CHAPTER 140

It was commonly believed that magicians who formed six circles around their heart, meaning those who reached the 6th Circle, were all considered "Magus."

However, this was a misconception that had spread widely.

Just reaching the 6th Circle didn't automatically grant the title of Magus, and the same was true for those who reached the 7th or even the 8th Circle.

On the other hand, there were cases where magicians who had only reached the 5th Circle were sometimes referred to as Magus.

This was because the title of Magus was more like a certification or title granted by the Imperial family, the government, and the magic tower, or to those who had accomplished great deeds.

As a result, there were individuals, especially anarchists or members of the Revolutionary Army, who, despite their exceptional skills, refused to be recognized as Magus.

However, for magicians, being called a Magus was an honor in itself, a way to prove their worth.

The Magus Certification Exam was the test that selected such individuals.

The exam consisted of three stages.

The first stage was a written test.

The written test was composed of six sections, representing the core fields of magic studies.

Elemental, physical, necromancy, alchemy, ancient history, and a miscellaneous field that encompassed black magic and soul speech.

Though magic fields were divided into specific branches, they were interconnected, requiring comprehensive knowledge of each.

Thus, each section consisted of 100 questions, and the difficulty was so high that even retired eccentrics or renowned scholars in the academic community oversaw them.

Getting a perfect score across all fields was a once-in-a-several-decades occurrence, and even getting a perfect score in just one section was enough to be considered a brilliant talent, leading many schools and organizations to scramble to recruit such individuals.

After a full day of battling 600 questions, the second exam awaited.

The second stage was a mana test.

No matter how exceptional one was in theory, if they couldn't handle mana properly, they could hardly be recognized as a Magus.

Therefore, most candidates failed at this stage.

However, the mana test, unlike the written exam, was straightforward.

Only two things were measured.

The ability to connect and the ability to control.

Specifically, could the candidate connect to the mana stream, draw it in, and control it properly?

If the amount and purity of the mana controlled didn't exceed a certain threshold, it was impossible to pass.

Naturally, this threshold was so high that most magicians couldn't even dream of reaching it.

Yet, if one managed to pass even this, the final test awaited, which assessed one's innate talent.

As such, candidates often referred to the third stage as a "Quest."

***

Brian, a 5th-grade examiner from the Central Magic Administration Office, wasn't in a good mood since the morning.

"Can't believe there are still idiots flaunting their status like this. Do they even understand what magic is?"

He'd already been informed the day before by his superior to prepare for a special exam, but the fact that it didn't reduce his workload only annoyed him further.

Of course, Brian, proud of being a 7th Circle magician and devoted to serving the Imperial family and the magic tower, would have been more than happy to prepare a hundred times over.

However, what truly irritated him was knowing that all this preparation was unnecessary.

The special exam system existed to accommodate individuals who couldn't attend the certification exam due to personal circumstances, like mourning or military service, making it difficult for them to come to the capital.

But recently, the special exam system has become a plaything for noble families.

Provincial noble families with nothing but wealth would often force-feed their children magic elixirs from a young age to help them rise in status.

This gave these children an immense amount of mana compared to others their age, and they'd enter the exam relying solely on that.

Naturally, most of these candidates ended up failing miserably.

If becoming a Magus were that easy, the noble families would have monopolized the title long ago.

'The problem is that these brats won't just take the exam with everyone else. They insist on a special exam, clinging to their sense of privilege.'

They didn't want to mix with commoners, or worse, some didn't want to bother traveling from the provinces on the regular exam date.

Thus, as an examiner responsible for every special exam, Brian couldn't help but feel frustrated every time.

Especially considering he had to select new questions each time to prevent leaks during the special exams.

'Ugh, thinking about it makes my blood boil again.'

So, Brian assumed that today's special exam candidate was just another provincial noble's child.

Examiners weren't allowed to know the candidate's name until the day of the exam to prevent collusion.

Then he saw the name.

[Elic Melvinger.]

'…Hmm.'

Brian was startled when he received the candidate list.

There was no way a magician wouldn't recognize that name.

It was the same name as the man who had gone from being a disgrace to the Melvinger family to a hero of Lacente, gaining fame overnight.

Although his whereabouts had been unknown for the past few months, and his fame had somewhat diminished, his name was still one that every magician kept an eye on.

'Even if he improved his constitution, isn't he still in his early twenties? Taking the Magus exam?'

Considering the average age of candidates was in their forties and the youngest successful candidate had been in their thirties, it seemed like an absurd notion.

There was currently only one Magus in their twenties.

'Tasha Nerester.'

She was one of the "Three New Stars" destined to lead the Empire's future.

'Even if he's trying to restore the honor of the Melvinger family, if he fails, it'll damage their reputation even more.'

Brian assumed that Elic Melvinger was taking the exam for "experience" while relying on his status.

'Or maybe it's just for publicity, focusing on the fact that the head of the Melvinger family took the exam… Hmm, that must be it.'

As this thought crossed Brian's mind, he felt a chill run through him.

Though he had once cheered for the hero of Lacente after hearing about his achievements, it now seemed that, in the end, all nobles were the same.

The essence didn't change, no matter how much their status had fallen.

Of course, that didn't mean he would neglect his duty.

"Hello?"

When Elic greeted him cheerfully upon entering the administration office, Brian remained expressionless.

"Are you Elic Melvinger?"

"Yes."

"After a quick identity check, we will begin the exam."

Following procedure, Brian conducted the exam.

And then.

'What is this guy? Is he here to play games?'

Brian was dumbfounded.

As soon as the written exam began, Elic breezed through the pages without much thought.

It was as if he wasn't even reading the questions.

'Is he humming a tune?'

It was as if the test was so easy that he didn't even need to think.

Normally, candidates would agonize over their answers, even those who scored perfectly. But this sight was beyond belief.

'I heard he was always at the top of his class in the academy's written exams, so I thought he'd at least take this seriously, even if it was just for experience… Ha!'

Brian now realized that Elic was only interested in maintaining a polished image. He even chuckled bitterly at the thought.

'Well, this makes things easier. I'll be able to leave early today. The only annoying part will be making new questions later.'

Most candidates dragged out their time, but with this one, Brian decided to look on the bright side.

Though, of course, that wasn't an easy attitude to maintain.

As with all magicians, Brian held a certain degree of respect for the Melvinger family. Seeing Elic tarnish that legacy only made him feel contempt.

There was still a small hope, but when Elic breezed through the complex formulas without hesitation, Brian let go of that last bit of hope.

"Done. Here you go."

When Elic finished and handed in the test.

'It took exactly 15 minutes.'

Brian chuckled. Even reading through all 600 questions would have taken longer than that.

Maybe today would set a new record for the quickest workday. Without saying "Good job," Brian simply placed the artifact on Elic's test.

This artifact instantly calculated the score. If it didn't meet a certain threshold, the candidate would fail on the spot.

But then.

Beep!

"…Huh?"

Brian blinked, puzzled.

[600/600]

A perfect score.

Tasha Nerester, the only previous perfect scorer, had taken the entire time to complete her exam. This was unreal.

'Is it broken?'

Brian tapped the artifact.

"What's wrong?"

"I think the artifact is malfunctioning. Please wait a moment."

Even after recalculating the score several times, it still came out as a perfect score. In the end, Brian had to call in another examiner.

And then.

[600/600]

"Huh?"

The other examiner reacted the same way.

"Is this broken too…?"

In the end, more examiners were summoned, and each time, the same result appeared. By then, their faces had turned pale.

Something was definitely off.

***

What followed was even more shocking for Brian and the other examiners.

"Oh? It's already full?"

The second stage was a test of mana quantity and purity.

Candidates placed their hands on a transparent crystal orb and infused it with mana. The amount and purity of mana determined the orb's color and clarity.

But when Elic infused the orb with only a small amount of mana, it instantly turned pure white, glowing with perfect clarity.

Then.

Crack!

Unable to withstand the pressure, the orb cracked in half.

Brian and the examiners went pale.

***

Sean chuckled as he stretched and saw Elic walking out of the administration office.

He hadn't expected it, but Elic had kept his promise. He'd completed the exam in exactly 30 minutes, or rather, 29 minutes.

"How did it go?"

Elic showed what he was holding as if to say, "Why are you even asking?"

[Magus Provisional Certification]

[Belonging to the Melvinger Family]

[Head of Family: Elic]

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