Raelis strolled through the streets of the capital, his disguise ring active.
It didn’t take long for him to find a cheap inn to settle in. But despite its price, he knew this inn was one of the more trustworthy ones.
After all, this was another meeting point for the Black Lotus.
He also had the benefit of getting a large room for cheap, purely because he had their earring.
Blue Mask was the one who gave him the earring, so it was only natural that he used it to the best of his abilities.
After he finished settling into the room, he went downstairs and grabbed a quick snack. When he finally finished, he headed out toward the academy.
He still had plenty of time, but it was better to be early rather than late.
Plus, it would give him some time to scout out the competition.
It sucks that I didn’t get a chance to attend the academy back then... But I do know the content of the exams at least, Raelis thought.
The preliminary exam was simple. They’d fight against each other, and their combat skill would be evaluated.
But once the actual exam began, he wouldn’t be able to predict the outcome.
Especially the next part of the exam...
He put those thoughts aside and continued walking.
But it didn’t take long to arrive. After all, the Furnace Academy was truly a sight to behold.
Raelis came to a stop at the edge of the plaza and glanced at the structure ahead.
Furnace Academy was made of dark stone, built for defense, not appearance. It was large, plain, and surrounded by thick vapor. f.(r)eewe/bnov\ll.com
There were no signs, no guards, just an open gate and people walking in.
The part that stood out most was that the academy was carved directly into the side of a volcano.
But aside from that, he made his way through the open gate, arriving at the outer courtyard.
It had several training centers scattered around and one giant stone platform in the middle.
That was exactly where he currently stood, alongside thousands of other candidates.
He couldn’t recognize anyone, and he definitely couldn’t spot his siblings either.
But just as he thought he’d wait silently until the exam began, someone bumped into him.
He turned toward them and noticed a scrawny boy his age. He had a few bruises on his face and three thin-line scars on his right wrist.
"S-Sorry," the boy said, bowing profusely. "I wasn’t looking, so please pardon my tardiness."
"You’re good," Raelis muttered, his eyes going back to scan the crowd. "Just be careful."
But despite his simple dismissal, the boy stayed.
"Um... Are you looking for someone?" the boy asked. "I know most of the candidates who will be participating... so if you want me to, I could find the one you’re looking for."
"Strange skill to have, but I’m not interested," Raelis dismissed him yet again.
If he asked this boy to search for Zeri or even Auren, then they’d definitely manage to trace it back to him.
In reality, there was no benefit in doing so. Whenever the exam started, he would take his disguise ring off.
"I-I see... I’m sorry for bothering you," the boy said with a bow and slowly made his way deeper into the crowd.
Raelis was pretty suspicious of that kid, so just in case, he checked himself over, making sure nothing was stolen. Thankfully, he was fine.
Forty minutes had passed, and even more people had gathered. And that was when a particular figure caught his eye.
Fiery red hair, crimson eyes. It was Elandra Varekan.
She carried herself as brutishly as always, but for some reason, she was heading straight toward him.
For a second, he thought his disguise ring wasn’t working, yet when she arrived, she simply stood beside him in silence.
This was one of the people who had tormented him in the past, and since she showed herself first, she’d be his first target for revenge.
It seems like she managed to form her third flame ring. I’m falling behind... Raelis sighed and got back to waiting.
He was feeling slightly nervous, but it would all pass when the exam began.
Nothing happened until the final minutes before the exam, when he saw multiple people running and causing a ruckus.
But before they could cause any further harm, a bright light descended from the sky and enveloped the troublemakers.
They vanished from the platform, and from the corner of his eye, he spotted them on the other side of the now-closing gate.
With a loud thud, it finally closed, sending a wave of wind toward Raelis and the rest of the candidates.
But a sudden cough from above snapped them all out of it.
Raelis looked up and saw a man wearing a long black robe, outlined with intricate patterns as well as a symbol of a furnace, the sigil of the academy.
Before Raelis could evaluate the mysterious figure further, he spoke.
"Greetings, everyone. I see there are a total of 22,249 of you here. It’s an all-time high, yet again," the man remarked with a chuckle. "But that’s not important since this year, we won’t be taking in more than 200 students."
The moment he finished speaking, the candidates flew into a fit of rage.
—Huuuh!? What do you mean!? I thought doing well guaranteed acceptance!
—M-My family invested in this place! If you kick me out, they’ll pull every coin of funding!
It was safe to say no one was happy. But this was a good thing.
Furnace Academy had always produced geniuses, but there was always a batch of people who contributed nothing but toxicity.
Those people were none other than rich, spoiled noble kids.
The man spoke up again, confirming Raelis’s suspicion.
"It’s a new program we’re trying out. So we’ll be dividing the 200 who remain into specialized classes based on their performance in the entrance exam," the man added, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Arius Aelianus. I’m a 7th Core Mage and an 8th Circle Swordsman. But I am also the headmaster of the Furnace Academy."
He cleared his throat and raised his hands.
"Everyone, pay attention. I will now announce the contents of the preliminary exam."