Chapter 27

A few days after Ricardo sold the magic-forming rod to Bernardo, the thirteenth birthday party for the twin princes was held at the Vizel Castle.

Prince Aurelio and Prince Sergio, though twins, did not look much alike, as they were fraternal twins. Prince Aurelio, the elder, was tall and had an active personality, showing interest in military affairs. On the other hand, Prince Sergio, the younger, was shorter than his brother and preferred reading books in the study to playing outside.

The grand hall of Vizel Castle was filled with many nobles who had been invited to celebrate the princes' birthdays. Not only did they offer words of congratulations, but they also presented numerous gifts to the two princes. Prince Aurelio received many weapons such as swords and spears, while Prince Sergio received many valuable books.

"His Highness Prince Aurelio, I have prepared a short sword crafted by the master Tinto for you. Please accept it. As for His Highness Prince Sergio, I have heard that you enjoy reading, so I have prepared a valuable history book for you," the Count Cogats revealed the gifts he had brought.

Prince Aurelio, being sociable, thanked him with a delighted expression. On the other hand, Prince Sergio also thanked him, but it was clear that it was out of obligation.

Prince Sergio was inwardly disappointed. The royal family had a library where books collected by generations of kings were stored. Most of the books presented were already in the library. It was not exciting to receive books that he could read in the library. Moreover, although he had a reputation for loving books, he actually preferred staying quietly in a room to moving around outside; he was not particularly eager for knowledge.

Another noble approached and began to greet the two princes. The Duke Boniperti stepped forward, greeted the princes, and offered his congratulations. He glanced at the gifts on the table.

"This is impressive. Is Prince Aurelio going to open a weapon shop, and Prince Sergio a bookstore?" Prince Aurelio laughed in response.

"Weapons are consumables. The more, the better... Could it be that you, Duke, are also a weapon enthusiast?"

The Duke nodded and presented two long, thin boxes to the princes.

Prince Sergio tilted his head.

"Are you giving me a weapon too?"

The Duke nodded and began to explain.

"I thought it would be nice to give you both the same thing. It can be used as a weapon, but it also has value as a work of art."

The princes opened the lids of the boxes they were given. Inside was a rod, beautiful with a pattern like snowflakes, a work of art.

"It's a magic-forming rod. It's beautiful," Prince Sergio said, entranced.

Prince Aurelio agreed but wondered about its effectiveness as a weapon.

"I agree it's a work of art, but how is it as a weapon? Compared to a master's sword..."

The Duke immediately disagreed.

"No, no, it has power as a weapon too. I own a magic-forming rod made by the same mage, and it can take down a small magical beast with one hit."

Prince Aurelio looked surprised. In general, magic-forming rods were known to make magic easier to use, but the shockwave aspect was not widely known.

"Ah, Your Highness has never used a magic-forming rod, I see. When you channel magic into a magic-forming rod and strike an enemy, it emits a shockwave that damages the enemy."

"Is that so?"

Prince Aurelio seemed to be unaware of the characteristics of the magic-forming rod.

"Among the magic-forming rods I have given you, the one called Unavolta is special and easy to use even for those unaccustomed to handling magic."

The nobles around them looked enviously at the Duke, sensing that he had successfully drawn the attention of the royal family and demonstrated his own competence through this gift.

This event raised the reputation of the mage Matou, the maker of Unavolta, who came to be known as a legendary master. Unaware of this, Ricardo was living in the employee dormitory while studying for the exam. On that day, after returning from hunting with Tania and Patrick, they encountered a group of magicians in combat robes just as they entered the town.

"Court magicians," Tania muttered. It seemed they had returned from a training and hunting exercise upstream of the Crem River. The prey they had caught included a tusked boar and a demon tree, Damir.

A magician who appeared to be the commander turned back and shouted.

"Don't look so tired. We are an elite group of court magicians. Don't forget that pride."

At that moment, a man carrying a load stepped out from a side street and bumped into the commander. It was a light touch, just a brush of shoulders.

The magician raised his rod and struck the man, who fell and scattered his load on the road.

"Idiot... Be more careful!"

The commander shouted and left. Ricardo and his companions watched the group of court magicians leave.

"Feeling sick to my stomach. I don't like how court magicians act so superior," Patrick spat out. Ricardo agreed.

"Court magicians are an important force for the royal family, so a little arrogance is tolerated. ...They cause trouble every year during the magician certification exam."

According to Tania, they aggressively recruit those who perform well in the practical exam. Sometimes, after the exam, they forcibly conscript them as court magicians, leading to conflicts with the Mage Guild.

Originally, the court magicians had no authority to conscript, but many became court magicians out of a sense of duty to the country.

"What about you, Patrick?"

When Ricardo asked, Patrick replied with a bitter expression.

"I used two intermediate-level and one advanced-level magic, but I didn't stand out much. However, the one who demonstrated one intermediate-level and two advanced-level magic in the exam was taken by the court magicians."

Ricardo sighed. He was wary of the factional struggles and the Refining Bureau where Massimo was, and he also wanted to avoid the court magicians.

If he did well in the written exam, he would be conscripted to the Refining Bureau, and if he did well in the practical exam, he would be conscripted to the court magicians. Ricardo felt gloomy.

"Tania, how is the exam scored?"

Tania looked complicated before answering.

"Normally, I shouldn't tell you, but I'll tell you since you've been helpful, Ricardo."

The written exam consists of 30 points for history, 20 points for calculations, and 50 points for the basic principles of magic. In the practical exam, a successful advanced-level magic is worth 20 points, an intermediate-level is worth 25 points, and an advanced-level is worth 30 points. Of course, just casting the magic does not earn full points; the casting speed and power are also evaluated.

"This year's exam seems to be more lively than usual," Tania said, and Patrick nodded.

"I heard that Remigio Octavius will be taking the exam this time."

Patrick mentioned a name Ricardo did not recognize.

"Remigio... Who is he?"

"Don't you know? He's the son of Duke Octavius."

"Wait, if he's a noble, shouldn't he take the autumn exam?"

Tania shrugged.

"Nobles can take the spring exam too. Usually, they take the autumn exam, but it's not a rule."

Ricardo became interested in Remigio. He wondered if Remigio didn't want to be treated specially just because he was a noble.

"He wants to join the Refining Bureau and study magic."

"Really? I thought the son of a duke would help manage the estate."

"The duke has five sons, so one or two can do something different."

"I see."

Ricardo was impressed by Patrick's network of information.

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About three months had passed since Ricardo started living at the Mage Guild, and finally, the day of the exam arrived. Magician apprentices from all over the country gathered at the Mage Guild, making it as lively as a festival.

While idly watching the crowd, Ricardo felt a commotion near the entrance. Looking in that direction, he saw a luxurious carriage entering. The door of the carriage bore the crest of a ducal family.

The carriage approached the lecture hall where the written exam was to be held, and a young boy emerged. He was a black-haired boy around thirteen years old, not particularly tall but with a well-built physique. Behind him, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes stepped out of the carriage. From his luxurious attire and dignified demeanor, he was likely the duke.

Ryuben Felzetti, a board member of the Mage Guild and the director of the Refining Bureau, came to greet them. Ricardo was sure it was the duke from the way Ryuben greeted him politely.

"The examination hall is this way."

Ryuben led the duke and his son to the lecture hall. Ricardo also entered the lecture hall and looked for his seat.

The lecture hall had a structure similar to a university lecture room, with space for about a hundred people. The magician apprentices took their seats, and after a brief explanation, the written exam began.

First, they solved history questions. The questions were basic, so Ricardo answered them easily. Next were the calculation questions. These were also basic arithmetic, so he answered them quickly and double-checked his answers.

The last section was the basic principles of magic, with ten questions in total. Most were basic, but the sixth question was about the role of catalysts in attribute excitation.

For this question, Ricardo was supposed to write what attribute excitation was, but he overthought it and started writing about the vibration of magic and its relation to attribute excitation, which he had been researching to cast magic without a catalyst. By the time he realized it, he had filled the back of the answer sheet.

"Time's up."

Ricardo was startled. He had four unanswered questions left.

"Damn it."

He had made a common mistake in exams. He stood up from his seat, shoulders slumped.

"I used to warn my students about this so many times, and now I make the same mistake."

He blamed himself, took a deep breath, and refreshed his mood. He decided it was better to focus on the next exam rather than regret what was done.

Guided by the exam staff, he headed to the training ground for the practical exam. Due to the large number of examinees, they were divided into four groups. Ricardo was in the same group as Remigio, the duke's son, and the duke was also present.

The duke, being a busy man, was a doting father. Remigio looked embarrassed as he glanced at his father.

Ricardo's turn was the twelfth, right after Remigio.

About ten meters away, there was an octagonal target made of thick boards. The target was specially processed to repel magic, making it expensive and reusable for the exam.

Isarco and Tania appeared at the training ground, likely curious about Remigio and the duke. They greeted the duke and began to watch the practical exam.

The examinees took turns demonstrating their magic. The use of rods was prohibited, so the apprentices extended their arms and focused on their incantations. Advanced-level magic like "Water Blade" and "Wind Slash," and intermediate-level magic like "Water Spear" and "Storm Fang Array," hit the expensive target, producing shockwaves that indicated their power.

So far, no one had caught Ricardo's attention. Occasionally, someone cast advanced-level magic, but their casting speed was slow, and their power was insufficient.

"There don't seem to be many promising magicians," the duke commented to Isarco.

"Next is your son. I've heard he's promising."

"Hmph, Remigio still has a long way to go."

The duke's modest words seemed to irritate Remigio.

Remigio's name was called, and the black-haired boy stepped forward. His first spell was a fire magic. He took out a fire catalyst and focused his mind. The incantation revealed it was an intermediate-level "Explosive Fireball."

"Fanar Spellogorda Judegro"

A ball of fire flew towards the target, producing a loud shockwave. The spectators gasped in admiration. It was the loudest shockwave so far.

For his second spell, Remigio cast an advanced-level "Shattering Rain." The shockwaves were smaller but repeated several times.

Remigio glanced at his father.

"Keep going, you can do better."

The duke meant it as encouragement, but Remigio took it as criticism. He clenched his lips and took out a large catalyst.

The incantation he recited made Isarco's face change. It was a spell Ricardo did not recognize.

A magical array-like pattern of light appeared between Remigio and the target, distorting the space. Remigio, sweating profusely, strained to channel his magic.

A giant magical beast emerged from the magical array. It was a summoning spell Ricardo had never seen before.

"Wow, impressive."

Ricardo exclaimed, but when he looked at Remigio, the boy's face was pale.

The black-haired boy whispered weakly.

"...I couldn't control it."

Ricardo, initially confused, realized the summoned beast was out of Remigio's control, a dangerous situation. He confirmed the beast again and shouted in shock.

"Impossible... It's a Bicorn Armored Bear!"

It was the same Bicorn Armored Bear they had encountered during the demon tree hunt, which they could not defeat even with a "Molten Flame Bullet" and could only drive away.