Never Die Villain

Naturally, there was a written examination. Although Ilya had prepared for this moment more than enough, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous.

Receiving the Department Head’s approval was one thing, but a written examination was an entirely different matter.

There was a reason education progressed from kindergarten to high school, and eventually to university. Knowledge was built layer by layer, with each lesson serving as the foundation for the next, and no amount of talent could completely replace years of structured learning.

Even after months of studying on his own, Ilya couldn’t be certain there weren’t gaps in his understanding that would reveal themselves the moment he put pen to paper.

[What is the primary function of the incantation "Futha Ignis Aster" within the Codex Futha Magnus?]

The Codex Futha Magnus was the oldest surviving system of magical script still taught across the continent, serving as the foundation upon which every modern incantation had eventually been built.

While countless variations of magical notation had emerged over the centuries, nearly all of them traced their origins back to the same ancient runes preserved within the Grand Codex.

Fortunately, this was one of the subjects he had spent the most time studying.

The very first pages of the Codex introduced the fundamental runes before expanding into their applications, combinations, and derivatives, making it impossible to progress any further without memorizing them.

Compared to the practical examination that would inevitably follow, questions like these were among the easiest he could have hoped for.

Without much deliberation, he lowered his pen onto the paper and began writing.

’The primary function of the incantation "Futha Ignis Aster" is mana stabilization, serving as one of the earliest foundational incantations used to regulate mana flow before the construction of more complex spell formulas.’

One question after another, Ilya continued writing without stopping, occasionally pausing for a few seconds whenever he encountered a problem that required more thought before moving on.

[Arrange the Four Fundamental Principles of Mana Circulation in their proper sequence during spell construction.]

[Which branch of magic first formalized the use of Dual-Circuit Incantations in modern spellcasting?]

[What is the primary distinction between a Manifestation Spell and a Reinforcement Spell under the Imperial Standard Classification?]

Ilya reviewed each question before committing his response to paper, resisting the temptation to rush despite recognizing most of the material immediately.

Years of studying had taught him that confidence and care were not mutually exclusive, and he intended to treat every answer as though a single careless mistake could decide the outcome of his transfer.

But then again, this was the same Ilya who had consistently ranked first in every theoretical examination within the Knight Department. When it came to study habits, there were very few students in the academy who could genuinely claim to surpass him.

Eventually, Ilya handed in his examination paper and was escorted to the next stage of the transfer assessment.

"We’ll begin the mana aptitude assessment now, Mr. Belozersky. Please take your seat inside the runic circle and begin circulating your mana. Do not resist the formation, and maintain a stable output until instructed to stop."

Without a word, Ilya nodded and walked toward the center of the formation and lowered himself into the circle.

The moment he crossed its boundary, the engraved runes emitted an azure glow, spreading outward one after another, while the surrounding crystals resonated in response.

He slowly closed his eyes and drew in a breath.

Following the examiner’s instructions, Ilya guided his mana through his body, carefully maintaining a stable circulation without accelerating or suppressing its flow.

"Ah..."

Out of habit, he almost circulated his mana according to the Ring of Fire before stopping himself.

———!

The runic circle suddenly blazed with light.

The azure glow intensified until it nearly obscured the engravings, while the surrounding crystals shook as streams of mana surged through the formation.

The examiner’s composed expression shifted for the first time.

He watched the measuring instrument beside the runic circle as the engraved indicators climbed one after another.

"...This is..."

Every wizard circulated mana differently.

While the underlying principles remained the same, years of practice inevitably shaped someone’s circulation into a pattern as distinctive as a signature, allowing specialized instruments to identify certain schools, lineages, and even individuals by comparing the recorded flow against archived reference profiles.

[Reference Match Detected.

Similarity: 94.2%

Reference Profile: Siegfried Tobias Bismarck.]

"...What?"

"Isn’t this boy... a Belozersky?"

Their eyes remained fixed on the instrument, comparing the stream of data unfolding before them against the archived circulation profiles stored within the device.

As the empire’s foremost institution of magical research, the academy maintained restricted reference records of several Imperial Wizards for academic study.

"Then how in the world...?"

A few moments later, the assessment had concluded. One of the examiners glanced at the finalized results before reading them aloud, though even he sounded unconvinced by what he was seeing.

"First Circle..."

No one looked surprised by the result itself.

"For a first-year student, there’s nothing unusual about it..."

One of the examiners lowered the report before furrowing his brows.

"But according to his academy records, he’s spent his entire life with the sword. For someone with that background to have this level of magical aptitude..."

Meanwhile, from the observation platform overlooking the examination chamber, Anders watched the entire process without batting an eye.

"He only decided to transfer three months ago..." he began. "An absurdly late bloomer, and yet he still managed to reach the First Circle..."

A faint smile slowly appeared on his face as he crossed his arms.

"At that pace... perhaps this story will prove even more interesting than I imagined..."

That said, Ilya remained standing at the center of the runic circle, watching the examiners exchange glances while they continued reviewing the results.

After waiting another few seconds, he tilted his head.

"...Did I pass?"

They looked down at the reports one last time, comparing the results from both assessments.

A written examination in which he had made only three mistakes out of two hundred questions, followed by a mana aptitude test that had produced results none of them had expected from a student of the Knight Department, left very little room for debate.

"...With flying colors."

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