That was what Leviticus swore upon the people who believed in him.

Faustina was helped by these very people who believed in Leviticus. She was healed by Mich.e.l.le—although they didn't stop the nerves from throbbing from time to time. But at least, they kept the pain away.

"So the n.o.bles are also here huh?"

Faustina nodded. "We arrived late."

"So you ended up here outside? That's a pretty bad starting point,"

Faustina tilted her head. "Did you guys also happen to be split together too?"

"Ah yes, and since we're this many—" Faustina scanned the crowd as they were shown. "Took us the time to reunite."

Faustina felt her heart leaping. That's right. They had the same circ.u.mstances as her. They were also given the choice of whether they would want to find each other and pa.s.s or do it solo, and dismiss other people.

"Mages are dedicated to helping people," Mich.e.l.le said. "How in the world would we be mages if we drag each other down and be selfish?"

"Besides, this isn't a race or somethin'. If we fail now, we can still take it next year—and more prepared at that!"

"Hey, the tries aren't unlimited, ya know!"

"Of course I know; I'm just easing miss Faustina's worry! She seemed to be on edge the whole time!"

"Oi, that's rude! She's here!"

Faustina blinked, her cheeks turning red.

"No, it's quite alright . . ." Faustina muttered. "Besides . . . I feel glad I'm here,"

The boys in front blushed, and then went forward to Faustina, holding her hand.

"We're glad to have you here!!!"

"You're so adorable, Miss Faustina!"

"I thought you were a tad gloomy, but you're just shy!!! It's so cute!"

"Yes, yes, cute," Mich.e.l.le said and then dragged Faustina away from the boys, s.h.i.+elding her. "But she's the daughter of the d.u.c.h.ess, so you shouldn't fawn over her like wild dogs . . . normies!"

"Normies?!"

Mich.e.l.le turned to Faustina and grinned at her as if to say: "I gotcha."

Faustina only replied with a smile.

"Sorry to interrupt the moment," Leviticus said. "But they're coming."

"Prepare yourselves."

Faustina held her staff firmly as she waited for the golems to appear. She bit her lips. Right now she could only use one type of magic—and that also varies. There is also a risk. Would a wind-type attack as strong as a water whirlpool provide the same results? Would it be fatal? She won't know unless she tries—and trying will prove fatal indeed if she fails the exam because of the risk she took.

"INTRUDERS!!!"

A golem attacked them from north, east, south, and east. The golems from the entire area must have sensed them because they gathered in one area with such numbers.

Faustina thinned her lips.

If so, then isn't it a disadvantage to actually be going to a large group? A small group of five would be fine, but a hundred people or so would be too much. Faustina glanced at Leviticus, who was displaying no sign of disarray in his collected face. His expression was as cool as can be—while Faustina on the other hand was sweating bullets.

But then their circ.u.mstances were different. There was no way it will be a fair comparison.

The examinees began to unleash attack spells ranging from fire to water, earth to air; they also began to s.h.i.+eld themselves and each other with barriers. Faustina did so as well, but her barrier was a mess—it shattered like gla.s.s breaking to smithereens.

Leviticus, noticing this, conjured a barrier enclosing Faustina.

"I'll create you a barrier. Don't let them near you!" Said Leviticus without taking his eyes off of the golems who just kept on coming to them.

"Just how many are these guys?!"

"They're endless!"

"We're in their territory!" Leviticus exclaimed. "We need to move away from here. . . Fast!"

Faustina knew it wasn't the time to be amazed by Leviticus' smooth leaders.h.i.+p and camaraderie, so she began to unleash wind spells as well. Faustina still felt the same feeling of pain—the twitch and tingle in her forearms as she unleashes spells.

Why is it that she became like this? She can conjure magic normally before . . . just what in the world happened?

**

In a magical orb that was the size of a gypsy's crystal ball was the face of a girl anxious as she continued to cast magical spells. In her pocket was a red light that is only perceivable by the crystal orb, and not by the naked eye. Not even by Magierstadt's professors.

The man watching all of it from the distance—from a secluded room found in an underground chamber under his office where brewery of illegal potions and forbidden hexes resided—he sat in his chair which viewed an enormous cauldron viscous with purple-colored liquid.

The man was sitting comfortably as he watched the girl idly as he brews his potion that he'll sell along with information.

"Ah, that girl." He mumbled. "She'll be failing in no time."

The man let out a chuckle as he added nightshade to his cauldron and mixed it with his ladle. The thick liquid boiled and popped bubbling bubbles. The man's smirk showed his fangs.

"That Anakin Disfiegro was more useful thank he looked," he said as the orb switched into Anakin, who was walking and looking around perceptively alone. "He was able to give that girl the crystal when she collapsed due to her being unable to control her  magic."

The man shallowly laughed. "People are venomous indeed. My client will surely be satisfied with the results, indeed."

**

Anakin Disfiegro landed into the castle's pantry. It was filthy more than anything else he had seen in his life. He was living in luxury, after all.

The pantry was bombarded with rats, c.o.c.kroaches, and spider webs. It was long abandoned; flour sacks as dark as they can be, and barrels with rotten smells and foul-looking walls ridden with grime and soot welcomed Anakin Disfiegro.

"Isn't this fantastic," Anakin said in sheer disgust.

He managed to exit the pantry but he was pale with a grimace on his face as he got out. He never saw anything as filthy as that room.

The rooms where the lord of a castle, his family, and his knights lived and ate and slept were called the Keep, which is the rectangular tower inside the walls of a castle. This was meant to be the strongest and safest place.

The outer wall of a castle was called Bailey. This was where buildings for the castle's cattle, horses, and servants lived. Some of the soldiers needed to defend the castle might live in the part of the gatehouse known as the barbican.

Of course, these aren't always the designs of modern castles that are a whole lot improved than this one. However, given the fact that the dungeon's design—or the Dark Castle—was seemingly from another timeline, it would be safe to a.s.sume it had a similar structure to the basic designs of castles.

Anakin squinted his eyes.

Still, it's unsightly and disgusting, even for him.

Anakin walked towards the hallways, which were too narrow for him. They were so plain that he concluded this may be indeed the bailey.

What was that about that Leviticus was driveling about? No mage left behind?

Anakin, on the course of his life, never heard of an utter bull before. He had given himself the time to improve and climb the top that his two siblings also climbed using their own powers—their own strengths.

People used their knowledge, skill, and talents to cultivate and earn their spots in the world. Anakin admired these types of people, and he was proud of being one.

n.o.bles are the perfect example of this. They had secured their spots for so many generations; and Anakin's family, the Disfiegros, already climbed the highest. They were able to earn the t.i.tle of a marquis because of the glory they brought to the kingdom, and no one condoned them from it. It was too well-deserved to be criticized, after all.

Aside from a successful brother, was a sister that was a candidate for queen. If Lilliane did become the queen of the country—the strongest empire in the first continent—they would surpa.s.s even the dukedom.

This is why from the start, Anakin did not believe inequality. There wasn't something like people being born as equals. There is always a weak and talented person. He believed that there's no way the weak could catch up to a prodigy who was better than anyone the moment he was born.

This is why Anakin strived to be best, no matter how much or who he needed to sacrifice for it.

"You have to give Faustina Feuerlon this small crystal. If you do it, you will be rewarded with the first Ianua."

"Heh. So what does this crystal do, really?"

"It will drive her to her own demise," said the man with his fangs showing. "She will fail the exams."

Anakin smirked. He put that crystal when Faustina was unconscious. He did what that man asked. He will surely pa.s.s the exam and get into Ianua I and be better than his older brother and anyone else.

"No mage left behind? Don't make me laugh." Anakin said as enemies—a h.o.a.rd of armored trolls—began to advance towards him. He thumped his staff to the floor, evoking a fiery magical hex.

"We are all here to get into the best magic academy in the whole world," Anakin said. "Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed. This academy . . . isn't for the weak!"

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