"Just as I thought."
"Hmm?"
"May I hear your reasons for that."
"I hope you are not trying to convince me, I already talked to Marcus about this. There's nothing for me at the academy if I can't use magic."
"But you can."
"You call that magic? Actual magic requires a spell even the silent ones requires minute incantations and gestures."
"Correct."
"I can't do either, so there's no point in getting admitted."
"Hmm"
"I know you don't talk much but please stop responding with short sentences. It's annoying."
"Okay"
"??"
"Alright, fine. I've heard you. Well, the reason why I came to meet you is that I have proposition for you."
"I'm listening."
"What do you think about studying at the Iyun province?"
"I've not thought about it. So I don't know."
"Oscar, you have a brilliant mind, most of your ideas show sagacity which is a talent that cannot be ignored."
"I appreciate the compliment."
"I'm not complimenting you, I'm stating the obvious."
I just shrugged, urging her to continue.
"We dark mages may seem secretive."
"Well that's because you are."
"For good reason. We are also capable of healing though not in the way you might think."
"Go on."
"We carry out research on different fields. If you haven't noticed the kingdom still uses the knoll technology from ages ago without any sort of improvement on it. Why do you think so?"
"I think even if they abhor it, they don't have a choice but to use it."
"That's part of it, however, the reality of the situation is, they don't know how to improve it."
"That might be true, but how do you know?"
"I have my ways."
"Oh don't give me that." I rolled my eyes.
She chuckled before going on to explain.
"We have been making minor breakthroughs in our research. Especially in the medical field. In spite of that."
"The King doesn't care, does he?"
"No, he doesn't. The light mages have wondrous healing abilities, so a breakthrough like that doesn't interest them."
"You have a point, the only information that might draw their attention is an invention of new weaponry."
"Exactly, which is why I had to meet you today. What do you think about medical science?"
"???"
*******
"I'm not expecting a response now. You can tell me when you're ready."
"Alright, I'll let you know when I've decided."
Oscar saw Myra off as she left the manor, going back to the province."
"Huu..." He sighed.
Medicine, a substance that when ingested or consumed in some way, promotes healing.
Before the knolls came to Soraxia, what was used to treat injuries apart from healing magic were potions created by alchemists. The requirements for someone to become an alchemist was strict, and what deterred people from pursuing the profession was, the condition that the alchemist needed to have an affinity with water or light. If not, there was no future for such person in the profession.
When Knolls arrived, they showed humans another way of healing which was through the production of medicine through combination of different substances and organisms making them undergo alterations through different processes. They introduced us to what we now call drugs. It was after the war we discovered that we barely scratched the surface on the knowledge of drugs. The Knolls only taught us what they wanted us to know, not everything they knew. This was one of humanity's biggest shame, being puppeteered into giving out all our strengths and weaknesses while gaining almost nothing in return.
Presently, people involved in the medical profession are dark mages, residing at the Iyun province.
"Well, that's also an option to consider."
*****
The day for the high school graduates to finally receive their certificates came.
There was no ceremony or anything of the sort. The graduates just had to come, collect their certificates and a written recommendation from the head of the school, this served as a criteria for gaining admission to an institution of their choice.
Some students just came and went away immediately, others stuck around a bit to chat with their friends before deciding to leave together or separately.
Presently the top graduates of the imperial high were together. For the past six months they have gone through tremendous amounts of training to cast basic magic.spells, polish their skills, and cultivate their magical abilities. It felt like they were waiting for someone to show up. Sarah and Paul wanted to see how Oscar had changed, they were confident of being able to defeat him in a fight and currently desired nothing more than to rub their success in his face.
Anya wore a bright expression on her face knowing that Oscar was bound to face embarrassment today. Joshua was in a state of schadenfreude, taking pleasure in the fact that Oscar was no longer the 'genius'.
Marcus wanted to make a last attempt at convincing Oscar to attend the academy even if he had to fight him.
Myra, however, was waiting for Oscar's response to her proposal.
Regardless, they were all gathered together none initiating a conversation, while waiting for the prodigy turned failure.
There were some onlookers who were expecting something to happen, since these guys don't usually gather for nothing they suspected the reason to be Oscar and chose to observe.
They were all waiting for him to show up, and show up he did.
A bronze-skinned young man with black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a regal attire, stepped out of the teleportation portal outside the school. His aura exuded grace and elegance, his eye shone with pride as his steps were neither fast nor slow. His ambitious display made it look as if everything was beneath him.
Paul and Joshua were slack-jawed. Anya was puzzled, "did Oscar go throuh an awakening?" she muttered in a voice only she could hear but Sarah overheard it and felt a bit perplexed, her facial expression turning sour.
The onlookers were apparently befuddled, "I thought he failed the test?" Incoherent murmurs came from the small group of people present.
They were hoping to see an embarrassed and broken Oscar, but he still looked the same, in fact he seemed better than before.
Myra subtly smiled.
Oscar stepped into the office of the head to collect the certificate and letter. Not that he needed the letter though. It was just a formality for him. As soon as he stepped out of the office he was approached by Paul.
"Hey Oscar, how's it going? It's been a minute." Paul said with a mocking smile on his face.
Oscar was no fool, he knew Paul and Joshua were no longer concerned with being his friends. After his result, he came to know them for who they really were. They only befriended him for his status and prospects, now that it all fell apart, they decided to show their real personalities around him.
This might have hurt him to a significant extent but he maintained a calm expression.
"Oscar we need to talk." Marcus interrupted as he stood in front of Paul.
He knew these guys were up to no good. The way Paul and Joshua turned their backs on their own friend the moment they discovered he wouldn't amount to something disgusted him.
His plan today was to challenge Oscar to a spar whilst making a bet for the loser to do whatever the winner demands. This was the young boy's way of trying to persuade him.
"If it's about the enrollment, then forget it Marcus."
"Still..."
"Haa! Don't tell me you're trying to convince this trash to get enrolled into the academy? Haha! How amusing." Paul said in between laughs, treating Marcus' actions as comical.
"Huh, you still see him as rival? Grow up Marcus, he's not on our level anymore." Sarah uttered in dissatisfaction.
"Shut up! All of you!" Marcus growled in anger as he looked at them.
"Why should we listen..." Sarah was about to say something but stopped when Marcus revealed his magical aura.
They were stunned, Marcus had already reached syne-one as a mage. One thing to note is that after awakening, the core of the mage still has to grow while the mage is training in order to reach syne one. A mage that is not yet at syne-one is still able to cast spells but the efficiency of the spell is still too weak, and they lack the stamina required to cast more than three spells per day.
However, it doesn't take too long to reach syne-one, it is usually between seven and nine months. But Marcus got to syne-one at the sixth month. This was unbelievable.
Oscar seemed silent but was surprised. He expected it, from the way Marcus talked before, he knew something was up. Nevertheless he was still surprised.
He lightly smiled as he pat Marcus on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about them, what they say doesn't matter."
"But..."
"Leave it be."
Marcus took a deep breath as his aura subsided."