When called upon, Kyle visibly stiffened.
He swallowed hard, and with trembling steps, made his way to the center of the arena before the magic training dummy.
He could feel the focused stares of his classmates behind him, as well as the calm yet deeply oppressive gaze of Teacher Sefina.
Kyle took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress his nerves, then raised his magic wand and began concentrating all his attention on gathering his mana.
The surrounding air seemed to drop a few degrees in an instant. Threads of cold energy spread from the tip of his staff, and pale blue array patterns swiftly took shape before him—
It was a Tier 2 spell, [Ice Blade].
Compared to Lacey’s unsteady Fireball, Kyle’s [Ice Blade] was clearly superior in both condensation speed and the stability of its formation.
A single flash of icy light cut through the air with a “whoosh,” shooting straight at the magic dummy.
“Szzzt—”
The Ice Blade struck the dummy’s abdomen with precision, leaving behind a distinct, deep gash, even shaving off some simulated armor fragments.
Sefina, legs crossed, swept her gaze over the marks on the dummy’s shoulder, her tone as flat as ever.
“Good power, meets the Tier 2 standard. Casting speed is just passable. B+.”
B+!
As soon as Kyle heard the result, his taut nerves relaxed at once, and he let out a long breath.
With this B+, plus the theory he’d been cramming lately—though his written exam might not be great…
At least… at least his hopes of passing the final evaluation had increased dramatically. Relieved, as if surviving a disaster, he hurried back to the group.
***
Next, Sefina called out names in order, each student stepping forward to be tested.
Fireball, Wind Blade, Rock Spike… all kinds of low-tier spells flashed across the training ground.
What surprised the students was that Teacher Sefina’s practical grading wasn’t nearly as harsh or unreasonable as they’d imagined.
As long as the spell was properly cast and met the basic requirements for its tier, most students received a grade around B or C, safely above the passing line.
This caused the students still waiting for their turn to collectively breathe a sigh of relief, and the tense atmosphere eased compared to the suffocating pressure at the start.
Most of the students made it through the test without issue—until Ellaria stepped up.
She walked calmly to the dummy, barely bothering with preparation. A tap of her staff, and a complex, brilliant Tier 3 magic circle flared instantly.
A blazing [Explosion Spell] roared forth, erupting on the dummy’s chest in a burst of blackened cracks, the power far surpassing previous Tier 2 spells.
Sefina glanced at the extent of the dummy’s damage and, as expected, delivered the highest evaluation:
“A+.”
Ellaria nodded slightly and quietly returned to the group.
Though she looked nonchalant on the surface, her heart fluttered with a hint of excitement at having received the teacher’s approval.
The names on the roster drew closer to the end, and soon it was Mia and Kefi’s turn.
Waiting in the designated area, Mia grew restless again; her chatterbox nature, fueled by nerves, erupted once more.
She grabbed Kefi’s hand beside her and muttered softly:
“Kefi, Kefi, what do I do? It looks like my turn is coming up soon—I’m so nervous…”
Kefi sighed helplessly and patted her hand in comfort.
“It’s fine, see? Teacher Sefina’s practical grading isn’t that scary. Besides, haven’t you always done well in practicals? You’ll be just fine.”
But Mia clung to Kefi, continuing to talk in an attempt to ease her anxiety.
Suddenly, she seemed to notice something. Her gaze landed on the staff Kefi was holding and she asked in confusion:
“Eh? Kefi, did you get a new staff?” She remembered that this wasn’t the one Kefi usually used.
This staff had an old-fashioned design, and, well… it certainly looked antique. The wooden shaft bore fine, natural grain, and the magic crystal at the tip wasn’t especially clear.
Kefi glanced down at her staff and explained:
“It’s not new. I overloaded my usual staff while practicing at noon and broke it… Turns out that cheap one I bought wasn’t very sturdy. So, I have to use this one.”
She gently stroked the shaft, “This one was left to me by my mother, a long time ago.”
Mia asked with concern, “Are you sure it’s okay to use? Want to borrow mine instead?”
She understood the importance of a staff to a mage—a staff that didn’t feel right or didn’t channel mana well could seriously affect spellcasting.
Kefi shook her head, flashing a reassuring smile:
“It’s alright, I tried it at noon. It might be a bit old, but mana flows through it smoothly enough. Should be fine to use. I really will need to buy a new one once the holidays start, though.”
Seeing Kefi so at ease, Mia didn’t ask further.
Soon, Sefina’s cool voice rang out: “Mia.”
Mia started and hurried forward. As one of the few students in the class who had reached the peak of Tier 2 mage, almost touching the threshold of Tier 3, Mia’s practical ability was certainly impressive.
Steadying her mind, she waved her staff, and a solid, swift Tier 2 spell carved a deep gash into the dummy.
Sefina looked at the result and remarked lightly, “Power, speed, control—all quite good. A.”
Mia’s anxiety finally vanished completely, and her face bloomed with a relieved smile.
She decided she’d have to treat herself to a nice meal at the cafeteria tonight! She thought with delight.
Sefina absentmindedly called the next name, one of the last on the roster: “Kefi.”
***
With the test nearly finished, Sefina felt a hint of relief in her heart.
Preparing the exam, arranging the venue, grading the written papers—these past few days had left her thoroughly exhausted.
With the practical assessment over today, she could finally set aside her burdens and rest for a bit.
Kefi stepped forward as instructed, lifting her somewhat worn staff and beginning to gather mana. Judging by the rapidly forming array before her, she was casting a Tier 2 light spell: [Spear of Light].
Sefina nodded inwardly. This child, Kefi, had indeed progressed quickly—she was already among the better Tier 2 mages.
Judging from the smoothness of her spell formation, Sefina estimated she would get an A- or even an A.
That was what Sefina was thinking as her gaze habitually swept over the staff in Kefi’s hand, preparing to record the result.
But in that moment, she seemed to notice something unusual.
Kefi’s staff… why… did it look so familiar?
Sefina’s nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up at once. Her wine-red eyes narrowed as she focused even more intently on the staff.
That slightly curved shape… the ochre magic crystal at the tip, etched with a unique spiral pattern, and beneath it, the blue feather pendant hanging down…
Put all those features together—there was no mistaking it.
This staff…
She recognized it!
Kefi and she… what was their connection? Could it be…
A clear suspicion swiftly took shape in Sefina’s mind, making her hesitate for a moment, her hand pausing mid-air with her pen ready to mark the score.
At this point, Kefi had already finished casting, her [Spear of Light] striking the dummy with precisely the expected effect.
She withdrew her staff, looking at Sefina with some confusion, not understanding why the teacher hadn’t reacted—no grade recorded, no announcement as before.
Sensing Kefi’s questioning gaze, Sefina abruptly snapped out of her shock and speculation.
She quickly concealed her exposed emotions, returning to her usual aloof expression. Picking up her pen, she deftly wrote a single letter after Kefi’s name on the roster:
“A.”