The words seemed to come out of the air itself. Before his very eyes, a banner bearing the name and Elk crest of the academy appeared. Through his ever-improving ability to sense magic, Michael could tell the banner was held up by some impressive air magic.
The banner flapped in an afternoon breeze that wasn't there and only a handful of magic seemed to be holding it up. As far as he could tell, whoever cast the spell was incredibly talented. It reinvigorated his enthusiasm for the tough schooling he would no doubt endure.
[Quest Generated: Test of Skill
Qualify for the courses in all main elements. Rise to the rank of Magician Adept in each discipline prior to graduation. *This quest is automatically accepted.
Reward: 300 IP]
As they walked under the banner, it disappeared into thin air, as if waiting to surprise the next person to enter the gates. Master Robin hurried Michael off the cart and towards the entrance where everyone else seemed to be going.
"I'll take our cart to the living quarters. Come find me once you've finished your tests and I'll help you unpack." For a grouchy old man, he seemed to have a lot of energy now that he had the chance to leave Michael alone.
Sadly, there was little he could do besides turn towards the castle and do his best to get through all the people. Indeed, there were more people than he had ever seen in one place. There must have been hundreds of them, all flooding into the same room. Even with doors that were at least 8 meters tall and 5 meters wide, it was hard for people to even squeeze through.
Michael was at a loss until he noticed another student manipulating some of the magic around them. The water magic coated her like a second skin, allowing her to glide through the crowds uncontested. Though he wasn't sure he could replicate it exactly, seeing the results encouraged him to try.
He coaxed the water magic around him. It wasn't as close-fitting as the girl's had been, but he was able to pass through the crowd like a fish through water. As he did so, he noticed more and more students utilizing magic to get past the massive stream of people. Several were using the same method he was, but he saw some flying above everyone and others pushing people of their way with earth magic. He couldn't see anyone using light or darkness magic, but that was they were for, after all. Fortunately, nobody seemed to be using the highly-destructive fire magic to get through.
Slipping through the doors, Michael was surprised to find a big, but unexpectedly empty room. There was a single desk with a single man sitting behind it. He was tall, but not overly muscular. His hair was long but well-kept, and he wore what Michael assumed was the schoolteacher uniform. Hurrying over, Michael gathered the courage to speak.
"Excuse me sir, I'm Michael Wudwolf. I believe I'm meant to take an entrance exam?" His voice came out squeakier than he would have liked, but at least he got the important information out.
"Yes, of course. Mr. Wudwolf. I saw your display on the way in. You've been judged qualified to enter as a Water class student. If you look here—yes?" Though it'd been beaten into him that it was rude to interrupt, Michael couldn't help himself. He couldn't be a mere water student. He had to qualify for all the elements!
"I'm terribly sorry, sir, but I can use other magic too. I'd like to demonstrate my abilities, if I may." Politeness couldn't hurt his chances. At the very least, it was better than failing his first quest.
"Very well. It's rare to see students that qualify for more than one or two courses." With that, the man pulled out a cloudy crystal ball. "If you have an affinity for other elements, they're appear when you touch the Mana Sensor. Please do so now."
As Michael touched the cool ball, several colors began to swirl within it. The first (and largest cloud) was a light green. It was joined by a smaller blue one, then by a red one. Brown followed the red, and white and black appeared last in equal measure. With each new color that appeared, the instructor's awe became more and more visible on his face.
He was surprised when he saw that the green, representing air magic, appeared to already be partially developed. In fact, it appeared to be stronger than the water magic the boy had already shown. Dual affinities were uncommon, but not unheard of. More affinities means more potential disciplines, so stronger mages tend to have two or three. But when the boy's affinities expanded to include five and eventually six elements, the instructor was unable to contain his shock.
To enter the academy, a prospective student need only show aptitude in two elements or be able to manipulate one. They must also be below the age of ten. With affinities in all main elements, a student would be limited only by their knowledge of and practice with that branch of magic. They could choose any discipline. It was practically unheard of.
"You can sense all the elements? That is incredible! Please wait here. I need to contact the headmaster. We'll do everything we can to enroll you in the all courses. Please, enjoy this chocolate while you wait. It's from my personal stash, so please don't go letting anyone know about it."
Michael was mystified by the man's response, but he still gladly accepted the chocolate. It was a delicacy that rarely made it out as far as he had lived. It was sweet and bitter at the same time and he savored every ounce of it. Just after he finished it, a much older man entered the room.
"Young Master Wudwolf, thank you for waiting. I am Headmaster Deersgrove. I came as soon as I heard about your remarkable talent. Of course, you'll be permitted to take any course you qualify for. Given your unique circumstances, I've arranged special accommodations for you. Welcome to our esteemed academy. I look forward to seeing your progress."
With that, Michael's new headmaster disappeared without a trace, presumably to wherever he was needed next.
[Quest unlocked: Making Waves. Rise to the rank of Magician Adept in Water magic prior to graduation.]
[Quest unlocked: Earth's Harvest. Rise to the rank of Magician Adept in Earth magic prior to graduation.]
[Quest unlocked: Secrets in the Air. Rise to the rank of Magician Adept in Air magic prior to graduation.]
[Quest unlocked: A Mighty Flame. Rise to the rank of Magician Adept in Fire magic prior to graduation.]
[Quest unlocked: In the Spotlight. Rise to the rank of Magician Adept in Light magic prior to graduation.]
[Question unlocked: Revel in the Night. Rise to the rank of Magician Adept in Darkness magic prior to graduation.]
[Quest rewards revealed on completion. Punishment determined upon quest failure.]
Despite the overwhelming number of notifications that popped into his head, Michael still managed to follow his new guide out the door and over to the living quarters. They led him up a flight of stairs, stopping to open the door to a room as big as his entire house had been.
"Due to your special circumstances, you have been assigned room 201. Normally, such a room is designated for Masters, but the headmaster deemed your need for additional private practice space sufficient for your assignment here. Make yourself and home and please don't hesitate to introduce yourself to your dormmates. I hope you enjoy your next 5 years here."
5 years? This whole "school" things was going to take a while…