As the measurement ceremony began, the new students of the Department of Magic felt slightly intimidated.
Yet, unlike the first ceremony, many students boldly stepped forward to assess the results of their training.
The first student to place his hand on the Mana Meter was Sebastian, the student council president who enjoyed being in the limelight.
“The fourth place in the midterms is unacceptable. To think I was only one point behind a lowly commoner… I’ll widen the gap this time!”
The shock from being surpassed by Ian Oracle in the midterms still lingered, and he was particularly concerned about Edel’s score.
With determination, Sebastian closed his eyes and infused his mana.
A deep hum resonated as a qualitatively and quantitatively abundant mana began to fill the orb of the Mana Meter.
No matter the event, the first step always garnered attention.
The fellow students watched the screen, swallowing hard, curious about the numbers that would appear.
“1,470!”
“Wow!”
“He almost reached the 4th Circle, didn’t he?”
“Of course, he’s from the Kent family’s lineage!”
The bar was set too high from the start.
The students waiting their turn naturally felt intimidated.
Sebastian inhaled lightly and opened his eyes.
Though not entirely satisfied with the result, he thought to himself,
“At least no one can say I’ve regressed. The elixir paid off!”
A smile crept across his face.
Sebastian devoured the elixir provided by his family until he couldn’t anymore.
His lazy training finally showed results.
He turned to look at Ian.
Ian watched the screen with a calm expression.
‘This time, you won’t be able to hide your power, Ian Oracle. The spotlight has fallen on this event due to the dungeon incident.’
Sebastian planned to redirect that attention to himself.
‘This time, I won’t lose, Ian Oracle. It won’t be easy for you!’
After retreating to his spot, Ophelia stepped up as the next candidate.
“The second and third places from the last measurement are going first…”
“This is too much pressure.”
“Now I see why they say it’s better to get it over with quickly.”
The fellow students murmured.
Milo and Edel were also curious about Ophelia’s result.
Thanks to Ian rescuing her, they were seeing each other often these days.
“Ophelia Drias. Beginning measurement.”
Her delicate hand touched the orb.
An ethereal mana started to spread slowly.
“Something is different.”
Ian wasn’t the only one who felt it.
Sebastian, who was keenly observing, started to frown.
Previously, due to disharmony with her spirit, her mana wasn’t refined during the measurement.
But this time was different.
Ophelia still had a long way to go, but she’s now in a good rhythm with Undine.
‘The effort in her training is evident. This could turn the tables.’
Ian’s prediction was absolutely accurate.
The number that appeared on the screen was enough to astonish everyone.
“1,474!”
“Wow!”
The murmuring and cheering erupted, alongside groans of disappointment.
Ophelia opened her eyes and beamed brightly.
Conversely, Sebastian, who was watching just in case, had a twisted expression.
‘What an absurd mess this is.’
His efforts were thwarted from an unexpected quarter.
The unpleasant sensation was akin to being sucked into a swamp filled with filthy mud.
The nightmare of the midterms resurfaced.
At the same time, the image of his father, who often wore a displeased expression, flashed before him.
‘Did I lose again?’
In the midterms, he lost third place to a gap of four points.
And now, even in mana measurement, he had to concede with a mere four-point difference.
How would this news be received by his family?
Sebastian involuntarily swallowed hard.
“My, how sorry do you think I am?”
He snapped back to reality to find Ophelia approaching.
With arms crossed, she tilted her head and smiled smugly.
“Again, I’ve taken your spot, oppa. No hard feelings, okay?”
“Just how much elixir did you consume?”
His retort came out sarcastically.
This was exactly what Ophelia had been waiting for.
It was proof that Sebastian was truly peeved.
“My oppa can hardly speak. You know my father, he’s quite conservative with elixirs.”
Mana absorbed through elixirs is difficult to refine, making it qualitatively inferior to mana cultivated directly by a practitioner in their circle.
“The few I took were only meant to solidify my circles. Mana overabundance is now resolved, and the disharmony is almost gone, so naturally, my mana expanded.”
“Ugh…”
“As the student council president, you should set an example for other students, don’t you think? If the tail becomes heavier than the head, that can be a problem!”
Ophelia shot him a sweet smile and turned her gaze.
Ian stood there.
In truth, she had been diligently training behind the scenes.
She wanted to prove that her spirit contract wasn’t merely luck, and neither was her rescue by Ian.
Feeling Ian’s approving smile, she felt remarkably light, as though a heavy burden had been lifted.
“Damn! How did she increase her mana so much?”
Milo’s complaints began.
Even though he had prepared himself, seeing two individuals approaching the 4th Circle was daunting.
“It’s not nice to belittle someone’s efforts, don’t you think?”
“What? Ian, are you siding with that vixen now?”
Milo glanced suspiciously.
Ian shrugged.
“I’m not siding, just stating facts.”
“Not belittling, just venting.”
“If you’re so disgruntled, why not step up and show your skills?”
Ian motioned towards the stage.
Thanks to Sebastian and Ophelia’s impressive displays, no volunteers were readily stepping forward.
“Hmph. Crushing you, Ian, is the only satisfaction I need!”
Milo ground his teeth and marched forward confidently.
The result was somewhat surprising.
“Missed it!”
Milo sighed.
The figure on the screen stunned all observing students.
“1,402…?”
“Wasn’t Milo’s previous score in the high 900s?”
“Insane! What a monstrous guy!”
With this, Milo reaffirmed his genius.
“Even though he hardly had time due to assisting Professor Maxim’s research. Was he just pretending? Well, considering he defied family traditions to enroll, he must have been resolute.”
As a friend, Ian found the result delightful.
Milo was now closer to the 4th Circle.
“Darn! If the score were just a little higher, I could’ve surpassed the two of them! Such a shame!”
“More than a little, though.”
“Aren’t friends supposed to be in tune with their inner voices?”
“Your inner voice is screaming to boast.”
Milo shrugged it off.
The 4th Circle’s standard was a score of 1,500.
While numerically a difference of about 100 seemed small, as mana increased, it became exponentially more challenging to elevate it further.
Ian’s observation was precise.
On the platform, Jessica began to speak.
― Milo Vinettia. You’ve been training hard. Increasing by over 400 points is not common. It’s impressive.
Her voice, imbued with a powerful mana, flowed out.
The grand auditorium, vast as it was, couldn’t ignore her words.
Thus, her praise carried weight.
“Thank you, dean! I’ll strive harder!”
Other professors nodded, acknowledging Milo’s achievement.
It was meaningful for educators to witness their students’ growth.
“Now, all you need is a girlfriend.”
Milo’s previously elated expression faltered.
“… Is this the time for such remarks?”
“Don’t get too full of yourself. There’s still a long way to go.”
Milo’s expression suddenly turned mischievous.
He leaned in close to Ian.
Close enough that their noses could almost touch if either of them moved.
Ian took a step back.
But each time, Milo stepped closer.
Like a tiger zeroing in on its prey.
“Hehe… This is the end, Ian Oracle. No matter how much you struggle, you can’t surpass me. It’s revenge for the midterm results!”
“Hmm.”
Ian pondered how to respond with minimal fallout but couldn’t come up with a suitable reply.
Previously, his score with Professor Frost measured at 1,750.
Even without considering the naturally increased amount, there was a significant gap between Ian’s record and Milo’s score.
Approximately a difference of 350 points.
“It’s Zickhardt!”
“How high do you think his score will be?”
“Isn’t he going to surpass the 4th Circle?”
“Naturally! His last score was in the high 1,400s!”
Everyone’s attention shifted from Milo to Zickhardt.
Bearing a smug grin, he placed his hand on the or of the mana maeter.
“Idiots. To be so content over such trivial results. They should be ashamed.”
He closed his eyes and released his mana.
The sensation was entirely different.
The swell of mana waves and the palpable pressure exuded from him seemed on an entirely different level.
The result left everyone’s mouths opened, including the professors present.
“This, this is!”
“Incredible. I suspected, but I never thought we’d see such a result…”
“By academy standards, this puts him in the mid-4th Circle, doesn’t it? Astounding, truly astounding!”
Professors exchanged their thoughts.
The students, still grappling with the implication, continued to gape at the screen in disbelief.
The score felt almost like a natural disaster.
Ian was equally astonished.
“Is this possible?”
The score Zickhardt recorded was 1,796.
“His last measurement was 1,482. Did he breakthrough to the 4th Circle and progress to the mid-level in one go?”
It defied logical understanding.
True, Milo had made a leap from late 2nd to late 3rd Circle in one swoop. However, transitioning from 3rd to 4th Circle was on an entirely different scale.
“I broke my limits by contracting with a spirit, but could Zickhardt have done the same?”
Yet the thought was immediately dismissed.
Spiritists can recognize one another.
They might not discern which spirit is involved, but they can sense another’s spirit energy.
Ian’s senses detected nothing.
“Moreover, the spirit I contracted is special. Breaking through limits with a typical contract is out of the question.”
Ian’s thoughts delved deeper into confusion.
“What in the world…? What trick did he pull?”
Zickhardt, with a dismissive wave, turned around.
He basked in the admiring gazes before glancing at Ian, his mouth curled up in a sneer.
“Curious about the results? How such numbers were achieved?”
“Quite surprising.”
“Heh, not very straightforward. With your intellect, you’d never grasp it, even if you were reborn. This is… well, let’s call it a family secret. A secret of sorts.”
Ian approached Zickhardt.
But he passed him by.
Ian stood before the measuring device and placed his hand on the Mana Meter.
“Why don’t we see today whose mind is more lacking?”
“… What?”
“Watch and see.”
Ian closed his eyes.