There were in total about five horses. They arrived at the manor, dropped from their horses, and were led inside by the knights.
Raze simply watched this from his window, a smile forming on his face.
A few minutes later, a knock came at his door. He walked to the door, opened it, and outside was Elaine.
"Let me guess, Father wants all of us to come and watch as Riker is scouted," Raze said.
"Yes, Young Master," she replied.
"Alright, give me a minute." He said and walked in, carrying a small pouch. Inside was a bar of soap and a small vial of perfume. He hung it at his waist and walked out.
"Young Master, if I may ask, what is that?"
"Inside the pouch is my ticket to wealth, wealth that's very much needed for everything that I need to do," he said.
She gave him a slightly confused look but didn't say anything else. When he finally got to the training yard, he saw the five figures standing there with their hoods on.
His family all stood at the side watching, while Riker stood at the center, about to perform.
The five then took off their hoodies, revealing their faces. They were three men and two ladies, one a middle-aged woman with glasses and the second a young girl, no older than Riker.
She had fiery red hair and a crimson glow in her eyes. She watched Riker keenly, as if trying to see past his soul.
"Riker Grimhold, you are to begin your presentation. Cast your best at will, and we will judge if you are worthy of the Raven Academy," the woman spoke.
Riker gave a bow, then stood up. He moved his hands up in a slow manner.
"Inferno," he muttered, and a flame ignited, burning between both hands.
"Fireball." The flame turned into a ball of fire. He took a deep breath and turned to the dummies used for training. He shot the fireball; it traveled through the air fast and slammed into the doll.
He glanced at the five, but from their expressions, he could tell they weren't impressed yet, so he cast another spell.
"Flame Arrow." He called out, and an arrow formed with fire, shot out, and hit the target. Then he made another immediately and another, shooting three in rapid succession.
This made one of the men lift his brow, visibly impressed to say the least. Riker took that as his sign, so he immediately started casting another—his best fire spell.
He placed his hands on the ground, took a deep breath.
"Flame Trail." He muttered. A trail of fire ignited from his hands, traveled all the way to the doll, and then exploded, blasting the doll into the air. It landed on the ground burning.
This spell alone impressed the three men, but not the women. They watched with plain faces.
"I heard you are an innate dual caster. Is there more, or does your skill stop at flames?" the woman asked.
Riker looked at her, beads of sweat already forming on his face.
"I am an innate dual caster, yes. My second element is Ice, and I am decent in it," he said.
"Then show," she spoke. Her tone was monotonous.
He nodded and faced another doll.
"Ice Blade." He called out, forming a blade of ice over his hands and firing it at the doll. Then he formed three and shot them together before going up to five.
"Hmmm." The woman finally made a sound. "If this is the end of your presentation, then we will talk about it before giving you a verdict," she said. The five of them turned away and started talking.
Riker stood there, his heart beating hard. Raze, on the other hand, already knew that he would get in.
The five turned back to face Riker. "Your talent is visibly great. You have the potential to become a great mage. All you need is the right guidance.
You have passed. The entrance examination will be in two weeks' time. Make sure you prepare," she said.
Riker heard those words, and his heart nearly leapt from his chest. The Baron could barely hold in his smile; he felt proud of his son.
Raze, on the other hand, watched quietly, waiting for the right moment.
"Since that is all, we will be taking our leave," the woman said.
"Won't you at least stay for a meal before you leave?" the Baron asked.
"We have done what we came for. We leave now," she said, leaving no room for argument.
They walked through the side of the house to the front, getting on their horses. But before they left, Raze suddenly spoke, "Please wait, I have a gift for you," he said to the woman and handed her the pouch.
She looked at it for a few seconds. His father watched from behind, scared and wondering what Raze was doing.
She took the pouch and opened it. The scent was the first thing that hit her, and she looked at it in shock.
"What are these?" she asked.
"A bar of scented soap and a vial of perfume, made by myself," he said with a grin.
She looked at him for a few seconds, stunned. She came down from the horse.
"It seems we might just stay for that meal," she said, looking at the Baron.