After a few days had passed, the next mandatory family breakfast was held.
This time, all four siblings were present.
Derek made sure to dress his best, with his signature white shirt, a gold-inlaid brooch with a ruby fixed at its center, and dark trousers properly matching his polished black shoes.
His hair was combed to perfection, and he made sure to walk into the dining hall with a flawless gait.
As expected, he was the last to arrive.
This was largely due to his premises being so far away from the main building.
Normally, Klein and Emma would scold him for his tardiness, even though he wasn’t the one who was late but they were the ones who were early.
However, this time, the hall was dead silent.
Klein simply glared at him without saying a word. Emma didn’t even look at him, as she was busy writing in what resembled an academic journal.
Melanie, as usual, was reading yet another book.
This time, it looked like a report.
"I greet you, dear sister... Dear brother..."
Derek took his time to address everyone in the room before taking his seat right next to Klein.
It was awkward, to say the least.
Thankfully, due to how vast the dining table was, there was considerable distance between the two of them.
The tense silence was quickly broken by the servants stepping in with all kinds of dishes and drinks.
The meals that were served were on a completely different level from all the others Derek had enjoyed all year. It made breakfast seem like a banquet.
The siblings were quiet throughout.
Finally, the servants left.
"May the Goddess bless this meal..."
Everyone said their blessings and began to dig in. Even Melanie stopped what she was doing and promptly ate alongside everyone else.
Derek did the same, quickly confirming that the food wasn’t poisoned.
He expected as much.
Now that he was seen as a viable heir and one of the most important members of the household, attempts on his life would not be made so blatantly.
Instead, his siblings would try to restrict him using more indirect means.
Political coercion was one of them.
While Derek ate, he listened to his siblings chatter about all kinds of things. Melanie asked about the Promotional Exams, to which the responses of both siblings were positive.
An emphasis was placed on Emma’s experience in the Academy as a First Year, and she gushed on about her life there.
The good... the bad... the ugly.
Since she had B Grade Talent, her time there wasn’t the worst.
She certainly had an easier time compared to someone like Melanie. Still, it sounded like the Academy was an extremely difficult and challenging place to be.
Hearing these things from his siblings didn’t discourage Derek.
In fact, it fueled his resolve.
’I need to experience these things for myself!’ He clenched his fist excitedly, gulping down the last of his juice before finally speaking for the first time since the breakfast started.
"I would like to register for the upcoming Academy Entrance Exams as soon as possible..." Find the original chapter at g.com.
Silence instantly filled the hall.
Derek immediately felt icy gazes gather all over him.
’They must have known this moment would come once I passed the Confirmation Ritual and got the highest possible grade,’ he quietly analyzed. ’The question is how they’ll choose to handle the situation.’
"You’re not ready," Melanie plainly said while stabbing a chunk of meat with her fork.
"What do you mean?"
Derek withheld his frown and kept a neutral countenance.
"It’s simple, really..." She sighed before pointing her knife at him. "Most people take their Confirmation Ritual at ten years old. Then, they have five years to develop their Magia Circuits while practicing with basic Spells and Runes before taking the Academy Entrance Exams."
"But—"
"Yet do you know how many of them fail even after this rigorous preparation?" Melanie continued speaking with a stern tone.
"Over eighty percent."
"...."
"Nearly a hundred participants register every year, yet only about twelve to fifteen are chosen each year. The highest record of acceptance in the history of the Lucia Magus Academy is seventeen out of a hundred and five applicants."
Derek let those absurd numbers register in his mind for a moment.
Before he could calmly assess the information he received and formulate a rebuttal, Melanie continued with her speech.
"Unlike these people, you were Inept during your first Confirmation Ritual, and even though you have A+ Grade Talent, too much time has passed. You’ve not had the time to develop your Magia Circuits, not to mention learning the most fundamental Spells and Runes. There’s no way you can pass the entrance exams as you currently are."
"I can try—"
"Give it a rest," Melanie’s expression slowly turned harsher. "You’ll only embarrass yourself and our family if you take the exams now. Wait a few years and practice intensively. Once you’re ready, there’ll be no problem sending you off."
"A few years...?"
"Yes. You’ll develop your Circuits during that time. Once they are mature enough, you’ll start practicing Spells and Runes. With your talent, it might not take up to five years for you to be ready, but at least two to three years should suffice."
’By then, Klein would have finished his mandatory service and the family would be in chaos due to succession...’ Derek gritted his teeth and internally shook his head. ’I can’t wait that long!’
Even after the family’s situation eventually stabilized, Klein would have likely become head.
And he would never allow Derek to enter the Academy.
At least Melanie could still be reasoned with. Even though she also resented him, she had never actively participated in the years of torture that Derek had to endure at the hands of his other siblings.
Having her as the Head of Household while he went to the Academy was the most suitable for him.
This was his best opportunity.
"I’m confident that I’ll be able to use Magia by next month, which is when the Entrance Exams will be held."
"You think Magecraft is that easy?"
At this point, Klein butted in with a loud scoff. Emma also joined him in sneering at Derek’s evident naivety.
"Look here, just because you have A+ Grade Talent doesn’t mean you can suddenly do the impossible!" Klein pointed at Derek, visibly agitated.
"I’m confident I can do it." Derek looked back without flinching.
"Pfft? Is that so? On what grounds? You think it’s possible to develop your Magia Circuits overnight to the point that they can release Magia? And you think Spells and Runes are so easy you can spend a month learning to use them proficiently?!"
"I would still like to try."
"Don’t be retarded!" Klein slammed his fist on the dining table. "Who do you think you are? Do you think Lucia Magus Academy is a joke? You think getting in is so easy? If that was the case, why would it take Melanie three times to get in? Even Emma nearly failed her Entrance Exams!"
"So what?" Derek glanced at his two siblings and observed their heated gazes, but he chose to keep speaking anyway.
"I’m not them."
"Exactly! At least they passed their first Confirmation Ritual and had five years to prepare, yet the exams were still difficult for them. Do you think you can do better in just a year just because of your talent?"
Derek looked away from Klein and shrugged.
"This bastard! What does that have to do with anything?" Klein yelled.
"All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t write me off by using ordinary metrics. I already defied expectations before, so what’s stopping me from doing it again?"
Derek looked at Melanie before saying:
"All I ask for is a chance."
"You’re delusional! Do you think we’ll let you bring shame to our family?" More agitated than ever, Klein continued to berate Derek, hurling curses and insults without restraint.
However, Derek no longer responded to Klein’s taunts.
He didn’t even look at him.
He only maintained his gaze on Melanie while Emma watched this exchange with uncharacteristic silence.
"This guy—!"
Klein rose to his feet, no longer able to control his frustration.
He was about to approach Derek with a clenched fist when Melanie promptly spoke up with an icy voice.
"That’s enough."
Her words were enough to stop Klein in his tracks.
He returned to his seat and, after clearing his throat and adjusting his collar, regained his composure.
"Believe it or not, Derek, this is for your own good. Although his method of delivery was rather crude, Klein has made a good point, which supports my earlier statement. You are simply not ready."
Derek could no longer hide his frustration.
Unlike everyone present, he knew about the miraculous abilities of the Magus Codex. Even if he only had a month, it was very possible for him to use Magia to an acceptable degree.
Unfortunately, he could not reveal this secret to his siblings.
Not yet, anyway.
"Do you still stubbornly wish to ignore our advice?" Melanie asked with a cold, disapproving stare.
Derek paused for a few seconds.
He had to decide whether or not he really wanted to do this.
—Defy his siblings for the first time!
However, after thinking about his hopes and dreams, and just how much he would have to abandon by turning back now, the choice became too easy for him.
"Yes." Derek’s voice loudly filled the dining room. "I wish to do my best. Even if I fail in the end, I still want to try."
Klein groaned and shook his head.
Emma rolled her eyes.
However, Melanie maintained a neutral expression and nodded.
"Very well. I will acknowledge your abilities and give you the seal if you can pass my challenge."
"Alright!"
Derek felt excited almost immediately.
His spirit was revitalized, and he was determined to succeed in whatever obstacle stood in his path.
"In a sparring session modeled after a Magus battle..." Melanie slowly pointed her fork at Derek before shifting it to the one who sat next to him.
"... Land one hit on Klein."