Currently, Quarts and Sigrun are inside a room with large framed machinery with a pedestal in the middle and a glass panel that scans a person’s overall statistics, magical energy, and possible potential in the future. The whole room is lit with white light and looks a little mundane like an office with a long chair and table with a holographic board and techbook.

The outcome that the machine will produce is nothing sort of accurate as the Academy promotes growth and enhanced learning in every field. One may excel at being a top Magus but if they desire to become a Magical Engineer, such career can be trained and practiced here.

The room has a multilayered seal to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering. Such barrier is made so students may not enter the place as they please. There were cases in the past where they tamper with their Tier and Degree so a countermeasure such as this is subjected.

Tier and Degree aren’t solely based on how strong a person’s Magical Power or how high their Magical Energy is. As time passes, one can showcase their skills with magic and rise further.

For the machine itself, the whole process is done via electromagnetic infusion to the body in which the machine records the reaction in which the magical energy resonates. The only side effect of such process is that the person in the subject may feel ticklish all over their body. If the subject’s magical energy is higher than the machine could handle, it may explode so that’s why, over the past decades, it was thoroughly reinforced to have a higher measuring threshold since people with absurd Magical Energy appears from time to time.

For example, the Ten Paladins.

And thus, therefore, Sigrun and Quarts are now inside the room for the purpose of determining Sigrun’s Tier and Degree.

“Ah, here we are. Sigrun, take a seat first.” Quarts said as he beckons Sigrun who is curiously scanning the whole place.

“Okay! By the way, Quarts…about the punishment…” Sigrun immediately inquired about the said punishment.

“That’s Sir Quarts for you, Sigurn Valker.” Quarts snaps a reprimand with a nonchalant voice as he takes out his phone from his pocket and takes a seat beside Sigrun.

“Ah, yes, sorry, Sir Quarts! So, about that punishment…” Sigrun corrected his mannerism around Quarts and once again inquired about the said punishment.

“Ah, that, Meld really doesn’t know what to do so he left it in my hands. I’ve decided your punishment though right from the start.” Quarts told Sigrun as he started browsing the internet in his phone, looking for videos and such.

“And, what would that be?” Sigrun nervously asked.

“From now on, you are to call Headmaster Meld…dearest father!” Quarts announce with a grin plastered on his face.

“Dearest father?!” Sigrun exclaimed as he didn’t expect that the punishment slides into this kind of category.

“That’s right! Whenever you two are alone or not, that’s how you are going to address him. Don’t worry about it, he will be happy to be called as one!” Quarts assured Sigrun with a smile, though a little bleak and sinister.

“Y-Yeah…” Sigrun anxiously accepted the conditions with a troubled face.

“Oh, look at this cat video! So funny! Ahahaha!” Quarts show Sigrun a cat chasing a laser dot.

“Ah, how cute!” Sigrun exclaimed as his eyes get fixated on the video.

“Wait a minute! How about the measurement of my Tier and Degree? Sir Quarts, let’s do it!” Sigrun becomes hyped again as he reminds Quarts.

“Tsk.” A simple click of the tongue was the only reply.

“Why?! Why did you clicked your tongue?! Do you really find it too troublesome, Sir Quarts?!” Sigrun clings to Quarts.

“Ahahaha! I didn’t do such thing!” Quarts denied with a straight face.

As Quarts said those words, he stood up from his seat and rummage in a metal cabinet where all assortments of paper are neatly lined up. From there, he drew a single sheet pertaining to a person’s measurement result of their Tier and Degree.

He laid down the paper and wrote several words on it. As soon as he signed a signature for the evaluation, he handed it to Sigrun.

“Here, you can go now.” Quarts said as he returned to his cat videos.

“Eh…that’s it? Wait! This is…Tier Four, Third Degree?!” Sigrun shouted in utter surprised. “Is this bullying?! This is definitely bullying!” Sigrun protested to Quarts who returned a tired sigh.

“Ahh…Listen here, Sigrun Valker. Are you expecting something fantastic like breaking the meter of the measurement and being the talk of the day? Then people would start asking you why are you so strong right from the bat?” Quarts pointed out some stinging questions.

“Um…err…something…like that? Ahahaha…” Sigrun couldn’t deny Quarts subtle allegation. He could only laugh weakly as those thoughts are exposed like an open book.

“That machine costs so much. If you are not troubled with money, then replacing that machine is troublesome. You will be making another inconvenience for Meld and me. I hate trouble, you know.” Quarts said to Sigrun as he slams a hand on the machine making a metallic ringing sound.

“I’m sorry for being thoughtless. However, this Tier and Degree doesn’t do me justice!” Sigrun, standing on his ground, fights back.

“Is that so? How about I add one more punishment for you? Like, getting rid of your meal ticket that Meld regularly send to you, huh?” Quarts said as he peers closer to Sigrun’s face.

“Yes! I’m completely satisfied with this! Thank you very much! I’m going now!” Sigrun hurriedly exits the place with a frigid smile.

Walking with his back hunched, Sigrun made an audible sigh. The hallway is empty as the students are in each of their room in preparation for the class.

“Geez…that Quarts…I just can’t deal with him properly…” Sigrun said as he once again gazes at the paper Quarts gave to him, his official ranking.

“Anyway…I think this is fine for now…” He told himself with an exasperated expression.

CLICK

“Hmm?” Sigrun heard a clicking noise together with a flash. He turns his direction behind him and keenly observe the corner of the hallway. He is already aware of the presence right from the bat but his stare is signifying that he already found out about the person.

“This is a problem. I forgot to turn off the flash. No matter.” A girl with, possibly a student from the academy too, said with a deadpan face and voice. Her lengthy pale blond hair sways a bit as she showed herself to Sigrun.

“And…you are?” Sigrun asked for the name of the girl whose ears is of a rabbit. The identity immediately shouted Vasters. Her height is a little shorter than Sigrun but her long ears clearly beat him.

“My name is Ezili Clear, a journalist, though in a club.” She said as she showed the camera with a huge lens in her hands strapped in her neck. Once again, her greeting face is deadpan and her voice is monotonous.

“Is there something wrong? Why do you speak like that? And…ever since I got out of aptitude testing room, why are you following me?” Sigrun stated his questions mixed with curiosity.

“Oh, my? How mindful of you? First, I’m someone you might call paparazzi, though, I’m only tailing for the truth. Second, please do not mind my speech mannerism, it does not do anything significant. Third, I’m here for the latest scoop, the famous Sigrun Valker’s Tier and Degree.” She stated all without a blatant lie.

“Ah, is that so?” Sigrun affirmed her purposes with a smile.

“So, with that said, hand over your result.” Ezili said with the same expressionless countenance.

“Are you some kind of a hooligan?! It’s a little disturbing when you said those words with that deadpan face of yours!” Sigrun exclaimed with a surprised face.

“Ah, excuse me for my rudeness. It’s a bad habit that I got from my father. Well, then, I will ask again, will you hand over your result already?” She once again asked while beckoning Sigrun to turn in his paper.

“Why do I feel like it’s nothing different from your initial request?! Your father surely has brought you up with that poor habit of yours…” Sigrun stares at Ezili with a quizzical face.

“Oh my, oh my, if you don’t I’ll leak this photo. Sigrun Valker and Reed Chelle, secret date.” Ezili then showed a series of photos with Reed and him as the center point. It was all taken yesterday when they were wandering around the city. The most noticeable is the photo of Sigrun clinging to Reed with teary eyes.

“Blackmail?! Secret date? I thought you are only tailing for the truth?!” Sigrun asked with an anxious face. After all, this girl spells trouble for him.

“By the way, who is the pitcher?” Ezili abruptly asked.

“We don’t have that interest with each other. If you really want to see my results, that’s fine by me…” Sigrun conceded as he took out his aptitude result.

“Oh my, and I was just kidding when I told you I’m going to leak those photos.” Ezili said while making a peace sign.

“It’s hard to tell whether you are serious or not if you don’t make any facial gesture…” Sigrun commented with a tired expression.

CLICK

“Okay, done. Thank you for your cooperation. Expect great headlines from yours truly. Until we meet again.” Ezili hops away from Sigrun while waving her hands.

“What an oddball…” Sigrun muttered as he watches the girl, Ezili, runs.

Later that day, Sigrun heard from Amaryl that Ezili is famous for her journalism skills but what made him pale to the utmost limit is knowing that Quarts’ full name is Quarts Clear.

Apparently, Ezili is Quarts' daughter.