After leaving the Imperial Mage Department, Inigo made his way back toward the inner city gates, heading straight for the Guard Post where he'd first been processed. His footsteps were brisk but relaxed—his earlier disappointment had faded into anticipation. He'd done all the right steps. Now all that remained was the formality.
Inside the Guard Post, the same receptionist soldier greeted him, already holding a bundle of sealed forms and a leather cord looped through a metal-tagged card.
"Inigo, correct?" the guard asked.
The man passed him the card—a stamped leather badge with his name, status, and "Visitor"
" engraved in fine script beside the insignia of the capital.
"This is your temporary identification," the guard said. "Keep it on you at all times. If you're stopped by a patrol or enter any restricted zone without it, you'll be detained."
"Understood," Inigo said, slipping the badge over his head and letting it rest on his chest.
"One more thing," the guard added. "An investigation unit was dispatched to the Southmoor ambush site this morning. Given your testimony and the fact you're one of the only surviving witnesses, expect a summons in the future. You'll be contacted through the Adventurer's Guild if needed."
Inigo nodded. "I'll cooperate when that time comes."
The guard gave a short nod and returned to his work, already calling the next name.
With his ID finally in hand, Inigo turned on his heel and stepped back out into the sunlight, slipping through the crowd toward the northern sector once more.
This time, no guards stopped him when he approached the Imperial Mage Department. One glance at the leather badge was enough for them to gesture him through the front gate.
"Proceed to the front desk just beyond the atrium," one of them said. "Ask for a preliminary mana assessment."
Inside, the contrast from the noisy streets of Elandra was immediate. The air was cooler, laced with the faint scent of parchment and ink. Marble floors stretched in sweeping arcs beneath an intricate mosaic dome that depicted various mythical beasts and swirling magical elements. Runes pulsed faintly across the high stone pillars like veins of light.
This wasn't a military fortress or dusty old library.
It was a cathedral of knowledge.
A young mage-in-training, likely no older than twenty, greeted him at a circular desk near the atrium's center.
"Mana assessment?" she asked, seeing the look on his face.
Inigo nodded. "Yes. I'd like to know if I have magical aptitude. I've never been tested."
"Identification?" she prompted.
She checked it, nodded, then gestured to a hallway behind her. "Follow the left corridor and head to Testing Chamber Three. Someone will meet you there."
Inigo made his way as instructed. The hallways were lined with glowing glyphs and old paintings of legendary casters—mages locked in battle with dragons, priests healing broken armies, enchanters infusing weapons with spells of fire and frost.
It was starting to feel less like a test and more like a secret initiation.
Inside Chamber Three, a circular room waited. Simple stone floors. A glass sphere on a pedestal at the center. A single robed man in his forties stood at the side, flipping through a thick tome until he noticed Inigo.
"You're the one who wants to get tested?"
The man nodded. "I'm Arlen. Mage Division Examiner, Fourth Circle. We'll start with a basic resonance scan."
He gestured to the pedestal. "Place both hands on the sphere and close your eyes. Focus inward. If you have any mana, the crystal will pulse in color. It'll also help us determine elemental alignment, if any."
Inigo stepped forward and placed his hands on the cool glass surface. He closed his eyes.
At first, nothing happened. Just silence and his own breathing.
The sphere began to glow faintly. Soft white at first. Then a ripple of blue. Then violet. Then... nothing.
No flame. No green. No red or yellow streaks.
Arlen stepped closer, squinting at the sphere.
"Curious..." he murmured.
"What is it?" Inigo asked.
"You do have mana," Arlen said, "but no elemental affinity."
The examiner shook his head. "No fire, water, air, or earth. No lightning. No ice. You're not attuned to the primal forces, which is rare—but not unheard of."
"So... what kind of magic do I have?"
"You have access to what we call augmentation magic," Arlen explained. "Supportive in nature. Enhancement-based. You might not throw fireballs, but you can boost your physical traits. Speed. Reflexes. Even imbue objects with temporary magical properties."
Inigo's thoughts raced.
Wait... enhance objects?
"Does that mean I can enchant weapons?" he asked.
"To a degree," Arlen said, nodding. "With enough control and focus, yes. The enchantments won't be permanent, but they'll last long enough to matter in a fight."
Like coating bullets in energy. Empowering his rifle with piercing capabilities. Or infusing his knife to cut through magical barriers. The possibilities suddenly exploded in his head.
"What about creatures that aren't physical?" Inigo asked. "Ghosts. Spirits. Stuff like that."
"Ordinary weapons wouldn't touch them," Arlen said. "But if you imbue your weapon with mana—yes. You could harm incorporeal beings."
Even if his system gave him the power of modern warfare, it wouldn't help against beings immune to the physical. But now?
He had a countermeasure.
His system gave him the bullets.
His magic would give them bite.
"I'll need training," Inigo said aloud. "Where can I learn to control it?"
"You can return here for supervised lessons or attend workshops at the Adventurer's Guild. Just show your ID at either location and request mana enhancement training. We'll schedule sessions based on your availability."
Arlen stepped forward and handed him a scroll. "This confirms your mana category. Enhancement-type, non-elemental. You may need it when applying for advanced licenses or registering for special quests."
Inigo accepted the scroll. "Thank you, sir."
The examiner offered a rare smile. "Support mages are overlooked. But in the right hands, they're more dangerous than fire or lightning."