This took place shortly after the House of Marquis Rosemary had first taken Rest in.
In the gardens of the Rosemary manor, Rest was training his magic alongside Viola.
"The Royal Academy has several departments, but in the Magic Department we're applying for, there's a practical magic test," Viola explained, holding up her index finger.
While Viola usually preferred wearing dresses, today she was dressed in a rare, practical-looking pair of pants that allowed for easy movement.
"See that target over there? The same kind will be used in the practical exam."
"Isn't it just a regular target? I don't see anything particularly special about it," Rest replied, tilting his head as he looked at the circular target marked with a black-and-white pattern some distance away.
"Just watch... [Fireball]!"
Viola unleashed her magic. The sphere of flame roared through the air and struck the target, and a number—57—immediately appeared at the top.
"Wait, what?"
"Impressive, right? That target is designed to measure the power of magic." Viola puffed out her chest with a proud hmph. "It's a magic item developed by a mage once known as a Sage. It measures the mana that hits it and displays the value using light magic. My ancestors even helped as co-developers, you know?"
"That’s amazing... It’s simple but incredibly useful."
Even with the same spell, the power would vary significantly depending on the caster. Since it allowed one to gauge their proficiency as a mage, it was an ingenious invention.
"Can I try it too?"
"Of course. That’s why I had them set it up."
"Then... [Thunderball]!"
Rest unleashed a ball of purple lightning. It crackled through the air and hit a spot slightly off-center. Once again, a number flickered into existence on the display.
"52, huh..."
"I win. Though it's only by a small margin."
"What’s the passing score, by the way?"
"It’s different for the Noble Category and the Commoner Category... but if you want to pass with room to spare, you should aim for at least a 90." Viola held her hand out again. This time, she cast an intermediate-tier spell: [Fire Bolt]. The number hit 120. "A hundred is technically the maximum score—anything over that is just discarded. They say the minimum passing line is 140 points total, including your written exam score."
"I see. So getting a full hundred on the practical is essentially mandatory." Rest fell into thought. He had no intention of slacking on the written portion, but he wanted to maximize his score on the practical to ensure his admission. "That means I'll need to use intermediate magic."
Rest aimed at the target once more. "[Thunder Cannon]!"
A sharp thunder strike shot forward. However, his aim was worse than before, and the bolt struck the outer edge of the target.
"Damn..."
"An 89. It was intermediate magic, but the further you get from the center, the lower the measured power becomes."
"So accuracy is just as important as raw power. It's a trade-off."
If he tried to maximize the power, his accuracy suffered. If he focused on accuracy, the power dropped. It was a dilemma that would clearly require significant training to overcome.
(Even if my mana is infinite, it doesn't help if I can't control it. Skill is everything...)
"Could I borrow this target for a while?"
"Of course. Use it as much as you like."
"Thanks."
Rest spent the next few hours firing various spells at the target, experimenting with different approaches and repeating his trial and error.
(Normally, I'd rely on intermediate magic, but maybe lower-tier spells would actually score higher.)
His mentor, Dieble, had mentioned that using [Amplification] or [Compression] on lower-tier magic could drastically increase its output. It was a high-level technique that required using multiple spells simultaneously, far surpassing the destructive force of a standard spell.
(Even if the score itself doesn't reflect it, demonstrating parallel use to the examiners might be a great way to appeal to them.)
"Ah... oops."
Before he knew it, more than two hours had flown by. He looked around for Viola, wondering if she had already headed back inside.
"Oh, are you finally finished?"
Viola was standing nearby. She had been doing some light exercise herself and was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.
"Sorry. I got so absorbed I ended up ignoring you."
"Don't worry about it. I was feeling a bit stiff lately, so the movement was good for me." Viola gave him a cheerful smile. "But honestly, your mana reserves are incredible. You're still not out?"
"Yeah. It's the one thing I'm truly confident in."
"I see. In that case, how about we spar? You can use [Physical Enhancement], right?" Viola beckoned him closer with a playful smirk.
A truly excellent mage needed to train their physical body as much as their magic. While Primula seemed to struggle with exercise, Viola possessed remarkably high physical capabilities.
"Sure, I don't mind—ah."
Rest was about to accept the challenge, but the moment he looked at her, he suddenly jerked his head away.
"Rest? What is it?"
"Ah, no... um, it's translucent."
"...Ah!"
Viola hurriedly crossed her arms over her chest in a panic. Her sweat had soaked through her clothes, making the fabric cling to her skin and exposing her underwear. The fruits of her growth—more bountiful than her years might suggest—were clearly outlined by her red underwear.
"U-Um... did you see?"
"...I-I didn't see anything."
"Liar! W-Well, it's not like I'm embarrassed or anything!" With a crimson face, Viola put her hands on her hips and thrust her chest out even further to emphasize her figure. "I can't let Primula beat me! If you want to look, go ahead and look as much as you want!"
"Please, give me a break..."
While he wasn't exactly complaining, it was far too much for his heart to handle. Turning even redder than she was, Rest scrambled to find a garment he could drape over her.