"Yes. Viscount Gordon must have mentioned me in his letter. My name is Ron Arnold. I apologize for troubling you this time, Dean Monica."
Ron deliberately kept his posture humble. He was the one asking for help, after all. And Viscount Gordon had repeatedly reminded him—this woman was a highly respected figure, the Dean of the Academy's Magic Department, and a top-tier mage.
That strange transition earlier was surely a spell.
"No," the woman replied with a gentle smile. "I recognized you by your hair. Hair as bright as flame—within the Carlo Kingdom, only the Arnold bloodline possesses that color."
A short, branch-like staff appeared in her hand. With a tap, a round wooden stump manifested before Ron.
"Please, sit."
Suppressing his curiosity, Ron thanked her quietly and sat down.
From her words, he realized something he had never thought about seriously—his hair color was not merely uncommon. It was unique. People in his territory were used to it, so Ron had always assumed it was just another normal trait.
But if red hair manifested in every generation… then his ancestors' bloodline was exceedingly strong.
Ron shifted his gaze back to the woman.
He cleared his throat. "Our family records say that our ancestor was originally a commoner, not a noble. Ms. Monica, you said only the Arnold Family has hair like this—might that be a little inaccurate?"
The woman smiled kindly. "You don't need to keep calling me 'Dean Monica'. I prefer 'Monica'. You should know—I am Monica Padridge. Viscount Gordon didn't tell you everything after all."
Ron nodded and adjusted his address.
"Ms. Monica."
Monica continued, "Your hair color did not come from your great-grandfather. It came from your great-grandmother."
Her expression softened, as if recalling a distant memory.
"She had long, fiery hair… vibrant like a living flame. And she was beautiful. Truly beautiful."
Ron blinked.
She said that as if she had seen her.
But his great-grandmother… that would have been more than a hundred years ago.
If Monica really saw her, that meant…
She is over a hundred years old.
But this woman didn't look a day over sixty.
Magic?
Ron couldn't tell. He knew too little about her to guess.
"I digress." Monica smiled faintly. "I've already read Viscount Gordon's letter. You're here for a magic talent test."
"Yes, Ms. Monica. And if you have time, I'd love to hear more about magic from you. This is the first time I've met someone as powerful as you. I doubt I'll have such luck again."
He didn't know her exact rank, but to be Dean of the Royal Academy's Magic Department—there was no way she wasn't formidable.
"I'm not busy today." Monica raised her staff lightly. "Before I test you, I'll teach you some basics."
Invisible mana surged from her into her staff. Several small spheres of energy formed around it, orbiting slowly.
Monica began:
"Casting magic requires two things.
First—mana. To gather and grow mana, one must practice meditation.
Second—chanting. Every spell has its own incantation. One mistake, and the spell fails."
Ron nodded. That matched the image of mages he had always held. But he had also heard of chantless casting.
He asked directly, "Is it possible to cast magic without chanting?"
"You're perceptive." Monica praised him with a smile. "That is a deeper subject. To simplify—magic spells are a language. They are the result of mages interpreting the world's laws."
"When you truly comprehend those laws, casting magic no longer requires incantations. Your will alone becomes the magic."
A subtle confidence radiated from her.
Ron finally understood and murmured, "No wonder they say mages pursue truth."
Monica paused, surprised.
"That is… not wrong. The world itself is truth."
Seeing Ron's attentive expression, she continued:
"Just as living beings are divided into species, magic also has classifications.
There are elemental spells, healing, summoning, spiritual, nature… dozens of systems."
Ron was stunned.
Dozens?
He hadn't expected the depth of this world's magical research.
"In theory," Monica continued, "a mage can use any spell. But magical talent determines which system you learn the fastest."
"For example—my affinity is with plant magic of the nature system."
As her voice fell, Ron suddenly felt the air ripple.
Before he had time to react, the furniture around them stirred. Green shoots burst forth. Leaves unfurled. Vines climbed.
In just seconds, the entire room transformed into a miniature forest.
A crimson fruit, glowing faintly, dangled from a newly grown branch and gently swayed before his face.
Monica laughed softly, plucked the fruit, and handed it to him.
"Try it. It's delicious."
Ron took a breath to calm his shock.
This—this was magic?
He took a cautious bite. Sweet and slightly tart. Even the skin was edible.
Curious, he checked the fruit's properties.
[Crimson Serpent Fruit (Green)]
[Entry 1: Fire Source (White)]
[Entry 2: Snake Mother (White)]
[Fire Source] — Temporarily increases fire attribute affinity.
[Snake Mother] — Snakes will treat you as kin and will not attack.
Ron nearly choked.
She casually grew a green-quality fruit with two entries?!
This woman was absolutely terrifying.
He desperately wanted to see her character card—but he had no excuse to touch her. Forcing it might drop her favorability or raise suspicion.
He shelved the idea.
Meanwhile, Monica flicked her staff again. A small flame bloomed out of thin air.
"This is fire magic cast with the same mana as my previous spell. The difference in effect is due to magical talent."
The flame vanished as she lowered her staff. The surrounding greenery remained—it was clear she cherished nature.
Ron gradually grasped the concept.
Same mana.
Different effect.
Talent determined efficiency.
If a nature mage wanted to cast healing, it might require several times—or even hundreds of times—the usual amount of mana.
Monica taught for over an hour, answering every question Ron raised. Eventually, she stopped only because her voice had become slightly hoarse.
"I almost forgot why you came." Monica chuckled. "But thanks to you, I felt like I was teaching at the academy again."
Ron immediately apologized.
"Ms. Monica, I'm sorry. Everything you explained was incredibly helpful. Your former students must have forgotten the time just like I did."
"Haha, they weren't nearly as quick as you." She waved it off. "Alright. Let's get to the main point—your talent."
With a flick of her staff, a crystal sphere floated into the air in front of Ron, glowing softly.
It was time.
The magic talent test.
{i will rewrite this novel right now it is rushed work and cant work on it right now because well exams are having fun fu*king me over} though if u by it from patreon i will email u the rewritten verson after its done as well
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