Chapitre 43: Chapter 43: The Magic Academy

The day after the plan was proposed, the royal family returned to the Palace, leaving Kai and Montina to their own devices. The mansion seemed quieter, everyone busy cleaning after the banquet. Kai spent the day as he usually did, reading in the library or strolling around the mansion grounds. Ray, however, was on edge. He had taken it upon himself to tutor Kai for his upcoming exam, but Kai seemed to have other plans.

"We need to study!!" Every time Ray tried to approach Kai with books and notes, Kai would somehow find an excuse to escape. "Sorry~" He would suddenly remember a book he had left in the garden or a plant he wanted to sketch. Ray's frustration grew with each passing day, but Kai remained blissfully unconcerned.

On the eve of the exam, the mansion was filled with a tense silence. Ray paced the hallways, muttering formulas and historical dates under his breath. The mansion's workers watched him with worried eyes, their concern for Kai evident. Kai, on the other hand, was in his room, calmly packing his bag for the next day.

The morning of the exam arrived sooner than anyone had hoped. Hiro and Sakura were worried for Kai's exam, but there was someone else who was far worried than them. Ray was a bundle of nerves, his worry for Kai palpable. As the time came, everyone got ready. Kai chooses to wear the simplest attire he could find, and his wig as usual. The couple, together with Elysia were waiting by the carriage for the rest two. Ray helped Kai wheel himself to them, his hands shaking slightly as he helped Kai into the carriage. Kai looked at Ray, a small smile playing on his lips. "Hey, calm down. It's my exam. Why are you getting so worked up for?" he wrote in his notebook, causing Ray to huff in annoyance.

As the carriage pulled away from the mansion, Ray couldn't help but repeat a silent mantra in his head. "Just fail!! Just fail!!" He continued to chant it, while being worried about Kai's lack of preparation.

Meanwhile, Kai was enjoying the ride to the Magic Academy. He looked out of the carriage window, his eyes taking in the bustling city.

Soon, they arrived at their destination. The Magic Academy, a sight to behold. Its towering spires and grand architecture were a testament to the magical prowess of its students and faculty.

The examination hall was a hive of nervous energy. Students from every corner of the kingdom had gathered, their faces a kaleidoscope of excitement and anxiety. Amidst the sea of restless anticipation, Kai was an island of calm. He excused himself from his friends, Hiro and Sakura, expressing a desire to familiarize himself with the examination room alone. Ignoring the curious glances thrown his way, he made his way to the reception, collected his number, and navigated his wheelchair to his assigned seat. His face was a mask of tranquility, betraying no hint of the nerves that plagued the others.

The exam kicked off with a written test, a gauntlet of questions spanning the spectrum from magical theory to practical applications, together with the 'special' questions of math and science. Kai answered each question with a calm precision, his hand moving swiftly across the paper.

"And… done. I wonder how the rest are doing," he looked around when he saw the students, gloomy air around them as if they had given up.

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Ray was pacing nervously. Hiro and Sakura went for some work, after Elysia left to her exam hall, leaving Ray in the waiting room. "Okay, I need to be calm," he couldn't help but worry about Kai. He knew that Kai was intelligent, but his lack of preparation was a cause for concern. "Arghh! I should have been strict with him!" Ray was worrying himself, unaware that Niatina was watching him from a far, hiding behind a pillar. "Alright!" She whispered to herself, as she came out of her hiding and finally spoke up. "Looks like you are having some trouble," she said, her voice soft. Ray looked at her, surprised. "What…?" Ray thought to himself, as he just stared at her.

Back at the exam hall, the written test had ended. As everyone thinking if they will pass or not, Kai was already thinking ahead. "Now, just need to measure my mana, then I am going straight back to the mansion, and off to sleep," he thought to himself, when the examiner spoke up. "Alright. Now that the written exam is over, you all are to be presented in the training ground based on the grouping in the board." To his words, the students started to check their group, as they went to the training ground. "Was there something else?" Kai thought to himself, as he too went to the training ground for the 3rd year students. When he arrived, he looked at the magic circle in front of him, his face full of worry. "What now…"

As the preparations were being done in the ground, back in the room; Ray and Niatina were in an awkward situation. The air in the room heavy, both of them just kept silence. "What now?" Niatina thought to herself, keeping a calm expression clutching to her dress. "I thought I was prepared, but maybe- No! I must do it. I will do it!" She took a deep breath, ready to speak. "Ray, I-" before she could speak up, Ray cut in between. "Greetings, Crown princess." He stated, as Niatina's eyes widened in surprise. "I hope you have been well." Ray looked at her, his expression calm. At his formal statement, she stood silent, as both of them just looked at each other.

Back in the ground, an instructor, around the age of 45, came forward. He was wearing a dark-blue robe, with short blue hair and glasses. Together with him, came few more teachers to observe the exam. "Greetings, young ones." He smiled at the students. "I hope you all have been doing well so far," he stated. "Well, I won't make this long, so let me explain."

"Each one of you, shall go to the circle and stand inside it." He explained, pointing his finger to the circle's direction. "After you're inside it, you are to cast a spell and aim it towards the dummy." He explained further, that they must wear a special that will be given to them before going inside the circle. And, when they cast the spell inside the circle, the stone in the ring shall measure one's mana potential, and based on that, the student will be allotted to their classes.

"I am doomed…," Kai thought to himself, his expression calm as he tries to think of something, while looking at the first student to give the exam. The first student moves to the circle, forwards his hands as he uses a strong wing cannon spell, which pushes back the dummy hitting the wall with great impact, but it's safe due to the protection spell casted over it. After the spell was casted, the stone on the ring he had worn turned green.

"Now, as you can see, the stone changed its color." The instructor explained, "Here, blue means low-tier, green means mid-tier and yellow means high-tier magic. Based on them, you shall be allotted to your classes." As he explained, one girl among the group raised her hand. "Excuse me sir, but didn't the academy used to measure our mana with a special artifact known as a Mana Cube?" As she asked, the instructor explained that the magic cube was not present at the time, so they had to use the current method.

"Today of all time, huh…," Kai thought to himself, as he continued to watch the rest of the students going on with the rest of the exam.

After sometime; "One more, than it's my turn…"

Kai looked forward, as a guy with a mane of untamed brown hair came forward. His eyes calm, a slight color of blue in them. "Kaelan, right?" the instructor asked, as the guy replied with a nod. "That's me, sir." He wears his tunic, breeches and boots, dressed in a simple yet well-maintained, as he stepped into the circle.

"Alright," the instructor stated. "Hit the target."

Kaelan, raising his right arm towards the sky, he began to chant, his voice resonating with the power of his conviction. "Thunder Strike," he intoned, each syllable echoing with the promise of unleashed power.

The air around him began to crackle, a magic circle forming above his right arm as electricity gathered around it. The rumble of thunder echoed ominously, a prelude to the storm that was about to be unleashed. The students were in complete awe, as they witnessed the scene. "Looks promising," Kai thought to himself as he observed Kaelan.

With a final shout, Kaelan brought his arm down, pointing it at the target. A bolt of lightning, bright and jagged, erupted from the magic circle, arcing across the ground with unerring precision.

The bolt struck the dummy with the force of a thunderclap, the resulting explosion of light momentarily blinding everyone on the ground. When the light faded, the dummy was completely destroyed, leaving the ashes with smoke rising from the ground.

As his turn was done, the stone in his ring turns yellow, as everyone erupts into cheer. "You have a lot of potential," the instructor compliments, as Kaelan just smiles at him. Everyone cheers and congratulates him.

"Why is my heart pounding so much…?" A figure stood by the window on the 2nd floor, her eyes fixed on the ongoing exam in the ground below. She brought her hands to her chest, feeling the rapid beat of her heart. Her cheeks were flushed, a rosy hue painting her face. "Could this be…" Her gaze once again found Kaelan amidst the crowd, and a deeper blush spread across her cheeks. She took a step back from the window, her heart fluttering like a caged bird.

With a deep breath to steady herself, she turned away from the window. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts and emotions, all centered around the boy she had been watching. With one last glance over her shoulder, she left the room, her steps echoing softly in the quiet hallway. The scene outside the window remained imprinted in her mind, a snapshot of a moment that had stirred something within her.

"Hmm…," Kai, looking from a far asks Eva, "What would you rate that attack from the scale of 1 to 10?"

"4.8, sir." Eva replies, as Kai nods to himself, when the instructor calls for him. "Next!" he announces, as Kai slowly wheels himself forward. "Guess no other choice left…"