Chapter 95: Settling In (1/2)
Tal, Brenden, and Sera were sitting in the lobby of the University's Administration Building. The furnishings were clean and comfortable, and it was unclear how long Mike was going to take, so they settled in for a long wait.
The lobby was nearly deserted. Besides the three of them, the only other occupants were a young woman with a fussy baby, sitting a little ways away.
”I hope everything goes alright,” Sera was saying, ”it would be a shame to come all this way and screw up on the entrance exam.”
”Not worried.” Tal replied with monotone confidence.
Brenden just nodded his agreement with the elf's statement.
[I suppose it's a little hard to imagine Mike not having enough magical talent to get accepted. The real problem is whether or not he does something outrageous which causes problems for him later on.]
The young woman with the baby stood up and approached hesitantly. ”Excuse me, but are you with a prospective student as well?”
”We are…” Sera replied slowly.
”Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. It's just that my husband is undergoing the entrance exam as well, and I'm have to admit I'm very worried.” Sera saw the woman's arms trembling a little, and taking a longer look noticed her pale face, slightly sunken cheeks, and the raggedness of her clothes.
[I'm a little surprised to see people like this here, but I guess her husband is pursuing a scholarship.]
Giving the woman a warm smile, she patted the seat next to her. ”Please, have a seat. What's your names?”
”Thank you. I'm Mariah, and this is Norman.” She sat down and situated the child in her arms a little more comfortably, before glancing around at the group a little curiously. ”I don't mean to be rude, but is your prospective student aiming for a scholarship?”
”No, he's actually here with a letter of recommendation.”
Mariah sighed in relief, before realizing how that must look, ”Sorry, my John is quite talented, but I know that the competition for a Finance Department scholarship is quite fierce, so I can't help but feel relieved.”
Brenden chuckled, ”I doubt Mike would me much of a competitor for something like finance. His talents are a bit more…direct.”
”Oh! Is Mike the name of your prospective student?” Once again looking around the group, Mariah frowned, ”Is he your...…are you….”
Guessing the intent of her question, Sera cut her off. ”We're friends and adventuring companions.”
”I see. If you don't mind me asking, what department is your prospective student aiming for?”
”Magic Department.” Tal explained simply.
”Oh wow! I don't know any mages. It must be so exciting to be able to do magic. But aren't you worried he will have trouble with the test? I've heard they can be pretty strict about it.”
Almost as if to answer her question, a rumbling vibration shook the building, causing the woman to look around in panic.
”Passed probably.” Tal spoke when it stopped.
Sera face palmed. ”I knew he was going to go overboard. I should have warned him about it before he left.”
”You should have known better. If there is one thing I've learned about Mike, it's that anything that should be simple, gets crazy when he's involved.” Brenden cut in sarcastically while shaking his head.
Mariah looked at them apprehensively, as if now regretting making their acquaintance.
----------------------------------------------------
”That was awesome!” Henry called from his seat near the door of the circular chamber.
Mike could hear the click of teeth as Instructor Thomas's mouth snapped shut.
He spoke with a feigned confidence, but it was clear that he was a bit shaken. ”It seems you have a great deal of raw talent, judging from the amount power you were able to produce. However, your chanting leaves much to be desired. I heard several mispronunciations, and frankly, I was surprised to see the spell take effect at all.”
He turned to look at the other teachers, ”Well, judges, what is your verdict?”
The old man with the white stripes stepped forward, ”The young man is unrefined, but has a great deal of potential. With the right instruction, he could be a truly powerful mage. I say admit him.
The old woman with the white stripes was next, ”Such power can be dangerous, especially when it is so poorly controlled. He would be better off seeking training with the Mage's Guild. They have the resources and techniques to restrict a young mages power until it can be safely wielded. That said, I have rarely seen such raw power from an applicant, and I would be loathed to let those pretentious assholes in the Guild get their grubby hands on him. So, I say admit him.”
[I'm not sure how I should feel about that, but I suppose professional jealousy is a universal trait.]