I felt a pressure unlike anything I had ever felt in my life. I began to imagine that there was a terrifying monster in the hall, and my instincts told me that if it wanted me dead, then I was already dead.
I couldn't raise my head. All I could hear were voices coming from the direction of the ten, welcoming someone they called the leader.
From what I understood, he was the source of this overwhelming presence. I began to wonder: why would a great person like him come here? Was there something interesting enough to draw his attention?
Then I heard a majestic voice speak:
"It has been a long time since I personally witnessed a legendary talent… I believe it was a thousand years ago."
I was shocked by those words.
A thousand years?
Is he immortal?
How could someone live for a thousand years?
Then the leader spoke again:
"It seems today is a fortunate day for my academy."
He continued:
"Boy, what is your name?"
The boy stammered and said:
"Maxwell… Maxwell Volt, sir."
The leader replied:
"Then, Maxwell, you have a great future ahead of you due to your talent. Strive hard and avoid taking shortcuts, or you will regret it. This advice is not meant for you alone, but for everyone in this hall. If you wish to avoid regret, do not seek shortcuts."
He continued:
"The more you take shortcuts, the more you shorten your future.
And the more you strive, the more you shorten your future problems."
After that, he turned to the ten leaders and said:
"Take good care of these talents."
The moment he finished speaking, the pressure in the air suddenly vanished.
I raised my head and found no one left except the shy boy standing alone, and the guard in the middle of the hall.
No one spoke for a full minute. Then the guard was the first to speak:
"Now, we will continue the test. You three will go together, as I no longer have the time or the energy."
No surprise there—after all, all four had failed. After expelling them from the place, he took the testing orb and placed it into his bag.
Then he turned to the crowd and said:
"The test has ended here. You are now official students of the Silent Dawn Academy. Shortly, servants will come to guide you to your residences, so remain where you are."
As he left through the door, I looked at him and asked myself:
Will this be the beginning of a life of hardship?
I wished that one day I might become as powerful as the leader. I looked toward the ten, but they were gone. I wondered when they had disappeared. I looked around, and everyone seemed just as bewildered as I was… how did they vanish into thin air like that?
After I was certain all the powerful figures had left, I stepped closer to the door and moved away from that girl. Honestly, I felt relieved after distancing myself from her.
After sitting in my place for a few minutes, several people entered through the door. They looked like ordinary individuals.
One of them walked toward me, and when he got close enough, he said:
"Sir, I am here to guide you to the place where you will be staying."
After understanding his words, I looked around the hall and saw Amanda following another servant who appeared to be an old man.
I immediately said to him:
"Lead the way."
Once I left the hall, I breathed in the fresh air and felt a sense of relief. Many people were walking about, and among them was a man carrying a strange beast on his back.
The creature resembled a monkey in the face and was completely covered in feathers. Its fangs protruded from its mouth.
I couldn't make out any other details due to the distance, and also because it was slung over the man's shoulder and appeared to be dead. The beast was so large that the man was dragging it along the ground, exhaustion clearly visible on his face.
The servant said:
"Sir, shall we walk?"
I looked at him and replied:
"Yes."
We began walking for thirty minutes. I didn't feel bored at all during that time due to the city's beauty and diversity. Even now, I remain amazed by how large this city is.
We arrived at a house that looked very ordinary, honestly.
Then the servant said:
"You have only one day of rest. Starting Monday, you will have lessons for two weeks, during which you will learn most of what you need to become a mage. You also have one free month for food and education. After that month, you will have to pay for everything yourself, so you must learn as much as possible during this month."
He continued:
"Tomorrow, I will come and show you the academy grounds, the dining areas, and the rules."
I understood everything the servant said. I had expected something worse, honestly, but it seems everyone must rely on themselves.
After that, the servant handed me a key and left. I walked into the house, opened the door, and went inside.
The house consisted of two rooms and a bathroom. The rooms were neither large nor small, but the house was filthy and looked as though it had been abandoned for a long time.
The ceiling was covered in spider webs, the walls were infested with mould, and the bathroom was the worst of all. At a single glance, I spotted four cockroaches.
It was clear that this house required extensive cleaning, so I began searching the house and eventually found some cleaning tools.
I took a long mop and began removing the spider webs, then cleaned the walls of the mould. After that, I went out to the courtyard, where there was a well.
The ropes were worn out and didn't look like they would last two more months. I pulled them up and filled two buckets.
I cleaned the floor quickly but thoroughly. For me, the thing I hate most is staying in a filthy place—I am sensitive to bad smells.
After finishing the house, only one thing remained… the bathroom. What a terrible bathroom. It seemed the previous owner had no concern for cleanliness at all.
I began cleaning while wrapping a piece of cloth around my face to block the stench. It was truly a dreadful experience.
Finally, I was free. I went to bed, intending to sleep… and was shocked.
Do they truly consider this a place fit for sleeping?
It seemed there would be no sleep that night. I removed the mattress from the bed and threw it into the yard, then placed only a blanket on the bed after cleaning it.
.
I slept on the hard bed, without a mattress.