[TIME SKIP: 2 YEARS LATER]
Two years. Seven hundred and thirty days of breathing dust, eating stale bread, and refining the art of survival.
We didn't live like the kings I had promised back in the village. We lived like rats in a drafty inn on the edge of the capital. Why? Because the Royal Academy wasn't just an educational institution; it was a financial black hole.
I sat on my rickety bed, checking the ledger one last time. Starting Funds: 223 Gold. Entrance Fee: 65 Gold per person. Total for Three: 195 Gold.
That left us with 28 Gold to survive for two years. 28 Gold for rent, food, training swords, and the expensive textbooks I needed to memorize. We had starved so we could stand here today.
'If we don't get a scholarship today,' I thought, adjusting my cuffs. 'I'll have to go back to Silas. I'll have to squeeze that treacherous merchant for the rest of the button money. It's risky... but I have no choice.'
[The Gates: Armor Made of Silk]
We stood before the massive iron gates of the Royal Academy. We spent our very last coins on appearances.
Arthur wore a tailored navy-blue suit that hugged his broad shoulders. He didn't look like a refugee; he looked like a Prince in exile. Elena was a vision in cream and lace, her posture perfect. And I wore a sharp charcoal vest, looking every bit the young scholar.
(Flashback: 6 Months Ago) "Straighten your back, Arthur!" I shouted, smacking his leg with a cane. "You are a Vale now! If you walk like a farmer, the nobles will eat you alive before you even draw your sword. Hold that teacup like it's a bird, not a hammer!"
[Test 1: The Written Exam (The Brains)]
The Great Hall smelled of dry parchment and nervous sweat. Hundreds of noble heirs sat in rows.
I sat in the front row. My quill moved with mechanical precision. I didn't need the System for this. For two years, while Arthur swung his sword until his hands bled, I devoured libraries. I swallowed knowledge whole because, in a world of monsters, my mind was my only fang.
Arthur, three rows back, looked like he was trying to solve a riddle in a dead language. Elena was staring at the ceiling, likely asking the gods for the answer to Question 5.
[The Results Board]
An hour later, the rankings materialized on the mana board. A collective gasp swept through the hall.
1. Dante Vale (Score: 100/100) 2. Seraphina Goldenhart (Score: 98/100) 3. Prince Aris (Score: 95/100) ... 145. Arthur Vale (Score: 60/100) 146. Elena Vale (Score: 60/100)
"A nobody? A perfect score?" I felt the burning gaze of a dozen Dukes' sons. I scanned the list. 'Seraphina Goldenhart... The Merchant Princess. A powerful name.'
[Test 2: The Hall of Judgment]
We were ushered into the "Black Room." A void of obsidian. "Proceed by Social Standing," the Proctor announced.
1. Crown Prince Aris He stepped up. I activated System Vision. [System Assessment: 1.26 Points] (Note: 1 Point = 50cm) The room gasped at his 63cm Aura. I scoffed internally. 'Barely a decimal point.'
...
15. Seraphina Goldenhart "Seraphina Goldenhart!"
She stepped out. Silver hair like spun moonlight, eyes like polished coins. [Target Detected: Seraphina Goldenhart] [Role: Key Economic Pivot]
She touched the stone. FLASH.
Holy: 14 cm.
Mana: 14 cm.
Aura: 40 cm.
"40cm Aura? That's brute strength! Is she a lady or a berserker?" [System Assessment: 0.8 Points] She blushed furiously, hiding her face and rushing off stage.
[The Anomalies]
Finally, the room emptied of nobles. It was our turn.
Arthur stepped up. [System Assessment: ??? ERROR ???] He touched the stone. BOOM.
It wasn't a glow. It was a detonation. The room drowned in crimson light. A violent, suffocating storm of Red Aura exploded from the pillar, cracking the crystal. Mana: 2 Meters (4.0 Points). Holy: 60 cm (1.2 Points). Aura: [Immeasurable].
The Instructors were screaming. "A MONSTER! HE'S A WAR GOD!"
Elena stepped up next. FLASH. A blinding White-Gold Light flooded the room. It was overwhelming warmth. It filled the room, extending 15 meters... 20 meters... limitless. [System Assessment: Divine Interference Detected.] The Church representatives fell to their knees. "The Saintess..."
[The Glitch]
Then, me. The Genius of the Written Exam. I touched the cold crystal.
1. Mana: 0 cm. (The Darkness ate the light). 2. Holy: 0 cm. (Consumed instantly). 3. Aura: I gritted my teeth. My body was weak (Rank G-). I had to force the Strange Power to mimic Aura. A muddy, dark light flickered. 14 cm. [System Assessment: 0.28 Points]
"Pass!" I gasped, yanking my hand back. "Barely," the Proctor sneered. "All brains, no power."
[Test 3: Practical Application]
The Magic Test: Destroy the Reinforced Boulder.
The Prince stepped up. He chanted elegantly. A Wind Blade formed, sharp and precise. With a graceful flick of his wrist, he sliced the top of the boulder off. It was clean. It was professional. The mages nodded in approval.
Arthur stepped up. He didn't know spells. He just held out his hand. "Magic is just... pushing, right?" He gathered Raw Mana into a swirling ball—like a compressed typhoon—and threw it. CRASH. The boulder disintegrated into dust. No technique, just overwhelming force. Rank 1: Arthur Vale.
The Healing Test: Heal the Rabbit.
The rabbit had a deep laceration. Arthur stepped up. He placed his large hand on the creature. A warm, intense white light glowed. The wound closed instantly. It wasn't gentle—it was like forcing the flesh to obey his command—but it was effective. Rank 2: Arthur Vale. (The crowd whispered: "He can heal too?!")
Then, Elena stepped up. She didn't force anything. She just held it. FLASH. The cut vanished. The scars vanished. The missing fur grew back. The old rabbit started hopping around like a baby. She reversed time on its cells. Rank 1: Elena Vale.
The Aura Test: Mark the Stone.
The Crown Prince drew his sword. His stance was flawless. He channeled his aura into the blade, creating a thin, shimmering edge. He struck the rock. SHING. A deep, perfectly straight cut appeared in the granite. It was the epitome of elegant swordsmanship. The knights applauded. "Beautiful technique!"
Arthur stepped up. He swung his cheap sword. BOOM. The rock exploded. Again. Rank 1.
Then, me. I gripped the training sword. I couldn't use magic. I channeled a microscopic thread of the Strange Power along the edge. I swung. CLINK. My sword bounced off. My arm went numb. It looked pathetic. But on the surface of the rock, there was a small, thin scratch. The stone there wasn't cut. It was deleted.
The Proctor frowned. "Damage inflicted... I guess. Pass." The crowd chuckled. "He nearly broke his wrist scratching a rock."
[The Mail: Hierarchy of Value]
The exams concluded. An Academy clerk hurried over to us with three wax-sealed envelopes.
I broke the seal on Arthur's letter first. [Arthur Vale: S-Rank Prospect] [Scholarship: Platinum Grade - 500 Gold / Month]
Next, Elena's letter (from the Church). [Elena Vale: Special Grant - 100 Gold / Month]
Finally, my letter. I opened it with bated breath. I was the top scorer in the written exam.
[Dante Vale: C-Rank Prospect (Academic Merit)] [Scholarship: Bronze Grade - 10 Gold / Month]
I stared at the number. 10 Gold. Arthur got 500. Elena got 100. I got 10.
Arthur patted my back so hard I nearly collapsed. "Don't worry, Dante! 10 Gold is... uh... enough for snacks! We'll share mine!"
I folded the letters. Total Monthly Income: 610 Gold. We were rich.
From the balcony above, Seraphina Goldenhart watched us. Her silver eyes were fixed on me. She had seen the scratch. She had seen the impossible clean line where the rock had ceased to exist.
She tapped her fan against her chin. "A scholar who erases stone... and dominates the theory exam," she murmured. "How profitable."