I furrowed my brows, annoyed. "Stop distracting me; I'm running out of time."
Ignoring my irritation, Hendrickson placed his hand on my shoulder, adopting a serious tone. "Considering your talent as a healer, you should really think about joining Celestia's Mercy."
"Why should I do that?" I asked, feeling skeptical.
Hendrickson's expression remained composed as he explained,
"I know you might have hoped for a cooler ability like mine, but now you're a healer. Your destiny is set, so joining Celestia's Mercy and learning from the best is the logical choice."
I couldn't help but feel annoyed by his nonchalant remark about his ability to be cool.
I brushed off his hand from my shoulder, dismissing his advice. "Your advice is useless. Celestia's Mercy doesn't even offer battle arts in their syllabus. Why should I even consider going there?"
Leaning in, Hendrickson whispered with a mischievous grin, "By the way, did you know that almost 80% of students at Celestia's Mercy are girls? And they are known for their gentle and angelic souls, not to mention their beauty. You could easily find yourself a girlfriend there."
His suggestive tone made me uncomfortable, and I realized I shouldn't expect any valuable information from him.
Suddenly something about Celestia's Mercy struck me as odd to me.
"Hold on, if they don't teach battle arts, how do their students join battle guilds? I've read about healer mages from Celestia's Mercy being associated with renowned battle guilds. That doesn't make sense without battle arts training," I questioned, intrigued.
Hendrickson appeared momentarily confused before responding, "Battle guilds recruiting students? Who would want those cowards? I think you misheard something."
Trisha chimed in, "Please refrain from spreading misinformation if you're not well-informed."
Hendrickson retorted sarcastically, "Of course, enlighten us, oh enlightened one."
Trisha, undeterred by his sarcasm, explained, "Celestia's Mercy operates differently from other royal academies. The founder of the academy was granted special permission by the king due to their strong aversion to violence. As a result, the academy removed the battle art subject from its syllabus."
Curious, I asked, "But then, how do the students manage to join battle guilds without learning basic battle arts?"
Trisha clarified, "While the academy doesn't teach battle arts directly, it doesn't restrict students from learning them through external means. If a student wishes to use their abilities for combat, they must learn battle arts on their own. Celestia's Mercy focuses on teaching everything else, except violence. Once a student masters basic battle arts, they can take a voluntary battle exam to achieve a passing grade. With this grade, they become eligible to join a battle guild."
"Self-study? Voluntary battle exam? Interesting!" I nodded with a smile, absorbing the information.
Trisha chimed in, sharing her insights, "Celestia's Mercy is quite a unique academy. The voluntary battle exam was introduced relatively recently, after pressure from other academies. They wanted to recruit their students into various battle guilds. If you want to focus on combat, Sapphire Citadel or Iron Will might be better choices for you."
Hendrickson, in his usual manner, muttered, "I'd pick Celestia's Mercy and get yourself a girlfriend or two. If I were you, I'd just retire and enjoy a laid-back life."
Standing up, I placed my hands on their shoulders, "Alright, it's time for me to make my decision. Thank you both for your input, but now it's time for you to leave," I said, gently pushing them away.
Hendrickson couldn't help but ask curiously, "So, what academy did you decide on?"
"Not telling you," I responded, keeping my choice to myself.
Trisha, offering a parting remark, said, "Our paths may cross again, perhaps on the battlefield," before walking away.
Finally, a sense of peace settled upon me.
"The submission time is almost over, one minute remaining before we collect your dial cards," the phantom mage announced.
Taking a deep breath, I rolled my dial card, committing to my decision.
I had chosen Celestia's Mercy as my academy, and I was determined to embrace the path it offered.
"Time's up! Collecting your dial cards now," announced the phantom mage, his voice echoing through the chamber.
With a sense of urgency, the phantom mages began collecting the dial cards in an orderly fashion. The candidates displayed a mix of emotions – excitement, uncertainty, and in some cases, reluctance to part with their cards. It was evident that the decision they made would certainly be shaping their future.
Choosing Celestia's Mercy was a surprising decision for me. However, the allure of having the freedom to learn battle arts on my own terms was too enticing to ignore. It meant I could explore and develop my abilities in a way that suited my style of combat, and that prospect excited me more than any other offer from the academies.
Of course, I was well aware that my approach might not sit well with some of the leaders at Celestia's Mercy. Misusing their rules for my own benefit might ruffle a few feathers, but I was determined to find my own path as an independent healer and combatant. If I could prove my worth, maybe they would come to accept my unorthodox methods. After all, the best way to stand out was to be unique.
After the dial cards were submitted, the phantom mage instructed us to head back home and await the official invitations from our respective academies. Using the curved golden spear, the phantom mage created a dimensional portal to send us back to our parents.
In an orderly fashion, we candidates formed a queue and entered the portal one by one. As I stepped inside, I felt a brief sense of disorientation, but it quickly passed as I exited the portal. We found ourselves outside the ceremony hall, and it was already nighttime.
Red cape mages were scattered around the campus, keeping a close eye on us kids. Despite the late hour, the premises of the ceremony hall were well-lit by dim street lanterns placed all around.
As I looked around, I noticed a gathering of curious parents standing outside the ceremony hall's fence. Excited cries filled the air as kids spotted their parents.
"Mummy! I'm here!"
"Dad! I got an invitation."
"Mother! Father! I missed you."
"I'm hungry! Mom!"
The heartfelt reunions and joyous exclamations echoed through the night as families came together after the nerve-wracking event of the ascension trials had finally ended.
The red cape mages once again instructed us to form an orderly queue to exit the campus. As I looked around for Jason and Marcia to bid them farewell, I couldn't seem to find them anywhere amidst the crowd.
Just as I was searching, a familiar voice called out, "Benji! Over here!"
I turned to see my mom standing by the fence, with Dad standing beside her, both looking relieved and happy to see me. I waved back at them.
"Are you okay, son? Have you eaten?" My worried mother asked.
"I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry," I reassured her.
After a few minutes of waiting, I finally exited the building premises and joined my parents. It was surprising to see them here since they were staying in the Manager Bervice's Mansion within the inner district.
"Why are you both outside here? Weren't you staying in the Bervice mansion?" I inquired.
Mom and Dad exchanged glances, and she replied with a solemn smile, "It's nothing. We didn't know there would be important guests, so we decided to leave the inner district. And we decided to pick you up directly from the ceremony hall ourselves."
"So you guys are standing outside, all this time?" I asked.
"That's right! Not a big deal." replied my parents simultaneously.
I sensed that there was more to it, but I didn't press further. The Bervice mansion staff must have asked my parents to leave after I failed to get an invitation to the Bloodfire Academy. Otherwise, why would be they standing in the outer district with all our luggage like this?
I made a mental note to remember this insult and seek retribution in the future.
Afterward, we made the decision to stay at a local inn in the outer district. I couldn't shake off the lingering anger I felt towards the Bervice family and their mansion workers, who swiftly evicted my parents once it became apparent that I hadn't received an invitation.
So that all the golden tickets were worth it. Guess they are no different from those asshole nobles.
My mother must have noticed my frown, as she gently placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Hey, I forgot to mention something earlier. Even though they asked us to leave the mansion, they still allowed us to participate in the blessing ritual held in the garden. It was an incredible sight! The majestic flame phoenix soared in the sky, and its divine flames descended upon the mansion's garden. Luckily, there was an altar lantern there, and we were fortunate enough to receive some of those blessed divine flames."
My father chimed in,
"Yes, they were kind enough to let us participate in the blessing ritual."
"Is that so?" I muttered not to forgive them.
My mother's eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement as she continued,
"The phoenix's divine flames possess incredible healing properties. Not only did they take away my backache and old scars, but they also worked their magic on my mana core. It's been years since I could use my mana in any significant way, and now I feel rejuvenated and ready to explode!"
Her words left me astounded, and I couldn't hide my excitement as I broke into a wide grin. "Your mana core? What do you mean?" I asked, pretending not to know about her magical abilities.
Her face lit up with pride, and she stood with one hand on her hip, displaying a newfound confidence. With her other hand, she flicked her fingers, and a small burning flame ignited on her fingertips, resembling a tiny candlelight.
To my surprise, she seemed unharmed by the flame dancing on her fingertips, further proving her skill as a mage.
I marveled at her display and said, "That's incredible, Mom! I had no idea you were a mage all this time."
"Haha, I guess it's time to share a little secret. Back in the day, I was quite the renowned fire elemental mage," my mother confessed with a hint of nostalgia in her voice. As she gazed at the small candle flame dancing on her fingertips, a tinge of disappointment flashed across her expression. "Though my mana core has healed somewhat, I can't quite summon the same power I once had in my prime."
I guess not even the blessing ritual can fix all issues.
"Well, we heard that you were chosen as an exemplary candidate. So tell us all about your new abilities!" my dad chimed in, patting my head affectionately.
"Oh, I almost forgot! So, which academy did you get invited to, Benji!" asked my mother, her grip on my shoulders tightening with excitement.
A strange, uncomfortable smile crept onto my face as I hesitated to reveal my choice,
"About that... I am actually joining Celestia's Mercy."
"That's great!" said Dad as his face lit up with pride and continued to pat my head.
"Wait! Isn't that academy known for healing abilities, mainly for girls?" my all-knowing mother inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Hehe!" I chuckled nervously, "Exactly."
They were later even more shocked than me when they found out about my new profound abilities.