The Heavenly Hero Returns

Chapter 6: Magic Evaluation – A Spectacle for All the Wrong Reasons

The magic evaluation took place in the academy's Grand Hall, a towering cathedral-like chamber lined with crystalline conduits designed to measure and record magical capabilities.

Students stood in rows, waiting for their turn to approach the examiners. The tension in the air was thick—this was the moment that determined placement, that separated the prodigies from the disappointments.

Tobias stood among the confident elite, arms crossed, barely paying attention to those who went before him.

You, on the other hand, felt cooked.

Your muscles still ached from the fight on the road. Your movements were sluggish. Your limbs screamed in protest with every step. But worse than that—

The moment the instructors announced it was time to assess magic capacity, you already knew this was about to be a disaster.

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The Instructors & Notable Students

Six instructors oversaw the evaluation. Among them:

• Lady Isabeau de Montclair – A strict woman with piercing green eyes, dressed in elegant robes. She was the Magic Theory instructor, known for her no-nonsense attitude.

• Grandmaster Wolfram von Eisenwald – The headmaster himself, a towering presence with a steel gaze, one of the only three Grandmasters on the continent. He was here to observe, not intervene.

• Sir Aldric Faust – The Combat Magic instructor, a veteran knight with deep scars and a voice like gravel. He studied students with the keen eye of a warrior assessing recruits.

Among the students, several stood out:

• Lucien von Hohenfeld – A blond-haired noble with sharp red eyes, an air of confidence surrounding him. His presence alone commanded attention, and his placement was already assumed to be near the top.

• Magnus Reinhardt – A commoner with rugged features, arms crossed as he observed silently. Known for his Earth and Water affinity, his raw combat ability made nobles uneasy.

• Seraphina von Aurelius – The princess herself, white-haired and blue-eyed, radiating an aura of royalty. Whispers surrounded her presence—she was one of the few in history to wield Light magic alongside another element.

• Alistair von Aurelius – Her twin, standing beside her, exuding a calm authority. Unlike Seraphina, his presence was colder, more distant.

And then there was you.

A noble by birth, but a supposed failure in magic.

The moment your name was called, murmurs began.

"That's the cripple, isn't it?"

"Didn't she lose her magic entirely?"

"Why is she even here?"

Tobias' eyes flicked to you, unreadable.

You walked forward, still feeling the lingering exhaustion in your body.

The instructor gestured toward the crystal pillar meant to measure magic capacity.

"Place your hand on the conduit."

You did.

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The Disaster

The crystal hummed to life. Energy surged. The room fell silent, waiting for a result.

And then—

The number appeared.

…0.

Silence.

"…That can't be right," Lady Isabeau muttered, glancing at the readings. She adjusted the calibration manually, assuming the device had made an error.

The number flickered.

-0.5.

Someone choked.

Students struggled not to laugh. Even some of the instructors looked vaguely baffled.

"…That's a new one," Aldric Faust said, rubbing his temple.

Lady Isabeau frowned. "There must be an issue with the conduit—"

A technician adjusted the settings.

-1.

At that point, you saw someone in the background physically collapse from suppressing laughter.

The worst part? It wasn't even your fault.

The device had overcompensated when measuring your lack of magic, adjusting itself in the wrong direction.

But to the rest of the room, it looked like you had somehow negative magic.

Tobias visibly inhaled through his nose.

Lucien was smirking.

Magnus was… watching. Silently.

Seraphina and Alistair exchanged glances.

You just stared at the result.

"…Huh," you said flatly.

"Huh?" Tobias hissed.

Lady Isabeau sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Next."

And just like that, the exam moved on.