# Episode 38. Entrance Exam (3)
The Department of Combat entrance exam had successfully concluded.
“Hmm, can this even be called a success?”
I glared at Maiten until he was out of sight, carried off by the hastily arrived medical team.
He didn’t display any talent, but even so, he’s the heir to a prestigious martial family—one of the renowned houses.
No matter what backdoor methods he employs, he’ll surely find a way into the Academy.
“To make matters worse, my plan’s already off track, and if someone like him qualifies and gets close to Ria…”
My original plan was to pass adequately using the martial arts I learned within the clan.
While Maiten wasn’t an intimidating opponent due to his overconfidence, with the current public perception of me being less than stellar, achieving an outstanding score would only invite suspicion.
I intended to barely pass by my fingernails, then gradually ascend from the lower ranks to the upper ones, showcasing my improvement and making everyone aware of the changes in me—but…
The situation is now far from ideal after I took down a scion of a renowned martial arts family with one blow, drawing enormous attention.
“Some delinquent with no talent becoming the top-ranked Academy entrant? That’s laughable.”
A delinquent who was nothing special until last year suddenly dominating the entrance exam with overwhelming strength?
Most people would conclude he used some underhanded methods, not talent or hard work.
“There’s no proof, though.”
I didn’t use any drugs or forbidden dark magic.
An attack purely utilizing my body and magic.
Whether it’s Aura or Magic, both rely on mana, so there’s no real room for nitpicking.
“Will they label me as a heretic for substituting Aura in martial arts with Magic?”
Swinging a steel arm is different from wearing a steel gauntlet.
It might not cause issues at the level of sparring, but in actual combat, the gauntlet is a guaranteed failure.
Regardless of skill, a gauntlet is ultimately a crafted protective gear (and weapon), prone to bending and breaking when used to strike like a steel arm.
Eventually, all the impacts will fully transfer to the arm.
With that, the combat exam concluded, and as I pondered the route to the Department of Magic examination site, a voice broke the silence.
“Interesting.”
“!!”
The chilling sensation that ran down my spine as the voice called from behind me made me quickly step away.
Thump-Thump!
“What was that? There wasn’t any sign or sound!”
A man appeared without warning, and I couldn’t suppress the mounting sense of caution.
A mighty warrior—more than that, an overwhelmingly strong one at that.
“Your lower body is sturdy, so you qualify. You seem well-suited to be a man.”
“…?”
“You need to be at least this solid to wield Aura without breaking your body… A frail frame would easily shatter if filled with Aura.”
“Using magic instead of Aura is rather clever, I must say.”
“…!!”
The man standing before me had instantly discerned that I used magic.
I thought most magic, being visually apparent, would go unnoticed.
Because Aura-based martial arts or swordsmanship are fundamental, I feared being disqualified if it was discovered I used magic, so I intentionally hid it as much as possible before the exam—but I was revealed to this man, and my mind went blank on how to explain myself.
“Not bad.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Immediately, there aren’t many who can display such skills using Aura alone. Moreover, doing it with magic—it shows great talent. If I had to, I could do the same, but…”
“A, yes…”
Who is this guy? He drops in uninvited, praises me, then goes off boasting about himself.
He’s completely unpredictable.
“Once you enroll, come to me. I’ll arrange special tutoring for you outside regular classes. Consider it an honor.”
After saying this, the man turned and left.
Though I don’t know who he is, it was clear he’s no ordinary person. I decided to keep his order in mind.
*
Estia Carmine Luypitris.
The current Luypitris imperial family rules most of the Hevryon continent, and as their 2nd princess and youngest child, Estia was born with an unusual talent for magic.
From a young age, she received magical education from the palace mages and retired Academy professors, developing her innate talent even further.
With two older brothers and one older sister already above her in the line of succession and lacking a strong following, Estia had come to understand her place early on, deciding to dedicate her life solely to the study of magic.
However, the emperor, in the interest of maintaining imperial authority and political stability, planned to marry her off to one of the unconquered foreign kingdoms. In opposition to this, Estia made a proposal to the emperor: if she graduated top of her class from the Department of Magic, he would not interfere in her life decisions.
Confident in her magical abilities, Estia readily agreed to the challenge and today arrived at the Academy to take her entrance exam.
Additionally, the condition of the bet included her keeping her identity as the Princess hidden, leading her to register under the alias “Tia.”
“Fire Lance!!”
Whoosh!!
“Wind Cutter!!”
Whoosh!!
“Hmph, they’re all mediocre here. None of these people can even cast without a spell yet?”
Magic fundamentally involves imagination, but given the infancy of science in this world, people don’t share the same level of understanding.
Therefore, many use “spells” as a form of shortcut to easily activate magic.
Imagine asking random people to paint a landscape, everyone would likely paint something different. But if told to paint a “mountain landscape in autumn,” most would create similar scenes of mountains covered in red autumn leaves.
For example, the language used as a medium to clearly visualize a magical phenomenon is called a spell, and beginners unfamiliar with magic commonly rely on spells to perform magic.
“Hmph, I can already perform this level of magic without reciting spells! My skills are nearing those required for 4th tier magic.”
Considering that direct disciples of the Mage Tower learn 5th to 6th rank magic, her level is truly extraordinary.
Estia was fully confident she’d be the top student of the Department of Magic.
“Next, examinee number 512. Tia, step forward!”
“Hmm, watch closely, everyone!”
With confident strides, Estia ascended the stage.
Although she had changed her hair color with a potion, her striking beauty alone was enough to capture everyone’s attention before she even began demonstrating her magical skills.
“Tia-san, please cast a spell on the straw dummy ahead. You can either directly attack and destroy it, manipulate the environment around it, or use any magic technique that reveals your unique abilities. The dummy doesn’t necessarily need to be the final target.”
“In other words, show us something creative.”
Magic is about creativity.
Being fixed on a single way of thinking doesn’t make for a true mage.
Regardless of its power, a test that rewards different perspectives will be easy for those who stand out.
As Estia moved her hands, the air around the dummy began to shift.
With gestures manipulating the flow of the wind, a spiraling vortex started to form on the stage.
Though it was regulated to remain a manageable size, it was a clear tornado.
Crack!
Adding to the spectacle, ice shards swirled into the formation, intensifying its danger. Finally, by igniting flames inside, Estia transformed it into a fiery tornado, showcasing her mastery.
After a few minutes of dazzling the audience with her tornado display, she ceased her mana supply. The tornado dissipated, leaving only a thoroughly destroyed and melted straw dummy in its wake.
“Truly excellent, Miss Tia. Such magical prowess! It’s truly an unexpected talent emerging from a nameless baron’s family! Indeed, a boon for the Empire.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
As she looked around, everyone was awestruck, their mouths agape at her display.
Such reactions only made her more confident.
“Hmph. Ranked top of the department? Too easy~ I should start considering career options after graduation.”
“Next. Examinee number 912, Rab Netoire. Step forward!”
As Estia imagined her bright future with a content smile, the assistant called the next examinee.
On the stage stepped a handsome man with slightly tanned skin and a hidden tone of muscle under his clothes.
However, the looks from the audience were less than favorable.
“Rab? What is he doing here?”
“Does the delinquent even know how to use magic?”
‘Netoire Rab… So, this is him.’
Even the reclusive third princess knows the notorious ‘delinquent Rab’ of high society.
She was a little surprised to learn that this famous figure was taking the entrance exam for the Department of Magic.
“Hmm… Let’s see what magic our delinquent boy can show us~?”
In contrast to her expectations, Rab, after the start signal, simply extended his hands forward but didn’t make any additional movements.
10 seconds… 20 seconds… As it approached a minute with not a single move, jeers and ridicule began surfacing from the audience.
“Hmph… It was bound to fail. He was probably just trying to grab attention. So, the rumors were true, after all.”
“Examinee, if you have nothing more to show, please step down for the next person-“
As a disappointed Estia was rising from her seat and the assistant moved to pull Rab off the stage—
Tsk-tsk-tsk!
“Wh-What the…?!”
The dummy suddenly vanished.
As though being sucked into an invisible drain, it distorted and disappeared in the blink of an eye, stunning everyone who watched.
“This, how on earth…?!”
As everyone stood with mouths wide open, baffled by the phenomenon that was anything but flashy, Rab nonchalantly stepped off the stage as if his task were done.
“Oh, it worked.”
While the audience was bewildered, Rab, pleased at the success of his experiment, was already thinking about something else.
