The Mana Capacity Test

The Magic Department's ritual hall wasn't far.

In about five or six minutes, the entire class had arrived. Along the way, there were students from other classes, all first-years from the Magic Department, Swordsmanship Department, and Comprehensive Department.

“Are we finally going to test our mana capacity?”

“I hope I get a good evaluation...”

“Look, the little girl from the Wendell family is so cute...”

There was a lot of chatter along the way. Although that last comment was a bit random, it was clear that most students took this matter very seriously.

I maintained a polite silence, but in reality, I was deep in thought. I only knew the general outline of the game's plot and didn't know the full details. Currently, Liliana was right beside me. Since we sat next to each other, our student numbers were also very close, which was why we were walking together now.

Personally, I thought it was fine, but for her, it was probably a nerve-wracking experience like walking on thin ice.

The class of thirty entered the ritual hall. The long walls on both sides were adorned with intricate, dark gray paintings and poems recording the kingdom's legendary history. The magic lamps embedded in the walls emitted a warm light, illuminating everyone's faces.

The heavy, dark oak doors stood wide open, waiting for everyone to step inside.

Rumble~ The sound of the doors being pushed open.

The door handle was carved with fine magic circle patterns, and the silver threads embedded in the grooves gleamed.

As Ms. Elena placed her hand on the door handle, the silver threads instantly lit up with a pale blue light, and the heavy doors slowly swung open.

“Whoa.”

The students behind me gasped in unison.

The space inside the building was much larger than I had imagined.

It was as spacious as four classrooms combined, with a high ceiling. A huge magic lamp hung directly in the center, casting a warm golden light.

The light illuminated a massive magic circle on the floor. Silver lines spread outward from the center of the room like the roots of an ancient tree or lightning splitting the night sky. A slow, even, pale blue glow flowed through the grooves of the lines.

Cool, beautiful.

This was exactly how I imagined a magical world would look.

I had caught a glimpse of it. Unfortunately, I had to stay in this academy for now, otherwise, I would have loved to go on an adventure to see the vast magical continent.

Alright, back to reality.

The footsteps in the ritual hall were noisy due to the large number of people.

In the very center of the magic circle stood a half-person-tall transparent crystal pillar. Its surface was polished smooth and seamless, and its base was embedded in a silver pedestal covered in runes.

We lined up by class. Since we were Class A, we went first. Although we had seen students from the Swordsmanship Department and the Comprehensive Department on the way, they weren't using the same testing location; they were being tested in another building.

In any case—

“This is the mana testing crystal.”

Standing at the edge of the magic circle, Ms. Elena said:

“You will step forward one by one, place your palm against the crystal pillar, and channel your mana to the maximum extent with a clear mind. The testing crystal will automatically cut off when you can no longer hold on, so do not worry. The brighter the crystal pillar glows and the higher the light climbs, the higher your mana capacity is.”

“Does everyone understand?”

“Yes!” “Yes, ma'am!” “Understood!”

She then flipped open the register:

“Then, by student number. Number one.”

A dark-brown-haired girl stepped out of the line. She took very small steps and paused at the edge of the magic circle, seemingly startled by the blue light flowing beneath her feet.

She took a deep breath, stepped inside, and pressed her palm against the crystal pillar.

A moment later, the crystal pillar lit up with a very faint glow, so dim that it would be easily missed if one didn't look closely.

The pale blue glow slowly rose within the pillar and stopped at the first tier.

Ms. Elena made a note in the register. “Mana capacity: Level two.”

The girl pursed her lips and quickly stepped down.

When she returned to the line, her friend next to her gently patted her arm.

I noticed that the magic crystal pillar only had five tiers, meaning the maximum limit of mana capacity was Level ten? I just didn't know why they designed it in this one-to-two format.

Number two, number three, number four...

The crystal pillar lit up and dimmed time and time again.

Soon, after number seven, I heard some quiet murmuring. In fact, there were whispers for everyone, since the students in this class were either wealthy or noble.

“Clara Wendell.”

Ms. Elena read out the name, and she also stood before the magic crystal pillar, waiting for her test.

I picked up some information from the rumors circulating around me.

Even though I didn't know her at all, the girl I had heard people praising as “so cute” on the way here seemed to be her. Her appearance was indeed very cute.

She was the second daughter of Count Wendell.

The Wendell family was located on the western coast of the kingdom and controlled the second-largest port city. Her father was a Count, her mother came from a branch of the royal family, and their family status was extremely high.

Three generations of her family had been close courtiers to the throne.

Standing at barely five feet tall and still undeveloped, she had platinum blonde hair that gleamed with a very faint pink luster under the light, blue eyes, long eyelashes, and delicate features. However, her expression was always very cold—not an intentional haughtiness, but a sort of “lethargic” indifference.

She even walked up very slowly and spoke slowly, as if she were conserving energy.

“Begin.”

“Okay.”

—And then she blew everyone away.

“Level seven?!”

As the light on the magic crystal pillar rose halfway between the third and fourth tiers, a wave of soft gasps rippled through the crowd. After all, the highest level recorded so far was only Level four—

Were they all a bit subpar?

In any case, it was clear that this little girl was highly talented, but she merely yawned. In response to Ms. Elena's praise, she only uttered two words.

“Okay.”

And then she walked down.

...Does this girl only speak in two-word sentences?

Coincidentally, in Class B, which was waiting in the adjacent line, a boy wearing glasses was writing furiously in his notebook. He spoke in a fanatical tone, loud enough for me to overhear what he was muttering.

“Clara Wendell. Class A. Mana capacity: Level seven. Excellent. Personality: extremely averse to trouble. If she can lie down, she will never sit; if she can sit, she will never stand.”

“Perfect!” Having written that down, the glasses boy closed his notebook with a slap, looking incredibly excited.

“I have completely mastered your information,” he pushed up his glasses, his eyes shining with a look of profound wisdom. “The next time we meet in a mock battle, I will use a war of attrition to make you surrender.”

Hey, hey, hey, who is this random side character?

The world of the story that wasn't depicted in the game seemed incredibly rich when experienced in reality. Perhaps this was because every character had their own life?

But from his tone, it sounded like there would be mock battles or something similar? That made sense. After all, this was a school for practicing magic.

Speaking of which, the adjacent class happened to be Misha's class. When I looked over, I realized she was also watching this side. As our eyes met, she waved at me cheerfully.

“Miss Loris—” Her mouth seemed to shape those words.

I originally wanted to wave back, but I settled for a nod of acknowledgment instead.

“Next, number eight.”

“Klaus Heller.”

My classmates seemed to have quite a few legends among them.

As this boy stepped up, I heard more rumors about him, while the glasses boy from the adjacent class immediately started gathering information at lightning speed.

Klaus was the eldest son of Baron Heller. His family territory was a mountainous region in the central part of the kingdom that relied on mining for its livelihood. To put it bluntly, he was the son of a coal baron.

His father was a Baron, and his grandfather was an adventurer who started as a miner—he was ennobled because he discovered a rare mineral vein, making them typical new money nobles.

Based on my knowledge, in traditional noble circles, the Heller family's background was likely a frequent subject of mockery behind closed doors.

But he himself seemed very proud. He wiped his nose and stood up there, radiating an unmatched, arrogant aura of a nouveau riche, with one hand resting on his hip.

“Upstart.”

“Damn nouveau riche.”

“By the way, if we buy ore from him to refine magic tools, it might be a lot cheaper.”

“I've decided to become friends with him!!”

The gnashing of teeth in hatred quickly turned into admiration.

Klaus had a very ordinary appearance, with short, light brown hair that was so stiff a few strands seemed to stick up no matter how it was combed. He was of average height, and on his chest, he wore a glittering blue Goddess's Tear gem—supposedly the largest in the entire kingdom. It didn't have any special effects; it was just beautiful, serving to highlight his wealthy aura.

“Level five!”

“Heavens, even he has decent talent!”

“Curse that upstart...” Hey, hey, why did the conversation shift back to disparagement?

Next, more classmates went up to be tested.

For example, there was a lively girl who kept a magical creature as a pet on her shoulder—the academy didn't allow pets, so even a magical creature should be banned, right?

Or the boy who pretended to be cold and indifferent but actually cared deeply about others' opinions—boy, your fingers are trembling.

There was also a girl I was quite concerned about. She looked extremely frail and sickly, coughing several times just to steady herself. Her face was deathly pale. It was said that in her family, the stronger one's magical talent, the weaker their body would be—it was both a curse and a blessing.

And her talent was a Level eight, the highest in the class so far.

“Won't live past twenty-five.”

The glasses boy from the adjacent class recorded this information in his notebook. His tone seemed a bit sorrowful, but all I saw was a try-hard stat-chaser.

He was gathering information on everyone just to get a good score in the upcoming mock battles—which would probably take place in a month or two.

Speaking of which, there was a side quest in the game that I heard my younger sister mention. Liliana would have some interaction with this sickly girl, but because it was a side quest, I didn't know the exact details.

Still, not living past twenty-five was indeed very pitiable.

In short, Class A had many eccentric characters.

The line moved forward bit by bit, until finally—

“Loris von Aldheim.”

It was my turn next. My student number was right before the heroine Liliana's.

I stepped out of the line, and I could feel all the gazes behind me focusing on my back. They were filled with anticipation, rivalry, and the complex expectation of watching a show.

The eldest daughter of a Ducal House, the Tyrant Daughter whom everyone in the academy feared—what would her mana capacity be?

The answer was—

I was going to control my score.

I walked to the edge of the magic circle. The pale blue glow beneath my feet flowed slowly and steadily. I stepped inside and stood before the crystal pillar. Once Ms. Elena finished her considerate explanation, I closed my eyes and placed my hand on it.

It was very cold, ice-cold.

The transparent pillar stood there quietly, as if waiting for something. As I pressed my palm against it, the icy sensation felt like gripping a metal railing in the dead of winter.

Then, I began to release my mana.

The ancient books handed down through my family had taught me how to control my mana output. It was like pouring soda—I could pour just a sip, half a glass, or the entire can all at once.

I precisely controlled the mana in my palm, and the warm energy flowed down my arm to my fingertips, seeping into the crystal pillar.

The crystal pillar instantly lit up.

The pale blue light climbed extremely fast—one-quarter, one-third, one-half, two-thirds... The speed slowly decelerated, like a tide washing over a beach, surging upward bit by bit.

From two-thirds to three-quarters, the light shifted from pale blue to light cyan, then to pale silver, and finally came to a steady stop between the fourth and fifth tiers.

Which meant Level ten.

The exact same result as Liliana's in the original plot.

Originally, I should have only been a Level seven. But after these past two years of training and tempering using the ancient books, my test just now only utilized about one-third of my total mana capacity to reach Level ten.

I might actually be terrifyingly strong.

But I also couldn't rule out the possibility that in this frontier country, there simply weren't many powerful people, so the standard for “powerful” was set quite low.

As for why I controlled it—if I followed the normal development of the plot, I was supposed to be jealous of Liliana. Otherwise, the world's will would correct my actions. Getting the exact same score was the safest option.

If I exceeded her, I would have no reason to be jealous, and heaven knew how the world's will would correct that.

If I were lower than her, the world's will would force me to bully Liliana, returning me to the original storyline.

With the same score, I could still express a disdainful attitude, like “How could a commoner get the same score as me?” but it wouldn't border on excessive jealousy. Even if the world's will tried to force me onto the original route, I figured I would still have some room to maneuver.

I could shift my role from “the villainess who hates the sight of her” to “the villainess who views her as a rival to crush.”

Obviously, the latter would lead to a much better ending.

Pulling my thoughts back to the present.

I withdrew my hand. The light of the crystal pillar slowly dimmed, and the glow in the floor's magic circle returned to its original, slow-flowing state.

Since the test had already reached its maximum limit, no one could tell that I hadn't used all of my mana.

I turned around and saw Ms. Elena watching me, her light gray eyes filled with a complex mix of admiration and pity. Then, she lowered her head and wrote down the record in her register.

She was probably thinking that it was a waste for someone with such incredible talent to have such a terrible personality, ruining both her fine appearance and her potential as a mage.

“Mana capacity: Level ten,” she said.

The crowd instantly erupted. It was no longer the hushed whispering from before; the room was truly boiling like a pot of scalding water. Chatter poured in from all directions:

“The Aldheim family indeed lives up to its reputation!”

“This is the first time I've seen a Level ten mana capacity with my own eyes...”

“So, so powerful!”

“Ugh, I'm so jealous.”

“Now we'll really be beaten to a pulp by her without any power to resist... What are you guys so happy about? Her personality is so terrible, she'll bully us however she wants!!”

The whispers in the class surged like a tsunami. The last student's remark was a sudden wake-up call, plunging the entire class into a gloomy atmosphere (with a few exceptions), and the glances they sent my way became terrified.

Hey, hey, hey, I'm not that bad, am I? Bully all of you? What is this, some delinquent high school where only fists do the talking?

But to be fair, it was quite amusing.

With my reputation naturally preceding me, I flipped my hair and walked down from the platform with a haughty air.

As I passed by the glasses boy from the adjacent class who was recording information, that try-hard was already clutching his head in utter disbelief.

“Is the intellect I take pride in going to lose to an unbeatable talent?! Damn it! I refuse to accept this!”

Correction: it's not talent, it's raw stats.

Choice is greater than effort.

Better luck in your next life, bro.

I saw Misha waving at me excitedly. She was probably genuinely thrilled that my talent was so outstanding, hopping up and down in the crowd. This time, like a graceful politician, I waved back with elegance.

Thanks to yesterday's incident, Misha, who belonged to the lower tier of students in the academy with a relatively low status, had been rescued by my righteous intervention. This led some girls in similar situations to view me through rose-tinted glasses. My reputation had improved just a tiny bit—the kind that praised my character rather than my appearance or talent.

To use an analogy, they saw me as someone who was arrogant to the high-born but never demeaned the low-born.

In reality, I should have treated everyone equally. That was why I called it a filter. After all, I had given my maids plenty of trouble.

In a story about helping a victim of bullying and beating up the bad guys, I would be considered the righteous side no matter how you looked at it. It was only natural for people like Misha to view me through rose-tinted glasses.

A few dozen seconds later, the commotion died down.

“Next, Liliana.”

It was time for her performance. Thinking about how I had to target her to play along with the scene, I had to psych myself up.

Upon hearing her name,

Liliana's shoulders trembled slightly. She then took a deep breath and quickly stepped out of the line, as if fearing that walking too slowly would make her lose her nerve.

When she reached the edge of the magic circle, she paused. The flowing blue light beneath her feet cast a pale blue glow on her skirt. She looked down, then took a step forward anyway.

She walked up to the crystal pillar and reached out. The moment her palm pressed against it, I could clearly see her fingers trembling.

In the next second, the crystal pillar lit up.

It didn't climb slowly from the bottom; it instantly exploded with light! The sheer intensity of the burst proved that her talent was peerless!

The pale blue light seemed to be violently ignited from the core of the pillar, rushing from the bottom to the top in the blink of an eye, so fast that the process was almost a blur!

The entire crystal pillar instantly turned into a dazzling beam of pale blue light. The glow was pure and brilliant, illuminating Liliana's face with absolute clarity—her pale pink hair was reflected as a light silver, her light brown eyes were filled with the light of the crystal, and her lips parted slightly. Even she was utterly stunned.

The light continued to grow brighter, shifting from pale blue to light cyan, and then from light cyan to a dazzling silver-white.

The pale blue glow within the floor's magic circle was also instantly ignited, spreading outward from the center along the silver lines. One line after another lit up, covering the entire floor in an instant.

The entire testing room fell dead silent.

Everyone stared intently at the silver-white pillar of light, forgetting to breathe. Even the register in Ms. Elena's hand unconsciously lowered.

“Mana capacity...” Her voice carried a trace of barely perceptible dry tightness. “Level ten.”

Her Level ten performance was way more impressive than mine.

As the light of the crystal pillar slowly faded, Liliana withdrew her hand, her fingertips still trembling. She turned around to face everyone, her expression a complex mix of surprise, helplessness, and a hint of fear, as if she had accidentally done something she shouldn't have, yet didn't know what she had done wrong.

With her head lowered, she quickly walked down the platform and returned to the line. As she passed by me, her shoulder almost brushed against my arm, but she never raised her head.

Finally, irrepressible whispers broke out in the line, quiet as the buzzing of mosquitoes, yet every word was crystal clear:

“Level ten?! Is it really Level ten?”

“How could a commoner possibly have a Level ten mana capacity...”

“Did something go wrong with the crystal pillar?”

“She's actually on the same level as the one from the Aldheim family...”

“Could it be that Level ten is actually easy?!”

Ms. Elena cleared her throat softly, and all the voices vanished instantly. She lowered her head to write down the record in her register. When she looked up again, her tone had returned to its steady state: “Next.”

Two more students were tested, with mana capacities of Level four and Level five respectively—no one else exceeded Level six.

It seemed Level ten was indeed not easy.

Beside me, Liliana kept casting sideways glances at me, as if sensing that my expression wasn't right.

My throat tightened uncontrollably.

I knew it was time to act.

“Level ten,” I said, my voice not loud, but clear enough for the students nearby to hear. Each word felt as if it were being forced out of my mouth. “A commoner actually managed to get the same score as me.”

Liliana's eyelashes trembled violently. She opened her mouth, looking as if she wanted to say something.

“You had better think long and hard before the next exam,” that line carved into the plot burst uncontrollably from my mouth. “Think about whether you are worthy of standing here.”

Her lips instantly pressed into a tight line, and a thin layer of tears welled up in her light brown eyes.

I had bullied her to tears.

I'm sorry... wait, no.

I really wanted to massage my temples, but I had to display a jealous attitude, and then guide it toward making her a rival rather than a thorn in my side.

The surrounding whispers instantly died down, and more eyes turned toward us, resigned and helpless. After all, I had long established my reputation as a jealous and overbearing bully.

“In every upcoming exam, whether it is magic theory, mana control, or practical spellcasting, I will defeat you fair and square.”

“I will make you realize that even if a commoner's Level ten and a noble's Level ten are identical, they are still different in every other way.”

Phew. I breathed a sigh of relief.

The patch was successfully applied.

Having said my piece, I raised my chin slightly at her.

This was a provocation, the most direct declaration of war.

Liliana stood in place, dazed for a full two seconds. Her eyes were still red, but they no longer held the previous grievance and helplessness.

She had probably kindled a fighting spirit to prove me wrong.

I raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and closed my eyes to rest.

I could feel the gazes falling on me from around the room shifting once more. Those who had been waiting to see me lose my composure and bully her now had a hint of surprise in their eyes.

After all, this was issuing a declaration of war for a contest, rather than pure verbal abuse.

However, compared to my original self who would have disparaged her without holding back, the world's will shouldn't judge my current behavior as a gesture of goodwill. Thus, this route was viable.

I was very relieved.

Speaking of which, the original host had quite a few sycophants around her, though most of them were social climbers drawn to the Aldheim family name who would praise whatever she said. However, I had refused to converse with them on the way to the cafeteria or back to the dormitory, and had done the same in the classroom this morning.

There were still people in the class line watching me, wondering what they were thinking.

As for me—

The tight sensation in my throat had vanished, which was fortunate.

It seemed I would be able to continue living a good life, my academy life...

(Voiceover: After the double Level ten storm in Class A of the Magic Department, it was Class B's turn. The Class B teacher flipped to the last few pages of the register and read out that name: Misha Noren.

Her steps faltered slightly. She took a deep breath and walked up to the crystal pillar, her fingertips still trembling. Before this, she had never dared to release her mana in front of others. Her father and mother always said that her meager mana was an embarrassing joke for a viscount family.

As she pressed her palm against the cold crystal pillar, a pale blue light slowly lit up. It was very gentle and steady, finally stopping at less than a quarter of the height.

“Mana capacity: Level three. Recorded.”

Compared to Miss Loris's talent, it was indeed quite pitiful, but she did not lose heart. At the very least, mana capacity did not completely determine a mage's worth; combat techniques and the precision of magical study were also crucial. It was like fuel in a car: a minivan might have a lot of fuel, while a sports car had only a little, but in a hundred-meter race between the two, the sports car would still win.

As a side note, the glasses boy who was tested after her fell to his knees. Having only a Level five mana capacity, he shed tears of humiliation, which were misconstrued by others as a humblebragging mockery.

“My talent, my sweat! No!”

)