Lily slowly came back to reality after the sudden flashback.
For a brief moment, the roaring arena had disappeared, replaced by the quiet warmth of her childhood home. The memory of her father's deep voice reading stories to her still lingered in her mind.
She blinked a few times, trying to steady herself.
Ah… I miss Dad.
The thought surfaced naturally.
I hope I can go back home soon.
She started to listen to her surroundings
At first it was only faint whispers.
Then it grew louder.
"Arrogant."
"That kind of magic… how is that possible?"
"She's terrifying."
"Did you see that casting?"
"Who does she think she is?"
The murmurs from the audience crept their way into Lily's ears one by one.
She lowered her head slightly.
It seemed that most of the spectators had misunderstood her performance.
To them, the magic she had displayed looked deliberate—like she was showing off, like she was mocking the other contestants.
But that wasn't true at all.
Lily hadn't meant to show off.
In fact, she had simply used magic the way she always practiced.
Multicasting several spells at once felt completely natural to her. She had never thought of it as anything special.
Yet the reactions of the audience told a different story.
To them, it was unbelievable.
Something only advanced mages could do.
Something that shouldn't be possible for someone her age.
Did I… do something wrong?
The thought made her chest feel slightly heavy.
Before she could dwell on it any longer, a loud booming voice echoed across the arena.
"NEXT CONTESTANT!"
The announcer's voice snapped the audience's attention away from her.
Just before Lily stepped down from the stage, the recruiter who had approached her earlier hurried over.
He was a tall man wearing a long dark robe with silver embroidery along the sleeves. His expression was still filled with excitement.
"Miss Lily," he said quickly.
He handed her two sheets of paper.
"This is the address and schedule for the entrance exam. Make sure you don't lose it."
Lily accepted the papers with both hands.
"Thank you."
The man nodded.
"And… don't forget to attend. Formosa Academy doesn't give out recommendations lightly."
With that, he quickly returned to his seat among the officials.
Lily quietly left the arena.
The bright noise of the crowd faded behind her as she walked down the long stone hallway.
After leaving the competition grounds, Lily returned to the place she was staying.
The Mage Guild.
The building was enormous, standing several stories tall with white stone walls and tall windows. Magical lamps floated along the corridors, casting a soft blue glow.
Unlike the noble districts of the capital, the Mage Guild was a place where background and status mattered far less.
Here, mages gathered to exchange ideas, conduct research, and trade magical materials.
Scholars, adventurers, and researchers all moved through the halls.
Some discussed complicated spell formulas.
Others argued loudly about magical theory.
A few simply sat quietly reading thick books filled with strange symbols.
Lily climbed the wooden stairs until she reached the small room she had rented.
Inside, the room was simple.
A bed.
A small desk.
A bookshelf.
And a window that overlooked the busy streets of the capital.
She sat down at the desk and placed the papers the recruiter had given her on the table.
The first sheet contained the details of the entrance exam.
She read it carefully.
Location: Formosa Academy – Main Hall
Date: One week later ( November 11th)
Schedule:
Morning – Theory Examination
Afternoon – Practical Magic Test
Final Stage – Interview
Lily nodded slowly.
Theory was her strongest area. Ever since she was little, she had spent most of her time reading books about magic.
Her father always joked that she read more books than some professors.
The practical exam was a bit harder to predict.
But Lily felt confident in her ability to apply magical theory.
She folded the paper neatly and placed it aside.
Then she picked up the second sheet.
This one was far more interesting.
Attached to it was a small emblem.
The emblem was beautifully crafted from silver metal.
In the center was the carving of a gladiolus flower.
Lily recognized it immediately.
The gladiolus was the official symbol of Formosa Academy.
The paper explained the emblem's purpose.
It served as proof of recommendation.
Anyone who possessed this emblem had been personally acknowledged by the academy.
Because of that, it also functioned as a type of identification.
Anyone in the capital who saw it would immediately recognize its importance.
Nobles.
Merchants.
Officials.
They would all treat the holder with a certain level of respect.
Lily blinked in surprise.
That sounds… really important.
The instructions continued.
"Infuse a small amount of magic into the emblem to activate it."
Lily picked up the emblem.
It felt cool in her hand.
She closed her eyes and gently guided a thin stream of mana into it.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The emblem faintly glowed.
Small lines of light spread across the surface writing something
Slowly, letters appeared.
Lily Aedile
Her name.
Written clearly on the surface of the emblem.
Lily stared at it in shock.
"How…?"
She immediately placed the emblem on the desk and began examining it from every angle.
She infused more mana.
Nothing changed.
She tried different flows of magic.
Still nothing.
Maybe there's some kind of magic formula inside the metal…
She spent nearly an hour experimenting.
But in the end, she had to admit defeat.
"I guess… it's just a special magic tool."
She sighed and carefully stored the emblem in her bag.
The next morning arrived quickly.
Six days until the exam.
Lily stretched as sunlight streamed through the window.
She had already finished reading most of the magic theory books she brought with her.
The exam was still several days away.
Which meant she had a rare luxury.
Free time.
After thinking for a moment, Lily decided to explore the capital.
Partly to find the academy.
Partly to memorize the streets so she wouldn't get lost on the day of the exam.
And partly because…
She was simply curious.
The capital was far larger than the small town she grew up in.
The streets were wide and paved with stone.
Tall buildings lined both sides of the road.
Elegant carriages rolled past regularly, carrying nobles dressed in expensive clothing.
Lily followed the directions written on the exam paper.
Soon she reached the noble district.
Normally, common visitors would not be allowed to freely enter many of the facilities here.
But when the guards saw the Formosa emblem hanging from Lily's bag, their attitudes immediately changed.
"Welcome," one of the guards said politely.
"Please enjoy your visit."
Lily was slightly surprised by how smoothly everything worked.
The emblem really did carry influence.
She spent most of the morning exploring the area.
One of the places she visited was the Central Library.
The building was enormous.
Massive stone pillars supported a wide marble entrance.
Inside were rows upon rows of bookshelves that stretched farther than Lily could see.
Her eyes sparkled.
"Wow…"
She spent nearly two hours browsing through the magical research sections.
Most of the books were far more advanced than anything she had read before.
Some even contained theories she had never encountered.
Normally, access to these books required an expensive fee.
But the librarian only glanced at her emblem before allowing her inside.
Eventually, Lily realized the sun had begun to move lower in the sky.
She had already memorized most of the important streets leading to the academy.
Satisfied, she left the library and began heading back toward the Mage Guild.
The streets were quieter now.
The noble district had fewer people walking around compared to the busy merchant areas.
As she walked past a narrow side street, Lily suddenly heard something unusual.
A dull sound.
Thud.
Then another.
Thud.
Followed by a muffled cry.
Her steps slowed.
The sound was coming from a nearby alleyway.
Curious—and slightly concerned—Lily walked closer.
She carefully peeked around the corner.
What she saw made her freeze.
Inside the alleyway, a young boy—perhaps a few years older than her—was violently punching and kicking a man on the ground.
The man looked weak and exhausted.
His clothes were worn and torn.
Yet despite the blows raining down on him, he was desperately shielding someone behind him.
A small girl.
His daughter.