The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Chapter 50 - 50

Standing next to Roman Lionhart like a vigilant sentinel was Melo, his right-hand man, his golden eyes fixed on Klaus in sheer astonishment.

’How is it possible for someone to undergo such a drastic transformation in a mere four months?’ Melo wondered, struggling to comprehend the profound change in Klaus. He wasn’t alone in his disbelief. Collaterals and direct line members who recognized Klaus by his distinctive silver hair and blue eyes were equally shocked, their bewilderment evident in their eyes.

’Was I wrong?’ Raphael, renowned as one of the best healers on the Runiya continent, questioned himself. Despite his skills, he had been unable to cure Klaus’s illness, merely delaying the inevitable or maintaining him well enough to stave off death. It was predicted that Klaus could never become a swordsman due to his condition. Yet, here stood the boy, looking better than ever, with a physique more developed than most of the trainees surrounding him.

Roman Lionhart couldn’t help but let an awkward smile grace his lips. He was genuinely pleased to see his grandchild in good health.

"My lord, your face," Melo murmured in a low voice, signaling to Roman that he was making an unusual expression.

"Humr hum," Roman cleared his throat and placed his right hand, supported by the throne armrest, to hide his mouth. He was relieved to be seated in a position where people had to turn their heads and look up to see him.

Klaus waved his hand in greeting to his parents and the maids seated in the commoner section. He could sense Elisabeth’s embarrassment at being seated there, fueling the anger inside him even more. His father, Ludovic, maintained his usual impassive demeanor, his gloomy eyes revealing no emotion.

Each vassal and recommended child waved to their respective relatives, but the collaterals and direct line members were too proud to acknowledge their parents, whose eyes seemed fixated on Klaus.

Rick cast a glance at Roman, seeking permission to commence the test. Roman simply nodded, his expression conveying indifference.

Rick cleared his throat and announced with a voice resonating across the vast Lion Arena, "We will now commence the test that will decide your future as trainees," his gaze sweeping across all the trainees gathered before him.

A collective hush fell over the assembly of trainees as they found themselves standing in the grandeur of the Lion Arena, a breathtaking backdrop for the unexpected test that awaited them. Their anticipatory breaths seemed to hang in the air as the realization sank in—the patriarch, Roman Lionhart, was present, casting a shadow of added pressure and significance over the proceedings. Amidst the sea of apprehension, only Nicholas and Klaus stood stoic, their expressions betraying little of the internal turmoil. Klaus because he was angry and Nicholas because he was used to the pressure.

Rick Lionhart, the man orchestrating this grand spectacle, began to unfold the intricacies of the test, outlining the two daunting steps. "The test will be divided into two steps; the first step will challenge your willpower and how well you know yourself," he intoned, eyes scanning the rows of nervous faces "and for the second step, well, you need to pass the first one first. All of you might even fail this test after all."

"This is the Aequalis Array, all you need to do is pass this Array within three hours," He gestured towards the sprawling, enigmatic Aequalis Array—a celestial canvas etched with mystic runes, its edges pulsating with an ethereal glow, it was looking more like a very large magic circle.

Gasps and murmurs erupted from the crowd, the very air tinged with disbelief. Whispers cascaded through the audience like a murmuring brook, weaving a tapestry of doubt and speculation.

"The Aequalis Array for a trainee test? Isn’t that a bit too harsh?"

"True, it’s as if they want them to fail their test."

"You are right; this is not something mere children can pass."

"Heck, even for me, I will need more than two hours to pass it."

"You are right; this is not something that swordsmen or martial artists can pass easily."

"My record was one hour and fifty eight minutes."

"Mine was one hour and fifty two."

"Mine, one hour and fifty"

"How do they expect children to pass this formation within three hours?" Among the onlookers, collaterals and vassal families familiar with the Aequalis Array voiced their concerns, their expressions reflective of the challenge they knew lay ahead for their children.

As the crowd’s discontent gained momentum, a palpable wave of panic washed over the trainees unfamiliar with the complexities of the Aequalis Array. In contrast, only two figures—Klaus and Nicholas—remained islands calm amidst the tempest of uncertainty, both had faced the formation during their respective past lives.

The Aequalis Array was most often used inside dungeons or Mage towers. It was an Array that made you battle your alter ego, whose power was equal to the challenger. The only problem was that the alter ego had infinite stamina and mana, so the longer the challenger fought against it, the weaker the challenger became. Being an illusion Array, it was particularly difficult for sword users, battle art users, martial artists, and beast warriors to pass.

Inside a dungeon, one needed a mage specialized in Array formation to deactivate it. Nicholas was calm because he had faced this array so many times that he picked a few tricks to quickly beat his alter ego that he would face. For his future plan to go smoothly, he needed to rank first with an overwhelming margin against all the trainees. He wanted to beat the current record set by the strongest swordsman alive—Roman Lionhart.

"The current record is held by the Lord, right?"

"Yes, he passed the array in just forty-five minutes, and when he was just twenty at that."

"Even the record after our Lord is just one hour and two minutes."

"Yeah, the record held by the Zephyr’s Emperor."

"I heard he was twenty-one when he passed it."

The crowd started to chat among themselves, already anticipating that none of the children would pass the test.

The trainees who were hearing them talk started to have a depressed expression on their faces.

Klaus was gritting his teeth to contain his anger. He didn’t like the disgrace that his family was facing, sitting among commoners while Ludovic, although not a direct line member anymore, was still a Lionhart, and his mother was also from a well-known noble family.

"Watch me as I destroy those pitiful records of yours," Klaus said, clenching his fist until they bled.