The already twisted knot showed no sign of being undone.
'So I'm not a hero or anything... Why am I the one who fuels his competitive spirit?'
I spoke quietly to the supervisor.
"I don't want to attract any more attention, so can you please handle this as quickly as possible?"
"Ah, yes!"
Only then did the supervisor come to his senses and hastily began filing the application. After finishing the processing, he spoke with a polite face.
"Zail Sieghardt. Submission has been completed. You can go to the testing site over there. If this is your first time traveling, the route may be quite complicated. If you don't mind, would you like me to guide you personally?"
I said firmly, "No, it's okay."
He handed me the admission ticket with a sad look on his face.
"It was a great honor to meet the descendants of heroes in person. I will definitely support you so that you can enter our academy and grow into a great tree that protects the empire."
"Oh, yeah… thank you."
After receiving the admission ticket with a nervous expression on my face, I headed to the testing center as quickly as possible.
On the way, I checked my admission ticket and found out that my admission number was 444. For some reason, I had a feeling that the entrance exam would not be smooth.
'This premonition is amazingly true…'
When I arrived at the testing center, there were many test takers lining up. A person who appeared to be an instructor shouted,
"Examination numbers 400 to 500 should come this way."
Following the instructor's instructions, I lined up and waited for my turn. The test I was about to take could be said to be a kind of aptitude test.
The total amount and properties of mana possessed by an individual are measured through a crystal ball made of a special mineral called a mana stone.
Although Salomon Academy welcomes the admission of all talented people regardless of status, it is limited to those with talent.
Those who do not have even the minimum qualifications are not even eligible to take the exam. In other words, this test is a filter designed to weed out those without talent.
A place that advocates a strict meritocracy and can be a land of opportunity for some and a swamp of inferiority complex for others.
That place was Salomon Academy.
'The total amount of mana in this body is mediocre, and there is no elemental affinity at all, so I'll probably just barely pass the test.'
It would be possible to shatter the crystal ball using black magic, but my head would also be shattered immediately.
'I don't want any more attention. I need to go quietly, like I'm dead.'
Suddenly, the surroundings became chaotic. I stuck my head out and looked ahead.
"Charlotte Maisie. Mana amount is A+, source attribute is 4 types, quadruple."
There, a girl with hair as red as the setting sun stood with a triumphant look on her face. I was sure it was my first time seeing her, but for some reason, she looked familiar.
"… Her eldest daughter is the youngest mage in the empire, and her second daughter is the first quadruple in the history of the academy. As expected, she has a different bloodline from the Meiji Duke family. No matter how hard we struggle, ordinary people like us can't overcome our natural bloodline..."
"Of course! It's the Meiji Dukedom! The strongest magic family in the empire with a long history! A living myth of the magic world! Haven't you heard that the head of the family, Duke Ark, single-handedly destroyed the dark magicians' stronghold? His very existence is a strategic weapon! A one-man army! The eldest daughter, Maisie Lin, became the youngest mage and a member of the warrior party for world peace..."
"Yes, yes. Okay, stop now."
"There's still more! The ability to handle attribute magic..."
I thought she looked familiar, and it turned out to be the younger sister of that bad-tempered wizard.
'Is it Charlotte Maisie? If she is, this is a natural result.'
As I waited for my turn, thinking about various things, my turn soon arrived.
"Next. Forward, examinee number 444."
I stepped forward without thinking and could not help but freeze at the sight that came into view. The instructor asked me,
"Why are you doing that, number 444?"
There was supposed to be only one crystal ball for measuring mana, but there was another crystal ball behind it.
A transparent crystal ball that emitted divine power as if glowing. This was completely different from the information I knew.
"What are the marbles behind there...?"
The instructor said as if it was no big deal,
"Oh, you mean that? There is no need to be so embarrassed. That's not reflected in test scores. It is simply a tool to check whether you are a heretic with impure intentions."
'There was definitely no setting like this...'
I can't even sense how distorted this world is anymore. Is this what I wrote?
"They say that the activities of pagans who worship demon gods have become more active within the empire for some unknown reason. That's why it was installed, so there's no need to be scared. Unless you have learned black magic, there will be no problem. Ha ha ha!"
It's finally starting to feel real. This is not simply the world in the novel I wrote. There is cause, there is effect, and there is flow.
'… Is it cause and effect?'
Because the 'variable' called 'I' intervened in this world, new stories are being born in completely unexpected directions. I am also just one of the many cogs that make up this world. This is a separate world that exists on its own.
I was under the illusion that I had become absolute just because I knew more information than others. It was arrogant.
"Number 444? Are you going to keep standing there?"
When I realized this, my head went cold. I have a goal.
"I'm going."
I have to return alive. Certainly.
"Now, just place your hand on this crystal ball."
I placed my hand on the mana stone. A faint light emanated from the crystal ball and gradually became brighter.
"… Total mana amount is C+, source attribute is nil... Wait a minute, it's a reinforcement series. Correct that, the original attribute is reinforcement."
"Is it good?"
"Well, it's not bad."
Up to this point, it was within the expected range.
"Well, it will be over soon, so don't be nervous."
The instructor held out another crystal ball. I could tell with just a glance. This crystal ball contained tremendous divine power. It was clear that the blessing was at least bishop level. However, in times like these, I had to act more naturally.
I didn't know that he might already be suspicious of me due to my hesitation just now. Questionable actions only provide justification.
If it is discovered here that I am a black magician... Death was a set procedure.
Maybe it won't end with simply dying. There was also the possibility of being tortured so horribly that one's mind would collapse, and living a life of wishing only to die day after day.
I had to pull my thoughts together somehow. Although my stomach was burning, my face remained calm.
'There is no other way than this...'
I slowly extended my hand toward the crystal ball. The moment my hand touched the crystal ball, pain as if my flesh was being cooked came over my entire body.
'You have to endure it.'
If I showed anything suspicious here, it would really be over. I felt like I was going to lose my mind from the terrible pain, but I held on with all my might. It felt like my facial muscles were going to spasm.
'We're almost there. Now just a little…'
-It was then. I realized that the crystal ball had a very faint, cloudy glow. It was belatedly responding to my demonic energy.
Fortunately, I seem to be the only one who noticed this so far. A decision had to be made.
I breathed demonic energy into the crystal ball.
Bang!
The orb exploded with a deafening roar. The other instructors around me immediately surrounded me. The instructor in charge of me pointed his sword and spoke coldly.
"Gotcha. He's an infidel."
The sharp blade of the sword cut into the nape of my neck, and bright red blood flowed down.