(Klaus's PoV)
After months of work and work without resting I finally increased my rank to Low-level Tier-1. There was a chance that I could reach a higher stage but I didn't want to stand out.
As the son of an archduke and one of the successful merchants, I already stand out a lot.
All these days I was under the protection of my father. Now that I am going to enter the academy, that protection would weaken.
Even as an Archduke, my father's power would wane in the capital.
First, there is the royal family, then whoever was associated with them, and the ministers of the court would hold a lot more power than an archduke in the capital. Once outside, unless it is the royal family, most are below the archduke.
Moreover, unlike in Kralin and when I went out to visit my family in Ibben or to establish restaurants in other towns and cities, I can't bring my guards into the academy. They can only escort me to the academy but they can't stay with me. The closest thing would be staying at the capital, which is adjacent to the academy.
Even if I stay it is adjacent, the academy is huge. From what I heard, its size is more than half the size of the capital.
Moreover, it has six dungeons inside its area, to which only the staff and students of the academy have access.
The dungeons they have are 1 F-rank, 2 E-rank, 1 D-rank, and 2 C-rank dungeons.
Unlike humans whose power is measured as Tier, the power system of monsters ranges from F to S ranks.
Humans can improve their ranks by consuming cores or by meditation. The upgrade of power using meditation would only be useful when one is at Tier-0. After crossing to Tier-1, meditation is solely used for refining monster cores and upgrading their power.
Though one can up their rank by meditation, it would take years to do so. As the tier goes up, so does the time required for meditation. So most wouldn't concentrate on meditation after reaching Tier-1 unless they are poor or weak to gain cores.
For me though, it won't be a problem. When I was using the meditation technique, I felt how the mana surged around me and pulled towards me. My body greedily accepted everything. Even after reaching higher tiers, I don't need to cry for monster cores, all I would need would be a mana-rich environment.
From what I hear, dungeons are the most mana-rich environments in this world.
I can reach unprecedented heights, heights one never thought existed. Though for the time being that would be not possible not until I get myself an elemental root. Mana may be the base for magic but elemental energy is required to gain upper ranks. Without it how much you try, your road would always be blocked.
This is a future problem, for now, there is another.
After eleven months of hard work, I went back to Ibben. It is almost time for Imperial Academy's entrance test. I can go alone but for the sake of formalities, my father or a guardian needed to attend. From Ibben we would hire a flying mount to the capital.
I packed everything I would need in the academy. We already decided that after I get admitted to the academy, I would stay back at the academy.
The academy courses would start almost a month after the test and so the students could stay back or could come at the start of the courses. Father needed to stay in the capital for something, so Mother and sister would be joining us as well.
My brothers were already in the capital, so those two would be left behind. So they joined the party in the capital.
The test would be conducted in a few days and I'm not nervous about failing but at what position would I stand in the newcomers?
As I said before the top would get greater resources. My brothers already informed me about this.
It felt like some academy arc cliche novel when I heard these details.
In the academy, the currency used is Academy Points. To get resources, one has to pay with these points. Everything in the academy can only be bought with these points or as rewards in competitions.
This test is one such competition.
Everyone who passed the test would get points but there would be a large margin of gap between the number of points gained by the first ranker and the last ranker. In addition, the amenities offered differ too.
If you want a potion, you need points. If you want to eat, you need points. Everything revolves around points
If you want to gain points, you can work in the academy facilities or do the missions available in the Mission Hall.
The twist here is that one can convert points to gold but not vice versa. This is so that the rich won't take advantage of the resources. The academy accepts the talent of power, not the talent of spending.
Though only fools would convert points to gold unless they are leaving the academy. The price of an item offered in the academy would be lesser than what was offered outside.
With my improved status, I don't need to be afraid of losing or gaining a low number of points.
--
Name: Klaus Von Emsier
Age: 15 (11 months)
Race: Human
Class: Mage, low-level Tier-1
Element Affinity: None
Attack: 6 (2)
Defense: 5 (2)
Intelligence: 12
Mana: 120+300 (240)
Magical Attack: 15 (8)
Magical Defense: 12 (8)
Vitality: 8 (3)
Charm: 8
Luck: 3
Skills: Touch of Gluttony, Will of Gluttony, Touch of Sloth, Will of Sloth, Touch of Pride, Will of Pride, Analysis (Lv.1)
Spells: Mana Shield, Mana Bullet, Mana Burst
Sin Points: 46,000
--
The question is how many would I gain?