Taryeon turned his brown eyes to his taller, white-haired friend, Isidore, and looked at him for a second before turning back to Alec.
"I guess we are a little suspicious, huh?" He scratched the back of his head.
"Honestly, it's nothing special. We're both new here, and I figured that making friends wouldn't be a bad idea. And then I saw you almost get run over…
"Am I silly if I call it fate?" Taryeon asked with a tilt of his head.
"Of course, you don't have to associate with us if you don't want to. I'm sorry if I came on a little strong." He bowed his head slightly as he apologized.
Alec's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head.
"No, it's fine. I'm just…I'm just nervous. It's a new place, and, since we're being honest, I'm not used to people approaching me without ulterior motives."
Taryeon immediately nodded in understanding.
"I understand." He put his hand on Isidore's shoulder.
"I am once again making assumptions. I saw your clothes and assumed you had a family. But that wariness and those eyes…
"You're an orphan, aren't you?"
Alec's gaze darkened, and the way he looked at Taryeon changed. He wasn't wrong. And that was exactly what scared him.
"So are we." Taryeon patted Isidore.
"We were lucky enough to find each other. But that doesn't mean I don't know what you're afraid of, Alec." He held out his hand toward Alec again.
"That's why I won't ask you to trust us. Be as suspicious as you want. But I'd still like to be your friend." He looked at his hand meaningfully.
"Once again, I am Taryeon. Right now, my dream is to enter the Royal Academy's commoner Mage division. But one day, I want to stand at the very top of this kingdom."
Alec shook it with a skeptical look without saying anything.
Taryeon gestured at Isidore, who also reached out with a hand.
"Isidore. I want to become the greatest swordsman and support Taryeon."
"Alec. I want a long and peaceful life." For now, he decided to go with the flow.
But his words made Taryeon raise an eyebrow.
"And that's why you're applying to the Kingdom's Royal Academy, where the only paths of study are to either become a Mage or a Warrior, two paths famous for their precariousness?" He asked in confusion.
"...Are you saying I will be able to live a long and peaceful life if I do nothing, then? I want the strength to seize it with my own hands."
"You have a point…"
"Admirable." Isidore nodded. Wanting a long and peaceful life in and of itself wasn't very admirable. It was childish at best.
But Alec didn't just want it. He was willing to work and risk his life for it.
Taryeon looked at Alec's face for a few moments as if he had just gotten a new perspective. Suddenly, his eyes widened.
"Shit!" He cursed before turning around and sprinting toward the Academy's gates. Isidore was tight on his heels.
Alec stared at them for a moment before realizing what was going on.
There was apparently a time limit to the entrance exam. It wasn't open all day.
'Shit.'
Alec rushed after them.
It only took a few minutes for him to decide that maybe trying to become a mage wasn't such a bad idea. Running sucked.
However, he couldn't afford to be lazy when this was a matter that could decide the rest of his stay in Miteria.
He tried his best to catch up to Taryeon and Isidore with his body's horrible stats.
'System Lady, why does my body suck?'
[Because it's a clean slate. It's made to be completely bare so that you can mold it as you see fit in the future.]
'I…wasn't expecting a real answer, but does that mean I'll be able to become a Warrior?'
[If you want.]
'By the way…Is this a world where talent rules? Do I have the talent necessary to save the world? And do you need talent to become a mage?'
[As is true for most worlds, talent is very important. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to accurately measure your talent, Alec. But it is very unlikely that you do not have any talent whatsoever for Aether condensation.]
'Aether condensation?' Alec would have frowned if he hadn't been busy panting like a dog as he looked at the shrinking backs of Taryeon and Isidore. They weren't the only ones rushing toward the Academy.
'What happened to friends?'
Alec realized that he might not have directed his first question toward the System, so he was about to repeat it. It might be good to get an answer before he ended up preoccupied with the entrance exam.
It had taken several excruciating minutes, but he had finally arrived at the Academy and crossed its gates. And before he could repeat his question, another electronic trilling sound rang out inside his head.
[Major Quest: Enter the Vongrad Kingdom's Royal Academy.
[Reward: Undecided.]
[Minor Quest: Enter the Royal Academy's Commoner Mage Division.
[Reward: Low-grade Magic Circle Condensation Method.]
[Minor Quest: Enter the Royal Academy's Commoner Warrior Division.
[Reward: Low-grade Star Condensation Method.]
Alec looked at three quests while slowing his run to a jog until he caught up to Taryeon.
'I see. Aether condensation is either the first step or the common term for Warriors' and Mages' training methods. That means what matters is talent for Aether, whatever that is, rather than a specific talent for magic.' Alec thought to himself.
'Of course, people with the same degree of talent for Aether probably have innate differences which make them better suited to magic or physical combat. But I have a clean slate. I can choose whichever.'
The only question was which he should choose.
"You made it." Taryeon looked at the skinny, dark-haired kid, who looked like he was about to exhale his lungs with how heavy his breathing was.
'Definitely a mage.' Taryeon couldn't even imagine Alec's thin arms holding a sword.