On the opening day of the Royal Academy of Magic, it was nothing short of a grand gala for the entire upper class of the Empire.
Carriages of every ornate kind streamed ceaselessly along White Stone Avenue, their sides inlaid with family House Crests glittering under the sunlight. Young masters and ladies, dressed in pristine new uniforms, were surrounded by clusters of servants as if attending a grand banquet.
Amidst this scene of opulence, Tulia and Lisbeth stood out like sore thumbs.
They had no carriage; they simply walked. Tulia wore her gentle blue and white long dress, while Lisbeth sported a sharp black trench coat.
At first, Lisbeth stayed close by her mother’s side, curiosity brimming in her eyes as she took in her surroundings.
But soon, she noticed something that made her a little uneasy looking around, she saw that all the other new students had at least a respectful Butler, a clever Personal Attendant, or at worst, a Bodyguard lugging piles of luggage by their side.
Not a single person, like her, was accompanied personally by their mother.
Those new students gathered in groups, laughing and chatting, every gesture and word carrying an air of adult sophistication and independence.
A strange, unfamiliar feeling quietly began to stir in Lisbeth’s heart for the first time.
She glanced at Tulia, who was still fussing over her collar and softly reminding her to “be polite later,” then at her peers who, though her age, already seemed so self-assured and capable—a faint sense of shyness crept onto her cheeks.
With Mom still by my side, does it… make me look childish?
The thought instantly made her feel uncomfortable all over. Unconsciously, and as inconspicuously as she could, Lisbeth put a little distance between herself and Tulia.
However, this air of extravagance was abruptly halted in front of the academy’s grand arched gates by an unyielding barrier.
“Stop! All carriages are to remain outside the security line!” A thunderous voice boomed like a clap of thunder, “For freshmen registration, only the student and one companion are permitted to enter the campus. Everyone else must wait outside!”
The speaker was a brawny, stern-faced middle-aged man Instructor Barrett.
“Why?!” A flamboyantly dressed noble young lady immediately shrieked in protest.
“That’s right! The academy’s rules are too unreasonable!” Several noble youths chimed in, echoing her complaint.
Barrett let out a cold chuckle. In an instant, a blazing “Explosion Lava” formed in his palm, and with this display of absolute power, the dissatisfied noble children instantly turned pale and fell silent.
After that brief commotion, registration for new students officially began.
When it was Lisbeth’s turn, the teacher in charge didn’t even look up. “Name, age.”
“Lisbeth, ten”
“Seventeen!”
Before Lisbeth could finish, a hand clamped tightly over her mouth from the side. Tulia pressed down on her almost-blundering daughter and flashed an apologetic smile to the teacher, “Sorry, sir, she’s just a bit nervous. Her name is Lisbeth, and she’s seventeen.”
The teacher raised his head, glanced at Lisbeth—who was half a head taller than Tulia—nodded, and didn’t seem suspicious.
“Previous study experience?”
“Well… she’s been homeschooled, hasn’t attended formal school.” Tulia answered honestly.
“What?” The teacher’s pen stopped abruptly, and he frowned, looking up. “Seventeen, and no formal magic education? Madam, I’m sorry, but according to the academy’s rules, we do not accept applicants over twelve who have not begun formal training.”
Now, it was Tulia’s turn to be dumbfounded.
—Oh no! I only thought about how ridiculous it would sound to say Lisbeth was ten with her height, and completely forgot about the age limit! I can’t believe I’ve made such a foolish mistake as her mother!
She hurriedly took out the exquisite Invitation Card left by Claudia Winston and handed it over with both hands.
“Sir, we’re here on Mentor Claudia Winston’s recommendation. Would you please take a look…”
Before long, Claudia herself rushed over, Mia trailing anxiously behind.
“Instructor Barrett, what’s going on here?”
“Mentor Claudia,” Barrett pointed at the Registration Book, “This student—seventeen, no foundation. Not qualified.”
“She’s one of my two Special Admission Quota for this year,” Claudia replied firmly. “Talent is the only true standard. Let her take the Affinity Test—let the numbers speak for themselves.”
Barrett was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Fine, since you vouch for her.”
The line for the Affinity Test was long. By the time Lisbeth’s turn finally came, every gaze was fixed on her.
She placed her hand on the massive, dazzling Crystal Ball.
Fire: 78%
Water: 82%
Wind: 85%
Earth: 75%
…
“My goodness! High affinity with all Elements!” Cries of astonishment burst from the crowd.
But it wasn’t over. At the last item, the Crystal Ball suddenly exploded with a brilliant, emerald green light so intense it seemed about to overflow!
Wood: 99%!
The entire scene fell silent.
Barrett’s eyes bulged like bronze bells. Claudia trembled all over in excitement. The other instructors, like sharks smelling blood, instantly swarmed in!
“Barrett! Let her join our Elemental Department! She was born to command vines and ancient trees!”
“Nonsense! With such a powerful life affinity, to waste her on anything but our Healing and Blessing Department is a crime!”
“Out of my way! She’s mine! I said it!” Claudia flung out her arms, shielding Lisbeth like a mother hen.
An intense “talent snatching war” erupted on the spot in the face of such shocking innate talent.
“Silence!”
A roar charged with overwhelming magic power swept through the registration area like a shockwave. Instructor Barrett stepped forward—just one step—and a web of cracks instantly spread outward from his feet.
The teachers, who had been arguing heatedly just a moment ago, were instantly cowed into silence, like ducks with their necks wrung.
“This is the Royal Academy of Magic, not a marketplace!” Barrett’s cold gaze swept over each of them. “Want to snatch a student? Fine. Follow the rules.”
He turned to Claudia, and though his tone was still stiff, there was a trace of approval in his words. “This student was brought by you, and you’re the one standing up for her.
According to the Academy’s Discoverer Priority Principle, she goes under your name first. As for the other departments…”
He paused, glancing at the jaw-dropping ‘99%’ displayed on the Crystal Ball, and added, “…Once she’s enrolled, you can all apply to have her take your courses as a minor if you’re capable enough. For now, everyone disperse—don’t delay the next student’s registration!”
With Barrett’s final word, the other instructors, though clearly reluctant, had no choice but to withdraw. Still, the burning, searing looks they threw at Lisbeth seemed to brand her with invisible marks.
Claudia finally breathed a sigh of relief, her face splitting into the satisfied smile of a victor.
She smugly cast a glance at her “defeated rivals” before turning around, ready to say something to her new treasure of a student.
But instead, she saw the genius girl at the center of this storm paying no mind to the chaos around her.
Lisbeth’s ever-calm blue eyes were gazing right past the excited crowd, across the noisy throng, locking with Tulia’s in the distance with a trace of instinctive reliance.
She had no idea what those numbers meant, nor why the adults had suddenly become so worked up. All she knew was it was noisy, and it was unfamiliar.
In this moment, she just wanted to find the one presence that brought her the most comfort.
Tulia caught her daughter’s plea for help in her gaze. Smiling, she gave her a gentle, reassuring nod.
But inside, she was anything but calm.
—It’s over.