Chapter 261

Luckily for his sensibilities, Nick was spared tearful goodbyes this time, partly because he was moving just a couple of miles away and would have the freedom to see his brother and future girlfriend outside of classes and whatever time was taken up by his new mentor.Still, he couldn’t deny that looking up at the Tower gave him a strange mix of anticipation and nervousness that he wasn’t exactly fond of.

Archmage Tholm’s invitation hadn’t added much to what he already knew would happen, merely mentioning the offer of an apprenticeship and asking him to go to the man’s office after the ceremony was over.

Nick doubted anyone could walk in there, so he kept the invitation in his ring, ready to pull it out if he was stopped.

“Please have your acceptance letter ready to be scanned. Do not linger near the entrance once you’ve been processed, and walk directly into the atrium by following the signs in the entrance hall,” one of the guards called, scanning the much smaller crowd of apprentices that was waiting to be let in.

Compared to the nearly three thousand mages who took the test, only about twenty displayed their letters, resulting in an acceptance rate of around 0.67%. This was slightly higher than Battera had claimed, but Nick thought it made sense when including those who performed decently in the practical but excelled in theory.

Not everyone was ready to duel a Prestige mage, after all.

“I can’t believe it,” Tim murmured next to him, almost vibrating in his boots, “I really didn’t think I’d pass.”

Nick gave him an amused look. “You impressed them with your debuffing mist. That would have guaranteed you a pass even without the theory. You certainly surprised me.”

His fellow grasslander smiled sheepishly, “I was told not to use that unless in the direst circumstances. I wasn’t trying to hold back anything when I dueled you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nick told him, patting him on the back, “I’m sure we’ll have more chances now that we are both in.”

Ignoring the suddenly worried look he got back, he moved to the front of the line, where the guard scanned his invitation and nodded before pausing. “Ah, the first-ranked. Please, sit in the front row and get ready for your turn to speak.”

A strangled sound behind him told him the others had heard, but Nick didn’t look back.

The entrance hall was just as grand as before, but instead of being filled with test takers and guards struggling to manage the flow of people, only about a dozen mages wandered around, and although the mood was more relaxed, there was a new sense of anticipation that hadn't been there previously.

Mana was still very thick, with the wards standing as a bulwark around the dimensional winds all around them, but Nick knew the trick now and could filter them out as background noise without needing to turn off his senses entirely.

Fortunately, the instructions this time were clearer, as a floating sign guided him toward a massive door that had been previously closed.

Behind him, Nick sensed Tim and a few others who had been waiting to be let in with them hurry to catch up, but he kept his pace just fast enough to reach the entrance before anyone could question him.

The moment he walked in, all noise disappeared.

The atrium was a massive room, much larger than the entrance hall, filled with rows upon rows of marble seats all facing a grand stage made of iron-colored wood and blue steel.

Through the chamber, Nick sensed the presence of numerous spells, ranging from the easily recognizable sound-controlling one, designed to ensure the speaker could be heard from every seat, to much more obscure ones he suspected were meant to prevent sabotage.

A section of the seats nearest to the stage was cordoned off, and another floating sign directed all the newly accepted mages to take their places there.

Despite it still being early and about half an hour before the ceremony started, most of the seats were either already filled or in the process of being taken as hundreds of mages of all ages filed in from various side doors.

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“Man, I had no idea there were this many mages in Alluria,” he heard Tim murmur, looking around in awe like the country bumpkin he was.

“That is because everyone in the West with a shred of mana to their name comes here,” a low, feminine voice replied, and Nick turned to see Eona waiting for them at their reserved seats, already having staked her claim on one of the front row spots.

Still, Nick noticed she hadn’t taken the middle one, which was shaped like a throne, even if not a particularly gaudy one. That, he was pretty sure, was meant for him.

“I guess. But don’t the other cities have their own Towers?” Tim asked dubiously.

“There are a few cities in the west, but none can match Alluria in size or wealth, and certainly not in power.” Another kid replied, a young man around Tim's age, wearing an elegant frock he tugged at in distaste.

Eona turned toward him with a raised eyebrow, but the light of recognition in her eyes told Nick this wasn’t a complete stranger. “Bellamy, it is rude to interrupt without introducing yourself. You could get away with your behavior as a child, but now that you have entered the Tower, you need to comport yourself with the dignity befitting your house.”

“Uuuugh, why do you have to bother meeee?" Bellamy groaned. “I just got out of the castle, let me breathe, woman. I was even forced to wear this stupid thing because I have to represent!”

Eona didn’t seem particularly impressed by his whining, but turned to them with a neutral expression. “You’ll have to forgive Bellamy. He had the misfortune of being born in a cadet branch of House Alluria. It is a terrible thing to be given the very best tutors, resources, and connections from birth.”

Nick blinked in surprise, turning to take in the teenager a bit better. His clothing was a bit too formal, more suited for a ballroom than an academic ceremony, but it was clearly of very fine make, and now that he was looking for it, he could sense faint traces of mana all over it, the clear signature of a master artisan having sewn it personally.

Bellamy himself wasn’t very impressive, but that was only in comparison to the present company. Removed from the presence of Nick and Eona, he would likely stand out among their peers for his well-developed mana reserves, with a noticeable hint of earth magic.

Fortunately, Bellamy didn’t seem to take offense at Eona’s sarcasm, instead adopting a long-suffering look that told Nick these two had known each other for a long time.

Tim was only considered because he was with him, but Nick was pretty sure he wouldn’t need to hang on his coattails for much longer. He’d already proven himself to be better than most others, and once he gained more depth and strength, he’d be a force to be reckoned with.

Another group of teenagers walked down the hall, filling the empty chairs, and soon enough, the atrium’s doors slammed shut with a loud bang.

“Please be seated,” a cold, feminine voice echoed from all around, and everyone who had been loitering about, casting curious glances at the newcomers, took their place.

Nick heard an intake of breath as he sat on the central throne, clearly claiming his place as first, instead of Eona, whom he knew had been seen as the favorite. But no one said anything because footsteps echoed through the room, and a beautiful, yet severe woman appeared on the stage.

She wore a pretty, stereotypical witch’s hat, and her golden hair cascaded in curly waves at the back, while azure and silver robes only hinted at the figure beneath.

Despite her clear beauty, Nick felt absolutely no interest arise from around the room. Instead, everyone seemed to be wary of the woman, which told him she wasn’t someone to be messed with.

“Welcome to the four hundred and seventeenth Commencement Ceremony!” she called, lifting her hands dramatically.

The crowd of mages responded on cue, and loud applause echoed.

“Yes, welcome to this most important day. Today, we introduce a new group of young mages to the Tower. By bringing in fresh blood, we allow new ideas to come in, which we will explore, analyze, and shape into something useful, just like we have every year before.” Her blue eyes seemed to glow as she spoke, although Nick could sense no mana coming from her beyond what enchanted items she wore.

Yet, the sensation of her attention on him felt almost like a physical weight, and he knew without a doubt she was a Prestige class, and probably a powerful one at that.

“Now, the Tower Master is otherwise occupied with an important matter at the Royal Court’s request, but the Vice Tower Master, Ebenexer Politod, will oversee the ceremony. Please welcome him,” she said, stepping back from the dais.

In the blink of an eye, a bald man appeared where she had just been, without so much as a ripple in the ether.

Before Nick could get lost in the implications of such skill, especially since he remembered the man’s title as “Archmage of Summoning,” he was forced to refocus because a gravely voice began echoing through the hall.

“Thank you, Mistress Enteral. As she explained, the Tower Master is busy, but I hope you won’t mind me stepping in for him,” he said, though his tone was so low and gravely that it took a moment for the gathered mages to realize they were supposed to laugh.

A polite chuckle followed, and the Archmage nodded with satisfaction. “I shall not bore you with things you already know. Alluria’s Tower is among the finest institutions of Berea, and indeed, the entire continent. It stands tall among other Towers, distinguished for its breadth of mastery and the incredible number of Prestige mages it produces. To the newcomers, I tell you this: Work hard, for every drop of sweat will be repaid tenfold. Slack off, and you will never know how pure the air is at the top, no matter who your family might be.”

His deep-set eyes landed on them, briefly pausing on Nick before shifting to Bellamy and a few others who were clearly from noble houses.

“Now, I will cede the podium to this year's top scorer on the entrance exam, Nicholas Crowley, who also ranks in the top ten in the Tower’s history. Please welcome him.”

Attention fell on Nick like a thunderstorm, heavy and oppressive. Everyone, from young apprentices just starting out to masters of their craft, wanted to learn about him, and the surprising result he achieved only heightened that interest.

Yet, he rose from his seat, maintaining a relaxed gait and an impassive face. Even before reaching the stairs to the stage, he floated slightly above the marble floor, taking the Vice Tower Master’s position with a polite nod of respect.

The fat mage looked at him with barely concealed amusement, which told Nick everything he needed to know. He was good to go ahead with his inflammatory speech.

He paused for a moment as he looked up, taking in the sight of a thousand mages all staring at him. There was enough power in this single room to outshine the entire Earth by the time he died, yet he doubted they possessed as much variety and ingenuity as his old planet had given him.

Firming his stance, he spoke. “My name is Nicholas Crowley. Today, I am a simple mage, eager to learn more about the greatest force in the universe from my elders. Soon, I will surpass all of you. Watch me.”