Chapter 56 : Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Entrance Exam (4)

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“Isn’t that magic?”

“Yeah, it feels like magic. Why’s he taking the entrance exam?”

The candidates watching my exam murmured among themselves.

The candidate next to me, mouth agape, couldn’t even attempt to release mana onto the sand plate and was dragged away.

The examiners, faced with an unexpected situation, began debating among themselves.

Examiner No. 8, who had been dozing and now had a hoarse voice, cleared their throat and said,

“It’s not magic.”

Examiner No. 6, who had been playing with fire on all five fingers, sneered,

“Of course it’s not. I don’t know how he did it, but he controlled external mana.”

Examiner No. 4 jumped into the conversation.

“If it’s not magic, then what is it? Without magic, controlling external mana that delicately should be impossible.”

It wasn’t surprising that the examiners were arguing during the entrance exam.

Each magic tower was a rival.

Though they coexisted in Ostrum, they rarely interacted.

Members of different towers only gathered for traditional events like the entrance exam.

Moreover, mages weren’t concerned with decorum, so they didn’t restrain their behavior even in front of candidates.

//“Focus.”//

The debate, momentarily quieted by another examiner’s mediation, reignited when I began drawing the second pattern.

The second task assigned to me was to draw a regular hexagon.

A shape often used in magic circles, it required all edges to be perfectly equal without any distortion.

As before, I poured out a large amount of mana with a whoosh.

Then, I absorbed the excess protruding from the hexagon, completing the second pattern.

The argument started when Examiner No. 3, who had been engrossed in a magic tome, voiced a question.

“Absorbing external mana like that is remarkable. No mage can handle unrefined external mana so skillfully.”

His words weren’t wrong.

Though the examiners came from different schools, the inability to absorb unrefined external mana was near-universal common knowledge across magical studies.

Yet, despite knowing this, other examiners nitpicked at Examiner No. 3.

“No mage can do it? How would you know?”

“Don’t generalize your own shortcomings.”

As the bickering intensified, Labella, who had been watching, said softly, “Quiet down. The third pattern seems nearly done.”

“…Ugh.”

The examiners fell silent instantly.

One thing was clear: my exam had captured their full attention.

* * *

The entrance exam ended.

The result, of course, was a pass.

But the examiners didn’t let me leave, instructing me to sit by the platform until the exam was over.

Naturally, this seat was directly facing the candidates, leaving me fully exposed to their stares.

Might as well keep my head down.

I lowered my head, stealing glances at Princess Labella.

She sat upright, gazing only at the candidates.

Was our eye contact when she entered a mistake? I wasn’t sure anymore.

The exam finally concluded.

Besides me, only one other candidate passed.

I thought about talking to them, but…

“Hello?”

“N-no, I’m fine! I’m good!”

What did they mean by “fine”?

I felt like some kind of monster.

Then, as soon as the exam ended, the examiners rushed toward me in a frenzy.

“You! Come to our tower!”

“Ignore that guy who won’t even name his tower! How about Thunderstrike Tower?”

“Hey, this kid’s Eidon-nim’s disciple. He’s obviously joining Frost Magic Tower, right?”

It was chaotic but familiar.

After topping the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, I’d faced similar waves of recruitment.

I stayed calm amidst the frenzy and spoke evenly.

“Thank you for your offers, but I already have a place I want to join.”

The examiners pounced before I finished.

“Spit it out! It’s Frost Magic Tower, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s obviously Flame Magic! Frost melts in a second!”

“Shut up, want to get zapped by lightning?”

“Lightning? All you shoot is a flickering spark.”

Before their childish bickering escalated further, I decided to reveal my choice.

“I want to pursue magical research.”

The examiners froze instantly, as if I’d told a bad joke.

I drove the point home.

“Is it possible for me to join the magical research department?”

The magical research department wasn’t technically a magic tower.

It was a place dedicated to studying the essence of magic and mana, including public magic.

“Uh… say that again…”

A mage from Thunderstrike Tower tried to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Labella pushed through the examiners and approached me, asking,

“I’m Labella from the magical research department. If you wish to join us, let’s proceed with an interview.”

She turned and left the exam hall.

I bowed to the examiners and followed her.

A young voice called out from behind.

“Um, I’d like to join Frost Magic Tower! Is that possible?”

No answer came, only an astonishing silence in the library’s basement.

* * *

I didn’t come here to become a mage by learning magic.

Adjak’s build was far from a mage’s.

I might consider magic to support combat, but I had no intention of making it my primary focus.

Moreover, joining a magic tower meant starting as an apprentice and following a lengthy curriculum.

To prepare for Myeolji’s conquest, I needed to move faster.

I didn’t have time to sweep tower floors or run errands for magic tomes while learning magic.

“Come in.”

I followed Labella into her office.

I’d imagined a mage’s office as a mess of scattered tomes, magical tools, and half-eaten bread crumbs.

But Labella’s office was the opposite.

Countless books filled the shelves, but they were impeccably organized.

Sorted by size and cover color, the shelves created a unique atmosphere.

I sat in the chair Labella indicated.

The place felt so pristine that I instinctively sat upright, as if leaving a speck of dust would be a crime.

“Why did you choose the magical research department?”

Labella stared at me piercingly. I decided to be honest.

Given the department’s lack of popularity compared to magic towers, flattery might come off as insulting.

“To be honest, I’m not interested in using magic. I chose the research department to learn about mana itself.”

Labella didn’t look surprised.

As the head of a department full of research-obsessed eccentrics, it seemed fitting.

“Alright. Start tomorrow.”

That was the end of the interview?

As I looked at her, startled, she added a few words.

“You saw on your way here, but researchers are all busy. Each has their own studies. Feel free to take books and read. If you don’t understand something, ask me directly.”

“Yes, understood.”

Labella seemed to have nothing more to say.

I bowed and left the room.

Eidon must be waiting.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the office Polarin left behind,Labella confirmed through a magical device that he was far enough away.

She connected a communication line.

The response came immediately.

She left a single sentence.

“I’ve made contact.”

The person on the other end didn’t know Labella’s expression had hardened.

* * *

Days passed since joining the research department.

I headed to the department early each morning.

Today, I ran into Eidon as I left the inn.

“Going to the research department to read books again?”

“Yes. Are you off to Frost Magic Tower to sculpt ice, Eidon-nim?”

“…That’s right.”

Eidon had completed his task of bringing me to Ostrum but hadn’t left.

Instead, he resumed visiting Frost Magic Tower to hone his magic, as he did in the past.

He grumbled about the advancements in Frost Magic Tower’s spells during his absence, but his expression was bright.

“Has Princess Labella shown any reaction yet?”

“No, I barely see her. Since the entrance exam, we’ve only exchanged passing greetings.”

After the exam, I told Eidon about what happened.

He was pleased to hear examiners clamored to recruit me for their towers, but he was wary of my joining the research department.

Eidon remained on edge, as if expecting something to go wrong.

“Still, be careful. Labella’s a mage who drastically reduced public activities. She wouldn’t show up at the exam hall without reason.”

“Thank you for your concern. I’ll stay vigilant.”

Listening to Eidon’s repeated warnings had become part of my routine.

But he seemed eager to head to Frost Magic Tower, so he didn’t keep me long.

“Alright, read your books diligently today.”

“Have a cool time.”

Eidon’s concerns had merit.

But whether Labella was there or not, I’d planned to join the research department from the start.

After parting with Eidon, I headed straight to the research department’s building.

“Good morning.”

“…Yeah.”

Contrary to Eidon’s worries, life at the research department was peaceful.

Labella was absent again today, and the mages, uncomfortable with my friendly greetings, filled the space.

With a mix of tension and excitement, I roamed the department’s library.

‘The Evolution of Mana’? This book might have what I’m looking for.

I pulled out a book with a promising title and returned to my seat.

It was a thick, heavy hardcover, almost like a brick, but that made it all the more enjoyable to dive into.

The magical research department indeed had an abundance of books studying mana’s properties.

Nofen had brought me many books, but they were a drop in the bucket compared to the department’s library.

…Another dead end.

The problem was that among these countless books, studies on demonic energy or mana density were nearly impossible to find.

To kill the Demon King, I needed to increase mana density.

But there were no clear resources on how to achieve that.

I couldn’t keep avoiding Labella.

For nearly three weeks, I’d visited the department daily but never went to her office.

I wanted to build a knowledge base from existing records first, and her status as a princess felt daunting.

But without clues about demonic energy, there was no reason to stay in Ostrum.

For the first time since joining, I visited Labella’s office.

Using the imperial etiquette Nofen taught me, I began the conversation.

“Greetings, Labella-nim. It’s been a while.”

I employed noble etiquette and flowery preamble as Nofen instructed, but she stared at me with an expressionless face, as if uninterested.

Unable to hold back, I got to the point.

“I’m looking for certain books. Do you know of any works on increasing mana density or studying demonic energy itself?”

Labella gazed at me intently.

Unable to read her thoughts, I quickly added, “I want to conduct related research while in Ostrum, but I’m struggling to find relevant books.”

After a moment’s pause, Labella said in a detached tone,“Are you curious about the new Demon King?”

The conversation took a sharp turn, faster than I expected.

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