I shifted uneasily, my arms hanging stiffly at my sides. The headmaster stood near the window, gazing at the scene of destruction I’d left behind. Charred trees stretched for miles, and the mountain in the distance now had a gaping hole that pierced clean through. His shoulders stiffened as he turned back, stepping away from the window. Mr. Poley stood beside me, his expression unreadable.
The headmaster silently took his seat, opened a drawer, and withdrew a folder. He pulled out a document, laid it on the desk, and began skimming its contents. The air in the room felt thick, and I resisted the urge to fidget. My thoughts drifted to the library—how I should be there right now, searching for that book instead of waiting to be reprimanded.
“He’s F-rank, Mr. Poley,” the headmaster finally said, his tone flat. “The test results leave no room for doubt. His mana pool is minimal, and he lacks any elemental affinity.”
Mr. Poley gestured toward the window with a sharp motion. “Then how do you explain that? An F-rank couldn’t produce something of that scale. That level of destruction is beyond even S-rank capabilities!”
The headmaster didn’t even glance at the window. “The test doesn’t lie. We’ll prepare another test for him. See if we made a mistake.”
“Yes, we should.” He said. “Mr. Millo deserves to be in at least B.”
The headmaster looked at me. “Axel---you told us you’ve never practised magic before. But this,” He pointed out the window. “This proves that all the things you’ve said are lies.”
“No, sir.” I replied, shaking my head. “No lies. I swear this was my first time casting a spell.”
The door slammed open, and a student stumbled in, pale and out of breath. “S-sir!” he stammered, his voice shaking. “The Queen… she’s here. She wants to speak with you… about the forest.”
Before anyone could respond, a guard appeared, firmly but gently pulling the student aside. The door opened fully, and there she was—the Queen, radiating authority.
Mr. Poley immediately dropped to one knee, tilting his head in a formal bow. Following his lead, I quickly did the same, though my movements were stiff and unfamiliar. The headmaster, however, remained seated, his eyes locking onto the Queen’s with a serious expression.
A second guard stepped forward, dragging a chair to the desk and dusting it off before gesturing for the Queen to sit. She adjusted her royal attire with fluid grace and lowered herself into the chair, crossing her legs.
“My dear brother,” she began, her voice cool and composed, though there was an edge beneath the surface. “Would you care to explain what happened to the forest?”
Mr. Poley immediately spoke up, his tone steady but deferential. “It was my fault, Your Highness. I overdid a demonstration spell while teaching. I take full responsibility.”
The Queen’s gaze hardened, her displeasure evident. “Reckless behaviour. I’m disappointed that a teacher at this institution would act so irresponsibly.”
Her words stung, but I couldn’t let him take the blame for something I’d done. Gritting my teeth, I spoke up, keeping my head low. “It wasn’t him. It was me, Your Highness. I… couldn’t control my mana. I apologise for the damage.”
The Queen’s focus shifted to me, her sharp heels clicking against the floor as she rose and approached. I caught sight of her shoes and the shadow cast over me. My heart pounded, but I stayed still, refusing to let Mr. Poley shoulder my mistake. I hated owing anyone.
The Queen studied me silently, her expression neutral. After a moment, she sighed, her irritation giving way to a measured calm. She turned away, nodding slightly as if coming to a decision.
The headmaster stood abruptly, stepping between us. He crossed his arms, his presence suddenly imposing. “You won’t harm any of my students, sister.”
She raised a brow, her tone laced with sarcasm. “Harm him? I’ve already thrown him into my dungeon once before after she found my dagger.”
“What?” The headmaster’s eyes widened, his voice rising. “You imprisoned him for what? Finding your lost dagger?”
The Queen’s lips twitched into a faint smirk. “Indeed. He retrieved it for me. A dungeon seems an appropriate... reward, don’t you think?”
“You’re impossible,” the headmaster growled, his frustration barely contained.
The Queen waved him off dismissively and turned back to me. “Which class are you in, boy? A-rank?”
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I hesitated, then answered quietly, “F, ma’am. I’m in the F class.”
Her gaze narrowed, and she tilted her head, as if sizing me up. “No one in F could produce magic like that. Do you think I’m a fool?”
The headmaster stepped in again, his voice firm. “He is F-rank. I’ve got his test results here—low mana reserves, no affinities. It’s all in his file.”
The Queen looked between the two of us, her expression unreadable. The tension in the room felt almost unbearable as the weight of her scrutiny bore down on me.
As a translucent box flickered in my vision, my gaze was drawn to the faint exclamation mark near the bottom of my peripheral sight. It took a moment for me to process, but then, a series of notifications began to flood the screen in rapid succession.
You have killed a deer!
You have killed a rabbit!
You have killed a bear!
The list continued, detailing every creature affected by the destruction. The notifications kept appearing for nearly twenty seconds before disappearing, only for another box to take their place.
===================
| You have reached Level 3!
===================
| New Skill: Void Portal
===================
| HP, STA & MP Restored
===================
| Available Ability Points: 3
===================
The Queen paced back and forth, her cold gaze cutting through the silence in the room. The guards stood by, watching closely. I kept my head low, feeling the weight of her anger. The forest lay in ruins, and the mountain had a gaping hole that couldn’t be ignored… things were getting serious, I could feel it.
“Take this teacher,” she ordered, her tone sharp and decisive. “He needs to be taught a lesson. Cut his tongue.”
“No!” the headmaster exclaimed, stepping forward. “You will not harm my students or my staff!”
Her expression hardened. “You dare to challenge me, little brother? I’ll silence you if I must.”
The headmaster held his ground. “This is my school. You have no right to interfere.”
Her eyes narrowed, the tension in the room thickening. “You’ve grown bold. Perhaps too bold.”
Another notification appeared, drawing my attention.
+-------------------------------+
| Ability Points |
| Available: 3 |
+-------------------------------+
| [+]Strength: (0)
| [+]Agility: (2)
| [+]Intelligence: (0)
| [+]Constitution: (1)
+-------------------------------+
|Confirm Allocation
|[Confirm] [Reset]
+-------------------------------+
Desperation clawed at me as I quickly allocated one point to intelligence, hoping to fix my negative mana. But my stats remained unchanged. Panicking, I dumped all three points into strength, praying it would help somehow.
+-------------------------------+
| Ability Points |
| Available: 0 |
+-------------------------------+
| [+]Strength: (3)
| [+]Agility: (2)
| [+]Intelligence: (0)
| [+]Constitution: (1)
+-------------------------------+
|Confirm Allocation
|[Confirm] [Reset]
+-------------------------------+
The moment I confirmed the changes, another translucent box popped up, showing my updated stats. The pain in my leg and shoulder faded, leaving me feeling strangely invigorated.
Level 3: Axel
HP: [███████████] 110/110
Mana: [░░░░░░░░░] -1/100
Stamina: [████████████] 120/120
Options: [Inv | Skills | Quests]
The guards grabbed Mr. Poley by the arms, dragging him toward the door. My heart raced as I stood, unable to let him take the blame for my actions.
“Please, your highness,” I pleaded. “It was my fault. Let him go. I beg you.”
One of the guards struck me across the head. “Hold your tongue, boy, before you make things worse for yourself!”
Mr. Poley winced as he was roughly handled but turned toward me. “Don’t, Mr. Millo. Don’t make this harder on yourself.”
The headmaster sighed, his tone softening. “Mirelda, enough.”
The Queen hesitated, turning her gaze toward him. After a tense pause, she motioned for the guards to release Mr. Poley. They let him go with a shove, and he clutched his arm, glaring at the Queen.
“Come with me,” she commanded, pointing at me. “We’ll talk.”
“Sister…” The headmaster cut in. “Do. Not.”
“Calm down, dear brother.” She said with a smile. “I’m just going to talk with him. Nothing will happen.”
“You---”
“Now sit down before you make me angry, brother.” She continued with a smile. “Come on, Axel. Follow me.”