The two people had just arrived at the gates of the Imperial Palace when they were stopped by the guards.
“We are here to take Master Saloran’s magic test,” Qiaolin said with a smile.
“Oh? In that case, please head over to the reception hall.”
The guard pointed the way for Qiaolin.
After thanking him, the two arrived at the registration site.
As soon as they stepped over the threshold, they saw long lines like winding dragons.
The counters were bustling with activity.
“Are there really this many people signing up?”
Gabriela exclaimed.
“After all, the magic of the Arcane King is something every mage thirsts for, and it’s only open once a year. We arrived at just the right time.”
“You didn’t calculate this in advance, did you?”
“No, it’s just a coincidence. You could say our luck is just that good.”
Qiaolin gave a slight smile.
After waiting in line for who knows how long, it was finally his turn.
“Please show your mage qualifications, sir,” the staff member said.
Qiaolin reached into his robe, pulled out a badge, and handed it to the man.
When the staff member saw it, he frowned.
“Sir, this is… a Preparatory Mage Badge?”
His tone was filled with surprise. Even though he didn’t speak loudly, those nearby heard him.
Every eye from every direction turned toward Qiaolin.
“Is that for real? That’s the mark of a Preparatory Mage. How does he have the nerve to come take the test?”
“Forget a Preparatory Mage, even an Intermediate Mage lacks the qualification and ability to learn Master Saloran’s magic!”
Looking at the black-haired youth and his simple clothes, they figured he was likely another self-important guy from some small backwater town.
“What do they mean? They seem very concerned about your badge,” Gabriela asked.
“Because this Preparatory Mage Badge is the lowest rank among the mages of the Nolan Empire.
To put it bluntly, I don’t even have One Crown’s worth of strength,” Qiaolin explained with a wry smile.
In the Kingdom of Nolan, there was a ranking system for mages: Preparatory, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Grand Mage, and Great Archmage.
Aside from the Preparatory level, each subsequent rank corresponded to One Crown to Five Crown strength.
A Preparatory Mage badge simply meant that the person had enough internal mana to support the lowest-level spells, and nothing more.
The magic of the Arcane King was incredibly profound.
For a beginner apprentice to want to learn a master’s techniques was enough to make anyone laugh.
Most of the onlookers currently shared that sentiment.
“Little brother, you’re looking down on Master Osaran’s magic a bit too much. You’d be better off going back to study and settle your foundation. With your level, you probably won’t even pass the first round of testing,” someone said to Qiaolin.
“Thank you for the reminder, but I know what I’m doing.”
Qiaolin offered a polite smile, but the other man just curled his lip in disdain.
“Suit yourself.”
“I should be eligible to take the test, right?”
Qiaolin asked, looking at the staff member.
“Of course. As long as you are a mage of the Empire, you are eligible.”
The staff member asked Qiaolin for some information and then handed him a card, which served as his identity as a test participant.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
After completing the registration, Qiaolin led Gabriela out.
In the crowd, several suspicious gazes were fixed on the back of the black-haired youth.
“Master, that guy with only Preparatory Mage qualifications is acting very strangely. He might be someone who likes to play the pig to eat the tiger. Will he affect our plans?” one person communicated with the void using Telepathy.
“It doesn’t matter. I will give him special attention to ensure that even if he uses all his strength, he won’t get a spot. As for you, just perform normally. I’ve already prepared the back door for you.”
“Understood, Master.”
Gabriela seemed to sense something and turned her head toward the crowd.
“It looks like someone is using sensory communication.”
“Oh?”
Qiaolin reached out and patted the girl’s shoulder, interrupting her further perception.
“Let’s not look into it. As long as it isn’t something that will destroy the world, and as long as we don’t stumble directly into it, don’t go looking for trouble.”
“Fine.”
Gabriela’s perception of mana was as sharp as ever.
If she had been 2 or 3 seconds slower, she probably would have deciphered the message.
For Qiaolin, the priority right now was to finish the test and learn the magic in the library.
According to the identity card, the test would be held in the afternoon.
Now was the time to find a place to rest.
Along the way, Gabriela kept staring at the card in Qiaolin’s hand like a curious cat.
Looking at this Demon King who acted like she had never seen the world, Qiaolin helplessly waved the identity card in front of her eyes and then gave it to her.
“Come to think of it, Qiaolin, why do I feel like you know everything? It’s like you’re always in contact with the outside world. Haven’t you been living in seclusion?”
Since they first met, Gabriela felt that Qiaolin knew too much.
It wasn’t just his knowledge of the human empire, but also other rumors across the continent—and the key was that they were all true.
Qiaolin’s life wasn’t completely cut off from the outside world; he had even gone to get a mage qualification.
“You dummy, I’m living in seclusion, not living as a hermit. I still have to eat. Besides, I’m a magic user regardless. It would be unreasonable if I didn’t even have a certificate.”
“Oh…”
Gabriela suddenly thought of a term.
‘Qiaolin’s situation is pretty much that of someone living under a fake name.’
“Will the test be hard?” the girl asked.
Qiaolin thought for a while and replied, “It should be difficult. You saw the expressions on their faces when they saw I was a Preparatory Mage. The magic of the Arcane King isn’t that easy to learn. The purpose of the test is likely just to ensure you meet the threshold to learn his magic.”
“I understand… Anyway, Hero, do your best!” Gabriela clenched her small fists and cheered for Qiaolin.
“A Demon King cheering for me… why does that feel so strange?”
—
In the afternoon, Qiaolin and Gabriela arrived at the testing hall early.
Upon learning that accompanying personnel could not enter the candidate room, Qiaolin bought the girl a ticket for the spectator seats so she could watch from above.
“We’ll meet up after the test is over.”
“Mhm.”
After the two temporarily parted ways, Qiaolin was led by a servant to his candidate room.
It was called a place for contestants to rest, but in reality, there wasn’t even a chair inside.
The surrounding walls were bare, and the door opposite led to the arena.
After waiting inside for a while, the door opened with the sound of a mechanical mechanism.
A vast arena came into view, looking very much like a coliseum in Qiaolin’s memory.
He looked up at the spectator seats and saw a girl with blonde hair and crimson highlights waving at him excitedly from a distance.
“That girl…”
Qiaolin waved back helplessly.
“Heh, you’re that Preparatory Mage from this morning? You actually came to the arena. Are you serious?”
A man wearing a blue robe and gold-rimmed glasses spoke beside him.
“Just trying my luck. Since I’m already here, anyway.”
“Even if your luck is great, it’s impossible for you to pass this first test.”
“What do you mean?”
This was Qiaolin’s first time in this arena, and he wasn’t clear on what the test content was.
He had asked some colleagues before, but as soon as they realized he was just a Preparatory Mage, they laughed, shook their heads, and walked away.
Before Qiaolin could ask for clarification, several black stone pillars, roughly 10 feet high, rose from the arena in a neat arrangement.
“Excellent mages, welcome to my teacher’s testing grounds.”
An elegant, slender man walked out onto the high judges’ stand.
He trailed a long mage robe and wore a badge engraved with complex patterns.
It was the Great Archmage badge, of which there were only a handful in the Nolan Empire!
“I am Great Archmage Karl, and today I will represent my teacher to preside over this testing convention!”
When the man’s figure and voice appeared in the arena, the crowd erupted into a roar.
People looked at him with eyes full of fanaticism and worship.
He was the youngest Great Archmage of the current era, having achieved Five Crown strength at only 30 years old.
Leaving aside Osaran’s reputation and seniority, he was the strongest mage in the Nolan Empire.