Ep 26. I Tend To Pick Favorites. (2)

  “We o do something.”

  “I agree. We ot simply let things tinue like things.”

  “Which family does this student heir from anyways?”

  “I’ve actually looked into the matter. Our files indicate that he’s the younger brother of a currently w enforcer. No other family retions.”

  “Hoho…and here I was expeg this student to be the secret child of our dear headmaster. A mere enforcer’s little sibling, you say…”

  ‘…’

  Karas sat himself on the circur meeting table. An emergency staff meeting had been called in to discuss a ‘very delicate matter’, and summoned in this rge discussion chamber were almost every siaff member avaible within the Magistitute. But as far as he could tell, everyone here were just joking and gossiping about a student they found troublesome to deal with.

  The instructors that had attempted to lecture Serenis were busily spreading word about what a ridiculous ve was to keep her in their css. The rest were ily listening to their stories in growing i for this supposed genius.

  “Unmatched talents, I must say. I thought him rude and disrespectful, but I’ve e to realize that he truly is wasting time in our lectures.”

  “What if we were to advahis student to senior levels? In all hoy, I believe that we’re wasting the greatest talent to ever be discovered in our tury. Surely the other instructors that have this student in their lectures will agree with me.”

  “I do agree.”

  “As well as I.”

  “Same…”

  Karas maintained silence; his opinion didn’t matter with so many instructors’ agreements.

  Never in the history of the institute has there been a meeting just to discuss how to deal with a first year that enrolled only a week prior. While there have been a plethora of talented individuals in the past, none quite dispyed the same level of indifference as Serenis towards the instructors’ materials. Those were gehis was a dragon.

  And their discussion tinued. With so many in agreement of implementing a solution, it was time to discuss what said solution would look like.

  “But we ot simply advance a student we deem fit.”

  “It is a fine point. Surely, other students and families will see it as favoritism and find problems in fairness. It’s a ck of equity and fair opportunity.”

  “But what we do? Gifted individuals are wont to receive bes. Enduring jealousy is a skill one should retain as a genius.”

  “…Fairness, is it?”

  The discussion froze as the st remark was throwe the man’s soft ale voice, his position was that of the headmaster of the ti’s rgest school of magid one of the only three archmages presently alive. His was an authority none could question in this room.

  “Then we need but make it fair. We’ll open the opportunity for all students in their first and sed years: an opportunity to tackle a very special adva exam, ohat tests whether an individual possesses the necessary skills to warrant skipping their junior years.”

  A moary silence followed the headmaster’s proposal. Mier, one of the instructors carefully began to speak their thoughts oter.

  “Headmaster. While I uand the i, creating such examination is unheard of in our institute’s history. Especially if the i is to accelerate a siudent’s academic proceedings.”

  The archmage slowly threw his gaze over the discussion chamber. He could see that it wasn’t just the instructor that had spoken; many instructors were clearly against the proceeding he had suggested.

  There was a o make something very clear. The headmaster cleared his throat, shifting his gaze back to the instructor that had voiced his s.

  “Professor Vain. I tend to pick favorites among my students.”

  “…I’m sorry?”

  “As teachers, we ought to allow talented individuals to spread their wings; it simply won’t do to allow a lion to walk amongst cats. We all know that birthing a mage of higher circles is too difficult a task, and wasting even one such talent is an act worthy of tial pt.”

  “Headmaster, that’s…”

  “And most importantly.”

  The archmage ccked his e against the floor. His smile was brimming in newfouement. Uo other instructors, this udent was nothing but delightful o the man.

  “Does this not sound iing to you all? I’ve been rather bored retly. Such talents are always a weling surprise in our careers.”

  The disagreeing opinions were subdued by the time the headmaster finished speaking. Despite the number of disagreeing instructors, there were just as many, if not more, who were in agreement with the archmage. And this time, they’d be the one raising their voices.

  “It does seem like an iing proposal to me. A river that does not flow is wont to rot.”

  “Then…what should this exam sist of?”

  “I’d personally suggest we incorporate a sg test to measure their attributes. This student’s data on our records is rather…miserable. There has to be an error. Else, it’s far outdated information.”

  Karas was still maintaining silence, but his thoughts weren’t. He erhaps the only one in this discussion chamber who khat Zion’s files were, in faot outdated at all. But there was that up right now.

  “Then, an affinity test should be in the proceedings.”

  “Spell application is a must. That’s the biggest separating factor between the junior and senior years.”

  “I’d incorporate formuiderstanding as well. I’ve seen far too many students with talents for application, but with no uanding of the spell’s actual ws.”

  “Should they not also be versed in knowledge? Their range should…”

  “Hm.”

  The discussion immediately died down once again as the headmaster cleared his throat. The instructors looked towards the archmage, expeg him to propose at least the basic structures of a fair exam.

  But he really wasn’t trying to make it fair. He was more trying to make it iing.

  “It sounds like the matter is growing unnecessarily plicated. Why don’t we opt for simplicity?”

  Vain looked towards his employer with evident . They’d been w together for years; he could vaguely guess at what the headmaster was about to say .

  “…Headmaster? By simplicity, you don’t mean…?”

  “For the exam qualifications, we’ll only accept students whose highest affinities measure above 90.”

  “90?! That’s crazy!”

  “Quite the high number, I realize. But for a student to be permitted to skip two years’ worth of education, I expeo less.”

  Affinities for each element were measured in a scale ranging from 0 – 100. For an individual to measure 80 or above in any single elemental affinity ofte that they were geniuses in that respective field. 90 was cut-off that could cull out more than half of those geniuses.

  “And furthermore, the examination procedures will be simple. As it hasn’t been long sihe mock duels of the admission exams, everyone should be retively familiar with it still; we’ll simply hold another series of mock duels.”

  When mock duels once again came to light, voices of began to rise.

  “Amongst themselves? But what could that possibly test?”

  “It’s an effective way to rank the students, but I must say, it isn’t a good method for testing their aptitude iing a standard.”

  “I cur, it’s…”

  The headmaster chuckled as the instructors began disagreei and right this time. A misuanding had left no one agreeing with what he’d just said. And, quite frankly, mock duels were a nightmare to manage.

  “Now, now. I did not mean to say amongst themselves. That would be too tall an order for all of us, and them. The mock duels will be against myself.”

  The voices fell dead silent in a split sed. A few instructors began to doubt their own hearing as the headmaster tio speak his proposal.

  “We’ll use the kirium pendants for this examination; the goal will be for them to shatter my pendant with their magic while proteg their own. They’ll have to use whatever knowledge they have at disposal to both attad defend in this sario; and worry not, for I’ll be holding myself back plenty.”

  “…”

  The chamber fell silent. Even those that found the proposal ethically problematic kept their mouths shut; they, too, khat any ges made to the examination would simply trao additional workload for them.

  Besides, it was an archmage. Surely, he’ll deal with it.

  “Any questions? s?”

  “…If the headmaster’s looking to the proceedings…”

  “None from me.”

  “Well, as long as it doesn’t safety precautions…”

  Several instructors remained silent, but it was plete agreement amongst those that spoke. Ethical worries and safety s were both drowned out by the staff’s trust in their archmage headmaster.

  “It’s settled, then.”

  The man pushed himself alright, rising from his seat as he pinly cluded the meeting. The headmaster was wearing a rge grih his mustache, but it wasn’t all too visible with his back turned against everyone.

  “I do look forward to this particur student’s performance.”