The proportion of individuals with magical talent is inherently small, and among them, only those who achieve intermediate aptitude in at least one category stand a chance. Dick had little hope but was curious to see the results.

Larson, the elder, had mentioned that practicing magic together might also benefit future training as a warrior.

Dick, being a bumpkin, had no opportunity to interject. From Borg and Alina’s conversation, it became clear that the magical aptitude test for nobles was set to conclude in half a month. Only three groups of noble children had been tested so far, with less than thirty percent admitted to the academy—around fifty students.

So, it wasn't a small number after all. Wasn’t magical talent supposed to be exceedingly rare?

Perhaps it was simply that among the noble offspring, those with magical aptitude were fewer (not every noble family could test magical aptitude on their own, and most nobles had to come to the capital for such tests).

Indeed, Borg continued, stating that commoner children who met the academy’s standards numbered up to three hundred. This figure only included commoners from the capital and its surroundings; those from further afield could not make the journey.

After waiting from noon until evening, as dusk approached, the magical instructors finally arrived with their apprentices.

The testing began.

The fifty or so noble children were led into a grand hall, where the instructor activated a dazzling magic circle. The circle illuminated as it began to operate.

A child stepped into the magic circle, and Alina explained that this phase tested mental strength; the longer one could endure, the stronger the mental power.

The child emerged in less than half a minute, and Alina shook her head, saying, “A minute is needed for mental power to reach intermediate level.”

As expected, the instructor rated the mental aptitude as ‘Low C.’

Although the child was somewhat disheartened, all was not lost. As long as their elemental affinity was intermediate, there was still a chance to remain at the academy.

A glittering orb was the next test. The child held a colored orb on the table, which gradually emitted a brownish light.

Alina shook her head again. Dick inquired about its meaning.

Alina replied, “Earth magic aptitude. Unfortunately, the light didn’t reach a foot in length; the elemental affinity is below intermediate.”

Got it, this one was eliminated.

One after another, ten or so children were tested, with only two meeting the required standard.

Borg, who was tested before Alina, had a mental strength rating of ‘Low B,’ slightly better than ‘Low C’. The worst rating was ‘Low D’, with the grades ordered from best to worst.

Borg’s elemental affinity was ‘Intermediate A’, indicating it was close to advanced.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Overall, Borg’s aptitude test results were quite impressive.

When it was Alina’s turn, her aptitude was indeed exceptional: her mental strength was ‘Intermediate A’, and her wind elemental affinity was also ‘Intermediate A’. Remarkable! This was an outstanding achievement, and even the testing mage instructors showed great favor toward Alina.

It was Dick’s turn.

Dick stepped into the magic circle, enduring a sharp pain in his head. He persevered!

Ultimately, the pain was in vain. Dick’s mental strength test only yielded a ‘Low A’ rating, falling short of the standard.

As Dick exited the magic circle, the pain vanished instantly, returning to normal. Not meeting the standard was expected, and Dick had prepared himself. He approached the center and placed his hand on the colorful magic orb.

What the—! An unexpected development occurred. The red light gradually extended beyond a foot. Good grief! It turned out that his fire elemental affinity was indeed quite good.

Wait! Not only red but also blue light, indicating water magic! It also extended beyond a foot. Dick actually had dual-elemental affinity.

Both elemental affinities were ‘Intermediate A’! Dick miraculously passed the magical aptitude test, with overall aptitude considered quite good, perhaps even better than Borg’s.

“Congratulations, Dick. You’ve become an esteemed member of the Great Yan Magic Academy.” The magic instructor rarely congratulated Borg as well, recognizing that dual-elemental aptitude was indeed rare.

“Professor, I will strive diligently and not bring shame to the Great Yan Magic Academy.” It was necessary to make a pledge, as Dick was a child with a strong sense of collective honor.

The instructor was very pleased with Dick’s declaration, even giving him a supportive pat on the shoulder. The academy, being an organized institution, naturally fostered a sense of belonging.

“Congratulations! Congratulations!” Surprisingly, Borg, who had previously looked down on Dick, expressed his congratulations. After all, Dick’s magical aptitude was quite impressive and had the potential to become a mid-level mage. Borg now understood why Alina had brought this poor relative to the capital for the test.

A family with magical potential was certainly worth recruiting.

“Congratulations! Congratulations!” Since Borg had also passed the test, Dick reciprocated politely.

“Alina, I’m impressive, right? I can now practice both magic and martial arts, hehe!” Dick rarely boasted in front of Alina, and passing the magical test was indeed a surprise.

“Your mental aptitude is so poor that magical training will be very slow,” Alina said dismissively.

“I’m a warrior. With magical training assistance, I might have a chance to advance to a high-level warrior. Hehe!” As for whether magical training could indeed aid in advancing to high-level warrior status, it was merely something Larson had mentioned. Who knew what the future held? Hope was always good.

“Hmph!” The proud Alina chose not to engage with Dick’s boasting. With her superior dual ‘Intermediate A’ ratings, she was destined to become a great mage and had no time to quarrel with a crude warrior.

Of the fifty or so children, only seven passed the test. It seemed quite a number.

The successful candidates would be assigned accommodations and meals by the academy. Not bad—the academy’s provisions were free. Dick had limited funds, needing only to pay the academy’s tuition fee of ten thousand gold coins for the first year. Besides that, Dick had only a small pouch of gold coins for living expenses from Taita.

Not much, indeed. But how much is considered adequate?

The magical gold card given by Taita, when swiped on the magical device, clearly showed that ten thousand gold coins were depleted, leaving only a small balance.

Dick wondered how his father and Uncle Taita, despite their poverty, could have so much gold.

“Dick, you actually passed the magical aptitude test?” Outside the academy, even Taita was astonished to see Dick.

“It’s alright, though the cost of learning magic is quite high,” Dick replied, noting the annual tuition fee exceeding ten thousand gold coins.

“Don’t worry about the gold coins. Rest assured, the tuition for the next two years will be sent to you soon.” Taita and Sinclair were surprised to find Dick had magical talent, having initially thought that ten thousand gold coins would be sufficient for Dick’s three-year stay at the warrior school in the capital.

“Dick, you truly have magical talent,” even Larson remarked with curiosity.

“Yes, Grandpa Larson, I have both fire and water magic aptitude.”

“Interesting!” Larson smiled.