On my journey to Stellaris Academy, the coachman driving the horse-drawn carriage I was riding in spoke to me for a moment.
"By the way, kid, it's impressive that at the age of 15, you've managed to get into that elite school," he said while holding the reins of the horse.
I casually responded to the coachman's statement.
"Hehehe, thank you, sir. By the way, do you know anything about that academy?" I asked the coachman.
"Of course, kid. Stellaris Academy is one of the few elite academies in this country. And there's a rumor that the headmaster of Stellaris Academy is a legendary Archmage," he said.
"Legendary? What do you mean by that, sir?" I asked, full of curiosity.
"Well, they say this Archmage, after defeating the Demon King, established Stellaris Academy to train the next generation of heroes," he explained.
After hearing the coachman's words, I became even more intrigued by the academy.
"Interesting. Let's see how strong this Archmage is, and whether he compares to my past life," I thought to myself, smiling slightly.
Noticing my smile, the coachman gave me a piece of advice.
"Kid, let me give you some advice. You have to survive in that academy, because there will be many strong nobles who look down on common folk like us," he said.
"Thank you for the advice, sir. I'll keep it in mind," I replied.
Some time later, after our conversation, I finally arrived in Solvaris, the city where the exam was to take place.
In this city, many Stellaris Academy students were walking around, showcasing their magic, but what bored me the most was their incantations.
"Well, kid, this is Solvaris, the city known as the center for light element sorcery. Many great sorcerers have come from here," said the coachman.
"Ah, I see," I said with a bored expression.
"Hahaha, don't be nervous, kid. Just take it easy. We're almost there, Stellaris Academy is just up ahead," the coachman said, thinking I was nervous.
"Alright, sir," I replied.
Not long after, I arrived at the entrance to Stellaris Academy, where many new students were queuing to enter the selection room.
"We've arrived. Be careful when you get down. Good luck," the coachman said.
"Thank you, sir, for bringing me here," I said.
The coachman began to walk away after I got out of the carriage.
After getting off, I joined the line to enter the selection room.
"Whoa, this line is so long. When will this be over?" I said, yawning.
After a long wait, I finally entered the selection room, where I registered myself.
"Name?" asked the registrar.
"Kyle Ardyn," I replied.
"Age?" the registrar asked.
"15 years old," I said.
"Alright, take this and go into the selection room. Wait for the exam to begin," the registrar said, handing me my exam card.
I immediately took the card and entered the selection room. Inside, there was a stage with many chairs set up.
I took one of the chairs and sat down, waiting for the exam to begin.
"This is so boring. Can't we just start already?" I said while yawning.
Soon, a woman called out to me, asking me to move from the seat I was sitting in.
"Hey, you, commoner. Move from there," she said.
"Who are you?" I replied.
"I am Clarisse Vernadette, the only daughter of the Vernadette family," she said proudly.
Upon hearing the Vernadette family name, the other participants in the exam began gossiping.
"She's Clarisse Vernadette? The one who could use magic at the age of 7?"
"They say if she doesn't get what she wants, she'll burn anything that stands in her way."
"And the Vernadette family isn't just any family. They're one of the four elite noble families skilled in fire magic, right?"
Hearing the gossip, Clarisse began to boast to me, but I remained indifferent.
"You've heard, haven't you? Move from there before I burn you to a crisp," Clarisse said.
"Try if you can," I replied nonchalantly.
"Aren't you afraid?" Clarisse asked.
"Why would I be afraid? It's just your low-level fire magic," I said.
Upon hearing my words, the other candidates started gossiping again.
"What's wrong with him? He dared to reject Clarisse's request."
"If I were him, I wouldn't dare do that."
"Who does he think he is, rejecting her request?"
"And insulting her magic. His fate is sealed."
Clarisse, hearing my words, became furious.
"You dare insult my magic? Fine, then feel this!" Clarisse shouted, ready to cast her spell.
However, before she could finish the incantation, the headmaster entered the selection room.
"Well, if the headmaster hasn't arrived yet, I'll burn you," Clarisse said.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I replied.
Clarisse finally took a seat next to me, still with a furious expression.
The headmaster began his speech.
"Hello, future heroes. My name is Hugo. You've probably heard of me, right?" said the headmaster.
Instantly, the entire room erupted in chatter after the headmaster introduced himself.
"Hugo? The legendary sorcerer?" "They say he mastered all four elements of magic." "And he defeated the first Demon King!"
Hearing their gossip, I just shrugged, as I considered the headmaster's achievements to be nothing compared to my past life.
"Is that all? Back before my reincarnation, I defeated a Demon God whose power could destroy a whole planet," I thought to myself, showing no reaction.
Meanwhile, Clarisse, noticing my indifference, misunderstood my behavior and thought I was afraid.
"Is that all? If you knew who my grandfather is, you'd be apologizing to me right now," Clarisse said, smiling deviously.
Hugo continued his speech.
"Alright, enough of that. Before we begin the selection exam, let me explain a little about magic. Magic is a supernatural force that can be manipulated by trained individuals to create various effects — from attacking, defending, healing, to altering reality. There are four basic elements of magic, which are:
1. Mana – The raw energy that is the source of all magic. The more mana you have, the more frequently you can cast spells.
2. Element – The types of magical powers: Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, Ice, Light, Darkness. But only a few can master more than one type of magic.
3. Incantation – Ancient words that shape and direct magic. The longer the incantation, the stronger the spell.
4. Catalyst – Objects used to channel magic. Some people, however, do not need a catalyst and are considered very powerful.
That's all for my speech today. Now, let's begin the first test: let's find out what element you can master," Hugo said.
After finishing his speech, Hugo took out a crystal ball to check the magical elements of the participants, and they began to come forward one by one.
While waiting for my turn, I couldn't help but chuckle at Hugo's explanation.
"Pftt, incantations, huh? And the longer the better? Don't make me laugh, old man. You haven't seen the real magic of a mage who's been reincarnated into this world," I said quietly, holding back my laughter.
Clarisse, seeing me laugh, asked.
"Hmph, what's so funny? Could it be that you're actually scared because you don't know any element?" Clarisse said, mocking me.
"No, no, it's not that. I just heard something funny about the incantations," I replied, answering her mockery.
"Huh? What's funny about that? Don't tell me you're laughing because you don't know any incantations?" Clarisse said, smiling deviously.
"Who said I don't know? I don't even need incantations. Just the name of the spell, and it's done," I said.
"Pftt, no incantations, huh? Don't be ridiculous. If you really can, I'll be your girlfriend," Clarisse said, smirking.
"Oh, you're sure? Well, remember that, alright?" I said.
"Alright, deal. But what if you can't prove it?" Clarisse asked.
"I'll be your servant for the semester, how about that?" I replied.
"Okay, remember your words," Clarisse said.
After making that bet, Clarisse smiled, thinking it would be an easy win, but little did she know that she was facing me — the one who was once known as Hellbane for slaughtering 2 million demons in one week.
What magical element does Kael master? What will Hugo, the headmaster, do when Kael casts magic without an incantation? And will Clarisse keep her bet after losing, or will she come up with a thousand excuses to invalidate it? Find out in Chapter 4!