Reincarnated Supreme Arcane Emperor's Machinations

I've parked the carriage where a space is available.

It was easy to move around unlike earlier when the crowd was bustling with excited enrollees for the academy.

However, it seemed most of them had already decided to go as there was no one left at the gate's entrance when I went back.

'I guess I'll do just enough,'

Approaching the gate where the trials involved mana, I was able to spot the man with a chaotic mana entering the other trial.

Ignoring this man any further, I entered the gate and trod forward.

Just as soon as I entered, I was met with three paths.

It looks like tunnels at first but a sloppy illusion spell like this isn't going to work for me.

However, there is a clear distinction between these three tunnels.

One of the tunnels that could lead me to somewhere has a high amount of mana concentration while the other two haven't.

I'm guessing that the Instructor wanted to test the students on mana awareness, and my guess is sometimes not just a hunch of sorts.

So I'm very confident I can pass whatever trials they have given me.

Walking towards the left tunnel, where the mana concentration originated, I was met with other tunnels.

This time, it was fainter from the last trail.

I moved towards the same high concentration of mana and did the same thing for the last three tunnels that came next.

The moment the sixth choosing tunnel came, there were five tunnels in my front and there were two high concentrations of mana in each one of them.

It looked like they were trying to put confusion on those people who could notice mana and how far they could sense it.

It's a child's play for me.

I navigated to the ones that clearly had the highest amount of mana.

It was like this until the tenth road.

There are still five tunnels but the concentration of mana was all five, meaning every trail that leads inside is correct.

However, the amount inputted at it differs.

Obviously, I went through the highest and walked through the tunnel with boredom on my face.

The moment I did, there were no tunnels left for me to enter but a room meant for… resting?

Looking around even further, I was able to see the interior of what seemed to be the boastful Academy and the students who were weirdly watching me.

My gaze went to Instructor Ezreal who had wide eyes looking at me.

He approached me while I kept standing with a calm face.

"Your name?"

Tilting my head to the side, I answered.

"Cillian Wellington,"

Ezreal nodded as if that name was going to be something he'd have to remember for a little while and stated.

"Cillian Wellington, I declare you the first to pass the Academy trials. You can proceed with the administration process and tell them that the instructor in charge has put you on the priority list,"

I became even more confused.

"Wait, that's just it?"

You know, I was expecting something better than that, right?

That's when I realized something.

'Oh no…'

Ezreal chuckled as he looked around the trials from an illusion spell before saying.

"What do you mean that's it? The way you passed the trial is the fastest one we have yet. But I guess such a hidden genius like you make this trial a walk in the park, right?"

Everything made sense the moment that came out from Ezreal.

'Hahh, I've overestimated myself yet again...'

Some trial that I considered to be nothing was something to others.

"Hahh..."

Suffering from success from a trial that looked nothing a trial to me, I sat at the available bench and waited for my sister to come on the other side of the trial.

However just as I sat down, another man seemed to pass through at the other side.

And this man whom I've kept seeing no matter what was also done on his part.

"Your name?"

I heard Ezreal asking the figure's name.

Glancing in my direction briefly, the figure returned his gaze to the front and replied.

"Aster… Aster Densworth,"

…

My sister came a moment later with a bright smile on her face after Ezreal announced that she had passed the trials and was eligible to be admitted to the Academy.

As she was jumping for joy, she found me on a nearby bench with that same smile of hers and hugged me tightly.

"I passed!"

"Yeah,"

Yana continued jumping for exhiliration and added.

"It was also mentioned I'm on the secondary priority list. I was top fifteen to pass through, you know? Fufu, of course, I'll be going to put in that priority list,"

"Great, great…"

Yana seemed to feel my unbothered enthusiasm as we stopped jumping around in joy and looked at me.

"Anyway, I've seen you first here. It must mean you're waiting for your cute sister, isn't it? What place did you go to?"

Even though Yana was going to discover it eventually, I'm afraid that her confidence might go rock bottom after witnessing I placed first.

It might even harbor some ill intentions just like what I've experienced in the past.

All those jealousies and wanting to be in my same position have made me who I am and used everything against my enemies.

But there was no way I would do it now.

There was just no reason to lie to my sister.

Knowing I might regret this decision, a sigh escaped my lips before answering.

"I place first,"

Silence ensued between us.

"I was the first one to get here in my trial,"

Yana was dead silent the moment she heard that news.

Right now, I might've been guessing what she had been thinking but I was too tired to do it.

Not because I'm exhausted or something like that.

To put a reason for this complicated feeling I had inside me, it's more like I wanted to see her genuine reaction.

After all, hearing your brother was a genius will definitely form a small crack in there, right?

"You got first place…?"

However, all these negative thoughts were replaced by the radiating eyes of my sister as she looked at me proudly and stupidly.

"Waaaaaaah! My brother got the first place!!"

Then we began jumping for joy once again, this time it was more intense and very… genuine.

Bouncing up and down to the floor, I asked suspiciously with my brow raised.

"You're not jealous?"

As if she didn't know where was that coming from, Yana retorted innocently.

"What the hell— I mean, what are you talking about bro?! You are in the first place! It means you're the best! Why am I getting jealous of an achievement of my brother that he had accomplished? Even if I didn't pass the trial, I would still be proud of you. The jealous ones here are those wary about your capability to rise at the top and not see you shine,"

Yana paused, "I would love to see it though. It's going to be good bragging about this to my friends,"

Huh…

As if all the prejudice and biases I had inside my head disappeared from those words alone vanished right in this instant.

I don't care if others get jealous of me, I don't give a shit about them.

My family, my sister, in particular, there are all that matters.

If they are proud of this already… they are going to see something more amazing.

'I'll guess I'll play along on being a student of this Academy,'

Someone is proud of me… that's the phrase I just couldn't hear no matter what in my past life.

But even if they did, it wouldn't have made such an impact on me like what Yana had said just now.

"Let's get admitted already,"

With a smile, both of us went together to the administration to get admitted.