The bell tolled loudly, signaling the end of the two hours break as well as the end of the first part of the graduation assessment exam.

The junior mages left their dorms, where they had been preparing for the upcoming battle exam, and made their way to the platform prepared by the academy. Normally, with the exception of some freshman and commoners, most students avoided staying on campus. However, this week was an exception due to the graduation assessment.

“Look, isn’t that the Imperial Freak? I guess he really did come back.”

“Yeah, I thought he quit the academy already. He only spent on year here, and now he’s back to take the graduation assessment exam.”

“I heard he didn’t answer any of the questions in the written exam. He shames the rest of us nobles.”

“Well, with him gone for two years what did you expect?”

“I heard he was a genius when he was in school, able to answer any question and excelling at drawing magic circles and chanting spells. Looks like now he’s nothing but a failure.”

“Shh, don’t talk so loud! Even if he is a failure, he’s still an Imperial Prince and the great-grandson of the Dean.”

“Hmph! In this academy, everything depends on your own strength. No matter if he is a prince or an Imperial noble, he only has power outside of the academy gate.”

As Shad made his way towards the platform, many people whispered about him as he passed. He did not pay them any attention as he continued to head towards the platform.

“Who do you think the top graduate will be this year?”

“That’s easy, it’s either going to be Clyde Kalel, or Wilsin Djage, the son of the Royal Duke Wishlam, the older brother of the Emperor. Those two are the strongest junior mages in the academy, as well as having the heritage of Imperial Nobles.”

“Heh, did you guys forget about Kylie, another Imperial Noble? Apparently she has already broken through to the 3rd class mage several months ago, and her ice magic is extremely powerful. Not only that, but she’s already mastered two 3rd tier magic spells.”

“Oh now that you mention it, she does have that kind of strength. Once again, the Imperial Nobles have outshone the Imperial family. No wonder they’re considered the true rulers of the Empire as well as its cornerstone.”

“I don’t care about any of that, I just want to crush the pride of that Imperial Freak.”

The entire academy was full of chatter discussing the Fourth Prince, the strongest contestants, and much more. The upcoming battle exam generated a very lively atmosphere.

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At the center of the Kalin Academy there was a towering battle arena. It was surrounded on all sides by chairs for the spectators, which were currently occupied by the students and staff of the academy. Any students that were participating in the battle assessment were seated in the front row, along with the staff members who were facilitating the fights. The junior mages wore blue robes, while the senior mages wore white.

The vice-dean stood on the battle arena, looking down at the faces of the students below. Many of them showed impatience, as they couldn’t wait for the battle assessment to begin. This was the most popular portion of the graduation assessment. It was a good way to show off their strength, and for the commoners it was a good way to attract the attention of noble families or other potential backers.

“Since ancient times, mages have always had a strong connection with war. We are the cornerstone of any kingdom or empire, and are the most efficient soldiers possible due to the devastating powers we control. The purpose of this academy is to nurture powerful mages, so that they may one day become the backbone of the Empire. This assessment, along with the monster hunt exam, are methods used to simulate some aspects of warfare so that you may safely gain battle experience.”

The students shone with excitement as they listened to the vice dean continued his speech. For them, warfare was nothing new. Indeed, some of them had performed missions for the school in the past, normally involving cleaning up small groups of bandits or similar threats. They could not wait to go on stage to demonstrate what they learned. Fighting was prohibited on the academy grounds, as well as most parts of the Imperial Capital, so it was not very often that they had the opportunity to show off their prowess.

“However, magic is not only concerned with warfare and destruction. It is, in essence, the study of the principles of the world. For those of you who prove unsuited for combat, whatever the reason, you will become the researchers who pave the way to greater heights for the future generations. Magic studies every aspect of the world, from its origin, to its structure, and the rules that govern us all. It is the key to greater planes of existence. No matter how you fare in the battle exam, there will be a place for you within the academy.”

The students who had previously been full of excitement calmed down slightly at his words and looked slightly pensive. None of them wanted to fail, as that would mean being weak.

“Well, enough chatter for now. The rules are the same as they’ve always been, but I will repeat them for the sake of safety. First, no using forbidden spells. Second, you are not allowed to kill your opponent. Third, you are not allowed to attack your opponent after they have forfeited. Finally, you may not use any magical items or artifacts during the fight. There are healing mages on standby, so do not worry about injuries. However, if any of you dares to commit a foul or disregard the rules, you will be expelled regardless of rank or status.”

As he spoke, the vice dean released a strong pressure that prohibited every student from breathing. Cold sweat rolled down as their faces as the temperature of the area drastically dropped. They all nodded their heads as a sign of agreement. The vice dean was famous for being very fair and very strict, so none of the students dared to doubt his word.

The vice dean removed a piece of paper from his pocket and read the ten names that were on it. These were the top ten scorers on the written exam. They would go on stage and pick out the students they wished to spar with for the first fight. Each student had to fight three teams, and must win two of the fights in order to pass the battle exam. Those that pass both the written exam and the battle can choose to exempt the monster hunt exam, as they already passed the exam. However, some of them wished to be acknowledged as the best amongst their peers, and each year many of the highest ranked students chose to take the monster hunt exam in order to achieve a perfect score.

A young man walked onto the stage, the first of the ten names on the list. He wore a blue magic robe that suited him perfectly. His black and gold hair framed his blue eyes, along with his beautiful yet cold face. This was Clyde Kalel, scion of the Kalel family and an Imperial Noble. The Kalel family was one of the oldest families in the Empire, and their personal power was on par with that of the Imperial Family.

Because he was the highest scorer on the written exam, he was given the right to choose his first opponent. As they looked at him standing on the stage, almost every student was nervous and silently prayed that he would not choose them. His eyes swept the students below, pausing briefly on Shad before moving on with a disdainful snort, as though he was not a worthy opponent.

“Brandon, come meet your defeat,” he said to the young man sitting next to Shad. Brandon was one of the top five junior mages, but he was a commoner that was backed the Royal Duke Wishlam because of his talent. He knew that he didn’t stand a chance against the scion of House Kalel.

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Bang!

Five fireballs loudly exploded against a shield of ice, which was the ancestral element of House Kalel.

“Just give up. I thought you were a decent fire mage, but it turns out that you are weak like the rest. You can’t melt my ice with a puny 2nd tier fire spell,” said Clyde scornfully as Brandon panted heavily on the opposite side of the stage. In the past five minutes, Brandon had been unable to break through Clyde’s ice shield. He was on his last breath and was running low on mana. He opened the fight two 3rd tier magic spells, and now he only had enough mana for 2nd tier spells which couldn’t even scratch the shield.

The Kalel family had a strong affinity for ice magic, while the Djage family had an affinity for fire magic. Even though Brandon was not related by blood to the Djage family, he was still under the protection of the Royal Duke Wishlam due to his status as a fire mage, so Clyde wanted to humiliate him and show the world that fire magic was inferior to ice magic. Similar to their chosen elements, the Kalel family and the Djage family did not get along very well. This discord dated back to the first days of the Empire.

“Ice Creation magic, Icicle Bolt!”

While Brandon tried to catch his breath, Clyde finished chanting his magic spell. With a loud hum, a white magic circle appeared in front of his palm as he raised his right hand towards Brandon. Countless small balls of white light coalesced in the center of this circle as the surrounding temperature started to drop.

Swish! Dozens of small icicles shot out from the magic circle at an incredible velocity towards the tired fire mage. He would be severely injured if he got hit by one, although Clyde was very careful to avoid using a spell that would kill or maim him.

“I give up!” yelled Brandon before he got hit by the icicles. As soon as he uttered these words, the vice dean as well as the referee of the match cast a shield spell onto Brandon which prevented him from getting hit by any of the deadly projectiles.

“The winner of the first match is Clyde Kalel!”

“Wilsin Djage, come onto the stage for the second match,” said the vice dean as Clyde went back to his seat.

Edited by Eljako98