King Of Limbo

As Aron made his way up the stairs, numerous gazes were set on him as many of the contestants began to talk about the matter in hushed tones.

"A golden ticket? Did I hear right?"

"Really? So few have been called having silver tickets and bronze..."

"I didn't hear his last name, does that mean he's a commoner?"

"Incredible..."

One after another the seated contestants began expressing their thoughts and asking questions to one another, Aron however continued upstairs without batting them an eye.

Once up on the second floor, the older gentleman gave him a bow before gesturing him to follow. "This way please." He instructed to which Aron just nodded and didn't bother asking questions, despite his calm demeanor on the surface he had a lot on his mind concerning the current situation.

'The mana distribution in many parts here is off, as to why I can't be sure. It could be for observation, formations, devices... there's far too many unknowns here.' He thought to himself as he casually looked around as they proceeded forward a bit longer before coming to a halt by a large golden door.

"We've arrived." The older gentleman announced briefly before placing his hand on the door, causing it to slowly open and reveal a large plain room with no furniture aside from a chair and a desk. "Please do take a seat." The older man politely asked Aron who did just that.

Soon after Aron had sat down, the older man brought a blank piece of paper and placed it on his desk along with a pen before speaking. "First comes the test, a question will appear once you hold the pen and another question will continue to appear after you answer the previous one. This will continue until the last grain of sand falls in the hourglass, answer as many questions as you can within that time. Begin when you're ready." The man explained in a clear and understandable mana to which Aron just gave a nod.

The old man almost seemed curious that Aron didn't ask any questions but didn't show this. In truth Aron had numerous questions but he couldn't carelessly ask and so he simply picked up the pen and the first question appeared on the paper.

The questions weren't limited to one field and didn't cover only academic knowledge. They varied from academic topics like mana control, glyphs and formations to scenario, belief and many more topics one would find out of place. 'This test basically feels like a method they use to gain information and paint a rough to clear picture of a person without actually having to ask them directly.' Aron deduced but still carried on writing and answering.

After the last grain of sand finally dropped, the last question he answered disappeared and no new questions came as he placed the pen down seemingly content with what he had written.

"Next we have the screening so please do take mental note of what you consider helpful or not." The older man advised before he began to speak about Galos City along with its academy.

The older man had his presentation to Aron by telling him about Galos City. This city was unlike any other as more than ninety percent of the residents are either students or former students including some shopkeepers, tavern owners and so on.

It's rules were similar to the ones one would expect from an educational institution with few granted special privileges.

What really held Aron's attention however were how ranks were earned. They were five total ranks a student could possess, one for each year of the five years normally required to graduate.

The first rank was simply a student, one earned this simply by passing successfully being admitted into the Academy and was held by most first years but it wasn't at all odd to find second or even third years with only a first rank to their name as each rank had certain requirements which went above just completing a year.

The second rank was that of an elite student, one earned this by simply passing all their selected courses which seemed easy in theory but was much harder.

The third rank was that of an acolyte or a reaper, one earned this by being in the top fifty student rankings of that year, a difficult task to achieve in an academy housing thousands of students.

The fourth rank was that of a Guardian or Harbinger, one earned this rank after being in the top three rankings of that year as well as having a recommendation from the professor of each course he/she took.

And Lastly the fifth rank was that of a Professor or Inquisitor. One earned this rank after recommendation and then voting among a special panel.

After being told of the ranks and the long list of privileges each one provided, Aron was satisfied with the screening and had no more questions to ask. "I have no more questions." Aron stated in a casual tone to which the older man nodded before walking away for a brief moment and returning with a large white orb settled atop a bowl like pedestal before placing it on the desk. Aron did of course have many questions to ask but he wouldn't do it so haphazardly.

"Your interview will now begin." The man announced before the room became pitch black for a short moment, however in the next moment small glowing balls of varying colors hovered in the air around him with the largest bright red ball at his front.

"Greetings contestant Aron, your interview shall be paneled by us six professors as well as the arch mage themself. Please place your hand in front of the orb in front of you as we ask questions that pertain to you and the academy. You're free to answer or not answer, keep in mind however that if you lie you'll be sent away without hesitation. Are you ready?" A kind yet strict masculine voice resonated from the green ball of light and questioned.

Aron had a few questions originate in his mind as the male voice revealed their position in the academy but he could only follow on with the procedure and put his curiosity aside for the moment.

"Is your name truly Aron and are you really not an aristocrats?" The same gentle sounding yet strict masculine voices asked in a clear tone.

"Yes" Aron answered without hesitation as the orb he placed his hand on showed a small glow after the answer was given.

"Did you come here with the intent to bring harm to the academy in any way, shape or form?" The voice inquired and once again Aron answered without hesitation. "No."

"Do you serve or work under anyone who may have negative aims towards the academy?"

"No. I serve no one but myself."

"Do you hold any grudges or hatred towards any member of the academy?"

"No."

"How educated are you in magic, arts and techniques?"

"I chose to not answer."

One after another numerous questions were asked to Aron, most here chose to answer but as they became more and more personal he began denying to answer.

"Contestant Aron, that is the fifteenth question you've refused to answer in a row. Mind you this may severely affect what rank you begin with or your acceptance entirely." The gentle masculine voice warned with clear irritation in his voice that caused Aron to smile slightly.

"You said yourself that I'm under no obligation to answer questions I do not wish to, whether that affects my rank or entry at all is of little concern. My skill in battle surpasses that of any other contestant and my knowledge isn't lacking either. I know my value so with or without the academy I will thrive." Aron answered in a firm tone and once again the orb gave a faint glow.

This could mean two things, either he was that confident in his ability and truly believed what he said or that what he said was simply facts. Either option was impressive in its own right.

After being silent for a good while, the masculine voice finally spoke again. "The panel has reached a verdict."