Chapter 10: Candidate

The night was relatively peaceful after Duke Hail stepped in to end the quarrel and Damon got some time to speak to the man. Apparently, the magic academy is not the only academy in the kingdom. There was also an academy for fighters who wished to become something special in the future.

Damon was quite interested in fighters, which stunned the Duke. While there are outstanding fighters like him who are on top of the food chain, it was nothing compared to the top mages in the world. This is the first time he has seen a mage interested in fighter pathways and fighting techniques.

He could tell how disappointed Damon was when he realized he wouldn't be able to join the Fighter's Academy and the Mage Academy all at once.

He didn't understand why such rules existed, but the Duke explained them to him properly.

Even amongst mages, there are a few who get involved in close combat fighting styles. But even then their fighting styles are different and completely reliant on magic. They are just two worlds apart which should never combine!

"I will become the first hybrid then… the man who perfects fighting arts with magic." Damon said before he left the man.

"Interesting! I like this kid" the Duke commented with a smile. The young lad of the Ross family had left a good impression after their little chat.

Damon spent the night with Daniel, inquiring about the Hail family. As a Duke, the Hail family were the lords of land the size of a huge kingdom. To Damon's surprise, Daniel Ross's land and that of Earl Linton fell were a part of his territory.

He was practically their boss and, according to Baron Ross, the Hail family had a frightening amount of influence in the empire. They only answered to the royal family.

This was expected since he is one of the three Dukes of the Gyro Empire.

Daniel seemed to be thrilled by the fact that the man favored Damon, but Damon didn't care much about it and slept in silence. He only found the man interesting due to his personality and not his status.

He had learned the basics of magic for his current level and also mastered the Ross family secret technique to an extent. Derek believed he had no reason to fear an exam filled with people who purely depend on magic.

....

The next morning, Damon woke up to see a mage robe and a blank grimoire on the bed with a letter from his master, Liana.

"At least she got the color right," Damon said as he put on the Black-hooded robe with the edges adorned with the red color.

It was sleeveless and around the waist area was a sheath hanging by the side, with a black dagger there.

"You won't be needing the grimoire for now until you come up with your own spells… sometimes mages lose track of a lot so they put down important spells here for future references" Daniel explained.

"I already have a few original spells, but you can hold on to the book for now… At least until I pass the test" Damon said nonchalantly.

His words struck like lightning in Daniel's heart, and he didn't know how to react. How can Damon create a spell after training for just a month?

"How many original spells do you have?" Daniel Ross asked calmly.

"Enough" Damon didn't seem to think twice as he gave his response and began working out.

Daniel Ross watched the twelve-year-old act like the boss and walk around, and he felt strange. When did the great Daniel Ross become a slave to an adopted son?

"Anyone who can gain the favor of Duke Hail has the right to act a bit cocky, I guess." Baron Ross said before chasing after Damon.

The two entered a carriage that took them to the magic Academy, leaving Damon stunned.

The Magic Academy was like a fortress of its own. It was a mighty castle within the capital with about four magic towers surrounding it. The security around was so tight, that even a powerful mage would not be able to make it into this place alive if they tried.

According to Daniel Ross. When school is in session, the castle is surrounded by a barrier preventing people from leaving or coming in. It's only in situations like this that the academy is opened to the public.

Thankfully, everything was done in an orderly fashion and even the nobles were respectful and humble in a place like this. They spent about twenty minutes until it was their turn.

"Name please..." A lady behind a counter said emotionlessly without gazing at Damon or Daniel.

"Damon Ross" Damon answered indifferently too, gaining the attention of the woman.

Even an Earl's son would speak with a shaky voice when talking to her, but this boy didn't give a fuck! He wasn't even looking at her.

"Element affinities?" The lady asked with a frown, and even then Damon didn't look at her, he kept glancing around while replying.

The woman wasn't the only one attending to people and in many other spots, there were some commotions taking place.

"That's what happens when talented individuals appear." Daniel Ross whispered and Damon nodded.

"Element affinities, please?!" The lady said with a stern tone, and only then did Damon shoot her an uninterested glance.

"Fire, Wind, and Shadow." Damon answered dryly, but the lady's face turned pale in shock.

"Triple element genius?" She almost yelped in shock, drawing the attention of many, including Earl Linton and his son!

"Please, I would like to confirm your claim, sir!" The tone of the lady instantly became polite, and she even referred to Damon as sir!

Stunning others around!

The woman quickly pulled out the affinity crystal orb under her shelf and passed it over to Damon with both hands respectfully.

Damon casually grasped the crystal orb and instantly it lit up!

Brrrr!

Just like before, the crystal orb lit up with flames while a mild gust of wind surrounded Damon at the same time. Soon his shadow began expanding and all those who saw this retreated, giving the youth some space to showcase his abilities!

The fire kept getting fiercer and the wind stronger, stunning Daniel Ross as well!

"Such strong affinity for all three elements! With such potential, he is sure to reach the Warrior realm if trained properly!" the lady seemed excited and pleased with Damon's performance.

Earl Linton and his son who were a distance away were stunned. They remembered Damon's words about the exam not being too difficult, and they finally realized why.

"Damn that Daniel Ross! He definitely hit gold this time!" Earl Linton muttered as the thoughts of getting a mistress pregnant and hoping to gain a talented child crossed his mind.

Meanwhile, standing on the stairs above with a man dressed in a green robe, Duke Hail smiled.

"This kid doesn't just bark, he bites too! Who would have known he had three elements?" Duke Hail laughed.

"His affinity for the elements is quite strong too!" the old mage mumbled as he stroked his long white beard gently.

"Unfortunately there are quite a few talents this year… this kid won't have it easy" Duke Hail commented with a strange look in his eyes.

"You have your eyes on him?" The old mage asked.

"Of course, he is one of my…. Candidates..." Duke Hail replied.

"Then the Ross family is blessed" The old mage commented with a laugh.