The Empire Royal Magic Academy, established in Dian Castle—a mansion sponsored by Duke Little William von Eman—was also funded by His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire Council. It was located in the Capital's Queens District.
Today, its open-air courtyard had been converted into a special examination site for the Official Mage certification exam.
The Magic Guild, which held sway over the entire Ferolun Continent, divided Mages into nine tiers. Passing the exam meant not only being registered by the Empire as an official Caster, but also being recognized by the Guild as a Tier One Mage—a rank valid across the continent.
The assessment required an Apprentice to select three Basic Level Spells from a list, choosing the ones they had mastered best. Every Basic Level Spell on the list came with a set assessment method and quantitative metrics. An Apprentice had two attempts for each spell and had to meet all the required metrics to pass.
Completing three spells according to their quantitative metrics was neither simple nor particularly difficult for an Apprentice in the Empire's four-year system. In addition to teaching public theory courses, the Academy's teachers also took on about ten Apprentices each to instruct in practical application. In return, the Apprentices would assist their teachers with magic experiments and teaching duties. Under normal circumstances, Apprentices could generally master five to eight Basic Level Magic spells within their four years.
What left Rorschach speechless was that his predecessor had been a Fireball Skill fanatic. Despite having mastered the required magic theory, the guy had spent most of his energy researching the Fireball Skill. He only hastily learned the relatively simpler Water Creation Skill and Basic Level Decomposition Skill just to pass the exam. While others dreaded the Caster theory exam with its numerous subjects, wide range of topics, and difficult questions, the original Rorschach had been the exact opposite.
'This guy was definitely planning to do something big on his own... My transmigration really was a contribution to building a harmonious campus!'
After a moment of reflection, Rorschach walked toward the station for his exam events. A thin silver plate in his hand was engraved with a Magic Circuit; it would glow blue when he reached the station for a registered event.
First up was the Basic Level Decomposition Skill. Quite a few Apprentices chose this event, as the Decomposition Skill was arguably the simplest.
Next to the examiner was a neat stack of square stone blocks, all roughly the same fist-sized shape. Rorschach could see they were all limestone.
"You may begin when ready. Please Decompose this stone block without physical contact. If you mistakenly Decompose any other object, the cast will be considered a failure."
A Magic Aura flashed over the stone, and the block rapidly disintegrated.
The examiner first checked if the table had been damaged by the magic. After confirming it was unscathed, he lightly raised his right hand.
Rorschach watched as the examiner used Mage's Hand to move the stone fragments onto a coarse metal-mesh screen. After shaking it out, he weighed the screen along with the fragments.
The chief examiner carefully read the scale and announced on the spot, "The mass of fragments larger than three millimeters is less than one-third of the original block's mass."
After the assistant recorded the result, he gestured to Rorschach. "Congratulations, you've passed this event."
"Thank you."
Next was the Fireball Skill.
Not many people signed up for the Fireball Skill, but its audio-visual effects were certainly impressive. As Rorschach passed through the Sound Insulation Array to enter the testing area, the explosive roar from the previous candidate's spell battered his eardrums.
BOOM
The examiner directed the Apprentice to launch a Fireball at a huge block of black iron, which was mounted on a track.
After the impact, an assistant, ignoring the heatwave, quickly pulled out a color chart to compare with the center of the impact zone on the iron block. Then, he read the measurement on the track to see how far the block had moved.
"Temperature: Level 14! Momentum: Level 12!"
With the maximum for both metrics being level 15, the chief examiner was taken aback. "Your Fireball Skill is very good. Very good indeed." He then added, "With a score like this, the Empire Army would welcome you as a Special Combat Mage."
'Measuring the Fireball's temperature by the red-hot glow of the metal and its kinetic energy by the block's displacement... that's actually a pretty good way to gauge its power. Crap, why does this exam feel so scientific?'
"Thank you." Not wasting a moment feeling proud of the Fireball Skill examiner's praise, Rorschach moved on to his next event: the Water Creation Skill!
This was the moment to test his newly created spell, a crucial juncture that would decide his fate.
The test for the Water Creation Skill was to condense a water sphere of a specified volume within a set time limit. In terms Rorschach was familiar with, it required the Water Creation Skill's flow rate to reach a certain value.
The measuring tool was a brass balance scale about half a person's height. On one side were weights, and on the other was a large glass beaker, which he estimated to have a one-liter capacity.
The chief examiner for this event was Rorschach's mentor, Teacher Caroline, who also taught his "Space, Time, and Astrology" course. Teacher Caroline's age seemed to be somewhere between that of a young girl and a mature woman. A single braid was draped over her shoulder to rest on her chest, giving her a charm that was both vibrant and mature. The original Rorschach had been quite fond of her.
"Signal me when you're ready. I will start the timer after I count to three."
"Alright, please begin."
"Three, two, one!" The examiner pressed the button on an exquisite Pocket Watch and began timing.
Caroline paid close attention to this student. She had coached Rorschach in his practical magic application and knew he was not skilled at the Water Creation Skill. She couldn't help but feel a little concerned, only relaxing when she saw Rorschach's completely calm expression.
But Caroline's relief quickly turned to astonishment.
Rorschach held his palm face-down over the beaker and, abandoning the spherical shape of the Water Creation Skill, began to spray water violently. As Teacher Caroline watched in disbelief, the beaker filled, and the balance scale quickly tipped and settled on the beaker's side.
DING. So, the scale was designed to let out a clear chime once the beaker and the weights were balanced.
"Water quality is clear and transparent. Time: three point three five seconds. Assessment passed!" Caroline stared for a good while longer. "Rorschach, I was worried you were just a blockhead who could only memorize books and cast Fireball Skill. Congratulations, Rorschach Mage."
"I might have been a blockhead in the past, but not anymore. Thank you, Teacher Caroline." Rorschach gave a bow and left the courtyard.
Caroline watched Rorschach's departing figure, lost in thought.
...
"How'd it go?"
"Passed on the first try."
"Passed."
"Great! That's great!" After they regrouped, Bart was still buzzing with energy—he always got like this after an exam or after casting magic, like a rooster that had just learned to crow.
"To celebrate three outstanding youths of the Empire formally embarking on the path of magic, I have the honor of inviting two of them to the Moonlight Lake Restaurant for a midday meal. What say you, gentlemen?"
Bart bantered in an exaggerated imitation of a noble's accent, even placing one hand on his chest and extending the other toward Rorschach and Richard as he gave a slight bow.
"Alright."
Unexpectedly, Richard earnestly took Bart's hand and returned the gesture. "Richard is honored to accept your invitation."
Bart burst out laughing. "Don't do that! Now you're making me feel awkward!"
Dian Castle was surrounded by a large expanse of woodland that enveloped the Academy. Passing through the sparse woods led out into the bustling streets of the Queens District.
The Moonlight Lake Restaurant was a popular spot frequented by both teachers and Apprentices, practically an unofficial cafeteria for the Academy. For Rorschach, however, it was too expensive; he could only afford to eat there when he was with Bart and Richard.
The bright hall was filled with the music of an Elf Harp. The floor was an inlay of polished light and dark blue stone, and the ceiling of the great hall was a star-filled sky. Paired with the soft lighting from the Magic Lamps, it perfectly lived up to the name Moonlight Lake. Rorschach scanned the room and saw quite a few Apprentices wearing the Academy's emblem.