Less than 2-minutes later, both Eolande's and Breena's magic-related potentials and MP totals were displayed for all to see.
As expected, Breena's stats were fairly average. They weren't bad by any means whatsoever, but when compared to both the boy from earlier as well as with Soph, the young foxkin seemed to be lacking in magical talents.
Overall Magic Potential 521/1,000 Magic Affinities Illusion: 51% Fire: 38% Total MP 94,030
"Hmm, lacking MP and only two affinities, but you have a fairly decent overall potential score. You pass, if only barely. Please stand ove-"
The young-looking woman's words were interrupted by wild shouts and exclamations of shock. Somewhat used to this after being one of the teachers responsible for the annual tests, the woman glanced between all of the displayed potentials of the hopefuls being tested right now, and finally, her eyes landed on Eolande's potential sheet.
Overall Magic Potential 810/1,000 Magic Affinities Enchantment: 100% Illusion: 100% Water: 32% Ice: 21% Snow: 10% Total MP 2,131,000
Eolande smiled coyly and giggled as she said, "Oh, I knew I had maxed potentials in illusion and enchantment magic from the system, but water magic and its two sub-magics? You learn something new every day, it would seem, hehe."
The teacher charged with testing her smiled wryly. "I imagine Professor Akayuri will be desperate to take you in as his disciple. You're the first person in over 100,000-years to have an affinity in all of the water-based magic schools."
Eolande grinned and replied, "Is that so? Well, I really wonder... will he waste his efforts on me, or perhaps on someone else?"
The teacher had no idea what she meant with those words, so he simply directed her to the right part of the stage. Eolande quickly flew to Soph and Breena's side, allowing the next person to be tested.
At this point, the old woman in charge was frowning heavily. 'Not only is one of his disciples a one-in-a-billion talent, but even one of his disciples' companions is easily a one-in-five-hundred-million talent. The Crimson Foxkin is lacking, but she still passed... This is... troublesome.'
Down in the crowd, Lone was very proud of both Breena and Eolande. He was genuinely worried that he would have to make a scene to ensure Breena's enrollment, but thankfully, she had just enough natural talent to not need his shoulder to lean on.
"Is that... Seto?" Lone mumbled as he watched a blonde-haired young man get up onto the stage. "So he hasn't returned to the Taslo Empire yet? Or he did somehow go back in such a short time, and now he's returned to Mystopolis for the tests? If so, that was really fuckin' fast."
As he cuddled Rachel, Swind asked Lone, "You know him?"
Lone nodded. "He employed me to destroy a slaver group's bases in Felron. I was able to train my magic and he made a contract via my Contracting Magic to set up a meeting between me and the empress, his auntie."
"Ah, I see... I wonder why he's here?" Swind asked questioningly.
Lone shrugged. "My best guess is that he wants to gain some actual power to protect himself in the future. He was kidnapped and forced to be the face of the slaver group here before I saved him, so yeah, that could be his goal. You know, get strong enough to never let himself be used like that again."
"Admirable, yet foolishly naive. Real combat is the best way to grow," Swind commented as his hands continued to skillfully caress Rachel's tails, resulting in a silly smile appearing on the soul-damaged girl's face.
"Yeah, but it's not the only way," Lone replied casually.
He and Swind then both read the prince of the Talso Empire's potential sheet.
Overall Magic Potential 697/1,000 Magic Affinities Earth: 71% Sand: 54% Total MP 5,423
Prince Seto clearly lacked any and all skill, but his potential was the highest thus far if everyone ignored the absurd Soph and Eolande.
"No doubt, you stand to become an incredibly talented di-mage. I look forward to seeing your journey through The Academy. Please, go stand with the others while we finish up here." The teacher was being far politer than perhaps he normally would have been. After being shocked so greatly by the two girls from before who were both incredibly strong and bursting with potential, a weak young man with a more average but still fantastic potential was a breath of sorely-needed fresh air for all of the staff and academy students present.
"So I have no talent in metal magic?" the blonde-haired young man asked himself softly in a disappointed tone. He then shook his head and smiled regally before he walked to the side.
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He got several glares from the young boy that had attempted to antagonise Lone, but the prince ignored him and simply kept to himself as he watched the tests continue.
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As it would so happen, just like with Breena and Eolande, Swind and Rachel were in the same batch of ten.
As the Lemurian was strapping Rachel to his back with her chair, Lone patted the young man's shoulder and said, "Just like what I said to Breena, if they refuse you or Rachel, ignore them and stay up on the stage. I'll take care of everything."
Nodding lightly, Swind replied, "I know. I trust you Mr Immortus, so if I am not worthy enough to pass the test or if they find some sort of fault with Rachel, I shall be relying on you."
"Good," Lone said then crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Swind approach the stage.
"Oi, oi, is that girl brain-dead? Why's she getting tested?"
"Right? Seems like a waste of time. She's a demi too..."
"She does have a lot of tails, but yeah, in that condition, what does it matter if she's got great potential as a mage?"
"I'd be so embarrassed to have to carry around a drooling idiot like that."
Swind had to try his very best to not unleash his Ascending Aura and scream at everyone. It was a peculiar feeling to resist, for sure, and it wasn't one that he enjoyed one bit.
Swind was usually an extremely calm, logical, and level-headed young man, but when it came to Rachel, his heart beat like a drum in his chest and his emotions greatly fought against his ability to reason.
It took every ounce of Swind's willpower to not lash out and quietly ascend onto the stage. Wasting no time, he approached the teacher that had called his number out, and seeing his hurry, the teacher quickly tested him with a friendly smile on her face.
Overall Magic Potential 101/1,000 Magic Affinities Utility: 73% Earth: 9% Healing: 2% Total MP 2,000
Swind's stats were slightly above average, but he was far below the standards of The Academy. While he had the potential to become a tri-mage, the sheer amount of resources it would require with his overall potential, as well as his very low-affinity percentages, would almost certainly make it a wasted endeavour.
Of course, he had a great percentage affinity for utility magic, but that was widely viewed as the most useless magic outside of daily life, and, in fact, only the school's janitors and cooks taught classes in utility magic during their free time.
With a sad shake of her head, the teacher failed him and asked him to leave the stage.
He bowed his head to her as a show of respect before he ignored her instruction and headed over to the old woman in charge since she had called Rachel's number.
"Please test her," Swind requested with a polite tone as he took off Rachel's chair from his back with extreme care then held the girl's small body in his arms.
"Regardless of if she passes, in her current condition, it will be impossible for her to be admitted into The Academy. You do understand this, yes?" the elderly woman asked.
Swind nodded. "Regardless of if she passes or fails, she shall be staying with me anyway while I study here with my companions. Is it against the rules to bring people with you, crippled or otherwise?"
The old lady frowned, but she shook her head. "No. It's allowed. Many of our students come from prestigious families, royalty included, so every student may bring a single person to help them with their day-to-day lives. You have been failed, but your friends may bring you both into The Academy as their guests. With your talents in utility magic, I'm sure we can find a use for you."
Swind was offended by the woman's words, but he held his tongue. "Thank you. Please test her."
This time, the teacher in charge of the whole event did as Swind requested and used the testing item on Rachel.
Overall Magic Potential 765/1,000 Magic Affinities Fire: 100% Temperature: 100% Lava: 100% Total MP 320,500
"Incredible...," Swind muttered. 'I knew her special racial trait made her immune to all fire magic and also allowed her to learn all fire magic used on her but to have 100% affinity in all three of the fire magic schools... Rachel truly is an incredible talent...'
"A shame. With talents like hers, she very well may have become the next Advent of Flames. Truly, a pity. She fails due to her condition. Please leave the stage," the old woman said emotionlessly as a small hint of condescension could be seen in her eyes.
Swind ignored her and put Rachel back in her chair then strapped it to himself. He walked to the side of the stage and stood next to Breena, Soph, and Eolande.
All of the teachers frowned and several voices were raised in protest in response to Swind's clear intentions to completely disregard the fact that he could only enter The Academy as a guest with his lacking talents.
Lone was moments away from using his Ascending Aura to get everyone to shut up and simply continued on with the tests, but something unexpected happened.
"I grant both Swind of the Lemurian Clan and Rachel Redtail of the Crimson Foxkin Clan permission to join The Academy."
A soft voice filled everyone's ears, but somehow, it was as clear as crystal. Everyone, regardless of their anger or yelling voices, heard the man's declaration then wore confused or surprised looks on their faces.
The old woman who had just tested Rachel frowned deeply, creating several wrinkles on her aged profile. Raising her voice and using some simple enchantment magic to boost its volume, she said, "Headmaster Erion has made his decision. The two failed hopefuls shall be granted a special exception and will be admitted into The Academy as students."
"They got accepted? Just like that? That's not fair!"
"Yeah, if they got accepted, then so should I! My potential was higher than his!"
"This is bullshit! The Academy is corrupt!"
Several other voices of upset rang throughout the crowd until the gathered people slowly devolved into a heated mob of enraged people.
"Those who do not like or agree with my decision on this matter, you have one chance to silence your worries, or you risk being banned from attempting The Academy's admission tests ever again."
That single follow-up sentence from Headmaster Erion's voice chilled the crowd to the bone.
While it was highly unlikely for a person's potential to grow, it wasn't impossible, so who would, in their right mind, continue to whine and scream when they all knew that nothing would ever change since the headmaster seemed so set on this odd choice of his?
With the commotion now resolved, the testing continued.
Both Lone and his group got a lot more dirty and jealous looks after this, but none of them cared. Soph was a bit shy and didn't like all of the attention, but she just chose to cuddle Breena's tails, making the masked girl blush as she tried her best to not instinctively escape.
In the last few hundred tests, two more people had been accepted.
One of them was an old man who was a C-ranker, but he had clearly spent a very long time practising his magic over the past several decades. He was a prime example of someone who had slowly increased his own magical potential.
The other person to be accepted was a young woman in her mid-twenties. She was a D-ranker and seemed to have a talent in ash magic - one of the three branches of the air magic school. She was also a demihuman. Large bunny ears sat atop her head and a small fuzzy tail was poking out above her skirt and just below her lower back.
Soph seemed interested in her ears, but she wasn't rude enough to attack a random person just to experience their fluffiness. Well, not anymore. She'd learnt her lesson after Lone scolded her for traumatising Rachel.
Finally, it was the turn of the last hopeful to be tested, meaning, it was Lone's turn to be tested.