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Chapter 15
From the students in the training arena to the spectators in the stands—
every gaze focused on Silia.
It was a new experience for her.
“Hmm.”
If all those eyes had been filled purely with hostility, she might have actually felt more at ease.
She was used to being pushed around, looked down on, or treated as though she didn’t exist.
But goodwill? That was harder to handle.
To maintain proper decorum before royalty, Silia placed a hand over her chest and bowed slightly. She had to thank them for allowing her to speak.
“I greet the Noble Star of Ahaim. Your Highness, the Fourth Princess.”
Sparkle, sparkle.
Feeling a bit of pressure from the excessive brightness, Silia looked up.
The pretty, dark-haired princess was beaming at her again, eyes glittering with open admiration.
It was almost embarrassing how plainly her face said “I like you.”
Still, having a royal’s favor was never a bad thing.
For what’s ahead… the more allies, the better.
Silia’s gaze shifted to Crondel, standing beside the princess.
He was finally lowering the hand he had been waving earlier, as if calming down.
Almost instinctively, she tried to spot the blue eyes she knew beneath that blurred appearance—but of course, she couldn’t.
At best, she could faintly make out the outline of his face.
“……”
For a fleeting moment, she wanted to see his real face again.
She wanted to find those eyes in that simple, clueless expression and read what he was thinking.
It was probably thanks to him that the princess intervened to continue the test—and he was clearly steering the current mood as well.
He had a knack for making grand gestures, subtly taking control, and turning situations around.
As if noticing her gaze, Crondel casually touched his face.
A dangerous move—if he wasn’t careful, someone might recognize him.
Then, for just an instant, he lifted his glasses—revealing the clear, handsome face of the prince beneath.
…Having fun, huh.
Silia mouthed the words reproachfully.
That easygoing grin, the faintly folded eyes, and that open, carefree smile were full of pure joy.
It was so genuine that her suspicion of any hidden agenda felt ridiculous.
Still… I can’t relax just yet.
Turning back to Marcella, Silia replied politely,
“Thank you for granting me the chance to speak. I—”
But before she could finish, Archmage Aclla, the Tower Master, raised a hand again—
too impatient to even let her finish a sentence.
Marcella gave a small nod of permission.
Aclla’s eyes lit up as he grinned widely.
“Student! Want to hear something really good?”
“I don’t buy from cult leaders.”
What kind of scammer’s line was that supposed to be?
“How dare you speak that way to the Tower Master!”
“Don’t interrupt, Riman! I’m working! Will you take responsibility if I lose the deal?!”
“Please, have some dignity!”
“……”
To be fair, Riman Jaykal’s complaint wasn’t wrong.
The person Silia was talking to was the Tower Master of the kingdom, after all.
“Anyway, you’ll only gain from listening—”
When Silia averted her eyes, ignoring him, Riman glared daggers at her as if saying, Who are you to ignore our Tower Master?
Never mind that he’d just been yelling at the same man to act with dignity.
Moments ago he’d been the picture of reason and composure—now he looked ready to worship the ground Aclla walked on.
“Hmm? Hmm? You won’t regret it!”
Aclla didn’t know the meaning of giving up.
If she didn’t respond, he’d probably cling like a leech.
So Silia reluctantly nodded, pretending to listen.
The Tower Master clapped his hands happily and trotted closer.
When he reached her, he waved his hand commandingly.
A small shimmering sphere enveloped the two of them.
“A spatial restriction spell?”
“A variant of a soundproofing spell,” he explained. “No one outside can hear us.”
What’s he about to sell me now?
She should have been grateful—but instead, unease crept up her spine.
Then, suddenly, the wild glint in Aclla’s eyes vanished, replaced by a clear, calm focus.
It was as though he’d instantly become someone else.
…He looks like that smiling prince out there.
Before she could think further, Aclla spoke in a low, serious tone.
“You’re unusual. You carry something that’s yours, yet not yours.”
Silia’s face froze in shock.
“…I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, I think you do. But if you’d rather not say it, that’s fine.”
“I—”
“You don’t have to.”
So the rumors about him weren’t all nonsense, after all.
Behind that youthful face, she could sense an ageless presence—something ancient.
Meeting his calm gaze, Silia asked quietly,
“What do you see?”
“If there’s any misunderstanding, I’d like to clear it up,” he said mildly.
“I’m not trying to play fortune-teller. Just making an observation.”
“An observation?”
“Just as one can tell what kind of swordsmanship a warrior has lived by from the feel of their blade, one can infer a mage’s nature from their mana.”
He rolled his eyes once, then said softly,
“Most people have only one mana wavelength. But you—you have two. Red and silver.”
He was right.
When she first opened her mana circuits, she’d seen faint silver mana blooming among the branching red.
Even when she’d channeled mana into the scarecrow earlier, both kinds had flowed out at once.
Apparently, the Tower Master had seen that too.
“It’s rare. If you merely borrowed someone else’s mana briefly, that’d be one thing—but keeping two types inside you constantly? That’s dangerous. The two will clash and erode your life force. A short life is almost guaranteed.”
“……”
Great. Now I’ve got an expiration date.
Silia’s jaw tightened as her anger toward Illode—the one whose mana she’d inherited—flared anew.
“But don’t worry,” Aclla continued, “it doesn’t look critical for now. One side is far stronger, suppressing the other.”
“The red one?”
“Yes.”
That made sense. The red belonged to Illode.
And the silver…
Maybe it was her own—some tiny spark of mana talent she’d never realized she had, awakened alongside his.
Aclla’s voice drew her back.
“As long as the balance holds, you’ll be fine. But if you came to the Tower for proper management… even better.”
“That’s possible?”
“Of course. Truly fascinating… What exactly are you entangled with, I wonder?”
“……”
“Aren’t you curious about the true nature of your mana?”
His smile as he said that—
He really did look like a cult leader.
“I thought you said you don’t play fortune-teller.”
“I’m not! Though, for the record, I’m quite good at it when I want to be. Join the Tower and I’ll do a reading for free.”
“……”
As shameless as he was, part of her couldn’t ignore the offer.
If she could understand this mana properly, maybe it would be easier to return it to Illode.
I don’t even know how I inherited it in the first place. To give it back, I need to understand it.
And then there was the lifespan issue. Even if she was fine now, what about later?
While she was lost in thought, Aclla pulled a white sheet of paper from his robe and began tracing symbols across it.
“Think about it carefully.”
Golden mana flowed from his fingertips, forming glowing letters across the paper—the same color she’d seen cushioning Ingram earlier.
“The Tower Master personally sent for a royal sigil.”
“It’s nothing much,” he said modestly.
Apparently, he’d been watching the entire exam from somewhere.
“If you want to study mana, why bother with the academy’s beginner-level magic classes? The Tower is a far better place.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“If you can’t decide, why not do both swordsmanship and magic? You are a magic swordsman, after all.”
He chuckled brightly.
The mysterious, awe-inspiring aura vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual childish demeanor.
“Bring this paper anytime, and you’ll be able to meet me directly at the Tower.”
With that, the soundproof spell dissolved.
Aclla blew her a playful kiss, bowed lightly to the royals, and vanished like the wind.
His entourage followed suit, bowing and hurrying after him.
Zap.
Silia felt a glare and turned—
Riman Jaykal was staring daggers at her.
He definitely didn’t look fond. The calm, rational man from earlier was gone, replaced by open hostility.
“Ha.”
Silia clasped one hand behind her back and subtly raised her middle finger.
When Riman’s eyes widened in outrage, she gave him a dazzling smile.
What, you gonna do something about it?
If he wanted to file a complaint about the exam, he could try—but he wouldn’t have any grounds.
Once the Tower mages left, the dazed examiner finally announced the end of the test.
At that, the royals and the rest quickly dispersed as well.
Silia returned to the mansion with Margaret, Julyn, and Flier, who rushed over to greet her enthusiastically.
“I didn’t know you were that strong!”
Margaret chattered excitedly all the way home, cheeks flushed with pride.
A few days later, Julyn and Margaret received their admission letters to the Academy.
Silia’s never came.
