Reika slowly opened his eyes in his cramped rented room in the capital city of Everts.
"Good morning, world," he muttered, stretching his arms. "What should I do today...?"
He paused for a second, then a wide spread across his face. "Ah, of course... the academy entrance exam."
— One Week Ago —
"Uncle Barley, why did you call for me?" Reika asked, smiling.
Barley let out a soft chuckle. "Well, someone looks exceptionally cheerful today." He handed over a piece of parchment.
Reika took it, and his eyes instantly lit up.
"WAAHHH!"
"An application form for the Heero Academy?!"
"The registration is held in the capital," Barley explained.
"Huh?" Reika was taken aback. "Not directly at the academy itself?"
"No," Barley replied. "Because there will be a magic practical exam as well. Remember... the quota for commoners is only two people."
"Two people?!" Reika fell silent. "That means the chance of passing is barely one percent..."
"My gut feeling tells me," Barley said casually, "your opponents will probably only number around ten people."
"I don't get it..."
"You'll understand soon enough," Barley said, patting his shoulder. "Andrian will accompany you there. You can survive on your own, right?"
Reika pumped his fist. "Of course I can."
— The Day of the Exam —
The long-awaited day had finally arrived. Reika walked toward the military training grounds located within the castle district.
"Finally, today is the day," he muttered enthusiastically. "I was getting bored out of my mind... three days waiting in that rented room, and three days of traveling from Uncle Barley's house."
He took a deep breath, then smiled. "And now... it's showtime."
As he passed through the bustling marketplace, he looked around. "Whoa," he murmured. "It's even more crowded than yesterday."
Suddenly—
THUD!
A mysterious girl tripped and fell right in front of him.
"Whoa, hey!" Reika reflexively knelt down and caught her by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"
The girl looked up at Reika, her gaze incredibly vulnerable. Her right eye was a piercing gold, while her left eye was a deep blue. Her golden hair was partially hidden beneath the hood of her black cloak.
"Please... help me," she uttered weakly. "There's a robber... he's carrying a magic weapon. Just one guy."
(Huh?) Reika thought. (Her eyes... they're unique. One gold, one blue.)
"Which one is he?" Reika asked.
The girl pointed into the crowd. "That man over there."
Reika turned his head. The man was wearing a long brown robe, his face completely concealed by a mask.
(No way... but then again, he does look highly suspicious.)
Reika's eyes suddenly widened as he spotted a concealed dagger tucked inside the man's coat pocket.
(Okay, I take that back.)
"I'll go deal with him," Reika said to the girl. "You wait right here."
The girl simply nodded. Reika immediately marched over to the suspected man.
"Um... Excuse me, Mister," Reika spoke in a casual, nonchalant tone. "Do you mind if I take a look at what's inside your pocket?"
"Who the hell are you?!" the man barked, glaring at him. "Why should I show you anything, brat?!"
"Come on, Mister," Reika replied with a sly smirk. "I'm just curious. It looks like you've got something pretty sharp in there."
Suddenly, the man lunged forward, grabbing Reika and locking him in a chokehold while pressing the dagger firmly against his neck.
"LISTEN UP, EVERYONE!" the robber screamed to the crowd. "If you want this brat to live, hand over all your valuables right now! Otherwise, I'll slaughter him, and then I'll kill every single one of you!"
Despite the blade at his throat, Reika remained completely calm. "Mister... they're not going to care. Besides, nobody even knows who I am here."
"SHUT UP!" The man pressed the dagger deeper, drawing a tiny speck of blood from Reika's neck.
(Damn it...) The mysterious girl tried to force herself to stand up, but her body felt entirely drained. (My mana... it's completely depleted...)
The people in the marketplace did the exact opposite of helping; they backing away, completely indifferent to the boy's life.
"If that's how it is," the robber sneered cruelly, "then die! Windblade!"
Sharp, swirling blades of wind manifested around him. One of the wind blades shot violently toward a small child standing near a merchant stall, while the rest blasted toward the surrounding buildings.
"Frostwall!" Reika commanded instantly.
A thick, massive barrier of ice erupted from the cobblestone street, completely blocking the wind attacks and shielding the little child just in time. The entire marketplace gasped in absolute shock.
Before the robber could even realize what had happened, Reika broke free and thrust his left hand directly toward the man's wrist.
"Pyroburst!"
Even though his fire magic was strictly a low-tier technique, the sudden explosion of intense heat successfully scorched the robber's hand.
"AHHH! IT BURNS!!!" the man shrieked, instantly dropping his dagger.
Reika gave a small, mocking grin. "Frostbind."
Freezing frost instantly surged upward, locking the man's entire body inside a solid block of ice.
"YOU BRAT!! Let me go!"
"Nope," Reika replied casually, covering his ears with his hands. "Can't hear you."
"YOU BASTARD!!"
Moments later, the royal guards finally arrived to secure the scene.
Before they could be spotted, the mysterious girl suddenly grabbed Reika's hand and pulled him away from the crowd.
"Hey," Reika protested softly. "Isn't it a good thing that the royal guards are here?"
"Quiet," she whispered urgently. "Just follow me. I don't want us getting entangled in their investigation."
"Alright, alright..."
The mysterious girl led Reika into a narrow, deserted alleyway where no pedestrians passed by. Suddenly, her knees buckled and she collapsed.
However, Reika caught her just in time. Her frail body fell right into his arms.
"S-So warm..." she murmured.
She wrapped her arms around Reika, hugging him tightly. "Just for a moment... please."
Reika's face flushed bright red. "Whoa! Hey! What are you doing?!"
But her embrace felt so incredibly weak and vulnerable that Reika found himself unable to push her away.
A few minutes passed.
"Mmh...!"
The girl finally regained her senses and quickly broke the embrace, stepping back. "I-I am so sorry... That was highly inappropriate of me."
"It's... it's fine," Reika said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "But... why did you suddenly hug me like that?"
The girl took a deep, steadying breath. "I will explain everything," she said softly. "But before that..."
She pulled back her hood, revealing her striking face.
"My name is Clara Zevienthe. You can call me Clara."