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"It seems the Captains of the nine Great Magic Knight Squads are all roughly at the same level when it comes to magical power."
Following Yami onto the spectator stands to join the other Captains, George's mental sense swept across the area, allowing him to form a general judgment. In terms of raw mana, the gap between the nine leaders was negligible; who held the upper hand would depend entirely on their specific magic applications and combat experience.
"Yami Sukehiro, your eye for talent is getting worse by the day. The mana levels of your new recruits are hitting an all-time low."
Once the Captains were seated, Jack the Ripper, the Captain of the Green Mantis who sat beside Yami, caught sight of the new face standing behind the Black Bull Captain. He bared his teeth in a mocking grin.
Yami glanced at Jack out of the corner of his eye and exhaled a plume of smoke. "I like him this way. If you've got a problem with it, I'll kill you."
"Kill me? You've got a big mouth. Be careful I don't rip you in half first."
A powerful surge of mana suddenly erupted from Jack's body, his expression twisting into one of eager anticipation. Yami didn't flinch, releasing a similarly formidable pressure of magical energy in response.
"Today is an important examination that decides the future of these young people. It would be quite a headache for me if you two started a fight right now."
William Vangeance, the Captain of the Golden Dawn and the man responsible for presiding over this year's exam, stood up with a gentle, placating smile. Upon hearing his words, both men withdrew their mana, ending the confrontation.
However, the brief spat served its purpose: it introduced George to the other Captains and their subordinates. Now, everyone knew the Black Bulls had recruited a new member—and one with a seemingly pathetic level of magical power.
They weren't particularly surprised. It was common knowledge that Yami Sukehiro preferred to personally scout his members, usually picking up freaks and failures. Privately, they often joked that the Black Bulls were nothing more than a dumping ground for misfits.
With the tension defused, William turned toward the examinees below. "Candidates, thank you for waiting. From this point forward, I will be your proctor!"
He summoned his grimoire, flipping to a specific page.
"World Tree Magic: Magic Tree Descent!"
A massive tree suddenly materialized above the arena, its countless branches stretching out to deliver temporary magic brooms directly into the hands of every candidate.
"If this magic existed in the Harry Potter world, he'd be absolutely loaded," George muttered to himself. In the Wizarding World, flying brooms were expensive luxury items, yet William's World Tree Magic could produce hundreds of them in an instant.
Once everyone was armed with a broom, William began explaining the rules. The exam consisted of six categories: Mana Control, Mana Power, Magic Manipulation, Magic Creation, Magic Evolution, and the most crucial stage—the Final Combat Test.
The first task, broom riding, was a direct test of mana control. Those with a natural affinity for it could handle a broom with ease, even on their first attempt.
"This seems a bit unfair to the commoners and peasants," George noted.
Mages from noble backgrounds, even those with poor natural control, had access to tutors and regular training, allowing them to ride skillfully. Many commoners from the remote regions were likely seeing a magic broom for the very first time in their lives.
Perhaps sensing George's thoughts, Finral whispered an explanation from the side. "The Captains are aware of that. The standards and expectations for nobles are different than those for commoners."
"I see. So the Captains aren't idiots after all." George nodded in understanding.
The duty of the nine Magic Knight Squads was to protect the kingdom; they had to select the most talented mages to maintain their strength. If they were careless, their squad's overall power would decline, leading to a bottom-tier ranking and increased danger during missions.
Furthermore, the children of the high nobility didn't even need to participate in these exams; they were usually scouted and recruited directly. Families like the Kira, Vermillion, and Silva—the three greatest royal and noble houses—operated on a different level.
The Kira family was the royalty of the kingdom, producing its kings and controlling the Magic Parliament. The Vermillion and Silva families followed closely behind; their heirs were the current Captains of the Crimson Lion Kings and the Silver Eagles, squads second only to the Golden Dawn. The children of these families either entered the Parliament or joined those elite squads without ever setting foot in an exam hall.
The "nobles" participating today were generally from lower-tier houses with little real influence. George realized that since only the top handful of candidates would actually be selected, those relying on a slight head start in broom riding likely wouldn't make the cut anyway.
The first test concluded quickly. Most noble candidates could handle their brooms proficiently, while only a few commoners managed the same. Among them, a magicless youth stood out for his inability to make the broom budge even an inch.
Conversely, another peasant boy—hailing from the same village as the magicless youth—was nothing short of extraordinary. He possessed a four-leaf clover grimoire, just like the First Wizard King. Upon touching a broom for the first time, he was able to stand upright on it, flying with effortless grace.
As the exam progressed, he proved himself worthy of the four-leaf clover's choice, ranking first in every single category and leaving the rest of the pack in the dust. In the final combat round, he defeated the top-ranked noble candidate with a single strike.
When it came time for the Captains to choose, he achieved the rare feat of having all nine Captains raise their hands for him. To no one's surprise, he chose the top-ranked squad: the Golden Dawn.
George, however, found himself disinterested in the four-leaf clover prodigy. His attention was fixed on the magicless boy instead. While the prodigy used wind magic and excelled due to high mana reserves and control, the magicless boy was different. The heavy black sword he had pulled from his grimoire possessed an "Anti-Magic" property.
It reminded George of the "Imagine Breaker" used by Kamijou Touma in Academy City—a power capable of nullifying any magic. Though the underlying principles were surely different, George decided he wanted to study that greatsword whenever he found the time.
"Captain, another prime seed has been snatched away!" Finral sighed with a look of regret as the four-leaf clover user joined the Golden Dawn.
Yami shrugged, unbothered. "Forget it. Nothing we can do about it."
He was used to it. The Black Bulls were ranked last and had a terrible reputation; given the choice, no top-tier candidate would ever pick them. In all his years, the only person he had managed to recruit from an official exam was Magna, a commoner whom the other eight Captains had already rejected.
"Captain, try to get that short, magicless kid in a bit," George said, pointing down at the boy whose number had just been called to step forward. "I think he has a very bright future."
(End of Chapter)