Chapter 27: Preparation

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Preparation

Before the whispering nobles in the lobby could make a bigger spectacle out of the shattered vial, Cardigan stepped forward and placed a heavy gauntleted hand on Aegon’s shoulder. With a single icy glare that silenced the nearest onlookers, the veteran knight ushered Aegon, Clara, Zane, and Marcus up the grand staircase to the private suite reserved for House Noiré on the fourth floor.

?Later that night, after a quiet dinner delivered to their quarters, Cardigan summoned all four youths into the central parlor.

They were inside an isolated room.

Cardigan stood at the head of the table, unrolling a stamped parchment he had purchased from the Noiré family’s intelligence network stationed in the capital.

?"Before we begin, Aegon, I do not know why you tried to offer medicine to that feral boy downstairs, and I do not care to ask.

However, starting tomorrow, none of you can afford to waste your time on strangers. Out of 100,000 applicants gathered in the capital this week, 99,000 will be sent home in disgrace. While you were resting, I met with our house informants to confirm the exact structure of this year’s entrance examination."

?Clara leaned forward in her chair, a small notebook and pen already poised in her hands, while Zane and Marcus listened with tense expressions.

?Cardigan tapped three fingers against the parchment.

"The examination will be held the day after tomorrow. So you only have a single day to prepare. It is divided into three distinct stages, held consecutively from sunrise to sundown. If you fail to meet the minimum threshold in any single stage, you are eliminated on the spot, regardless of your family background or Grimoire rank."

?He held up a single finger.

?"First is the Mana Aptitude Test. Do not confuse this with a simple awakening ceremony. The Imperial Academy already knows what rank your Grimoires are from your registration papers. So now, you will be required to channel your mana into the Pillars of Solomon at the eastern plaza. These pillars measure three things: the purity of your mana, your maximum reserve capacity, and the speed at which your channels can output energy under pressure.

Even an A-Rank Grimoire user will be disqualified if their mana control is sluggish or impure. This first stage alone usually cuts sixty thousand applicants before noon."

?Zane swallowed nervously as stared his own hands, while Aegon quietly mentally reviewed his stats.

His Mana was only 10, but control was much better. Though, he doubted they are enough. He needed to find a way to improve them further.

?Meanwhile, Cardigan raised a second finger.

?"Second is the Written Test. Those who survive the plaza will be led into the Grand Auditorium for a two-hour academic examination. The questions are drafted personally by the Imperial Scholar Council. You will be tested on Imperial history, arcane geometry, Grimoire origin, and elemental counter-theory. They do this to weed out muscle-brained brutes who rely entirely on high-ranking bloodlines without understanding the laws of sorcery."

?Clara let out a small sigh of relief, clearly confident in her tutoring, while Marcus face turned bitter as if he had just swallowed a lemon.

Aegon remained calm on this one. Between his original knowledge as the author and the week he had spent devouring books in the Noiré library, the written portion was the least of his worries.

Cardigan raised the third finger, continuing:

?"And finally, the third stage is the Physical Aptitude Test. Many noble heirs make the fatal mistake of assuming that because they are sorcerers, their flesh and bone do not matter. However, the imperial academy despises fragile sorcerers who collapse the moment an enemy closes the distance. You will be placed inside a gravity-augmented arena where your Grimoires will be suppressed. There, the examiners will test your raw strength, stamina, combat reflexes, and pain tolerance against alchemical puppets and live beasts."

?"Grimoires suppressed? How is that fair for elemental casters who specialize in long-range spells?"Marcus grumbled.

Cardigan shot him a cold glare.

?"The battlefield does not care about fairness, Marcus. If an assassin silences your mana in the dark, your physical body is the only thing standing between you and a coffin. The Imperial Academy only accepts complete soldiers, not pampered scholars."

?After that, Cardigan rolled up the parchment and tucked it back into his armor.

?"Now, go to your rooms and sleep. I am sure tomorrow you’ll have a busy day, if you want to make it o top 1,000 that is."

--

Early the next morning, while Clara, Zane, and Marcus remained locked in their rooms reviewing their study notes, Aegon slipped out of The Starlight Pavilion alone. With only a single day left before the entrance examination, meditating the traditional way would not be enough to guarantee his place among the top one thousand.

?He headed straight toward the Alchemy and Artifact District near the inner ring of the capital.

The streets here were occupied with opulent, multi-story boutiques protected by shimmering defensive wards and guarded by veteran sorcerers.

?Adjusting the red scarf around his neck, Aegon stepped into the grandest establishment on the avenue, The Golden Cauldron.

Inside, rows of reinforced glass display cases gleamed under floating crystal chandeliers, showcasing rare treasures that the smaller kingdoms could only dream of possessing.

?Naturally, Aegon had no intention of actually buying anything. The prices listed on the ivory tags were astronomical, ranging from hundreds to thousands of gold coins. The modest pouch of funding his grandfather had given him wouldn’t even cover a single drop of a high-grade potion.

?However, with ATUM in his possession, he didn’t need money. He only needed knowledge. To generate an object with the Quill of Finality, he simply required a rough mental blueprint of its composition, structure, and underlying runes.

He knew he could just name of the potions, but they wouldn’t yield the expected result. Because there are countless potions with same name, but had varying effects.

But in case of Blood Berserker Grimoire, it was only one of a type. Only unique items can be generated with needing for mental blueprint.

?Acting the part of a picky noble heir browsing before the exam, Aegon first approached the alchemical counter.

His attention went toward two specific crystal vials.

The first was the "Titan’s Marrow Potion", which was a glowing amber liquid that permanently reinforced a user’s muscle fibers, bone density, and physical stamina.

The second was the "Clear-Sky Elixir", which cleansed impurities from a sorcerer’s mana channels.