Blaze woke up the next morning and performed his regular morning workout before getting ready for school. As he stood by the train station, Blaze couldn't help but notice the sparse crowd of students. Although it unsettled him, he knew the importance of observing his surroundings and decided to focus on his own business.
Aphrodite said while eyeing Blaze from the side, "Come to think of it, the scroll—"
"Has nothing to do with me. It's just a coincidence," Blaze cut her sternly.
"So, have you thought of the weapon to use? Choosing a weapon that matches your element will enhance its destructive power." Aphrodite changed the topic because Blaze didn't want to talk about it.
"I think a whip will be the most appropriate weapon," Blaze replied almost instantly.
"Good. You've got an answer in your mind. Liam inspired you?" Aphrodite asked curiously.
Blaze stared at her for a moment, noticing that she was talking more than her usual self.
However, he decided to answer. "Yeah. But his technique is too brutish. It wouldn't fit my element. So, I already envisioned a technique, but I need to see the basics of a whip to polish what I have in mind."
"Should I be expecting a miraculous, godly technique?" Aphrodite squealed.
"I'm no god. Just a mere mortal," Blaze replied offhandedly.
The screeching sound of the train drew his attention back.
Blaze stepped onto the halted train but refrained from talking to Aphrodite in the presence of the students.
—
Blaze alighted last from the train when they got to the class. He noticed that the prior isolation just increased. Everybody kept a minimum distance of six meters from him.
"I guess smashing the other rich kid's face is problematic," Blaze muttered but was too lazy to work his brain over spilled milk.
"Yeah. You should learn to pull your punches. Sometimes you have to lose," Aphrodite advised as she looked around.
"The bastard was aiming at my eyes: he planned to blind me. But I will take your advice. Just inform me when I've crossed the line," Blaze replied before walking into the class.
He walked to his seat in the middle. Like the previous time, the surrounding seats were deserted. A weak sigh escaped his lips. He tried to be a normal, hidden student, but they kept pushing him into the limelight.
Without dwelling on his current situation, he sat down and closed his eyes, enjoying the serenity. The seat abruptly shook, signaling the presence of a person.
He opened his eyes slowly before turning to the left.
"What do you want?" Blaze asked coldly.
"Woah! Your stern face can frighten the devil. Can you smile a little?" Robin leaped backward and said.
"The class is scanty because they want us to absorb mana. Beautiful mana," Robin said after Blaze's face remained indifferent after the first joke. However, after waiting for a while, Blaze's stern face grew even colder, he knew Blaze wasn't the type to joke. He went straight to the point.
"Can we talk outside?" Robin whispered close to Blaze's ear.
Blaze stared at Robin for a moment before walking out without waiting for him.
When he got outside, he just kept walking without stopping. The pace of his steps also increased.
"Hey, I mean wait by the class. You walk too fast," Robin said after he caught up with Blaze, before bending and placing his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. He had to run to meet Blaze. Unbeknownst to Robin, Blaze led him far from the class, prepared to beat the hell out of him if he proved to be wasting his time.
"State your objective," Blaze said with a cold tone and a predatory gaze fixed on Robin as if he was ready to attack at the slightest provocation.
Robin flinched before spilling his objective with a whisper, "Do you know the absurd test is a scheme by the nobles?" But he started with a question.
His question made Blaze squint for a moment before he retracted his frostiness and released the tension in the air.
"Let's go talk at a better location," Blaze said casually and walked off in an unseemly random direction. Robin followed silently. After walking for five minutes without seeing any suitable location, Robin was starting to feel impatient.
As they approached a short tree, Robin scoped out the surroundings and marveled at the serenity of the spot. The rustling leaves created a soothing background noise, and the low canopy of the tree nearly touched the ground, creating a natural archway that they had to bend to enter. Blaze had discovered the location by chance, his gaze drawn to the tree as the train passed by in the distance. He had been lost in thought, staring out the window, when he caught a glimpse of the tree that camouflaged with its unimpressive surrounding landscape. Intrigued, he had made a mental note to explore the area later.
Now, as they stood under the tree's arching branches, Robin felt a sense of peace wash over him. The interior of the tree was surprisingly spacious, with enough room for them to move around comfortably. The low-hanging canopy of the tree obscured the view of anyone outside, making it impossible for them to see who was underneath. However, those beneath the tree could see outside through the gaps in the leaves.
"You can talk now," Blaze said calmly, no longer frosty as before. They were both standing, facing each other.
"Did you know the absurd test is a scheme by the nobles?" Robin asked solemnly.
"You've asked that before. I don't have all day," Blaze replied impatiently.
"Take it easy. Maybe it's a memorized speech. He can't just start from anywhere, or he might forget the rest of the memorized content," Aphrodite chided Blaze, but he feigned deafness.
"The Dragon Light Academy always admits 80% children of nobles and 20% civilians. However, a protest occurred to demand an equal quota of noble and civilian students. The protest began as playful, but it quickly escalated as the majority of the civilians joined the protest. The workforce nearly crumbled under the pressure.
"Eventually, the nobles had to compromise and agree to a 50-50 quota for noble and civilian children. However, many nobles were unhappy about allowing 'lowly peasants' to receive the same quota as them." Robin narrated the story solemnly, turning to Blaze to gauge his reaction. But Blaze's lazy and impassive expression nearly made Robin choke on his saliva.
Robin had to inhale deeply to calm himself before continuing his story. "So, they devised an impossible test to weed out the 'lowly peasants.' The students will be given just two weeks to liquefy their mana after admission – a feat that only the most talented and experienced magic users could hope to achieve without external help. For most of the civilian children, it is an insurmountable challenge. Because it's impossible, most of you might think the expulsion threat is fake. However, the opposite is the case. You will be expelled without sympathy. Only a handful of civilian students will pass the test."
His words made Blaze plunge into deep thought before he raised his head and asked, "Then how do the children of the nobles pass the test?"
"Mana stones. Even the lowest D-rank mana stone can fill and liquefy your mana core in three days," Robin responded enthusiastically, losing all his solemnity.
"How much is a mana stone?" Blaze asked, deducing that the mana stones are precious for civilians not to be able to afford them.
"Even with money, you can't buy mana stones. Every mana stone mine is regulated, owned, or rented by the nobles or royals. The nobles and royals used it instead and released small amounts to the public. The military and mage association gets more portions than the academy." Robin sighed as he spoke.
"What's your solution?" Blaze interjected as soon as Robin finished speaking.
"What do you mean by 'solution'?" Robin feigned ignorance.
"I bet, you didn't bring me here to tell me about problems without solutions. So, cut the chase and tell me why you called me out," Blaze retorted in a stern tone.
"Fine. I will tell you if you swear secrecy of the content," Robin said while throwing his face aside in a nonchalant manner, but his heart was thumping.
"I don't swear," Blaze replied, turning to walk away.
"Wait!" Robin called out when Blaze had reached the boundary of the canopy.
Blaze's lips curved into a smirk.
Blaze pivoted and strode back to Robin, then climbed and sat on a nearby branch.
Robin's face kept twitching as he was having an internal battle with himself to make a decision. Blaze waited patiently. After a period of silence, Robin finally spoke up.
"There is a carriage that will smuggle mana stones into the empire, through the Northern Green Forest. Because they would rather not attract attention, they sent a liquid core Awakened mage to escort the goods. If we rob them, we could scale through the test effortlessly," Robin said after making up his mind.
Blaze leaped down from the branch and fixed his squinted, venomous gaze on Robin after noticing something amiss. He brought his face dangerously close to Robin's and stared intently into his eyes. However, this time around, Robin stood his ground and met Blaze's gaze with determined, unblinking eyes. The two of them locked eyes in a tense silence.