Behind the dark pane of a one-way scrying window, a man turned an obsidian disc between his knuckles.
"Head Instructor. This cohort represents the fifty strongest prospects gathered from across the Viera capital."
"Then explain to me," the monocled man said, his voice cold as river ice, "why applicants 399, 321, 333, 311, and 360 are sitting in this corridor."
The subordinate scrambled through his parchment stack, his fingers trembling against the brass clip. "Sir—their mana signatures are undeniably muted. However, regarding 321, his twin brother is Applicant 320, Cedric, and—"
"And where is applicant 319? Vulivar?"
"Ah. Vulivar scored a zero on his written assessment, sir, and managed to lose his way to the staging hall. He is undergoing his physical examination in a private room."
"You handed a candidate preferential treatment."
The subordinate froze.
"You compromised the integrity of the Mage Association," Vigo continued, his voice void of anger, delivering the charges with terrifying administrative finality. "You breached the trust our patrons placed in our charter. You overstepped your station to carve out a seat for a noble's brat. Do you comprehend that you have stolen a place from a boy who might have earned it?"
"Sir, forgive me! I acted in haste—I believed the Association required Vulivar's raw martial output, regardless of his scholarly defects!"
The subordinate lowered his head until his brow nearly struck the desk.
"This is your first and final reprieve," Vigo said softly. "If the five unblessed anomalies you smuggled into this cohort fail to make the roster, you will surrender your Association Seal and accept deployment to the frontier quarries. We are finished here. Understood?"
"Yes, Head Instructor!"
"You." Vigo tapped the shoulder of another evaluator standing at the glass. "Applicant 320 is stepping to the mark. Logging his capabilities will consume more time than the rest of the hall combined. You possess the sharpest ocular precision on the faculty. Track him. Do not omit a single mark."
The evaluator seized Vigo's hand, bowing deeply. "I shall record the name of every spirit that has kissed his skin, sir. Thank you for the honor."