Final Assessment

"At last, the day's here!"

In the Teaching Area, Ian stood at the back of the classroom, watching the Wizard apprentices around him.

Compared to the fresh-faced newcomers who had entered the academy, they all looked far more mature now.

"Lucy, Levi, Beck, Rune, Halman, Logan..."

Ian's gaze habitually swept over the Wizards with Second-class Talent, as though sizing them up.

Compared to six months ago,

he had grown tremendously too.

He had imprinted eight Mental Power Runes.

He had learned dozens of cantrips, including several combat Wizardry spells he could cast instantly. His fighting strength was formidable.

That ability to cast instantly was especially dangerous. Even many Second-class Apprentice Witches could be killed by him in an instant if they were caught unaware.

That was the source of his confidence.

The gap between low-rank Wizard apprentices was not as wide as people imagined.

Then there were the basic Potions courses:

Potion Identification and the Minor Hemostatic Potion.

Through repeated practice, he had long since become proficient at the former.

It was a skill that could only improve through extensive reading. Without Magic Stones, progress was nearly impossible.

Even so, no one in his cohort could surpass him, especially after he gained a photographic memory.

As for the Minor Hemostatic Potion, he had reached Expert Level. Even many professional potion-makers could not match him.

So...

"Quite a few people are watching me too!"

Ian felt their gazes and took a faint, private pride in them, though he did not even notice the feeling himself.

He waited in silence.

A while later, Joran arrived.

She looked calmly at this batch of Wizards and spoke slowly.

"The final assessment is based on the number of runes you have imprinted. Grades range from C- to A+, nine levels in all. C- requires only one rune; A+ requires nine."

With the rules announced, the testing began at once.

"Rodri, five Mental Power Runes. B."

The first apprentice stepped forward and soon received his result.

That was a respectable showing at the academy.

Then a Wizard with Third-grade Talent took the stage.

"Rune, seven. A-."

Rune was the first to earn an A-, and his lips immediately lifted. In that moment, his confidence seemed to return.

Before stepping away, he cast a lingering glance at Ian in the distance.

I took the advanced Mental Power Potion funded by the Oak Family, and I have Third-grade Talent. This time, I'll surpass you.

He pressed his lips together.

He could not beat Ian in combat or Potions, but there had been no gap between them in meditation class.

This time, he had taken a potion to restore his mental power.

Even if Victor was backing Ian,

with both of them receiving outside support, it came down to talent.

And there, he's no match for me!

Rune's eyes shone. This was what he was most confident about.

Even among a group of more than a hundred, his Third-grade Talent placed him near the top.

"Lucy, eleven. A+."

But when Rune saw Lucy, with her Second-class Talent, he immediately lowered his head.

He looked down on those with less talent while gazing up at those with more.

"Eleven. Second-class Talent really is something!"

Ian could not help marveling too.

Mental Power Runes grew harder to condense with each one. Eight was his limit, yet Lucy had managed three more.

Even with another quarter, he might not reach eleven.

But one day, I'll reach Second-class Talent too.

Ian pressed his lips together, his eyes gleaming.

Levi and Beck were called up soon after. Both had ten runes and earned A+.

"Halman, seven. A-."

Standing before the crystal ball, Halman breathed a sigh of relief.

Ross had left him ample resources before departing, and Halman had lived up to his expectations by reaching A-.

There's still hope.

Nervous, Halman watched every Wizard who followed.

Even those previously ranked in the top ten mostly had seven runes. That eased his nerves considerably.

"Ian, eight Mental Power Runes. A!"

The first A had appeared.

Even Joran looked at Ian in surprise. She seemed not to have expected someone of such ordinary talent to be the first to earn an A.

In the distance, Lucy pressed her lips together, her expression conflicted.

Of the apprentices they had invested in, the best had reached only seven Mental Power Runes. Ian had surpassed them.

We should have said yes back then.

"How is that possible?" Halman stared in shock, disbelief flashing in his eyes.

Two runes condensed in a single month.

Even with potions, surely someone with Fourth-grade Talent could not manage that.

Did Victor really spare no expense? Or... Halman struggled to accept it.

"The boss is incredible!"

Everyone in the Mutual Aid Society stared in astonishment. After all, it was the first A.

The testing soon ended. Apart from the three who earned A+, only two earned A: Ian and one other Wizard.

In other words, Ian had placed in the top five on this assessment, at least.

There was no test for the Combat Curriculum. Its grade came from an evaluation of overall performance throughout the course.

So once Ian and the others finished, they went straight to the classroom for the Potions assessment.

The basic Potions assessment had two parts:

a written exam and potion preparation.

The written exam was soon over.

For the practical portion, twenty students went at a time, with Wizards from the Potions Department serving as proctors.

"Wizard Vivian!"

Ian looked at the beautiful woman in gold-rimmed glasses ahead of him, surprised to find that she was proctoring.

"Begin the test!"

Vivian's sharp gaze moved over every Wizard taking the test as she assigned scores.

Soon it was Ian's turn.

As a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice, Vivian had an excellent memory. She recalled that this was the Wizard Victor thought highly of.

But he only has Third- or Fourth-grade Talent!

Vivian thought little of it.

But then...

Something's not right.

When she saw Ian preparing the potion with movements as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water, surprise broke through her cool expression.

That level of skill?

You've got to be kidding.

Vivian was shaken. Even Victor could never have worked with such practiced ease back then.

No wonder Victor thought highly of him.

But mental power is still what matters. If his meditation assessment goes badly, none of this will matter.

A Potion Genius was certainly valuable to her, but entry into the Potions Department had strict requirements.

His meditation grade had to be at least A-.

I hope he managed it.

Vivian adjusted her glasses and gave Ian an A+ without hesitation.

Because the Potions course included a written exam, its results were not announced immediately.

They would be released together with the other grades three days later.

In the blink of an eye,

three days passed.

That day, a huge sheet of paper was posted on a massive stone slab in front of the Teaching Area.

It listed the rankings of every Wizard in this assessment.

From the top down came Lucy, Levi, and Beck.

"Fourth: Roger. Wizardry course: A. Combat Curriculum: A+. Potions course: A+."

"Fifth: Ian. Wizardry course: A. Combat Curriculum: A+. Potions course: A+."