Monica's call

"Oh you finally started advancing your rune." Rahil, who was enchanting a wand, turned around and gave him a smile. That smile however, suddenly twisted into a painful expression in no time.

"Shut up and focus." Master Claude sternly instructed. He was a very strict master to be in under apprenticeship. At one time, Rahil used to be the most talented apprentice in enchanting under him but even though Aren enrolled late in the academy, he managed to enchant better than Rahil.

Claude knew that Rahil had much more talent than he showed but because of his lazy behaviour, that potential was wasted. He was clearly dissapointed seeing Rahil having not as much perseverance in studying as Aren had.

"Such an idiot, if even in master's presence he would lose focus, then what would happen to him in the test." The usually slient and aloof Shahil, spoke for the first time in like months. But even as he spoke, he still had that bone chilling aura around him.

But what's with YOUR attitude? You don't even have any talent in enchanting... Aren didn't ask the questions that were in his mind but something else that he wanted to confirm.

"A test? That one on the noticeboard?"

Claude gave instructions to Rahil and while keeping an eye on him, he said "It seems you don't know. Yes, these two boys are going to take the senior evaluation test. Sigh, if had enrolled a year earlier or even six months earlier, you could also take the test."

He then asked "How many divination spell models have you finished learning?"

He could careless about the auxilary spells but divination spells were very important. The fast Aren could learn all of them, the more time he would have mastering the various uses of the spells and learning enchantment.

"I have finished learning the fourth spell, master." Aren gave the answer he had already thought about last night. If he said this way, Claude would subconsciously believe that Aren had just learnt the spell recently but not that he had already learnt the spell. It had a difference.

As they say, what you say might be understood as something else according to how you say it.

"Oh so you first focused on learning the main spells." When claude said this, Aren didn't nod nor did he shake his head. He just flashed a smile; that was another ways for him to fool this lie detector.

Claude then asked Rahil and Shahil to stop to proceeded to ask them and Aren questions about what they had learnt from last week's divination ritual.

...

As the bell rang for the tenth hour, every apprentices emerged from their respective master's working lab in the first floor of the castle. Aren and the two brothers had also just walked outside from Claude's lab.

Shahil, maintaining an apathetic expression, looked at the excited face of his brother.

"Its only for a month that you'll be smiling like this. You will know what in the test later." He again reminded. As an apprentice who had already participated in the test once, he knew exactly what dangers lay in moonlight forest. So Although he had failed, he was now more mature than his brother.

"Yes I know, but master telling us not to come to training before the annual evaluation is finished is a thing to celebrate."

It seemed Rahil was not going to shut up. Now that he was free from that ''hellish training'' until the test was finished, there was no reason to not be happy.

If he could pass the test, then he could even decide not to come. For seniors, they were not obliged to attend to their masters like juniors.

This 'joyous occasion', as claimed by Rahil was not only for them but for all juniors. They were free to either attend or not attend to the classes until the test was finished. Most of the apprentices taking part in the test however, would use this time to prepare.

'Only some would celebrate it as a vacation though.' Aren eyed Rahil while he gently closed the door. The three of them then went to the dining hall as usual. No, it was not as usual because usually only he and Rahil would go but somehow Shahil also tagged along. However, Aren understood why that was so; Rahil had decided to treat them today.

After having a sumptuous meal, which he rarely did, Aren didn't go to his dorms. He had a different plan in his mind if he was free for nearly 2 months.

For the first time after coming to Magicwoods district, he had found an opportunity to leave the district. It had been nearly two years since he visited the Adventurers' Guild too.

Though even if this opportunity, in the form of a test didn't happen, he was prepared to go to the guild this year. One couldn't remain as an adventurer if they only had the guild card. Adventurers had to regularly take quests for their identities as adventurers to not be revoked.

At the very least, they had to do a quest once in two years. In case for F ranks, adventurers took quests everyday but for Aren, things were different. He couldn't find time to leave magicwoods district to do a quest.

As he was about to reach outside the gates, but at that moment; his waist started feeling hot. It was not painful though, just a slight increase in heat. However, that heat was not coming from his body but from the spellbook tied to his waist.

Aren put his left hand inside his cloak, untied the spellbook and took it out. He then directly turned to the last page. There, a name which spelled as ''Monica Perlam'', written in a language unique to mages, was glowing with red light. This was one of the means of communication between the mages.

Aren tapped the name two times and Monica's voice directly sounded in his mind.

"Aren, you have to take part in the test held in moonlight forest." She said, her tone more serious than usual.

"Why, miss Monica? I've only learnt four spells at the moment." Aren replied, finding it suprising that Monica would put forward such a strange request to him.

"Because katty is also going to take the test. You said katty was killed by an ogre in your vision. I suspect that that might happen in the Moonlight forest."

"Then don't let her participate." Aren said. Isn't she only 10 years old this year? How could she have learnt all the spells? Aren was confused.

There was a short pause from Monica's side. Then a long sigh sounded in Aren's mind as Monica hesitantly said. "This is her family's decision. I can't do anything about it. She actually has blue ring aptitude but because of her special identity not many people know about it."

"But-"

"Don't worry about anything. I can take out an apprentice and let you participate in his name. I'll also make you and katty in the same group. You just have to attend the observance held next month."

"That's not what I mea- "

The name returned to normal colour, no longer looking red as the spellbook also cooled down.

'What about me then? What if I die there? Am I just meant to save your apprentice?...' Aren had many questions in his mind, which he didn't get to ask her. He closed the spellbook and again tied it to his waist.

Although he was dejected, there was nothing he could do though as he had already decided to save the little girl from her fate long ago.

Afterwards, he exited the academy compunds and went to the Area where he first came with Cowen, boarding a magical carriage.

When he alighted from the carriage, he saw the tall pillars there he had failed to notice previously. Now he knew what they were; exits from the Magicwoods district.

Without wasting any time, he walked forward then chose a random pillar and placed his hand in its surface. Then, a strong suction force pulled his hand along with his whole body. His vision blackened again and the next moment, he had appeared inside the building of the Mages' Association. Of course, it was not the special room when he came with Cowen.

Aren looked around and saw several mages appearing and disappearing simultaneously, but why were some mages squatting and holding their heads with their hands?

Just as he thought of this question, he felt a sharp pain in his head. It was like having his head pierced by a searing iron, forcing him to also hold his head with his two hands.

'I see... so this was why Cowen used a special room at that time. It might have something to do with those eight words.' Aren thought, trying his best to maintain his consciousness.