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C260 - Selection

Elys ended up leaving without making any progress on her mission once again. However, Leonel didn't have the mind to bother with her thoughts. He felt a slight urgency in his heart. The instant she left, he buried his head into his training.

He hardly touched his bow. To him, his talent in the bow was so overwhelming that he didn't need to practice very much to bring it to a high level. Instead, he focused his entire being on his meditation and his spear.

By the time the news came down, he had almost gone through a hundred spears. But, compared to the over 2000 he had to master, he had hardly put a dent into his true goal. However, even still, he could feel his Spear Force being slowly refined over time.

Leonel was still at the very first level of Spear Force. However, according to the dictionary his father left behind for him, there were separations between the kinds of Spear Force one comprehended.. The longer he could suppress his breakthrough while building and refinding his Spear Force, the greater benefits he would gain in the future.

With a hidden sharpness in his eyes, Leonel left the Segmented Cube.

**

The Mage Academy was bustling, even more so than usual. The usually quite indoor garden around the Magic Art Tower was filled with the young and old. Everyone was waiting for a single announcement.

At that moment an old woman with a head of dry, greying hair sat silently atop a platform, quietly meditating as though the happenings of her surroundings had nothing to do with her.

However, no one dared to snub this woman. Judging by her violet robes and the fiery red patterns that adorned them, this lady was a Two Star Fire Magus and very likely one of the Headmasters of the Mage Academy.

Suddenly, this seemingly frail old lady opened her eyes.

A resounding pressure singed with no small amount of heat suddenly pervaded the atmosphere. It felt as though all the moisture in the air was being sucked dry. Even the lush green grass beneath their feet looked as though they might wilt away at any time.

Without even having to say a word, silence took hold of the surroundings. The deterrence of such a magus, so infinitesmally close to the penultimate barrier, was too great. Who would dare to snub her?

Surprisingly, without even bothering to waste any time, she began to speak of the topic at hand. There was no introduction, no flowery words, just a cold and emotionless arrow toward the heart of the matter.

"The Merlin Trial Gates will open in two months. Only those at and above the age of 16 will be allowed to enter.

"Rights for entry will be decided on your merits.

"Those between the ages of 16 and 20 must reach the Two Star Official Mage standard. Those between the ages of 21 and 30 must be Three Star Official Mages. Those between the ages of 31 and 50 must be One Star Magi. Those older than this must be Two Star Magi.

"Those that meet this first requirement will be allowed to enter a round of selections.

"There will be 50 spots for those within the first age bracket, 25 for those in the next, and in the oldest there will be just 10 spots

"Those of you who will be part of the quotas given to your families will not be included in this total.

"The selection will begin in an hour within the core city. If you've been found to be lying about your credentials, the punishment won't be light. So, think twice before you step through the teleportation formations. Prepare yourselves."

The Fire Magus was short and succinct. Those in the vicinity didn't even have the chance to process before her spiel was over.

An hour? There was no time to prepare? Some of them hardly had any idea what these Merlin Trials were, but now they were suddenly thrust into a competition for it?

It had to be known that not everyone was like Leonel. He had access to the Crown Prince and there was also Elys who seemed to have a special standing within the Mage Academy outside of being a lecturer.

Even then, Leonel hardly knew much at all. If it wasn't for the fact he passed his Three Star Official Mage standardization test and was able to read the level nine information within the library, he would likely be even more clueless. Let alone these people who had even less access than he did.

Leonel remained expressionless, his Three Star Official Mage robes reflecting a deep blue embroidered by bronze. He stepped into the teleportation formation toward the core of Camelot, his mind mentally prepared for anything.

The truth was that with his combat prowess, the 16 to 20 year old bracket was nothing more than a joke to him. His attending should be nothing more than a formality, but for some reason, he was still on his guard.

Leonel's vision blurred. A moment later, he found himself in a large arena.

By all rights, such a large arena should have been bustling, filled from wall to wall with spectators. However, this wasn't the case at all. In fact… it was eerily silent.

Seats that could seat upwards of 50 000 were covered in black sheets as though to divert one's attention from the fact they were empty.

The stands weren't completely with people, though. That said, it was certain that the youths and older mages that stood around Leonel wished that they had been. Reason being… the characters silently watching them from above were simply too awe inspiring. Their presence alone made their knees weak.

There were no more than a hundred of them, but each and every one seemed to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.

There were the seven Supreme Magi, the Knights of the Round table, the General Stars… One after another, their standing and strength seemed to only grow.

Even after all of that, there were still two individuals who made the mages around Leonel feel as though their hearts had stopped.

They both sat upon thrones, their strength so great that the air seemed to solidify around them.

One was a woman of exceptional looks. She had soft, wheat colored skin, flowing black hair and shimmering blue eyes. Her beauty was intoxicating to the point of drawing all who looked upon her into an illusion.

She wore a delicate blue dress and her neck and chest was wrapped by a soft white fur scarf. She embodied nobility to the greatest degree.

The second was a man. His blond hair was bright to the point of being blinding. His jaw was chiseled, his eyes deep and unfathomable, and his smile was charismatic and enchanting to the extreme.

His shoulders were broad and his presence was so tall that even his throne seemed too small for him.

There was no doubt that these two were the great Queen Guinevere and King Arthur.

To be continued