Chapter 27: The End of the Test
Nunair Dalheim responded to Binaeril's question with a cold laugh.
"What are you talking about? How could I ever want to kill my beloved brother? Such a misunderstanding would be appalling to anyone who hears it."
But Binaeril knew better. It wasn't a misunderstanding. His brother, Nunair Dalheim, had indeed attempted to kill him before.
Seeing Binaeril's disgusted expression, Nunair lowered himself to et Binaeril's eye level, putting on a gentle smile, pretending to be the kind brother.
"My dear brother, Binaeril. I understand the feelings you have towards . There are so many misunderstandings between us. One day, you will understand. I have never once hated you."
"What misunderstandings are you talking about?"
Binaeril knew that the figure before him wasn't his real brother. His brother was in the Holy See of Vitori, busy as the appointed Sword of the Order. And most importantly, his brother wasn't the type to travel far just to see him—unless Binaeril was marked as an enemy.
Realizing this was not his real brother, Binaeril felt a surge of confidence. He could afford to be cheeky with this illusion, sothing he had never dared with his actual brother.
"Was it when you believed in the heretic doctrines? Or was it when the soldiers of the Order ca, and you hid the heretical scriptures under my bed?"
Nunair's face stiffened at the unexpected retort.
"Or was it when Mother took all the bla and went to trial because of those scriptures? Why don't you explain that in front of Mother's pyre in our hotown? Which part of my statents is a misunderstanding?"
Nunair's smile vanished. The gentleness he pretended to show was gone.
"My little brother has grown quite a bit, hasn't he?"
It was Nunair's way of chastising his rebellious brother, and Binaeril felt it keenly. Nunair had never tolerated rebellion from his brother. Not once.
Binaeril tried hard not to flinch under Nunair's gaze. His brother's na had long been synonymous with nesis in his mind.
"I heard you went to Elfenbine."
Nunair continued, ignoring Binaeril's taunts, as if Binaeril's deep-seated emotions didn't matter.
"Elfenbine? The House of Ruben and Dalheim has long served the Order. And now, a Mage Tower?"
Nunair poked at Binaeril's insecurities in the familiar way, treating him like a misguided child. These words always made Binaeril feel like he was doing sothing terribly wrong.
"Do not disgrace our family and my na. If you can't serve the Order, at least stay quietly in the family mansion. Why choose such foolish paths?"
In many places across the continent, mages were not always revered. In areas controlled by the Order, mages were often treated as heretics. Ruben Kingdom, Binaeril's holand, was one such place.
"I have achieved everything in the Order. People hesitate to call anything other than the Knight of Salvation. And what are you doing? If you reflect on your past, at least don't hinder the Order's path."
Nunair called Binaeril's na as if summoning a servant. That was how Nunair always addressed Binaeril.
"What do I have to reflect on?"
Binaeril asked.
"What do you have to reflect on? Blaming your mistakes on your brother and pretending you had no part in Mother's death—that attitude."
"Mother died because of ?"
"Yes. She took all the bla to protect you. If it's not your fault, then whose is it?"
"It was your fault. You hid the forbidden scriptures..."
"Enough! The forbidden scriptures were found under your bed. You were the heretic, not . Do you have any proof that I placed them there?"
Binaeril had witnessed his brother eting strangers many tis as a child. He had turned a blind eye to it. It was Binaeril who let it slide, not Nunair who overlooked Binaeril's faults.
Nunair dismissed Binaeril's rebuttal with a firm gaze and tone.
"Mother died because of you. You must pay for your sins, not bla ."
Nunair's words ca in the familiar way he always blad Binaeril.
Binaeril knew clearly: it was his brother's fault. His brother killed their mother!
But that accusation always choked in his throat, held back by a deep-seated guilt that strangled his heart.
Sotis familiar words hurt more because they are so familiar.
In a space where no one defended Binaeril, where it was just him and his brother, Binaeril could never defeat Nunair.
As Binaeril's spirit began to waver, a voice ca from within.
-Enjoying the show, huh?
‘Veritas?’
It was the voice of the Book of Truth.
-You idiot. Are you going to be swayed by this illusion's logic? That's not even logic. It's just nonsense.
‘But...’
-But nothing. Look at his smug face.
Binaeril looked at Nunair's face. As Veritas said, he was wearing a twisted smile.
-Didn't you beco a mage to wipe that smirk off his face?
-Look.
Veritas appeared in human form, showing himself outside the Great Library's hall for the first ti.
"Does this still seem real to you?"
He extended his arm and sliced through Nunair's face. Veritas' arm passed through Nunair's face like smoke.
"You aren't losing to your brother. You're being convinced by your mory of him. How do you plan to beat him with such a weak mindset?"
Veritas waved his arm, scattering Nunair's image like mist. Though the illusion reford quickly, Veritas' ssage was clear.
"Weak Binaeril. Watch as I destroy your ghost."
Veritas' robe fluttered as he gathered his magic, distorting the surroundings like the eye of a storm.
-This boy is my vessel. Only I can taint his mind. Who dares defy the Book of Truth?
Veritas' voice carried magical power, addressing the illusion and also scolding the weak Binaeril.
-Stand tall, boy. You are the master of the Book of Truth. As long as I permit it, you will not be broken.
It was both a solemn declaration and Veritas' unique way of acknowledging Binaeril as his master and partner.
The Nunair before him had no real substance. Naturally, he wasn't affected by anything.
But Binaeril steadied himself. Who Nunair Dalheim was didn't matter anymore.
What mattered was who Binaeril Dalheim should be.
"Huuu."
Binaeril took a deep breath, filling his belly, and shouted.
"Begone, ghost. Await in your shrine. Binaeril Dalheim will co for revenge."
Nunair Dalheim, the Sword of the Order, his brother, was his enemy.
The third and final test of the Scholar's Exam tempered the candidates' spirits.
The first test assessed their calm as mages. The second tested their raw magical power. The last trial was for their unyielding will.
Through these three refinents, an Elfenbine student would finally be forged into a full-fledged mage.
Sylvia and Rike were also confronting their pasts.
"Violet, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."
Sylvia knelt before a small girl who reached her waist.
"But I can't live in mourning forever. I must protect the princess."
Sylvia placed her hand over the girl's, which passed through empty air.
She rembered the icy cold touch of her sister's hand the last ti she held it.
With tears in her eyes, Sylvia embraced the specter of her young sister.
Though she felt nothing, she sensed her sister's comforting presence.
If her sister were alive, she might have said,
'I'm sorry, and thank you, sister.'
Sylvia passed the final test in this way.
Frederike Albrecht, the second princess of the empire, recognized that this was all a dream or an illusion.
Because the person before her, her sister, would never bla her for anything.
"You dumped all the burdens on and ran away. I hate you, Rike."
Rike shook her head gently.
"Sister Charlotte would never think that. Even if I blad myself, she would comfort ."
As the three overca, confronted, or denied their pasts, the Scholar's Exam concluded.
They found themselves back in a familiar place.
They stood in Elfenbine.
"This year, only three have passed."
In the auditorium, Dean Yulio and other supervising professors were present.
Binaeril, Rike, and Sylvia stood in a daze, receiving the professors' attention.
Around them, other candidates were scattered. So were being treated, so clutching their heads as if traumatized, and others lying unconscious with foam at their mouths.
"Is it over?"
Binaeril was the first to grasp the situation.
The exam's chief supervisor, Angelo Yulio, nodded.
"Congratulations. The three of you have passed Elfenbine's Scholar Exam."
An attendant brought golden badges symbolizing their status as full-fledged mages.
The emblem of an olive branch and hazelnut, Elfenbine's symbol.
"From today, you are certified mages endorsed by the Mage Tower. After a one-week waiting period, you will be officially dispatched."
Dean Yulio started clapping first.
Other professors joined in, applauding the successful candidates.
Angelo Yulio, Pierre Blancheau, Avia Flynn, and even Professor Freud Young, reluctantly clapped from his seat.
Binaeril found Professor Young's grudging expression amusing.
The three friends clasped hands, their faces flushed with relief and achievent.
"Good job, new mages."
Binaeril doffed an imaginary hat with a playful smile.
The two girls returned the gesture with light bows, eting each other's eyes.
They laughed together.
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