"So, I assume this means that I'm able to enroll in the academy?" Ravina asked.
"About that," Kevin said, "this is where things get a little complicated. What happens here is we test your affinity. If it glows brightly enough, we conduct another test measuring levels and all that. This helps determine if you can even become a mage. Just having an affinity doesn't mean you are a mage.
“The problem is, it's near impossible to tell if someone has the potential to be a mage or if they have the colorless, and therefore unmeasurable. There was a time when many thought marrying colorless children would produce heirs that could use the same ability, but it was pointless. Unfortunately, not everyone met a happy ending. This led to the loss of many colorless mages as disappointed nobles…” there was a flicker of realization in his eyes as he coughed forcibly and corrected himself. “dismissed them."
The heavy words hung in the air for a bit too long.
"So what exactly is the test for colorless mages?" Ravina inquired.
"Unfortunately," Kevin answered, "we don't really know. There are so few colorless mages in the world, and even finding one is like winning the lottery twice over."
"Winning the lottery," Ravina said with a smile. "I wonder if that would be better."
"Yes, perhaps it would be better to live a life of luxury," Kevin mused, "but you forget, most people who win the lottery spend all the money in the first month and have nothing left. It's quite tragic, really."
Ravina shrugged. "Well, I'm here now, and that's what matters. So how do we proceed?" she asked.
Kevin tilted his head at her mature words. "Well," Kevin said, "first of all, you are going to be accepted as a member of the academy. You'll learn magic and try to manipulate it. However, you are on a probationary basis. That is to say, if you can't actually use magic..." He trailed off, rotating his hands in the air as if to summon some understanding between them.
"I see," Ravina nodded. "Then I'll go home a failure."
"Well, not a failure.” Kevin said with a nervous laugh. “I do wish you the best, and I could pray for you if I believed in that sort of thing," Kevin said with a shrug. He stood up, clapping his hands together and rubbing them. "This is nice, but I have work to do. Jason will take you to Irene, the young woman who helped you earlier."
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He pointed to one of his colleagues, whose name Ravina finally learned was Jason. "She will help you with the paperwork and everything, as a sort of learning/punishment thing. Next time, when someone mentions a very familiar noble name, maybe you should put two and two together sooner." They shared a laugh.
Ravina found Kevin's honesty chaotically relaxing. "Very well then," she said. She turned to Jason. "Please lead the way, good sir."
Jason nodded silently and began walking away without any emotion at all. Ravina followed him out the door and into the hallway, which seemed to follow the outer wall of the tower. It was still amazing, even though she had gotten used to the inside of the tower, to find that there were no lights. The light that allowed one to see seemed to emanate from the stone itself, yet it wasn't even a source of light. Such a magical ingenuity must have been the pinnacle of magical engineering, as the only other type of light she had even heard about was in Herstellerin from the knight in the Vorgeset Guard.
"So, do you talk?" Ravina finally asked, trying to strike up a conversation with the man as they descended a flight of stairs. One unfortunate thing about this tower was there was no teleportation circle to take you from one floor to the next; instead, there were stairs. Many, many, many stairs. Walking down the many stairs, Ravina wanted to at least talk to the man, but her silent guide remained so, and soon enough, Ravina amused herself by counting how many flights of the many stairs they had descended.
It was either a good or a bad thing that each step was uniquely enchanted to fluctuate the individual's stride, allowing them to walk without getting fatigued. Every step they took felt like the first step, every ten steps took only a second, and every hundred, another second. It was an interesting experience to climb 20 flights of stairs, look outside, and realize only a few seconds had passed. Magical and scary, especially when led by a silent man who spoke no words, making you wonder if he truly existed. Worst yet, without a companion to talk to, it was just, so, boring.
Eventually, the man safely led her to Irene. Irene's green streak of hair flowed as she whipped her head back and forth, constantly bowing and apologizing to Ravina. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I should have known better," she began, but this wasn't the first time she had apologized, and Ravina was still uncomfortable with her enthusiastic apologies.
Waving a hand in front of her, Ravina said, "It's okay, it's okay. Please." She looked to thank Jason, but he was already walking through the door, leaving Ravina alone in a small office with Irene.
"Well then," Ravina said, "shall we start with the application?" she suggested with an awkward smile.
Irene nodded. "Yes, and may I say congratulations on becoming a member of the tower. I know it's not that difficult, considering things, but it is still an achievement. This is the start of your journey, and I'm very happy to be the one to walk you through this."
"”Yes, I was already told," Ravina began, but Irene simply laughed it off as she pulled out a folder with several documents. Ravina spent several hours filling out forms and paperwork, while Irene explained what was in store for her future. It seemed bright, as bright as the tower.