Ever since that, the actresses set out on their journey. They never told me how the play ended... That question still stubbornly haunts me to this day.
I'm 15 now, and I'm on my way to the magic academy with my twin sister, Rin... Seriously, how did that play end?
"Why do you look so nervous?" Rin asked, following me through the city's teleportation circle.
Nervous? I keep my poker face completely unflappable, you know? Besides, my secret training has given me a decent foundation in controlling microexpressions.
I think I should find out more about her reasoning; it would be a disaster if my true nature were exposed on the very first day.
"It's just that I don't know how I'll do on today's tests," I said, spotting the students in the distance.
I glanced surreptitiously at Rin, checking for any change in her expression that might betray suspicion.
"That's what you get for not studying properly," she said as she walked toward the groups. "You'd better not embarrass me."
Don't worry, my sister—I'll show you the true power of a worker of destiny
The first test isn't really a test at all; it's more of a rudimentary protocol for entering the academy. You must be at least expert rank; otherwise, you can give up all hope of passing through those massive gates.
I need to pay attention to how much mana the other characters are using. It shouldn't be too high or too low if I want to go unnoticed.
The first unlucky soul—I mean, background extra—stepped onto the stage, resting his hands on the enormous rune-covered tablet in front of him.
The runes began to glow little by little, advancing slowly toward the next steps and leaving thunderous, unnecessary, muffled thundering hums.
"Water and Earth! 4.5, beginner, failed!" the examiner declared.
The boy fell to his knees on the floor, clenching his fists.
"No… It can't be! It must be broken! There's no way I failed," he said, his tears staining the enormous tablet as he pounded the floor. "Do you know who I am?! I…!"
The examiner frowned slightly before snapping his fingers at an almost invisible mana connector surrounding the teleporter hidden beneath the stage.
"Next," he said, returning to his wooden chair behind the desk.
Time passed slowly to the ticking of the hands of fate, setting the stage for the arrival of the protagonists.
A laid-back-looking boy stepped onto the stage.
So this is the one who'll break the losing streak, the one who'll bring glory to the academy, the one who'll reign among…
"Wind and Lightning! 3.1, beginner, failed!"
That obviously wasn't him. Apparently, the system for detecting quality actors in this world is based on runic structures that measure potential through the amount of environmental elements absorbed by the body.
Rubbish! A true director understands an actor's worth at a glance. For example, that extra over there has a potential equivalent to 6.2.
"Water and Plant! 6.1, expert, passed!" said the examiner, snapping his fingers to open the academy's massive door. "Alain de Vermont, you may enter."
The system is definitely flawed.
Next up was my twin sister… Those audience reactions, the rise in body temperature among the male and female characters… Nah, that's just my imagination.
***
I'm so beautiful it's practically a curse. Oh, loneliness, do you realize how lucky you are to have me all to yourself?
If I stand out too much, my future fan club might cause a student riot just to see me… No, no, I have to protect the peace at the academy. I wonder how that fool is doing…
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
I rested my hand on the tablet in front of me, a deep existential doubt swirling in my mind.
Ah, I know. I'll use the same amount of mana I used during training with my mediocre brother. My brother always comes out unscathed, so I don't think using a little more will…
"Fire, Wind, Light, Plant, Yang. 9.4, Grand Master, passed," remarked the examiner, a hint of disbelief in his serene voice. "Heroine Rin Ironheart, step forward."
Huh? 9.4? Wasn't I holding back? The tablet must be damaged; yes, that has to be it.
***
Silence flooded the field beneath a wave of whispers, before erupting into collective uproar.
"It can't be true," a nearby extra muttered, rubbing his eyes.
"I heard the crown prince and the Saintess were neck and neck at the peak of master rank at 8.9. Doesn't that mean...?"
A loud thud echoed in the middle of the area, leaving a deep dent under his feet.
"Nonsense! The crown prince is the strongest hero of his generation! The tablet must be broken!" a burly student bellowed.
"The Saintess is the strongest, but as for the tablet, I agree with you—there's no way our Saintess loses," clarified a student in an immaculate white dress.
Bam!
The examiner, who had been listening to the comments, slammed his fist down on the table, shaking the entire room and causing a sudden increase in gravity at that spot.
"You brats! I don't care if it's the king himself speaking! Dare to question the academy's rules again, and don't blame me for the consequences!" he growled.
My attention was drawn to a potential A-list actress, walking through the hubbub with the exquisite elegance that came from the sway of her long crimson hair.
Oh, my lady, you have touched my devoted choreographer's heart. It hurts, it hurts; your debut should take place in the vampires' mansion, sipping a glass of blood with one hand while reciting poetry in Latin with the other, under the watchful guidance of the stars raising the curtain on the play… What a waste.
I immediately stepped out of the protagonist's path. It would be unwise to mingle with the star of the event.
"Hm. They're just frogs at the bottom of a well," she said, bringing her slender hand to the tablet.
The runes began to glow, but this time there was something different—something that caused a few whispers among the students… The hero rune had turned the purest black, a complete contrast to the radiant glow of the previous round.
"Water, Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, Plant, Light, Darkness, Yin, Yang. 10.0, Grand Master, passed," she remarked calmly. "Step forward, semi-heroine Morgana Le Fay."
Someone nearby spat on the ground, coming from the young woman in white.
"Pfft, cheating heretic!" she muttered to herself.
Now it's the turn of the background, irrelevant character who's been completely overshadowed by the main cast. That's right, I'm talking about myself.
I walked toward the tablet, maintaining my hunched posture while discreetly adjusting the piece of black metal that protruded slightly from my neck.
I closed my eyes, channeling 70% of my mana into my palms before touching the rocky wall.
"Fire, Wind. 5.8, expert, passed. You may proceed."
I moved toward the long-awaited curtain of the next play, titled "Academy," passing through the enormous doors that loomed imposingly at the entrance.
I quickly looked for a secluded spot among the various students in the building, avoiding the scanners hidden within its walls.
Phew, that was close; good thing I didn't take them off after training.
I removed one of the anti-magic chains from my arms. The surface had several cracks that extended continuously across it.
"This is a problem," I muttered to myself, covering it with a second layer of mana. "I wonder where the villain organizations have gone."
***
In the dark suburbs of the kingdom, a heavy, metallic stench permeated our suits. Hundreds of bodies lay scattered across the rusty ground, while some limbs were swept away by the currents of dirty water.
I extinguished the last glimmer of light in the eyes of a man dressed in black before tossing him into the depths of the quagmire.
"Did you find anything?" I asked, glancing quickly at the bloodstained documents.
A girl with white hair let out a weary sigh as she dropped the papers onto the table, as if the answer hadn't satisfied her.
"Not yet," said Eira, rubbing her temples wearily. "Seraphine-san, do you think our Lord still hates us for failing to catch that elusive bastard?"
He'd have every right to. We insisted on doing it ourselves, and in the end, we failed miserably.
My Lord...
"Seraphine-san, Eira-san! I found a door!" Eleanor called out, dispelling the illusion in front of them.
This is no time to get sentimental; her head will be the tribute to my Lord.
***
"Phew, we almost got caught," I remarked as I emerged from the wall next to us.
"Stop messing around, or I'll have to report your behavior to the boss," my partner said, adjusting the frames of his glasses.
I stretched my tired muscles as I made my way toward the base's exit.
"Come on, Leo, it wasn't that bad," I said calmly.
A funny vein popped out on Leo's forehead before he smacked me in the head with a book.
"It wasn't a big deal? You moron! Whose idea was it to blow up Alec the Immortal's office just as he was finishing his report?" he said, gritting his teeth and trying to hit me with another book. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be hunted by a psychopath for days just because your partner took off? And to top it all off, when I finally found you, some girls nearly tore my head off!"
"W-wait, I can explain…" I said, dodging the books that threatened to bury me alive. "Although the office thing was kind of fun."
Oh, I guess I shouldn't have mentioned that last part.
"It was a pleasure, Leo. Looks like the boss is calling me, so if you'll excuse me—" I disappeared from the room without waiting for a reply.
Leo adjusted his glasses, letting out a long sigh.
"You'd better ask the boss not to pair you up with me, because if you don't…"—the structures began to collapse behind him, burying his clues beneath the debris.