"Test completed!" Gustav shouted. "We don't need to continue."
As soon as the director ended the fight, the soldier started walking toward the side of the arena. He shook his head as if trying to eliminate an unwanted thought.
'What was that?' The soldier questioned his own sanity.
"Congratulations, Alphonse. You've been approved for the next stage," Gustav explained.
It didn't seem like a unanimous decision; others on the evaluation panel were still whispering.
"If the soldier hadn't stepped back, would he have won?"
"He must be getting old, made a mistake, and that's why the boy passed."
These thoughts weren't only among the evaluators; the audience had the same impression.
Alphonse didn't care about the impression they had. He even preferred not to show his full power for now.
'I need to understand the place and the dangers I'll face before showing my full strength,' he thought.
"The second test will also take place in this room, so you don't need to leave. We just need you to position yourself in the center of the arena," Gustav explained.
Alphonse knew the second test was related to mana but not how it worked. The boy walked toward the center of the platform.
"Below this arena is an artifact that will read your mana and provide a number indicating your magical potential," the director explained.
'Damn! Am I going to be exposed? If they find out I have 1,000 mana, there'll be a frenzy.' Alphonse started to worry, but there was nothing he could do.
"Starting!" Gustav said.
The platform floor began to glow, shooting bluish beams of light around the courtyard. Suddenly, the lights stopped.
Alphonse tried to look around, trying to understand what had happened. However, everyone seemed to have a confused look.
"Curious," the director commented.
The boy finally realized everyone was looking above him, not at him. Turning his face upward, he saw a symbol floating above his head.
"0."
'Zero potential? Could it be a way to hide my [Profession]?' the boy thought. 'Phew! Better than being found out.'
Once it clicked, the previously divided panel about passing Alphonse began openly discussing it. The stands were also buzzing with conversation.
"Absurd, he has no talent. He needs to be rejected."
"How could someone like him even dare to apply to the Academy?"
"Every day, these kids get worse. At this rate, the Academy will be shut down."
"Silence. SILENCE!" Gustav roared, stopping the room from speaking.
The director got up from his chair and walked to the hall's center. He seemed to be inspecting the floor and the paintings on it.
"Interesting, without a doubt," the director mumbled.
"Congratulations, Alphonse. You've passed. Please proceed to the next room to take your knowledge test," Gustav pointed to one of the doors at the back of the gymnasium.
Alphonse didn't know what had happened but was happy to have passed. Without saying a word, he walked through the gates.
—
—
As soon as Gustav returned to the table, some teachers approached him about the decision.
"Director! How could you pass a boy like that?!"
"He has low combat talent and no magical ability at all."
"Silence. I won't tolerate being questioned again," the director said, his tone was low but aggressive. His rage radiated from his eyes, making the other teachers tremble.
"You've been with the Academy for a short time and don't know the Arcane deeply," Gustav explained, his tone like that of a teacher instructing students. "The measurement artifact is old—we could even call it an ancient one. It has clear limits to its functionality, and if it's unable to measure something, it will result in zero. So, either this boy won't grow and will soon leave the Academy, or he has no limit to his magical growth."
The teachers remained silent, listening to Gustav's explanation.
"Fascinating."
—
—
The stands were also confused by what had happened. It was clear he had no magical potential, and yet he had passed to the next stage.
Among those present were researchers and some academy teachers who wanted to see the possible pupils who would enter in the coming weeks. However, students could also watch the evaluations.
"What was his name?" one of the girls asked.
"Alphonse von Hohenberg," another girl replied.
"Cut his name. Hardly any other group will want to poach him, and we don't need someone like that," the first girl explained.
"Of course. Removed from the list, princess," the second girl confirmed.
Among those seated in the stands were all the imperial descendants—all the princesses and the prince of the empire. Each of them was judging the possible talents they could acquire.
However, the only person Alphonse had caught the attention of was the third princess, and even then, after seeing his magical potential, she preferred to remove him from her list.
"How did he manage to pass, though?" the second girl asked.
"Celeste, you forget you're in the capital. There's always someone who knows someone. Even if Hohenberg is in the middle of nowhere, he must have someone sponsoring him," the princess explained.
Celeste was still confused but preferred not to argue with the princess.
—
—
Upon entering the second hall, Alphonse saw a long room with thousands of chairs and desks. Many were already occupied, but there were still a few empty ones.
He walked to one of the chairs and sat down. Quickly, a teacher approached and handed him a sheet of paper, along with ink and a quill.
'Is it just a written test?' Alphonse was surprised.
Upon reading the sheet, he understood more. Each test was specifically tailored to the student; it was marked with his name.
'How would you tax a territory that has just had a poor harvest?'
'How would you prevent a peasant revolt if there is not enough food for everyone in the region?'
'Explain the three pillars of the Arcane.'
It included questions on Strategy and Management, as well as some specific questions about Artificery.
'Not too difficult,' Alphonse thought, comparing it to the entrance exam he had taken in his previous life.
He quickly began answering each of the questions. After just over ten minutes, he heard the door open. Looking back, he saw Sophie entering the hall with a wide smile.
'Yes!' the boy celebrated.
He returned to focus on his test. However, he was almost finished. It didn't take him more than fifteen minutes to complete all twenty questions.
Alphonse stood up and walked to the front of the hall to hand in his test. Some of the people still working on their tests raised their sights while judging the boy.
'He just arrived.'
'Another quitter.'
'The Academy is fucking tough.'
However, the boy had already finished the exam, surprising even the teacher.
"A-are you sure you're done?" The professor asked.
Alphonse was then instructed to return to the castle's main courtyard and wait for the results to be announced.
Like Alphonse, Sophie also finished her test quickly in just thirty minutes. However, they had to wait over five hours in the courtyard while the tests were completed and the results announced.
—
—
As the tests ended, the main courtyard began to fill. Many students and candidates were waiting for the Academy's official announcement.
Some professors walked to the courtyard and, using sound amplification magic, began announcing the students' names and specializations.
One of the professors announced, "For the Swordmastery course, the following students have been approved."
Sophie and Alphonse weren't paying attention, as it wasn't the course they were pursuing. However, it was clear that there were far more candidates for this course than for the others.
Once the announcement was finished, it was possible to see the happiness of those celebrating having passed and the sadness of many who didn't get the opportunity.
"Did you see?! I got accepted, and I'm even going to specialize in dual swords," one of the boys was celebrating.
Nobles and commoners were accepted into the Academy regardless of their class; only their skills mattered. However, it was clear that a high number of nobles were among those approved.
'They have a lifetime to prepare for these exams,' Alphonse thought.
"For the Arcane course, the following students have been approved..." a teacher stepped forward to announce the second course.
Sophie was nervous, holding Alphonse's hand.
"Sophie von Hohenberg, specializing in Healing Magic," the teacher announced.
"Ah! Al! I passed!" the girl celebrated, jumping into her brother's arms and giving small cheers.
People around them looked on, happy to see the celebration.
"Lastly, for the Strategy and Management course..." another teacher announced the final course.
No more than twenty people should have been left among the candidates waiting for the announcement of those who had passed.
Sophie was nervous again, but Alphonse remained calm.
'Whatever happens, happens,' he recited internally.
"Alphonse von Hohenberg, with a specialization in Artificery."