Chapter 12: Putting up a show, and thats it?

Chapter 12: Putting up a show, and thats it?

“First, Hailey Lumian.”

At the thought that they were not the first on for the test, a sigh of relief escaped from the mouths of the other students.

On the other hand, despite being called first, Hailey didn't show any signs of surprise or embarrassment.

She gave a charming smile towards Louis and gracefully walked past the other students.

Suddenly, Becky poked my side. Then, in a low voice, she added:

“Hey, flan.”

Instead of answering her, I glanced briefly in her direction.

"That's the girl we ran into at the store earlier. How skilled is she?"

“I don’t know.”

"You don't know...? Weren't you two friends?"

At her remark, I shrugged. I didn't know anything about that girl Hailey in the first place. And it was only natural because I was not interested in her at all.

Becky groaned and crossed her arms.

"I don't really like her. Let's see how good she is."

Becky, who had been giving Hailey a sharp gaze, tilted her head as if something else had suddenly come to her mind.

Her gaze turned back towards me.

“Hey, Flan. I just thought of something. Can I ask you?"

“Yes.”

"Why do you have the same trivia as me...?"

At that moment, before I could even answer her, Violet started the test.

"I'll begin. Professor Audrey."

Responding to the nod signal given by Violet, Professor Audrey preheated her magic.

Soon, a mana crystal in the form of a jewel was created and sent in front of Violet's wand. Its size was about that of a child's fist.

"Let's assist the output of this mana crystal."

As soon as Violet finished speaking, mana formed on the tip of her wand.

A clean manifestation without any frills continued.

​With a loud bang, the mana crystal bounced off, accompanied by an explosive sound. Even at a glance, it was an impressive output, causing the students to burst into exclamations of admiration.

The mana crystal, which seemed like it would fly endlessly, came to a stop at a specific point. Violet created a signpost at that location and stuck it in.

“This is the maximum distance that the mana crystal can withstand without exploding.”

Violet created a mana crystal in front of Hailey and said.

"If it doesn't reach at least halfway, it's disqualified. From there on, the higher the distance, the higher the rank."

"What if it goes beyond the signpost?"

“If the decision blows up, of course, it’s a disqualification. You have to keep in mind that this is only an aid.”

“Yes. Professor.”

Violet nodded, pointing her chin at the mana crystal.

“Start right away when you are ready.”

Hailey took a deep breath to calm herself and placed her index finger on the mana crystal.

Soon, with a pop sound, the mana crystal flew forward.

It flew superbly in a straight trajectory toward the signpost. Exclamations of admiration flowed from the mouths of the students who were watching.

“Rank A.”

Violet made her judgment. The two professors sitting far away also nodded.

"Wow~ Thank you, Professor!"

Hailey smiled brightly and returned to her seat next to Louis.

"What the... She is good."

Becky muttered as if she was annoyed.

'Admiration... '

I could clearly feel the youthfulness of this place. For those with little experience, each and every one of these things must be admirable.

“Next, Kisefi Lumir.”

Violet continued to spit out the name of the students, and the tests proceeded sequentially.

Summoning, destruction, support... The magic demonstrated by Violet in front of the students was diverse.

“Rank A.”

“If there was something between Rank B and Rank C, I would have given it to you, Rank C.”

“Rank E.”

“Please don't do something troublesome this time.”

It seemed like she still had doubts about what happened during orientation.

Since I didn't want to be labeled as a foolish individual who fell for trap of accepting a mistake, I responded with the same expressionless face as always.

​When Violet snapped her fingers, the frog next to her spat out another card with my name on it. It was labeled 'Support'.

As the other students read the assigned type, they started buzzing with excitement.

"It's the Support type? Hailey was also assigned Support earlier."

"They look like they're being publicly compared."

“Is he good?”

"He must not be good, otherwise he would have been assigned a higher rank."

Violet created a mana crystal in front of me.

Now that I was closer, I could see that the mana didn't look particularly pure, as if it was just a test crystal.

Violet pointed at the sign with her chin and murmured.

“When you’re ready, start right away.”

I pondered for a moment.

Support magic was something that encompasses various branches: manifestation, purification, amplification, direction... Even just considering the immediate options, there were quite a few.

In my heart, I wanted to support everything, but the reason for my hesitation was naturally due to my pitiful physique.

I closed my eyes and quietly assessed the remaining mana. While my body contained the limits of mana, it was by no means a large amount.

So now, what I needed was selection and focus.

‘Purification seems like the better choice.’

Magic was best performed with dignity. If one advanced with a clumsy appearance, then that was exactly what it would be.

This principle also applies to the nature of my magic.

Pure mana always gives the best result in many cases.

Therefore, I first purified the mana crystal, making its energy more refined and pure.

The color of the mana crystal deepened as if the tranquil lake had transformed into the depths of the ocean.

There wasn't much mana left. Due to Violet's dense mana, purification required a considerable amount of mana from me.

“... When the hell he is going to start?”

Someone muttered.

It had been quite a while since I embarked on this journey of magic. The adage suggesting that one's understanding shapes their perception also hints at the profound nature of eternity.

Mana flowed through my fingertips. The mana crystal announced its power, tearing through the air.

“......!”

The eyes of the students widened. As if they saw something unexpected.

​The crystal imbued with refined mana itself was like paint. The spectacle of coloring the path with one's own hue as it passed was the allure of purification assistance.

However...

“...... ?”

This time, confusion spread across the students' eyes.

It was because the distance the mana crystal had traveled was disastrous.

It barely reached halfway between the signpost and me, so if we looked at it from a distance, it was just barely avoiding disqualification.

"Putting up a show, and that's it?"

"It seemed impressive only at first."

"Hailey must really be talented. I wonder if he will at least get a C grade."

The students started whispering.

Whether they were praising or criticizing, I quietly awaited Violet's evaluation. After all, it was Violet who determined the grades.

Even if I received a low rank, I wouldn't regret it. The moment a magical loses their own judgment and intuition, it was over.

On the other hand, Violet's expression was difficult to read.

After looking at me with an inscrutable expression, she turned her head and made eye contact with the other two professors.

The three professors exchanged subtle glances. Gathering together, they discussed something with serious expressions.

During their discussion, the three professors glanced at me from time to time. The students' murmurs grew louder in proportion.

"What's going on?"

"Did he cheat? Like using a scroll or something."

After a while, Violet returned with a subtle expression and opened her mouth.

“Student Flan... Your result will be on hold for now.”

--- End of The Chapter --

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