“Hey, you!” the instructor standing next to the crystal called out to Arnos. He was a tall man in plain black clothes, His sharp eyes gave him a rather commanding presence.

Arnos took note of the instructor’s plain attire and quickly concluded that there wasn’t a strict uniform code for them unless, of course, they suddenly decided to implement one tomorrow.

“Yes, sir!” Arnos said, stepping forward.

Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the crystal. It felt oddly sticky against his palm, and he closed his eyes, letting his mana flow naturally. He felt the crystal pulling it in, an unfamiliar sensation that made his heart race.

“That’s… unusual,” the instructor murmured, narrowing his eyes.

“Isn’t he that commoner kid?” A boy with semi-long black hair and brown eyes whispered, staring at him with a skeptical expression.

Another girl, dressed in an elaborate purple gown with long black hair, added, “The one who bumped into the princess earlier? Maybe he’s cheating.”

As Arnos opened his eyes, he noticed the crystal glowing bright orange A rank. He stepped back, almost in disbelief.

“Wait… that's not possible?” he murmured. “Is the crystal broken?”

"The crystal can’t be broken, it's not possible. The headmaster inspected it just today.” The instructor, looking at him with a serious expression, asked, “What’s your name, boy?”

“Arnos, sir,” he replied, keeping his voice steady.

The instructor nodded, jotting something down before speaking quietly to a female teacher recording the results. Meanwhile, Marcus approached Arnos, placing a hand on his shoulder with a wide grin.

“That was incredible,” Marcus said as he reached Arnos.

Seems like he is going to be an anomaly. Things are getting interesting, Marcus thought in his mind.

Arnos gave a slight, uncertain smile. “Thanks, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting it. I thought I’d be more like a C or D rank at most.”

Marcus nudged him playfully. “Hey, what you expected doesn’t change the fact you’ve got A rank in mana level. Just be proud of it!”

A spark of curiosity lit up Marcus’s eyes. “By the way, did you train in magic as a kid?”

Arnos shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I focused on my special ability, but I never practiced magic.”

Marcus’s eyes widened in surprise, and he let out an exaggerated sigh. “Wait a second… you have a special ability?”

Hearing this, several nearby students began murmuring among themselves.

“He’s definitely lying,” said the boy with black hair. “Or maybe he’s some noble’s secret love child.”

“Yeah, right,” another voice replied jokingly.

Realizing he’d raised his voice, Marcus shot a stern look toward the murmuring students, silencing them. He then looked back turning to Arnos.

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Arnos gave a sheepish chuckle. “Maybe we should find somewhere quieter and wait for Mabel to finish. You’re welcome to join me.”

Marcus nodded, and the two walked to a secluded seating area in the training grounds. After finding an empty row, they settled down.

Arnos took a deep breath, still processing everything. “You know, I thought my ability was normal. I got it when I was ten, and I read that special abilities usually appear between ages ten and eighteen, so I didn’t think much of it.”

Marcus shook his head, giving Arnos a serious look. “Special abilities are actually incredibly rare.”

Arnos nodded slowly. “Yeah, I know.”

“Do you?” Marcus smirked, crossing his arms. “Then you must know just how rare.”

Arnos glanced away, looking sheepish. “I read the odds were, what, 3%?”

Marcus nodded. “Exactly. An A-rank mana level is rare, and having a special ability is rare. Having both? That’s almost unheard of.” He sighed, a bit exasperated. “I’m terrible at explaining, aren’t I?”

Arnos chuckled. “If we’re going by textbook standards, yeah, you are.”

Marcus sighed again but then laughed. “You’re not even trying to hide it, huh?”

They shared a laugh, but their conversation was interrupted as the girl in the purple dress approached.

“Well, if it isn’t Marcus,” she said with a smile. “I saw your test from afar, and I was genuinely impressed. I’m here to congratulate you.” Her expression grew serious as her eyes fell on Arnos.

“Thanks Seraphina,” Marcus said, scratching the back of his head reflexively.

Arnos realized she was the same girl who had mocked him earlier in the crowd with Emily.

“And you’re Arnos, the commoner boy who surprised everyone, aren’t you?” she asked, her smile not faltering.

“Yes, I suppose I am it was just luck Miss,” Arnos replied, avoiding her gaze, feeling slightly uncomfortable in her presence.

“Aren’t you remarkable,” she said with a light chuckle. “You’d make an excellent servant.”

Arnos thought, Here comes the mocking part. He sighed inwardly before replying with a forced smile, “I’d rather avoid that, Miss. I aim to live as a true mage or more specifically, an adventurer.”

Seraphina’s eyes widened, her expression a mix of disbelief. She thought to herself, How could he say that to me? He should feel flattered by my proposal.

“What are you saying? Won’t you be wasting your talent that way, Arnos?”

Marcus, maintaining a casual tone, interjected, “Oh no, I don’t think he’ll be wasting anything. An A ranker like him serving an incompetent master would be a real shame, wouldn’t it?” He smiled, directing the comment at Seraphina.

Seraphina glared at him, her anger visible. “And who exactly are you calling an incompetent master, Marcus?”

Marcus shrugged with a smirk. “I didn’t name anyone, Seraphina. I just think the adventurer’s path suits Arnos better.”

Before Seraphina could respond, a familiar voice called out to them.

“What were you guys thinking, coming all the way out here?” Mabel said, panting. “You know I can’t run for long.”

Catching her breath, she looked at Arnos and smiled. “B rank phew, pretty good, isn’t it? What’s yours?”

Arnos, with a smug look, replied, “I think you could say I outrank you.”

Mabel raised her eyebrows in shock. “Hey, don’t tell me you got an A rank!”

Arnos nodded. “I did. Ask Marcus if you need confirmation,” he said, pointing to him.

Marcus nodded. “He’s telling the truth. I got an A rank too, surprisingly enough. But B rank is still pretty good, Mabel.”

Mabel was stunned by the news. Marcus earning a rank made sense given his lineage, but Arnos? That was completely unexpected.

"You did, huh?" she murmured, though a smile quickly spread across her face. "That’s nice. Good for you, Arnos. I’ll catch up soon enough with my training routine."

Arnos was now entirely distracted from Seraphina because of Mabel chuckled at her comment.

“Eat, train, sleep, repeat, and boom mana increase. That routine?” he replied with a grin.

Mabel gave him a neutral look. “That’s the plan, alright” she replied simply.

Her attention shifted as she noticed an unfamiliar face among their group.

She’s definitely a noble, Mabel thought, her gaze landing on the insignia the girl wore.

“And who might you be, miss?” Mabel asked politely, carefully maintaining her composure.

Seraphina smiled warmly. “Oh, I haven’t properly introduced myself, have I? I’m Seraphina Victoria, of the Victoria household. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

Mabel bowed politely. “The pleasure is mine, Miss Seraphina.” However, her mind was busy noting details. A noble? She seems to be hiding something.

Seraphina gave them a parting smile. “I think it’s time for me to take my leave. I wouldn’t want to intrude any longer. Arnos, I hope we meet again soon.”

Arnos gave a forced smile and nodded. “Yes, I hope so too.” He mentally noted that she was just as intimidating as Emily.