FINALLY, the day of the practical exams arrived. Many applicants gathered in front of the Vizer School of Magic. I even spotted the noblewoman with ashy purple hair, who scolded me about lacking a mantle in the cold. She was gorgeous and stood out among the crowd. I decided to sneak about, hoping to evade her this time.
When I looked around, I realized that a majority of the applicants were of noble birth. Practicing magic was a financial investment, and naturally, it was a privilege granted to the wealthy. But it seems like a waste if there was a gem hiding among the commoners—they might just not have the money to practice, I thought.
A piece of paper outlining the practical exam was handed out, and I was carefully reading it when someone called out my name.
“Hey, Misha! What’s up?!”
I looked up and spotted Ehr. He flumped down beside me.
“Hey, the wand you gave me is sick!” he beamed. “My spells are so much easier to cast now!”
“I’m glad to hear that,” I replied.
His voice was loud, attracting attention, and I quietly warned him that we should be a bit quieter and more considerate of others. I couldn’t blame him, though; he likely raised his voice because of his nerves. Hm, maybe this might calm him down. I rummaged around in my pocket and took out some candy to share with him.
“This candy can help calm nerves,” I said.
“Yeah? Thanks!” Ehr popped it into his mouth. “Oh… This is good.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
This special sort of candy was made from precious honey harvested in Lawlife and infused with herbs. I was thinking of selling some with various medicinal effects, so I made some prototypes for the merchant who handled my products. The candies in my pocket were leftovers.
“You’re a really nice person,” Ehr remarked.
“I’m honored to receive such high praise,” I replied.
He smiled as he chatted with me, but he soon turned glum.
“Is anything the matter?” I asked.
“Uh, well, I owe you now,” he muttered. “And I really don’t have any way of repaying your kindness.”
“Ehr, friends do not operate on profit or loss, nor out of self-interest. You’d best keep that in mind.”
“Self-interest, huh? You know a pretty tricky word.”
“Another word to add to your lexicon. Do use it when you’ve got the opportunity.”
“Doubt I’ll ever have an opportunity like that.”
The conversation fizzled out, and I did one final check before the practical exam. I polished my wand, committed the spells to memory, and practiced to the best of my abilities.
An hour later, the practical exams started. Ten applicants were called up at a time, and they had to cast their spells in front of the exam proctor. Ehr was called up before me, and he anxiously rose like a soldier who was headed out to battle. He turned around to face me one last time, and I waved my hand at him, hoping to send him some good vibes.
Those who finished this portion of the exam were sent to a different room, so Ehr and I would part ways here. If I fail here, I’ll never see him again. Maybe I should’ve talked to him a bit more… But admittedly, both of us were extremely tense and nervous. It was no time for casual conversation. I hoped that I’d get to meet him again as I awaited my turn.
Another hour passed, and finally, my name was called. An ashy purple ponytail swished in front of me—apparently, I was in the same group as that young lady. I think someone called her name… Alice von Kirsten, was it?
House Kirsten was an incredibly famous noble family and the oldest member of the Five Dukes. In other words, Alice was the daughter of a duke and of very high birth. Darn, how unlucky! It was a duke’s daughter who took an unwanted interest in me. I just hope she won’t do anything else.
We were guided to a room where the proctors waited for us. One was a middle-aged man in his fifties or so, wearing glasses. The second was a younger man, perhaps in his early thirties, and the third proctor was a beautiful elf lady with pale pink hair in waves. Her long ears were striking.
Each examinee was called up to cast three spells, and tension filled the room. It didn’t help the applicants with their test. The first one failed to cast Analyze correctly, and their face was colored with despair, knowing they had messed up. The second applicant, perhaps affected by that negativity, also failed Analyze, and a few couldn’t cast Levitate well, either. Some couldn’t use Homer right. That group was filled with people who made quite a few mistakes.
Needless to say, a gloomy and heavy air filled the room when Alice’s name was called. She cast spells using a golden bracelet and splendidly used all her charms without issue. It was an amazing feat. The spectacled proctor nodded.
“Hm, your Levitate was a bit on the low end, but you did Analyze and Homer very well,” he remarked. “I see no issues.”
Alice huffed proudly as though she expected nothing less and gracefully bowed. I was last, and I nervously stood in front of the proctors.
“Please state your number, origin, and name,” a proctor requested.
“Right,” I replied. “I’m Number 677 from the Lawlife region. My name is Misha von Ritual.”
“Lawlife?” the young proctor in his thirties wondered, tilting his head.
“I think it’s in the northern region,” the elf said in a sweet voice.
“Ah… Got it.”
It seemed my hometown was in such a remote region that even a proctor didn’t know where it was. Reality was always depressing, but I had to focus on the exam.
“First, Levitation,” the proctor said.
“Yes,” I replied as I gripped my wand and focused. “Float and drift, Levitate!”
A magic circle appeared under my feather, and it jumped into the air.
“Oh my,” the elf murmured.
“Ah…” another proctor added.
“Very good…” the third muttered.
The feather flew higher than I’d expected, and judging from their reactions, it was a decent start.
“Now then, cast Analysis,” a proctor said.
“Yes,” I replied.
A few herbs were prepared for me. I’d used them all in my potions; I didn’t need Analysis, but I had to prove that I could cast the spell.
“Assess and evaluate, Analyze!” I chanted. A magic circle appeared, allowing me to provide an answer. “This is paralysis grass. It’s a magical herb often used in potions to cure someone of paralysis.”
“Very good,” the proctor said.
The last spell was Homer. I was instructed to deliver a letter to the elf proctor. Until now, all the students were told to send a letter to the spectacled, middle-aged proctor, and I was confused about why I was singled out. The moment I saw the details of the spell on the piece of parchment, my eyes went wide with shock. I have to consolidate this into a magic formula in a short amount of time and fly it off? To me, that was nothing short of torture, but I activated all my brain cells and desperately tried to do as I was told.
“Fly forth, Homer!” I chanted.
The letter jumped up with gusto and flew forth, but then fell lifelessly right in front of the elf. I was close… Had she reached out to grab the letter, it would’ve surely fluttered into her grasp, but she rested her face on her hand and made no attempt to extend her arm. The spectacled proctor had grabbed it.
This was, undoubtedly, a failure. The applicants looked at me with pity and sympathy, except Alice, who glared at me, exasperated. I much preferred her weary gaze to being showered with sympathy. The latter made my heart squeeze with pain.
With that, my exam was over. The applicants were ushered out of the venue in one herd. I hoped to catch Ehr, but I couldn’t find him in the crowd. The best I could do was pray that I could meet him again.