"I am a Third Grade mage."
Isaac's declaration sounded like thunderclap in Klein's ears. He froze, eyes wide like saucers.
"Wait. For real?" Maxwell asked, also shocked.
Isaac nodded casually. "Yes. Surprising as it might be, I'm a mage of that level."
"Prove it." Klein said in a low voice. "Prove it by defeating me."
As soon as he finished speaking, he went all out.
Fireballs, water arrows, and wind blades shot out in torrents.
Isaac was surprised, immediately dodging and blocking with earth walls. Then, he retreated and quickly created a magic circle.
From the magic circle, a spinning water shield that blocked the rest of the attacks easily.
"Hm? What's that?"
Klein asked, surprised by the new construct. Isaac answered with a smile.
"It's a combination of water arrows and wind blades. It can be used for defending, but also for…"
The spinning water shield suddenly tilted, turning horizontal like a blade. Before Klein's eyes could fully widen, it shot at him.
"… attacking."
Klein barely had time to complete the earth wall when the spinning water blade smashed into it. Surprisingly, it shredded the earth wall easily, though it also got destroyed in the process.
Again, Klein was shocked. He stared at the destroyed pieces of the earth wall, then back at Isaac who was preparing another magic circle.
'What now…?'
From the magic circle, a sword-like fireball shot out at incredible speed. Klein instinctively rolled away, his senses alert. Before he could rest, over twenty fireballs shot towards him, forcing him to be on the defensive.
'I can't attack. I barely have time to dodge.'
At a point, two water arrows grazed his arm, drawing blood.
'Damnit! Am I really going to be defeated?'
Crossing his hands, he created an earth dome around himself, and prepared to escape through the ground. Unexpectedly, the instant he tried controlling the earth beneath him, he felt some resistance, and sandy hands rose up, grabbing at his feet.
'What?!' Shocked, he immediately dispelled the earth dome and struggled to flee.
What welcomed him was a sight he would never forget. Stationary fireballs, water arrows, and wind blades surrounded him, like guards surrounding an intruder.
Finally, Klein raised his hands and admitted defeat.
"You're really… stronger than I am."
He said, a hint of awe in his voice. Despite being two years older than Isaac, he had no qualms praising the boy.
"How about this? In the next three years, the Royal Academy would be opening for enrollment. I want you to come with me."
Isaac blinked, stunned. "Eh?"
"Wait! Young Master?!"
One of the servants cried, feeling that the proposal was too sudden.
Once again, Klein ignored the servant. "Is that fine with you?"
Isaac fell silent, then looked at his father. Based on his understanding, the Royal Academy was the best training ground throughout the entire kingdom. It was surely a tempting treat.
Reymond fell into deep thoughts. 'Allowing Isaac to move to the Royal Academy would be risky. His large mana reserves might be exposed.'
However, he knew he couldn't hide Isaac in the Brask Hollow village forever.
'I can tell… he obviously wants to explore the world.'
Sighing, he raised his head. "You can agree, Isaac. I support you."
Isaac nodded, then turned to face Klein.
"I agree. Thanks for the opportunity."
He clasped his hands and bowed to him.
Klein smiled, nodding and ushering them into the mansion.
Very quickly, the two got along. As Klein's servants led the way, the two chatted, talking about their childhood experiences and difficulties. Of course Isaac hid the fact that he had a master. After all, he was sure the beggar wouldn't like being known by a famous noble.
Maxwell and Reymond left the two to bond, moving away to have adult talks.
"Usually, the Royal Academy slots are given only to the noble families." Klein explained.
"Oh?"
"Yes." He continued. "Of course there are slots given to exceptional prodigies who do not come from noble families too."
"Anyway, each noble family is given a total of seven slots. Most of the slots are already filled by my other siblings, but I'll ask father to give you the last slot."
Isaac's expression turned serious. "Is your dad… strict? Won't he get angry? After all, I'm just some village nobody."
"Of course not!" Klein disagreed. "You're not just any boy. You're a Third Grade mage. And my mother is also from your Brask Hollow village, so he'd be considerate."
"Hah? You didn't tell me that. We're really like brothers now."
Isaac grinned, though he cringed inwardly at using that line. It was something he had watched in movies, and it felt cringe saying it.
Even then, the line worked perfectly.
Klein's eyes glinted with an unknown emotion. "Brother, huh? Alright. You're my little brother from now on."
The two got closer from this point and eventually, evening arrived. Isaac and his father had to return to regroup with the other merchants from the village.
"Bye, little brother! Don't forget to visit me tomorrow!"
Klein waved at the gates, bidding them off.
"Alright, big brother!"
Isaac waved back, then followed his father back towards the city gates. Surprisingly, Reymond had a serious expression on his face.
"What's the matter, father?" Isaac asked solemnly.
The man rubbed his temples tiredly. "I'm simply worried for you. The Royal Academy is dangerous. Especially the dirty politics and power play over there."
Isaac slowed his pace. "You think I'd be caught up in the storm?"
His father nodded. "You don't have any political backing, and I don't want you to rely on the Dalem family. Else, you'd just become their puppet."
"Hm. I understand. However…" Isaac asked. "Do you know why I want to go to that academy?"
"Why?" Reymond asked silently.
"It is simple, father." Isaac raised his head to the sky. "I want to be like the strongest bird in the sky, able to soar as high as I please, take anything I want, and have no worries about threats. I want to become the ultimate one."
Reymond stared at his son, who looked absolutely dazzling at the moment.
'This boy… he has found his direction.'