There was no applause after Magnus's match against Gozif, only stunned silence.
"Adept-level... Without a doubt, he's at the Adept-level; no, the Pseudo-Master? Just how old is he?" One of the academy professors asked, prompting the professor sitting next to him to answer in a breathless voice.
"If I remember correctly, he's only seventeen. That would make him the youngest Pseudo-Master mage in the history of Takerth Academy." Whether he was trained beforehand was an irrelevant point at this stage. If training a Pseudo-Master level mage or knight was that easy, it wouldn't be something only done by the military and the Ten Great Magic Academies, especially since the end result could be having members of your family powerful enough to stand against small armies once they fully reached the Master-level.
"But there's something off about his magic. It doesn't feel like he's using the mana that exists naturally, nor does it seem like he's pulling from a mana core. In fact, I can't sense any mana absorption at all; it's strange," another professor noted. After reaching the Master level, almost all the academy staff had some form of sensory magic active at all times, and they naturally detected the same abnormalities surrounding Magnus and his abilities as Lazitha had detected herself in the past.
And just like her, none of them had an answer to why.
However, higher up, in the seating area reserved for the four most important people in Takerth Academy, Vlaslor was clutching the arms of his chair with so much force that they were beginning to crack. His gaze was locked in the direction Magnus had left it as he uttered two words in a voice filled with disbelief.
"Ancient Magic..." It was the only logical conclusion he could come up with, and upon hearing those words, Eveline, with an intense look in her eye and a wide grin, looked over at him.
"Oh, you figured that out fast. It almost makes me feel a bit embarrassed about taking so long myself." Hearing that, Vlaslor turned to Eveline with an intense glare in his eyes.
"You know? You knew about this and didn't inform the Headmistress and me? Are you insane!?" Without even making a gesture, Vlaslor cast a spell that constructed a formless barrier, invisible to the naked eye, that encompassed the space around them, blocking out outside interference and sound.
"Hehe, and why would I do that and spoil the fun?" Seeing her playful expression, Vlaslor's frown only grew as a dangerous amount of mana began radiating from his body, so condensed and volatile that it cracked the ground beneath the foot of his chair.
"I've tolerated your blatant disregard up to this point, Eveline, for only one reason, and that's because you're related to the Headmistress. But your actions are getting too bold for your own good. If anyone had figured out just what kind of power that boy wielded and grabbed hold of him before we figured it out, the results could have been catastrophic!" As Vlaslor's tone rose, Eveline's smile began to straighten itself out as her eyes, which had mere moments ago carried hints of playfulness, narrowed into a sharp glare.
"Oh? Does little Vlaslor think that after becoming an Archmage, he can finally stand up to me? That's adorable..." The tension between Eveline and Vlaslor began to mount as they stared at one another. The formless barrier around them strained and began to buckle under the pressure. The academy staff, who were sitting closest to the barrier, suddenly felt their bodies freeze up.
But then a tap echoed through the silence. The mana mounting around Vlaslor's body suddenly vanished all at once as his gaze snapped over to where the Headmistress was sitting. The sound that had begun echoing through the air was from her gloved fingers tapping her armrest in a repeating pattern. The aura around Eveline returned to normal as well, turning away from Vlaslor as if she had lost interest.
"There's no need for you two to be at odds, especially now that something so wonderful has appeared right inside our academy. It might even be a reason to celebrate," the Headmistress said, sparking a look of surprise from Vlaslor.
"But, Headmistress! She-" Vlaslor began to protest but stopped abruptly when he saw the Headmistress casually lift a finger.
"I understand your concerns, Vlaslor, but they're unnecessary. If the boy truly possesses Ancient Magic, then there's no better place for him than here. Besides, we both know once Ancient Magic chooses its master, it can't be taken away," she explained, watching Vlaslor's expression shift through various emotions until he sighed in resignation.
"Alright... But even if we don't take action against the boy, he's already demonstrated his powers in front of the whole academy. While most mages might be unaware of Ancient Magic, it won't be long before the other Ten Great Magic Academies learn that we're sheltering a user of such power. Even as just a student, it could upset the balance."
The Ten Great Magic Academies wielded almost unrivaled power in the world. Three of these academies were located within the Batis Kingdom, a realm that was once much larger before the war between humans and non-humans began. Another five were situated in territories now known as the Golden Curena Kingdom and the Valots Empire.
The remaining two academies were built further inland, in regions once occupied by other nations that did not survive the early stages of the war. Those two academies now found themselves in a peculiar position, border-wise. Still, regardless of their location, each academy was more than capable of functioning independently, even if most of them were associated with a human kingdom.
The academies remained mostly neutral in the war, focusing solely on maintaining the magical order and educating the next generation of knights and mages. This neutrality was respected even by the non-human alliances in the war on humanity, even though almost every academy was predominantly filled with human students. After all, the academies held no sway over their graduates. As long as these former students abided by the rules, the academies left them to their own devices.
This autonomy extended to students who chose to participate in the war. The academies wouldn't offer protection in such cases unless the student was a once-in-a-generation talent deemed worthy of safeguarding. However, one thing was clear across all of the Ten Great Magic Academies: they were all equals.
Although it was natural for some academies to excel in certain areas while others were more average, the outcomes usually balanced out in the end. Even in terms of magical ability, no single academy outshone the others. But Ancient Magic was an entirely different matter. It had the potential to alter the state of the entire world, so naturally, it could also disrupt the balance between the academies.
Vlaslor, as the Vice Headmaster, understood all of this, and he knew Eveline did as well, which was why he had gotten so angry in the first place. But now that the Headmistress was telling him to leave Magnus be, he couldn't help but worry about the consequences.
"Oh Vlaslor... you worry about things so far in a future that won't arrive," the Headmistress said in an almost motherly voice. However, as she turned her head and glanced at him, the expression on her face was anything but. A mischievous grin hiding endless waves of enjoyment was stretched across her face, and her violet, predatory-like eyes locked onto his.
•
"Where did Luden go?" Sylas asked, glancing at Luden's empty seat.
"I'm not sure; however, he disappeared around the same time the match ended, so he likely went to go talk to Cain," Seraline replied, her expression thoughtfully mirrored by everyone in Luden's group. At this moment, each of them was visualizing how a fight between themselves and Cain would go.
"It's no use. No matter how I think about it, that guy's just an absolute monster," Syrna muttered, running her hand through her hair with a defeated sigh.
Meanwhile, deep in the winding halls of the Academy Arena, Luden and Magnus were having a conversation.
"You really put on quite the show. You might have gone a little bit overboard, though," Luden remarked, causing Magnus to tilt his head, his tone muffled by his mask.
"You think so? I thought it was pretty tame all things considered," Magnus replied. He hadn't really pushed himself in his fight against Gozif and didn't think he had overdone it.
"Of course you do; your gauge of strength isn't like most people's," Luden noted, a smile playing on his lips.
"Hmm, I guess that's true. Still, I'm keeping up my end of the deal, aren't I?" Magnus looked at Luden, waiting for confirmation.
"I suppose so. If I'm being honest, I was skeptical when you first proposed the idea to me. I knew that your abilities were impressive, but saying that you would not only take the number one spot in the Live Examination, but also win every match up to that point in a way that leaves no room for anyone to argue? It sounded crazy, even to me," Luden admitted.
"And now?" Magnus asked, curiosity edging his voice. Luden didn't respond right away, staring at Magnus for a moment.
"Now, I think I've got my work cut out for me back home if I'm to keep my part of the deal," Luden said, his gaze lingering on Magnus for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, both burst into laughter. Neither of them had said anything that was inherently funny, but for a moment, it felt as if everything about their exchange was hilariously absurd.
•
After the field was repaired once again, Magnus made his way back to the stands just in time to catch the start of the next few matches. Compared to the first two, these weren't nearly as thrilling; both Syrna and Sylas breezed through their bouts against two Apprentice-level mages without a hitch. Their victories were textbook examples of how matchups between Apprentice-level knights and mages usually unfolded, unlike Magnus's match against Gozif, which seemed to show the complete opposite.
Seraline also ended up winning her match, though, unlike the twins, she had gone up against another knight. Still, the difference in their skill levels and Aura Intensity, resulted in it being a completely lopsided match in her favor. Magnus wasn't all that interested in the various matches, only paying attention when he saw something new and wanting to commit it to memory.
But there was one thing that lingered in his mind as Blair's match arrived. Although they had been fighting like children at the time, he remembered Syrna mentioning something about Blair possessing some kind of lineage magic, which piqued his curiosity.
I don't remember Professor Eredim or Lazitha ever covering lineage magic in any of our classes, but based on the name and what Eveline mentioned in her library, it sounds like a type of magic inherited through one's family. I wonder how it differs from normal magic, though? I mean, if what Syrna said is true and Blair really was only invited into Luden's faction because of his family's lineage magic, then it must be pretty impressive.
As he had this thought, down in the arena, Blair had already taken his position, and so had his opponent, Fardeir, who was also a mage.
"Let the eighth match commence!" Eredim announced, his voice echoing through the arena as he teleported away. The moment the match began, both Blair and Fardeir started channeling; however, Fardeir's spell was cast faster. Unlike Velis, Fardeir didn't use a staff but a wand made of a mix of wood and a gold-like metal, with a gem adorning its tip. On the other hand, Blair appeared to only have a small orate knife on his person.
"Apprentice Class Elementrix, Flame Pythons!" Fardeir called out. Everyone watched as condensed mana shot from the tip of his wand, almost like a liquid in zero gravity. It climbed up, split constantly as it flowed through the air like a dividing river, and then congealed. The air around the mana heated up, and the mana itself changed color before each strand erupted into flames.
Those flames twisted through the air, fully forming into pythons and snakes made entirely of fire. Seeing this, Magnus's eyes lit up. He had been hoping to see more elementrix magic to copy it, and now he had the opportunity. But what he saw wasn't enough. His seat was too far from Blair and Fardeir to accurately replicate it, so he needed to see it a few more times.
But just as Fardeir finished casting his spell, Blair did something unexpected. Taking the knife in his hand, he pressed it against the palm of his other hand and, with a grin, dragged the blade across his skin. This caught everyone off guard, including Fardeir, as they had never seen Blair fight before. Blood immediately poured onto the ground from the fresh wound, but something was off about it.
The blood was darkening. No, it was more accurate to say the very color of his blood was changing to pitch black. Not only that, but it was spreading rapidly, far beyond the actual amount of blood spilled, creating a massive black spot on the dirt field around Blair.
"Lineage Magic: Phantasmal Dominion..." Hearing those words, Fardeir smirked and spoke.
"Ah, I see, so this is the Lineage Magic of the Reinholt Family? It's interesting; I've heard rumors, but I've never seen it for myself," he said.
"Well, then you should count yourself lucky; you'll be the first person in the Live Examination to act as a demonstration of its capabilities." Fardeir laughed at Blair's words, pointing his staff at him.
"Is that so!" At that moment, all five of the flame pythons Fardeir had created sprang into action, slithering high into the air before heading straight towards Blair from all directions, moving much faster than any normal person could. Yet, even seeing this, Blair seemed unperturbed, which Fardeir noticed.
I'm not sure exactly what his lineage magic does, so for now, I should play it safe. Keep my distance and hold off on any big spells until he shows his hand.
Just as Fardeir had that thought, Blair pressed his bloodied hand to the ground, which now looked like it had been stained with ink instead of blood.
"Spectral Manifestation: Scorch Ants!" At that moment, it looked as if the dark fluid that had stained the earth around Blair came to life, squirming and wriggling like a living mass before finally bursting into form. There were countless of them, each no bigger than a grain of rice. They were like tinted glass, partially see-through, only forming the outline of whatever insect they were meant to be replicating.
Yet despite their unreal nature, they quickly piled on top of one another, forming a wall around Blair just as the five flame pythons reached him. Opening their mouths, their burning fangs struck at the wall, exploding the moment their teeth sank deep enough. The flames roared in every direction as they burned the air and scorched the earth, with the combined explosion having enough force to shake the entire field.
Holding up his arm to protect his eyes from the shockwaves of the explosion, Fardeir didn't take his gaze off where Blair had been standing a moment ago. As the smoke cleared, he frowned as the barrier of insects came back into view. It looked almost completely unharmed, even after the massive explosion it had just endured. Up in the crowd, Magnus couldn't help but voice his confusion.
"I don't get it; what kind of magic is this?" Even after all his studying, he had never heard of a type of magic that would allow someone to summon phantasms like Blair was doing now. To his surprise, though, Sylas, who had been strangely silent since the match began, took the time to answer his question.
"The Phantasmal Dominion is the basis of the Reinolt Family's lineage magic. Almost all forms of lineage magic require the user's blood for activation; in this case, Blair's blood acts as a catalyst for his magic, creating a domain of darkness at his feet that functions like a summoning circle. In that space, Blair can create phantasms that can mimic not just the form but the abilities of almost any creature, as long as he has enough mana, of course..." Hearing that, Magnus made an 'oh' sound.
He did wonder how exactly Sylas knew so much about Blair's family's lineage magic, but he decided against asking, considering the twins and Blair seemed to have a strained relationship. Instead, he just voiced his amazement.
"Any creature, huh? If that includes mana beasts, then that's a pretty powerful ability." Even he knew that there were various types of mana beasts in the world. To have the ability to essentially summon any one of them made Blair an almost perfect counter to anything. After all, there would almost always be a perfect creature available to him to get him out of any situation.
"It's not simply any creature, Magnus; he can't simply conjure up whatever beast he wants. The limitation of Reinholt's lineage magic is that the user can only create phantasms of beings they have subjugated, captured themselves, and affixed with a special collar. Though considering Blair's family business, that's hardly a limitation," Luden explained, his tone steady.
"Hmm? Their family business? What kind of business does his family run? Are they zookeepers or something?" Magnus asked, but Luden shook his head. Once again, one of the twins spoke, but this time, it was Syrna. As she spoke, her voice was laced with a hint of anger, as if it were boiling under the surface instead of erupting for all to see.
"The Reinholt's Family business is slave trading. Whether it be beast or human..."