"The agreement is that we are not allowed to fight in the tent of others, not the one you are proclaiming. And he hasn't signed any papers from what I can see, so he's free to choose," Joel replied, unflinching.
"Get the fuck out of here, or you'll feel my wrath!" Max shouted, pointing his palm at Joel. Without warning, a concentrated gust of wind shot toward Joel. However, Joel seemed to have anticipated the attack. He summoned a transparent barrier in front of him, which absorbed the gust, dispersing it into harmless wisps of air that swirled around the tent before disappearing.
"Is that it?" Joel asked, his voice calm. "Resorting to brute force already? Young child, from the looks of it, you are quite intelligent. I advise you not to join these brutes and sully your name. Come to us, and we'll provide far better facilities and knowledge." Joel's gaze shifted to Aric, who stood dumbfounded.
Aric had seen Gopher perform magic before, but never in combat. This was the first time he'd witnessed an actual confrontation. When Max summoned the wind, Aric quickly realized that this seemingly simple trick could easily be fatal if it hit him. But Professor Joel had countered it effortlessly. The more Aric saw of magic, the more determined he became to make the best out of his own potential.
"Now, now… quite the spectacle, isn't it?" another voice chimed in as Joel and Max appeared ready for another round. Gopher had already positioned himself protectively in front of Aric. He felt lucky to have met Aric, who had brought not only a large sum of money but now, with his apparent high-level talent, would be able to secure entry into any prestigious school.
Yes, the crystal ball had just declared that Aric possessed extraordinary talent in wind magic. A talent of this caliber in such a remote area was unheard of. Most schools here were used to dealing with students of low to mid-level talent, with mid-level being rare. High-level talent, however, was like encountering a dragon—something almost mythical that a school could only hope to encounter with great fortune.
Joel and Max turned to see who had spoken. Multiple individuals entered the tent, each dressed in mage attire, clearly representatives from various schools. Aric never expected such a scene on his examination day.
Joel's gaze sharpened, visibly annoyed by the interruption, but he said nothing. Max, still seething, clenched his fists. The fragile control of the situation was slipping away.
"Quite the gathering," one of the newcomers remarked. He was tall, with long silver hair cascading down his back, and his mage robes bore the crest of the prestigious Aetherion Academy. "And all for one boy?"
The others from the schools nodded, their expressions unreadable but clearly intrigued. Aric swallowed hard. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he would draw this level of attention during what was supposed to be a routine examination.
"What's your name, boy?" one of the men asked, his gaze locked on Aric.
"His name is Aric, and I am his mentor," Gopher interjected, stepping forward. Inside, he was overjoyed but maintained a calm exterior. The man who had asked the question didn't seem pleased by Gopher's interference but said nothing.
"You've caused quite a stir, young man. A high talent in wind magic? That's exceedingly rare. Schools from across the empire, and even neighboring empires, would fight to have someone of your caliber. I see some already are," he said with a glance toward Max.
Max glared at the newcomer but held his tongue. His earlier bravado had faded in the presence of so many powerful mages. Joel, however, remained unfazed.
"Azryn," Joel greeted the silver-haired mage coolly. "I should have known Aetherion would be sniffing around here. This is not your concern."
"Oh, but it is," Azryn replied smoothly. "The boy's future concerns us all, does it not? We all see his potential, and we all know the laws. No one can lay claim to a student until he has made his own choice."
Aric's mind raced. He'd always known he had some talent, but this—this was beyond anything he could have imagined. The power, the resources, the knowledge he could gain... it was all within his grasp.
"Don't let them intimidate you, lad," Gopher whispered. "You're free to choose. Take your time. You don't have to join the Windfall School. You deserve better."
Aric wasn't intimidated, though he had been expecting a spectacle if his time or space talent was discovered. He still held onto the belief that those abilities hadn't been revealed yet. But hearing Gopher's words reassured him that his mentor had his back.
Aric smiled at Gopher before addressing the crowd. "Thank you for the enthusiasm and invitations. I haven't decided which school to join yet. Would you mind if I look around first and then make a decision?"
The faces of the newcomers fell slightly, clearly disappointed that their attempts to intimidate the young mage had failed. It became obvious that Aric had a good head on his shoulders, which only made them more eager to recruit him.
Talent was just one part of being a mage, but character mattered more—at least to some schools. With bright expressions, the newcomers left, leaving Joel and Max fuming. Max glared daggers at Gopher, his anger barely contained.
Joel too left after this leaving Max and Gopher alone with the silent young man and Aric.
"It's your fault." Max said.
"How is it my fault. I don't have the high level talent. Neither I knew about this." Gopher defended himself.
"Don't play hide and seek with me. Children of high level talent show massive intellect and some form of magic early. You didn't notify me or the school about this. The school will charge you for betrayal and hiding information." Max said.
"I have already paid the school last year, so I don't owe the school anything. If anyone needs to worry about is you. Let me see how you will explain to he Principal of how you let a high level talent miss you even after being assessed here. I was expecting to see Loriel here. Sad that sent someone very incompetent." Gopher didn't seem to hold back his words now since Max had wanted to throw him under the bus.
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