Well, that's not the reaction I expected.
Magnus had no idea what he had been anticipating, but it definitely wasn't this. As he looked around at the academy staff and professors, he noticed they were all glancing at each other, some whispering among themselves. It was strange—it almost reminded him of the bystander effect. Even Lazitha and Mulvin seemed caught up in it, exchanging glances before shaking their heads and sighing.
"Eh? What the hell is going on?" Syrna questioned, sitting up in the audience. She had fully expected every professor to jump at the chance to take Magnus as their disciple, bombarding him with offers. After all, he was probably the most talented student in the entire academy. Even Blair, sitting nearby, had a puzzled look on his face, while Sylas, who was sitting next to Syrna, spoke up.
"Is there something stopping them from taking him on?" It was the only explanation that made any sense to him.
As the students in the audience began to murmur, Eredim, standing down on the field, glanced from the professors' seating area to Magnus.
I suppose I should have seen this coming.
Magnus had been voted as a potential disciple by nearly every professor and academy staff member who wasn't already committed to picking someone else as their disciple or hadn't given away their vote. His talent was undeniable, especially considering he was the youngest Pseudo-Master level in Takerth Academy's history.
But there was one problem: none of them knew how to teach Magnus.
The Headmistress's directive had kept many of them closely observing Magnus. Not all the time, of course, but enough to notice one glaring fact: Magnus never trained or practiced in any conventional sense. He was capable of learning multiple forms of elementrix magic, yet even after gaining access to the Mage's Apprentice Compendium, he never so much as picked up a book on those forms of magic.
From their perspective, he just seemed to know the spells or learn them in a single day. And that was without even mentioning the fact that they didn't understand how his abilities worked. They couldn't sense his mana core, they couldn't figure out how he gathered mana to cast spells, or how he had the strength to lift pillars the size of multi-story buildings.
No matter how you look at it, he's a complete enigma. And you can't teach someone if you don't even understand what they're capable of or how they reached certain conclusions, no matter how talented they are.
Eredim's thoughts summed up the problem perfectly.
There was a reason teachers asked students to show their work—it allowed them to understand the student's thought process and give constructive feedback if they were making mistakes. But if the student simply wrote down the correct answer each time and nothing else, there was nothing the teacher could do.
"At this rate, he's going to end up without a master at all," Lazitha muttered to herself, clenching her teeth slightly. She had run into the same issue as everyone else. But at the same time, it would be a waste for a student with so much potential to be left on their own. That's why all the professors and academy staff were talking among themselves.
"Professor Zerth, why don't you take him on? He seems quite skilled with fire elementrix; surely there's something you could teach him," one professor suggested.
"Hmm, I'd love to, but if I'm honest, I still don't understand how his fire elementrix works. The way he changes its color and temperature without altering the compression of the flames or the reactions he's triggering to achieve that effect—it's stumped me for days," Professor Zerth replied, his voice tinged with frustration.
Similar conversations were happening across the board, and seeing this, Luden narrowed his eyes slightly as he thought to himself.
I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but it would be a complete waste if Magnus doesn't get a master after essentially winning the Live Examination.
In an instant, Luden began formulating ideas to solve the situation. Meanwhile, Magnus could only shrug to himself.
Oh well, I guess. It makes me feel a bit unwanted, but maybe it's for the best.
In the end, whether every professor raised their hand or none did, it wouldn't have changed the fact that Magnus had already decided who his master at Takerth Academy would be. Standing there, he looked up slightly and exchanged a glance with the blue-eyed woman who was smiling down at him, the two of them coming to a silent understanding.
The next moment, Eredim finally saw someone raise their hand; however, it wasn't any of the professors, nor was it the academy staff. His eyes widened as he looked up. Slowly, more and more people noticed what he was staring at, and they too were stunned.
"Holy shit..." one student muttered under their breath.
"Are they even allowed to participate?" another student asked his friend in disbelief.
"I- I mean, technically, they are part of the academy staff," the friend replied, still processing the situation.
At the center of the commotion, Vlaslor turned to look at Eveline, her hand clearly raised for all to see. The expression on his face was hard to read—was it anger or sheer confusion? Whatever it was, it was obvious that neither he nor Zedem had expected this; their faces said it all.
For the first time since the disciple selection process began, the Headmistress glanced over at Eveline and asked, "What are you doing?"
Her words immediately caused both Vlaslor and Zedem to freeze slightly. What was the intention behind her question? Was she merely curious, or did she suspect that Eveline's actions interfered with whatever plans she had for the boy in question?
"What do you mean?" Eveline replied with a sly smile, before continuing. "He's such a talented student. It would be a waste of his potential if he didn't have a master to guide him during his remaining years here. So, I'll take him on as my disciple. Not a bad idea, don't you think?" Her tone was so relaxed that it was clear she wasn't taking the situation seriously at all. But, seeing that the Headmistress didn't respond right away, Vlaslor decided to speak up.
"A member of the academy's council has never taken on a disciple in this manner before. It's highly unorthodox." Eveline waved her hand dismissively at him.
"So? That just means I'll be the first. I don't mind being written down in the history books for it; in fact, it sounds pretty enticing. Besides, it's not as if there are any rules against it, right?" Vlaslor couldn't argue with that; it wasn't against the rules. But at the same time, it was extremely abnormal, and there was a bigger concern weighing on his mind.
News about that boy, Magnus, is already going to spread quickly. But with Eveline taking him on as her disciple, it will only accelerate that. Still, this could work to our advantage. If Eveline listens, we could exert some control over the boy and, by extension, his ancient magic. Plus, her presence could serve as a deterrent in case any external forces attempt anything.
There were both pros and cons to consider, but ultimately, the final decision rested with the Headmistress. She had the authority to overturn any of the academy's rules if she chose, so whether or not Magnus became Eveline's disciple was entirely up to her.
"Eveline," the Headmistress said, turning to her sister with a slight smirk, her vibrant violet eyes locking onto Eveline's, which seemed as calm as a tranquil lake by comparison.
"Yes?" Eveline responded, not breaking eye contact.
"You're hiding something, aren't you? Something about you has changed." The Headmistress stated plainly, causing both Vlaslor and Zedem to shift their gazes toward Eveline. They had no idea what the Headmistress meant—was she being literal, or was it something more? Eveline mirrored their confusion in her vocal response.
"I'm not sure what you mean." Hearing this, the Headmistress's expression dimmed ever so slightly, her voice taking on an ethereal, almost suffocating quality as she spoke again.
"Did you forget what happened last time you tried to pull a stunt like this against me? Was I too lenient with your punishment back then?" Her words seemed to scratch at one's very soul, enough to instill fear even in an Archmage. Yet Eveline's gaze didn't waver, nor did her expression change as she replied.
"Of course not, Headmistress." Though they were sisters, at this moment, Eveline could hear the faintest sound of music fading in and out, teetering on the edge. It mirrored the Headmistress's own thoughts—her decision was constantly shifting between confronting Eveline now or letting it be.
"Fine. However, from this moment on, he'll be your complete responsibility," the Headmistress said, turning her attention back to Magnus.
"Of course. He'll be my disciple, after all," Eveline responded. With their discussion concluded and the decision made, Vlaslor didn't bring up anything further. Instead, he turned his attention to Eredim, who had been silently observing along with everyone else. Vlaslor gave him a light nod, and Eredim nodded back in understanding.
"Very well then," Eredim said, raising his hand toward Eveline, gesturing for her to make her offer.
"Cain. If you're willing to become my disciple, then in return, I'm offering you access to everything I have. The knowledge in my library and the knowledge in my mind will be at your disposal. You'll be under my protection, and I guarantee your safety until you're strong enough to survive on your own." Her promises were far more straightforward than those of any other professors.
However, that didn't mean her offer was worth any less. No, in fact, in front of nearly the entirety of Takerth Academy, Eveline had essentially offered herself up to Magnus, even going so far as to guarantee his protection in the future, regardless of what happened. Even Luden couldn't help but take a deep breath as he stared at Magnus from behind.
It was already an enormous advantage to have a member of Takerth Academy's council as your master, but for her to make such promises in front of everyone? She might as well be marking Magnus as her own. Hardly anyone in Arlcliff City—perhaps even the entire region—would dare touch him with her backing him so heavily.
After all, there weren't many who could say they had an Archmage standing in their corner. Luden's gaze lingered on Magnus's expression. He knew Magnus wasn't one to care much about the political side of things, but even he would have to grasp how significant it was to have Eveline as his master.
Yet, his expression hasn't changed at all. From the moment Eveline raised her hand to when she started listing her benefits, he hasn't shown the slightest bit of worry, nervousness, or even excitement. Almost as if...
A thought crossed Luden's mind, causing him to look momentarily surprised before a hidden grin crept onto his face.
I see, so that's how it is. Interesting. So he's had Eveline on his side even before the disciple selection process. But for how long? Since he first entered the academy, perhaps? Or maybe it was some point after?
Either way, even if he couldn't pinpoint exactly when, his instincts told him that Eveline and Magnus were already familiar with each other, which explained why they both seemed so calm. Luden was spot on. Eveline had practically already made the same offer to Magnus when they had their souls bound.
Still, even if only Luden noticed that Magnus and Eveline had been working together for quite some time, it didn't take a genius to realize what kind of status Magnus now held within Takerth Academy. Any less savory ideas people had about what to do once they figured out his identity or which family he was from vanished in an instant.
After Magnus accepted Eveline as his master, Eredim continued down the line, with the next notable figure being none other than Jalud. If Magnus was considered to stand in first place, then without a doubt, Jalud was in second, which is why many were curious about who would end up as his master.
However, when Eredim called him forward, Jalud said something that caught everyone off guard.
"I don't need a master." Hearing that, Eredim raised an eyebrow. It was within a student's rights to decline a master; however, it wasn't something that happened often.
"Are you sure?" Eredim asked, staring at Jalud.
"Yes," Jalud responded without hesitation. To many, it might have seemed like Jalud was simply confident in his abilities or even arrogant. However, to those familiar with the inner workings of factions, they understood what was really happening. Magnus glanced over at him, his interest piqued.
From what I understand, the whole purpose of establishing a faction is to help the leader of that faction rise and gain the backing of Takerth Academy. Then, using their new status, they can in turn help those who supported them along the way. It's a mutual benefit. But if Jalud, the leader of his own faction, is refusing a master, that's akin to dissolving his faction, isn't it?
It meant he was no longer interested in the benefits of having Takerth Academy backing him, and there was only one explanation for that.
"Th-That bastard!" one of Jalud's faction members yelled, his fist clenching into a ball.
"What the hell is he doing?" another muttered through gritted teeth. It wasn't a genuine question; they already knew. The only reason Jalud would do this was if he had no intention of leading his faction anymore. In other words, he planned to honor the deal he made with Magnus.
Oh? And I didn't even have to talk to him. It seems he's more committed to keeping his promises than I thought. Perhaps it's his pride. Either way, I suppose that's worth keeping in mind for the future.
"Very well then." Eredim didn't bother trying to persuade Jalud further. Now, only one person remained.
"Seraline Sostenza!" Hearing Eredim call her name, Seraline stepped forward with a resolute look on her face, casting a glance up at Mulvin. In response, Mulvin nodded at her, pride evident on his face. Although he wasn't a full-blooded member of the Sostenza Family, he was their knight. As a family with close ties to the military, they valued talent over blood or gender.
Mulvin had been adopted by the Sostenza Family when he was young, and it was his own abilities that earned him a position as a professor at Takerth Academy, despite not being of noble birth. This was something many of the other professors and academy staff knew, which is why they had no intention of trying to poach Seraline.
It only made sense that the knight of the Sostenza Family would teach the family's future heiress. And so, with that final decision, the disciple selection process came to an end, and with it, the Live Examination.
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Slowly walking up the empty street just outside the walls of Takerth Academy, a young woman could be seen. She looked anxious, her eyes constantly darting to and away from the monolithic structure of Takerth. Whether it was her behavior or the way she was dressed, it was clear she didn't belong there.
This fact was immediately evident to the guards posted at the academy entrance, who stopped her the moment she approached.
"Halt! Unidentified citizens are not allowed to approach Takerth Academy or enter the academy grounds," one of the guards barked, fixing her with a menacing glare.
"Wait, I'm not here to cause any trouble! I just need to deliver a message to someone I believe is a student here," the woman pleaded, her voice tinged with urgency. The guard who had stopped her narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her closely.
"I don't see a letter on you," he remarked, suspicion lacing his tone.
The woman quickly responded, "I didn't have time to write a letter; this is an emergency!"
The guard raised his hand, cutting her off as he shook his head.
"We don't deliver verbal messages, and you are not permitted on academy grounds without authorization. It would be best if you leave and return with a proper letter," he stated firmly. Hearing this, the anxiety on the woman's face began to shift into anger.
"Listen, I need to speak with one of the students here, now! His name is Magnus; it's about his maid, Celia!" The moment those names left her lips, the serious expressions on the guards' faces changed.
"Wait a second, who?"