slay him.
When Bill said begin, Sophie charged forward with some speed magic and struck out while at the same time tilting to the side and thrusting out another sword with her free hand. Seeing this fighting style, I was kind of confused because I do not remember her learning this. "This…."
"I taught her it. She came to me and asked me for a few pointers as she wished not to slow you down. She has been working hard in secret since we met." Sei's explanation left me stunned. I never thought that Sophie was secretly training! This sly little fox! Just you wait and see! I will fluff you so much you will die from fluff! Not really, but seriously I am very surprised. "To be honest, I was not expecting much with how docile Sophie is, but once she starts her dance, she is a machine."
I looked up at Sophie, who really did look like she was dancing as she attacked from different angles. Her body bent in unnatural ways as she kept Bill on his toes. He was even moving backward due to Sophie's onslaught of attacks. "Sei, did she really learn all this in such a short time?"
"Frankly speaking, she is a monster. A natural when it comes to dual swordsmanship. I do not know why but it seems all the monsters of the kingdom of the younger generation are all found at your side. You have Adel, Prince Lance, Sophie, Sally….. And m… oooffff! Why did you hit me!?"
"Because you tried to call yourself young!" I said while sticking my tongue out. But her words confused me. "What do you mean Adel and Lance are monsters?"
Sally, I could understand, but Adel and Lance…. I have never seen them use much magic or fight at all, now that I think about it.
"You will see. Lance is good at sword and magic. While Adel went strictly magic. Let's just say that Adel's magic is also a little weird. She has a strange affinity with cosmic magic." Sei answered. But I think I just heard a new kind of magic.
"Sei, what is cosmic magic?" I really have never heard of it before.
"It is a new kind of magic and named after the only person to acquire it. And that person is Adel herself. Although looking at her as she is now, you wouldn't think she was so capable. Nor a princess…." I looked over to see Adel with drool running down her chin as she used Sally's big melons as a pillow. The weird smirk on her face doesn't help her image much either.
"I guess I will need to wait and see then." I was now really looking forward to Adel's match during the second test. "But wait…. If it is magic, can't anyone use it?" It just dawned on me after thinking about it for a minute.
"That is what is weird. This magic seems to be only usable by those with the affinity for it. So there is no way to copy the magic. You can write the magic circle all day but you will never be able to activate it."
A magic that can not be cast like normal…. I never thought it was possible. But I wonder if it can not be cast by anyone without affinity for it, and Adel was the first person to have such affinity, how did she know how to cast it? How did she discover it? How do they know it is actually magic? I looked over at the girl sleeping on Sally's chest with a glint in my eyes. I mean, I kinda want to have her help me experiment with her magic. But if I was able to figure out how the spells work and how one can cast them without affinity, that would make Adel less special, and that would not be good. I guess, sadly, I will be skipping over this special magic.
"Why do you look so dejected?" Sei asked as she looked at me with a strange look.
"It's nothing. Let's cheer Sophie on! Goo! Sophie! Go!" The best way to forget about things I can not do anything about is to not think about them and move on. Plus, Sophie needs someone cheering for her.
The more I watch Sophie fight, the more I realize that she will be very powerful in the future, and now she was showing everyone what she was capable of. This was good. Less people will try to start with her if they know she is strong.
Another few minutes went by when Bill called the fight. He had a big smile on his face as he looked at Sophie: "Very good! Another diamond in the ruff. I can see why you gained your recommendation. Go rest. You will be taking the second exam soon."-.
Sophie climbed down the stage and ran over to me. Her smile was bright as her tail wagged back and forth with her ears twitching. And a very excited Sophie acted out of character as she excitedly said: "Faith! I think I did well! Ow! My cheeks!"
"Yes, you did. You really surprised me. To think you were getting secret training all this time!" I said with pursed lips. But still, I was happy for Sophie. It seems she had found her path.
"I wanted to surprise you," Sophie said while rubbing her now red cheeks. I pinched them pretty good.
"It was definitely a surprise." I said with a laugh. 𝓲𝐧𝙣𝓇ℯ𝓪𝐝 c𝚘𝒎
"Sally Cyrilia!" Bill's voice fell over the crowd. I have heard some murmurs here and there about the Cryilia name seemingly being a hot topic at this moment. Namely because of my show of strength, and now Sophie displayed her swordsmanship. Next, it was Sally's turn. All three of us were carrying the Cyrilia name. I wonder if Father would be proud of me.
Seeing Sally walking up to the stage, a thought came to mind. "Sally, don't destroy the stage or crush the Instructor! Hold back!"
"Yes, Young Miss!" Sally yelled back, causing another wave of rumors to begin spreading. I saw Bill looking at me with a smirk. I then saw him say something to Sally with a mocking smile. But that smile quickly turned to shook after he yelled begin and Sally arrived in front of him in an instant with her hammer already barreling down on him. Wait…. "Ah…. Too much!"
<strong>*Boom!* </strong>
I felt a sharp jolt in my arm as I stood between the Instructor and Sally. The stage itself caved in from the impact. As the dust settled, I looked at Sally, who was looking back at me with tears in her eyes. "Young Miss! Sorry! He whispered something mean about you, and I kinda just…. Are…. Are you alright!?"
"I'm fine Sally, relax." It was true, I was perfectly fine. I only felt a sting in my arm from her attack. I turned and looked at Bill, who was looking up into the sky, whistling with his hands behind his back. "Why did you instigate her!? Are you trying to get me yelled at again!?"
"I wanted to see how strong she was! You told her to hold back! I couldn't resist!" Bill tried to explain, causing me to snort.
"She passes, right?" I asked sternly.
"Yeah… Everyone at your side is a damn monster. I want to fight with them later on." Bill said with a big grin. I could only let a long, drawn out sigh. He was an instructor, right!? Right!?
"Alright, then I will be going back down. Ah, right! I wouldn't try anything with Sei. She may just kill you…." I gave a fair warning. I did not know if Sei could hold her anger back or not. The last thing I want to do is try to explain that mess. Because for some reason, I feel the Dean will hold me accountable!
"Ahahaha…. Wait…. Sei…. That Sei!? What is she doing here!? Isn't she way too ol…. Hah! Peh! Peh! Damnit, what are you doing!? " I quickly kicked a ball of dirt into his big mouth.
"Shutting up, idiot." I said with a snort before pulling Sally off stage.
"Sally, don't let others anger you like that from now on. It will be bad if you do something you shouldn't do to the wrong person, that is only if your life is not threatened. But you can beat them up a little, just not full force." I was not saying to hold her anger in but dumb it down enough to only beat them mildly.
"Mmm… Sorry, Young Miss." Sally lowered her head. I turned and reached out and rubbed her head. "Thank you for getting mad for me."
"Mmm…." Sally smiled softly and nodded her head.
Sei was up next, and it ended before it started. It seems Sei's hearing was very good. She shot forward, and in an instant, she had already pinned Bill to the ground, asking what he was going to say earlier. It happened so fast that no one understood what had happened. But I guess this just goes to show what experience can do. I went back and forth against Bill but was unable to land any decisive attacks. But Sei, who has less power than me, was able to pin him to the ground with experience and technique. Maybe I should have her train me as well….
Sei came back and stretched her arms as she sat down next to Adel, who seemed to be still dozing in and out. It made me wonder just how bad of a morning person she was. It was now Lance's turn to go up. He walked up on to the stage with his sword still in its sheath. His aura had completely changed once he got on stage.
"Are you surprised?" Adel came up and sleepily asked.
"Mmm… His weird smile is gone." I answered lightly. Well, it was true. His stupid grin was replaced with a serious expression that was not something you often saw on him. But what was annoying me was all the fangirls screaming his name. Like, does it help if you scream his name? Do you win an award for being the one to scream his name the loudest?
I will never understand it. Why do girls get all giddy over a boy or any kind of lover for that matter? Although I am a girl myself, I still do not understand it. I shook my head as I turned my attention back to Lance on stage. He was staring at Bill with a small smile on his lips. Once Bill gave the go ahead, Bill charged at Lance which was a surprise to me. This was the second time he had charged at someone. The first being me. Lance only slightly moved as he brought his sword to his side and stepped forward, and struck out.
Bill sidestepped and swung his sword to block. But…. "Wait! What the hell are you doing!? Why did you fake like you were off balance!? Instructor Bill, don't be trying to throw the fight! Smash him hard! Knock him down a few times! Make him cry!"-.
I watched as Lance stumbled over his own feet and loud laughter came from my side. I turned to see Adel, Grace, Sei, Sally, and even Sophie all laughing really hard. Was what I said really that funny? I tilted my head to the side, trying to think of what I said, but nothing seemed funny to me…. I mean, well… Okay the last part about making him cry, but I was just trying to get my point across.
But now, I am also getting a lot of death glares. But as I scanned the crowd, everyone quickly turned and looked away. But once my eyes left them, they glared at me again! At least do it openly! Feeling a bit annoyed, I released some of my magic on the crowd to make them stop staring. I already get stared at enough that I do not need some giddy girls glaring at me too.
At least the fight on stage was now proper. The two were exchanging blows properly instead of Bill trying to throw the match all because his opponent was the prince. For one, I doubt Lance would want such a thing. Especially with how he is smiling. Ugh… I just realized that the two of us have something in common. We love to fight! Maybe I should take up flower arrangement and knitting….
After almost fifteen minutes, the two finally came to a stop. Bill seems to realize he was already taking up too much time. Luckily if anyone got yelled at this time, it would not be my fault…. I hope….
Grace forfeited her match since she was not going to try out for the knight course. But now that I was thinking about it…. Did Lance need to take the exams? "Lance…."
"Yes, Faith? Were you impressed?" Lance asked with his usual stupid smile. 𝗶𝘯𝗻𝙧𝚎α𝘥. 𝑐o𝘮
"Ah… No, in fact, I was a little disappointed…. Anyway…. Ummm, are you not already in the academy? I could have sworn that you were….." I asked… I was not sure that maybe I was hearing things, but I think I did recall him saying he was in the academy before.
"Hmmm? I just wanted to fight an instructor and show you my good side." Lance replied with a smile.
"I see…." I only said these words before turning and walking towards the next testing area, not wanting to speak any more to Mr. Showoff. I heard a chuckle at my side, and as usual, Adel was laughing it up at Lance's expense. I can understand where she is coming from because I used to tease my big brother too.
The reason I was going to the next testing area now was because I did not wish to watch any more of the matches.I already saw everyone else fighting. I just can't believe that Lance went through all this trouble because he wanted to show off to me.
Testing for the second test began in the early evening. Standing up on a much large stage that had much more room for combat and many barriers surrounding it was a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. I did not need to ask who she was as Adel leaned over and whispered in my ear. "She is the Dean's niece, Jasmine. And is the top mage of her generation."
I nodded and was about to ask what kind of magic she was good at, but Jasmine began speaking. "Welcome to the second test. This will test your abilities as mages. Those who pass this test will be one step closer to joining the mage course. If you pass all the tests, you can take up both courses and work hard to become a magic knight. But remember, very few ever achieve this.
"Let me explain how this all works. Just like the knight course test, you will come up one at a time and battle me. You can use all your strongest attacks. Well, except for one person. Baroness Cyrilia! You have to hold back!"
I choked on air being called out like that. Did the Dean say something!? It's not like I planned to use grand fall on her or something like that. I just planned to bombard her with a bunch of attacks. I pursed my lips as I locked eyes with the girl on stage. She only gave me a sly smile that said: I am watching you! Maybe I should just fling her out off the stage? My catapult magic would work well.
Would the Dean get mad if I sent his niece flying through the air like a bird? Well, now that I think about it, she can probably step on air as well. I guess I should come up with something else…. Maybe a catapult into a tornado? Is that too much? I will just need to see what everyone else does and go with that, I guess. I guess I can find an excuse to use it on Lance later, then blame it on Bell. Who would argue with Bell?
"Faith, you have this creepy smile on your face." Adel's voice broke my thoughts, causing me to accidently blurt out: "I was thinking of catapulting Lance later…."
"Oi!"
As I watched the fights one after the other, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed in the abilities they were showing as they fought with Instructor Jasmine. Basic fireballs and their equivalents with the other elements. Only a few used some higher forms of magic. Like barriers and magic spear type attacks.
Other than that, there was not much else worth to speak of. I could even tell that Jasmine was a little disappointed in the magic aptitude of those applying for the mage course. The face she was making and how her eyebrow kept twitching when people kept using the same spells over and over was eating at her. At least, I think anyway. She may just have an eye twitch problem. I can't really be one to judge.
Night fell once more, and my little group and I camped out together. The matches were much slower this time because there were more people trying out for the mage course than the knight course. The knight course was mainly for those who lacked magic abilities, but that did not mean all of them were bad at magic. Many applied for both courses to try to become a magic knight, the most prestigious kind of knight one can become. This was also my goal. If you combine it with a nobility title, it will help quite a bit when doing the things I wish to do. Right now, whether I liked it or not, the status of nobility was a major plus for me, as Adel said before.
The next morning when I woke up, it was the same thing all the way until noon time: more people slinging fireballs and taking almost the full five seconds to cast the spell. One thing I did not understand was why most of these testees were all proud of their magic accomplishments. It seemed strange to me, but maybe I should not be basing what is normal on my own abilities? But still, to be proud for casting multiple fireballs in a row at an instructor who is yawning at you and thinking you did amazing seems a little off.-.
"Faith, if you keep furrowing your brow like that, it will freeze in place, and then you will look that much uglier." Adel's voice came from my side. I turned to look at the princess with the teasing smile plastered on her face and pursed my lips.
"It's not my fault. Look at this! How are they so proud for casting a single fireball!?" I guess my words were a bit too loud because I got quite a few stares after I said this.
"Faith, you can't compare your abilities to normal people." Adel replied with a chuckle. 𝒊𝐧𝒏𝘳𝙚α𝙙. 𝘤𝗼𝐦
"But even my sister in law Rachel could cast a fireball at five years old. And she is a commoner! These kids are nobles, yet they are so proud of a simple fireball. Did they even train before coming here!?" I know I should keep my mouth shut, but when it comes to magic, I can't help but get angry. The current me is like the anime finatics who would fight tooth and nail when it came to their favorite waifu.
Once I start, I can't stop until I make my point completely. I remember a few times when I was talking to Jen about novels in my past life. I would be so into what I was saying that I would not even realize that Jen had walked away and end up standing there by myself talking to the ghost in front of me while people walked by looking at me strangely. At times like that, I couldn't help but pout.
This was why when I met Runa, I thought I met a kindred spirit. She was a magic freak just like me, and this really made the two of us click. Sadly Jen was never into reading much. Only once and a great while would she come to find a book that would keep her attention. But that was it.
Other than that, she was more interested in socializing and boys. Now that I think about it, why was she even friends with a weirdo like me? Sigh… I still miss those days….
"Next! Princess Adellia!" Instructor Jasmine yelled out. I looked up to see her now smiling. I guess she was looking forward to this fight. I was also looking forward to it, to see this cosmic magic for myself.
"Good luck Adel!" I said with a smile. I hoped that she would do well.
"Mmm… I will do my best. So watch me, Faith!" Adel said with a fist pump before walking forward. The look of determination on her face showed how serious she was about this test.
Adel stood on the stage. Her white dress armor fluttered in the wind. To be honest, she struck a gallant image as she stood there with her back as straight as a board and her hands resting in front of her in a noble lady like manner.
"Princess… I have been wanting to see your specialty magic for a long time. Sadly I could only ever hear about it through people who were allowed to enter the palace. So please do put on a good display for me." Instructor Jasmine had a small smile on her face and a glint of excitement in her eyes. I guess I was right about her being happy about facing Adel.
"Instructor Jasmine, I will do my best to satisfy your curiosity. But I also have a small vendetta with you. I mean…. You called out my Faith like she was some kind of monster. This is a no no." Ummm… Adel… you have a crazy smile on your face and a mean look in your eye. Please do not try to kill anyone!
"Oh, are you talking about my warning to Baroness Cyrilia.? Well, it was because my father told me too. Otherwise, I would love to see what she is capable of. Please do not take offense to it as I did not mean harm by it." I guess Instructor Jasmine is not such a bad person. She seems more humble than I had originally thought. Even her apology held sencerty to it. Although even after she apologized, Adel still looks angry.
Oh well whatever happens between those two has nothing to do with me…. I hope….
Adel did not reply to instructor Jasmine's apology. She only bowed her head as she said: "When you are ready."
"I am ready anytime." Instructor Jasmine replied. She did not seem to be bothered by Adel's blatant disregard of her apology.
But now was the time I had been waiting for. I watched Adel without even blinking, hoping not to miss a second of her cosmic magic. Adel lifted her hand and delicately tapped the air. As she did, mana began to flow out of her fingertip without her having to do anything and began to form runic symbols in the air.
Each symbol quickly formed, and in less than half a second, what looked like a complex yet fully crafted magic circle was formed. In a way, how she was able to gracefully create a magic circle like that makes me a bit jealous. When I do not use my eyes to cast spells, I always have to rush writing my magic circles while she can just tap the air to create them. But I guess everyone has their own way of doing things to speed up their casting. "Stop…."-.
Adel's voice sounded out. And Instructor Jasmine, who had just opened her mouth to say her activation word, suddenly stopped moving altogether. She looked frozen in time. But was this cosmic magic or time magic? Did Adel name it cosmic magic because it sounded cooler? I tilted my head as I thought about it. I guess I could see Adel doing something like that. But if she can stop time, doesn't that mean she could reverse time or fast forward time as well? And was there a difference between cosmic magic and spatial magic?
From what I understood, spatial magic could also stop time. Maybe it is different as spatial magic is a separate space while Adel was using it in our world. I guess the two were from the same school of magic where Adel's cosmic magic is the highest form? Umm… What is Adel doing? Why is she walking over to Instructor Jasmine? Why is she raising her hand? Wait, no, she wouldn't, would she!?
<strong>*Slap!*</strong>
She did…. And now, she has turned and looked at me with a proud smile as if she is asking me to praise her? Why did she slap the instructor!? She did nothing wrong! Adel, please don't hold grudges! Well, I guess I can't say anything about that after I almost snapped someone's neck the day I passed the first test.
"Rewind…." Adel cast another spell. And now, my eyes almost popped out of my head. Adel's power was really insane. The red mark on Instructor Jasmine's face disappeared, and all her movements to cast a spell had also reversed the magic circle she had formed now disappeared. Adel smiled as she turned around and began to walk off stage but just before stepping off it, she said: "Resume…."
And like it never happened, Instructor Jasmine began to move again. She had a very confused look on her face. I wonder if her memories also rewound? "So, what did you think?" Adel asked happily as she bounced over to me like a bunny rabbit.
"To be honest, your magic is scary but also amazing. I do not think I ever want to fight you or anyone with such magic. But isn't this more time magic than cosmic magic?" I asked.
"Ahh, about that…." Adel rubbed her nose as she explained: "When I was small, I got to name my magic, and although everyone suggested calling it time magic, but I thought that name was boring and called it cosmic magic instead. Cosmic magic is not something anyone can use. You could say I am basically the only one in this kingdom who can use it, thanks to my affinity with it. They reached out to other kingdoms as well, looking for anyone who could use my magic, but the results were always the same. To this day, it seems I am the first person in history who can use cosmic magic, and it is quite peculiar because I can not use it on myself and only on one target at a time at the moment. Otherwise, the magic will not work even if I tried to rewrite the spells I have figured out so far." 𝐢𝘯𝑛𝓻𝚎𝙖𝑑. ᴄ𝗼m
"But still, if you were to fight a strong foe who was millions of times stronger than you, you would only need to stop time for them, right?" I asked.
"Well, I am not sure. I have realized that the effects don't last forever, and there is a chance of the magic not being able to completely stop someone. It's strange, and there is a lot I still do not know about this power. But rewind, stop, and resume are the ones I have learned to master so far." Adel explained.
"I see. But for now, I am glad I never made you an enemy. To think that with a single word, you can walk up to me and slap me." Yeah, I was not going to miss this chance to tease her. I mean, who could resist such a chance!?
"She shouldn't have been rude to you!" Adel said while pouting. I reached up and rubbed her head. "Well, you still did an amazing job."
"Ummm…." A person landed next to us. "Princess… I am a bit confused. I could have sworn we started our battle…."
"Yes, we did, and it lasted a whole three minutes before I decided to end it." Adel replied. She did not seem like she planned to go into any details of what had happened. I feel kind of bad. If I was in instructor Jasmine's shoes, I would be kind of annoyed since I would have wanted to witness Adel's magic for myself!
While I could explain it to Instructor Jasmine. It was not up for me to decide as it was Adel's magic not my own. Instructor Jasmine's expression turned to one of disappointment before turning around and walking back to the stage. She stood up on it and then yelled out: " Next! Baroness Cyrilia!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone