Chapter 7
I let out a sigh of relief, glad I got bailed out before things could get any worse.
‘Man, I thought I was actually going to die…’ I shivered a little, the chills from what just happened still clinging to me.
No way the Dean was actually crazy enough to conjure a spell against me just for talking back. Goddamn, these nobles’ egos are as fragile as paper. I definitely don’t want to know what would’ve happened if Professor Lucian hadn’t stepped in when he did.
“Hey, commoner, why did you do that?”
I shifted my gaze to Kaelon, who stood right in front of me, eyebrow raised.
“Really, man? You’re still calling me that after I went out of my way to help you?”
“Tch. I could’ve handled it fine myself.”
“Yeah, because you totally weren’t getting your ass handed to you before I stepped in,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Kaelon gritted his teeth in frustration. “Whatever. But now that you’re involved, they definitely won’t let you get away so easily.”
“Of course I know that,” I said, smirking. “They just got humiliated by a puny ‘commoner.’”
“Well, since everything’s settled, I'll be heading out. See you around.”
“Hey! Wait a moment!” Kaelon called out.
I turned my head
“What now?”
“You still haven’t told me your name yet.”
Oh crap… he’s right. I forgot to introduce myself. Now it probably looks like I’m trying to make some mysterious exit.
“Oh right, my bad. My name’s Caelith.”
“Caelith… hmph, a not bad name for a commoner… and, thanks for the help today” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, his voice growing quieter with each word
“Hm? What was that? Mind repeating it?” I said, putting a hand to my ear, while grinning
“Oh, shut up! I know you heard what I just said!” Kaelon’s face flushed red before he stormed off.
I tried to hold in a laugh after seeing his face. It seems this great noble has trouble expressing his emotions.
In the distance, I see Professor Axton, his broad shoulders and towering frame instantly capturing the attention of everyone. His deep voice rolled over the courtyard.
“The first exam is officially over. Everyone, please listen up for the instructions for next phase”
The courtyard, filled with examinees from all 3 sections, their chatter dying down as he spoke.
Up ahead, Professor Lucian stood atop the podium, his posture straight and his expression unreadable as his sharp gaze swept over us.
“First of all,” he began, “I want to congratulate you all on passing the first exam. You are now officially enrolled in the Academy.”
I glanced around. Out of the thousands who had applied, only a few hundreds now stood here, who had passed the first part of the exam.
“But before you get too excited,” he continued, “there are still two more parts to the exam. These will determine your class placement within the Academy.”
One of the applicants raised a hand.
“Excuse me? What will these exams be about?”
“Don’t worry,” he replied with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. “I was just about to explain that.”
“The next two parts of the exam are fairly straightforward. First, we will evaluate your ability to conjure basic spells,” Professor Lucian said, snapping his fingers.
With a fluid motion, he conjured a small ball of flickering fire, then a tiny sphere of swirling wind, and finally an orb of water that hovered in the air before dissolving.
“You will be graded on the stability of your control, your creativity, and how efficiently you manipulate the surrounding mana. And, of course, the power of your spell,” Professor Lucian continued, his gaze sweeping over the applicants.
“As for the final part, it will be a mock battle, in which you will be randomly paired with another applicant, and we will then assess your combat abilities and strategy.”
“B-but sir,” one of the applicants stammered, raising a hand, “how are we supposed to take the exams when most of us don’t have any experience?”
Professor Lucian nodded. “That’s not a problem. The exams will take place a week from today, and you will be guided by instructors from the Academy during that time.”
“Private instructors are also allowed during this period,” he added, glancing at the nobles, “but they cannot interfere in the exam or the mock battles in any way.”
“Training will begin tomorrow, at this same location, at precisely the same time.”
“Are there any more questions regarding the exam?” Professor Lucian took one final look over the crowd before closing his eyes.
“Since there are no more questions, I now declare the first exam officially over. You are all free to go.”
The applicants slowly began to disperse, and I followed, making my way toward the exit.
The sun had already set as I made my way home, the moon casting a pale glow over the path ahead. I looked up at the night sky, admiring the full moon, lost in thought.
I walked through the streets, now far less crowded, my mind replaying all the events that had transpired today.
I let out a yawn.
‘Ugh… I’m so tired. I don’t even want to think about anything right now…’
In the distance, I made out the faint silhouette of my home.
‘I wonder if my sister’s home yet.’
I slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside.
“Hey, sis, I’m back.”
But no one answered. Worried, I made my way toward the living room. There, I saw my sister with her head resting on the table, fast asleep, a freshly prepared meal set before her.
As I stepped closer, she stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open.
“Caelith… you’re home?” she murmured, rubbing her eyes as she blinked awake, a small, tired smile forming on her face. She had clearly spent the whole day working again and rushed home for dinner.
I knelt beside her, and asked with concern. “Hey, sis… you doing ok? This is the first time I’ve seen you this exhausted.”
She just gave me her usual smile. “Don’t worry about it, nothing serious. Hey… tell me, how did it go today?”
“I told you I’d bring good news, I got accepted into the Academy.” A grin spread across my face.
My sister’s tired eyes instantly lit up.
“Are you serious? You’re not lying to me right now, are you?”
“Oh, come on. You really don’t trust your little brother that much?” I rolled my eyes.
She let out a small laugh, reaching her arm forward to pat my head.
“No, no, no… I believe you. It’s just… I wasn’t honestly expecting you to actually get it.”
She paused for a moment before continuing, "I'm proud of you, Caelith.”
“Thanks sis, I’m proud of me too” I said, pulling out a chair and sitting across from her before starting on the meal.
As I ate, I recounted the events of the day to her, though I left out my confrontation with Dorian and Malrick. It was probably for the best if she didn’t know about it—I didn’t want to add more stress to her life.
When I finished, my sister reached for the dirty plates, but I quickly stopped her.
“Nah, I got it. You should head to bed—it’s late, and since you cooked dinner, naturally I should clean the dishes. Can’t have you doing all the chores, Can we?”
She opened her mouth to argue, but after meeting my expression, she simply sighed and leaned back instead.
“Fine… good night, Caelith.”
“Night, sis,” I replied, giving her a small smile as I gathered the plates. I watched her shuffle off toward her room, until the door closed behind her with a soft click.
I quickly washed the dishes. Once everything was set to dry, I headed to my room and flopped onto my bed, letting the day’s exhaustion finally catch up to me. The weight of the day pressed down on me, and my eyelids grew heavy. My thoughts blurred, and before long, sleep pulled me under.
Strangely enough, there were no fragmented dreams that night—just a deep, uninterrupted darkness.
