[Exam Question]
~ As aptly as possible, citing the appropriate authorities, give a recount of the Mana-Soul Theory.
[Begin]
"Five minutes? Heh, what a joke! I won't even need one!"
***********************************
"Okay, time's up!"
Before anyone could protest the moderator's abrupt words, the paper they all desperately wrote on vanished.
"That's the end of the first phase of the exams. I hope you were all able to answer the questions properly." He said cheerfully.
Though he appeared happy, many of the examinees weren't. Looking around, I could see many uneasy faces full of tension.
'It's none of my business...' I sighed.
The fact that I was able to complete my task without any issue remained my primary concern. The only thing I had to worry about was the next phase of the exam.
"I won't be the one handling the next aspect of your exam. As such, I shall be taking my leave after introducing him to you all."
Suddenly a gust of wind began gathering in the arena, drawing the attention of everyone, even the distraught students to the vast stage before them.
"Taking charge of the second round is none other than one of the Senior Lecturers within Ainzlark Academy... Professor..."
My eyes bulged as I caught the sight of the man who appeared from within the tendrils of wind on the stage. He was one other than-
"... Legris Damien!"
The thousands of students all burst out in surprise as they all had similar expressions of shock at the sight of their second examiner.
"Nice to meet you all." Professor Legris Damien greeted, smiling at everyone with his usual cheerful grin.
I was at a loss for words, yet I couldn't help but let out a slight grin myself. I knew he was no ordinary man... but to think he was a senior lecturer. That was shocking beyond belief!
"I suppose it's more accurate to say 'its good to see you all again,' after all, you have all met me at least once." He added.
The aspiring students now grew more uncomfortable, shifting in their seats. It was clear from their reactions that most of them had treated him with disrespect during their encounter.
'Huu... this is why one should be careful of their conduct.' I thought to myself in relief.
"Now then, without wasting much of our time, it's time to begin the second round of the test. The requirements are quite simple, really." Legris Damien said, looking at the moderator beside him, and gave a slight nod.
The moderator nodded back, saying goodbye to everyone present. With a snap of his fingers, he vanished from our sights, leaving only Legris Damien in our presence.
"The purpose for this second round, as most of you already know, is magic casting. As students of Ainzlark, it's important that you're capable of utilizing mana and at your age, a certain degree of skill is expected of you." He explained.
Everyone was absolutely silent, realizing they were in the presence of one of the most distinguished figures in the entire Academy.
"You will each step forward for a demonstration and launch your most powerful or effective spells at me. I shall judge your abilities based on the Academy's criteria. I certainly hope you do not disappoint me."
And so, taking advantage of the wave of unease affecting the voice of the students, Legris raised his hands slightly and a long scroll appeared in his grasp. The scroll stretched for quite a distance, indicating whatever was written there was quite long.
"These are the names of everyone present here. I will be calling you one after the other, so make sure you come quickly once your names are called. Since we do not have much time, you only have three minutes each to show me your worth."
Many people's eyes bulged. Three minutes was far too short for them to display their full capabilities. However, in the presence of such an awesome figure, who could complain?
Even though the environment was tense, I had no idea why my heart was palpitating at such a rapid rate. It wasn't anxiety but excitement. Somehow, I was looking forward to my turn.
'I can't wait... to show that guy what I'm capable of!' I grinned.
Still, something bothered me. Calculating the time allocated was three minutes, we were four thousand in the hall. No matter how one looked at it, there was no way we would be done by the end of today even if we didn't completely use up three minutes.
'What's his play?'
However, just as I was making my thought, I felt Legris' gaze shift to me. It was only for a moment, but our eyes met and he smiled at me.
I returned his gesture, feeling a little intimidated by his strange action. It was almost like he could read my mind.
"For those wondering if there will be enough time to test you all, you do not need to worry. Time is all we have bountifully here!" He declared, addressing everyone.
His voice caused some people to make peculiar faces, as though not realizing that time was not going to be enough in the first place. As they struggled to calculate, everyone began to realize that we were too many to grade in a single day.
"This hall is enchanted with a special kind of magic. Time in here is considerably slowed down. So, you do not need to worry. You should be able to conclude the entire exams before the sun sets."
"F-for real?!" I beamed.
That meant they finally found a way to implement time magic as a conceptual factor. This was groundbreaking! Entirely surreal. I initially didn't believe it, thinking it was another farce. However...
As unbelievable as it sounded, there was no reason for a distinguished senior lecturer to lie.
It was true, time was slowed down here. While I didn't know the ratio, it was still an amazing feeling, nonetheless.
"Now then... let us begin!" Legris Damien called us back into the realm of reality.
"The first is-"
