As the carriage rolled to a stop, Arthur and Mira leaned toward the window. Stretching high before them stood the grandest structure they had ever seen in their lives.
The academy's reception hall towered like a palace of marble and stone, banners hanging from massive pillars that seemed to touch the sky. Students and nobles moved through the courtyard in steady streams.
"This is…"
"Different," Arthur finished quietly, feeling the same awe Mira did.
Mother and Father hadn't exaggerated. The academy truly was a world of its own.
Arthur's attention shifted as a group of students walked past the carriage, a small group of demi-humans, their features clearly visible among the crowd. Such a sight would have been unheard of near the border, considering the kingdom that housed demi-humans lay on the opposite side of the nation.
Arthur leaned back slowly, glancing once more at the enormous reception hall.
And this was only the outer district.
As their carriage reached the reception hall, they were directed by staff to park in a designated area.
A staff member approached the carriage holding a parchment.
"Good afternoon. My name is Loid, and I'll be in charge of ensuring everything is in order so you may proceed to the academy. If everyone inside could please step out so that I may perform my duties, it would be greatly appreciated." The man kept a pleasant smile on his face, no doubt careful not to earn the wrath of a noble.
"Of course," Arthur said as he stepped out of the carriage, Mira following attentively behind him.
"Is this everyone?" Loid asked, noticing only two had exited.
"Yes. It is only myself, my maid, and my driver," Arthur replied matter-of-factly.
"Very well. I'll need your enrollment papers and identification before we can start the enrollment process." Loid began jotting notes on the parchment.
Reaching into his coat pocket, Arthur pulled out a neatly folded wad of papers and handed them over. He watched as Loid reviewed the information.
"Mr. Webb, it appears everything is in order." Loid's smile thinned. "However, given your family's… reputation, do be careful. We wouldn't want any widespread diseases circulating the academy."
The servant's smile was gone now, replaced with a sharp stare.
"There's no need for concern," Arthur replied evenly. "All members of the Webb family undergo treatment from birth to prevent such illnesses."
He knew full well the man was simply taking the opportunity to insult his family.
"Of course. I'm sure your family is well versed in such matters." Loid cleared his throat. "No more delays as everything checks out. Follow me, and bring your belongings as begin the enrollment process. And you, driver, are free to stay the night if you wish."
"Thank you, sir," Brenna said with a slight bow.
Grabbing their bags, Arthur and Mira headed toward the hall, giving Brenna a small farewell wave.
As they walked through the grand corridor, Arthur couldn't help but study the architecture.
The walls were intricately designed, etched with patterns that immediately caught his attention.
'The walls are imbued with the same runes we have back at the border,' Arthur noted silently as they passed by other newcomers such as himself.
They soon arrived at a long desk filled with other newcomers. Stopping at an open space, Loid addressed a young woman behind the counter.
"Amanda, this is the youngest of the Webbs and his maid. Please fetch his uniform and basic textbooks."
"Right away, sir." Amanda stepped away to retrieve the items.
"After you receive your materials, we'll conduct some baseline tests," Loid said. "That way, we can measure your growth… or decline."
Arthur ignored the passive remark and gave a short nod. From the corner of his eye, he could see Mira struggling to hold her tongue.
Amanda returned shortly after, carrying three textbooks and a bag filled with uniforms suited for different weather conditions.
"Here you are, Mr. Webb. I hope you enjoy the academy. And do be careful—your family has quite the reputation." She smiled politely as she handed the items over.
"Thank you, Amanda. I'm well aware of the rumors surrounding my family," Arthur replied diplomatically.
Though weary of the constant remarks, Arthur forced himself to remain composed.
"Follow me. We'll conduct the tests now," Loid said.
They followed him deeper into the hall, passing through a security checkpoint where all bags and belongings were inspected for prohibited items.
Once cleared, Loid opened a door leading into what appeared to be a dojo.
Inside, students were scattered throughout the large space, each undergoing different evaluations. Some punched reinforced bags, others cast spells at distant targets, and a few navigated intricate parkour courses.
The dojo seemed to test every aspect of a student's capability.
"Follow me Mr. Webb will get started with testing your physical capabilities first." Taking Arthur over to an assorted array of testing equipment he flips a page in his parchment.
"If you could, without using mana, punch this bag as hard as you can for me."
Holding out his hand, Loid pointed toward a punching bag. Intricate rune patterns were laced along its seams, faintly visible beneath the reinforced leather.
Stepping forward, Arthur squared up to the bag, curling his hand into a tight fist. Taking a deep breath, he unleashed his full physical strength, striking the bag dead center.
Pham!
The bag recoiled sharply from the impact, its chains rattling as it swung backward.
Loid made a note on his parchment before reaching into his coat and pulling out a small stone tablet. Pressing it against the bag, a number illuminated across its surface.
"Barely Early Bronze. Not bad for a Webb," Loid remarked as he jotted down the result, then gestured for Arthur to proceed to the next station.
From grip strength to balance, to muscle density and reaction speed, each aspect of his physique was measured and recorded. Once all the evaluations were completed, Arthur was given a final overall physical ranking.
"Overall you're above average making you a slight step above your classmate but nothing to truly write home to about. With you being in Early Bronze you see yourself have a slight advantage at the start of the semester but don't let it fool you if you can't stay above the curve you'll be the first to break." Loid warns Arthur while noting that even though he's a Webb his physical condition is better than expected.
"Alright let's now move onto your mana. What type of mana usage do you specialize in?" Loid asks Arthur as they walk over to an orb sitting upon a pedestal.
"Gyplys, Runes, and mana casting." Arthur response.
"Triple specialization? While Gyplys and Runes follow similar rules and practice they are different specializations for reasons. Are you sure you can balance the two of them while keeping up in mana casting?" Loid questions Arthur's ability.
"Yes."
"Your funeral." Loid says noting down on the parchment.
"Place your hand on the orb here and start flooding it with mana while trying to condense it. This is to test how well you can compress mana, since many mana-only spells require a basic level of skill," Loid instructs.
Placing his hand on the orb, Arthur takes a deep breath before taking control of his mana, rushing it into the orb and flooding it as Loid asked.
As the mana fills the orb, Arthur makes sure to take control, however that proves more difficult than he thought.
When he typically casts, say, a mana bolt, he can easily condense his mana into a simple shape. However, now it feels as if his mana is stuck in a swamp, snagging on everything in its way.
Not letting his own mana get the best of him, Arthur turns it up a notch, sweat dripping from his brow.
His mana slowly begins to move inward, the gas-like mana gradually becoming more liquid as he compresses it. However, the form is all wrong.
Instead of a pure sphere, it is more of a malleable blob.
Still, its size continues to shrink, going from the size of a basketball to that of a volleyball. While not much of a difference visually, the difficulty of such a task weighs heavily on Arthur.
As he tries to push it further and further, cracks begin to form in its shell, as whispers of mana flutter outward and break apart.
Then, with a final crack, the mana blob shatters.
Standing there, Arthur exhales deeply. The exercise took far more out of him than he expected.
"Peak Iron density with Mid Bronze shape. It seems you weren't lying about your skills in mana casting, Mr. Webb. You truly have the talent of a commoner in mana casting. Congratulations," Loid says with a backhanded compliment.
'As if commoners with this much talent aren't on scholarship,' Arthur thinks, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
"Well then, let's continue on to a more practical application. I would like to see what spells you have for combat next," Loid says as they walk toward an area with different training dummies.
Taking out his wand, Arthur holds it toward the dummies. Channeling mana into the wand, he flicks it, creating a simple glyph shape the same color as his mana.
As the glyph floats in the air, Arthur begins channeling mana into it. From the other side, the small ball of mana he formed earlier slowly changes shape, becoming elongated like an oval.
"Mana bolt."
As the words leave his mouth, like a spark igniting flame, the mana bolt shoots through the air like a fastball.
It hits the target dead in the chest. A heavy thud rings out as the mana bolt whines and dissipates. A small crater forms in the wooden dummy.
"Using an acceleration glyph with a mana bolt is textbook work. Now show me something that explains why we should let you into the academy."
Loid nonchalantly ignores the fact that the spell was strong enough to damage a Mid Bronze beast while Arthur is only Early Bronze.
'Fine. You want to see true talent? Then take a look at my greatest combination.'
Arthur takes a deep breath, seizing control of the mana in his body and pooling it together.
Raising his wand, he creates multiple glyphs in the air, each one beaming with mana. They hum as he lifts his empty left hand and gestures as if grabbing them, spinning them in midair. As they rotate, he continues to pour mana into them.
Slowly, a large spear begins to take shape, spinning at a high rate like a drill.
The pooled mana drains rapidly as he fuels the construction. The spear becomes more solid in the air, its form growing sharper and more defined.
But he is far from done.
With a flick of his wand, he creates another glyph, this one larger and far more intricate than the rest. As the glyph floats in the air it lands on the spear seeping into it.
The construct changes in real time.
It begins to vibrate and fizzle, like a cell undergoing division.
And just like a cell, it splits.
One spear becomes two.
Sweat drips rapidly down Arthur's focused face. Loid, seeing the complexity of the spell taking shape, can't help but stare in quiet awe.
When it comes to combat, most people run into the same issue: cultivation rank.
An average Bronze mage could theoretically fight an Early Gold if they were never hit and could attack freely for over an hour—but that never happens in reality.
So how do you close the gap?
Simple.
You either rank up… or you use something to bridge it.
For some, it's a sword sharp enough to cut through a beast's hide. For others, it's altering a mana bolt to make it blunt enough to shatter armor.
Anything that elevates your combat prowess must be used. Everyone looks for an edge.
So how do you take it a step further?
For mages, it means higher-tier spells.
Stronger elements.
Or—in Arthur's case—glyphs.
A language of mana that interacts with other mana constructs, altering them at their core.
By combining certain glyphs, a mage can create increasingly complex spells that provide that crucial edge.
The problem?
Time.
Glyphs take time to construct.
And time makes you vulnerable.
But if given enough time—
"Vector Spear!"
VOOM!
The twin mana spears launch forward with terrifying force, tearing clean through the Peak Bronze wooden dummy—
And then the next.
And the next.
And the next.
The twin spears finally dissolved into mist, leaving four ruined dummies in a line of splintered wood and cracked cores.
Silence rang around the dojo, with many stopping their spells mid-cast to see what had happened.
"...Did he just destroy four dummies with one spell?"
"Aren't they Peak Bronze dummies?"
"Is he from a Duke family or maybe even a royal?"
Ignoring the comments around him, Arthur rubbed his wrist as the strain of the spellwork took a lot out of him, leaving his mana very low and nowhere near enough to continue testing.
However…
"Is this good enough for the academy?" Arthur asked, turning with a smile toward Loid, who looked stupefied.
Author Note: Patreon.com/Lord_Cuckles for Advance Chapters