Mana Aptitude Test (2)
"I'm Ellen."
Worn down by the endless stream of assessments, Yujin waved him over with a lazy flick of his hand.
"Come here."
Wiiiiing.
With practiced motions, he swept his hands over the boy's body.
How many more times do I have to do this?
A sigh slipped out at the sight of the endless line stretching behind the child.
Oh? One of them actually has something.
A certain amount of mana stirred within the boy's body — enough for roughly the 1st Circle. But his ability to draw in the surrounding mana was so weak it might as well have been nonexistent.
Kids like this went to the Magic Academy, and the outcome was always the same.
"Ellen, was it? You've got mana in your body."
This was a chance at research funding and bonus points. What became of this child's future was none of his concern.
Just as expected, that single offhand remark was already making the boy's parents go weak in the knees.
A reaction like this? This one's going to be easy.
Touring the kingdom with the assessment team, he had seen countless children and their parents. The way they responded to his words told him exactly how much he could squeeze out of them.
And these two will do whatever I tell them. Perfect catch.
He smirked inwardly as he looked at the boy in front of him. The kid would surely be staring up at him brimming with hope — clinging to the absurd delusion that he, too, could become a mage.
What?
Yujin faltered. The boy was looking straight at his face with a completely blank expression, utterly devoid of emotion.
"You're still young, so you probably don't understand what this means. It means you have the talent to become a mage like me. Of course, you'll have to pass one more test — but clear that, and your whole life turns around."
Even after that kindly explanation, the boy showed not the faintest spark of joy.
Looking at him again… he's disgusting.
Ellen felt nothing but revulsion at Yujin's arrogant manner and the way he was already angling to wring money from his parents. He remembered how, in the past, he had done everything this man told him to — never once suspecting the ulterior motives behind it.
"So what's the next step?"
Ellen's dry, flat tone threw Yujin off balance.
"Feeling the mana inside your body. It has to do with mana affinity. Sit down, close your eyes, and try to sense your own mana."
Ellen sat on the floor. Yujin rested a hand on his head so he would know the exact moment the boy felt his mana.
A first-round passer hadn't appeared in a long while, and the crowd around them began to murmur. Ellen's parents watched their son with tense eyes. If he cleared this test, he would be admitted to the academy to train as a mage. The tuition would be a burden — but if it meant their son could become a mage, they would support him no matter the cost.
"All right, begin. It usually takes about ten minutes, but as long as you manage to sense your mana, you pass — no matter how long it takes. Don't rush. Just focus."
Because the mana affinity test required a mage to keep a hand on the subject's head the entire time, another mage stepped in to take over the remaining assessments. The difference was that every eye in the crowd was now fixed on Ellen, the first-round passer who had finally appeared after so long.
I'll knock him flat with sheer shock.
Ellen sensed his mana at once.
Thud!
Yujin's eyes flew wide enough to tear as he stumbled backward and landed hard on his rear.
"H-how— mmph!"
He clapped a hand over his mouth, choking back the words that had nearly escaped. Then his mind began racing faster than it ever had in his life.
How many seconds just passed? No — calling it "seconds" barely does it justice. This boy's mana affinity is extreme. A once-in-a-century genius.
The mage's reaction drew curious stares from everyone nearby. Ellen, for his part, simply looked at the mage with the same empty expression as before.
"Did I pass?"
"You passed. Your aptitude for magic is outstanding. Bring your parents and come around to the back."
Watching Ellen's retreating figure as he walked toward his parents, Yujin heard his instincts screaming. He had to attach himself to this century's genius, no matter what.
The moment he saw Ellen and his parents approaching, he rushed over in a single stride. All of his earlier arrogance had vanished without a trace.
"Does our son truly have the aptitude to become a mage?"
Sien, Ellen's father, asked again in a dazed voice, as if he still couldn't quite believe it.
"Of course. And not just aptitude — Ellen possesses the talent of a true genius."
Maria's legs gave out. She sank to the ground, and Ellen moved quickly to steady her.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
Watching Maria bow so deeply her back might break — still completely unaware of the mage's real intentions — Ellen's brow furrowed.
"Then… what should we do now?"
Sien already had a rough idea of the process that followed a positive aptitude judgment. But the situation still felt so unreal that the question slipped out on its own.
"You must enroll Ellen in the Academy. I wouldn't say this about any ordinary child — but with Ellen, I guarantee he will become a mage. Here. A letter of recommendation under my name."
At those words, Ellen's brow furrowed even deeper.
"Thank you. We'll find a way to cover the tuition somehow."
I knew they'd say that.
In the past, Ellen had accepted that recommendation letter right here — and that was where his life began to unravel. But not this time.
"No. Father, I'm not enrolling in the Academy."
Ellen's declaration left his parents and Yujin all staring with their mouths open.
"What are you saying, Ellen? Don't worry about the tuition."
Maria tried to stop him.
"Ellen, if you don't enter the Magic Academy, even someone with your gifts won't be able to develop them. It means you won't become a mage."
Yujin was just as desperate. He had never imagined the boy would refuse to go.
"I don't intend to become a mage. Academy tuition isn't a small sum, and I'd rather live quietly back home with Mother and Father. That's more than enough happiness for me."
"Hah…"
Sien let out a long sigh at his son's words. He had heard the rumors — that most of the children who went to the Academy on a mage's recommendation never actually became mages. But they were only rumors, and if his son had wanted to go, he would have found a way to support him.
Maybe this is for the best.
It shamed him to admit it, but Sien felt a flicker of gratitude toward Ellen. Taking on even more debt in their current situation would clearly have been too much.
What do I do?
Yujin's thoughts were far more tangled. An extraordinary genius had appeared — and he was the one who had assessed him. There was no telling how far this boy could grow, but talent of this caliber was certain to rise high within the Magic Tower. If he didn't get his hooks in now, he would never reap the rewards later.
Is it the tuition that's the problem?
He replayed Ellen's words. The boy wasn't refusing because he hated the idea of being a mage — he was saying the fees were too high, and that he was content with the life he already had.
So if I solve that…?
Dozens of calculations flashed through Yujin's mind at once, assembling and discarding themselves in rapid succession.
I have to get him into the Academy, no matter what.
That was his conclusion. A path to success had opened before him, and he would not let it slip away.
Just as Yujin was about to speak, another mage from the assessment team pushed in between them. He wore a white robe, but somehow looked far more like a merchant than a mage.
"I'm Poing. From what I overheard, it seems there's an unfortunate situation. We can't let a genius like this slip away over something as trivial as money."
Poing rested a hand on Ellen's shoulder and continued.
"I'll sponsor the boy's tuition."
Sien and Maria's eyes went wide.
That cunning bastard!
Only Yujin recognized the man's true intentions and seethed with rage.
So the rumor already spread.
His own dramatic reaction had carried word of the genius's appearance to the other mages.
"There's no need for that. You needn't trouble yourself. I discovered this child, so I'll be the one to support him."
Yujin scrambled not to lose Ellen.
This is going better than expected.
Watching the situation unfold in a direction far more favorable than the scenario he had planned, Ellen began to weigh his options.