When the mage appeared, Knight Kael stepped back slightly, still holding his ground but with his guard up.
"Luca... You’d better back off; this isn’t your concern," he said in a serious tone.
The words drew a small chuckle from Luca, who, with a flick of his hand, conjured a small electric orb that floated above his palm, vibrant and menacing. It suddenly began to dance gently between his fingers, demonstrating his exquisite control over his mana.
"Kael, the last time we faced off, I recall you couldn’t walk for a month... How about this time we double that, or would you prefer I make it permanent?"
The threat was direct, spoken with chilling calm, making it clear how confident Luca was in his ability to finish him at any moment. Kael, for his part, seemed to be debating internally, but before he could respond, Luca spoke again with a mocking smile.
"Besides, it seems you’re forgetting that it was your student who attacked first. This room is fully monitored, so don’t think no one will notice what happened. And even if my apprentice were to blame... are you really willing to risk your reputation for this small conflict? What will the academy think if they find out a third-year student was defeated by a newly arrived recruit?"
Luca’s words were sharp as an arrow to Kael’s pride. He clicked his tongue before looking at Argus, lying on the floor like a dead dog. The fury within Kael’s heart surged. Argus didn’t know it, but he would be the one to pay the price for this situation. If Kael couldn’t kill him in front of everyone, he would have already ripped off his head.
"Fine... we’ll let this end here." With a scoff, he turned away before saying, without looking at Dixon and the others, "You, recruits, follow me."
Dixon and the others looked at him seriously, not out of fear of punishment—they were already accustomed to injustices from their time on the ship—but because they knew William had deliberately taken all the blame. He had earned the hatred of the nobles so they could live in peace. Despite coming from the same place, the difference continued to grow, making everyone feel miserable and useless. Despite everything, they were deeply grateful, so no words were needed. A fleeting glance and a slight nod were enough for everyone to understand the message.
Kael picked up Argus as if he were a sack of potatoes, dragging him mercilessly towards the door. Dixon, Cedric, Thom, and Theo followed him with straight backs and firm gazes. Although they feared what was to come, they walked into the lion’s den without hesitation, refusing to worry William.
Once alone, Luca observed William with a mysterious smile before saying, "Welcome. I am Luca Marveth, Director of the Magic Squadron."
As he spoke those words, his eyes did not leave William, who quickly communicated with Angel.
"Angel, show me the director’s stats."
"Luca Marveth, quasi Level 3 mage. Strength: 10, Dexterity: 125, Vitality: 299, Spiritual Power: 299... However, I detect an anomaly: his spiritual power is unstable. He is likely about to ascend to Level 3 but is holding it back for some reason."
"Impossible... If he’s on the verge of the third level, why is he below Agis?"
"I don’t have enough data to determine that," Angel replied in a neutral tone.
As William analyzed the information, Luca turned on his heels.
"Neri, take them to the testing room."
Without another word, he vanished from the room with a step through the void.
"Please follow me, it’s this way...," Neri said, with a slight hesitation.
She pulled out a medallion and presented it before a black door. It opened with a soft creak, revealing a panorama that seemed straight out of another world.
Despite being enclosed, the space looked like a nocturnal city. The ceiling was covered with enchanted stones that mimicked a starry sky, and the citadel glowed with a faint yellow light from magical lanterns arranged along the streets.
"Welcome to the Magic Squadron area," Neri said. "I will take you to the second trial. Once it’s finished, I’ll show you to your rooms."
Neri’s tone had changed. It was no longer mocking or warm as it had been with Dixon; now she spoke with respect. She had witnessed William’s power and knew he was different. Strength inspired respect, and she felt it deeply.
They walked about a hundred meters to a small building with a single door. Neri indicated for them to enter.
Inside, an old woman awaited them, sitting in front of a crystal sphere, calmly sipping tea. Her eyes remained closed, but just by looking at her, their thoughts quieted and the tension disappeared. It was as if her mere presence instilled peace.
"Good afternoon. We are the new students," William said, stepping forward.
The old woman tilted her head slightly with her eyes closed, offered a gentle smile, and gestured to the chairs in front of her.
"A young Level 1 apprentice... your spiritual power is quite common; however, your foundations are solid. You must have endured that torture of being directly exposed to mana. The strange thing is that I don’t detect you have the qualities, so they didn’t send you to that brutal test on the first day, but later.... Interesting, you can be considered a formal student. Here, congratulations."
The old woman handed Lía a collar with a black gem, identical to Neri’s.
"To register your name, hold it in your right hand, let a few drops of blood from your left hand fall onto it, and focus your mind on the collar. That will seal the bond."
Without paying further attention to Lía, the old woman turned her gaze back to William... and then her eyes opened slightly, revealing a chilling sight: her eye sockets were empty; there were no eyes, only a terrifying darkness.
The old woman was surprised for a second; her expression changed, as if she had seen something she hadn’t expected.
"Well, well... Look what we have here...," she whispered with a mixture of astonishment and admiration. "A true treasure..."