Chapter 27. Imperial Magic Academy Entrance Exam (1)

Radel collected himself and read the paper.

According to the entrance exam guide, the place where Radel had woken up was an island, and one of the private properties of the Imperial Magic Academy.

It was kindly explained that the applicants would be taking their entrance exam here.

The rules were simple.

Before the sun sets, find the academy professors hidden throughout the island, and if you win a bet against them, you pass.

"Find the professors……?"

Radel stood up from the beach where he had been sitting.

When he turned around, the entire view of the island came into his sight. A high mountain peak rising in the center of the island was clearly visible even from the beach.

A lush forest spread out around it.

Turning his eyes to the coast, he saw all sorts of strange rocks and cliffs waiting for him in the distance. As soon as he left the beach, it was a rocky area.

Just by looking around, it was a very large island.

"How am I supposed to find the professors in a place this big?"

To be told to find a professor here before the sun sets. It was no different from finding a needle in a haystack. Besides, he wondered if it would be easy when the faculty of the empire's best magic school were hiding with all their might.

Another problem was that Radel didn't know the professors.

It would be hard to find someone he knew, but to have to find someone whose face he didn't even know.

'Let's think calmly.'

Radel stopped and thought without moving right away.

Even if he got lucky and found a professor quickly, he had to win a bet against them. He couldn't just move without any plan.

'If I were in charge of the academy entrance exam?'

What's the reason for making them find professors hidden on an island? Last year's entrance exam was a spar with a professor, and this year, they have to find a professor…….

Why would a school that teaches magic give such an exam?

A thought flashed through Radel's mind.

"They want us to find them using mana."

It was certain that the academy wanted to see if they were ready to learn magic.

Either they can handle mana well enough to spar with a magic-using professor, or they can feel mana well enough to track the magic power of a hidden professor.

Radel felt that what he had just thought of was the correct answer. He was glad that he had become accustomed to following the flow of mana thanks to his ancestor's training method.

"Shall I give it a try."

Radel closed his eyes and detected the mana he could feel closest to him.

After concentrating for a while, he felt a much stronger and rougher energy, not the fine flow he had felt in the 8th Prince's Palace's secret passage or Marcellent's Bell Tower.

At this level, it was highly likely to be a professor.

Radel tried not to lose his concentration and moved toward the place where he could feel the strong magic power.

* * *

'I found the wrong person.'

The place Radel arrived at after following the flow of mana was a nearby forest.

He had felt a very strong magic power, so he had naturally thought it was a professor, but Leon Silvert Cretian was waiting there with a cold expression.

'That guy's Ability was Dragon's Blessing.'

Leon's Ability, fitting for its name of Dragon's Blessing, gifted him with endless magic power.

The vast amount of magic power he possessed was enough to change the flow of the surrounding mana, so it was no wonder that Radel, who had followed the strong flow of mana, had mistaken him for a professor.

'Since it's come to this, I'll sneak away without getting caught.'

Radel tried to hide his body as soon as he saw Leon, but he failed because he stepped on a branch.

Crack!

Of all things, the sound was too loud.

Leon, who had noticed, shot magic toward the place where the sound came from.

Bang!

It was a low-level flame magic, but it was threatening enough for Radel, who couldn't use magic yet.

Radel rolled out of his hiding place. And he immediately raised his hand and shouted.

“Wait a minute!”

Leon seemed a little surprised by the sudden appearance of his twin brother, but he didn't falter and prepared his magic.

“It’s lucky that you’ve shown up on your own.”

There was no one else around.

Leon, who had been looking for a chance to get rid of Radel since he had met him in the auditorium, thought that now was the perfect time.

“I was just about to kill you.”

“What?”

Bang!

It was an attack that would have been bewildering even for Radel.

Radel rolled around the forest in a frenzy because of Leon, who was using attack magic without even chanting.

"Wait! Let's talk!"

"I have nothing to say to you."

Bang!

Radel dodged the attacks, feeling the overwhelming difference in power.

The only fortunate thing was that when Leon used magic, the flow of the surrounding mana also moved, making it easy to notice.

Leon, who had been shooting flame magic at the bushes where Radel was hiding, seemed to have realized that and paused for a moment.

Now was his chance!

"You won't be able to kill me like this. You're just burning the forest."

"What does that matter?"

As Radel had said, the trees that had been hit by the flame magic were burning fiercely.

"Since the forest is on fire, won't someone come to put it out? This is the academy's private property, so there's no way there isn't a caretaker."

“…….”

Radel thought that it was a plausible argument, even though he had said it himself.

He had to solidify his position here to buy time to escape.

"You want to kill me, don't you? It would be more convenient if there were no witnesses."

“……That’s certainly true.”

Leon nodded.

Yes!

It seemed he could somehow be persuaded if he suggested a fair duel after the entrance exam was over.

However, Leon's thoughts were very different from Radel's.

Swoosh!

When water magic was poured on the burning trees, the fire was quickly extinguished.

“Now the caretaker has no need to come.”

Leon now prepared water-attribute magic instead of flame magic. Water droplets formed in the air and then clumped together, turning into a sharp-tipped spear.

Something resembling a smile appeared on Leon's face for the first time.

“Shall we start again?”

Radel felt the surrounding mana distort strongly. The next attack seemed like it would be really tough. It was a moment when he missed Gusto and Inette, who weren't there.

Just then, a roar that shook the forest spread out.

- Who destroys the forest!

Thump, thump!

A being that moved its giant body and crossed over the forest appeared with a thunderous sound.

- Who dares to torment my brothers!

It was an ancient tree spirit, twice the size of a lush tree.

The words Radel had blurted out to stop Leon were true!

The real caretaker of the forest had appeared.

The tree spirit was enraged when it saw the burned trees.

- My poor brothers! I will find out who it was and make them suffer the same fate!

Every time the tree spirit trembled in anger, all the trees in the forest shook with it.

An ancient spirit with this much power must be a being that had a contract with the academy's principal or a professor.

Radel did not miss the opportunity that had come.

"Forest keeper! I saw it. I saw it with my own two eyes!"

The tree spirit, hearing Radel's voice, bent its body.

- Who was it!

Radel quickly pointed at Leon.

“It was this person who burned the forest.”

Leon's expression didn't flinch, but the water droplets he was casting lost their shape and wavered.

“This person is my blood brother. But not only did he betray his only brother, but he also ended up burning this forest while trying to attack me. I told him not to, but I lacked the strength……”

Radel's voice trailed off as he lowered his head.

If one were to examine his words one by one, there was nothing incorrect. But to Leon's eyes, the sight of him lowering his head was strangely unsightly and made him feel dirty.

Leon's expression turned cold.

The tree spirit could certainly see that the two looked alike.

On top of that, there was an overwhelming difference in their amount of magic power.

To the tree spirit, who had rushed over to avenge its brothers after sensing the burning forest, this was an unacceptable situation.

- If what you say is true, then for the crime of tormenting my brother! And for the crime of trying to harm your own weak brother! I will repay you for everything!

Radel raised his head, which he had let hang limply, and looked at the tree spirit.

"Thank you, forest keeper. Thank you……."

Leon's eyes, watching the scene, shone coldly.

The milk was already spilt.

It seemed his mood would only improve if he got rid of that annoying guy.

Swoosh!

The water-attribute magic that Leon had been charging turned into a spear and flew at Radel.

The tree spirit, seeing that, became enraged and swung a branch to block it.

Thwack!

- So what you said was true! How dare you!

The tree spirit, seeing Leon brazenly attacking his brother in front of its eyes, thought that it could no longer go easy on him.

It was exactly what Radel had hoped for.

Radel, who was deeply grateful in his heart to the tree spirit that was swinging its branches, ran away without looking back. It was with the resolve that he must not be alone the next time he met Leon.

To do that, it seemed he would have to make many friends at the academy.

* * *

The next place Radel headed to was in front of a rock by the sea.

He could feel a strong flow of mana from above.

When he climbed up by finding and stepping on the crevices between the rough rocks, someone was leisurely sitting and fishing.

Even though he must have heard Radel climbing up, he only focused on fishing. He even looked like a fisherman who lived nearby.

'No. This person is definitely a professor.'

Radel knew instinctively.

So he approached with conviction and asked.

"Excuse me, may I ask you something?"

The fisherman answered while looking at his fishing rod.

“What is it?”

It was an indifferent tone.

His appearance also looked too shabby for a professor. His beard was shaggy, and his hair was disheveled, showing signs of being tied up carelessly.

But Radel was not fooled.

He knew from his past life that not all famous S-rank Hunters cared about their appearance. Among them, there were many eccentrics who were only interested in honing their skills and nothing else.

And most of them would quickly lose interest if something wasn't interesting.

In times like this, a direct approach was the best.

"How do you do that?"

When Radel asked, the fisherman answered with a very annoyed expression.

“What, fishing?”

Radel shook his head.

“The mana control.”

Only then did a gleam appear in the fisherman's eyes.

He was sitting and fishing casually, but Radel could feel that he was deliberately moving his magic power and releasing it at regular intervals.

A person who is alone in a place like this and controlling his magic power with suspicious precision must be a professor.

That was the reason Radel was convinced.

The person who was clearly a professor at the academy turned his head for the first time and looked at the applicant.

"This is the first one who has properly understood this exam."

He honestly hadn't even expected it.

Every year, they had similar exams and similar students came in. There were some worth picking out, but most of them didn't catch his interest.

Which side is this one on?

Is he one of the similar ones or…….

Golden eyes came into his view.

Is this the rumored 9th Prince who was said to be coming in this time?

But for that, the magic power he felt was pathetic.

Then what is this guy?