Chapter 81: Evaluation Test
"Should I look for someone with the ability to cancel it?"
Koul kept quiet. His eyes gazed downward softly. Then after a moment, he replied.
"No, I'll handle it."
Kanstiv helped Koul dress. He styled his hair, literally spiffed him up for the day.
Then they both walked downstairs.
"Wow, you look good in your uniform, son," Mrs Veltaur complimented.
They'd been waiting around the table.
Koul and Kanstiv joined in and they had their meal together.
After that, they headed out to the academy.
Kanstiv refused to join them. He was insistent on going his own way since Koul had instructed him not to act familiar with him in the academy.
They arrived outside the building and descended the carriage.
Quietly, Koul's eyes took in the massive building before them. It sprawled wide and large across the wide expanse of land.
He'd never seen anything this big.
"Let's go in, son," Mr Veltaur patted him on the back.
They stepped in through the gate. Instantly, every eye zeroed on them.
There were lots of students outside in the field. Some sat on the bench, some hung over the trees, some were just on the veranda and more.
Their eyes followed Koul and his new parents like they were some arts on display. As could already be guessed, whispers trailed next.
"So it's really true? The rumors that the Veltaurs had adopted a new son."
"I guess it is. Look at them."
"Who would be foolish enough to get adopted into such a family?"
"Not anyone great for sure. It must be someone lacking mana just like them."
"Yeah, it has to be."
Mrs Veltaur, again, glanced at Koul to check his state. But like before, he was calm and unbothered which brought a smile to her face.
She held his hand firmly and walked off boldly.
Even when they entered the building, the same thing followed. Judging eyes and voices.
But they didn't care.
As long as Koul didn't mind, they didn't.
Koul was registered in the principal's office. They went through all the formalities and finally got him into the school.
What's more, unlike most students who got to share a dorm, Koul was given a private room.
The Veltaurs worried that he would get bullied by the others if he shared a room with them. So they paid extra and got him a private room.
He settled into his room in the dorm with the help of the Veltaurs. They made sure he had everything he needed before they started heading for home.
"The butler will bring your clothes over later, son," Mr Veltaur said as they walked out.
"Here, take this," he handed Koul a card and a big pouch of gold coins.
The weight made Koul's hand dip as he took it due to how heavy it was.
"As a Veltaur, you need only use the card wherever you go for your purchases and the expenses will be sent over to us. But if that feels too much a problem, you can use this money instead. I will also make sure to send you an allowance every week, just in case."
Waah! Aren't they spoiling me too much?
Koul gazed softly at them, a bit saddened by how hard they were trying. He knew they still hurt from losing their only son, and were trying this hard so they wouldn't lose him as well.
This deeply touched him. He was being cherished by strangers this much. Strangers who didn't even know his true background.
Koul paused, causing the Veltaurs to also pause.
They glanced at each other, wondering why Koul stopped walking. Worry wanted to bloom on their faces as they thought they might have said something wrong.
But instead, shock was what took over when Koul embraced them.
He wrapped his arms around them, and hugged them tightly.
They were momentarily taken by surprise, but soon relaxed and hugged him back.
The moment felt warm. The Veltaur's hearts were filled with joy as they could see how grateful Koul was to their efforts.
"We love you son," the mom said.
"Yes. Thank you."
The students who witnessed the moment could only stop to watch in awe. They didn't know what to make of it.
They could only stare.
After the emotional moment, they bid Koul farewell and finally left.
Before long, an announcement sounded through the whole building, asking every student to grab a tag and gather in the halls.
There were three halls in total, tagged A, B, and C. Because there were so many students, a single hall would not contain them all.
Guards stood at each hall, inspecting and making sure every student who entered had the corresponding tag.
Koul was placed in hall B. Although the hall stretched wide and almost endless, it still filled up with students.
Everyone carried themselves with grace. They looked neat in the black with teal colored lining uniforms.
The hall was filled with various scents.
They were murmurs and whispers as they discussed, making it noisy.
Koul could notice the occasional eyes darting to him from all directions. No one was near him. They gave him space, awkwardly staring at him.
But he couldn't care less. He had his own goal for coming here.
After a while, some mature men and women entered the hall. They seemed to be the teachers.
They walked up to the podium. A woman took the lead to step forward. She leaned over the high desk to speak into the magic crystal floating.
"Honorable Students from around the world, welcome to Zoulxia academy."
She welcomed the students, made some announcements and talked about things Koul really didn't care for.
Next, she announced that everyone would go through an evaluation test to determine whether or not they were talented. And whether or not they had the possibility of becoming a talented in the future.
With a nod of her head as a signal to her colleagues, the large curtains behind them in the podium were torn open by a pull of rope.
The curtain gave way to reveal seven transparent platforms. They were lined up in a row.
She turned back to the students who gazed with wonder at the platforms.
"You need only step onto it. If you're a talented and have already awakened, it will glow green. If your ability is top tier, it will glow brighter. If it is low tier, the glow will be dull," she continued.
"If you haven't awakened but have the possibility, it will glow red. And lastly," she paused, sweeping her eyes through them all.
"If you aren't a talented and have no possibility at all to awaken in the future, the platform will turn black."
Murmurs rose instantly among the students.
"I don't think we'll be seeing the black color."
"Yes, no one here is a failure like that, haha."
"But you'll never know."
"I just hope my green glow blinds everyone, haha."
Koul kept quiet and focused forward. He didn't mind the noisy chatters. He simply wanted to get things done and moving.
"After the evaluation, get a corresponding tag from the seniors at that table."
The teacher pointed over to four tables occupied by some seniors. They sat across the table with the same uniform.
Behind each of them, the evaluation colors were plastered on the walls. Bright green, dull green, red, and finally black.
And on the table, were round brooches of colors corresponding to the plastered color behind them.
The students lined up as demanded by the teachers. They were grouped into seven to match the amount of platforms. Then the evaluation started.
It went on with the majority being a bright green. A minority of the ones that had been evaluated were a dull green, while few were a red.
It continued till it reached Koul's turn. Even though he didn't want to care, his heart pounded heavily from nervousness.
This was like a deciding point for him. He was finally going to find out whether or not he could be a talented.
"Step forward," the teacher urged.