Chương 93: Chapter 91 - Crysellia Vonarch.

The crop of students this year is terrible. I can't believe I let them rope me into this. Well at least Julian is here, could be worse.

"Come on lad, is that all the flux you got? Since when was nobility so weak?" Terrnock shouted at newest student, who was on the verge of tears.

"Students have been getting weaker and poorer, so many fleeing to Oracrest to escape border skirmishes. What a shame. Those damn flintlock rats causing all these problems." Terrnock muttered, ensuring his voice would be heard by the student. Terrnock might drive half our students to tears before we even finish the test. Well if its less work for me, I don't really care, but does he have to be so boorish? Lower nobility is barely better than the commoners.

"Remember Terrnock, that those "flintlock rats" being so dangerous and competent is why this is even a problem to begin with" Julian replied.

"Yes yes, I know. Still, they contaminate the world with their gunpowder and wicked sorceries." Terrnock grumbled. Julian, thank the gods that Julian Greywing is here. Makes this all worth it. While he might not be nobility, he's ten times more competent than most.

"Good day sirs, madam" A lesser noble bowed to each.

"Touch the crystal, get on with it" Terrnock waved him on. The student placed a hand on the cylinder of crystal, it illuminated dimly.

"Failed. We told you to leave if you didn't have at least 1000 flux, this is far beneath our requirements." Terrock kicked the student out before he could get a word in.

"Terrnock, basic decorum please" Crysellia reminded him. So boorish, even if the student was a failure, please respect manners! He snorted "Those with so little flux aren't worth the effort." They glared at each other. I hate this man so much. He's making me look terrible in front of Julian. Student after student came in.

"Decent earth and a weak fire. Hmmm" Terrnock sat up "What class did you sign up for?" His smile beamed with excitement "Battle magics!"

"Ok you failed, you can go now" Terrnock shooed him out. Blonde hair, tall height, and regal clothing, Gladius sauntered into the room with the confidence of royalty. 2000 flux? If only I could get my hands on their title list, the Duke would be most pleased. I swear they are probably spending a dozen stat gems on these kids. Just as is right. Shortly after Gladius scored very high wind affinity, decent fire affinity, and a low water affinity.

"As expected of the Tesset's, Milord is a credit to his family name." Terrnock nodded his head, fanning the flames of Gladius' smirk. He glanced at Julian again, searching for a reaction. Can they hurry up? I know he's royalty and all, but we still have a lot of students left. The sphere of stats was carefully laid before him, Terrnock was sure to bow deeply before sitting back down.

"Should I remove my artifacts first?" Gladius hesitated.

"No no, it's fine, the orb won't be affected by them." Terrnock waved him on. Gladius placed a hand on the orb and it shot up until it was nearly as high as his head.

"Over 900 total stats, superb! I haven't seen a student with such high levels, well, since your own siblings came to the academy!" Terrnock continued.

"Yes, quite well milord." Crysellia commented dryly.

"It is a Tesset state secret, so I'm afraid I cannot talk about my class." Gladius tried to hide his pride. He repeatedly glanced at Julian, but found no reaction. Ah Gladius you simple one, still working on that politicking aren't you?

"I am certain it is one of the best classes at…" Terrnock ran on and on with bootlicking until Julian shooed Gladius out. Nobles eventually blended into peasantry, average stats dropping across the board and nearly 70% failed on the spot. A young lad in clothing that had seen better days sauntered in with unwarranted confidence.

"Fifoasjdoi gporekeekfqwdid" he bowed. A foreigner? I've never heard that tongue before. She sighed and slipped on a communication artifact, same as Julian and Terrnock.

"Your name again?" Terrnock snapped his fingers.

"Rowen, Rowen Stormbridge, of The Far North." he bowed once again.

"Alright, alright, now place your hand on the cylinder" Terrnock waved him on. It glowed with a rare strength. That's about 1600 flux? Quite high for his strata.

"That is a respectable score, what classes did you sign up for?" Crysellia asked.

"Battle magics, milady." Not bad, he would do well in those classes. House Vonarch is always on the search for promising candidates. Next Rowen touched the dias. Jagged yellow lines criss-crossed over a deep ocean blue, while white swirls spun across. What in the center is this? The affinities are blurring together, but why? Julian spoke "Lightning, water, and wind, all at decent strength, equal even. Good."

"But why are they are blurring together? Affinities should be distinct." Terrnock objected. Julian smiled "Composite magic types exist, though it's incredibly hard to find a strata one let alone strata zero class that influences such things. Your family's class is quite something, Mr Stormbridge. We will be happy to take you in battle magics, should you pass the exam." Wow Julian… maybe I can pull him into House Vonarch, I'm sure the Duke would approve.

"Yes Crysellia, we will take the multi-casting six-affinity master into our household, and you can be the next Duke! But you must marry him soon." Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. If only. Next, Rowen touched the stat sphere, much to Terrnock's chagrin, it shot straight up. Terrnock's terrible voice pulled her out of her reverie "Not bad, respectable even, 850 stats at your age.

You have not been slacking young man, and your family class is respectable." Terrnock had a conflicted look, torn between the urge to insult the foreigner and the need to recognize his status. The boy sauntered out with far more confidence than he had come in with.

"Good luck Nythera, I don't think you'll have a problem with this test." They could hear him say from just outside the door. A girl with similar clothes, half of which were artifacts, walked in carefully, as if she was stepping on ice.

"Hello, I'm Nythera." she waved a bit.

"Your family name?" Crysellia scowled. Who in The Center taught this girl manners? Anyone?

"Nythera Vel Aurendor, from The Far North" she straightened her back. Another one then, they probably came together. That would make three students from the Far North this year, how strange.

"Let's get this over with, put your hand on the cylinder." Terrnock smirked, poised and ready to fail her on the spot. Her hand hesitated before the cylinder, as if afraid.

"Get on with it already, we haven't got all day" Terrnock pushed. She touched it. A blinding daze, like the birth of a star, flashed in the room, going nearly as fast as it had arrived. OWWW MY EYES! Crysellia flinched back. The sound of Terrnock tumbling off his chair broke the silence.

"What was this for? I'm really sorry I broke it" Nythera bowed frantically.

"She actually broke it, that was calibrated to handle up to strata three students…" Terrnock's voice got stuck in his throat. Even if she fails, I need to make sure House Vonarch claims her, she could be useful with just that flux pool. Terrnock is right for once, she must have well over 4000 flux to have done that. Her flux is comparable to the teachers… Julian leaned back in his chair, watching closely. Terrnock's face was full of suspicion.

"Are you an agent of those damn flintlock rats? A council frog? What are you? I don't believe she's strata one, she'd have to be the second coming of Tesset himself." he hissed, bringing his hand down to the hilt of his saber.

"Relax, Terrnock. She's just a girl. Collect yourself." Julian chided with a hint of irritation. Crysellia blinked. A wizened old man, bald, but with a big, fluffy beard, and ornate purple robes stood before Nythera, examining the cylinder. He frowned. The headmaster has gotten involved? That's not good.

"What, mmm what course did you enter?" he asked.

"Battle magics?" Nythera said after a pause. The headmaster nodded in thought and a smaller cylinder slid out of his sleeve onto the table. Crysellia blinked. The headmaster was gone. Damn old geezer, always teleporting around. I swear he just enjoys messing with people. Does he have a force-blink spell or something? Nythera tentatively touched the cylinder. The entire room lit up with a brilliant glow, but not blindingly. Julian's eyes opened wide, a small smile crept onto his face.

No, that's not possible for a strata one. That's more than I have! WAY MORE.

"A little over twenty thousand flux, duly noted" Julian nodded.

"That isn't possible, she cannot be strata one, Julian be on your guard" Terrnock's blade was half unsheathed.

"Sit down Terrnock, she is no spy, just a well-accomplished noble girl. Nythera, put your hand on the dias next please." Julian said without moving his gaze. Nythera winced as her hand touched the dias, afraid of breaking everything now. The surface did not change, remaining dull grey What, how does she have no affinities?

"Did you even touch it? Put both hands firmly on the rim of the dias" Terrnock scolded. Nythera's other hand touched the rim. Nothing happened. She really has none. Huh. Guess she isn't as much of a prodigy as I had hoped.

"Well girl, I am sorry to tell you, but you can't pass battle magics with just flux and no affinities. I'll have to fail you right here." Terrnock moved to getup.

"Let's wait and see a bit further." Julian said.

"But she has no affinities!"

"Not all magics use elemental skills, how about we look at her stats before making a judgement." Julian suggested. Why is he protecting her so much? Can we just get on with it, this girl is a flux battery at best. Is every single stat she has on resonance? She won't be able to cast. Nythera almost touched the orb, then stopped "I am sorry to interrupt but I am worried about breaking this too. It measures stats?" Nythera winced. Terrnock burst out laughing "As if you could actually break a stat orb."

While her flux was respectable, fantastic even, breaking a stat orb? Please, you would need about double the stats of students we regularly pass to ever achieve anything like that. Simply impossible, classes have fixed stats, titles don't give enough. An annoyed look passed through the girl's eyes, but only for an instant. Her hand struck forward, touching the orb. It shot into the ceiling, breaking against the stone.

"I told you! Look, the uh, Far North does things differently." the soon-to-be-school girl pouted. Terrnock brandished his sword "Strata one! Ha! As if we would be dumb enough to believe that. Out with it SPY!" Julian snapped his finger and the room went silent.

"What level are you?"

"Fifty-six, Strata one" she stood a little straighter and met his eye. Yeah as if, that would mean you would have a class that gives…about ten stats per level? No, eleven? Or a ton of titles. This isn't possible.

"By the Center! You think we will believe such delusions?" Terrnock brought his sword up. Crysellia also drew on her flux, which flowed with ease into primed attack skills. She blinked. The headmaster waved his hand and her flux cooled.

"Sit down please, Terrnock, let's not get our students too excited now shall we proceed?" The headmaster waved his hand and the shards collected in his palms, he let out a deep sigh.

"How curious, try this one." he pulled out a cube and thrust it onto the table. Nythera hesitated.

"Go on dear, if you break this one, I'll give you an artifact of your choice from the entire school." he waved her on. Well that's quite generous, but knowing him this thing is probably tailored for a strata five or six. I doubt even Julian could do much to it. The cube levitated off the table, emitting a dim purple light and then fell back down.

"Over 1600, and some traces of advanced stats in there, very nice. I look forward to seeing you in class, Ms….?" The headmaster waited with a raised eyebrow.

"Ms. Nythera, my name is Nythera". He frowned.

"Foreigner, should have guessed. Well I'll remember to get a communication artifact for next time, Miss Foreigner." Crysellia blinked, he was gone. Over 1600, and some traces of advanced stats… I need to get House Vonarch's claws into her. If Julian thinks her no-affinities doesn't matter there must be a reason for it, and with that many stats she could be a powerhouse within the decade. I need to claim her. But is she a princess? She couldn't be a mere duke's spawn with this.

"1600, that's not possible." Terrnock sat dazed.

"The Far North…" Julian muttered to himself, tapping his leg as he flipped through an old book.

"Yes, this is it. Congratulations Miss Aurendor, for scoring the highest stat score since Aelytr Wyrmrender, approximately 800 years ago, though your flux is higher than his. I haven't found an entry with anything comparable yet." Julian kept flipping through the book. What kingdom would abandon their prodigy? Or is Oracrest Academy just that good?

"Proper nobility, Aurendor, I've never heard the name before but they must be a formidable family in the Far North. It will be good to have you here to set an example to the other students" Terrnock said with a look of deep respect.

"You may go now" Crysellia dismissed the girl. She moved to leave, turned back and bowed, as if just remembering to do so. Julian spoke up as the door shut "Class will be interesting."