Chapter 13. Academy Admission Application
'What is this?'
He was a guy who had never left the 8th Prince's Palace, and he hadn't attended official functions, claiming he was ill.
Besides, it had only been a month since he manifested his Ability, so it wasn't a situation where he could have gained supporters.
The more Inette looked at me, the less she understood. All she remembered from seeing me a few times as a child was that he had a faint impression.
That's how little presence Radel had in the Imperial Palace.
Still, a royal was a royal.
It seemed he could somehow obtain a letter of recommendation.
'Even if he got a letter of recommendation by luck, he won't make it with his skills.'
The Academy registration office not only accepted admission applications but also conducted a simple test.
As it was a magic academy in name, the talent to learn magic was essential.
In other words, one had to be able to feel mana.
After processing the documents, the registration office staff brought a square magitool that detected mana sensitivity.
“Please place your hand here.”
It was a mana detector widely used on the continent.
It was an expensive magitool made of a special magic stone, which could immediately tell the level of mana sensitivity, essential for learning magic.
When one placed their hand on the magitool and focused on feeling mana, the color changed, and the higher the mana sensitivity grade, the closer it got to red.
High sensitivity also meant that one could feel mana well.
It was one of the qualities of a good mage.
“What color does it have to be to pass?”
I asked the staff member, placing my hand on the magitool.
I had expected it would be difficult to get into the Magic Academy, but I didn't know they filtered people at the registration office.
Even if you submitted an application, you were only given the opportunity to take the official entrance exam after submitting a letter of recommendation and passing the mana sensitivity test.
“Even green is a pass.”
The color stages of the magitool were purple, navy, sky blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.
In other words, it was an explanation that there were seven stages from the lowest, purple, to the highest, red.
Usually, talented applicants to the Imperial Magic Academy got around yellow. Even green was a level of mana sensitivity that ordinary people couldn't follow.
After hearing the explanation, Inette gained confidence.
Her opponent was a prince who had never even learned magic before. In contrast, all the education Inette had received so far was of the highest quality.
There was no way Radel could get a better grade than Inette.
“Place your hand and close your eyes.”
Inette placed her hand on the square artifact and concentrated.
Orange, no, even yellow would be good. It had to be higher than Radel's, no matter what.
“Yes, you pass. You did well.”
The magitool was dyed in a yellow light.
Inette was quite pleased with the decent result.
And she spotted me at the next counter, placing my hand on the magitool and starting to concentrate.
'Is this how you do it?'
I closed my eyes and focused on the sensation at my fingertips.
While I was learning the mana training method, I never had a clear moment of realization. But at some point, I could clearly recall the flow of mana I felt when passing through the secret passages.
Archmage Hayden Reinhard Cretian had poured an enormous amount of magic power to distort space when creating the secret passages. Not only that, but he also later drew on the natural mana flowing from the ore vein buried beneath the Prince's Palace.
As a result, the completed secret passage was filled with high-purity mana along with the Archmage's magic power. If another mage were to enter the secret passage, they would be suffocated by the intense mana.
Having exercised in such a place every dawn and moved through the secret passages whenever I had the chance, I had unknowingly learned to feel the subtle changes in mana in a space filled with it.
So, feeling mana was a piece of cake.
A subtle flow of mana.
I followed it as usual.
'Purple? Of course.'
Inette snorted.
The light flowing from my magitool was the lowest level, purple.
“At this rate, he won’t even pass the document screening…?”
That’s when Inette’s words trailed off. For some reason, the color of the magitool kept changing.
From purple to navy, and then to sky blue.
'What. What’s going on?'
The light, which had been changing from sky blue to green, was now yellow and filling the magitool.
“…No way.”
Regardless of Inette's shock, I continued to follow the flow of mana. At first, it was like catching a very fine thread, and then it was like walking on a taut string.
The people at the registration office were also surprised and were all looking at me.
The magitool wasn't supposed to work like that. No one had ever seen the colors change in sequence.
“What is going on?”
“It’s not a matter of mana sensitivity; at this level, isn’t his magic power control unbelievable?”
Now the magitool was not just dyed orange but was emitting an even more intense light.
It was also then that I, who had been concentrating with frightening intensity, opened my eyes.
“Is this enough to pass?”
A red light was reflected in my golden eyes, the proof of royalty.
* * *
“Liar.”
Inette fumed as she left the Academy registration office with me.
I was in a good mood because I had not only applied for admission but also completed Inette’s application as requested by the 3rd Imperial Consort. At this point, I wasn't ashamed of the pouch I had received from the 3rd Imperial Consort earlier.
To me, Inette’s baseless accusations meant nothing.
“I’ve never lied. What are you talking about?”
“You’ve learned magic before, haven’t you! Otherwise, how could you have passed that?”
I looked at Inette with the feeling of tolerating a younger sister’s tantrum.
“You have a tendency to think it’s a lie if it’s different from your expectations, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You don’t have any friends, do you?”
“You really!”
Inette’s face turned red with anger.
In fact, it was true. She had no friends.
This was a new experience for Inette. The anger and jealousy she felt towards a sibling of her age were emotions she was experiencing for the first time.
Inette, who had manifested a strong Ability from a young age, couldn’t get along well with people because of that power.
If she slightly miscontrolled her Ability, she would burn her surroundings.
I had somewhat guessed Inette’s situation through what I saw in the garden.
Compared to my other half-siblings who I didn’t know well, or my twin brother who hated me as if he wanted to kill me, Inette was easy to deal with because her thoughts were so transparent.
‘Honesty is better than someone who might stab you in the back at any moment.’
We would be attending the Academy together anyway, so there was no need to be on bad terms.
I smiled, remembering the pocket money pouch the 3rd Imperial Consort had given me.
“Don’t worry. I don’t have any friends either.”
“…You too?”
“Yeah. We can be considered comrades.”
Comrades?
For some reason, Inette liked that word.
“Ahem, really?”
“So let’s get along well. Thanks for the ride today. And please thank the 3rd Imperial Consort for me.”
“Huh? Uh, I’ll have to think about getting along with you…”
Without even realizing that I had disappeared after saying goodbye, Inette continued to ponder alone.
Is it okay to get along with him? He’s kind of annoying.
But he said he doesn’t have any friends. And his mother is gone. Isn't he on bad terms with his brother too?
I’m older by a few months, so maybe I should cut him some slack.
After much thought, Inette made a big decision and answered me.
“Ahem. Well, if it’s just comrades…?”
But no matter how long she waited, no answer came back. I had been gone for a long time.
Inette realized it belatedly and stomped her foot.
“Where did he go! Was I just talking to myself?”
But no matter how much she looked around, she couldn't see me. It was strange that I could disappear so quickly.
A rumor she had heard recently came to Inette’s mind.
That the 8th Prince had made a contract with a devil, that he had become a vampire, seeing how he appeared and disappeared like a ghost.
There were too many suspicious things, from my sudden change to my unusually excellent mana sensitivity.
“It can’t be, right?”
What Inette feared most were ghosts and devils.
She rubbed her arms, which had goosebumps.
* * *
I had just returned to the 8th Prince’s Palace through the secret passage.
After having my mana sensitivity measured, I could definitely feel a change from before.
Not only could I feel the flow of mana, but now I could even detect where passages were hidden in the Imperial Castle.
It wasn't that I could use magic right away or anything. I was just at the stage of feeling mana, at the very beginning of magic.
While it was true that stronger mages had better mana sensitivity, even a mage who was dull to the flow of mana could become a good mage.
It was similar to how having perfect pitch is advantageous for becoming a singer, but one can still become a good singer without it.
“Anyway, I finished the application safely.”
Now it was time to open the invitation from the Supreme Deity Order that I had set aside earlier.
When I opened the invitation engraved with a pure white lily, it said that I, the 8th Prince Radel, was invited on the Feast Day, which was just two days away.
Should I go?
I thought about it for a moment.
It was probably a good choice to build a relationship with the Supreme Deity Order, the largest religious order in the Empire.
Although the Empire believed in various gods, the symbolism of the Nameless God, the creator of the world and the parent of all gods, was tremendous.
However, now that I had even submitted my application, I felt I should focus more on training. Most royals and nobles also tended to replace their participation in the Feast Day with donations.
‘I have Armandy’s life value money too.’
I also decided to make a donation and politely decline the invitation.
“I also have what the Imperial Consort gave me earlier.”
When I opened the pouch I received from the 3rd Imperial Consort, sparkling gold coins greeted me.
As expected of the Imperial Consort from the Dastion ducal family, whose territory was said to be the largest after the Emperor’s.
This was more than enough to make a donation.
I was sitting at the table, about to write a reply with the donation enclosed.
A familiar notification sound reached my ears.
Tiring.
[An urgent quest has occurred!]
[The Trial of Three Days for the Supreme Deity]
You are receiving attention from the Order of the Nameless God.
Unsavory rumors are circulating in the 8th Prince’s Palace.
An Inquisitor, impressed by your un-royal-like demeanor, defended you with all his might, but the order’s suspicions were not dispelled.
Accept the invitation on the upcoming Feast Day and visit the Grand Temple.
You must root out their suspicions through the Trial of Three Days.
Prayer to the Supreme Deity (0/48)
Condition: Pray for 48 hours within 3 days (Time limit 72/72)
Success: Support of the order
Failure: Heresy Trial
It was a new quest.
‘Another Heresy Trial if I fail this time.’
It seemed that dispelling Kirio’s suspicion last time wasn’t enough to solve the problem.
My eyes quickly scanned the quest window. The part about unsavory rumors circulating in the 8th Prince’s Palace caught my eye.
Was it because I had acted crazy in the dark while telling the attendants not to come near me? Come to think of it, I think the attendants were talking about vampires or something.
There were too many possibilities, so I couldn't pinpoint the problem.
I put away the reply I was about to write. I thought I might not be able to go to the Academy if I let these rumors be.
“Let’s just do the quest.”
If I couldn't clear the quest, I was destined to be dragged to a Heresy Trial anyway.
If you can't avoid it, you have to enjoy it.