By the end of the two-hour written test portion, almost everyone looked worse for wear. Sad for them.

"Very good," she started, smiling brightly enough that a few students seemed to perk up from their stupor. "Now for the demonstration. We will start with Candidate 150 in the room to the left and Candidate 300 in the room to the right. There will be a panel of teachers watching remotely and grading your skills. We recommend that you perform at least five different spells without exhausting your Energy. After you're finished, you will be directed to a final room for your interview, which will be explained more later. Good luck!"

Everyone clapped. I never understood applause, but I clapped along since I'd learned that was the socially acceptable thing to do in my second life. I hadn't just killed my entire family, after all; I'd killed them after beating them at their own game. Well, not my oldest brother, but his game was being big, strong, and stupid, and no one could beat him at that.

Since I was somewhere in the middle of the group, I was called near the end. The wait was anticlimactic because the room was small, without any other doors except the one I'd come in through, and had a few targets. A rack of weapons, and a few dummies. Everything looked in pristine condition, so they must've been restored after each demonstration.

Five spells? Seemed like leaning on the elements wasn't a bad idea here, so I cast a simple fireball to set one of the dummies on fire. I cast three more spells. One water spell, knocking over a second dummy with a solid wave. One air spell, catching the third dummy in a small tornado. One earth spell, shaking the weapons off the rack. For the fifth spell, I picked up one of the swords and set it on fire just to test if it'd work.

A few moments after finishing my last spell, the sword disappeared from my hands, and everything in the room went back to the way it was. A door on the far side appeared in the wall, and so I walked through into what seemed like a small waiting room.

[Notice]

Congratulations!

You have completed the second part of your Quest [Take Caemor Academy Exam]. Your reward will be calculated after you complete the entire Quest.

Just like the last notification, I ignored it. After another two students joined me in the room, another door appeared and Professor Zell, who was head of the Duelling department and so famous for her battle magic that I'd learned about her in my first life and never forgot, was the one who opened the door.

"Hello," she greeted us. She was in the same robes all the other teachers wore, even the dean. She had frizzy red hair and skin the color of the night. "Welcome to your interview. Come in."

She disappeared from the door, and the other two followed her quickly. There was a panel of nine teachers, including Professor Zell, sitting at a round table with three empty chairs. The other two took the seats next to the teachers, which left me in the middle. Were they hoping to have some side conversation or something? Slip them a bribe?

"So," Professor Zell said without standing, "there are three of you and nine of us. What we'd like is to have a conversation with you. Exchange discourse, if you will. We want to hear your ruminations on theory. How do you think the Universe system came to be? How do you think the Soul System and the World System interact with each other? What do you think of the relationship between the Soul, the System, and the Shevera? These are the types of questions we'd like to hear you theorize. You will fail if you do not speak. You will fail if you speak too much. The interview begins now and lasts for an hour."

An hour was a long time, and the other two here with me seemed absolutely terrified. One looked my age and shivered as if they were naked in the winter. The other was twice my age and looked close to passing out.

I wasn't sure what to say, but I knew speaking first would make me more memorable.

"I'm Gerard," I said. "I'm 17 years old. I've only been studying magic for about a week, so go easy on me."

When that got a chuckle out of a few teachers, one of the others quickly followed, "Same. Easy is good."

"Easy?" Professor Zell asked. She cocked an eyebrow. "You're at the wrong academy for that. This is a place where students learn to be Mages. Not a place to take it easy."

"I understand that," I said, "but I'm just saying." I gave a bright smile.

I'd won over a lot of women in high society with my bright smile. I'd practiced it more than I cared to admit, but I'd been told enough times that I was handsome that I'd be a fool not to learn to use that as a weapon.

Professor Zell nodded and continued, "Good. Now let's see how you use your mind. Answer this question. What is the difference between your soul and your System? Is there any?"

"My soul is my System," I answered immediately although I had no idea what I was talking about.

"No," she replied. "What is the difference between your soul and your body? Does your soul have a form or does it not?"

"It has a body, but it's separate from my physical self," I said.

"Do you mean it has a different form from your own?"

"Yes."

"And if you were to die, would your Soul continue to exist? Would it still have a personality?"

"Each Soul has its own personality but when it comes into a form like our bodies, then the body changes it. So if I didn't die, then no, this body wouldn't have a Soul. It'd just be me, my body."

Professor Zell gestured me to keep going. I had no idea what to say.