Somewhere on the 12th floor of Stellarkeep.
An old man was deeply focused on watching the stars through an old brass telescope.
The soft, magical light in the observatory glinted off his silver-rimmed glasses, which had thick lenses from years of use.
His body, once strong, was now frail, and his movements were slow and careful, weighed down by the years.
"I am old, my life should have ended with my wife and children."
He muttered, his voice shaky like his trembling hand that struggled to hold a delicate porcelain cup of hot tea.
"Don't say that, sir. A hundred years isn't old for a wizard," replied a servant who had been with him ever since he moved from his homeland.
Wizards usually live long lives. If they don't die from sickness, they can live up to 150 years.
"More tea, sir?"
The servant's voice was gentle yet formal as he gracefully refilled the old man's cup.
"I wish I could meet my daughter once more, but fate does not allow it. Oh, my poor daughter, Anastasia, oh Anastasia."
The old man sighed deeply, his heart heavy with the burden of loss.
Anastasia, known to the world as the Stargazer Dark Lord, had once been a symbol of hope in the empire.
She was a girl of extraordinary kindness, her beauty and compassion making her beloved by all who knew her.
But that all changed on her 17th birthday in the year 1918, when The Universe themselves marked her as the 137th Dark Lord.
What earned her the that title wasn't any act of malice or taboo; no, her only "crime" was a gift she couldn't control. An extraordinary talent that other wizards envied and feared.
From a young age, Anastasia had the rare ability to see the movements of the stars with unparalleled clarity.
She could peer into the distant future, a skill that even the most revered Grand Wizards, Saints, and Dark Lords could not replicate.
Her visions extended beyond the present, revealing truths that no one else could comprehend.
But her downfall came when she saw too much. She uncovered a secret that the universe itself sought to keep hidden.
She had seen the "end of the world" a truth so deep and frightening that it earned her the title of Dark Lord.
The empire that had stood for centuries crumbled, all because the emperor's daughter had become a Dark Lord.
"I should have died with her then, but it seems fate wants me to suffer even longer."
Sir Nicholas, the former emperor of the northern empire, lamented. His voice was thick with sorrow.
Tragically, all members of the imperial family were massacred during the revolution, leaving Sir Nicholas and his daughter as the only survivors.
But since that fateful day, Anastasia had vanished, her whereabouts unknown to all.
His presence at Stellarkeep was a result of the protection offered by the Stellarkeep Council, which had also elevated him to the rank of one of its 12 members.
"My daughter, what future did you see that even the universe cursed you? Oh, my poor daughter."
Sir Nicholas whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.
His second reason for joining the Stellarkeep Council was to use the sky observatory to study the stars and understand the visions that had condemned his daughter.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Excuse me, Sir Nicholas."
A figure robed in deep blue, adorned with the symbols of constellations, marking him as a senior astronomer of the 12th floor
In his hands were stacks of parchment, each filled with detailed diagrams and calculations of celestial bodies' positions and movements. A task needing great precision and skill.
"Sir Nicholas, the divination results for today have been compiled."
The astronomer announced, his tone respectful but tinged with the gravity of the situation.
With trembling hands, Sir Nicholas took the documents, his eyes slowly scanning the pages, taking in each detail.
"The longer we go on, the more inaccurate the star divinations become. As of today, August 1st, 1995, the margin of error in our observations has reached 37%."
The astronomer reported, his voice showing a hint of worry.
Since the death of the Stargazer Dark Lord in 1992, which coincided with the fall of the northern fedration, the accuracy of star divination had steadily declined.
It was feared that by December 31st, 1999, divination would be completely obscured.
The wizard communities referred to this event as Y2K, where the world would fall into chaos because the future could no longer be predicted.
Most wizards blamed the Stargazer Dark Lord for this decline, accusing her of performing a vast and terrible ritual by sacrificing the northern federation, the land where the northern empire once stood.
But Sir Nicholas knew his daughter too well to believe these accusations. She was not one to act out of vengeance, no matter how much she had suffered.
"My daughter wouldn't act without a good reason. She must have seen that the fall of the northern federation was necessary."
Sir Nicholas murmured, his heart aching with the belief that his daughter had sacrificed everything for a greater good that others could not see.
With the collapse of the Northern Federation, the decades-long Ice War came to an end as the federation splitted into several independent countries.
As he continued to review the documents, his eyes fell upon a list of names for participants in a recent examination. Among the many names, one in particular caught his eye and brought a rare smile to his lips—Oz.
"Haha, what a crazy kid. In love with Professor Goldilock? Doesn't he worry about becoming a roast duck? Haha."
They were used to the old man's serious moods and his constant sadness over his lost daughter. But now, hearing him laugh was a surprise.
The problem was, when Sir Nicholas was happy, it meant more work for those around him.
His joy would drive him to stay up late, pouring over documents and charts, forcing his servants and staff to work long hours by his side.
*****
After the fourth examination concluded, all participants were gathered once more in the stadium.
This time, however, it was not Professor Goldilock who stood at the podium.
Instead, a tall man with a staff as high as himself stood before them.
He looked like a classic wizard. He wore long, flowing deep blue robes, a beard as white as snow, and a pointed hat that added to his already impressive height.
[First, let me congratulate you all on passing the entrance exam for Mistheaven. Let's give a round of applause to appreciate everyone here.]
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
"Whoooa! It's finally over!"
All the participants cheered loudly and clapped their hands, their excitement echoing throughout the stadium.
Since the entrance exam began, they had never been this relieved or happy.
Especially since the one standing on the podium this time wasn't the headmaster, who loved giving them emotional trauma. Everyone was excited, except for Oz.
"Booo! Get down, I want Professor Goldilock!"
Since the fourth exam, Oz had been in a bad mood. He had to face David and was forced to surrender without even getting the chance to put up a fight.
But what really annoyed him was was that David, after the duel, had declared Oz as his friend and then proceeded to share his entire life story with him.
—Aaaah! No! Characters who hear the protagonist's tragic backstory usually dies quickly, sacrificing themselves to protect the protagonist! No!
"I need to use a memory-erasing spell as soon as possible!"
[Before I begin, let me introduce myself. I'm Professor Prospero, the vice principal. I'm standing in for the headmaster because she and some other professors have matters to attend to.]
In truth, Professor Goldilock was "locked away" in her own office by the other professors after reading a poem Oz had written.
Professor Goldilock had been ready to use his magic to burn Oz, along with the stadium and everyone in it, to the ground. Thankfully, some professors managed to calm her down.
[Mistheaven almost couldn't accept new students, but it's all sorted out now, hahaha.]
*Thud*
Professor Prospero stomped his staff on the floor with a loud thud.
Instantly, the stadium's roof and walls crumbled away as if made of sand, transforming into a dazzling shower of confetti and colorful balloons that floated down to the cheering crowd below.
The stadium became an open arena again, revealing the sky that was now a reddish-yellow, signaling the arrival of evening.
The surveillance birds that had accompanied the participants since morning now flew up, circling in the sky as if dancing, before heading back to where they came from.
Except for one bird that was still perched on Oz's shoulder.
*Screeeech*
"Huh? You're not going with them?"
The owl shook its head, indicating it didn't want to leave.
"Hmm, alright, you can come with me until the school takes you back. Deal?"
*Screeeech*
The owl nodded eagerly, clearly thrilled by Oz's offer to stay together. It hooted softly, snuggling closer to him as if it had found a new master.
*Thud*
Once more, Professor Prospero stomped his staff, and this time, thousands of sheets of parchment flew out from the stage, swirling through the air before gently landing in front of each participant.
[Tomorrow morning, the results of today's exam will be revealed on those papers. With that, I officially declare the Mistheaven entrance exam over. Congratulations, and thank you!]
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
Once again, the stadium was filled with thunderous applause and cheers, echoing off the walls as the participants let out their joy and relief.
The exams were finally over, and now, all that was left was to wait for the results.
Some students, confident in their performance, couldn't hide their excitement, their faces glowing with pride.
Others, less sure, smiled nervously, their hearts pounding with anticipation as they hoped for the best.
"Oh, hey Sam, how did your duel go?"
Oz asked Sam, who seemed a bit down. But Oz knew that Sam was probably sad not because of the duel, but because of food.
*Growl!*
Sam's stomach growled fiercely, louder than a lion's roar, and Oz couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh, I ended up tying with my opponent. I used all my Starlight to create the biggest Ventus Telum spell I could manage. In the end, we both got blown out of the arena at the same time."
Sam laughed, looking embarrassed as he explained the outcome of his duel.
"Hahaha. Well, I lost because I had to face the strongest creature in the world. Even the Dark Lord wouldn't stand a chance!"
"Haha, Oz, you're just making that up."
—I'm not lying. Maybe in 10 years, David will defeat the Dark Lord with ease.
The stadium was still buzzing with excitement, filled with students celebrating the end of the entrance exams.
Some were sprawled out on the ground, completely exhausted, while others were lining up to exit the stadium, eager to leave.
"Hmm, Sam, I think I have some bad news."
Oz slowly turned to Sam, his expression darkening as if he were about to reveal something serious.
"Wh-What bad news, Oz?"
"Look at the line to leave the stadium. We're going to be late for dinner. Muahahaha!"
"Noooooo!"
Sam screamed as loud as he could.
In a panic, Sam sprinted toward the crowd of participants who were lining up to exit the stadium.
Desperate to get out quickly, he forced his way through, causing himself and several others to get jammed in the doorway, making the line even longer and more chaotic.
"Help!"
"Watch it, don't step on my foot!"
"Air! Air! I can't breathe!"
The shouts and cries from the trapped participants filled the air. The more they struggled, the worse the congestion became, turning the exit into a complete mess.
"..."
"Well, not my problem. I don't need to eat anyway."
—But I do miss the comfort of a soft bed. How much longer is this line going to take!?
Oz's frustration grew more intense as he finally made it back to his hotel room after spending over an hour waiting in that ridiculous line.
*****
In a room at the top of Mistheaven Castle, a female figure was furiously pounding a pillow, causing its stuffing to fly everywhere.
"OLIVEEER!!!!"
The scream came from none other than our favorite headmaster, Professor Goldilock.
"Hiya! What on earth was that poem supposed to mean!? How dare he embarrass me like that in front of everyone!? The other professors couldn't stop laughing! Aaaghh!"
The senior servants, who had been serving Professor Goldilock for decades, cowered in fear.
It was a rare and terrifying sight to see the headmaster in such a fit of rage. Usually she was the one who caused trouble for the students, not the other way around.
"Just wait until he's enrolled. The moment I get my hands on him, I'll roast him like a duck on a spit!"
In the corner of the room, sitting in a guest chair, Professor Prospero observed the headmaster's tantrum with mild amusement.
He was casually reviewing a stack of documents, which contained the exam scores and names of the students.
"Hahaha, I've never seen you this happy, Headmaster."
Prospero's voice was laced with sarcasm as he teased the headmaster, who was still throwing a tantrum like a child who had lost their favorite toy.
"I'll be happy once I catch that boy and teach him a lesson he'll never forget!"
"What's the boy's name again? Oliver Twist, wasn't it?"
Professor Prospero picked up the sheet containing Oz's exam results, carefully analyzing the report from his time during the exams, a faint smile playing on his lips as he read through the details.
=======
Name: Oliver Twist
Endurance: 10
Decision-making: 0
Intelligence: 10
Magical-prowess: 0
Insight: 10
Creativity: 5
Resourcefulness: 10
Networking: 10
Wisdom: 10
Grand Total: 65
=======
Professor Prospero's eyes widened in surprise at Oz's total score of 65. His initial amusement turned into genuine curiosity.
"Only less than 100 participants managed to score above 40. This kid is pretty talented. Hmm? But there's something off here."
As he meticulously double-checked Oz's documents and compared them with the official exam guidelines, Professor Prospero noticed an inconsistency that caught his attention.
"How could a student who successfully collected three white cards receive a score of 0 in decision-making? That's impossible… unless… unless he returned without the surveillance bird."
The headmaster, who had been busy tearing apart her pillows in frustration, suddenly paused, her attention now fully focused on Professor Prospero's question.
Her expression soured as she recalled the moment she was angrily confronting the boy, realizing she might have accidentally sent her own owl to him instead.
"Could it be...?"
The headmaster immediately rushed to the spot where her owl usually perched.
Her face grew even darker when she saw that the owl was not there.
"Ah, but it's fine. That's no ordinary owl. It'll come back on its own, eventually. Hahahaha."
The headmaster forced a laugh, trying to reassure herself. She knew that her owl was notoriously difficult to control and was likely causing all sorts of trouble for Oz.
"So, does that mean the boy's actual score should be 75?"
Professor Prospero picked up a pencil and eraser, ready to adjust Oz's score accordingly.
"Oh, by the way, Headmaster, if I may ask, what was the highest bonus coin score?"
Hearing Professor Prospero's question, the headmaster stopped her forced laughter, her face now completely devoid of emotion.
"54… Someone managed to collect 54 coins..."
"54? That's incredible! The previous record was only 32! If I had known who it was, I'd have congratulated him on the spot, hahaha!"
"…"
The headmaster fell silent, her expression darkening as she realized the student with the record was Oz. This meant she had to prepare an award for him, which only deepened her bad mood.
In the room, only one person was laughing, one person had no expression, and one servant stood trembling, terrified by the headmaster's rapidly shifting moods.