Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Second Exam

Roughly after one hour since the exam began, Theodore reemerged from the examination hall.

"That was quick! You're done already!?"

"There wasn't much to write. I didn't know the answers to most questions anyways."

"Huh? That's odd. From what I heard, I thought you're supposed to be some kind of prodigy."

"Even a genius can't conjure up knowledge of things he had never learned," said Theodore with a shrug.

"I suppose..." muttered the young man with a mystifying gaze.

"Anyways, here's your pen. Thanks again. Oh, and I'm Theodore, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Yulian. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Now then, are you sure you're done with the test?"

"Yeah, more or less."

"You still have about an hour left. Are you sure you don't want to take more time?"

"There's nothing else to write. It's fine."

"I see. Then I'll bring your papers to the Archmage."

"Sure thing."

From the conversation, it seemed that Yulian was an assistant of some sort to Stellaria. It was somewhat of a surprise to Theodore since he looked so young.

"Is this it?" Gesturing to the lone stack of paper placed neatly atop a desk, Yulian voiced his astonishment.

"That's right. This isn't the standard?"

"Hardly. And what's with these questions? These aren't something you'd expect a novice to answer."

"I know, right? If it weren't for Annaliese's crash course, I don't think I'll be able to answer half of what I answered."

"Master Annaliese?" Yulian quirked an eyebrow. "I heard that she went to fetch you. Were you on good terms?"

"I guess?" said Theodore, tilting his head sideways as he feigned ignorance.

"I see..." There was a pause, in which Yulian's mind seemed to be turning. "Well, I'll be taking these to the Archmage now."

Though he seemed curious about the matter at first, for some reason, Yulian soon dropped the subject. With Yulian gone, Theodore was once again left alone in the room. He had done what could be done. All that remained was to simply wait.

***

It did not take long before Yulian returned, this time to lead Theodore to another room. From Yulian, he heard that it was where the second examination was going to take place.

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"The second exam is the practical exam," said Yulian.

"Right. How do these things go again?"

"In the usual cases, you'd be asked to perform a few simple tasks.  Simply showing that you can manipulate Aether to some extent should be sufficient as no one expects much from someone who had never gone through formal training."

As he explained, Yulian gathered Aether into his hand to show as an example. As they gathered, his Aether danced atop his palm, gently swirling like a comforting breeze. It was unlike the Aether from Theodore, which were more akin to threads.

It was said that due to the differences in the subconscious of individuals, the Aether that manifests outside a mage's body would appear differently. Depending on the individual, their 'Aether-form' would take different shapes and forms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

For Theodore, his threads were good for control and precise movements but won't have much range as the Aether won't maintain its shape if the connection to the body were cut off. In Yulian's case, his flowing Aether could probably reach a good distance, though the loose collection of Aether won't have much power when spread too far.

It was something used to judge a budding mage's aptitude for certain fields of magic. Of course, with enough training and cultivation, weaknesses could be conquered, efficiency aside.

The next room Theodore was led into was a wide room triple the size of the lecture hall he was just in. It was a room with elevated seats arranged similarly to the ones seen at stadiums and arenas. At the end of the room, there were podiums raised far above anything else in the room, those in the seats observing the entirety of the room from high above.

Entering the room, Theodore felt as though he was about to attend a tribunal hearing.

There were five individuals seated at the podiums. From left to right, they were a mellow old man with thick eyebrows, a bald and scrawny elderly man that seemed to be on the brink of death, the Archmage Stellaria, a large brawny man with a fiery mane, and a woman in a golden mask that exuded an air of elegance. All five cast their gazes upon Theodore as he moved towards the center of the room.

Yulian, upon catching sight of them, was rather surprised. He did not expect five of the elders from the Circle of Mages to be present. Had it been a normal exam, at most, only two would be present.

Ignorant of Yulian's shock, Theodore walked forward silently, feeling the pressure of the elders' gaze, stopping before a wooden table that seemed out of place in the room.

"Yulian," the Archmage called out in her gentle, yet dignified, voice. "You may be dismissed."

Though he would have liked to remain behind and watch this strange examination unfold, having received his instructions, Yulian only gave a small nod before exiting the room.

"Well then..." The Archmage turned her attention back upon Theodore, her stern demeanor a contrast to her friendly display during the first examination. "Let us see what you can do."

At those words, the door from the side room slid open. From there entered Annaliese, a satchel in her hand. It was moving frantically as if something within was struggling to break out. Upon arriving before the wooden table, Annaliese pulled from the satchel a hare by its ears.

Before Theodore could even question what was going on, Annaliese produced a knife from within her robes and unceremoniously slit the small creature's throat.

With a near silent screech, the hare stopped moving. It was then placed atop the table right before Theodore.

"Now, heal it," said the Archmage seated above.

And so began the second examination.

***

End of Chapter 24

***

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