Hanz and I entered the carriage. After a few days of rest, our soreness had disappeared, and we could finally move normally.

“I’m a little nervous, Fal,” Hanz said as he sat down. “Do you think there will be any pretty girls?” His princely features looked radiant in the sunlight that seeped through the carriage window, and he slicked back his golden blond hair.

I felt weird answering the question due to my mental age. I had never really found any women attractive, at least not in this world. Even if they were around my mental age, I just didn't find them appealing, even if they were truly out of this world beautiful.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone who suits your needs.” As I spoke, the horses pulling the carriage began to move.

He sat back and relaxed in his seat, and Raiden did the same, resting soundly in his lap. “Well, whatever, I guess you're right.”

Soon we arrived at the front gates, along with about one hundred other carriages. Students trickled in, some already wearing a uniform signifying they were already a student, and some wearing regular attire, trying to become a student. Hanz and I were the latter. We were here for the entrance exams.

We got out of the carriage and made our way through. The academy looked more like a university. Many windows lined its castle-like architecture. The main building was at least four stories high, and there was an array of other buildings way out in the distance. The plant life was also very well taken care of. I could see fields of lush green grass and trees looking as if they were at their peak of life.

“This place looks amazing,” Hanz said, and his eyes tracked the many girls that walked past him.

He made Raiden go incorporeal and reside inside his many core.

Rye was doing the same. He hadn't spoken all day, and I assumed he was asleep, so I just let him rest. I'd catch him up on today's events later.

He and I seemed to be amazed by two different things.

“Look,” I said, pointing at a giant sign that read, ‘Entrance exams will be held in Facility C.’

“Where the hell is that?” He said, looking around. “There are way too many buildings here. How the hell are we supposed to find this specific one?”

I lowered my finger a little and pointed beside the sign. “With that.”

It was a giant map of the school. There were also other attendees around it looking for Facility C.

“Oh,” he said.

Following the map, the walk to Facility C took us at least fifteen minutes. I had no idea why they decided to hold it on the other side of the school.

When we walked in, we saw a large number of people sitting in seats that were raised up like in a lecture theatre. The seats faced toward a stage that was covered by many curtains. Hanz and I found a seat and waited for the announcement to start.

When the stage curtain opened, a face I hadn't seen in a while greeted me, putting a smile on my face. She leaned into the microphone and spoke to the entire crowd, “Hello, newcomers. I’m glad to see we have so many new people wanting to join us at Vintess Academy.”

I heard chatter from the students.

“I’ve heard of her, she’s the new president,” a male voice whispered.

“She’s so pretty. I wonder if she's in any other extracurriculars,” a female voice said.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“I hear she's the strongest female fifth year. That's why she's the president,” another said.

The crowd chattered on, all indulging in their own questions and thoughts.

Hanz tapped my shoulder and whispered, “You know, she looks like you. Well, if you were a pretty girl, this is what you would look like.”

“Please stop talking about me being a pretty girl,” I said.

He chuckled, “I’m serious though.”

“Hanz, that is my sister. Of course, we would look similar,” I whispered back.

His eyes widened, “Say you swear. Since when do you have a sister? And she is the student council president of this academy, no less.” His eyes then narrowed, “Wait, is she stronger than you? Than us?”

“Well, she is a fifth year, so maybe.”

At the information, he slouched down in his chair, “I was already trying to prepare to surpass the upperclassmen, but now I have to deal with an older version of you. How annoying.”

My sister waited for the chatting to die down before she spoke once more. “Now, I know you all are probably dying to hear what the exam will be, correct?”

The crowd responded and agreed.

“At our entrance exams, we hold four tests. The first is a written test, the second is a fitness test, depending on your class of mage, the third is a mana potency test, and in the final test, you’ll use all your knowledge in one.”

Myla pulled out a stack of papers and blew them all with a surge of wind. A paper landed in the hands of each student.

“This is your written test. If you look at the armrest of your seat, we have supplied you with pens. You’ll have a twenty-minute time limit. Once you’ve finished, raise your hand, and someone will escort you to the next test. I, Myla Elway, wish you all the best of luck, and I hope I can see some of you around the academy.”

The curtain closed, leaving behind only a few instructors.

Looking at the paper, the test wasn’t as hard as I was expecting. It consisted of questions on basic magic theory, and it didn’t take long for the majority of the room to raise their hands.

The next test was held outside. We were surrounded by buildings, and in the middle were two different locations. There were multiple padded areas, like areas you would see in a dojo, and then there was a track-like obstacle course.

A woman stood up. Her hair was bright red, and she had on a Vintess school uniform, “Hello, everyone, and welcome to the second test. From now on, I will be telling you the rules and basic ideas for the next three tests. My name is Sara Heathar, and I am the student council secretary.” She walked to stand in front of all the students. “We will be separating you by class. Casters go to the obstacle course, and martial mages go to the padded area.

Hanz and I made our way to the padded area along with all the other martial mages and waited for instructions.

“On both sides, the concept will be the same. This test will be one-on-one competitions. For casters, it will be a one-on-one obstacle race, and for martial mages, it will be a one-on-one sparring match. Magic is not allowed in these tests, and if you are caught using it, you will be disqualified immediately. Pick a partner of your choosing and step onto the plate. An instructor will log your names and if you win or lose. Remember students, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. Even if you lose, it is still possible for you to enter the academy, so don’t take it to heart.”

The test seemed to be teasing the caster's stamina and testing the martial mages' martial arts and fighting skills.

“You may now start.”

At her words, a boy stepped on the plate. By his physique, it wasn't hard to tell he was well-trained. “I don’t feel like finding a partner,” he said. “Whoever’s ready, step up, and let's begin.”

Hanz instantly jumped at the opportunity and made his way to the fighting area. He got into a fighting position and announced his name.

“My name is Hanz Stellar, a pleasure.”

Gasps sounded through the crowd at Hanz’s name.

“That’s the youngest prince.”

“Why is the prince here? Shouldn’t he automatically get in?”

“I don’t know, but he’s up against a member of the Rosslyn family, so this will be interesting.”

The crowd chattered on, and eventually, the other boy announced his name. “It’s an honor to meet you, Prince Hanz. My name is Loy Rosslyn. I hope this spar will carry no hard feelings.”

“Don’t worry,” Hanz said, “let's just begin.”

When the instructor gave the signal, they began.

Hanz's fighting style remained unchanged over the summer as he fought like an untamed animal, unleashing a flurry of kicks and punches with the speed of a rabid beast. Despite Loy's impressive dodging skills, he couldn't keep up for long and went for a desperate strike, leaving an opening for Hanz to send an elbow to his jaw and knock him to the ground. The bout ended quickly, with Hanz as the victor, and the crowd was now fired up for more fights.

I didn't feel like searching for a partner similar to Loy, so I stepped up and announced my name. "My name is Falyn Elway." To my surprise, an elven girl, who looked fit and in shape, stepped up to challenge me. Based on her slender physique, I guessed that her main asset was likely her speed.

She bowed and introduced herself. "My name is Tasha Nar." She lifted her face and looked at me. "Your last name is the same as the president's. Are you two related?"

I shook my head and sighed, "Yes.”

A smile lit up her face. "Great," she said as she got into a fighting stance.