Ep. 42 Mana Test

The guild's interior was a sprawling chamber that took my breath away. Wooden tables filled the space, occupied by adventurers engaged in animated conversations about their latest quests. Their voices created a constant buzz of excitement - tales of monster hunts, dungeon explorations, and narrow escapes. Along the walls, notice boards creaked under the weight of countless paper requests, their edges curling and overlapping like fallen leaves. Some were yellowed with age, while others looked freshly posted, their ink still glistening in the light streaming through the high windows.

At the far end of the room, behind a polished wooden counter, stood a clerk – a young woman in professional attire with dark hair pulled back in a severe ponytail. Her glasses caught the light as she maintained a posture straight enough to make a soldier proud. Unlike the somewhat chaotic energy of the adventurers, she radiated an aura of strict efficiency.

"First things first," Smith said, turning to face us. His armor clinked softly with the movement. "You guys have to register yourselves as mages."

The casual way he said it suggested this was common knowledge, but it might as well have been a foreign language to me. "Register as mages?" I echoed, confusion evident in my voice. I glanced at Maya and Rowan, but their expressions mirrored my own bewilderment.

Smith's face took on that now-familiar look of disbelief. "You guys really don't know anything, huh?" The way he said it made me wonder just how much basic knowledge we were missing after our isolated upbringing.

I could only offer an embarrassed grin and scratch the back of my head. Smith's resulting sigh seemed to come from the depths of his soul. Behind him, I caught Cecilia rolling her eyes, while Lilia gave us a sympathetic smile.

"Anyone who wants to go to a magic school, be an adventurer, soldier, guard, or just be recognized as a mage has to get registered by a representative of the mages or adventurer's guild," he explained patiently. "They'll test your mana capacity and control, then your combat aptitude, to give you an appropriate rank from F to S."

As he spoke, memories of Ms. Vera's teachings surfaced in my mind. She had mentioned I was an F-class mage, but this was the first I'd heard about a combat test. Maybe there was a chance for a higher classification... The thought sent a small thrill of excitement through me, despite my nervousness.

My thoughts scattered as Smith led us to the counter, our footsteps echoing on the stone floor. "Hey, these kids need to get registered as mages and then as adventurers," he announced bluntly.

The clerk's response was professional, if distracted, as she sorted through a stack of papers. "Of course, sir. Have them write their names on these sheets and head upstairs to the waiting area." She laid out several forms on the desk as Smith's group stepped aside, finally giving her a clear view of us.

Her eyes widened comically as she realized we barely reached the counter's edge. The quill she'd been holding froze halfway to the inkwell. "T-these are just children! They can't become adventurers!"

Maya tensed beside me, and I could practically feel the sharp retort building in her throat. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and I knew that look in her eyes – the one that usually preceded someone getting a verbal lashing. Before she could unleash it, Smith intervened with a knowing smirk.

"Is that a rule? If so, please point it out to me – it must be new." His voice carried just enough edge to make the clerk squirm uncomfortably.

The clerk's mouth worked silently for a moment before she released an annoyed sigh and thrust the papers and a feathered pen in our direction. Her entire demeanor screamed disapproval, but rules were rules. I caught her muttering something under her breath about "irresponsible adults" as she turned away.

We carefully wrote our names on the forms – my handwriting embarrassingly shaky with the unfamiliar quill. I noticed Rowan's perfect penmanship and felt a twinge of envy. Where had he learned to write so well? Maya, on the other hand, seemed to be having as much trouble as I was, leaving ink blots across her form.

The second floor was quieter than the main hall, with thick carpets muffling our footsteps. The waiting room was sparsely furnished with wooden chairs, occupied by five other prospective mages. They were all adults, and their expressions when we entered ranged from amusement to confusion to outright dismissal. The air felt thick with nervous energy and the faint taste of magic – probably from whatever testing was happening behind the closed doors.

After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes, another clerk emerged from a side door. She was older than the one downstairs, with gray streaks in her hair and laugh lines around her eyes. "We'll be taking in the next group now," she announced, her voice carrying comfortable authority.

Smith gave my shoulder an encouraging pat, his calloused hand heavy through my worn shirt. "That's you guys. Go on and do your best. We'll be waiting here for you." He paused, adding what he probably thought was reassurance: "And don't get discouraged if you guys get low scores – you're only kids after all."

His words, though well-intentioned, felt patronizing. I bit back my irritation and exchanged glances with Maya and Rowan. Together, we rose and joined the other five applicants, stepping through the door into whatever tests awaited us. The adult applicants towered over us, making me feel even younger and more out of place.

As we walked, I couldn't help but wonder: what exactly would they ask us to do? How would they measure our worth as mages? And most importantly – would we be good enough to make it as adventurers, or was Smith right to doubt us? The memory of sleeping in that alley strengthened my resolve. We had to succeed – we had no other choice.

The door closed behind us with a solid thunk, and I squared my shoulders. Through the doorway, I could see a large circular room with strange magical markings on the floor and walls. Whatever came next, we'd face it together. Just like we had everything else since leaving the orphanage behind.

The elderly clerk cleared her throat, drawing our attention. "Now then," she said, her eyes lingering curiously on our small group, "shall we begin?"