Entrance Exam (1)

It was the next day when Eliza and the others arrived from the Celestine Territory. With them were additional servants and some of our things, most of it were mine. Aunt Zaira informed me that since we were all studying in the capital, there was no need to stay in the main manor all the time. So she moved half of our staff from our hometown, as well as our things.

"It's a hassle to always teleport there from the capital every day."

Upon hearing her words, I actually felt guilty. Aunt Zaira was the empire's prime minister and she had many things to attend to but she had always teleported back and forth just so she could supervise my training. And from what I knew, long-distance teleportation uses up quite a lot of magical energy. And she had been doing it until recently because of me.

"Don't be guilty." she retorted as if reading my mind. "I'll make sure to use you to the fullest in the future."

I only sighed.

-Of course. As expected of her.

At a young age, Aunt Zaira had taught us the principle of give-and-take. Once you give something, make sure to get compensation. And once you take something, you have to return the manner of the same value; whether it was good or bad.

It was a weird principle, but it was rooted into the children she had taught all these years.

Three days before the entrance exam, I came to talk to her again about a matter I had been worrying.

"Aunt Zaira, which department will accept me? I don't think Mystic Arts will be counted as magic." I said.

"Enroll at the Magic Arts Department."

"Huh?"

"Mystic Arts is an uncommon form of ability, but it's quite identical to magic, remember?" I nodded my head upon remembering what I learned when I was younger. "Their tool to measure magical energy in a person's body should work on you. But you don't have to worry about that, the tests usually measure your skills and abilities rather than just your power. Whichever you are the strongest at the academy's higher-ups will determine it for you."

"We won't have to learn the basics again, right?" I asked again. "That would suck."

"Don't worry. They will measure your knowledge as well. They have a system for it."

"Should I ace the exams?"

I was a bit miffed when Aunt Zaira laughed at my question.

"You may have a lot of potential and experience, but you will meet people the same as you or if not, even stronger than you. Don't be too confident."

"Oh."

"At least, don't fail." she added.

Even with that, I was still a little stumped.

"Don't worry, you'll do good. Just listen to the instructors and try not to go all out at the beginning. Ah, don't tell them about your status as well."

I raised an eyebrow at her statement and asked why.

"Even if the government and the academy promotes equality among students, knowing that you're a part of the Celestine Family is still different, both good and bad."

"So you're telling me to study incognito at school?"

"Yep. You can say you're from the Celestine Territory, but try not to reveal you're actually adopted by me."

"Okay. If that's what you want."

"Also, again, choose the Magic Arts Department."

Three days later, Eliza and the others sent me off to the entrance exams. They said they would be waiting for the good news back in the manor. I navigated the city streets alone and got lost a few times. Fortunately, I met someone who was also on her way to the entrance exam location. We met coincidentally in front of a restaurant.

"My name's Andrea Ijinia." she said. "I'm a local of Azte City."

"I'm Luna Hysi-" I stopped myself once I remembered that I had to study incognito. "Err… Luna Hysi, I'm from the Celestine Territory."

I saw her eyes go wide. "’The’ Celestine Territory? As in that monster-infested territory ruled by the prime minister? By Archduchess Zaira Chrishni von Celestine?"

I just nodded my head.

"Oh wow! I never thought I'd meet someone form there!" she exclaimed. "Is it true that even at such a young age, you were all trained to subjugate a monster? And the archduchess, is she really scary just like what the rumors say?"

Well she had a lot of questions and I finally understood Aunt Zaira's feeling whenever I asked her a lot of questions in one go. I tried to answer as minimal and as cryptic as possible. It seemed like students from Celestine Territory were quite famous in the academy, after all most of them already had experience in fighting and killing monsters.

We reached the entrance exam location and finally registered.

"Hey Luna, which department do you want to enroll?" asked Andrea.

The Imperial Academy had a total of five departments. The first one was the Magic Arts Department where students who wanted to learn magic could enroll. It was further split into two courses; Support Course and Battle Course. The Support Course focused on mages, who used support magic like healing and buff spells. Meanwhile the Battle Course was for mages who used magic arts for combat; elemental magic.

The second department was the Military Arts Department. Aspiring knights, magus knights and military officers usually graduated from this department. It was also divided into two different courses; Combat Magic Course and Magus Knight Course. Combat Magic Course was for knights who could wield combat magic which was usually strengthening of abilities and sharpening of senses. Meanwhile Magus Knight Course was for students who could use both combat magic and elemental magic. They usually have joined classes with students from the Magic Arts Department.

The third department was Alchemy Department. Just like its name, they specialized in teaching students who had the skills in making different potions that were used by the people. Students from this department also specialized in using medicine and poison.

The first three departments were the most famous ones. And they usually had the most enrollees every school year.

The fourth department was the Engineering Department. Just like its name, they specialized in teaching students how to create gears or items that could be used; from armors, to swords, even regular items for everyday use were taught on students in the Engineering Department.

And lastly, the General Studies Department. It was a department for those who had no aptitude among the four departments yet still wanted to be useful to society. They were taught arithmetic, social sciences, etc. One name to call them would be scholars. In the future they could be hired as salesperson, record keepers, etc. in society.

Although becoming a magus knight like Sebastian and Zach was very appealing to me, my combat skills were unorthodox. I wasn't sure what kind of combat Aunt Zaira taught me, but it was different from what most of the warriors practice. I incorporated the combat skills I knew when I was still a fox deity, so my fighting style was really unusual.

"Hmm… The Magic Arts Department." I answered.

-I still don't get the reason why though.

"I see. I want to be in the Alchemy Department!" Andrea said enthusiastically.

Since there were many students who had to take the entrance exams, Andrea and I had to wait for quite some time. We got acquainted with a few kids but I also met snobby ones who were mostly from the nobility and the rich. I was thankful to Aunt Zaira for having me study incognito. Being known to be part of the Celestine Family seemed to be really troublesome. A few kids were wary of those with high status after all.

Finally, after a few hours of waiting, my name was finally called. I was guided to a room where a teacher was waiting for me with a book opened in front of her. The teacher was female with long dark green hair. She was also tall and had a slender figure. But I couldn't help but take notice of her chest and compare it to mine. I clicked my tongue since I lost.

"Luna Hysi?" she called.

"Yes?"

"Where is your hometown and which department would you like to enroll to?"

"I am from the Celestine Territory and I would like to enroll in the Magic Arts Department." I answered.

She looked up from the book and stared at me. "You're 'that' Luna Hysi?"

"Uhm, what do you mean by that?"

"Do you have a recommendation letter?" she asked again.

"No, I don't."

"Hmm… Seems so."

"Uhm, teacher, what did you mean by your previous statement? Do you… Do you know me?"

She only gazed at me with an uninterested look.

"I used to work for the archduchess."

"Oh." I muttered.

-So Aunt Zaira even have connections inside the academy.

"And she told me to remind you to try to control yourself."

I only nodded my head.

"Since you wanted to enroll in the Magic Arts Department, I suppose you will take the magic test?"

"Yes."

The teacher, who I found out to be named Kayla Tresde later, led me into a separate room where a big orb was placed at the center. From what I knew, the orb was used to check a person's aptitude to magic. Basically it will identify what type of magic one has. It was how the academy chooses which course a student should take inside the Magic Arts Department.

Professor Tresde motioned for me to place my hand on the orb. At first nothing happened, but seconds later it suddenly started glowing with colors like a rainbow until it settled on a light-blue hue and a golden hexagon was plastered inside the orb. Inside the golden hexagon was a flower with six petals each the shape of a rice grain. I noticed the teacher's wide eyes.