Irsen, seated on a chair in the center of a sparse room in front of a table, said with a deep voice:
"Did you notice irregularities in him?"
One of the students who was seated in the other chairs replied with certainty:
"I didn't notice anything wrong, judging by the colors of his aura."
"Then we shall keep observing him. Well, I guess it is time to end this gathering," Irsen replied, making a gesture for them to leave.
The other students soon left the room, leaving Irsen alone with his thoughts. He then recalled an old memory—the sunlight from the window reflecting in his eyes—the time when he spoke to Warden Ezdrel back when he was a junior student.
"Your Excellency, may I inquire about a recent admission?"
"If you are referring to the boy, then I assume you have already formed an opinion of him."
"The reason why I brought him into the academy was that I saw his potential—despite being a vagrant, I noticed that his mana reserves were abnormally huge. I had decided to adopt a belief a long time ago: that talent should not be wasted."
"It is for the same reason why I brought you to this place, even if your parents didn't have the resources to do so, and why I keep bringing vagrants into the academy."
"But that doesn't match. Do you know about the circumstances of his origin? Where his parents were?" Irsen asked.
"He, he," Warden Ezdrel let out a dry smile. "He said that his parents and others who were with him all died on the way to Tieer. They were probably residents of the Tudor Empire. Displacement isn't uncommon under the new regime."
After the warden said that, Irsen frowned and said, "He has large reserves, no verifiable lineage, and an unstable origin. Individually, they're negligible, but combined they are—"
"I see where you are going with that line of reasoning, but you may assume intent where there is none," Ezdrel said, slightly amused.
A brief pause followed.
"But, but there is a strong possibility that the vagrant may very well be a spy. I've heard of such cases. It is abnormal that a vagrant could have such natural mana reserves. There is the possibility that he was trained to infiltrate our kingdom." At that moment, Irsen clenched his fist.
"That is a possibility. Once Klaen enters the academy, he may show signs of hostile intent," Ezdrel said as he looked at the horizon with a steady gaze, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Then watch him. If there is something to be found, you will find it," Warden Ezdrel said as the wind around them blew.
Then the memories were interrupted by the sound of the chimes of the academy.
The results of the exams were about to be shown in the northern part of the academy.
...
...I never expected that my result would end up being so bad. I fell a class below what my initial class was. If I keep going like this, I will descend even further. I probably descended because I couldn't stabilize grade 3 spells. I need to figure out a way to do it...
The academy system of promotion was based on one's performance and was measured in performance points. This test was a strong example of it—it was a major weighted evaluation—but other preliminary tests influenced the final result.
...As for students of my own class, Hazen and Lara ascended to class 3. They showed such exceptional skill...
The instructor shouted, "Now we will show the result of the students of class 5. Irsen will ascend to class 6. Aldrer will remain in the same class."
The classes were divided into lower classes, that being classes 1 and 2. Students from these classes were expected to master grade 1 and some grade 2 spells. Mid classes, that being classes 3 and 4, consisted of students who mastered grade 2 and grade 3 spells respectively. Then there were the upper classes, that being classes 5 and 6. They fully mastered grade 3 and grade 4 spells. As for grade 5 spells, one could only master them once one became a graduated mage or a warden.
...So that was the name of the student that faced Irsen...
After the instructor finished showing all the results, he said in a hoarse voice, "The next exam shall be in two months. Prepare yourselves when the time comes. You should remember that all evaluations in tests will be reflected in your cumulative ranking." The instructor then turned his back and walked down from the stone platform, the chimes sounding once again, signaling the students to return to the dormitories to rest for a while. On the way back, some students were filled with joy, while others with worry and distress.
...Well, I guess it is time to return. From the looks on the faces of the other students, some will be encouraged to continue in their pursuits, while others may quit...
Klaen walked along a road paved with stone leading to the northeast of the academy. Afterward, he stopped before a grayish-blue four-story building. Then Klaen entered through the door and climbed the stairs up to his room.
...Next time I should check from above. I need to refine the stability of grade 3 spells, but how?...
The books entered Klaen's field of vision, which made him remember the past. He remembered the wardens training him. It was for the same reason that he entered directly into class 2. He also remembered being secretly watched by everyone around him.
Klaen felt uneasy as the wind blew through the window. He sensed a figure watching him from across the building on the other side of the road.
...I guess they're the pawns of Irsen. As for the reason they are watching over me, I don't know—but it isn't within my concern to know about it, for now...
Klaen closed the curtains and slept.