"My name is Kazuki, Takamura Kazuki."
The moment those words left Kazuki's mouth, the room froze. Every gaze that had previously dismissed him now snapped back in shock, disbelief clouding their faces.
"…What?" the lady at the counter questioned, her usually emotionless tone cracking slightly, betraying her surprise.
Kazuki remained silent, staring at her calmly. Realizing she still held his official ID in her hand, the lady quickly scanned it using the Academy's authentication artifacts, her movements tense. To be certain, she even contacted her superiors to double-check the information.
It didn't take long. The moment she received confirmation, she gave the mage beside her a grave nod. The grim look on both their faces told the entire room that this was no mistake. This was the real Takamura Kazuki.
The revelation hit the noble-born students like a cold wave. Many had spent years preparing for this day, refining their skills and building connections. Yet, here stood someone none of them had even heard of, someone bearing the name Takamura—adopted by the Headmaster himself.
Kazuki, aware of the commotion he'd caused, inwardly cursed Hikari, the mastermind behind his sudden entry into the spotlight. Knowing there was nothing he could do about it now, he turned to the mage.
"I thought the registration process was supposed to be fast. Was I wrong?" Kazuki asked, his voice edged with annoyance.
The mage snapped out of his shock, quickly signaling to the lady to proceed.
"Please place your hand on the crystal and circulate all your mana through it," she instructed in a firm tone. "Do not attempt to hide the amount of mana you possess. There are several artifacts monitoring this process. If you are caught trying to deceive us, being banned from the Academy will be the least of your worries."
The warning hung in the air, and even the nobles stayed silent. No one dared to challenge her words, knowing full well that the Academy had no tolerance for those who sought to conceal their power. Only spies or assassins would dare, and even the highest-ranking noble families knew better than to risk such disgrace.
Kazuki ignored the murmurs and placed his hand on the Astralyte Prism. He closed his eyes briefly and channeled all his mana into the crystal.
*gasp*
A collective gasp filled the room.
The crystal's glow started softly, but it soon grew into a radiant light so intense it was painful to look at. Yet no one could tear their gaze away, their eyes wide as they saw the shade of the light—Pure White.
Pure mana, untouched by corruption or dilution, a level of purity usually found only in ancient noble bloodlines, families with histories stretching back thousands of years. Those with such mana were typically from Duke or Royal families.
The lady was stunned into silence once again, and the mage couldn't fault her this time. He stepped forward to take control of the situation, his voice steady as he asked the final, crucial question.
"Did you belong to a noble family before? Or could you prove that you have noble blood in your veins?"
He fully expected a yes. The quality of Kazuki's mana all but guaranteed it. But the words Kazuki spoke next sent a chill through the room.
"No, I am an orphan. I have no information about my parents."
The atmosphere shifted immediately. The nobles in the room exchanged knowing glances, and the condescension in their eyes became unmistakable.
It didn't matter how powerful Kazuki was or how pure his mana might be. Without noble blood, he would never be accepted as an equal. No matter how well he performed in the exam, he would never surpass the status of those from Duke families. The system was built to maintain the status quo, and nothing would change that.
"…Alright," the mage finally said, his tone neutral as he fed Kazuki's response into the system, completing the registration process.
"I am looking forward to what you'll show me, Takamura Kazuki," he added, handing over the details of the upcoming tests.
Kazuki gave a brief nod before turning and heading towards the waiting area. Though the weight of the nobles' disdain hung over him, he knew one thing for certain—he wasn't here to play their game. He had his own goals, and no amount of scorn would deter him from reaching them.