It was a bright and beautiful morning.
The second day after enrollment was also the official opening day of the Royal Knight and Magic Academy.
Yesterday's incident was merely a minor interlude.
Although it had caused quite a stir and many first-years knew about it, it was trivial compared to the upcoming test—the curtain was about to rise on my academy life.
The morning bell tower chimed eight times, its long, resonant toll echoing across the entire academy. The spired stone buildings were bathed in the morning sun, warm golden light wrapping around the dust motes floating in the air.
The main thoroughfare was crowded with students coming and going.
The deep blue uniforms of the Magic Department, the silver-white uniforms of the Knight Department, and the light gray uniforms of the Comprehensive Department blended together as they poured from the various dormitory buildings onto the main road, filling the entire academy with a bustling, lively atmosphere.
It felt a lot like going to school in my previous life.
I walked amidst the crowd with Shirune following half a step behind me. Regrettably, Misha was not in the same class as me, so we didn't walk together on the way to our classrooms (though we had already eaten breakfast), even though we were both students of the Magic Department.
“Goodbye then. See you at noon.”
“See you at noon, Miss Loris!” Misha waved as she went her separate way.
Thanks to that slap in the corridor yesterday, my reputation had completely spread throughout the entire academy. Not only did the first-years know, but even the second- and third-years found it quite amusing.
Along the way, glances constantly swept over me—some fearful, some curious, some disdainful, and some admiring from the shadows.
I ignored them all, my mind occupied with only two things.
First was the mana test, and second was the plotline.
I remembered this plot point from the original game very clearly:
During the mana test on the second day of school, the commoner heroine, Liliana, would be measured to have a level ten mana capacity, shocking the entire academy.
Meanwhile, as the villainess, I would lose my composure in public because my mana capacity was inferior to hers, hurling harsh words at her and completely cementing my reputation as a jealous and overbearing bully.
Hehehe.
Well, this time, I didn't think I would let the plot drag me around completely.
After all, the premise wasn't even met; my current mana capacity shouldn't be weaker than Liliana's. In that case, there would be no reason to envy her. But then, a new problem arose: what would the world's will force me to do instead?
In any case, the mana capacity test was scheduled after the class meeting, and the venue was the Magic Department's ritual hall.
I arrived at the classroom.
The classroom windows were built extremely high, stretching from the floor all the way to the ceiling. The morning sun poured through the old-fashioned glass, which was filled with tiny bubbles, illuminating the entire room.
The desks were arranged in neat rows, each with a small wooden nameplate embedded in its surface, engraved with the corresponding student's name.
I found my seat—the third row by the window.
Our homeroom teacher, Ms. Elena Gray, was standing behind the podium.
She watched the students enter the classroom one by one.
She appeared to be in her thirties, wearing a dark teacher's robe with a gold academy badge pinned to her collar that was a size larger than the students' badges. Her dark brown hair was swept back into a low bun and secured with a silver hairpin.
She had regular features, sharp eyebrows, and light gray eyes that held a gentle yet penetrating gaze that seemed capable of seeing right through a person. In her hands, she held a student register with a deep blue cover.
About ten minutes later, the last student entered the classroom. The noisy chatter and discussions died down, and I opened my eyes after resting them.
Looking closely—
The person sitting next to me was actually Liliana?
Well, it was a small world. Her expression was also a bit unnatural, and she avoided my gaze the moment she noticed me looking.
“Good morning... No, good day, Miss Loris.”
She greeted me with a somewhat forced smile, looking entirely guilty. In her mind, she was probably wondering if her greeting was correct.
After all, she still remembered bumping into this villainous daughter in the corridor yesterday, which made her feel incredibly guilty.
I waved my hand to indicate I didn't want to talk—even though, in truth, I really wanted to converse with her.
“Welcome to the Royal Knight and Magic Academy, everyone,” the homeroom teacher's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and steady, echoing calmly through the spacious classroom.
“I am your homeroom teacher, Elena Gray, and I will be in charge of this year's magic theory classes and mana control training. We will be seeing a lot of each other over the next four years.”
She paused, lifting her gaze from the register to sweep over the entire classroom. I noticed her eyes linger on me for a brief moment before naturally moving away.
“Before classes officially begin, there are three things I would like to explain to everyone.” She flipped open the register. “First, the class division. The fact that you are sitting here means you have all passed the enrollment magic circuit test. The entry threshold for the Magic Department is the integrity of your magic circuits, which is the kingdom's basic requirement for mages.”
Someone in the classroom took a soft breath, unable to hide their pride.
“But entering the Magic Department does not mean you can only learn magic,” Ms. Elena continued. “The academy's curriculum is divided into three categories: magic theory, practical spellcasting, and cross-department electives. If you possess excellent talent in swordsmanship, you are entirely welcome to take elective courses from the Knight Department. Most of the top magic knights in the kingdom's history graduated from the Magic Department.”
She closed the booklet, her tone growing slightly heavier.
“The second thing is the mana capacity test.”
The moment she said this, the atmosphere in the classroom instantly tensed, as if someone had quietly tightened an invisible string.
I saw a brown-haired boy in the front row subconsciously tense his shoulders, though I didn't know him—he was just a background character.
“What you were tested on during enrollment was the integrity of your magic circuits. That was merely an admission ticket, determining whether you could stand here. What we are testing today is your maximum mana capacity.” Ms. Elena's voice remained calm, but every word struck a chord in everyone's heart.
“Your mana capacity determines how many spells you can cast in succession, how long you can maintain a barrier, and how far you can go before running out of mana. It is your limit as a mage.”
She paused, before delivering the heaviest blow.
“Furthermore, increasing one's mana capacity is nigh impossible.”
The classroom instantly became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Only the rustling of the red maples outside the window stirred by the wind remained, their shadows swaying gently.
“Because after the coronation ceremony at age twelve, the human body's magic circuits mature and solidify completely. The mana capacity measured today will be no different from the one measured when you are eighteen.”
“Perhaps you have heard rumors of ways to increase your maximum mana capacity, but those are all unorthodox methods. It is like a person's total volume of blood—it is what it is from birth. Once you reach a certain limit of growth, it will no longer change. Forcing an increase will only burst your blood vessels. Mana capacity is much the same.”
Ms. Elena took a deep breath and tapped the blackboard.
“But there is no need to be discouraged.”
“In the future, you can refine your spellcasting techniques, improve your precision in mana control, and comprehend more complex magic circles.” Her gaze swept over everyone. “Therefore, two things determine a mage's talent: one is their innate mana capacity, and the other is their own hard work.”
“Today's test determines one of those factors. You should all know in your hearts just how important it is.”
Once she finished speaking, quiet whispers began to break out below the stage.
Ms. Elena did not stop them. She simply stood quietly behind the podium, waiting for the discussions to gradually die down before speaking again.
“The third matter. Although I feel it is somewhat inappropriate to bring this up during a class meeting, I must mention the egregious incident that occurred on the very first day of school. I want to warn you all: this is not your home. You will not have servants attending to your every whim, nor will everyone treat you with kindness.”
Ms. Elena didn't mention any names, only making insinuations, but to me, it felt no different from calling us out by name.
“It concerns the conflict that occurred in the dormitory area yesterday.”
I slightly covered my face.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly, but this time it wasn't tension—it was a collective eagerness to watch a spectacle.
Everyone pricked up their ears in unison, yet no one dared to turn around and look at me. Even if they wanted to, they certainly wouldn't do it to my face. It was as if countless gazes were drifting toward me from all directions, yet not a single person in my line of sight actually turned their head, terrified of meeting my eyes.
“The academy encourages mutual aid, friendship, and harmonious coexistence among students. It also explicitly requires that all disputes must be resolved through official channels,” Ms. Elena said in a flat tone. “Regarding yesterday's incident, the dormitory office has already issued disciplinary actions. The first to fourth floors of the dormitory will be your responsibility to clean this week—this applies to the three of you (Misha is exempt). Of course, the other two are not in your class, but I am telling you this so that similar incidents do not happen a second time.”
“I understand, Ms. Elena,” I said calmly.
Though inside, I really wanted to cover my face.
“That is all. The class meeting is adjourned.” She picked up the register. “Now, everyone line up by student number and follow me to the Magic Department's ritual hall.”
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