"Are you only testing for General Magic?"
"Yes."
I had arrived in Bayern once more in the guise of Nikolaus and moved to the Royal Mage Association's examination site to formally receive my mage registration certificate.
It was best to get all core-related matters on official documents amended in line with the school's foolish period, so I needed to handle this quickly without delay.
"As for Your Excellency..."
"Not me."
Leo, standing beside me, gave a slight wave of his hand.
The staff member smiled, nodded, and spoke to me.
"Then, Lord Nikolaus, you may proceed directly to Examination Room 1 on the upper floor."
"How long does the examination take?"
"There are five sections, each taking roughly one to five minutes. Including compilation time, you can expect it to be under forty minutes total. Ah, though it might take twice as long for Your Lordship."
Twice as long?
Anyway... The school only conducted a simplified core test, but here they measured values for the identification card, so there were more test items.
"What are the sections?"
"You'll first undergo the core examination, followed by tests for mana purity, intensity, and total capacity. Lastly, you'll test a spell once at maximum output to check for any blockages in the manifestation process."
It was no different from what I had researched beforehand.
I gave a brief greeting and went upstairs, opening the examination room door.
The room was completely empty, devoid of any people.
I removed all my artifacts and placed them in a storage locker, then stood before the red tape marked on the floor.
A guide panel was mounted in front of it.
'Raise your dominant hand.'
It stated that factors like core hardness, capacity, stability, and others would be comprehensively assessed.
Since I was doing this anyway, I hoped to score at least an 8 out of 10.
'Where's your conscience?'
Expecting an 8-point jump from a zero-scorer after about two months of abstinence and training was a bit much.
Anyway, below that, it mentioned the skin might tingle when the test mana flowed.
A phrase that made one... very reluctant to raise their hand.
But there was no need to delay what had to be done, so I immediately raised my hand.
*Zap—!*
"Ugh!"
I instinctively pulled my arm back and took a step away.
It felt like a blood collection needle had flowed through my veins and plunged deep into my heart.
'The person who wrote this doesn't know the definition of 'tingle'.'
More importantly, since I pulled away mid-test, would I have to do it again?
I really didn't want to raise it again... Let's check.
*Beep—*
Just as I was about to check if anything had changed, a red light flashed on the guide panel along with a notification sound.
Below the self-assessment score, a percentage appeared.
Core Rating: Top 1%
"...1%?"
I couldn't believe my eyes. I closed them for a moment and opened them again, but nothing had changed.
It really was 1%.
'No matter how many factors are combined... a core steeped in poison for over half a lifetime shouldn't be that good.'
Examination complete. Please proceed to Examination Room 2.
As soon as the message appeared, I left Room 1 and moved to the side.
And then...
In the final room, I collected the printed grade sheet and returned to where the staff member was.
"All results are within the top 1%. What's going on?"
"That level is only natural for Lord Nikolaus, what do you mean what's going on..."
Leo muttered from behind.
Coincidentally, the staff member also nodded at his words.
"It's likely due to the recently adjusted examination. Those scoring within the top 1% in each category must be transferred to a special examination for remeasurement."
"So there's another test."
"Yes. It's a newly added method, so it's understandable you wouldn't know."
He said if you're within the top 1%, you get transferred specially? So that means I've already surpassed the general level.
'It's a bit surprising... I guess I underestimated my own condition too much.'
When observing status windows, a significant number of people have mana stats between 0 and 1.
Society doesn't strictly call them mages, but technically, they are mages.
Given that the core's basic aptitude is also factored into the score, and they make up about 78% of the mage population, converting to a scale of 100, it means I've surpassed 78 out of those 100 people.
That likely contributed to my core rating being in the top 1% despite not having high physical stats.
And now, it means I'll be competing among those who, like me, have surpassed 99 out of 100 people.
Among them, I wonder what level I'll actually be at.
I stroked my chin, lost in thought.
'Anyway, I have to take that test again.'
Feeling my pulse quicken strangely, I went back upstairs to Examination Room 1.
Looking down at the 'raise your hand' panel, I cleared my mind and hit the panel with my right hand. I just wanted to get it over with quickly.
*Thud— Zap—!*
"Hoo..."
Fortunately, this time I knew what intensity to expect, so I could endure it smoothly.
*Beep—*
Core Rating: Top 40%
'Hmm.'
When competing among the top 1%, my core is positioned a bit above the middle.
'That's not bad.'
Luka's core was Grade 9.
In two months, I've surpassed about 100 ordinary mages, and then about 60 out of the top 1% mages who passed that filter.
Honestly, I expected it to be lower. Seeing it come out above average suggests my innate core traits were good enough to somewhat suppress the degree of damage.
Examination complete. Please proceed to Examination Room 2.
I went out and told Leo my percentage. He clicked his tongue with a dissatisfied expression.
"Your core really isn't in good shape. You should get some treatment at Wittelsbach later."
"..."
I almost asked why he was using formal speech here too, but I just closed my mouth.
When moving around as Nikolaus, it's necessary to maintain propriety just in case.
I nodded to Leo and asked.
"What's your percentage?"
"...What kind of phrasing is that?... Well, when I first took it after its introduction, it was 1%."
"In the special exam."
"Naturally, of course."
"..."
I just silently moved to the next room.
Now I understand how he reached this level despite not having great magical talent. If the core supports it, you can climb through effort somehow. No matter how much magic potion you pour in, it won't create a significant burden.
'This test is for mana purity.'
I knew from checking earlier.
Fortunately, this test didn't involve me being attacked by a machine. I just had to channel mana into holy water.
I briefly channeled mana into the water imbued with a divine aura.
*Beep—*
Top 0%
'Hmm.'
According to the guide I saw earlier, they round the values.
Anyway, it was 0% in the general exam too, and it's 0% here as well.
I had an idea when I could use divine power freely, but seeing it with my own eyes is more satisfying.
Afterwards, for mana intensity and total capacity, I scored Top 4% and Top 1% respectively.
"I knew it from when you were warping five or six times a day, but Top 1% in total capacity on this exam? That's really something."
Leo let out a hollow laugh.
Warp magic consumes an excessive amount of mana, so by our school's standards, once or twice a day is the maximum.
But... despite saying that, Leo never seemed to struggle with warping.
"What's your total capacity percentage that you say that... sir?"
"Top 13% or 11%, I think... I thought it wasn't on the low side, but now I'm not sure."
Our school friends would want to hit him if they heard.
Out of the top 1% group of 100, 89 are standing behind him, and it's not 'low'? It just isn't.
'Anyway.'
Core: Top 40%. Mana: At worst, Top 4%.
If the disparity between core and mana is this large, it's hard to utilize abilities to their full extent, and the core sustains continuous damage.
Even with consistent training and drinking enhancers, this is my level, so it might be time to try other methods.
'I really need to get treatment at Wittelsbach or do something.'
Another problem is...
Strangely, if my brother finds out only my core score is terrible, the likelihood of him getting suspicious is high.
I cast a soundproofing spell and spoke.
"Leo, do you know who can access the exam results here?"
"What, you used it fine before, but now you can't use formal speech?"
"Yeah."
Usually, it feels like a workplace, so it's different.
He's a student and a politician, a position where he had to use formal speech even with his parents since childhood, so he probably doesn't think much of it, but I'm not like that.
Of course, I had to cast the soundproofing spell since I don't know who might be listening where.
Leo readily accepted my discomfort and nodded.
"That's understandable. The only person who can view your information is the gentleman who guided us earlier. He's the overall person in charge here."
"Really? Thanks for telling me."
"Worried your brother might check?"
"Exactly. He's fully capable of that."
"Don't worry. There hasn't been a single leak since this place was established. And there are more people with only a bad core than you'd think."
"Hmm, I see..."
It's true there are quite a few people with only a bad core.
Cases where the contents are good but the vessel is bad. It's innate, so nothing can be done.
Anyway, now for the last one.
I entered the examination room at the very end of the corridor.
* * *
The final item, spell demonstration percentage, was Top 10%.
Not a score I particularly liked, but considering the core's poor condition, it's not a bad result.
Waiting on the first floor, the staff member called us.
"The compilation is complete. The result sheet we're providing now includes weighted calculations."
Grade 4, three Grade 1s, Grade 2.
The weighted average is 92.2.
"Your Lordship's final grade is 2."
"You mean 2nd Grade within the top 1%?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Much better than I expected.
If my core fully recovers, I can improve further from here.
The staff member handed over two identification certificates, each about the size of a palm.
Unusually, one was printed on bright blue paper.
"You'll likely use the Standard Mage Certificate normally. This blue certificate is mainly for special situations when requested by institutions."
I silently looked down at the certificates.
'General Magic Standard Grade 1, General Magic Special Grade 2.'
I was living fine without proof before, but this plugs the documentary gaps.
This exam was clearly testing talent.
Of course, recovering my core until now falls under the realm of effort, but if my brother hadn't ruined it, I should have been beyond my current level anyway, so that can be excluded.
This kind of certification would have been a result Luka could never see in his lifetime. I wonder what he'd think if he saw this himself.
"Let's go, Your Lordship."
Hearing Leo call me from behind, I collected the certificates and left.
* * *
The next day, the school, as if possessed, brought up the core examination.
They said not to talk about it until the day after tomorrow, and it seems they really plan to announce the trip to the restricted zone tomorrow, the day after.
'Just because we have dorms, they schedule things like this...'
Anyway, I drank two and a half bottles of poison to kill my core, and now I'm just sleepy.
Since enhancers basically contain the same components, drinking them here would only backfire.
But if I really fall asleep, I might never wake up. I have to stay awake as much as possible.
Anyway, the result was successful.
I checked the form distributed by the school.
Core Rating: Top 97%
General Magic Standard — Core Grade 9
'Grade 9 in Standard? Isn't the difference from Nikolaus too stark?'
Everything else was also Grade 9, so Luka's ID perfectly states [General Magic Standard Grade 9].
Still, Grade 9 in a total of 9 grades is perfect for deceiving my brother.
Now that it's done, relax a lot.
Narke, who had warped to the meeting spot, slapped my back loudly and cast a purification spell.
"What's with the solo smile?"
"Got the grade I wanted."
"Haha, you're probably the only one who wanted Grade 9. I know Grade 9 is better for you, of course... but it's still strange."
"Makes sense. Thanks for the purification."
Thanks to it, my heavy body is gradually feeling lighter. The drowsiness has also lifted a layer.
Shall I check the survival possibility around now?
Dawn777—Final Outcome 'Chapter X. Death' in 702 days 23 hours 31 minutes 58 seconds—
Change Possibility: 15.4% (+1.0%p)
'15.4?'
I couldn't close my mouth at that number and let out a hollow breath.
Two weeks ago, the last time I checked, it was 7.9%.
'So it rose 7.5 percentage points in that time.'
In two weeks, it rose by as much as it had accumulated over two months.
And clearly, by obtaining Grade 9 this time and disrupting the information reaching my brother, it rose by 1%p.
Even excluding that 1%p, it's 6.5%p, so I understand Nikolaus's impact on survival well.
Narke nodded at my words.
"Come to think of it, the guys told me something. They said your grade, Lukas, has been famous since last year? The Knight Department's core average is Grade 3, but the Magic Department has a Grade 9."
"...That's a piercing remark."
I heard all sorts of things again today.
From 'How did you even get here?' to 'What do you think you're doing with 97% on the standard exam?', 'He better at least be good at studying', etc.
Of course, they didn't say it to my face, but I heard it all.
'Actually, it's not the time for those guys to worry about others.'
Most Magic Department students are positioned around the top 5% of the standard exam.
It's on the high side within the overall mage pool, but even so, they don't qualify to move to the special exam.
Well... Not my business. Worry a lot.
"Haha, still, situation-wise, it's a good thing~ This grade was a result you orchestrated anyway. More than that..."
Narke fell into thought for a moment, then continued with a smile.
"How does it feel to be Special Grade 2 while getting Grade 9 on the standard exam? More than anything else, I'm really curious about this?"
"..."
When did I ever say that? Of course, I never did.
I could only give a hollow laugh at Narke's words.
—-----------
T/N:
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