"Silence!"
A middle-aged man clad in pristine white armor bellowed, instantly silencing the surrounding noise.
His eyes instinctively turned toward the group of people behind him, filled with worry.
"Your esteemed graces, the children…"
"Let's just get this over with."
One of them, a man dressed in dark robes, expressed indifferently.
The others also nodded with leisurely expressions, unbothered by the earlier noise.
The middle-aged man let out a silent sigh of relief before turning back and glaring at the crowd of children.
They flinched under the weight of his gaze.
He understood that they were all mere children—less than ten years old, and the majority of which had never seen a mage, but still…
If even one of the esteemed graces were to take offense, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Ehem. Let's proceed."
The man straightened his posture, regaining composure.
"I'm sure most of you are already aware, but today marks the annual Sacred Mage Recruitment Day, where children from all across the empire are tested for their magical talent and aptitude."
He paused and bowed deeply to the figures behind him.
"Our esteemed graces, hailing from the Seven Orthodox Mage Towers, have graciously come to assist in evaluating your potential. They are revered official mages—treat them with the utmost respect. Bow your heads and thank them!"
Simultaneously, everyone bowed, albeit clumsily. They shouted, "Thank you, esteemed graces!" with a fervent tone.
The seven mages nodded calmly.
Once the formalities ended, the middle-aged man stepped aside, revealing a podium with a crystal orb on top.
"Presented before you is the Watcher's Orb. This will determine if you have talent for magic or not. I will call your names one by one, when called, step forward, and place your hand on the orb. If the esteemed graces are interested, they may take you in."
"Otherwise, you may go back to your homes."
He gave the children a moment to absorb the rules before continuing.
"...Let us begin."
After a short silence, the middle-aged man began calling out names.
"Farus Eastwood, come forward…"
A blonde-haired boy stepped out with a nervous expression.
***
Among the children in the crowd, a bronze-skinned boy with a messy appearance stared at the Watcher's Orb with burning determination.
His name was Kaius, the son of a mining slave from an earl's territory. Hoping to change his fate, he had registered for the Sacred Mage Recruitment.
The Sacred Mage Recruitment was one of the rare occasions that treated everyone equally. As long as a child met the basic requirements, even slaves were allowed to participate.
In this world, mages reigned supreme!
If he could just become one… he no longer has to be someone else's slave.
He could become free!
Suddenly, a stir among the seven mages snapped him out of his thoughts.
The seven mages looked at Farus Eastwood with interest.
"This is… A three-star lightning talent?"
"Six bolts of lightning, two distinct colors. It's a pity, if he was a little bit more talented, a Mage Phenomenon could have appeared…"
"A pity? Three-star is already excellent grade! Only a handful like him appear each year."
"Tsk. It seems The Storm Radiance Tower's providence had improved ever since that battle."
Several mages shot envious glances toward their yellow-robed companion.
The yellow-robed mage, however, simply smiled and paid them no mind, his eyes fixed on Farus with a pleased expression.
"Your talent is quite good, child. What do you think of joining the Storm Radiance Tower?"
"...Ah?"
Farus was stunned, unable to believe what he had just heard. Realizing his silence was improper, he quickly nodded.
"Y-yes! Absolutely! It would be my honor!"
"Consider it settled, then. I'll take you with me after the recruitment ends. Go inform your parents in the meantime."
Farus gave a deep bow and hurried off, his steps brimming with excitement. He had to tell his parents the news!
The remaining children watched him go with envy in their eyes, their hearts filled with longing and jealousy.
It was the age of dreams and ambition, and with Farus as a shining example, many began to believe they might share the same fate.
The middle-aged man watched their hopeful expressions and sighed inwardly.
These children were about to face a cruel truth…
As expected, the next twenty children triggered no reaction from the Watcher's Orb.
Talentless.
One by one, they stepped down with downcast faces, some on the verge of tears.
A few seemed ready to plead with the mages, but the middle-aged man stopped them before they could speak.
Kaius' expression hardened, and his tiny hand clenched tightly into a fist.
It would be a lie if he said he didn't feel nervous after seeing twenty rejections in a row.
But…!
He can't lose hope. Otherwise, he would be stuck as a slave and be unable to realize the true nature of that 'thing'!
'I have to believe in myself!'
The next candidate was called and stepped forward, placing their hand on the orb.
In response, two glowing stars and a flowing river of light appeared within it.
Two stars. Water affinity.
From that point on, it seemed as though everyone's luck had started to change for the better.
Unprepared, Kaius suddenly heard his name get called.
"Kaius, come forward."
It was his turn.
Snapping out of his daze, he raised his head and inadvertently stared at the seven mages.
They wore beautiful, intricate, colored robes. With gazes that could pierce through minds, their eyes fell on him.
Kaius felt his heart skip a beat as his posture turned stiff. He walked towards the cube with trepidation.
Although he had resolved himself earlier, he still found himself afraid of the possibility that he wouldn't have any talent for magic.
"Here goes nothing…!"
Biting his lips, he placed his hand on the orb.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Kaius burst his eyes wide open and saw no reaction from the Watcher's Orb. His heart fell, and despair crept to his face…
But then, a star slowly floated bringing along a smoky darkness with it…
"One star, darkness talent."