Chapter 54 : Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Entrance Exam (2)

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Imperial Intelligence Agency.

They occupied the entire second floor of a guild office on the outskirts of the imperial capital, a bustling hub with countless people passing through daily.

The Imperial Intelligence Agency’s office was prominently located in a sunlit spot, yet the people of the capital were barely aware of its existence.

From the staircase leading to the second floor, a shimmering magic circle was etched, imbued with an effect that clouded human perception.

Without the mana of an authorized agent, not only was passage impossible, but even noticing the upper floor was difficult.

The interior was adorned with majestic decorations and marble pillars, exuding grandeur.

However, the countless books and stacks of documents scattered everywhere dulled its splendor.

Amid the flurry of agents weaving through the piles of documents, one name kept coming up lately.

“Adjak’s successor has arrived in Ostrum?”

“Yes, Polarin Adjak is currently staying at an inn affiliated with the Frost Magic Tower in Ostrum.”

“The identity of the one accompanying him has been confirmed, I presume?”

“Yes! It’s Eidon Adjak, who abruptly left the Frost Magic Tower seven years ago.”

Eidon Adjak.

At the mention of his name, the Imperial Intelligence agent’s brow furrowed.

“Eidon, the prodigy of the Frost Magic Tower… He’s been quiet since returning to the Adjak family. What’s he scheming now?”

“Given the timing, it’s likely he’s helping Polarin Adjak with the entrance exam.”

“The entrance exam, huh. Any room for us to intervene?”

“It’ll be difficult. The magic tower folks are notoriously…”

Creak.

As the agents’ reports continued, the door to the deputy director’s office opened.

All agents stopped their work and saluted toward the open door.

The deputy director acknowledged the salute with a dignified gesture and spoke.

“I’ll handle contact with the magic tower. Don’t worry and proceed as planned.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

The deputy director’s assurance brightened the agents’ faces.

“You heard the deputy director! Recruitment is the top priority. Bring him to our side by any means!”

“Yes, sir!”

Recently, the Empire had been making moves to unite all of humanity under its banner once again.

There was a time when the Empire served as humanity’s backbone, but its influence had waned lately.

The kingdoms on the frontier paid lip service to the Empire while subtly defying it, and even within imperial territory, there were groups beyond its control.

Among them was the Adjak family, an insolent clan that revered their progenitor more than the Emperor.

The Empire could crush the Adjak family by force if it chose to, but it would come at a cost.

The Adjak family trained from childhood to become heroes in their progenitor’s image.

Moreover, many outside the family revered Adjak as a hero.

Suppressing them by force would surely spark backlash.

Thus, the Empire had been pressuring the Adjak family slowly to bring them to heel, but recent events had shifted the situation.

The prophecy among the demons had made Polarin Adjak, at its center, a figure of significance.

A recipient of Hike’s Special Recommendation, first in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony—his symbolic value was immense, and he was the heir to a hero.

The Intelligence Agency prioritized ensuring Polarin didn’t fall into demon hands while shifting to a strategy of recruiting him into the Empire’s fold.

Fortunately, Polarin seemed to lack strong loyalty to his family.

Despite being eligible for high-ranking roles, he had slipped into the low-profile Intelligence Agency.

While the Imperial Intelligence Agency held high status, the Adjak family’s intelligence division was less prestigious.

Since joining, Polarin had shown little notable activity, making his movements hard to track.

If they played this situation well, they could fracture the Adjak family and bring it under imperial control.

“Prepare the plan to recruit Polarin Adjak immediately!”

“Yes!”

The atmosphere in the Imperial Intelligence Agency’s office ignited with fervor.

* * *

I prided myself on handling mana well.

And why not? Thanks to my Dragon Heart, I reached First-Rank, sensing mana from birth.

Since then, I’d constantly infused mana to keep my heart from tearing me apart.

Even while sleeping, I never fully relaxed, always managing mana with care—how could I not be skilled?

But the way I handled mana was worlds apart from how mages did.

“The key is to release mana slowly.”

“Yes, I’ll try again.”

Eidon was a good teacher.

The sand plates he procured were identical to those used in the entrance exam.

He’d prepared equipment to help me succeed.

Despite my slow progress, he never grew frustrated, patiently repeating instructions and teaching me how to manage mana.

“You have an incredible amount of mana. Maybe even more than some Tower Masters. That’s the problem—it’s becoming a poison.”

“I’ll try again.”

“When releasing mana, imagine a tiny hole at your fingertip and let it trickle out.”

Despite Eidon’s guidance, I struggled to control mana delicately.

As he said, my Dragon Heart gave me more mana than most.

Reflecting on past battles, I’d always fought by pouring out vast amounts of mana or cloaking my body with it.

During the first stage of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, when breaking the Dragon’s Crystal, I advised temporary allies to shape mana like a nail and drive it in.

I didn’t need to—I shattered it with overwhelming mana.

It’s easy to let a stream trickle from a dammed creek, but opening a dam holding back an ocean is hard.

Delicately. More delicately. Imagine drawing mana through a tiny hole.

I mulled over Eidon’s teachings, pushing mana out again.

Whoosh.

The magical sand was soaked again.

How many times had I repeated this? Sweat beaded on my forehead from intense focus.

“Can you go over it one more time?”

Restoring the soaked sand was Eidon’s job.

He took the plate, smoothed the sand, and set it back in front of me.

As I reached to try again, he stopped me.

“Let’s get some fresh air.”

When Eidon opened the door, a rush of hallway air flooded in.

Only then did I realize how stifling the inn room had become.

I glanced at the sand plate, sighed, and followed Eidon out.

* * *

Eidon taught Polarin with utmost sincerity.

Though Polarin wasn’t making much progress, it didn’t matter.

Eidon believed he’d succeed eventually.

But a question nagged at him.

Polarin’s abilities were exceptional, with flashes of genius.

It wasn’t just that he couldn’t draw simple shapes on a sand plate that puzzled Eidon.

Why am I so invested in this?

Eidon knew he wasn’t sociable.

Nofen had said he was “nice for a mage,” but that was only relative to mages.

Nofen had his quirks, but Eidon was even less adept at socializing.

Even his cheerful subordinate, Keldric, clearly found him intimidating.

Yet his attitude toward Polarin felt strange, even to himself.

He had a guess why he was so invested.

Helping Polarin and his allies would earn favor with Tello’s leader, Agamben, paving the way to a higher position in Tello.

That was the clearest reason.

But Eidon, as a mage, intuitively knew that wasn’t the whole truth.

Was he helping Polarin out of ambition for success?

Really?

It didn’t feel like that alone.

There was something about Polarin that drew people in.

It wasn’t Eidon being strange—Polarin was special. That’s what he thought.

Eidon took Polarin to a tavern in front of the Frost Magic Tower.

By day, it served coffee and light snacks, filled with Frost Magic Tower mages.

That day, several high-ranking mages with three or more petals were gathered.

Eidon had invited them to introduce Polarin.

“Greetings. I’m Polarin Adjak, here to take the entrance exam. I’m learning a lot from Eidon-nim.”

“So? Are you asking for a favor? Want a janitor job at the Frost Magic Tower if you fail?”

“Haha, no. I’ll pass the exam on my own. I just thought it’d be good to introduce myself.”

The mages showed little interest in Polarin and found the gathering bothersome.

Without Eidon, they wouldn’t have shown up.

Talking to a rookie who hadn’t even taken the exam was a waste of time.

But Polarin wasn’t fazed. He calmly greeted each mage one by one.

“Oh… alright. Do well. If you’re Eidon-nim’s student, you’ll probably manage.”

The mages grumbled, but Eidon knew.

For mages, that was a decent reaction.

Though Polarin denied it, Eidon had brought him to the Frost Magic Tower to secure his admission.

If he could just get in, his talent would shine.

But with Polarin rejecting favors outright, Eidon had little recourse.

The two returned to the inn without notable results.

As Eidon, his mind tangled, headed to his room, Polarin bowed and said,

“Thank you, Eidon-nim. Thanks to you, I got some fresh air and made new connections.”

“You… that’s not just empty words, right?”

“Of course not. I meant it.”

“You’re a guy I’d love to dissect.”

Eidon pressed his fingers to his brow and spoke, voicing a thought he’d been mulling over.

“Drawing mana delicately is the fundamental method of magic. But if that doesn’t suit you…”

Feeling burdened by Polarin’s bright gaze, Eidon looked away.

“Find a way that works for you. You still have a few days until the exam.”

“Thank you. I’ll think about that too!”

“Alright, no more practice today. Go rest. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

Polarin answered energetically, told Eidon to rest well, and returned to his room.

Hoo.

Eidon let out a deep sigh. He was worried about Polarin.

Or maybe it’s not so bad.

The moment Polarin entered the magic tower, his time would be consumed.

Those who pass the entrance exam must juggle menial tasks while learning magic.

Even Eidon, with considerable talent, took years to establish himself in the Frost Magic Tower.

Most who pass the exam either burn out from the workload or shift to research roles.

Given the attention Polarin received from the family, staying with the Adjak family to build his strength might be better than entering the magic tower.

A massive surge of mana emanated from Polarin’s room.

I told him to rest, not practice…

Eidon clicked his tongue and returned to his room.

But the immense mana flow, enough to shake the inn, continued late into the night.

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