Lily sighed.

“Is everything okay, Lily?” Mel asked as she chewed her breakfast.

Steamy eggs, fresh cooked ham, and a wonderful cup of tea. It looked and smelled delicious, but Lily was unable to enjoy the feast. She sighed again and laid her head on the cafeteria table.

The place was wrecked the day before, but now most of the signs of battle had disappeared. The room’s occupancy was almost full, every table had at least a few students eating at them. Servants were walking between tables and serving as usual, their uniforms as pristine as always. The only signs of damage were a few cracks against the walls and the odd missing chandelier. There was also the boarded off portion of the wall where a kitchen door used to be, but it was expertly carved and painted to look similar to the wall, so Lily almost missed it.

In the end, all the chaos of yesterday was over. Now was the time to rebuild and the student council was busy negotiating with the staff to get it done.

Well, everyone on the council but Lily. Charles forbade her from going to the Council Hall until she had time to ‘calm down’ from the traumatic events.

Lily groaned again, causing Mel to twitch in concern.

“Lily? Do you need to go back to Priestess--”

“No,” Lily assured. “I’m fine. Just bored.”

Mel tilted her head, thinking. Her fork was being held by her mouth after she just took a bite, looking adorable. A meal with her friend this early was rare. Actually, a meal with her at all had become extremely uncommon since Lily started doing Council work. She knew she should cherish this breakfast, but she was struggling.

“Bored?” Mel muttered. “I know of a few good books that might help break that boredom. But you are usually so overwhelmed with Council work…”

“That's the problem,” Lily moaned. “Charles knows everything and is mad at me.”

Her plan went way out of control. The campus became a war ground because of some stupid thing about pride and honor or whatnot. Some stupid man thing, Lily guessed. Philip was similar in many aspects. Something about not being allowed to be in debt with someone else.

Buying a gift for him was a pain. He always needed a reason for it. Why can’t she just give him a gift because she felt like it? No… everything had to be equal or something. A gift was charity and then he owed her a debt. They were not orphans anymore! Or won’t be soon. Just another year and a half.

“The kidnapping thing was a dumb idea, Lily,” Mel scolded. “We could have gotten him help another way.”

“Not fast enough.”

“That is only what you think,” Mel grumbled, picking at her food. Her glasses slid down her nose as she pouted. “We could have done a demonstration another way. I could have shown off a theory with Philip as the caster.”

“Could you convince him to do it?”

“Yes!” Mel announced. She froze after a thought. “No… maybe?” She slumped. “I don’t know. I’m sure we could have convinced him somehow.”

“You know he would refuse because his debt to us would be too much,” LIly spit. “That idiot doesn’t know how to accept help. It had to be forced.”

“There are other ways it could have been done,” Mel murmured.

Lily patted Mel’s hand. “What is done is done,” she soothed. “This was my mistake, but not all hope is lost. You saw how much interest was in him afterward, right?”

“Yeah,” Mel snorted. “They had everything but the gallows ready for him.”

Lily chuckled. “That Blackridge fellow was interested. He is from a Count family, Mel. He can help.”

Mel sighed and picked at her food. Lily ate hers as well, letting the flavors erupted in her mouth before swallowing. Thankfully the cook was not injured yesterday. When the assistants were the only ones cooking the meals were much blander. Lily swore that the Cook was a mage, but used magic just for food.

“Mmm... “ she moaned.

“Is the food good, Lily?” Mel teased. Lily nodded enthusiastically.

The two of them ate for a number of minutes before Mel set down her fork and sighed. “I know I should be happier than I am, but I can’t help but worry for Philip.”

“What is there to worry about?” Lily laughed. “Philip is a bright guy. He’ll do well under that Blackledge’s tutelage.”

“I just don’t know enough about the family,” Mel admitted. “I asked around a little yesterday. The Blackledges are an old family, with at least three centuries of records of them. I didn't get too far into that reading, but I read a couple reports on Rupert. They said he is a solitary researcher who can become heavy handed in his work. Most documents on him are classified, though, like most living researchers.”

“Heavy handed is all the better,” Lily joked. “He can keep Philip’s head out of the clouds and make him actually do some practical work. Philip knows all the theory, but I doubt he has done much with purification. And I’m sure he has yet to start shaping his core.”

“You don’t do those without supervision,” Mel chided.

“Exactly! And now he has Rupert to do it with.”

Mel quieted down, but she did not continue to eat. She stared at her food as Lily finished her own plate.

“You’re just thinking too much into this, Mel,” Lily sighed with satisfaction as she padded her full belly. “We both agree he needed guidance. We now got him that guidance. So mission accomplished! Now all of us can focus on working hard to get adopted into a good family.”

“You’re right,” Mel muttered. “Though I am not as excited for the adoption as you are.”

“We’re going to be nobles, Mel!” Lily cheered. “What isn’t exciting about that? Think of it? You get your name recorded in the histories, you will never go hungry again, and the money.” Lily’s eyes sparkled. She can get everything she never had at the orphanage. Nothing her deadbeat mother could ever give her. She will finally have a family who will look after her.

“What about my parents,” Mel murmured. “Do you think my new family will support them like the University has?”

Lily paused. Unlike her and Philip, Mel’s parents were still alive. What was the process of an the adoption graduation with people like Mel? Lily wasn’t sure, so she will have to ask. Charles will be a good source for information. As the Duke’s son he should know.

“I was so excited when they discovered my core during the census,” Mel continued. “But now that I am getting close to graduating I’m worried for my parents.”

“I’m sure they’ll be well supported,” Lily dismissed. “Look at you! You’re going to be a noble, so who would try anything against them?”

A beat passed. Lily gave her friend a look over and realized that she was hunched over, like she was trying to hide. She looked around but nobody was looking their way.

“Enemies…” Mel finally whispered.

“What enemies?” Did her friend upset someone? Who would dare hurt Mel? Lily glared around her, a few students who noticed her expression quickly looking away. Even a few of the servants subtly moved to avoid her table.

“Every family has enemies,” Mel elaborated. “But if I am adopted into a lower family they might not be able to protect my parents. Even worse, what if they think my parents are a liability and try to keep me from seeing them?”

“And why would they do that?” Lily huffed. “What possible benefit is there in hurting your parents? They would already have you.”

Mel sighed. She sat up straight and set down her fork and knife.

“I have studied the adoption process for the past few years,” she started. “In the past one hundred and fifty years there have been a total of eighty three commoner adoptions, not including us. Out of those eighty three twenty seven have had their parents… removed.”

“Removed?” Lily asked.

“They all died shortly after the adoption process occurred. A few before that. But each death was recorded as an accident.”

“Well, if it was an accident then that is just unfortunate.” Lily dismissed.

“Two robberies, dead when trying to defend themselves. Seven accidentally tripped over the cliffs, a number of which were miles from their hometowns. Six were gored by monsters, two records indicated the monsters in question were not native to the island. The rest were listed only as missing. They just disappeared one day.”

“Are you saying they were not accidents?”

“The peasant parents were a liability,” Mel stated. “They were potential leverages to the new child of the family. It was easier to remove them than protect them.”

“Then we have to make sure you get noticed by a good family,” Lily insisted. “We are all in this together, Mel. You, me, and that dork Philip. We have to look out for each other because nobody else will.”

Mel gave Lily a small smile of gratitude. She pushed her plate away which was quickly picked up by a servant. Lily handed her plate as well before the servant left. The two of them stood up and Lily stretched, feeling full and energetic for the new day.

“I believe it is time to go back to the Library,” Mel sighed.

“Your thesis is going to blow those old men’s minds,” Lily laughed.

“You can’t even stay awake when I do my practice presentations to you,” Mel scolded.

“Exactly!” Lily cheered. “If I can’t understand a word of what you are talking about then you are hitting levels of intellect far above me! Those bookworms will love it.”

Mel chuckled. Lily’s smile grew. She managed to get the girl to lighten up slightly. Maybe it wouldn’t remove the worries, but hopefully they were lightened a little. Lily would definitely have to find time to meet with Mel again. Perhaps lunch a couple times a week? A dinner would actually be more manageable, as long as Charles didn’t try to force her to some party.

“Are you ready for the hunt?” Lily asked as they weaved round the tables. “The familiar hunt is just a couple months away. I know I’m ready to brave the Great Forest and find a wicked awesome one.”

“I… I don’t know,” Mel replied. “I mean, I am working hard for my thesis, I don’t know if I’ll be ready to find a familiar.”

“Ooo!” Lily beamed. “Does that mean I get to tutor you?”

Mel’s cheeks brightened with a slight pink blush. Lily grinned and wrapped an arm around her.

“Perfect! Then tonight when I am done with whatever lecture Charles has for me we have to meet up and make a game plan!” Lily flicked her wrist, releasing a small amount of earth, water, and air mana, and a glowing notebook appeared. She brushed her finger across the pages, words slowly appearing with a mild glow. “We can book a small ring in the sparing fields. You can practice some defense and attack spells against me, though I am bad at holding back.”

“I don’t think all that is necess--”

“Oh! And a trip to the menagerie,” Lily ignored Mel’s stuttering. The girl was too timid. In Lily’s mind it was both her best and worst trait. She needed to firm herself up enough to not hold back her group during the Hunt. After that she can hide in whatever library she desires, and break the minds of the old researchers with her outrageous theories.

“The menagerie would be great for your research,” Lily continued. “You can see the familiars of other Mages on the island. Get a better idea of what might come to you.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine with anything,” Mel muttered.

“You need a better mindset than that, Melly!” The two of them left the cafeteria. “Don’t worry, I’ll harden you up just enough. All you have to do is last five minutes against me and I’ll say you are ready.”

“Five minutes is…”

“Its a date!” Lily laughed, patting Mel on the back.

A few other students were also leaving the cafeteria. They gave Lily and Mel curious looks, but most smiled and nodded in approval. While it was rude to overhear someone’s conversation it was something that happened often in the public dining facilities.

Lily took in a deep breath, smelling the cool wind blowing across the courtyard. The sky today was overcast, but Lily did not detect the unique scent of rain in the air.

A great day to sit in the office, as there is no warm weather to waste. There is also no drowsiness and lethargy that comes with the rain. Once she is allowed into the Council Halls she is going to get so much paperwork done!

Lily gave an energetic arm pump and winked at Mel. The small girl giggled at her antics and pushed her glasses back up. Lily was about to bid her goodbye but she heard her name called out.

Lily and Mel both turned to see a servant in runner’s clothes rush toward them. He had a larger satchel brimming with what looked like letters and invitations.

“Excuse me, Miss Lilith?”

“That would be me,” Lily answered.

He looked at Mel and tilted his head questioningly.

“Melony,” Mel said after a few moments. She gave a slight bow, but Lily touched her shoulder and shook her head in the smallest fraction she could. They were going to become nobles, so bowing to servants was something they shouldn’t do. It was inappropriate.

“Can we help you?” Lily asked. Better to let him finish his job and leave.

“You have three letters, Miss Lilith,” he replied, pulling out three envelopes from his satchel.

How he found them without looking was a mystery to Lily, but just like the cook she was convinced they used some kind of hidden magic. Servants did not have a core, so they couldn’t utilize the magic Lily and everyone else was learning, but there was some sort of common magic that still eluded her. Someday Lily would find out how it worked.

Lily took the letters and the first one was the one she expected. The seal was the crest of the Cardaire family, a broken mountain with a hydra. It seems Charles finally decided to summon her again to the Council Halls for her to be chewed out for her transgressions and bad decisions. She wondered what sort of punishment he planned to give her? It couldn’t be obvious as the story on paper is that she was a victim in the incident.

Lily was almost excited to see what the Student President came up with.

The second letter was similar, but the crest looked like a cliff overshadowing a moon. It reminded Lily of the edge of an island, since the edges of the crest were billowy like clouds. She did not know who the sender was, but she could figure that out later.

The third letter was different. The paper was both extremely fine, an actual trimming lining the edges of the envelope, but also extremely old. It was yellowed a lot more than the other two envelopes. The seal was of a tree with hanging fruits of stars. Like the second letter, she did not know the family associated with it. Probably a lesser branch trying to pull her into a game, or bribe or blackmail her so they could adopt her into their family if the condition of the paper meant anything.

Lily would ask Charles if he knew who it was from before throwing it out. He usually had good advice with this kind of thing. Plus, he had to know almost every family due to being part of the duke’s lineage.

Lily gave a polite nod to the courier to dismiss him, which he returned. He then looked at Mel.

“One letter for you, Miss Melony,” he declared.

Mel spluttered in confusion. Who would want to write her a letter, but Lily just smiled. It was about time the girl was getting noticed.

Lily focused as he reached into his bag, but there was no mana weavings. No magic called. Yet somehow the man took out another letter without looking. Lily grumbled inside. His secret shall remain his for now, but she will figure it out someday.

Mel took the letter and Lily noticed it had the cliff-moon crest, just like hers. Someone wanted to see both of them? How interesting?

Once the courier bowed to them he rushed away to his next delivery. Lily smiled and looked at Mel. The girl was staring at her letter, her hands trembling.

“You can’t read it without opening it,” Lily whispered to her, causing the girl to jump. Lily stifled a giggle when Mel glared at her with a pout. Lily pointed at an empty bench across the courtyard. Mel nodded and they both rushed over and sat.

Lily set Charle’s and the unknown letter down and held up the matching one. Lily flung her arm around Mel and waved her letter in front of her friend.

“Looks like we both have an admirer,” she teased. “I wonder how the sweet serenade they wrote for us goes.”

“It's from the Blackledges,” Mel muttered. She was staring down at hers. Lily was not able to tell if she thought the letter was going to bite her or if it was the most exciting thing she had ever seen.

“Ew,” Lily gagged. “That man is too old.”

“Lily, be serious,” Mel chided.

“Okay, okay.” Lily got off her friend and flicked open the envelope. The letter was short, thankfully. It seems this Rupert fellow wanted to meet with her for a test of some sort. He was a busy man, getting approval from the Dean for this meetup.

Lily’s eyes scrunched as she reread the letter. Not much else was written, just an order to meet with him at his office which was across campus. She glanced at Mel who was also staring at her sheet.

“He wants to meet and do some sort of test,” Lily said.

“Same here,” Mel replied. “Though he also says he wants to discuss my thesis after the testing. He says my studies might run parallel with his research.”

“Hmm,” Lily hummed. “You said his documents were classified. So this would be a great time to try and probe him for intel.”

Mel folded her sheet and slid it into one of her robe’s pockets. She sat back and closed her eyes in thought. Lily leaned away from her friend, giving her space to think. Letters and summons became common for her as the vice president of the Student Council. There was always a meeting to attend, or a dance to waste time at, and even some dinners filled with dull conversations. Lily avoided as many as she could, spending time working on her magic, but sometimes they snagged her and took her away.

But a test? This is unusual. Maybe it had something to do with Philip.

In fact, where was the idiot? He escaped yesterday and was still hiding. He would probably not be mobbed now since most tempers have cooled. Actually, he might be at Priestess Emily’s clinic. With all the chaos he probably got pretty beaten up. Lily would have to stop by tonight to give him the big thumbs up and congratulations for a job well done. He played his role perfectly!

Lily took the letter from Charles and flicked it open. After a quick read it was exactly what she expected.

He was summoning her ‘immediately’ to the Council Halls for a debriefing. Dress appropriately as she will be having to explain what occurred to the entire leading council and they will have to discuss plans of action to repair damages and contracts from the mob. Yadda yadda yadda, paperwork, meetings, and other busywork.

Lily stood up and gathered her letters and slid them into a pouch within her robe. Charles’ offer sounded boring, so let's do the fun things first.

“Alright, Mel! Let's head off to see Mage Rupert.”

Mel shook her head and opened her eyes. Determination filled them and she stood up with LIly. Her head went just over Lily’s shoulders, making Lily want to give her a hug, but she stood tall.

“Yes, lets go,” Mel declared.

Lily smiled and linked arms with her friend and they set off to the researcher’s office.

The door in front of them was made of an iron reinforced wooden door. Lily wondered why it needed to be reinforced. Extra security to keep files safe? Did the iron hide enchantments which were carved into the wood or metal? Maybe his experiments required a stronger door to keep his experiments from escaping.

That final thought sent a shiver through Lily. The worst part is she had seen a few of those works on display when a breakthrough was discovered. Thankfully none had been human.

Or at least none resembled being human after whatever work they had been put through.

Mel moved forward and knocked on the door. Each hit reverberated through the empty hallway. Thinking back, Lily could not recall seeing anyone for the past ten minutes of walking. This side of campus was filled with many of the older buildings and labs, the walls not a pristine white but a light gray with patches of white where the walls had to be repaired.

This building specifically felt abandoned. When they entered it felt almost like walking into an abandoned mansion. There was a small amount of dust covering most of the floor and furniture, meaning servants did not make their way this far very often. It might even have weekly cleanings. Such disregard left Lily feeling wheezy and she wondered if it was because nobody cared or because they were ordered not to to hide some secret research.

Screams were difficult to keep hidden, and servants liked to talk. Best way to keep it hidden is keep them away.

Lily shook her head to remove those thoughts as the door lurched open. Mel gave Lily a look which she returned, trying to be encouraging. Lily took a breath and took a step through the now open door, the clips of Mel’s shoes following right behind her.

Inside the office were shelves of scrolls and small chests. The room was pristine and organized, though. The chests were neatly stacked between each bookshelf and the shelves themselves were filled to the brim with books and tomes. Scrolls were neatly piled together with colorful ribbons keeping them closed.

In the middle of the room were a number of pedestals with objects displayed on them. One looked like a ship made of gold and gems, but it was literally floating above the pedestal. Another held an object that seemed to represent the universal formations. The moons and pinpoint stars rotated around their planet. A few others held swords, telescopes, and other strange items which Lily did not understand.

Why display a colorful rock? Was it magical or just worth a lot?

Lily wanted to explore and examine each one, but the man sitting behind a large desk at the far end of the room was watching them. He gestured for them to take a seat on a few seats that were placed in front of his desk.

Lily and Mel crossed the room, Lily slowly weaving around each object and giving it a better look. Mel seemed to do the same but she moved to completely avoid the item, like it would burn her.

Soon they both stood before the man’s desk and they bowed together. If Lily didn't know better it almost looked practiced. She flashed Mel a proud smile and saw the girl blush slightly when she noticed.

The man coughed and the two of them sat down. Rupert had his hands together and examined both of them. His eyes seemed to catalogue each detail of them. Mel was hit with that gaze more than Lily, which made Mel squirm in obvious discomfort

Rupert cleared his throat and unfolded his hands.

“I am sure you are curious why I asked for you to come,” his baritone voice seemed to whisper the question, but it echoed around the room much louder than Lily expected.

“Ye… yes,” Mel stammered. “You mentioned wanting to… test us?”

“We do have cores, if that is the test you were thinking of,” Lily added. That obviously was not the reason, but teachers and researchers loved to correct others. Might as well stroke that ego slightly to make this entire thing easier.

“The census test is not the one I was planning,” Rupert predictably answered. “I was thinking of examining you two a bit closer. I am suspecting that you three are far more than just another group of discovered talents, but a great gift to the nation which has so far been overlooked.”

“They have already called me a prodigy,” Lily gloated. “How much more overlooked can I be?”

She felt his gaze fall on her, hitting her hard. Lily smiled but it was almost like a weight was placed on her. Her breath was harder to take in, and her head felt much heavier. Lily forced herself to sit straight, but a twitch on her eye must have betrayed her struggle. Rupert gave a twisted smile and suddenly the weight disappeared.

Lily took in a breath, careful not to make it too obvious and alert Mel. When she glanced next to her she saw that Mel must have also felt the pressure and not handled it well. She was gasping like she had run a mile. Lily snapped to glare at Rupert, but his twisted smile remained. Lily now understood.

That was a warning.

Lily sighed. This was definitely politics speaking, not an actual examination to show their worth. Someone wanted to know something and was playing a hand. How valuable this play was remained to be seen, though Lily doubted she would ever know exactly what was learned. One thing was now known; Rupert Blackledge saw Lily and Mel as a pawn, so he is not Lily’s ally.

She smiled and sat up, patiently waiting. Once Mel seemed to regain control of herself he started to talk.

“I have been given permission to use an uncommon test. Years ago it was standard, but after some abuse it was locked away.”

“If it was… locked away,” Mel coughed. “Then why… are you using it now?”

“Because we need more exact readings,” Rupert replied. “Your friend Philip somehow stayed hidden from us. You are a prodigy, as you humbly put it. And I am personally interested in Melony, here.”

“Interested?” Mel puzzled.

“Correct,” Rupert smiled and placed his hand on a large tome which had been sitting next to him. “I saw some snippets of your thesis and I would love to discuss it with you. I may even give you some tips which can help you before your presentation.”

Mel gasped and looked down at her lap. Her glasses hung down, barely being held on by her nose.

Lily sighed. “If you wish to test us, then what do you need us to do? I was requested to go to the Council Hall, Mage Rupert. I cannot keep President Charles waiting for too long.”

“This test is for the betterment of the University and to place each of you where you fit best,” Rupert assured. “I do not believe rushing it will be beneficial.”

Lily gave him a flat look. “Then you can write to Charles to request my absence. I came here before going to the Council because I assumed it would be a quick discussion. There is much to do and I am sure Charles is impatient waiting.”

“Your Council does not affect my research.”

“Ah! Then this is about your research and not the betterment of the University, as you previously stated,” Lily pointed out. “You know full well that Research and the Student Council are separate entities here, Mage Rupert. You cannot order us to do your bidding like we cannot interfere with your work.”

“Like you did yesterday, Miss Lilith?” Rupert hissed. “You are being surprisingly antagonistic after willingly coming here to take the test.”

“That would not be the case if you did not use your aura on us, Mage Rupert.”

“P-Please don’t fight, Lily,” Mel pleaded. “Let's just do his test. I’m sure Charles will understand.”

“Listen to your friend, Lilith.”

“Keep Melly out of this,” Lily snipped. She did come willingly, but the man’s attitude was sketchy at best. If it was just a normal test, fine. But a banned one? That did not sit well with her. After a few moments she came to a decision.

“I will do the test first and decide if it is appropriate for Mel to take as well.”

Rupert smiled and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t think you have a say in the matter,” he gloated. “I have the Dean's permission to do the test.”

“And I have the right as a Student Council member to veto any directive which might endanger anyone in the Student body,” Lily countered. “There has been enough history of insane researchers attempting to use students in their experiments. Explain this banned test.”

Rupert grumbled before sighing. He opened a drawer from his desk and pulled out a small box. From his robes he brought out a small coin which, when placed near the box, sounded a click. The top of the box opened and Rupert set it before them.

Inside the box was a circular half-dome disk made of what looked like glass. Lily could just barely make out runes carved throughout the thing, some of them carved within the glass itself. She glared at Rupert, arching a brow for him to explain.

“This is a Reader,” he started. “It is a device which reads your core, mana, and can even determine your basic skills.”

“That… is amazing,” Mel popped up, her previous anxiety being overcome by her curiosity. “Why would such a thing be locked away and banned?”

“It is not exactly banned,” Rupert waved off. “Just… not approved for use anymore.”

“Why is that?” Lily encouraged the man to continue.

“For about one hundred and forty years it was the go-to for the University,” Rupert continued. “The details the Reader could produce were considered far more valuable back then, but it led to some errors in judgement.

“The device reads your core and mana output. Students which had a higher output were given priority. Everyone knows that genetics are one of the biggest contributors to a mage’s potential, but there were times when a high noble child was born with… shall we say less than optimal abilities. The Reader picks up on this and the child is shamed and shunned. They graduate and go off to do whatever their family wants.

“Now, the biggest problem is that while the child was not gifted in outright power, they were exceptional in mana control. They could do spells which the supposed top of the University could not. The Reader overlooked this skill. Such a thing causes unneeded friction between the Nobility and the University. Eventually the previous Dean decided, after almost a century and a half of use, to retire the Reader and teach based solely on merit and accomplishments. He is the one who created many of the tests you see today.”

“Then why use it now?” Lily inquired.

“Because I believe there are things that the merit system cannot see which can be read by the Reader.” Rupert concluded.

“Do you have an example of this potential information?” Mel asked. Lily looked over and noticed that she had a small book out and was scribbling notes with her quill pen. Her ink bottle was sitting on the man’s desk. Lily shook her head in amazement. Even under threat to take a banned test the girl thirsted for knowledge.

“I suspect your friend Philip is a special type of mage called a Quickcaster,” Rupert answered.

“A quickcaster?” Lily questioned.

“A rare caster who has unparalleled control over their threads,” Mel replied. “They can cast spells not only quickly but also in greater detail and strength.”

“Very good, Melony,” Rupert praised. “There has not been a Quickcaster discovered in a decade. So if Philip is one, then there will be many hands trying to grab him.”

“Is that why you decided to take him in as your disciple?” Lily inquired.

“Exactly so.”

“Then why test us too?” Lily pushed. It made sense if he wanted to test Philip, but why them as well?

“Curiosity,” the man plainly dismissed. “Records say you and Philip came from the same orphanage, and you are claimed to be a prodigy. I feel that claim was more for the politics, but the reader might prove it true.”

Lily narrowed her eyes and glared. She almost wished that looks could kill, because if it could she would have slain this man ten times over. She worked hard for her title, and was not given to her for some stupid nobles game. She slaved for years to become the powerhouse she was. She earned her place as the Vice President despite having no backing.

Yet he said it was given to her. That was going too far.

“And me?” Mel asked, oblivious to the fuming Lily next to her.

“Your thesis is far beyond what a student should understand,” he complimented. “I believe you might be a hidden genius.” He paused to think for a second. “Maybe not really hidden, actually. But a reader could give you a little extra bonus.”

“Does that device also read mental capacity?” Mel wondered.

Rupert sat up and LIly felt mana start to flow from him. His hands glowed and a dozen strands flew out and connected to the runes in the Reader. The glass began to glow, shrinking out the sides. The top remained dull, as if waiting.

“Place your hand on the Reader and find out,” Rupert goaded.

“Not before me,” Lily growled.

Before Mel could move Lily shot her hand out and slammed it onto the Reader. The dull top flashed into a blinding light as a screen appeared in front of her.