When it came time to be tested, I was the one who stepped up to be the opening act after we all infused mana into the crystal, a rather uneventful task. While it might’ve seemed like I did so to be considerate of Penelope’s shaky nerves, it had more to do with mine. If I were to compare myself to Rosaline and Penelope, my spellcasting ability would be laughable.
Penelope was a third-circle mage capable of unleashing devastating magic, pair that with her gift that allowed her to transfer those spells onto someone else, and you got yourself one hell of a mage. On the other hand, Rosaline, who had her powers sealed away, was still a sixth-circle mage capable of casting magic that I couldn’t even begin to imagine. Considering she was only seventeen, Alice had one hell of a task waiting for her if she wanted to be the youngest ninth-circle mage, even if Rose wasn’t exactly an elf or a human.
“Ready?” Professor Tessa asked with her arms crossed and eyes glued onto me. I’ll admit it was a bit intimidating, but I still nodded without hesitation. “Then you may begin.”
The training ground was vacated, giving me lots of space to work with and a training dummy in case I needed a target for my spell. After all, the Academy wasn’t a place that trained soldiers who needed to know how to fight but a place of learning, where one unraveled the mysteries of magic.
“Darkness,” I cast, drawing violet-glowing arcane runes midair before conjuring up a dome of shadows that enveloped me and the dummy, preventing light from traveling through.
It was only possible thanks to the short starting distance between us, allowing me to run up and stab with the elven sword given to me by Elwyn, causing a fissure along the middle. Had I used mana from my frozen core to augment my strength and paired it with the blade crafted with quality in mind, splitting the dummy in half would’ve been easy.
Dispelling the darkness and leaving the sword embedded in its chest, I turned to Professor Tessa Berandel, who at first appeared mildly impressed as I watched her clap. However, her enthusiasm was dwarfed by Penelope’s excitement to see me use magic again.
“Well done, Alexander,” Professor praised me, but then her eyes looked to the side as she began humming. “Let’s see. . .” Her gaze shifted back. “Darkness is a spell that can be centered on a point within a relatively large range, almost as far as thirty meters, but you used it centered on yourself. Why?”
“Because I only recently learned the spell and have been struggling with manifesting the dome elsewhere,” I admitted, awkwardly rubbing my nape while meekly smiling at the Professor. “I should’ve guessed nothing would get past you, Professor, but sadly it’s the only second circle spell I know right now.”
“Still impressive.” She chuckled with her mouth closed, looking at me with the same gaze I had whenever Elena did something good. “If you’re planning on improving, you should work on maximizing the range at which you can cast, and if you increase the amount of mana used along with better mastery over the spell, you should be able to double its size.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised to learn I could alter the radius, but I immediately understood why Elwyn hadn’t told me. There wasn’t enough time to practice, and I would’ve obsessed over increasing the size rather than range, a fatal mistake for someone who had just reached the second circle. He knew I’d learn more about it at the Academy, so his teachings were mainly focused on the fundamentals I lacked. “Thank you for your guidance.”
“You’re welcome.” Her soft smile made me flustered as she carried herself similarly to a caring parent who had just acknowledged me. “Now. Pull out your sword, and let’s have Penelope go next.”
“Me?” Penelope pointed at herself, caught off guard as she likely wished to go last. However, she quickly brushed off her anxiety, stepping up with her all-too-familiar cold stare aimed at the dummy. “Yes, Professor.”
Noticing Penelope’s deep concentration, Professor Tessa refrained from saying anything and simply waited for me to pull out my sword and step to the side.
“Begin.”
Mana gathered around her in a tide as Penelope raised her hands in the air, two teal transmutation circles coming into existence, summoning forth a pair of two-meter-long icicles.
“Twin Ice Spears!”
When her chant finished, the ice propelled through the air at immense speed, obliterating the dummy on contact and raising a large dust cloud. Immediately I knew that my Shield spell stood no chance against such firepower, leaving me awed.
Professor Tessa let out a prolonged whistle of admiration, taking the initiative to be the one approaching.
“That was quite destructive,” Professor Tessa praised, clapping trice before waving her hand, dispersing the dust without chanting or even weaving runic signs. “To cast a third circle spell effortlessly like that, without using a focus or metamagic, could it be–. . . Hmm. Penelope.”
“Yes, Professor?” She turned, diligently listening to everything Professor Tessa had to say, though she had a confused look on her face as Professor Tessa rambled to herself.
“Before I make outrageous claims, would you mind seeing me once the entrance exam ends? There’s something I want to confirm with Professor Dark.”
“O– Of course. . .” Caught off guard, Penelope agreed without asking questions.
“Cool.” Professor Tessa chuckled joyously, surprising me with a word I never expected someone of her status to use with a student. Her easygoing nature reminded me a bit of Elwyn, making me wonder if all combat-crazed mages were like that. “Oh. You passed. Obviously.”
“Thank you, Professor.” Penelope bowed before switching places with Rose.
“Since the dummy got destroyed, need me to conjure something up?” Professor Tessa asked, but Rose simply shook her head. “Okay then. Whenever you’re ready.”
“Minor Illusion.” Rosaline whispered so quietly that the only reason we heard her chant was our curiosity which had us paying close attention to what a seventeen-year-old half-succubus, half-fae could do.
But to our surprise, she cast a simple spell that was easy enough to understand, extending her hand and manipulating the mana floating around, conjuring up a mirage shaped like a small boulder. It looked so real, good enough to fool me on a regular day, but there was just one problem, Mana Sense wasn’t acknowledging its existence, and when I closed my eyes, it was as if there was nothing there, raising the question if I could discern visual illusions.
“Was that enough?” Rose turned to Professor Tessa.
“Keeping your strength a secret?” Professor Tessa grinned, slightly shifting one of her crossed arms upward, tapping her nose with the index finger. “Well. The test was to cast any spell, so I see nothing wrong with that.”
“Thank you, Professor.” Rose bowed respectfully, mimicking Penelope. “It’s the only spell I felt comfortable casting right now.”
Her reasoning raised even more questions, making me wonder if she needed a focus or were her spells taboo, similar to my Draining Touch. Whatever it was, I didn’t have enough time to ask as one of our knights came out to the training ground seconds later to inform us that Father wanted to see us once we concluded the test. Professor Tessa dismissed us at once, avoiding making the Duke wait unnecessarily.
When we were summoned, I never expected to be eventually looking out the window, watching the horses thotting next to our carriage while awkwardly avoiding eye contact with Professor Tessa Berandel as we rode together to Raveryn, Eleron’s Capital.
While I wasn’t thrilled leaving home so soon after just returning, we couldn’t ignore the Royal Family’s invitation to attend the Grand Auction, a yearly event with various items a young upcoming mage might want. Not to mention there was a party held in honor of those enrolling in the Academy, the same one we were supposed to attend last year together. Well, at least I had Penelope and Rose to suffer alongside as the four of us shared a carriage.
Seeing as we were traveling together with the infamous strongest combat archmage on the continent, possibly the world, my mind was at ease concerning safety.
“Professor Berandel, may I ask you a question?” I asked, daring to look at her while she sat parallel to me with her legs crossed.
“Sure, but call me Tess or Tessa, whichever you prefer.” Her demand made my stomach turn as I had immediate flashbacks to Elwyn.
“Am. . . I’ll keep that in mind, Professor. Thank you.” My question completely slipped my mind as I was too preoccupied with figuring out if all high-ranking mages struggled with formality.
“So. . .” Tessa gazed into my eyes, resting her left hand on her exposed knee. “What was it you wanted to ask?”
“Ah. Right.” I cleared my throat. “The entrance exam. Does the ranking determine with whom you’ll attend class?”
I would’ve been disheartened to learn that I wouldn’t be attending the same class as Penelope and Alice.
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“Yes. But you shouldn’t worry about that. Just focus on doing your best,” Tessa advised to which I nodded in agreement.
My gaze shifted toward the window again as I knew she was right, but her advice was hard to follow. I could sense Penelope looking at me, hesitant to speak.
Queen Sylphena warned me against revealing my gift, limiting what I had to show at the entrance exam, which left me worried as my understanding of the Academy was that it wasn’t a simple place that would allow me to take it easy. Then there was also a need for me to find a way to learn arts, or I’d be wasting away my potential and neglecting my lower core.
There was also the scary thought that if other students were on par with Penelope, Alice, and even Rose, my chances of getting in while holding back were abysmally small.
“Hey.” Penelope nudged me gently, greeting me with a shy smile when I turned to look at her. “Don’t worry. We’ll get in.”
Her encouraging words got me to smirk, making me feel foolish for overthinking when I lacked so much information.
“You’re right.” I gazed into her sapphire eyes. “Let’s do well. Together.”
“Right.” Penelope’s charming smile swept away my worries as our ride to the Capital continued uninterrupted.
----------------------------------------
“The offer still stands, my friend.” I overheard King Edward telling my father while helping Penelope unload her stuff from the carriage in front of the Welton Family Estate in Raveryn. “There’s more than enough room at the Palace.”
“Thanks, but it’s bad enough you dragged me out of my home to come here. Now you also wish to anger my in-laws as well.” Father chuckled, shaking his head.
“Ha. . . I know at least one Kallis that’d appreciate it,” King Edward said, throwing a glance at me, knowing I was eavesdropping while pretending to be absentmindedly helping the servants.
Even King Edward knew I had a bad relationship with the Weltons. Like it wasn’t bad enough that I was born with a mana curse, I also had to be an illegitimate child made during a lustful night guided by rebellion. It was a major blow to the Welton Family's reputation, one they blamed on me.
Nobody knew who my real father was, and the Weltons even issued a hunt on his head for coaxing their daughter and defiling her before marriage. As far as the world knew, he was never caught, but knowing Grandfather, his death could have been hushed.
It was never a good idea to pry as the Welton Family was one of the four major houses that ruled over the Kingdom of Eleron, alongside the Royal Family Lionheart and us, Kallis.
“Hey. Leave that to the servants, and let’s go.” Penelope grabbed my arm, noticing me staring at the ground with a rather meek expression.
“Huh? Oh. Right,” I mumbled, knowing that no matter how much I wished to avoid him, there was no way around it.
We eventually wandered inside my mother’s family estate, and before I could even hope to hide, we were greeted by an old man slowly descending the stairs that occupied the far end of the hall. It was my grandfather, Lord Agnes Welton, the head of the Welton Family.
“Victor. You came,” he greeted us with his husky voice, wearing fine clothes befitting of a noble residing in Raveryn, and using a black wooden golden-ornamented walking stick due to his stiff left leg. Grandfather was a renowned military commander known for using summoned spirits on the battlefield. “And here I thought you’d hide in the Palace.”
While he was joking, I wished his words were true.
“Thank you for having us.” Father chuckled.
“It’s always an honor, Duke.” He shook Father’s hand before turning to my mother. “And Isabella, sweetheart. . . My heart aches every time you leave us. Must you be a grown Lady?”
“Father, you’re being so dramatic.” Mother giggled, leaning in for a hug.
“Surely not?” He furrowed his brows before glancing over his daughter’s shoulder so he could see Elena, who hid behind her sister. “Ellie, darling. You didn’t visit us last time you were here. Come give Grandfather a hug.”
“Grandpa!” Ellie yelled, excitedly running out of cover and charging toward him, almost knocking him down as he stepped to the side and crouched with open arms.
“Oho! You’ve grown so much.” He laughed, messing with her hair. “You look just like your mother when she was your age.”
Elena’s innocent blush brought a smile to my face, one of the rare things I could enjoy after returning to a place I was supposed to call home. Honestly, I was glad Elena had a good relationship with him despite our differences. At least he’d keep her safe since she was his granddaughter, born following the union of House Kallis and Welton. However, their reunion got cut short by Mother clearing her throat.
“Father. Aren’t you going to say hi to our other children?”
“Of course, dear,” he reassured her, patting Ellie’s head before standing back up and shifting his focus to Penelope. “Did you know that when I saw you at your coming of age, all I could think about was how you were still that sweet little girl that waltzed in here all those years ago? However, now that I look at you, I can no longer deny it. You’ve grown into a fine woman, Penelope.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.” Penelope respectfully curtsied.
“Of course, you’ll do us proud at the Academy?” He raised an eyebrow and had a coy smirk. “To think that Eleron’s future is so promising.”
“We’ll certainly try our best,” Penelope said, grabbing my arm.
Although she wasn’t a Welton by birth, Grandfather viewed Penelope more like family than he ever did me, but it was probably out of respect for the Duke. While I appreciated her effort to help raise my standing within the family, it was futile and wouldn’t amount to much. In fact, all it did was inspire Grandfather to turn his cold gaze toward me.
“Alexander.” His gravelly voice and icy eyes that felt like they were staring directly at my soul made me wince. “So it’s true. You returned from the depths of hell. Such tenacity.”
“Father. . .” Mother voiced her displeasure.
“What? It was a compliment.” Grandfather looked confused.
“Shouldn’t you at least say you’re glad he returned safely?”
Mother was always fierce when someone would talk badly of me, and she even went as far as starting a fight seven years ago that made her refuse all contact with them for two years straight. Since then, Grandfather learned to control his temper and tongue to an extent when she was around. I’m sure the old fart had lots to say but couldn’t.
“Isn’t that obvious?” Grandfather asked, still refusing to say it.
“Mother, please. . .” I chuckled, awkwardly scratching under my chin. “I’m sure Grandfather’s just as excited to see me as I am him. Isn’t that right, Grandfather?”
“Of course. . .” It wasn’t hard to see through his fake smile.
“You’re so difficult. . .” Mother sighed while looking around. “Where’s Eugene?”
“He is taking care of business at the Merchant’s Union,” Grandfather explained. “So, how about we wait for him at the garden over some drinks?”
Eugene Wilton, Mother’s older brother, was the only living person who despised me more than Grandfather. Well, there was my aunt too.
“Alexander. Help Rose and the twins to their rooms, and take your sisters to the tailor. I’m sure they’d like some new clothes for the auction,” Father said.
Though he sounded commanding, it was merely an excuse that allowed me to leave as soon as possible. Grandfather knew but didn’t say anything as he likely hoped to see as little of me as possible.
“Is Brother going to buy me a dress?” Ellie’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Only if you help me by watching over Shelly and Damon,” I said.
“Deal!” Elena yelled, turning to the twins who stood quietly in the back, ignored by my grandfather as they were of no interest.
“Then shall we go for some tea?” Mother asked, looking at her husband and father.
“Right this way.” Grandfather gestured before taking the lead.
Watching him walk away made me smile, knowing he’d be overjoyed if he only knew who Rose was. He was a very pragmatic man, which was why Father insisted we keep her identity a secret, making her look no different than one of Penelope’s attendants.
Though it wasn’t a heartwarming reunion, it turned out better than I had hoped. It made me believe that maybe my stay wouldn’t be as excruciating as I expected.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay at the mansion,” Rose said, looking at Penelope.
“Everything alright?” she asked, immediately plagued with worry.
Penelope, a girl who used to be inscrutable, had changed immensely ever since the ambush. It was hard to get used to, no matter how much I looked at her; however, it seemed as if her actions remained unchanged when someone she didn’t know was present, such as Professor Tessa. I wondered what to expect once we reached the Academy.
“The twins are tired from traveling for so long, and it’d be best if I watched over them in the meantime.” Rose quickly picked up on the atmosphere and seemed to understand that leaving the twins alone wasn’t the wisest idea.
“Okay. . .” Penelope agreed, but her worry remained. “Then I’ll leave them to you, and I’ll tell the servants to help in case you need anything.”
“Let me take you to the guest rooms. Then we’ll go shopping,” I said, reaching for Ellie before picking her up and placing her on my shoulders.
“Yay!” Ellie’s excitement bloomed.
“Don’t yell.” Penelope chuckled, taking the lead.
The plan was for us to visit the tailor, but I couldn’t resist dragging the girls around the city, showing them places I knew fairly well. Enriched with gorgeous views that offset the frustration of having to navigate the crowded streets, there were more than a few awe-inspiring locations I wished to introduce to them. For Penelope, that would’ve been the Grand Library of Raveryn, the second largest on the continent and a place she yearned to visit. As for our youngest, I took her to see the dragon statue built near the port, where the majority of Eleron’s fleet was garrisoned. Even though she was young, Elena already envisioned herself as someone who wanted to travel a lot.
“How does this look?” Elena asked while wearing a beautiful summer dress as we eventually made our way to the tailor shop my mother kept talking about back home.
“It’s beautiful. Should we buy it?” I asked, sitting with my back against the wall.
“You said that for all of them. . .” Elena pouted, averting her gaze.
“Men are useless when it comes to clothes. You should already know that,” Penelope teased, grabbing her hand and dragging her back to the changing room. “Come on. We have a few more to try on.”
“Of course you do. . .” I mumbled, making sure nobody heard me.
While exploring the city was fun, two hours had passed since we first arrived at the tailor’s shop, but the girls hadn’t bought a single dress yet. Had I known that would be the case, I would’ve focused on strengthening while I waited.
Letting out a sigh, I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. “Lady Irene, if you’re listening, please help them choose something within the next few minutes. . . Please?”
“Praying to the Goddess?” asked a familiar smug bastard standing by the door. “They must’ve kept you here for quite a while, huh?
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I smirked, turning toward him. “Brother.”
Chapter End.
Thank you for reading.