IRM Chapter 84

Professor Joseph’s forward steps froze stiffly. His scalp exploded, and he paused for a long time before turning his head back rigidly.

He looked at the well-behaved and adorable Eastern youth with a stern face, his eyelid twitching as he asked coldly and harshly, “Which profession do you want to ask about this time?”

Ji Chi blinked his eyes. “What are you talking about, haha, we’re in the Magic Academy, so naturally it’s a question about mages~”

Joseph sneered. “I’m telling you, even if you come to ask me, how could I possibly know… What did you say? Mages?!”

Joseph was so surprised that his glasses slid down a notch along his nose bridge. He pushed up his glasses incredulously and leaned in closer, carefully examining Ji Chi twice before nodding. “Not bad, this magic illusion you’re casting is quite good, Evan. If you hadn’t come to ask me questions about mages, I really would have thought you were that little bastard Ji Chi.”

Ji Chi’s smile cracked. He grabbed Joseph’s hand and placed it on his shoulder, indicating that he was real. “Professor, why don’t you try believing me? A teacher’s unusual gaze can easily cause students to develop an aversion to learning.”

Joseph: “……” And you don’t call this an aversion to learning?

Joseph silently withdrew his hand, tucked the magic grimoire under his arm, crossed his arms, and looked at him warily. “Speak, what do you want to ask?”

Ji Chi said seriously, “The standard for the first-year final evaluation at the Magic Academy is to advance to Junior Mage, and a qualified Junior Mage needs to simultaneously possess two conditions: magic power value and quantity of magic applications.”

Joseph discovered that Ji Chi wasn’t joking, and his expression gradually became serious as well.

“I know that Junior Mages are roughly around level 5, able to use about 20 points of magic power, but how is the materialized magic power quantity demonstrated?” Ji Chi asked.

Joseph frowned and worked hard to understand his words, roughly grasping what he wanted to ask. “Where on earth did you hear these strange standards… You’re asking how magic power is tested, right? You don’t need to worry about this. The evaluating professors are all at least Archmages, and they can tell at a glance whether your magic power is sufficient or not when you use magic.”

Ji Chi understood and made a sound of realization. He thought for a moment and continued asking, “However, my biggest problem lies in the quantity of magic. I remember that Junior Mages must be proficient in using five types of magic. Can these five types of magic be the same type with different magic power values…”

Joseph’s eyebrows shot up, and he couldn’t help but interrupt him. “I know what you’re thinking! I’m telling you it’s impossible! Large Fireball and small Fireball are the same type of magic! Go practice your magic properly and don’t think about such nonsense!”

Ji Chi sighed regretfully.

Joseph glared at him huffily. Before leaving, he added, “Oh! And one more thing! Magic application refers to the application of magic power within your own body. I know you can command elements at will, but you can’t use this trick to muddle through either!”

Ji Chi sighed regretfully again.

The next few days passed very peacefully for Ji Chi. It seemed as if he was confident, yet also as if he had given up in despair, leaving those who were quietly observing him unsure whether to encourage or console him.

Time thus arrived at the day of the summer test. The young mages came to the training lawn as usual, gathering together to chat happily.

For the young mages aside from Ji Chi, today’s content was the most relaxed day of the entire semester.

Because they were the most outstanding talents on this continent, the vast majority of young mages had already been Junior Mages before passing the Magic Academy test. After a year of coursework, quite a few had advanced to Intermediate Mage.

The last person to repeat a grade, Reize, was eleven years ago, which showed how low the probability was.

There were five professors responsible for evaluation, coming from the five first-year classes. They usually had good relationships. A female professor extended her wand and lightly tapped it, creating a long table covered with snow-white silk tablecloth on the empty training lawn.

On the long table were scattered cake stands, with sweet and delicious little pastries still steaming hot.

The female professor waved her wand in the air again, and exquisite teapots and teacups appeared out of thin air. The teapot painted with pansy patterns floated up leisurely, pouring clear tea into the cups.

The other professors thanked her one after another and took their seats behind the long table in succession, their relaxed and comfortable manner looking like they were hosting an afternoon tea.

Only Joseph frowned in silence, unconsciously about to put the scalding tea into his mouth.

The professor sitting beside him was startled and quickly touched the teacup. Ice spread through the tea, instantly lowering the excessive temperature.

Joseph only reacted when he drank a mouthful of ice chips. He put down the teacup, rubbed his frozen and numb fingers, and nodded his thanks to him.

The professor beside him asked with concern. “If you have something to attend to, you can leave first. After all, this test is just going through the motions. Everyone won’t mind.”

Joseph shook his head and sighed, looking worriedly at the chattering young mages.

The professor looked in the direction of his gaze, saw the highly distinctive black hair and black eyes, and smiled. “I’ve heard of Ji Chi’s name long ago. It seems next year’s top student position is definitely his.”

To encourage healthy competition among students, every profession academy from the second year onwards would select a student leader from the comprehensive scores of various tests from the previous year.

There were many benefits to becoming student leader. Naturally, the generous material rewards went without saying, but there was also the opportunity to be recommended for admission to the Combat Academy, and they could know the location of Headmaster Harvey’s office and receive his special guidance.

The other benefits were fine, but anything involving the headmaster was simply a rare and precious treatment.

However, this year’s competition was too fierce. Given that Class S was filled with geniuses, young mages from other classes had already given up. Even the young mages within Class S itself had a laid-back attitude, not planning to compete with the big shots at all, and were languidly discussing whether to finish the test quickly and rush to the cafeteria to grab the limited bread.

All the professors were also well aware of this—this year was both the weakest and strongest year for competition for the Magic Academy’s top student position, with students severely polarized between strong and weak.

The professors’ gazes couldn’t help but flow over the four most outstanding young mages in Class S. The top student position would only emerge from these four, but the potential of these four was unfathomable.

“I say, why don’t we make a bet?” The female professor held her teacup and proposed with a smile.

“Good idea! I’m still judging which one is most likely to become top student… I think Brandon is quite good. After all, he’s the son of Earl Elliott, and he’s an explosive fire element user. He must be very proficient in using fire elements!”

“Of course I favor Saintess Coralie. She’s been the Saintess of the Church of Light for eight consecutive years. I heard even the Pope sighed over her talent.”

“Are you all ignoring Evan? I think he works very hard! Although he’s not as conspicuous as the first two, don’t you think he’s like the radiance of early morning—not scorching, yet containing countless possibilities?”

“So who are you betting on?”

“Ji Chi!!!” The three spoke in unison with firm determination, electric currents crackling where their gazes converged.

The female professor: “……” Good heavens, that’s so like you all.

At this moment, Joseph suddenly spoke, “I choose Evan.”

“Eh?” The other professors turned their heads back with curious faces. “How could you…”

Joseph sneered, picked up his tea and took a sip, remaining silent.

The female professor covered her mouth and laughed, saying, “That’s perfect then. I also wanted to bet on Ji Chi. If the winner isn’t within these two, let’s take our stakes and get drunk at the tavern, how about it?”

Though she said this, she secretly smiled and exchanged glances with the other three professors, the meaning very obvious—although the odds were low and there wasn’t much money to be made, the opponent was Professor Joseph! The sense of achievement from beating him was worth a fortune!

When the class bell rang, the final test officially began. The training lawn soon lit up with elemental lights of various colors. Wind sounds, thunder sounds, and explosion sounds rang out in succession, making the entire academy much livelier.

The test order was arranged according to the order in which the young mages received their admission notices. Since Ji Chi was a nearly extinct repeating student, his priority was even lower than Saintess Coralie who transferred midway, so he was placed last in Class S.

However, no one was anxious. The more anticipated something was, the more delicious the waiting time would make it.

The test process was very simple—they just needed to use five magic spells in front of the professors, and the professors would give evaluations based on the magic’s strength and precision.

After all the young mages in Class S were tested, there were quite a few impressive performances, especially the magic array Evan arranged—a four-layer stacked binding array that made even the professors feel it was tricky to break.

Time slowly passed, and it was finally Ji Chi’s turn.

“Next, all-elemental mage, Ji Chi.”

Everyone heard this sentence. They straightened their backs, their eyes sharpening as they stared at that slender figure with anticipation or worry.

Ji Chi walked to the front of the long table with a normal expression and bowed to the professors.

One professor quietly praised, “Good! Very modest, not arrogant, add five points!”

Another professor nudged him. “Hey, don’t go overboard. You should watch his magic. Look! Next, the magic fusing ten elements will be so exquisite and powerful…”

“First magic, [Fireball].” Ji Chi extended his hand with a serious face. A bright red fireball burned in his palm, neither too large nor too small in scale, just enough to illuminate the professors’ dumbfounded faces.

Professor Joseph calmly drank a sip of tea, the hand holding the teacup trembling finely.

“Cough.” A professor cleared his throat lightly and saved face by saying, “I understand Eastern people. They’re a very reserved race who like to save their most powerful moves for last, calling them ultimate techniques… Look! Here it comes! Such a bright flash! It must be some incredible—”

“Second magic… [Light Orb].” Ji Chi continued to extend his hand seriously. The blinding light orb flickered in his palm. Several professors’ glasses shattered, unable to control the surge of their own magic power.

Professor Joseph calmly scooped up a spoonful of crème brûlée that melted in the mouth and chewed it in his mouth for a long time.

“Third magic, [Wind Orb]. Fourth magic…” Ji Chi got into the groove. After his left hand produced a ball, his right hand continued. Like someone who had just run out of a circus performing tricks on the street, balls of various colors tumbled in his palms.

The professors: “……”

Professor Joseph calmly put down his teacup and pastry, propped his forehead with both hands, and sighed heavily.

After finally gathering five balls, Ji Chi bowed to them again, brushed off his clothes and left, deeply concealing his merit and fame.

The professors remained silent for a long time on the empty lawn, holding their teacups.

“Can I fail him?” a professor asked seriously.

“That’s not quite right… After all, it is f-f-five types of magic…”

“……You sound very hesitant.”

“Heh.” Joseph sneered and wrote a blood-red P (PASS) on the evaluation form—the lowest score in the passing grade.

He stood up expressionlessly without any winner’s joy, turned around, and looked at them eerily, saying, “Don’t forget your bets.”