Meister School

It was finally the day. The day that I never expected that would be an essential in achieving what I want to do with my life.

"Are you nervous?"

I was sitting parallel to Ceres and Master.

"No. I'm just a bit excited."

"See. I knew you'll look forward to attending this school."

"You're not fully right, Master."

"In what sense?"

"Right now, I want to run towards the guild and set an adventure, my own adventure."

"You'll be grateful attending this academy one day."

I'm not sure about that. It's true, attending this school may benefit me in the future, but my statement earlier was true. I want to register in the adventurers' guild right now.

"Oh yeah, Ceres."

"What is it, mother?"

"You've prepared for this, right?"

"Yes, mother. In fact, I'm even proud of what I'll be showing the examiners later."

"If that's the case, you two, do your best out there."

I looked Ceres in the eye, and we both nod. We will surely do our best. If not, the things that was taught to us, would just end in vain. None of us wants that.

I peeked at the carriage window, and saw many examinees walking along side with each other.

"We've arrived."

We got out of the carriage, with Master still inside.

"Mother? Aren't you gonna wait for us?"

"I have an urgent thing to attend to, so I'll likely not be here when you two finished. I'll cook dinner later to make it up to you two. Well then, I'll be on my way. Oh yeah, Trent."

"What is it mother?"

"Come closer."

I came close, and she whispered something in my ears.

"Don't use that."

When I heard those words, I knew what she was saying. I am never going to use THAT.

The carriage started to depart, and we turned around to see the big entrance ahead of us. Many were there. One by one, many entered the entrance, and so we followed.

Inside, a flier is posted to a bulletin board saying:

"Greetings examinees, in what field are you specializing in?

Magician? Weapons Arm? or Armsman Mage?

Please get an examination profile.

After answering the questions, please proceed to Rosen Belt Stadium with your profile on hand."

"It seems that we need to fill these sheets right here, and proceed to this Rosen Belt Stadium. Here, Ceres."

I grabbed two copies, one for me and one for Ceres.

"Thank you."

We begin to answer the profile questions, and finished it just under 5 minutes.

"Done. Are you done, Trent?"

"Yeah. I'm also done."

"So what field did you signed up in."

"Me? I think it's best to sign up for Armsman Mage, it's to honor the things your parents taught me."

"I knew you'd pick that. I signed up for a Magician course. You know very well that I'm bad at wielding a sword."

"Yeah, I know. You're an amazing caster though."

"I know. Magic is the only thing I'm good at."

"Hmm. Well then, shall we go?"

"Okay."

We proceeded to walk to where the stadium is at. We were walking along these tall pillars. It's amazing to think that people built these.

We had people walk along with us. Some in groups, pairs, trios, and some are solo. I continued to walk, when I noticed a familiar face just ahead of me.

* Giggle *

She laughs. She had that beautiful smile in her face. She never had that face when we were drinking at he place.

It was Ingrid. She was surrounded of what I can assume her friends. Ceres found her too, so she called out to her.

"Hey there, Ceres."

She looked behind and saw us.

"Oh, hey."

She smiled at Ceres, but when she looked at me, she had the same face as the other day.

*Sigh*

She maybe hates me. Oh yeah, now that I think about it, what field did she entered in?

Seeing her, maybe she enrolled in the Magician course.

I shrugged that thought, and continued walking and I eventually reached the stadium.

We were just outside the stadium. It's big. I reckon all of the students here can fit, and there are, I estimate, about 10,000 examinees right now. I stopped in amazement.

"Woah, it's big!" Ceres exclaimed.

She was once again beside me.

I looked at the entrance and, there was three lines formed. I think it's the division of examinees according to their courses.

"The examinees for the Magician Course, come here!"

"The examinees for the Weapons Arm, line here!"

"Armsman Mages here!"

There were three teachers yelling the.

"Well then, Ceres. Goodluck."

"Yes, you too."

I went to where I should go and Ceres also did. We went to our separate ways and hoped for the best.

I was about to line up, when I bumped into Ingrid.

"Uh."

I was slightly taller than her. We stood there and our eyes met. I didn't know what to do in that situation.

"I'm sorry princess."

"It's okay. I didn't looked to where I was looking."

The awkward situation continued. We quietly lined up to where we should be. I walked towards to my line, to my surprise, she also lined up to the Armsman Mage course.

She was in front of me. Gah! This situation got more awkward. I quietly lined and she also did.

Moments later, the line started to move.

"Okay! Please come inside," the teacher said.

Entering inside the arena was breath taking. It was so spacious. It had that round shape, with seats on the side.

The other two lines came into view. They entered as well. It seems that all examination will take place inside the stadium.

"Okay! You guys go here," the teacher was guiding us to where our exam will take place.

All three course group stood parallel to each other, facing the same direction.

"Okay! All of you will take the exam the same time. Okay let's begin. Pass your profiles up front."

We passed the profiles in front. I was ready. I'm ready.

"Focus, self. You need to do well."

Okay. I'm all set.

"Johanne Viceroy! Come!"

The teacher started to call names.

"Take your weapon of use."

At the side, there were stands of weapons. Daggers, regular swords, two-handed ones, rapiers, and many varieties. He took a standard sword and proceeded to where the teacher instructed him to.

"Stand here."

"Y-yes sir!"

By his answer, I think he's nervous.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

We, all the examinees in the same block, all watched carefully.

"Show me your stance."

He posed a stance.

The teacher said nothing but wrote something in the sheet he's holding. The examinees behind him applauded, he posed such elegant pose. Personally it was beautiful. It was like he was about to dance, even that was just his stance.

He heard the others applaud so he had that joyous expression on his face.

"Use your means of mana gathering.. If it's mana cycle, you don't need to show me."

"I'm using mana cycle."

"I see."

He was now more proud, unlike earlier.

"Now, your third task: deal three consecutive blows to this dummy. Use magic if you want. "

He faced the dummy and, readied himself. He posed himself like the pose he did.

He did what the examiner asked him. He dealt three consecutive blows.

The way he moved. I knew it, he studied sword dance. Sword dancers are really entertaining to watch, but...

"You did great."

Those words reached his ears and, had that genuine smile.

"Yes!" he rejoiced.

"But! We need a real sword style not a petty sword dance. Johanne Viceroy: failed."

From there, everything turned into the exact opposite. The joyous atmosphere earlier was now filled with fear. Everyone had that surprised look,

This is what I was expecting since yesterday. To quote Queen Elizabeth:

"They have high qualifications this year."

Yeah, this was the kind she was talking about.

"But, I did just fine."

"Yes you did, but it wasn't quite what we're expecting. You do know we have standards here, yet, you came here knowing that. You should have done better. Next!"

He left the field knowing he didn't passed the exam. Everyone saw what just unfold. They were cheering earlier, but now they're meek.

It was time for the next examinee. Everyone is now readying for their turns.

The next person's examination went well unlike the previous one.

One by one everyone was called. Many passed and also many failed.

It was just two person before it's my turn. In front of me was none other than Princess Ingrid, and the one in front of her is a boy. He was about my height. I couldn't see his face, but I can clearly see his hair color, it was blond. He gave off that intimidating aura around him. He neither talked nor moved, he only moved if it was only necessary.

"Percival Vardict, come."

"Yes."

He stepped in for his turn.

He did what the others did. He posed in for a stance. A pretty good stance, I should say. Your eyes would be tricked at the first time you see his stance. It poses many open areas to his vital body parts, but look at his hand holding his rapier. If you analyze his stance properly, you could see that he could easily move his hand to defend and parry all attacks.

I looked at the examiner's face, he was clearly impressed.

"You know what to do next. I've said this before, you can use magic or not."

"Yes."

He walked towards the dummy, decreasing the distance. He posed in a stance that is very different from earlier.

His sword in the previous pose was slightly slanted, but seeing his stance now, it's clearly intended for offense. He pointed his rapier towards the dummy's direction.

"Huh?"

A faint surge of mana was rising across his body. This feeling. From what I can see, the area around him is starting to increase in temperature. He moved. With the rapier still pointed, he moved his hands with his palms facing the flat side of the sword.

Out of all the examinees that finished, he's the only one who caught my attention. Everyone from earlier were somewhat mediocre. They had those pretty common moves. From where I am, I'm intently watching.

He started running. At first, there was nothing special about him. He continued running, and his blade started to glow.

"Hmm. Interesting."

If my theory is correct, he's increasing the temperature around him to make a tiny drop of plasma, and he's pouring it into his blade for an impowered strike or for a plasma strike.

I stopped thinking about that and, just continued watching.

He draws close to the dummy.

* Zoom * Zoom* Zoom *

He dealt damage the dummy, but it was as if he was doing nothing. It was only for a brief moment, but I saw the rapier stabbing the dummy in respective parts: the throat and the two shoulder sides.

With the first strike, it was clearly meant to kill. But, how about the plasma forming? Was it only for a show?

I started to doubt my own speculation when...

After a few seconds, from the three points that they were hit, the back side of those ones, there, a burst of mana started to blow off. It was like as if the plasma from earlier passed through.

When everyone saw that, they were clearly impressed. The teachers, and even the ones who were in the other classification groups stopped to just look at just what happened. I'm not gonna lie, I was impressed too.

* Smirk *

The examineer showed a face of recognition to someone who is good at his abilities.

"Percival Vardict: passed. Calling the next examinee. Ingrid Austrix, come."

It was at last her turn. I was eager to see her sword style and what kind of magic she uses.

"Huh?"

She's not going for the weapon stands, instead she turns to a butler who suddenly appears near her. It was Sebastian.

(Author's note: There are two Sebastians here in the story, who are both butlers as their occupation. The first Sebastian is for the royal family, while the second one serves the Family of Tororinth.)

He hands her a case. Strange. It wasn't shaped like a case for a sword. She puts the case on the ground, and pulls something. A metal object that have a handle similar to that of a sword, but is in different form, that has a small lever, and it has a sharp blade at the tip. If I can guess, It's 1.8 meters long. It has a crystal-like object inside.

"Thank you Sebastian. I'm ready, sir."

"Very well then. I suppose you don't need a stance for this kind of weapon."

"Yes. Very much so."

"Well then. What if we proceed for the second one. What's your way of mana gathering?"

"Mana cycle."

"Well then, kindly proceed to the last part."

She proceeded to where she should be. She started kneeling down, with the weapon's back end is supported by her right shoulder.

She tilted her head to where her eyes can see through a lens.

She started to form a magic circle to where the front end is. From what I can see, her weapon looks like it shoots projectiles.

"Okay Ingrid, whenever you're ready."

She puts her index finger on top of the lever.

* Bang * Bang * Bang *

She pushes the lever down, and loud explosions came after, then the dummy was wiped out out of the field. She disintegrated the wooden dummy. People were amazed, even the teachers from the other 2 groups were amazed.

Time stopped for a moment. She puts down her weapon and started packing things. The people that were watching were still surprised, but they eventually continued on what they're doing.

"I-Ingrid Austrix: Passed."

Seeing the dummy is destroyed, he created another dummy using creation magic.

"Next. Trent Faer."

"Yes."

I took a step forward, and stood to where the others stood earlier.

"Go get your weapon of use."

"Uhm sir, about that."

"What? Are you using a different weapon too?"

"Not really, but..."

"Just get on with it. Go get your weapon and we'll start."

"Yes."

Mana dome: activate. Just like the description, I made a big, invisible dome around me. I held my hands together, and focused the mana on one point: my hands.

With my mana manipulation, I made of use of creation magic and made a single-edged, curved sword integrated with the [Lightning Affinity].

"Interesting... Now, I think there's no need to show how you gather mana. Show me your stance."

I posed a non-flashy stance.

"Okay then, proceed to the last part."

It was now time for the last part of the exam. I need to leave a good mark before I can finish, if possible, get the first place.

I held onto the sword's hilt, which is on my waist. The examiner said that any examinee can use magic to the last one earlier. I'll just assume that I'm allowed to use.

"[Spatial Acceleration]"

An advanced spell right off the bat. I started running towards the dummy.

An downward strike, vertical strike, and for the final one, I've collected a fair amount air moisture around and poured it into the third strike.

The sword made contact, a burst of ice came after. Alright. I think I've made an impact. I looked a the examiner and saw his amazed look.

"Trent Faer: Passed."

"Thank you."

The mana sword dissipated, and I already knew that I passed, so I just proceeded to the group of people who passed.

"Ah Trent, was it?"

"Yes sir."

The examiner stopped me for a second.

"Can you stay a little bit when things finished here?"

"May I ask why?"

"There's an assembly later for the students who got top grades here."

"Gladly."

When I heard that, I was happy. Now I know that I got a high rating and that's enough.

- End of Chapter -