One does not just randomly stroll into KMA. Instead, there is a dedicated building that handles the in-take for fresh students, as well as facilitates the entry and exit for staff and other personnel.
The dozen other kids sitting in that room were the ones who had been probably waiting since yesterday, and more would likely still arrive throughout the morning. After glancing across the room to make sure he didn't know anyone, Nero walked up to the registration counter.
He provided his Identification card which carried all his personal information and waited while the registration officer processed his admission. Oddly, though, instead of sending him to sit next to the rest of the kids, Nero was directed to a room down the hall.
The registration officer did not show any abnormality while directing Nero, as if this was a routine thing, so he was not too suspicious. The room, as it turned out, looked like an examination hall with multiple chairs and desks facing the front where another officer was sitting.
Some kids were already in there, giving some kind of exam so Nero made sure not to make too much noise as he approached the officer and handed him his paperwork.
"Ah, you're one of the Lumina kids. Good work soldier," said the officer as he took Nero's documents and went through them. "I'm afraid things have changed slightly, so you'll need to give a number of proficiency exams before your admittance into KMA. Don't worry, your qualification hasn't been revoked or anything - we just ran into some issues with the last batch of cadets so we needed to make some changes."
Nero was taken aback by the news.
"What kind of issues?" he asked, not letting his imagination get ahead of him.
The officer was reading through Nero's paperwork, so it took him a moment to register the question.
"Oh? It wasn't anything too serious, as far as I know. Since a lot of kids got qualifications, KMA quickly reached its cadet capacity for that session, delaying the remaining kids to the following session. But that wasn't the issue - the issue was that a lot of the cadets hadn't finished high school yet, and some had barely started it.
"Basically, the education level of the cadets was not as uniform as previous years, so it took some effort to properly divide the cadets by the lessons they were supposed to be having, and a whole new schedule needed to be crafted. In this session, although no qualifications are being revoked, all cadets need to take a number of proficiency tests so that we can assign you the appropriate training and study schedules."
Realisation dawned on Nero about how things could go wrong. Although he didn't know the specifics of what happened in KMA, usually the incoming cadets had already graduated at least high school, providing them with basic proficiency in various subjects. Even then, the entry examination ensured that all selected cadets were not only high school graduates, but that they actually had sufficient knowledge.
But since there was a change this time around, and that messed everything up. A small lack of understanding of basic principles could cause issues down the lane in more critical subjects. Honestly, it was a predictable problem, but must have been overlooked somehow.
"Alright, you may begin," the officer said, handing Nero an exam sheet. "You'll be tested in all mandatory subjects, including Cursology, Basic Aether Studies, Mathematics, Basic Sciences and Card Crafting. Each exam will last one hour, after which we'll take you in for your physical."
Well, this was not how Nero expected things to go, but he didn't mind either. No actually, not only did he not mind, he was glad for it. It was good to see that the foremost academy for military sciences was taking its role seriously.
Nero grabbed the test, found a seat and began going through it very seriously.
Question 1.
What is an Aetherkin?
That was easy - animals which could use an aether ability from birth. Most Aetherkin had the same ability across their race, so all Shadow Deer should have the same, movement based ability, though mutations have been known to occur even in them.
Question 2.
What is a Tainted?
That was also easy. A Tainted was any living being that was mutated due to a curse. Tainted were relatively rare, but there were instances where chances of becoming a Tainted increased exponentially. One example is if someone is completely drained of aether and then exposed to a massive amount of Cursed energy over a long period.
Question 3.
What is a Revenant?
Nero could now see that they were starting from the basics of the basics. A Revenant was a corpse that mutated or became animated due to cursed energy. Revenants were the reason all Kolari's were cremated upon death.
Question 4.
What is Malflora?
A Malfora was a plant that mutated due to cursed energy.
Question 5.
What is a Curseflare?
Any event involving curses, or the appearance of curses was a Curseflare. Easy. Next.
Question 6.
What is the difference between 0 Star, 1 Star and 2 Star Eldrim Cards?
Ah, so they were finally beginning to get slightly technical. Neophytes were unable to use more complex cards, which is why 0 Star cards were created. They are relatively weak and unidimensional in their function, making it possible for Neophytes to use them.
However, after the Neophyte rank, Card Masters are able to use cards with Star rankings up to their Aetherian rank. So an Initiate, which is number 2 on the Aetherian rank, can use up to 2 Star Cards.
The higher the card star rating, the more powerful, and thus more aether intensive the card is. Correctly determining which card rank is required for which task can be critical for managing aether reserves in the midst of battle, making it so that a higher Star ranking was not always the best solution!
Question 7.
What is the…
Nero lost himself in his exam, quickly filling in each answer after another. While the first few questions were easy, the exam became progressively harder as he went along, probably to help determine up until which point he had studied.
Since he had always aimed for KMA, he was already ahead in most classes, making this exam relatively simple for him. That did not mean he took it lightly, ensuring maximum focus lest he end up making a simple mistake.
Author's Note: Hey, so you may or may not have noticed that I have retconned how card Star rankings work. I am in the process of correcting that in previous, official chapters so that future readers don't need to face this issue. Henceforth, I will be introducing more complex systems and concepts in the novel, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to make sure everyone is on the same page moving forward. Thanks for your understanding and support!