At first I felt unsure about saying it, but thanks to Nurlandawa's previous words I tried to tell them what I was seeing, "I... I saw... an irregular mana wave around you," I said, a little nervous.
They discussed for a while, then a female judge asked me.
"Can you show us anything that might interest us?"
Raising my hand slightly, I tried to draw in the flow of pure mana around me and turn it into lumps of water in the form of balls the size of my fist. I didn't see any different reactions from them, therefore I tried throwing the water ball at the wall of this room, and... as soon as the water ball touched the wall, the water ball froze the wall it touched. With the freezing radius forming a square, with the same length and width, about one meter.
They seemed amazed at what I had done, one of them even asked a question. "How can you make the water element into the ice element?"
And others also asked questions. "Those water balls don't seem that dangerous, and in a fight maybe someone who doesn't know about it will just take your magic attacks for granted, and when that water ball touches them… boom, it could end their life. "
This demonstration is not something I learned from a book, but thanks to Margaretha's teaching. The books I read never mentioned this at all.
"Is there anything else you want to show us? We can't admit you in, if that's all you have?" asked one of the male judges, unlike the others, his face looked so disinterested and cynical towards me. I don't know why he looked at me like that.
Another thing... I tried not to be disturbed by the words said by the cynical Professor. I started to close my eyes, then took a slow breath, feeling the mana flowing around me. I slowly opened my eyes and changed the flow of mana which initially seemed stable, following the current, now it started to circulate around me and made it into a vortex of wind. I showed them one of the basic mana control techniques, which I also learned from Margaretha.
There are two theories about which I learned from Margaretha. First, is that mana moves according to the current and second, is that mana moves uncertainly. And Margaretha explained that the first theory was correct, then the second was not completely wrong either. Uncertainty exists because we don't really understand it.
Nature does not play dice.
After seeing my performance, they then discussed with each other whether I was worthy of being accepted into the academy or not. And after a short conversation, in the end they declared that I was worthy of entering the academy, even though the cynical Professor still insisted on rejecting me. I could never stop the expression of joy within me, over and over again I expressed my gratitude to them. Being accepted into this academy will probably be a memory that I will always remember in my life.
"One thing before you go, I want to ask you a very simple question. There is no one right answer to this question, you are free to give the answer according to what you think," said a male judge whose appearance looked old. "What is magic? What is mana? You said that you could see the mana around us, which even the people next to me couldn't do. And I was just wondering if you ever questioned its existence?"
"That's not a question you should ask a child, Professor Russel!" said Professor Milenna, who was sitting next to Professor Russel.
"It's okay, Milenna, I know too. But there's no harm in asking, right? If he doesn't know the answer, then it's okay, let's let him find the answer himself. But if he has the answer, I myself am very curious about the answer."
"And that's an insult to me Professor Russel, no, but to all the nobles in this country!" The cynical professor emphasized his sentence. "You have to apologize to all the nobles in this country. Moreover, even though I couldn't see mana, it doesn't mean he can do more than the children of noble birth do."
"That's the fact, Professor. Besides, I'm asking questions here, not looking down on anyone!"
I was silent for a moment. What is mana? what is magic? These two questions were the same questions asked by Margaretha seven years ago. At that time, Einar scolded Margaretha the same as Professor Milenna did to Professor Russel, because that was not a question that should be asked of a child like me. But a few days later, Margaretha told me that it is very important to question something that is unknown, because questioning it will provide new knowledge, and not always everything we ask will have the same answer for everyone.
the answer to these two questions, although myself still doubt whether it is the correct answer or not.
"Mana is how nature interacts with us while magic is how we interact with nature."
Professor Russel's eyebrows raised slightly, his face smiling broadly, "Yes, that's not a bad answer. I wouldn't say it's the wrong answer, because there are no definite answers to these two questions. Everyone has their own perception, even simple things. like two plus two, it's not always four, because it could be five or six," he said. "I also have my own opinion. For me, mana and magic are just tools to destroy life. Thank you for answering this old man's question. See you tomorrow at the academy, sir Isaac!"
I was surprised why the Professor called me sir. But I just smiled, expressed my thanks, then immediately left this room.
In front of the academy gate, I saw many people standing waiting, maybe they were the closest people to each child who was taking the entrance test to the academy. The sun was still at its peak, I looked at it with great emotion and a gentle breeze blew through.
Returning to the accommodation, I told Nurlandawa everything I had been through. He seemed so happy to hear the good news from me, he even invited the whole squad to celebrate, he did it like a father who was seeing his son's success. And in a half-drunk state, he said something to me.
"Kid, maybe this will be the last day we meet, but yes of course I hope that we will meet again one day in the future. However, when we meet again I am sure it will no longer be you now, but a very different one. No longer an innocent child trying to get into the academy, but a man who has fully realized life." Nurlandawa finished his large glass of liquor in one gulp, and one of his members immediately refilled the large glass until it was full. "And I will tell you, kid, the Goddess always gives tests that are in accordance with our abilities, if you think that the Goddess has given a test that is very difficult and feels like it is beyond your abilities, then you think, what mistakes have you made to get such a difficult test? Is it the result of the hard work you put in to be able to get such a tough test? But what you need to remember is that she (the Goddess) gives us a heavy burden, but at the same time she also determine the right time for everything, therefore don't be too hasty, do it gradually. Because even though she gives us the desire to know the future, in the end we will never be able to understand, her actions from beginning to end."