Aethernea

Episode 56 – Kiel’s Spell Control Exam Result

Previously:

Kady Ailert and Rau Eryey explain how Kiel and Elaru will be tested in the upcoming spell control exam. Examinees are given a cube that they will control with complete spells – Temperature and Light. Through their control, the cube will pass an obstacle race against time. Kady and Rau demonstrated how to use the cube with the Temperature and Light spell.

Meanwhile, Zerel dupes Deora into displaying his spell control skills and destroying all threads instead of avoiding them. Zerel cheers Deora on, and Elaru decides to join in and cheer too.

Kiel let other examinees take the test before him, making him the last one to take the test.

However, the reason why Kiel decided to wait until everyone else was done had nothing to do with being considerate.

What all of them didn’t know was that Kiel willingly chose to go last. And it was because he was studying the layout of the web and movements of the strings.

They weren’t completely random. Because if they were random, if an examinee was unlucky, it could lead to the situation of him being unable to reach a perfect score because the layout of the labyrinth was unfavorable.

The movement had to have a certain logic around it that ensured that the score didn’t depend on luck or timing.

By watching the strings while others were taking the exam, he had managed to figure out the pattern.

Even if his spell control was lacking, by predicting the movement of the strings, he could increase his exam by several points.

When it was his turn, he was itching to put his observations into action.

Kiel stepped forward, holding his white cube in hand.

After reaching the glass cylinder, he showed his exam pass to Rau and proceeded to start the test.

Gracefully, his cube floated down, to the opening.

Kiel’s eyes narrowed, watching the strings instead on his cube. As soon as he heard a soft click, a bright light flashed in his eyes.

Under his control, the cube flew gracefully, like a bird. It zigzagged and circled around, but mostly, it shot upwards at full speed. It looked as if the strings moved away from the cube on their own.

It didn’t look as if he was avoiding the web at all. It looked as if the web was avoiding him.

The eyes of the examinees popped out of their sockets.

The heck?!?

What the..?!

Is there something special about his cube??

Is he cheating somehow?!

Rau Eryey stared at the situation within the cylinder with surprise flashing in the depths of his eyes. Kady was more direct about it. She smiled in satisfaction, her face showing understanding.

As expected from a Rroda, he figured out the pattern!

Intelligence is one of the most important qualities of a mage. We might not test for it directly, but that doesn’t mean we don’t indirectly reward intelligence.

Even though this overbearing yet graceful dance of the white cube, looked easy and flawless, it wasn’t so at all. Kiel’s mind was stretched to its limit of concentration. His control of the cube was meticulous and precise. If the movement of his cube was off by even a width of a toothpick, he might end up touching the strings.

Kiel’s face remained calm and collected. The only sign of his considerable strain was the cold sweat dripping down the side of his head.

Only when the cube lodged itself on the top of the cylinder, followed by a soft click, did Kiel’s sharp gaze relax.

“Very well done.” Kady praised, scribbling down on her papers. “Fully deserving of 25 points.”

As she said that, the other examinees, whose faces looked ghastly, finally reacted.

“Impossible!”

“That’s not fair!”

“There is something wrong with this cube!”

“Yes! Exactly! The strings were moving away from his cube!”

“Isn’t this cheating?”

“How could this be allowed?”

As the examinees exclaimed in shock, the usually calm face of Rau Eryey darkened. A chill entered into his dark green eyes and seeped out through his voice:

“You dare question the fairness of our university?”

His cold voice pierced the room, making everyone feel as they had just been stabbed with a needle.

“Even if our exams were partial, what right would you have to complain? Are we obliged to make it fair?

Muni is the property of the Arite family. Who they wish to accept is entirely up to them. Not only do they give this incredible opportunity to everyone regardless of status and background, but even the costs of study are covered, not requiring you to pay any education fees.

Yet instead of being grateful, you have the gall to sully our reputation and voice complaints about the fairness?”

Rau sneered. “Do you think that a person capable of reaching a perfect score in 3 different tests needs to cheat a few more points out of us as to be accepted? Aren’t you just looking for an excuse for your own incompetence? To pin the blame for your own lack of ability on our ‘lack of fairness’?”

His incomparably sharp words made everyone fall silent. This Rau Eryey seemed like a calm and fair person; he was even from the Eryey family which is known for their magnanimity and kindness, so why are his words so…deadly?

The uncomfortable silence was interrupted by the warm motherly voice of Kady. “What prof. Eryey is trying to say is that you are free to file a complaint to the headmaster directly. However, I assure you, all white cubes are exactly the same. What you’ve just witnessed wasn’t cheating.

It wasn’t that the strings moved away from the cube, rather, it was that this young man chose the right flight path.”

Kady’s hands reached for a pocket on the teacher’s uniform, from which she pulled out a pocket watch. She glanced at it briefly before putting it back in her pocket.

“Since we are ahead of schedule, I can give you a few minutes to try using this cube yourself.” She smiled softly. “That should dispel your doubts about this cube being different from the others? Correct?”

Kiel stared at the two professors that, for some reason, seemed to be in harmony with one another. Instead of feeling warm because of their protective behavior towards him, he felt a chill. Is this a “good-peacekeeper, bad-peacekeeper” routine?

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