The teacher unrolled the parchment in his hand, his voice echoing through the silent hall.
"Rushi Hale."
From the line, a boy with nervous eyes stepped forward. His steps were shaky, but determination flickered in his gaze. He slowly placed his hand on the orb.
Fwooom—!
The orb glowed steadily, radiating the faint golden hue of a B-rank potential.
"B-rank potential," the teacher declared flatly. "Pass."
Murmurs instantly broke out among the students.
"A commoner like us got B-rank."
"Yeah, maybe we can also make it."
Hope sparked in the eyes of several commoners, their clenched fists loosening. But before that excitement could spread too far, a sneer echoed from the noble side.
"What's there to make a fuss about? He just barely reached the lowest rank to pass."
Laughter followed.
"Yeah, right. He was just lucky."
Rushi flinched at the ridicule but forced himself to return to the line with his head held high.
The teacher's voice silenced the noise.
"Shirin Handol."
At that name, murmurs started up again.
"Oh, this time it's a noble."
"A noble family named Handol? Never heard of it."
"There is. But it's the smallest land in the kingdom."
"Oh, no wonder I didn't know. Just a low-class noble."
Snickers spread among the nobles, but the girl named Shirin ignored them. With calm steps, she walked to the orb.
Placing her hand upon it—
Fwoooosh—!
The orb blazed brightly, far stronger than before, its brilliance washing over the entire chamber.
The teacher's eyes flickered with interest as he spoke.
"A-rank potential. Pass."
The hall went silent for a heartbeat—then gasps erupted.
"W-What? A-rank?!"
"Unbelievable!"
The nobles who mocked her earlier clenched their jaws, their irritation clear in their scowls. But none of them dared say another word.
Shirin, pretending not to notice, calmly returned to her place, her composed demeanor making the result sting even more for those who had mocked her.
The test continued for a long while. One by one, students placed their hands on the glowing orb.
Some commoners managed to scrape by with the bare minimum, but most were disqualified, leaving with pale faces and trembling shoulders. The air in the hall grew heavier with each failure.
Then, the teacher unrolled the parchment again.
"Roman Lacona."
Immediately, murmurs spread. The arrogant noble who had been sneering at everyone strutted forward with a smug smile. Placing his hand on the orb—
Fwoooosh—!
The orb flared brightly, radiating the glow of A-rank potential.
"A-rank potential. Pass," the teacher declared.
Roman smirked, satisfied, and turned back to his seat. Murmurs rippled across the crowd.
"As expected of the Lacona family."
"He's on the same level as that Handol girl."
"Yeah, truly fitting of a high noble."
Roman's chin lifted higher at the praise.
The teacher's next call silenced the room.
"Lucian Jina."
Jina's steps were small but steady as she walked toward the orb.
From behind, Roman's mocking voice rang out.
"Ahh, another peasant again. Can a commoner even get higher than B-rank potential? Why bother coming to the academy with the lowest possibility?"
Snickers followed.
"Yeah, the other commoner kids all got disqualified except for three. And even they only managed B."
Jina ignored them, inhaled softly, and pressed her hand to the orb.
BOOOOOM—!
Light erupted, blinding and overwhelming, flooding the hall in a torrent of brilliance. The orb blazed so brightly that many students shielded their eyes, some even stumbling back.
The teacher staggered, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"S… S-rank potential. P-Pass. You don't need to attend the written test!"
The hall erupted in chaos.
"Huh?!"
"WHAT?!"
"S-rank?!"
Even the nobles who had been mocking her earlier were speechless, their faces pale.
A calm, confident voice cut through the uproar.
"Hello, little girl. I'm Oswin Merrow. I'll be your combat class teacher. Come with me—I'll show you your room."
The crowd gasped again.
"Wahhh, the professor himself came to escort her?"
"I can't believe it!"
Roman's face twisted in fury, his nails digging into his palms.
But Jina turned to Oswin politely.
"Can I go to the entrance of the academy first? I think my brother is waiting there for me in case I fail."
Oswin smiled warmly.
"Is that so? No problem. I'll go with you."
Together, they left the hall—Jina walking ahead, Oswin following closely behind.
At the academy's entrance, Jun sat on the ground, leaning back, eyes fixed on the sky as if lost in thought.
"Brother!" Jina's voice rang out.
Jun turned, blinking before slowly standing.
"Oh, Jina. How was the test?" He stretched lightly, brushing off his pants. "Did the test end already?"
Oswin stepped forward with a smile.
"Your sister passed the first test with the highest potential. So, she doesn't need to attend the other test."
Jun froze.
"Huh?"
Oswin continued, introducing himself.
"Oh, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Oswin Merrow. I'm a professor in the Royal Academy."
Jun quickly bowed his head.
"Oh, sorry. Nice to meet you, professor."
"It's okay," Oswin replied kindly.
Jina's eyes sparkled as she turned to Jun.
"Brother, I'll become strong and protect you."
Jun smiled faintly.
"Is that so? I'm looking forward to that." Then he faced Oswin, his expression earnest. "Please take good care of my sister, professor."
Oswin gave a firm nod.
After some parting words, Jina and Oswin walked back through the gates, disappearing into the academy.
Jun stood still for a moment, his expression shifting. His faint smile faded, replaced by cold determination.
"Now I can do whatever I want," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "I'll start with finding the family behind my mother's death."
The wind rustled through the academy gates as his words sank into the silence.