The Blakes had joined the other children of the village at the square. Margaret stood in front of them, a dark crystal orb in her hands glowed softly in the afternoon light.
The children lined up, and most of them seemed to not even understand what was happening as they had confused faces and looked around. In total, 13 children showed, all ranging from the ages of 12 to 9—with Ben being the only one below 10 years old.
As the assessments began, Erik watched intently. Each child stepped forward, touching the orb, their frail hands trembling with anticipation. Most received readings of zero, their faces falling with disappointment as they stepped back. When a random girl’s reading hit 30, a ripple of excitement ran through the crowd, though it quickly faded as Margaret’s expression turned to one of mild annoyance.
She seemed to whisper something under her breath, it was mostly unintelligible but Erik swore he heard “Waste of time”.
The Blakes were the last to be accessed. As Anna stepped forward to place her hand on the crystal orb, the crowd fell into silence.
Erik watched his sister intently. He knew about her potential and power, surely she would get a good score.
The orb glowed softly as her hand got closer, but as Anna’s hand made contact, the light intensified rapidly, pulsing with a vibrant energy that filled the square with a soft hum. Everyone leaned in, eyes wide with curiosity.
When the orb finally settled on a reading, the number 380 floated above it, glowing brightly in the air. There was a collective gasp from the crowd. Anna, seeing the number, threw her arms into the air with unbridled joy.
“I got the best score!” she exclaimed, her voice ringing across the square. Her grin was contagious, and even Erik couldn’t help but smile at his sister’s exuberance.
“Well done,” he clapped softly as she made her way back to them.
Margaret, who had maintained a stern and professional demeanor throughout the testing, allowed a small smile to touch her lips. She looked down at Anna with a newfound interest. “What’s your name and age, child?” she asked, her tone more gentle than before.
“Anna Blake,” Anna replied confidently. “And I’m 11 years old.”
Margaret nodded, clearly impressed. “Anna, when you turn 12, the Royal Magic Academy will be more than happy to welcome you as a student. If you continue to show this level of promise and make good improvements by then, I will personally ensure that all your student fees are covered by the institution.”
Another round of gasps echoed through the crowd. Most of them had barely heard about magic and just today they had a prestigious person of that world come personally to their village.
That person said their children had no potential while the Blake girl was full of it. Not everyone showed appreciation for that but they weren’t important to Erik either way.
What mattered was that his sister was impressive.
“Very well dear,” Alice said softly, approaching the kid and embracing her just as Margaret turned to Erik.
“Now it's your time, Duke Phillips talked a lot about you so I hope you show promise,” she said with a small smile on the corner of her lips.
‘I suppose I should let actions speak louder than words right now,’ Erik pondered, nodding at her before stepping forward.
He placed his hands above the sphere, feeling a cold sensation on his fingertips before energy started pulsating out of his body. He could feel his mana leave his mana core, travel through his veins, and finally leave his body at his fingertips.
It burned.
The orb began to emit a low, steady hum before it grew louder and steam started to rise from its surface. Erik jerked his hands back and gasped as it began to hurt.
The crowd fell into silence as the temperature around them seemed to rise. All eyes were fixed on the orb, where an orange glow grew brighter, more intense, until suddenly, with a crackling sound, numbers formed above it—written in flames.
634.
That was the number that appeared above the sphere.
Erik’s eyes widened in shock. If Anna’s number brought that kind of reaction, then he could only guess what this would mean. Almost instantly, he glanced over at Margaret, wanting to see her reaction.
The older wizard was no longer able to mask her surprise. Her eyes were now wide, looking at Erik, and her mouth half-open before she seemed to notice it and brought her hand to it, fake coughing to mask her surprised look.
Then, slowly, a smile—genuine and full of approval—spread across her face.
“Erik Blake…” she began yet took a moment of pause, perhaps to think. “Your potential surpasses most people I’ve seen. To be frank, getting a score of over 600 whilst only recently having formal training means you’re a prodigy.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“I’ve been told that a lot,” Erik answered.
The innocent answer made her laugh and smile softly.
“Is that so? Well, they are all correct then. I can bring you to the capital today so you can enroll in the academy if you so wish, I’ll pay for all your expenses.”
Erik’s gaze widened in shock. ‘She’s asking if I want to leave my family now?’ the thought made his hand tremble slightly. Going to the best place to learn magic was an exciting thought, yet leaving so abruptly made him nervous.
Before he could give any answer, however, he felt a hand press against his hand and softly ruffle his hair. Erik instinctively jerked it away, noticing later that it was the Duke with a smirk on his proud.
“I told you he was promising, Margaret,” he said in a proud tone. “However, isn’t it too early for him to go to the capital? It's too abrupt and besides, he’ll join the current first year when it's already half done, right? It is easier to make friends at the start of the school year than at the end,” the duke looked at Erik, who nodded in agreement.
Perhaps now wasn’t the best idea to move to that place.
Margaret thought for a little. “Yes, your point makes sense… Erik, the official exams start in January, are you willing to go to the capital at that time? I’m sure that someone with your talent will be able to join.”
Instead of responding verbally, he raised his fist in the air, a gesture brimming with determination.
“In seven months,” Erik declared, “you’ll hear my name echoing through the halls of the academy.”
Margaret raised an eyebrow, a playful smile curling up in the corners of her mouth. “I can’t wait to see that,” she replied, clearly amused by his confidence.
“Boooooh” Anna shouted. “Not cool, Erik!”
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“You’ll be my stepping stone when I get to the academy so don’t even start,” she said with a pout, her gaze averting him as she crossed his arms.
He could only laugh and scratch his head.
With that, she turned her attention to Ben, the youngest of the Blake siblings.
Alice, who had been on the sidelines, pulled Erik into a tight hug, her eyes glistening with tears of joy. “Well done dear, I knew you would be great” she whispered in his ear, holding him close.
Erik hugged her back softly, yet he felt like telling her to stop before his mother embarrassed him in front of these people.
Luckily, it seemed that Margaret didn’t care as she had walked up towards Ben.
She eyed him down before a smile curled on her lips.“Are you Erik’s sibling as well, young boy? What’s your name?” she asked gently.
He was the smallest kid that had come here. “ Yes, I am B-Ben… Ben Blake and I’m 9,” he said timidly due to how close she had gotten to him, making him nervous.
Margaret nodded slowly. “Nine years old…” she murmured. “You’re quite young, Ben. With siblings like yours, I’m sure everyone expects a lot from you. But don’t worry,” she added with a reassuring smile. “Just keep doing your best. Now, if you would place your hand on the magic orb so we can test your potential,” she said, pointing at the device.
Ben gulped and placed his hands on it. Despite the kind words, he still felt he had to show great promise like the rest of his family.
As Ben placed his hand on the orb, Erik leaned in closer, eager to witness the results. Ben, a prodigy who had awakened his mana core at an unusually young age, had always been exceptional. This test would show how his potential measured up compared to his sibling's.
The orb began to glow, emitting a soft blue light that deepened with every passing second. A chill spread through the air, starkly contrasting the warmth left behind from the previous test. Lines of mist swirled upward from the base of the orb, coiling into what looked like clouds. The blue light intensified, casting an almost blinding glow across Ben’s face. The orb pulsed rhythmically, resonating with the energy of his magic.
Finally, numbers appeared above the orb, not in flames but in luminous, shimmering droplets of water.
650.
Margaret’s eyes widened, her professional façade crumbling in an instant. For a nine-year-old to possess an awakened mana core was extraordinary—perhaps a one-in-a-hundred-thousand occurrence. But for one so young to manifest such raw, powerful water magic was utterly unheard of.
Her face drained of color as she took a step back, her knees falling under the weight of her astonishment. Then, without warning, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the grass with a soft thud, completely unconscious.
Phillips hurried to her side, he lifted her head slightly. “I didn’t expect her to react so strongly.”
Ben, still holding the orb, felt his breath catch in his throat, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. In his shock, he let the orb slip from his fingers, and it fell to the ground, landing squarely on the director’s foot with a dull thump.
Her eyes snapped open as she let out a sharp, pained scream that echoed through the village square. She bolted upright, clutching her foot with both hands, her face was contorted, showing the pain she felt.
The previously tense crowd fell silent, then burst into laughter as the absurdity of the situation broke the moment's gravity. Even Duke Phillips struggled to suppress a grin.
Margaret, realizing what had happened, quickly straightened her robes, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. Clearing her throat, she declared, “Ahem. Well... it seems I was simply overwhelmed for a moment.” Her tone regained its usual authoritative edge, though the slight flush in her cheeks betrayed her lingering embarrassment.
“Your talent is… remarkable,” she said after having recomposed herself. “For one so young to exhibit this level of magic is not just rare—it’s unprecedented. Duke Phillips,” she turned sharply toward him. “You must ensure this boy receives the best possible training and resources. His potential is far too great to squander. One day he could become one of our best students.”
‘Wow so he’s even better than me at magic,’ Erik mused, still in amazement with the situation. He felt some kind of pride, seeing his siblings being recognized. They were amazing.
Erik walked towards Ben and patted his head, his lips curled from ear to ear. “Not bad, but don’t think for a second you’re surpassing me. I’ll always be ahead of you.”
Ben blinked, then broke into a quiet laugh, his shyness melting around his brother. “We’ll see about that, I don’t plan to fall behind you,” he said, his voice soft but resolute.
That day, the Blake siblings had their efforts in magic recognized. After learning their worth, it was a matter of time before they would achieve greatness.