It was hard to gauge people's reactions to the conclusion of Magnus's match against Jalud. There wasn't any cheering, but there wasn't a wave of discontent either.
"He won… He actually won... Wait, that means we won, right!? Haha! We won! We're the number one faction in the Live Examination!" Syrna cheered, her excitement spilling over to everyone around her. In a crowd filled with mixed expressions, she stood out like a sore thumb, but she was right.
Without a doubt, Luden's Faction had won the Live Examination. It felt almost surreal to Blair, Sylas, and Seraline. They knew they had a good chance of winning; that much was obvious. But knowing something and actually achieving it are two different things. The match had taken less than ten minutes to finish, yet its impact would be felt long after.
"Huh, where are you going?" Blair asked as he saw Luden stand up. Luden turned to him with the same composed expression he always wore.
"Well, this round of the Live Examination is over, so there's no reason to stay, is there? Also, it's only right that I go see our faction's champion and congratulate him, don't you think?" They all noticed how casual Luden seemed about the whole situation—whether it was the victory itself or what it meant for their faction, it didn't seem to faze him at all.
Watching him walk off, Syrna said, "I can't believe I was expecting him to actually show some kind of excitement after winning."
"Well, he said it himself, didn't he? Unlike us, it seems he expected Cain to win the Live Examination from the very start," Sylas noted.
"Indeed. I'm sure many people will be eager to figure out Cain's identity now," Seraline added, with the others nodding in agreement. Cain had seemingly come out of nowhere; no one knew his real name, what noble family he was from, if any, or even what his face looked like. Without a doubt, his identity would become the focal point of many other factions and even noble families.
After all, if a family could produce such a talent without being noticed, there were only two possibilities. The first was that they were low-key, possibly even of common descent, which made them prime targets for any influential noble families. If they could assimilate such a golden goose, the benefits would be endless.
As for the second possibility, it was that Cain came from a very powerful noble family, one that was interested in staying anonymous yet powerful enough to hide their true talents from everyone. If that were the case, then even beyond the bounds of Takerth Academy, everyone would be interested in forming an alliance and currying favor with such a mysterious faction.
Funnily enough, however, the possibility that both theories were wrong didn't even cross a single student's mind. Everything they knew about the world told them that Cain, with such high potential as a mage, couldn't possibly be operating solo. He had to be part of some kind of group or family. And so, as the rest of the student body spoke and theorized about something that didn't truly exist, Magnus ended up meeting with Luden within one of the many secluded, winding halls that made up the Academy Arena's interior.
"It should be safe for us to talk face-to-face here," Luden stated after briefly looking around. Magnus nodded, removing his mask and letting out a deep breath before speaking.
"Man, that thing gets stuffy fast while you're fighting. I'm going to have to ask Celia to clean it again, thanks to all the blood." Luden chuckled at Magnus's comment before responding.
"I'll pass your critique on to the runesmith who designed it when I get the chance. I doubt he expected the mask to face so much abuse, especially since its primary purpose was stealth and concealing identities."
"Huh? Oh yeah, I keep forgetting your family had this made," Magnus said, looking at the mask in his hand. His contemplative gaze soon turned into a grin as he looked back at Luden.
"So, how was it?" He asked, causing a smile to dance across Luden's lips.
"Even better than I had hoped. I would say congratulations are in order, but I'm sure you already know how well you did. Jalud was most certainly an unexpected bonus, though."
"So, do you think he'll actually honor his agreement and join your faction?" Magnus inquired, prompting Luden to contemplate for a moment.
"Perhaps... I'll have to talk with him face-to-face before deciding anything. Having powerful members in your faction is all well and good, but there needs to be a proper balance. Inviting someone who will only cause chaos can be a detriment, no matter how strong they are. But you can leave those worries to me. You're probably more interested in your reward, right?" The mere mention of the reward based on their deal made Magnus's expression turn serious.
"Right. So, do you think you can do it? Like, is it a reasonable request? You mentioned last time that it would be a challenge." Luden seemed amused by the question as he replied.
"Oh, it was. With the current state of things in Arlcliff City and how difficult it is to find able workers with travel being so treacherous, I had to spend quite a lot of money to move things around and set everything up properly. I also had to have a long talk with my father too." Luden's words brought a look of surprise to Magnus's face.
"Wait, what do you mean 'it was'? Are you… already working on it?" Magnus asked in disbelief.
"Hmm? Why, of course. To be honest, I already had the process on standby after we first made our deal. However, I only started putting it into action after your victory in the first round."
"Wow, you really had that much confidence in me, even back then? Even I have to admit that I underestimated the Live Examination quite a bit when I made that deal." Back then, with the abilities he had gained through the Command Console and his reinforced skeleton, he thought the Live Examination would be fairly easy. And although he won in the end, it had been a lot harder than he expected.
"Well, as you said, I had confidence in you. And even if you hadn't won, I still planned on having the house you wanted built. I would have just used it as motivation for you to do a few other things for me. But there's no need for that now," Luden explained with a slight shrug.
Hearing this, Magnus couldn't help but laugh at himself.
Ah right, of course, he had a backup plan just in case. It's Luden. Though I wonder what kind of things he would have had me do for a house like the one I asked for.
It would have had to be either a lot of repetitive, dull tasks or something that matched the benefits they would have received if he really won the Live Examination.
Well, no point in thinking about it now.
"Only one round left in the Live Examination, and then we're officially done," Luden said, pulling Magnus back to the present.
"Oh right, I almost forgot. So, all I have to do is forfeit tomorrow, right?" Magnus's question seemed to catch Luden off guard.
"Forfeit? You… you planned on forfeiting your match tomorrow?" Magnus looked at Luden as if the answer were obvious.
"I mean, of course. It wouldn't make much sense for the faction leader, of all people, to surrender when facing one of their own members." His words were the complete opposite of what Luden had intended. He had been fully ready to forfeit when his match against Magnus came up tomorrow.
After all, even though everyone knew Cain was the strongest, who would pass up the opportunity to make it official and claim the actual number one spot? Even if they were in the same faction, no one who was stronger than their faction leader would do such a thing. But that served as a reminder for Luden as he stared at Magnus, who had so easily said he would forfeit.
Right… That's why I invited him to my faction in the first place, wasn't it? I may not know what his goal is by enrolling here, and he himself may not know what he wants just yet, but I'm sure neither lies within Takerth Academy.
But it made Luden wonder, What did Magnus have his sights set on that was so far from where he was now? Though perhaps it didn't matter. As long as their goals don't conflict, maybe helping Magnus achieve his will bring even more benefits in the long run.
"I suppose that's a line of thought for the future," Luden ended up saying to himself, confusing Magnus.
Seeing this, Luden waved it off before saying, "For now, you should get some rest. There's one last major event happening at tomorrow's Live Examination. You should make sure you arrive early."
Magnus didn't know exactly what event Luden was referring to, but he nodded and took his words seriously all the same. Before leaving the Academy Arena, Magnus took a moment to speak with Eredim and told him he would be forfeiting ahead of time.
"Are you sure you want to forfeit? It's not often one takes first place in the Live Examination," Eredim asked after Magnus approached him, but Magnus just nodded.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Seeing that Magnus had no intention of changing his mind, Eredim noted down his forfeit.
After that, Magnus put his mask away and left the Academy Arena, heading back to the dorms as his normal self. As he reached his dorm room and opened the door, he expected to see a slightly annoyed Celia waiting for him. But to his surprise, the room was empty.
Huh? Maybe she's in the library?
After taking a quick bath to wash off the grime from his fight and changing into clean clothes, Magnus headed over to the Research Station. But once again, Celia wasn't there; the only person he found was Eveline.
"Hey, Eveline, have you seen Celia?" Magnus asked. Eveline, still focused on refining the matrix-like structure of the artificial intelligence she was creating, shook her head without looking up.
"No, she hasn't returned to the academy yet."
"Huh? I guess she's busy. Oh well." With nothing else to do but wait, Magnus spent the rest of the day reading in his room until nightfall before finally drifting off to sleep. The next morning, he woke up feeling fully energized, with a bit of weight lifted off his shoulders. All the worries he had about the Live Examination were gone now.
As he got ready and headed out, he could tell that the atmosphere at Takerth Academy had lightened as well. While various factions and their leaders were likely making plans for what to do next, the tension that had engulfed the academy seemed to have finally eased.
He didn't run into Luden or the others on his way to the arena. But as he got close to the Academy Arena, a familiar voice spoke through his Sigilbrand.
"Hello, Cain. Please do not go up to the spectator area. Instead, make your way to the field and join the other students who have been called upon."
Huh? What does she mean by 'called upon'? Does this have to do with the event Luden mentioned earlier? I guess that means they've already announced my forfeit.
Wondering what they could possibly be gathering students for, Magnus followed the woman's instructions and headed straight for the field. As he did, he noticed that most students were heading up the stairs to the spectator area as usual. It was only when he walked out onto the field that he realized only a few students were present.
The most notable among them were Luden, Zilen, and Resir, though Resir was still clearly injured and seemed to be avoiding eye contact with Luden. Besides those three, Magnus also spotted Seraline, Velis, and a few other students who had dropped out of the Live Examination on their own but were definitely strong.
But it was only after everyone turned to look at him that Magnus noticed one last person.
Jalud.
His injuries had already healed, and he stared at Magnus with a strange look in his eye before turning away. Not understanding what was going on with him, Magnus decided to walk over to where Luden and Seraline were standing and ask.
"What are we all doing here?"
But Luden held up a finger to his lips and whispered, "Professor Eredim is about to explain."
Magnus glanced over at Eredim, who seemed to be waiting for something, just like they were. After another five minutes had passed, Eredim finally began to speak.
"Hello, and welcome to the final segment of the Live Examination," Eredim began, his voice carrying across the arena.
"I'm sure many of you are aware, but now that all rounds have officially concluded, all participants will be evaluated by academy staff over the next week or so to determine the new rankings. However, the reason we are gathered here today is for a different purpose." He turned from the crowd of students in the stands to those standing on the field.
"Although the official evaluations are still underway, many of our academy professors have taken a particular interest in you all. As such, you will now have the opportunity to choose a master." As Eredim said this, Magnus's eyes widened slightly as his memory clicked, recalling what Eveline had mentioned when they discussed ancient magic.
Right, I almost forgot. The academy staff use the Live Examination as a chance to take on disciples.
"Now then, the way this will work is simple. All of you will line up in single file, and when your name is called, you will step forward. After that, the academy staff who are interested in taking you on will raise their hands one by one," Eredim explained, gesturing to the seating area where the various professors and staff members sat.
"Once their hands are raised, they will present their offers, explaining what you will receive if you become their disciple. Although you may only accept one as your master, you are free to choose whoever you like among those who raise their hand. Or, if you prefer, you can choose not to accept anyone at all." As Eredim continued outlining the process, Magnus couldn't help but feel as though they were at an auction, with him and the others being the items on display and the academy staff acting as the bidders.
The only real difference was that instead of bidding with money, they would be offering benefits. With that thought lingering, Magnus noticed Eredim wrapping up his explanation. He looked over the students on the field, pausing to see if anyone had any questions. But when no one spoke up, he simply nodded.
"Alright then, everyone, line up. We'll start from left to right."