Alex watched the Trial unfold in front of his eyes, an unreadable glint burning deep in his eyes.
The priest's words almost felt tangible, felt them slam into his chest like pangs of a hammer, snatching his breathing away, his rhythm becoming erratic and unpredictable.
The roof of his mouth dried out, making him swallow over and over again. But neither this nor the fact that he could physically feel the ripples of mana unnerved him. He had long since understood it was due to his ridiculous mana sensitivity.
Rather, Alex was ecstatic because he could feel what the priest was trying to do. He could read his intent and intentions in the ripples of mana shooting away from him.
Visually, the scene unfolding before the crowd was certainly pleasing. The water rippled and shot out from the rims of each stone, some canceling out, others melting together, becoming more powerful.
One could see dust swept from the ground by unseen gusts of air, moving across the arena and swirling about each contestant.
Then the carp from the pond started swimming. At first, the fishes gathered around the short plinth swimming around it before shooting out toward the contestants as each took hold of mana and forced it into spells.
Red-colored carp swam around a young man holding a ball of orange fire the size of his head in the center of his palm. He opened one eye and looked down into the pond. Soon, a smile formed on his lips as he counted six of them.
Another young man did the same, holding a rotating ball of something barely perceptible to the naked eye.
'Wind.' Alex noted as his eyes strained to see the outline of this young man's spell.
Around him, another six carp swam.
The rest of the contestants had similar results; the least talented of them -a boy, by the looks of it- had five, while the most talented -the young lady that walked last- had seven swimming around her.
In the grand scheme of things, this minute difference between contestants wouldn't tip the scales in one direction or another, but when it comes to choosing an "Heir," every small advantage counts.
Unfortunately, this test was nothing more than a publicity stunt, a show for the masses to instill a sense of awe in the common man, and Alex knew it. First of all, the floating crystal in the middle of the pond didn't do much besides fueling the barrier around the youths, and secondly... There were too few fish in the pond and too many candidates.
To properly test a person, you would need to know all their mana affinities, not just one, as was the case with this "Test."
Judging by the excited crowd, Alex guessed the circus below did its trick.
The following moments weren't as standoffish but were the most important to Alex. The priest extended his gnarled hand and asked the young woman to step forward.
Stepping on the water as though it was solid rock, the lady stopped in front of the priest. The latter moved half a step to the side and turned to face the crowd.
"This round's winner, Tia Moonmare."
***
Looking around the impossibly large city, Ezek felt a bit overwhelmed. The noise wasn't something he had ever experienced before. Thousands of people striding through the city streets, merchants shouting praises for their goods, some shouting at each other, made so much noise it was more than disorienting for someone unhardened like Ezek.
He felt eyes on his skin, even though nobody looked at him. It was as though the surrounding walls and buildings grew eyes and bore down on him. This almost claustrophobic feeling didn't go away easily, even though Ezek was quite comfortable around people.
Vaesa didn't seem to share his unease and walked away from their carriage, expecting Ezek to follow after her. Glancing over the shoulder, she raised an eyebrow, surprised that Ezek was this entranced with the capital. Then again, it was his first time visiting a city as large as this, so it was understandable.
"Had enough of the sights around?" She asked, pointing at the city's streets where one could see faint traces of dirt in the corners and between the pavement. The city was vast and filled with opportunities, sure, but the reality wasn't all rosy. Dirt, grime, and other unpleasant realities of a city were even more prominent in the Royal capital. At least, in the less visible areas it was true.
Although the streets were cleaned regularly, it was difficult keeping up with a population as large as this.
Ezek took a deep breath and nodded, his demeanor instantly changing. He now looked at ease as if he had lived his whole life in the capital.
Vaesa was confused. "Weren't you uncomfortable a moment ago?"
Ezek walked up to her and nodded. "I still am. Not used to crowds as packed as these." He waved a hand around, pointing to a street nearby where people were almost touching shoulders as they walked past each other.
"Well, you certainly don't look uncomfortable now..."
"You spend five years around different groups of people. You'll learn to change your demeanor on a whim as well."
"Hmm, useful trick..."
Ezek nodded. "Where we're heading now?"
"We can either go straight to the academy or..."
Ezek nodded as if he had already made up his mind, so he asked Vaesa to go to the academy.
She raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, leading Ezek through the winding streets until they reached the academy's grounds.
The noise quieted slightly, slowly switching from men shouting their wares to young teens talking to each other.
Ezek looked around the vast open area, noticing the small number of teens walking around. It made the grounds look almost deserted.
Fortunately, he dressed slightly more elegantly for this occasion, so he didn't look too much out of place, thanks to Vaesa.
Hushed murmurs and raised eyebrows followed Ezek and his girlfriend as they made their way toward the large building in the forefront. The academy was divided into three buildings, each corresponding to one study year.
The building in front of the other two was assigned to 3rd years students and was also where the teachers' offices were situated.
The main entrance opened, and an older man stepped outside, looking around the academy's grounds before his eyes homed on Vaesa's figure.
"Oh? A blessed day indeed for Lady Vaesa to finally return." The man laughed, his large pot belly rippling like a bucket of jelly.
"What do you want, professor?" She asked, not even bothering to name this man.
As dense as Ezek was, even he could see the displeasure in his girlfriend's eyes when she looked at this man.
The professor raised his fatty hands and laughed softly. "Nothing, dear. I'm just glad since a colleague arrived safely at the academy."
"Of course, you would," Vaesa mumbled softly. "If that's all, professor, I must get to my office."
Moving past the professor without as much of a glance Vaesa stepped inside the building.
Ezek burned with curiosity and a bit of displeasure. He followed after Vaesa and walked around the man, catching the latter's eyes for a moment.
Malice, anger, annoyance, impatience, and lust. Ezek could read the man like an open book, the displeasure he felt against this man multiplying instantly.
Keeping his expression smooth, he followed his girlfriend through corridors and up flights of stairs before entering a large and well-furnished office.
"What's up with that old man?" He asked as soon as he sat down, accepting the glass of murky liquor from Vaesa.
"An old pervert, nothing more." Vaesa started, looking over the tall stack of paper that had build up on her desk. Feeling an incoming headache, she took a big gulp of her liquor and slowly massaged her temples. "He's known for chasing women around. Young or old, it doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest. He tried making some moves toward me, but as you can see, I'm not interested in someone like him."
Drinking from his glass, Ezek's impression of the man worsened. He could see at a glance he was that type of man, but having someone confirm his suspicions further cemented his conviction.
In the end, he could only sigh and let the matter go. Since Vaesa made her stance clear, he couldn't just bring up the subject over and over again.
"Do you need help with that?" He asked, glancing at the innumerable papers on Vaesa's desk.
"Can you?"
Ezek nodded, knowing what she implied. In all honesty, he still didn't mention much about his past. Knowing how to read and write wasn't too common in Blackwater after all.
"I can, at the very least, sort them out for you."
Vaesa sighed, a weight being lifted off her heart. "That would be great, thanks."
Ezek nodded and went to work, casting a cursory glance over the documents before sorting them as best he could. Not long after, his eyebrows slowly rose. "Ves, check this out."
Grabbing the paper from Ezek, Vaesa read the contents before her expression slowly turned more confused. She looked up at Ezek. "What's wrong with this?"
Handing her another document he just read, Ezek responded. "Isn't it weird for someone to enter the academy in the middle of the semester?"
Reading through the second paper, Vaesa's expression lit up before she frowned again. She ignored Ezek's question. She understood what he was hinting at.