This isn't funny!

"Tell us about your magic," commanded one of the two judges. Both were wearing a blue scarf, indicating they were the Alchemy Knight. A middle-aged woman with a brown bob haircut was reading a paper list with a bored face. An old man with glasses who just greets Aure, gave him a friendly smile. There's an empty seat next to the old man with glasses, either he or she who occupies the seat is absent, or it's just the two of them. But there was a lot of paperwork on the desk of the empty seat, so Aure was sure that someone was there.

Aure nodded and waved his hand on the back, "Now, it's your turn." The two judges were gazing at each other in confusion. They took a slight look over Aure's back to see who he was talking to, but then both of them adopting a concerned face. Aure was starting to feel anxious when he saw the judges reactions, eventually he sneaked a peek behind himself. No one was there. Aure swore that he could feel the young man's presence up to the door earlier, and that's why he was so sure that he didn't look back to see the young man when he stepped into the room.

"Hahaha ...." Aure laughed nervously.

This isn't funny.

The old man narrowed his eyes that clearly indicated, 'If you waste any of our time, I guess it's time for you to leave.' In the meantime, another judges, lowered her pen and crossed her arms before leaning back in her chair. Aure whispered quickly to his ring, "Hey, do you hear me?"

No response.

Isn't this kind of situation somewhat familiar?

Except that this time, Aure started to boil up, not confused. Seeing the 'Don't know what to do' on Aure's face, the old man started to speak, "Young man, what are you-"

Aure raised his finger to stop him. "Wait a minute, please," said Aure, not allowing him to say anything else. The old man frowned, unhappy with Aure's attitude who didn't regard him.

"What's wrong with you !? Come. Out. Now !!" Aure started to lose his patience, half screamed at his ring. The two judges stared at him strangely.

The woman finally gave up and slammed the desk in front of her. "I'm sorry, but you've failed," the woman announced firmly.

"No, no, no. I could have just explained!" said Aure desperately.

"Hey! Ring! Do you hear me!?" Aure attempts to call out his ring again.

"Explained!?" repeated the female judges in a loud voice. Her squinting eyes looked at Aure up and down. Then she seemed to remember something, "You're not the one who happened to cause the explosion during the ceremony on the other day, are you?"

Before Aure could respond, the woman continued to shout, "Ha, that's right! If I'm not mistaken he is the one who emits that grey smoke..."

"Grey smoke? Can something like that happen?" asked the old judges, adjusting his glasses to his crooked nose. He wasn't there when the whole situation happened. He had an important mission outside the castle at that time. Aure can feel the fear in his chest, waiting to take over. His mouth is drier than a sandbox in summer.

"They do happened," said a voice that familiar to Aure. A man with nearly white short beard entered the room. He wore a long black robe with a blue lace and a blue scarf tied on his wrist. "You're late, Atlas," muttered the old man in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, August, Lia," Sire Atlas replied shortly. "Well, I've got to admit it was quite a scene, back then."

Aure's face turned red. If he was to describe it, it was humiliating. Sire Atlas sat down on the empty seat. Aure's eyes widened.

"You are the THIRD judges?" Aure slipped up, and just said what was on his mind.

Sire Atlas looked up to him before answering, "Yes. We just don't have enough staff here at the Alchemy Knight."

"That's because Atlas, you rejected all the new recruits by saying they were not interesting!" the woman called Lia yelled sarcastically.

"Is that so?" Sire Atlas said indifferently while stroking his short beard.

Judging from their conversation, all of them looked really close, which makes Aure feel jealous of seeing them. Huh? Aure shook his head immediately. What was he thinking? He hardly had time to worry about that!

"Then, what have we got here?" asked Sire Atlas causing Aure a little startled. The young man -his ring still hasn't come out. Aure has no idea on what to do or say. He stood motionless, unaware of the time that had passed, staring at the judges. No thoughts came to him except that his fate was sealed. People might have stamped him as a noble who can't embrace the fate that his heirloom is useless after a big tragedy. But after all this, he can't just back out, can he?

"Um…er,"

"He can't use magic," Dame Lia concluded the whole situation briefly but concise. Aure hates her pity face. All of the judges now were looking at him.

"I-I can use magic!"

Aure chanted as he held his hand. Aqua.

A spiral ball of water came out of his hand, circling with the flow of mana. Aure never thought he was going to come out desperately. He turns to look at the judges and see their expression, which is obviously not impressed.

Sire August took Aure's letter of application and said, "Mister…er, Licorne…" There was a pause and Aure knew why. It was the name of his family. Aure hates to say it but Licorne is actually one of the renowned family with royal blood, despite the bloodline that has now been tainted. "….I'm sure everyone could use the four major magic elements – the basic one, of course," he went on to say as the other judges looked at him.

"And what we're looking for is your unique magic (she points towards Aure's ring) using your heirloom," Dame Lia interrupted, noticing that Sire August was dilly-dallying. Aure can't even say anything. He had come this far only to find the bridge that crossed the canyon was severed and hanging loose like so much rope and sticks in the wind. What sins did he make that he deserved all this?

"But he may have a potenti-" Sire Atlas about to say something when Dame Lia tighten her eyes towards him before she turns back to Aure.

"I'm sorry; we can't take you. It took some time to be sure of your spirit and to give you every opportunity to turn around. I regret to say that you failed each opportunity and we're not going to take you," said Dame Lia at last with a frown. In spite of her harsh word, she does emphasised with Aure.

Without any word, Aure slowly turns his body to the door. Should he begged? But that could be the worst option because a noble doesn't beg -this is what he learn so far.

"But, if you're indeed could manifest your magic one day, you are welcomed here, boy," said Dame Lia with a little smile. Her word has somehow lifted Aure's spirit. Maybe just a bit, because now the frustration has taking over him more than anything. Magic Knight was closed to him, but what would be different next time? He'd always held out hope of becoming a Magic Knight one day, but now the despair was like concrete in his veins. He hung his head and looked at his shoes. Sire August just nodded in agreement with Dame Lia. "May Lapis bless on you," he said. Aure gave them a weak bow before he left.

It was a moment after he closed the door, Dame Lisa quickly glances at Sire Atlas, "You want him, don't you?"

"I mean Lia, August, don't you feel that way? It's faint but something…. or should I say, someone… had concealed the ring's mana so well that you couldn't detect it."

"I couldn't have been more in agreement. The ring has almost no mana," said Sire August while adjusting his spectacle. "But the scent was something else, one that isn't comforting to have… metallic almost, with a tinge of acrid burning."

Everyone in the room is gawking at the old man. Sometime what he says doesn't make sense. Dame Lia shook her head, "Well, even if it was true, we can't keep him, he can't manifest his mana, I don't want to throw an innocent young boy into a risky mission!" she insisted.

All of them said nothing afterward. There are too many things to handle by their own, so without wasting any time they called the next person. "Next!"