[Third Person's PoV]
Stephen, Julius, and Marx walked out of the castle and past the guards. As they strolled through the capital, some civilians noticed the Wizard King and began pointing in their direction.
Many waved happily and called out Julius's name with large smiles, while he waved back warmly.
"He seems to be well-liked," Stephen muttered, observing the interactions.
Marx nodded. "Though he may not look it, Julius is a very popular Wizard King. They adore him, and he feels the same about them. It's one of the main reasons he was chosen to be the Wizard King."
"Come on, Marx, what's that supposed to mean?" Julius asked, pouting slightly.
"You know exactly what it means, sir," Marx replied with a straight face.
Soon, they arrived in front of a tall building decorated with crosses.
"This is where your main test will take place," Julius said, turning to Stephen. "But first, I want you to meet someone."
They entered the building and walked into an empty room where a man with gray hair and glasses sat by a table with a tea set.
Upon seeing Julius, the man immediately stood and bowed. "Wizard King Julius!"
"Come on, Owen, we're friends, aren't we? Anyway, remember what we discussed the other day?"
"Hm? Ah, I see. So this is the kid you wanted to endorse." Owen extended his hand toward Stephen. "The name's Owen."
Stephen nodded and shook his hand. "Stephen."
"Follow me," Owen said, leading them through the tower. "This test will be monitored by me, the Wizard King himself, and another honored guest who became interested when the Wizard King mentioned you."
Stephen looked at Julius, concerned. "Is it appropriate for you to oversee this? Since you recommended me, won't it seem biased?"
Julius smiled, but Owen answered. "That's nothing for you to worry about. Everyone in this kingdom knows Wizard King Julius is a fair and honest man. He will judge you without bias."
"If you say so…"
"Your test will be in two parts," Owen explained. "The first is written, testing your theoretical knowledge. The second is more hands-on, but you only get to do it if you pass the first part."
They stopped by a door, and Owen knocked. A woman's voice came from the other side. "Come in!"
Inside, Stephen saw an older woman with long silver wavy hair and ample assets, sitting at a desk surrounded by stacks of books.
"Stephen, this is Aurelia Silva, a noble from the Silva Household and an expert in Silver Thread Healing Magic. Ms. Silva, this is Stephen, the one the Wizard King endorses," Owen introduced.
After exchanging pleasantries, Aurelia examined Stephen critically. "So you're the one the Wizard King endorsed, huh? Interesting," she said, lifting a stack of books and pulling out a booklet.
"Sit in front," she instructed, motioning to a chair across from her.
Stephen sat down as she slid the booklet, a feather, and ink toward him. "These questions and scenarios will test your knowledge and understanding. People seem to think that just because they have healing magic, they can skip the fundamentals. I hope that's not the case with you."
"No, ma'am," Stephen replied confidently, opening the booklet.
As he scanned the questions, he paused. "Excuse me, but some of these questions don't make sense, and a few scenarios are illogical…"
"Oh? Care to show me which ones?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because from what I saw, you just flipped through the pages."
"Photographic memory," Stephen said, flipping to one of the questions. He pointed at it and read aloud, "If a patient experiences severe dehydration, why wouldn't healing magic that restores bodily fluids simply replenish them instantly? Wouldn't it be wiser to first assess the cause of the dehydration before applying magic?"
Aurelia tilted her head, intrigued. "Why do you find that questionable?"
"Because it overlooks the underlying issues. Healing magic can address symptoms, but without treating the root cause—like blood loss or illness—the problem won't be resolved."
Aurelia smiled, impressed. "Good, there were questions laid in that booklet there to confuse people and to truly test their knowledge, if they would have failed to catch it, it would have meant you weren't worthy. Let's move on to rapid-fire scenarios then. Ready?"
"Absolutely," Stephen replied, his focus sharpening.
"First scenario: A patient has a deep cut on their arm and is bleeding profusely. What do you do?"
"Apply direct pressure to stop the bleeding first, assess the wound, and then use healing magic to promote clotting if necessary."
"Next: The same patient shows signs of shock. What's your immediate response?"
"I'd stabilize their blood pressure and heart rate by administering fluids, either through magic or regular means, before addressing the wound further."
"Third scenario: A child presents with a high fever and rash. What's your approach?"
"I'd check for symptoms of infection or illness, ensure the child is hydrated, and use healing magic to reduce the fever while monitoring for any serious underlying conditions."
"Last one: An elderly patient complains of severe joint pain. How do you handle it?"
"I'd evaluate their medical history for conditions like arthritis, then consider a combination of healing magic for pain relief and recommend physical therapy or exercises to improve mobility."
Aurelia nodded, impressed with his responses. "Now, a complex one: A patient comes to you with a rapidly deteriorating condition. Their mana circuits are in complete disarray—collapsing, malfunctioning, and leaking raw magical energy into their body, causing organ damage. Their physical body is also suffering from severe necrosis, as if their cells are decaying, but no known disease or magic can explain it. Standard healing spells only make it worse, as they seem to accelerate the destruction of the mana circuits. How do you even begin to treat them?"
Stephen didn't flinch. He took a breath, his mind already working through the scenario. "First, I'd immediately isolate the patient from any external magic sources. If their mana circuits are collapsing and leaking raw energy, we need to stop any outside interference that might exacerbate the situation."
Aurelia nodded, intrigued. "Go on."
"Next, I'd stabilize their physical body. I'd begin with aggressive non-magical treatment—antibiotics or natural remedies to slow down the necrosis, paired with physical intervention like surgery if needed, to remove the decaying tissue and prevent it from spreading."
"But what about the mana circuits?" Aurelia asked, her eyes narrowing. "They're at the core of the problem."
Stephen continued without hesitation. "I'd take an unorthodox approach. Since healing magic worsens the situation, I'd attempt to deactivate or sever the patient's mana circuits temporarily—essentially rendering them unable to process magic at all. This would prevent further leakage of raw magical energy into their body."
Aurelia raised an eyebrow. "Severing a patient's mana circuits could render them permanently unable to use magic."
Stephen nodded. "It's risky, but the alternative is death. Once their body has stabilized and the necrosis is under control, I'd focus on gradually reconstructing their mana circuits, possibly by introducing small doses of natural mana from the environment—allowing the body to adapt without overloading the circuits again."
"And what if that fails?" Aurelia asked, testing him further.
"If natural mana doesn't work, I'd consider using artificial mana control devices—magical prosthetics that could act as temporary conduits for the patient's mana until their own circuits can be rebuilt. It would buy us time to find a permanent solution. But everything would depend on constant monitoring and adjusting the treatment to the patient's response."
Aurelia leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. "You know, that's a scenario I hadn't even solved. It's one I've been stuck on for ages, and you just came up with a viable solution and treatment plan for it… You're knowledgeable. It's too advanced for someone your age. Who are you truly?"
"The name's Stephen, a member of the Black Bulls, a citizen of the Clover Kingdom, and a commoner from Hage Village," Stephen answered with a smirk.
Aurelia smiled and shook her head. "That doesn't answer the question… But I guess I'll take it. I have two last questions before ending the test."
Stephen nodded, ready for whatever scientific question she had next.
"First question: How's Noelle? Is she alright? I know she's a member of your squad, so I hope she's doing well. And last question: How would you like to be engaged to my daughter!? Let me tell you, my Mimosa is a very kind and beautiful lady," she asked, looking intently at Stephen.
"Huh?"
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