"By the way, take this," Abarran said, handing Mortis a bracelet. "It'll serve as your student identification. Once we arrive at the academy, it will automatically connect to academy's system. It will track your contribution points, personal details, benefits, and more."
The bracelet looked like it was made of pitch-black metal, with several small, diamond-like gems embedded along its surface. But other than its sleek appearance, there didn't seem to be anything special about it.
Mortis turned it over in his hand, curious about how it actually worked.
'A magic artifact, most likely' he thought. 'Maybe I'll manage to figure how it works once I reach Apprentice rank.'
"So…I'm officially a student now? Just like that? No test or anything?" Mortis asked casually, raising a brow.
"Haha, yeah, that's right," Abarran chuckled. "We don't really care much about your current abilities. What matters to us is your aptitude... or your resources, if your aptitude is lacking. But in your case, there's no need to worry."
"I see. Then, I'll take my leave, sir." Mortis gave a short bow and turned toward the back of the tent.
Outside, behind the recruitment tent, there was a small courtyard and another, more modest tent, this one far more ordinary and without any of the flashy decorations. Inside, a group of other youths, likely candidates like himself were scattered around. Some were chatting in small groups, while others were resting in silence, waiting.
As Mortis entered, one of the students glanced over and called out. "Hey! New guy?"
"Yeah. Nice to meet you," Mortis replied calmly. "I'm Mortis."
"Haha, nice! I'm Thane." The student grinned and motioned for Mortis to follow him. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest."
He led Mortis deeper into the tent and then called out, "Hey guys! We've got another weirdo who actually picked this place!"
A few heads turned, and soon, a small group gathered around them. Mortis quickly counted fifteen students, not including himself. Among them, he recognized two familiar faces—Valthor and Jareth. They only knew each other briefly, so they remained sitting and didn't gather with others into the group around him. Still, the two gave him at least subtle nods of greeting.
"Hey there," a girl with light red hair stepped forward, smiling. "I'm Jenna. Rank B aptitude. What about you?"
"Mortis," he replied with a small smile. "Rank A."
The moment he said it, the atmosphere shifted noticeably.
Everyone around him, including Valthor and Jareth, perked up. Until now, the two had looked at the other new students, Mortis included, with mild contempt, as if they were above them. But hearing about his aptitude made their expressions change. They didn't join the group, but it was clear they no longer lumped him in with the rest of the newbies.
"Wow," Jenna said, her eyes widening. "That's crazy rare. I heard that there are barely any people with Rank A aptitude. Even though Rank B is just one step below, it's like… heaven and earth compared to Rank A."
Once Jenna broke the silence, the rest of the group started introducing themselves one by one. Now that they knew his aptitude, their tone was noticeably more respectful, some were even a little eager. After all, who wouldn't want to be on good terms with someone who has Rank A aptitude while they are students.
As Mortis listened, he couldn't help but wonder about the real difference between Rank B and Rank A. Was it truly that amazing? What exactly sets them apart? What did it take to reach Rank A?
He made a mental note to look into that later.
While replaying the introductions in his mind, Mortis recalled the details of each student. Most had Rank B or Rank C aptitudes. Only one stood out from rest… Vanessa, a girl with a Rank D aptitude. Yet somehow, she had still managed to get into the academy.
As if sensing his thoughts, Vanessa spoke up.
"So… why did you choose this academy, Mortis?" she asked, her tone curious. "With your aptitude, you could've gone anywhere. Honestly, most people wouldn't even give this place a second glance, just look at the tent. It literally scared off half of the candidates."
Mortis gave a soft chuckle. "Nothing special. I came because of a recommendation, and because my affinities match this academy better than the others. That's all. What about you, Vanessa?"
She let out a short sigh, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, you already know I've got a pretty crap aptitude. Rank D. The other academies wouldn't have taken me in even if I begged. So… I had to compromise. This one had more forgiving requirements. Honestly, if I had a choice, I'd have picked literally any other academy here."
She glanced around the room, lowering her voice slightly. "Just the look of the tent almost scared me off. If I wasn't desperate, I wouldn't have even walked through the door to ask what this place was."
"I get what you mean," Mortis said with a nod. "Though I wouldn't go as far as saying I'd change academies. This one fits me best, after all. But yeah... when I first saw that tent, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of academy would even choose a design like that. I even questioned whether they were serious about recruiting students or just here for fun."
He gave a dry chuckle. "Still, in the end, it matched my affinities and requirements better than any of the others, so... here I am."
Vanessa nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips. She looked like she was about to say something, but before she could, someone else cut in.
"Alright, enough of that boring talk," a voice interrupted cheerfully. It was none other than Thane, a tall, broad-shouldered boy with a sharp grin and an air of easy confidence. "How about we grab a drink instead, Mortis? All of us. And while we're at it, we can talk about something more exciting—like our goals. Our dreams. Why we really want to become Magi Apprentices. That should be way more fun, right?"
Mortis raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Why not? That could be interesting."
He glanced briefly at Vanessa, who gave a small nod in agreement. One by one, the others chimed in with quiet approvals or amused smiles except Valthor and Jareth of course.
With the mood lifted, the group made their way to the far end of the tent, where a large round table stood, piled high with food and drinks. Wooden mugs, fresh bread, roasted meat, and strange glowing fruits were laid out in a somewhat chaotic but generous quantities.
They each found a seat around the table, some squeezed in shoulder to shoulder, others leaning in from behind, and soon… the quiet hum of conversation picked up again.
Laughter, curious questions, and the clink of mugs began to fill the space.