In his room, Viktor sat on his wheelchair near the window whilst reading a book in his hand. It is a popular novel currently circulating in the Empire about the hardships of soldiers, "Blazing Trenches".
As he reached a passage describing how flight mages dropped from the air like flies in battle, he couldn't help but frown in discomfort.
But soon his line of thought was broken as he heard a knock on his door followed by the sound of the door opening. He glanced at the door and saw Tanya come in with someone beside her.
"How was it, Tanya?"
"Your sister has impressive talent. She volunteered to be an imperial flight mage."
He already knew that but he still asked anyway. Looking at Tanya's determined face, he knows that he can't change her decision and just flee. Then he glanced at the officer who answered his question and asked him.
"Would you like to start now?"
"Oh. Yes."
|| Imperial Mage Officer PoV ||
Just like how I explained about flight mages to little Tanya, I planned to tell her brother about them before proceeding with the examination. But before I could finish he interrupted me and asked me to start right away.
"I know what flight mages are. Just start."
I was quite shocked with the behavior of these two children. Their maturity despite their years gives me an eerie feeling. Their behavior is not like a normal child at all.
Without further ado, I went and placed the operation orb in front of him and asked him to send his mana inside the device. But then I was shocked when I heard his next words.
"I have no such thing as mana."
These words made me stand up from my seat and look at him in shock and surprise. There has never been anyone in history born without even a sliver of mana.
"That can't be true... boy, mana is present in every human being. It's impossible to not have mana."
As he said, it was impossible to not have mana at all. Ordinary people has mana but it is negligible while mages has exceptional amount of it making them different from the rest. This also means that there has never been anyone without mana in the world, that is based on their knowledge.
"I am not joking."
As if trying to prove his point, the young boy picked up the operation orb and it didn't have any reaction what so ever. Not even a flicker.
"But this can't be—!"
This operation orb is made to be specially sensitive to mana. Even just touching it would result in it reacting a little bit, even if you're not a mage.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"I don't need mana."
I looked at the shocked imperial officer with indifferent eyes. He knew that he has no such thing as mana. God deprived him such thing so as to "learn" his lesson.
Otherwise he would not feel the pain of not being able to do anything but watch his loved ones suffer in war. Which he assumes is Tanya.
Looking at Tanya's surprised face, he remembered that he haven't told her about this yet. But he continued talking and decided to explain to her about it later.
"I knew I have no mana. God seemingly deprived me of it, paired with my sickly body... it seemed as if destiny is playing a joke on me."
The imperial officer looked at me as if he's looking at a pitiful weak boy... well he's right that I am fragile as can be. It would be no wonder if I croak suddenly one of these days, but surely god won't allow that. He needs me to learn my lesson.
After the whole debacle that happened with me not having a sliver of mana at all, the officer told Tanya to pack her belongings as she would be going with him to the Imperial Capital Berlun.
Of course I didn't just watch and did nothing but see my sister off. I asked the imperial officer to take me with him and told him I want to be a scholar in the capital. I told him that I want to be enrolled at the Imperial Technological Institute. Although he was quite reluctant, he agreed with it and said it was a reward for Tanya for volunteering.
It seems like the situation of the shortage of mages is more dire than expected if they can agree with this. But I guess I should have expected that as they even conscripted children like Tanya.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|| Imperial Capital, Berlun ||
It is currently August 2, about a week or so after the mage affinity test Tanya took. As the autumn wind blew through the window, I continued on tinkering the little gadget I made this past week.
The next day after we came to the imperial capital, Tanya immediately went to the Mage Officer School to undergo the accelerated mage learning program.
As for me, Viktor, I was deemed unfit to go to the Imperial Technological Institute for various reasons. The first is that unlike Mage Officer School where age doesn't matter as long as you're a mage, other schools has stricter screening policies. An example of this would be a graduation certificate from any basic schools of the Empire, which I have none.
According to what I gathered, this took three years to achieve. In which I have no such time to waste on pointless things I already know.
So as compensation, that imperial officer just brought me this small house along with some basic research tools like a microscope. Although he said it's for me, I guess he bought the house for my sister as the property is signed with her name.
I may be treated as a talentless fragile boy helplessly assailed by my sickness, but I am not going to stay in this state as I wait for my death. I was someone who built a Zero-Point Energy generator in his yard, if I can do it once I can do it again.
As I screwed the last piece, I looked at the masterpiece I made. This is the first step to my plan to defy my, no, our fate as dictated by that god.
"After I scatter these seeds, I shall hold the knowledge of the whole world and no secrets shall be hidden from my eyes and ears."
Well... that was a bit of a chunii big talk but it's more or less true as long as I finish making the generator in a few years. Which I hold no doubt to be quite achievable with my capabilities.
As for what I'm making, this device will put the empire ahead of every country in the world in terms of information and communication technology. Even if it is quite rudimentary for now.