"So what do we do?" Nardor grunted. "It's not like we can hide our abilities indefinitely. I'm sure this Academy will find all sorts of methods to test us. That' s how we get better, after all. At least, that's what I would do if I were in their shoes."
This may have been the dwarf's first time meeting Anaphiel, but he was not the least bit intimidated. His comrades approved of his words with a quiet nod.
"Hmm. A dwarf otherworlder? You look young, but I can tell you're quite old from your way to speak." The beauty in black smiled slightly. "To address the point more seriously, you're absolutely right. If you join the Martial or Magic Academy you won't be able to keep a low profile forever. You will be tested regularly and a total lack of progress could get you kicked out of a class.
"Iannaril applies the Confederation methodologies that have been tried and tested time and time again. He does not rely completely on a student's talent rating to determine their potential. There have been cases of individuals deemed hopeless who have managed to attain the position of Sacred Magus. These anomalies are as seldom as they are anecdotal, but they do exist. In addition to your Talent rating, the four Academies regularly monitor your progress in various ways. They use absolute values such as your Combat Prowess, Sorcerer Realm, or your scores on theoretical and practical exams. People with a higher realm or who have been training for a longer period of time are obviously at an advantage and that is why we take your relative progress into account here. If you have a G-Talent, we will obviously not expect the same progression from you as from an A-Talent individual. At the end of the day, perseverance, diligence, creativity, planning and constant self-questioning are equally crucial qualities for a Sorcerer."
"What's the point of showing off our real abilities?" Danchun abruptly cut her off with a shrug. "I can deliberately perform poorly on all the exams and the Talent-Probe is obviously something optional and private once the registration is approved or there would be no need to kick Bozig and that secretary out of the room. Even my Combat Prowess can be faked."
"Another Otherworlder who looks much younger than she is?" Anaphiel raised an eyebrow. "Your dignified way of speaking reminds me of my great grandmother."
Danchun's lips twitched as she took in the remark. She had never realized she was speaking oddly. She turned to her friends to ask for their support, but they all looked away, except for Ikaris.
"It's true." He smiled wryly. "It's not so much in the voice as the mannerisms. But it does add to your charm."
"...Thanks, Ikaris."
"To answer your question, which is quite relevant, the Martial and Magic Academies distributes monthly resources to each student according to your performance and progress according to the criteria mentioned just now. This exclusive service to the Lords and their retinues is funded by the six Ruling Houses and represents a major hole in our finances. This is another reason why my House Morgunis is in dire straits. In the last few centuries we've been running a very clear deficit to the point where our cash flow is not a tenth of what it used to be.
"So yes, you can perform poorly and even refuse to take certain tests to fake a lower Combat Prowess but that amounts to penalizing you directly. If the conflict between the six Ruling Houses were not so intense I would strongly advise against it."
"As expected." Ikaris smirked. "Since the talent-probe result is only revealed to the staff, I suppose it is possible to publicly display only a D or E-Talent, but our progress will naturally be evaluated based on our actual Talent Rating. Am I wrong?"
Anaphiel nodded quietly.
"You've got it right. That's why Bozig wanted to kick Miss Kiwi out of the room during your tests. It wasn't just to get information about you. It' s a real shame for Asselin and his companions whose Talent has been disclosed, but usually for a talent of B or higher we ask the student if they want to display their true Talent in our records. This has one very unpleasant consequence: The campus officially treats you worse.
"The results of your enrollment tests directly determine the treatment you will receive, and that treatment ranges from F to S. I'm not just talking about resources, but also your dorms, meals, uniforms, equipment, facilities, and so on. Below a D-Talent, unless you have revealed some outstanding Combat Prowess you have to share a dorm with other students. Above that you have your own room and a B-Talent like Asselin is entitled to a suite, room service, a private cook and so on.
"If you're willing to give up your comforts to conceal your true talent, feel free. You will receive all the resources you are truly entitled to. The school will treat you just on the surface as if you were an ordinary student but your teachers will know the difference. Usually.
"This time it will be different. I will administer the test for you and the results will be shared only with Iannaril and my father. If you choose to hide your Talent Rating not even your teachers will know about it to rule out a leak."
She paused to let the others mull over her words. For some, comfort and luxury were worth a few risks. Ellie, who was a human who posed no real threat, chose to show her real Talent rating. In any case, Miss Kiwi and Bozig were also aware of it. It wasn't like she could keep it a secret.
While they were thinking, Anaphiel gave them the talent-probe test one by one. The results were unsurprising, with Nardor getting a B-Talent rating, Kellam an A-Talent rating and Danchun a C-Talent rating.
Malia got a B-Talent Rating but that was because she was already a Sorceress. With her attributes and her Dhampir Kitsune bloodline she could have been much stronger with rigorous teaching.
Not surprisingly, Ikaris got an S-Talent Rating, the maximum recognized by the school, but when the concentric rings of the Talent-Probe lit up one by one Anaphiel and his companions became solemn.
"How are you... so strong?" The young woman muttered with a troubled frown.
His Soul Strength value was a bit higher than when they last met, but Ikaris might have rounded it down. Instead, his attributes were drastically higher than those of a Crawling-Thrall. What the hell exactly was his Bloodline?
As soon as she had stepped into the room and her gaze had landed on the boy she had been struck by a very unsettling feeling: That of being in front of one of her own.
Ikaris was still a beginner in the matter but she could easily discern the Death and Dark Mana converging and seeping continuously inside his body. His skin was even paler and almost as immaculate as hers, his hair was even blacker than before, his irises were no longer golden but shaded with red.
But above all, she could detect in the immaterial plane two familiar protrusions of dark energy threatening to spring out of the teenager's shoulder blades. How could she not recognize this. Every Nephilim of Faulch in House Morgunis had been through this phase.
She could have turned confrontational, but as Magnus and Ikaris had wagered she didn't lash out right away. Because of the influence of his other three Bloodlines she still held some doubts and did not want to accuse him wrongly.
Picking up a blank sheet of parchment, Anaphiel pressed it against the talent-probe but refrained from flipping it over to look at the detailed report written on it. Keeping the parchment face down, she pretended to hand it to the boy but pulled back at the last moment.
"Can I read it?" She probed his gaze with her bright emerald eyes boring into his soul like two sharp swords.
"Can I trust you? Ikaris retorted evenly, mirroring all the warnings she had given them before.
She smiled. "Iannaril will have access to this report anyway."
"Then, that's all right. You can read it as much as you want." Ikaris relented with a sigh.
She couldn't see his bloodline, but the report detailed his elemental affinities, attributes, Primary Sparks and all sorts of information.
'Death and Dark Mana, Blood Energy, overdeveloped sense of smell, Magic Defense and Charm attribute...'
If she was suspicious before, now she was completely lost. Some Vampires also had an affinity for Death and Dark Mana. Especially since the Black Veil was commonly the first spell learned and taught.
No, she knew what she was feeling and there was no room for confusion. And yet, he was a Crawling-Thrall, but also a Vampire. How weird.
"I guess you wouldn't tell me the truth even if I were to ask the question directly, right?" Anaphiel sighed.
Upon receiving only an awkward silence in response she sighed again.
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