Magic had four major categories.
Spells
Runes
Enchantments
Enhancements
Spells were the specialty of most who applied at the Magic Institute since it was so diverse and required countless training and expertise to master—not to mention formal education.
Runes also required these, but only a few individuals had interest in it to begin with.
As for Enhancements and Enchantments, they were mostly used by adventurers and warriors—not requiring formal education but countless years of training and experience.
While it is true that some honed and polished their Enchantments and Enhancement skills in the Institute, Spells were still the most popular and had the highest demand.
And for budding young ones like the examinees, Spells were their strongest point.
Even Ciara, who was not proficient in any Magic type, had some proficiency in Spells.
This was because Spells were considered versatile and more prestigious than the others.
Plus simple Spells were easier to master than Enchantments, Enhancements, or Runes.
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"Thank you for your guidance Mr. Noir" Ciara silently thanked her tutor.
If not for him, she would definitely have flopped every test, and her success in the Spell exams would still be uncertain.
"Now, For the final part of this examination, we have the Spell test!" The Moderator gave a cheerful voice.
The examinees were roused, ready to give their all in the one thing they were confident about.
"Of course, you won't be engaging in anything as difficult as a duel. In fact, there will be no battle at all."
Some of the examinees were relieved to hear this, but most of them were disappointed. This was their moment to shine in combat and yet that had been truncated.
"The rules are simple." The Moderator silenced the grumbles that leaked out of the crowd.
"You will take turns and move to the front of the stage and use your most effective Spell. Mind you, it doesn't have to be your most destructive or flashy.
What we are after is your level of control and the degree of 'Proficiency' you have in it.
Therefore, using a Spell you are most familiar with is best advised."
"OHHHH…" The crowd hummed in response.
"But there's nothing wrong in using a flashy or destructive Spell, is there?"
Everyone glanced in the direction of the inquisitor. It was none other than the same sly noble who had raised the first question at the start of the exams.
Ciara was annoyed by the boy's silliness, and she didn't bother hiding her glare.
'Why am I so agitated? It's not even my business.'
"Of course not. You can use whatever Spell you feel most comfortable with. The more powerful, the better." The Moderator answered calmly.
"Anything else?"
Nobody responded.
"Then, let us begin." He concluded his address with a tone of finality.
Even though the Moderator outwardly appeared unhinged by the boy's impudence, Ciara felt from his tone that the elderly man was fairly annoyed with the boy too.
'So I'm not the only one. Haa—'
The venue suddenly shook, causing Ciara and the rest of the students to tremble in surprise.
"A-ah…?"
Ciara watched as a higher platform appeared—a bit higher than the ground floor, but still a tall distance from the seat of the Judges and the Moderator.
The latter was standing on a floating platform, hovering above the examination ground floor as he watched everyone.
"As I call your names, climb to the platform and perform your Spells.
There is no time limit, but do know that every second used to cast your Spell will be taken into account."
The examinees obeyed their Moderator, each taking turns to climb the higher platform to give their best performance.
"I'm so nervous…" Ciara murmured as she observed everyone give their all.
Noir had spent the previous day teaching her only about Runes, Enchantments and Enhancements since she was entirely poor in those areas.
He didn't have any time to focus on Spells.
The only thing he did was teach her an Incantation for a Spell. She never even got the chance to use it even once.
"Haa, what should I do? That Spell is my best bet. Why did I slack off so much in my Magic Training before now?"
Ciara didn't really have much interest in improving her Magic or even getting into the Institute before meeting Noir.
But now?
'I don't want to fail!'
Mr. Sly Noble—as Ciara dubbed him—took the next turn just as she was lost in thought.
He climbed the elevated platform, smirking at her for some reason she could not fathom.
When she noticed this, Ciara instantly made a gagged expression—obviously disgusted.
"Tch! I'll show you." The brat growled under his breath as he began gathering his Mana.
"Come upon your chosen one, oh great flames of wrath and consume your target."
"[Fiery Blast]" His voice roared.
>VWUSH!<
Flames emerged from the tip of his stretched-out palm.
The blazing construct instantly charged at the vacant wall in front of him, dispersing in a marvelous glow of crimson.
>BOOOOM!<
The heat was intense, enough to make the caster squint his eyes.
The other examinees marveled at his display too, their eyes glimmering with the blazing glow of his Spell.
As the young ones watched this amazing sight, the Moderator critically examined the spell with a mature gaze.
'[Fiery Blast], a Tier 1 Spell of the highest caliber. It's known to be the most destructive Spell belonging to the Tier 1 Fire Attribute, so casting one successfully is a big deal.'
"So he wasn't just a loudmouth, after all…" The man lightly chuckled as he stroked his beard.
Cheers and wows, evidence that everyone was astonished.
The sly noble staggered a bit, obviously drained due to his spell, but managed to regain his posture.
"Heh." He gave a cocky smile, certain that he had made his indelible mark.
As he walked off the stage, the boy glanced in Ciara's direction. Though he was plenty exhausted, his pride had skyrocketed to an unimaginable degree.
"Beat that!" He whispered before moving to the place where those who had concluded their Spell exams sat.
"Jerk…" Ciara was terribly annoyed that the boy called her out.
Because of that, everyone was looking in her direction for a reaction.
"Next, Ciara De Versace Dunroe." Even the Moderator's gaze contained some form of expectation as he called her out.
'Haa, whatever…' She sighed.
"I guess I have no choice… I just have to trust Sir Noir."
Ciara was done being nervous, so she decided to simply give it her all. At the very least, she did considerably well in the other Magic types…
Upon climbing the stage and preparing her heart for the challenge ahead, Ciara took a deep breath as she began her chant.
"Rage and roar, oh great pillar of nature. Whirl and swirl, dance and cry. Sing with your rumbling melody. Come and make your voice known!" She said with her eyes closed, totally cut off from her surroundings—unaware of what was happening.
A huge whirlwind began encompassing her, destroying anything within a few meters from where she stood.
As the platform she stood on rumbled, the faces of the examinees filled with fear and awe.
Even the Sly noble shuddered with disbelief.
Still, Ciara was lost in the Spell that she did not stop pouring her Mana into the process. And so, her lips parted to utter the name of the Spell.
"[Sylph's Whisper]"
"T-That's… That's a Tier 2 spell… Impossible!" The flustered sound of someone in the audience woke Ciara from her delirious state.
As her eyes popped wide open, she looked around her—noticing how everyone looked at her with such surprise.
However, their shock did not even compare to hers once she noticed the surrounding whirlwind that encompassed her.
Ciara was lost in a powerful torrent of wind that shook the very platform she stood on.
"A-ah… what have I done?" A whisper leaked out as she felt the wind rise in power.
The young girl's eyes closed once more, and an image flashed in her mind.
'What have you taught me… Sir Noir?'