Numbers x Casket-Chapter 21: Exclusive Ticket

Efraim sighed in relief after leaving the shop. She had nothing against Celine, but his gut was telling him that she was not a simple mage, and he didn't want to attract more trouble.

Now that he had his clothing, he just needed to get an entrance ticket towards the ball, and to do that, he must first register himself as a mage.

'But how should I be able to?' Efraim contemplated while walking down the street.

Mages were classified into three categories; the first one is the Artillery Mages, who excelled in casting long-range spells with massive areas of effect.

Then the Battle Mages who fought in close distance and mastered hand-to-hand combat while using magic to enhance their fighting styles.

And last but not least, the Auxiliary Mages who stood out in performing support-type spells such as buffs, debuffs, and sometimes healing magic as well.

"My left eye has a hexagram pattern; it almost resembles a magic circle. Maybe I can use it to register as an auxiliary mage," he uttered, still thinking, but he soon shook his head and rejected the idea.

"No, they would not entertain me once they knew its ability," he added.

During his contemplation, he found himself in an open space with a large volume of people.

'Is there some sort of event here as well?' he thought and pushed himself into the crowd.

Then his eyes widened in astonishment upon seeing a lot of children practicing in the field of magic. Some held staffs while others had scepters in their hands.

"Heed thy call, destroy that wall, fireball!" shouted a child, and a magic circle materialized in front of him.

Then, a blazing ball of fire was launched towards the training dummy, creating a small explosion, and a series of applause came after.

After catching sight of this, Efraim looked at her right hand.

'Heed thy call, destroy that wall, fireball,' he chanted inside his thoughts.

However, seconds passed, but not a single ember of fire flickered in his palm; even a magic circle didn't materialize.

With a long, deep sigh, Efraim uttered. "How I wish I had elemental affinity!"

Given this fact, he returned his gaze back to the children. Most of them used wind and fire-type magic, while there was someone who managed to deploy a lightning spell, which caused the crowd to turn wild.

After all, mages with a lightning affinity were a rare sight. They were considered the cream of the crop. With proper guidance, they would definitely be a monstrous entity capable of destroying hundreds of fiends in just a snap.

Efraim activated his Flair and looked at every child. Number twenty-seven, written in purple, appeared at the child who launched the lightning bolt, while the rest had figures in a black and blue color.

'That's not that surprising at all, given his affinity,' Efraim thought.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

Then something caught his attention; behind the group of people, there was something colorful flickering, and he knew what it was very well.

"That's a gold one," he uttered and went towards its direction.

Upon walking closer, he saw the owner of the number. It was a child sulking in one corner.

"Three?" he murmured.

He observed the little one and noticed that he was doing his best to chant, but every time a magic circle appeared, it shattered into fragments soon after.

Confused by this scene, he approached him.

"Hello," he said while wearing a friendly smile.

The child looked at him; there was a hint of hopelessness lingering in his eyes.

"Are you here to mock me as well?" the little boy asked.

Efraim furrowed his brows and answered. "Why would I?"

The child lowered down his head, and the appraiser noticed the droplets of tears falling on the ground.

"Because all of them said that I'm useless, that I can't even cast a single spell," the little boy cried.

"Then just let them be. Let them think that you're useless while trying your best in silence," Efraim replied.

However, the child didn't stop wailing; he was too young to understand such a statement. So the appraiser gave him a pat on the head and just waited for him to calm down.

And as soon as he stopped crying, Efraim lifted his chin and smiled.

"Take a look at this," he said while staring straight at the child's eyes.

Then he straightened his hand forward and aimed at the training dummy.

"Heed thy call, destroy that wall, fireball!" He chanted, and just like what happened earlier, no magic circle materialized in the air, and nothing came out of his palm.

Curious about what he did, the child stared at him with a confused look in his eyes as if asking. 'What?'

Upon seeing his curious expression, Efraim crouched down for their eye level to match, and then he smiled.

"Did you see that? I suck at magic; I can't even cast a spell, but..." He paused for a bit and pointed at his left eye, and as it turned into a cyan hexagram pattern, he continued. "I still excel in other things. So if magic is not really for you, try something else and discover your own path."

"Discover my own path?" the child repeated.

The helplessness still remained in his eyes, but there was now a glimmer of hope present underneath.

Upon seeing this, Efraim nodded and messed his hair a little. Then he stood up and left the place.

Meanwhile, a smoldering scent lingered in the ground's atmosphere. It started as faint until its smell became more intense and rich.

"Is something burning?" a man asked.

The crowd looked around, searching for the source of the scorched stench. Then in a far distance, they noticed a small ember flickering in one of the training dummies.

All the people present with their mouths partially opened questioned what they had seen. For the very first time, they witnessed something they couldn't explain.

A vibrant green flame that lasted for seconds, burning the equipment and leaving nothing even cinders behind.

. . . . .

The night came earlier than expected, and brilliant colors of orb lit up the magic tower's compound. Mages with their extravagant robes, along with those luxurious staffs and scepters, lined up at the ball's entrance.

And in the farthest part of the queue was a young man with hair and eyes darker than black. Dressed in a simple white robe, he waited for his turn with patience.

'Should I sneak in?' Efraim contemplated while taking a look at the long line.

However, he rejected the idea the instant he saw the large number of guards patrolling the area. It would be the end for him once he was caught. After all, he was just trying his luck to see if he could enter the event.

Despite explaining the effects of his left eye, the Association of Mages declined to give him a certification, and he didn't even have an invitation. Thus, with courage alone, he still showed up while expecting a miracle to happen.

Several minutes later, he felt a gentle poke at his side, which made him move his gaze right away, and upon seeing the pair of crimson eyes glaring at him, the corners of his lips curled into a smile.

Like what he was hoping for, his exclusive ticket had arrived.

"Celine," he uttered.

. . . . .

At the same time, inside her room, Lindsay looked at herself in the mirror. A fancy black gown with a diamond crystal lining hugged her hourglass figure, her black hair braided like a bun, showcasing her unblemished nape while her deep round eyes radiated a golden sparkle.

She was dazzling, a total beauty, yet for some reason, the expression she had displayed told a tale of sorrow. She tried to wear a smile, but it disappeared in a flash.

Then, a knock on the door echoed in her room.

"Come in." She gave permission, and the moment it was pushed open, Captain Zed entered.

"You look gorgeous, Young Lady," the old man greeted.

"Enough with the flattery, Captain," Lindsay replied, without averting her eyes from the mirror.

The old man chuckled at her response. Then he opened his mouth once again.

"The Grand Lord is waiting," he said in a polite manner.

With a deep sigh, Lindsay forced herself to smile. Then she faced the old man and walked in his direction.

Upon coming closer, she asked. "Would you do the honor of escorting me?"

"It's a pleasure," Captain Zed replied, and the two of them sauntered outside.

As they reached the stairs leading to the lower floor, Lindsay saw two people standing while chatting with each other.

And the moment she realized who they were, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. One was the highest form of existence in Celestia, the Grand Lord and also her father, while the other was a young man around her age.

Brown, spiky hair and amber-colored eyes, the heir of the family who excelled in advanced magic, her betrothed, the strongest battle mage, Zack Chronos.

. . . . .