Chapter 11: The Royal Entrance Exam
The morning of the Royal Magic Academy entrance exam dawned crisp and clear, but Daniel barely noticed. His stomach churned as he stepped out of his dormitory, the weight of the day pressing heavily on his shoulders. Kana walked beside him, unusually quiet. The past three days had been filled with relentless preparation, but no amount of studying or training could ease the tension that gripped him now.
The academy grounds buzzed with activity as students gathered in the central courtyard, waiting for the exam to begin. The air was thick with anticipation, the hum of whispered conversations filling the space. Daniel scanned the crowd, spotting familiar faces among the hopefuls. Zephyr stood with his arms crossed, and eyes focused, exuding his usual confidence. Kaelin and Lena whispered excitedly, their energy a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere. Guy, true to form, was munching on an apple, seemingly unfazed by the pressure.
A hush fell over the crowd as Headmaster Calton stepped onto a raised platform. His gaze swept over the assembled students, his presence commanding immediate attention.
“Welcome to the Royal Magic Academy entrance exam,” he announced, his voice steady and authoritative. “Today, you will face three tests. The first will assess your theoretical understanding of base magic. To maintain fairness, there will be no questions on specific magics. The second will measure your magical control and finesse, determining your aptitude level within the academy. The third and final test will be a combat trial, where you will showcase your abilities in a one-on-one duel. Passing these exams will grant you entrance to the academy. However, exceptional candidates may earn the sponsorship of a professor, granting them privileges beyond standard admission.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The sponsorship system was well known, but few ever earned such an honour. Daniel exchanged a glance with Kana, who smirked. “Looks like we’ll have to put on a show.”
He exhaled slowly, steeling himself. “Let’s just focus on passing, no hope if we fail there.”
***
The first test took place in the Academy’s grand lecture hall. Rows of desks stretched across the massive room, each set with parchment and ink. The moment Daniel sat down, an invigilator distributed the exam papers, his expression stern.
“You have one hour. Begin.”
Daniel turned over his paper, scanning the questions. The exam covered everything from the history of magic to everything we, as a society, know about the threads. Some questions were straightforward, while others required deep analysis. But nothing came up which he and Kana hadn’t gone over together beforehand in the library. This was a piece of cake compared to what they had expected from the entrance exam. Although it makes sense considering the academy prioritises the magic aspect over the academics.
***
The second test was held in one of the academy’s practice halls. The large chamber had massive marble pillars lining the walls. A professor stepped forward, holding a codex, presumably listing the candidates’ names.
“This test will evaluate your magical control. Each of you will be given a unique task to complete, based on your most proficient affinity. Your performance will determine your current skill level in regard to base control. But don’t worry, we aren’t forgetting that skill on the battlefield is much more than the depths of one’s affinity. That’s what the final test is for.”
Candidates stepped up one by one as they were called. Some fumbled, crumbling under the pressure of all who were watching. Which to be honest wasn’t many. Being forced to do this one by one was incredibly boring. And yet others clearly knew what they were doing. The highest tier which had showed up was a Mid-tier, that being none other than Guy.
By Achelous, if only he’d lose some weight, maybe then he’d have a decent chance on the battlefield
“Daniel Crestfall”
He swallowed hard as his name was called. He stepped forward, heart pounding. For him, the first task was simple: Using a bush, skilfully cut into a dome as a reference, Daniel had to grow another, from the seed, into the exact same shape. Channelling his mana through the threads, he projected his energy into the plant. This task required precision, shaping the bush by controlling the flow of energy into specific branches of the sapling. He took a deep breath, steadying his hands. Slowly, methodically, he manipulated the threads, forcing them into the correct form.
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Daniel breathed out heavily as he released his control. Although not perfect, it was a remarkable effort.
“Hmm,” the examiner looked to be in deep thought. While awaiting his judgement, Daniel nervously fidgeted. Peering back, Kana held her thumbs up at him excitedly.
At least I’m not the only one who thinks I did well.
“Low-Mid tier.”
Relief and disappointment warred within him. Although it may not have been the highest tier, all it showed was that he had room for improvement. Especially if he wanted to catch up to Zephyr.
He stepped back, watching as Zephyr took his turn. He was made to increase the speed of his limbs by different amounts. For a time mage, this was a much more difficult endeavour than it seemed. Having completed the test, he stepped back confidently, not seeming bothered to listen to what the adjudicator had to say.
“Mid-tier.”
Daniel clenched his fists. No surprise there. Finally, Kana stepped up, ready for her turn.
The mind mages in the group had especially struggled. Not one of them had surpassed low tier. And Kana knew she was different.
Stepping up to the top, the adjudicator turned to her. Her task was to create 3 illusions, all acting out different tasks, given one at a time by the judge. First, she was asked to make a large man dancing on his own in the corner.
“Next you are to make a battle between two illusions. Make sure it is for everyone here to see. Don’t worry, I’ll be dictating what is to happen. So just focus on crafting the image.”
Usually in a fight, you only made illusions which affected your direct opponent, since otherwise you would have to influence either an area, or the collective to make it visible to all.
Murmuring continued amongst the crowd of candidates waiting for their turn. Daniel watched intently as Kana struggled. Although in a battle she could normally summon around 5 clones, now she was having to fucus on both their appearance and what she was making them do.
Although realistic, the quality was obviously reduced from normal. They felt off. The faces weren’t quite right, as weren’t the clothes. As if they were a wax figure, the face didn’t move as it should’ve and the jacket which one was wearing looked stuck to its body, unmoving and stiff.
“Alright that’s enough. You may stop.”
Panting, Kana released her magic. The stamina one had to use in order to influence so many people was incredible. It was as if she had run for miles on end, with only pure willpower keeping her going.
“Low-Mid Tier”
Stepping down proudly, she stumbled over to Daniel and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
“Can’t be that strong if even I can catch up.” She said, still panting for breath. Taking a few steps more towards the bench at the back, she collapsed to the floor.
“Kana!” Daniel exclaimed.
“Don’t worry… Daniel, was it? No matter. She’s just unconscious. Must’ve zapped most of her energy to keep that illusion going.” The adjudicator stood there unmoving as her eyes scanned the crowd of candidates which stood before her.
“Guy, would you please go take her to the infirmary. You know where it is right?”
Guy nodded hastily, surprised at having been volunteered for the job.
“Let me go with her, I need to make sure she’s okay!” Daniel said, angst in his voice.
“No. Emotions only get in the way. She needs to rest until the combat exam tomorrow afternoon with absolutely NO distractions. Be that whining friends or worried family.”
Daniel stepped back, although disappointed, the worry he’d first felt when she fell had mostly dissipated.
One left. Then we’ll be there. Finally.
***
The final test took place in the academy’s duelling grounds, a massive open-air arena lined with barriers to protect the audience. Candidates were paired off, their names called in twos to step into the ring. With 4 rings, there were multiple battles going on at any one time.
Daniel stood at the edge of the arena, his heart pounding as he watched the first duels unfold. Some were over in seconds, a clear mismatch of skill levels. Others were fierce, drawn-out battles, each combatant pushing their limits.
Finally, his name was called.
“Daniel Crestfall versus Kaelin Crown.”
Kana called out before he left. “Don’t forget all the training we did. And only use that bracelet if you have to, remember what it did to you the first time you used it.”
Daniel rubbed his wrist, recalling the harsh burns he had received a few days prior. This time he had only gone until it started to vibrate. No more mana was stored for a fear of it uncovering the last wound, or worse, breaking a bone.
It took him around 2 minutes to fill it to the level he had it now, so re-filling mid-match wouldn’t be too hard. Although, doing that would mean he wouldn’t be able to use magic for the duration. The main idea was to get a large power boost at a crucial moment as a finisher or to turn the tide of the battle. If all went to plan, he wouldn’t need to use it twice anyway.
Not moments later Kana was called up against Guy. Waving to Daniel, she strode off, ready for her fight.
Daniel followed suit, walking with vigour over to his side of the ring, Kaelin stood on the other side giving Lena a hug before turning around to face him.
The announcer stood by the side of the ring, below the tower which the referee sat in.
“Bout four, Daniel Crestfall, left, versus Kaelin Crown, right,” he started, “Please refrain from aiming for killing blows, should the situation seem dangerous we have high-tier mages on standby as well as essence mages for healing any injuries you may have received during the battle. We will only stop if it seems a life is in danger, otherwise that is up to you to surrender.”
She’d better be listening; surrender might be her only option.
Daniel thought this, losing track of what the announcer was saying.
“Finally, should you lose, you will not immediately be refused entry, this is a place for you to show off your skills, and everything we are shown will be taken into consideration. With that said, are both competitors ready?”
Looking at Kaelin, the announcer waited for approval. She nodded to confirm. The announcer turned, Daniel agreed, and a countdown ensued.”
“Three… Two… One… FIGHT!”