Chapter 42: Arcadia Academy (2)

Michael watched on as these students were slowly lifted into the air, struggling. But no matter how much they screamed or fought against it, they could not resist the pull of the headmasters magic.

The room was brought into disarray, not knowing what was going on.

“It seems your families think light of our humble Academy,” Bartholomew said sounding calm and composed.

However, Michael could feel the mana surging around him like a swirling maelstrom, rooting him in place. He felt like if he moved even an inch, he would be reduced to nothing but meat paste.

It was difficult to explain the horror he felt from this seemingly amiable person, but it reinforced something inside of him. This man was strong—to the point where he could not fathom it.

“Since this is meant to be a joyous occasion, I will spare your lives today,” the man stated, his tone even, not revealing any emotion. Then, with a wave of his hand, the space around these three young teens shimmered and they disappeared.

Michael had been watching the whole thing, yet he could not even begin to decipher the magic theory behind the manipulation of space that the headmaster displayed.

Now that the three students had been dealt with, the mana in the surroundings seemed to have calmed down, allowing everyone present to breathe once more.

But this didn’t dispel the confusion, nor did it put everyone at ease.

“Now, shall we begin the exam?” Bartholomew asked, his smile now returned.

No one dared to reply.

Taking their silence as approval, the headmaster clapped his hands together and the space surrounding them shifted once more. The same unsteady feeling assaulted Michael who this time, reached out to Melody so he wouldn’t lose her.

However, once the magic died down they found that they were still in the grand hall, in the exact place they’d been standing before.

“Was that a pocket dimension?” Melody muttered, her usually calm face painted in shock.

Michael flinched at her words.

Is she saying the grand hall we were in before was just a pocket dimension?

He had noticed that something felt off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. But if the space was not the grand hall, but a pocket dimension created by the headmaster, it would make sense that it looked a little odd.

However, the mere thought of recreating such a dimension that looked almost identical to the intricate grand hall was mind-blowing.

The headmaster didn’t explain, addressing them once more. “When your name is called, you will come up here to be assessed in front of your potential peers. Then you’ll be asked to enter one of these two doors.”

The short man gestured to two adjacent doors along the walls of the grand hall, separated by a few feet. Both were identical, but the fact that there were two, had obvious implications.

Depending on which door they were sent to, they would pass or fail.

Footsteps rang out, echoing through the large hall. The students turned, seeing the tall figure that had accompanied the headmaster to the entrance earlier.

Behind him were three figures dressed in the Arcadia Academy uniform. The two boys wore simple black mage robes over a white button up shirt and plaid pants, whereas the single female student wore a white blouse and plaid skirt beneath their robe.

Michael’s eyes lit up as he recognized one of the figures, his brown tousled hair, hazel eyes and specifically his cane were a dead giveaway.

What’s Charles doing here? Is he one of the examiners?

The teen should have now been in his fourth and final year at Arcadia, meaning he would be graduating soon.

Though he instinctively knew that he would receive no favoritism from Charles, just seeing a familiar face had improved Michael’s mood by leaps and bounds.

The four new arrivals soon stood behind the headmaster, facing the group of teens.

Bartholomew cleared his throat and addressed them, “We’ll be first assessing your bone age, followed by your soul density. Once we call your name, come to the front and perform the test.”

What test?

But the moment he thought this, the headmaster waved his hand and a desk appeared in front of the students and the tall man from earlier. Another two items materialized nearby, causing the young teens to step back in surprise.

Two clear orbs atop a pedestal stood next to each other, almost identical.

“Well, I will leave you all to it then.” The headmaster said with a smile. “Best of luck, my little seedlings. I shall be waiting for your results,”

With that, the short man turned and walked through the left door on the side of the grand hall. The student’s eyes lit up. The man had essentially told them which door would be the one with the passing mark.

“When I call your name, come up to the table,” the tall man spoke, his voice surprisingly high pitched, yet it did not negate his authoritative air.

“Braydon Marbury.”

Michael’s ears twitched. Marbury was the family name of the Lord they’d had a run-in with earlier, the one who had tried to chastise Melody. There was a good chance that this boy was one of her suitors that he would need to be wary of.

As he thought this, he saw a figure walk forward. Surprisingly, the kid looked almost nothing like his father who had a large gut and seemed slimy.

He calmly walked up to the table and stood in front of the tall man who then held his left hand out, placing it atop the young teen’s head.

After some time, he nodded, “Thirteen years and nine months.” He assessed.

“Go and place your hand upon the first orb,” he directed, “remove the barrier to your inner palace and don’t resist—it will only be more painful if you do.”

Open our inner palace? Isn’t that dangerous?

Throughout his tutoring sessions with Charles and the old man, Michael had learned the importance of his soul. Not only was it tied to one’s potential, it was also the key to the bodies ability to harness and refine mana.

Which was why being told to open one’s inner palace and leaving the soul vulnerable was considered one of the most dangerous things a mage could do.

However, Michael stole a glance at Charles behind the desk, noting that he didn’t appear worried. In fact, judging by his demeanor, it seemed as if this was just a natural part of the examination.

Seeing this, Michael let out a sigh of relief.

Braydon confidently walked over to the first orb as he was directed, placing his hand upon it with his eyes closed. The room turned silent, their attentions all focused on the clear orb.

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