The school gate opens, and I enter accompanied by Roan and my Father.
-The King stayed?
- Yes. Don't misunderstand; it seems like his son and daughter, that are twins are entering the academy this year, and after hearing that, you postponed, they postponed theirs too.
- Father, you're talking about the second prince and the first princess, right?
- Yes.
- Why did they postpone theirs?
- I don't know either. It could be nothing more than pride, or it could be that they also wanted the attention, or an even simpler one would be that they wanted to compete with you. Who knows.
- Compete? I'm not trying to compete with anybody, though.
- I guess you don't understand. You had the guts to make the King, as well as the four great Duke family and the rest of the noble world, plus the academy staff, wait for you. That can only imply two things: either you're a fool, or you have an extreme amount of confidence and the skills to back it up.
- Hmmm... I see. I feel quite bad for those siblings.
- Why?
- It's pretty simple, Father. Today I intend to overshadow everyone regardless of their origins which, of course, include the children of the King. What do you think will happen if I do that in front of all nobility and the King?
-I see. Since they'll make the royal family lose face, the King will be quite angry. But that's only if you actually manage to overshadow them.
- That's something you do not have to worry about, Father. What you should worry about is your relationship with King. How do you think he'll feel after three genius are born into one family, and that family is one of the four Duke? That is right after him in terms of influence and political power.
- I didn't take you for the type to be interested in such things..... however, if that's something you think will affect our family relationship with the King, you don't need to worry; after all, the King and I are childhood friends we've known each other ever since we were kids.
"Childhood friend, that's my first time hearing of this. I knew they were quite close because they fought on the frontlines together, but it is my first time hearing my father call someone a friend. It seems like they are closer than I thought."
- You don't need to worry about the King's children. Just do whatever you want to do.
The King has three wives and five kids. From the first wife was born the first prince and the third. The second one gave birth to the twins, and the third wife had a daughter five years ago.
- We're here, sir, young master.
Roan opens the door of the ceremonial hall. The ceremonial hall is where the coming-of-age ceremony is performed. It's a building located inside the land where the academy stands tall while being isolated from every other building. Nobody can enter it without permission from the principal except during the coming-of-age ceremony.
As soon as I walk in, I can feel it, the countless stares coming from the children sitting on the countless bench in the ceremony hall and those from the second floor. However, the strongest stress comes from those on the third floor where the three Duke and the King are. I walk up to the very first bench and stand in front of it while my father and Roan go up to the third floor via a magic circle.
- My name is Noah Arcadios. I am the third son of the current Arcadios bloodline. As well as today's last person to undergo the ceremony.
- Before you, start the priest, there are two others.
The first one to walk up to the meters tall transparent stone is the second prince, Gancelot Fayrak.
-The ceremony is quite simple, second prince. When you'll place your hand on the stone, your energy will start to agitate when that happens, all you need is to make the energy move towards your hands, and from then on, the stone will then absorb the energy, and one of those three phenomena will happen. One, if you're a mana user, the stone color will change toward whatever element you have an affinity for. Two, if you are a ki user, Cracks will appear on the stone. And lastly, if you're a prana user, the stone will shine.
- It's indeed quite simple. He answers
He puts his hand on the stone. After a few seconds, the stone turns green.
- Congratulation to the second prince. You are a mana user with a wind affinity.
In this Kingdom, magicians are highly respected, while martial artists and prana users are respected. They are not as respected and admired.
- First princess, it is your turn.
The first princess now walks up to the stone. She puts her hand on the stone, and the stone turns red.
- Congratulation to the first princess Julianna Fayrak. You are also a mana user with a fire affinity.
-Third son of Duke Arcadios, Noah Arcadios, it is now your turn.
Honestly, I highly doubt that the stone will be able to sense Aura. After all, it is an energy that has never existed, and the stone never absorbed it before. Therefore I need to be tested in another way.
- I just have one question.
- Go ahead.
-Do the kingdom possess other of these?
-We do, actually, have two others.
- Phew, I'm glad I thought that I would be the last in the Kingdom's history to pass the coming-of-age ceremony.
-What exactly do you mean?
I place my hands on the stone and, in one go,I release all the Aura I had stored inside my body, and just like I wanted, BOOOOOOMMM, the stone exploded.
The smoke clears up, and I can see it again all the stares but this time, all of them are full of multiple feelings; The most present one was, surprise.
- Well, at least we have others.
- Wait, sir Noah! We don't know what your energy is due to the explosion.
- I know it's mana with a lightning affinity.
-how do you know?
- How you say because I already formed my first mana heart
In the crowd, you can hear multiple questions are being asked. I look at my second brother and say with my lips, and no sound.
- I told you.
From the third floor, the King starts.
- Silence.
All the noise in the hall quite down
- Is that true, Luke?
-I cannot answer your question, your highness, since I also didn't know such a thing was possible.
- He doesn't seem to be lying..... FINE! Let's have a little test, shall we?
- You want me to prove my ability through a test, your highness? I answer.
-That's right. First, recover your mana since it seems like the rock sucked away a considerable amount of it. Then you'll have a battle with an opponent that i'll choose for you. Is that alright with you?
"Why is he even asking when there's nobody that can go against his words."
- that's fine by me!
Gancelot comes toward me and grabs me by the collar
-How dare you speak to my father in such manners and tone.
- Gancelot. Stop it.
- But Father...
- Do I need to speak twice?
- Of course not.
He lets go and goes back to his bench.
[On the third floor]
-What do you think, Luke? Even if, as he said, he already possesses a mana heart, is it possible for a mana heart to possess such an amount of mana?
-No. Only those who have built at least four mana heart comes to the realization that everybody that possess mana can forge mana hearts. How much one can forge depends on their talent, but there are some to who that rule doesn't apply to; Geniuses. That rule doesn't apply to them because they are able to forge mana hearts that are bigger than the normal mana heart. How big depends on the person, so there is no way to know.
- In other words, your family birthed another genius, and it is impossible to know how big his mana heart is.
- That's right. answers Luke. What do you think, Yoan?
- My mana hearts are also bigger than normal, but at my first heart, I wasn't able to have such an amount of mana stored inside mine.
-Are you saying that the mana hearts that he forges are bigger than yours? The King asks
-I believe so.