09

Okay everyone, please be quiet, class is about to start." Lilia tapped the table with the thick book she was carrying, her voice loud and authoritative. Her gaze swept across the room, showing her authority.

Her gaze swept across the room, showing her authority. "Good. It seems that all have attended this class. Before that, as the mentor of this class, of course I must introduce myself, right? My name is Lilia Lamprouge, please help me for the next year." She tucked a strand of hair that fell on her face behind her ear, then adjusted her sitting position calmly and gracefully.

"Wow, that's.... That's... Miss Lilia...!" The girl covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes twinkling with disbelief.

"Do you know her?" Kai turned his head towards the girl sitting next to him as she showed an excited expression. The girl nodded quickly, still with sparkling eyes. "Whoever knows her knows! She's that Lilia Lamprouge right, the Hunter Alchemist, I didn't expect to be in the class she's mentoring." She clenched her fists happily.

"I see," a thought crossed Kai's mind, "I don't want to guess and pretend to know, it must be because of that Hunter commander Glaen, not enough with Seraphina now Lilia too." Kai paused for a moment, his eyes staring at Lilia with an expression that was hard to interpret.

Silence. All eyes were on Lilia. He smiled slightly, then in a clear and loud voice, began his explanation, "As you know, Acies Academy is a place that accepts someone who has the potential to become a Hunter, and of course a Hunter must have a weapon as a race of mana to cast magic. Seraphina Laurent, since you're already experienced, I hope you'll explain it this time."

Lilia glanced at Seraphina, a small nod in agreement. Seraphina stood up straight, adjusting her posture, puffing out her chest calmly. "Yes, Mentor Lilia," she said, her voice sounding clear and confident.

The classroom atmosphere was a little full of whispers at the moment, all the students were surprised. Some students were whispering, exchanging glances with widened eyes.

"Seraphina Laurent, that one right?"

"Oi oi, what is that captain Hunter doing here."

"Wow, I really can't believe I'm in the same class as Seraphina."

Whispers from the other students began to sound, Seraphina stood up straight, her shoulders squared, she caught her breath for a moment before starting to explain in a calm and confident voice, trying to drown out the whispers.

"As we know, humans have Mana but cannot cast magic directly, therefore the Hunters finally found a way for humans to cast magic by using reference to weapons or magic artifacts." Seraphina stood up from her seat, reaching for the gun in her pocket, "For example, this gun," she said while showing her gun.

"This weapon acts as a link between our Mana and magic power..." Seraphina flowed Mana into her gun, her hand movements smooth and skillful. She pulled the trigger steadily, chanting the incantation, "Fireball!" A small fireball, shimmering and hot, emerged from the muzzle of the gun. With quick and accurate movements, Seraphina aimed the fireball at the target board in the classroom.

"Well done, Seraphina. Thank you for the clear and concise explanation. You may take your seat now." Lilia smiled, giving a small nod in appreciation. "Since weapons are so important to a Hunter, our first lesson will focus on measuring your Mana using an artifact developed with alchemy. This artifact will provide the right advice for choosing a weapon that suits your individual abilities." Lilia pointed towards the table at the front of the classroom, where several artifacts seemed to be lying neatly.

"Alright, I'll call your names one by one. Please come forward and place your hands on these artifacts." Lilia took the list of names from her desk, reading it calmly and orderly. She pointed at the artifact on the table with her index finger, her movements soft and measured.

"Sylus Thornwood." Lilia began to call out to the students, and someone named Sylus stood up calmly, without hesitation. He walked with sure steps towards the table, his gaze straight ahead, showing confidence.

"Please, place your hands on this artifact." Lilia pointed at the artifact that looked cold and smooth. A faint light flickered on its surface.

The student named Sylus placed his hand on the artifact. The artifact trembled slightly, then emitted a soft light blue light.

"75 out of 100, which is quite large. For the weapon, you are advised to use a Crossbow. Do you know how to use it?" Lilia recorded the measurement results quickly and efficiently in her notebook, her gaze fixed on the artifact.

"Yes Mentor Lilia, because I used to use that to hunt animals in the forest."

"Good, then this is a suitable weapon for you. Have a seat." Lilia nodded with satisfaction, showing her skill in reading and interpreting data from artifacts.

Lilia checked the student data to call out the next name, "Next, Claire Adler."

"Okay!" Claire, the girl sitting next to Kai replied, her voice trembling slightly. She stood up, adjusted her skirt, then walked towards the table with somewhat hasty steps, her hands shaking slightly.

She placed her hand on the artifact and then the artifact shook slightly, and emitted a bright golden light.

"85 out of 100. Pretty high, for a weapon," Lilia looked at the artifact carefully. "Ooh, a magical staff and wand!" Lilia smiled widely, her eyes sparkling, and she leaned forward slightly, showing her interest. "My, you seem to have the talent to be an Alchemist, young lady."

Claire looked surprised, her eyes widened, showing excitement and a hint of disbelief. If you are interested in becoming an Alchemist, I will mentor you."

"B-Good Mentor! I'll try to think about it." Replying nervously, Claire bowed politely then returned to her seat.

"You, not bad either." Kai looked at Claire, his gaze cold and mysterious, showing the depth of his hidden emotions.

"fufufu, thank you." Claire replied with a small smile, showing her gratitude.

After that, one by one the students came forward, placing their hands on the Mana measuring artifact. Lilia deftly recorded the Mana measurement results and gave appropriate weapon recommendations. The process repeated until only a few students remained untested. Fatigue showed slightly on Lilia's face, but her eyes still sparkled with enthusiasm.

"Seraphina Laurent," Lilia began, her voice slightly hesitant. She paused for a moment, watching Seraphina intently. It was as if she saw something that made her hesitate. Then, she tapped the table, her gaze still fixed on Seraphina. "Would you like to repeat this measurement?"

"Of course mentor. Although I already did this last year, so there is no harm in trying again. " Seraphina replied, she stood up then hooked her hair into her ears and walked forward to recheck her mana.

The artifact shook for a moment, a dazzling white light emanating from it, then dimmed. Lilia nodded, a faint smile on her lips as she recorded the results: "95 out of 100. Which is very high. Recommended weapon: Revolver Gun. As expected. Have a seat, Seraphina."

"Next up is Brad Finnian."

Brad, with a confident stride, walked to the front of the class. Some students whispered, watching Brad with curiosity. Lilia gave a slight smile, her gaze sweeping the room before returning to Brad. "So you're the student who caught attention during that timed test?" She leaned a bit forward, showing her interest, "Well then, go ahead and place your hand on this artifact."

Brad nodded, placing his hand on the artifact, and it began to measure. Soon after, the artifact emitted a golden yellow light and displayed the results.

"Hmm, just as expected. 95 out of 100. Recommended weapon: sword. Amazing! I can't believe we've found a student with this high Mana for two years in a row." Lilia smiled, looking at Brad with great interest.

"It looks like you're getting a Rival this year, Seraphina." Seraphina just nodded slowly, but her eyes radiated strong determination. She steadied her breath, showing calmness.

"Alright, looks like this is the last one," Lilia said, her voice a bit tired but still authoritative, while jotting something down in her notebook. "Kai, it's your turn now."

Kai got up from his seat, his steps calm yet exuding a mysterious aura, heading to the front of the class. All the students were watching him right now.

"Place your hands on this artifact," Lilia said, her eyes observing Kai closely.

Kai nodded and placed his hands on the artifact. Silence. Lilia gasped, taking a deep breath. She carefully reached for the artifact, examining it closely. Was something wrong?

Lilia approached Kai, leaning in a bit so her whisper was clear, and said, "I don't know if this tool is broken or if you really can't measure your Mana, so I'm just assuming the tool is broken for now." Kai just stared at her with a blank look, no expression. "So you mean I don't have Mana?"

Lilia shook her head slightly. "I don't know for sure, but this tool can't detect your Mana, and it suggests that you might not have Mana."

Lilia then turned, changing her tone to a more formal one. "Alright, Kai, you can sit down." Kai nodded, his steps heavy as he returned to his seat. Whispers mixed in the classroom; some were sympathetic, some were gossiping, and some were curious.

Lilia was tidying up the books and tools she brought, "Looks like everyone has taken the Mana test now. Today's class is done here. You guys can leave now." She said firmly, then walked out leaving the classroom.

The atmosphere in the class was tense. The sudden silence after Lilia's announcement about Kai was broken by low whispers mixed together. Some students had already left the classroom and were whispering with curiosity, trying to understand this unusual situation. Others whispered with a sympathetic tone, feeling the unfairness that Kai experienced. There were also those who whispered mockingly, showing disbelief and even belittling. The air in the classroom felt heavy, filled with a mix of various emotions.

Claire moved closer to Kai, pulled her chair in, and whispered, "Come on, at least they're not judging you just for that. Right?" She looked at Kai with an understanding gaze, trying to lighten the burden Kai felt.

"Ah yeah, um..." Kai replied briefly, his brow furrowed, showing real confusion. "Claire. If I'm not mistaken, you're Kai, right? Nice to meet you!" Claire smiled warmly, extending her hand for a handshake.

Kai shook Claire's hand, "Yeah, you too," he replied shortly. Claire smiled warmly. On the other side, Seraphina watched the two of them intently. By chance, Kai's eyes met Seraphina's sharp gaze. Kai raised an eyebrow slightly, as if wondering what Seraphina's look meant.

In her lab, Lilia looked confused, her brow furrowed as she examined the artifact. "No damage, so this tool really can't detect that kid's Mana," she muttered, her voice sounding frustrated. She leaned back in her chair, grumbling softly, "Seriously Glaen, what's your plan for putting this kid in the Hunter squad?"

To be countiuned