"Hello Mr. Tural, I am the commander of the red tower, Alexander Rubino" the crimson-robed mage said, bowing slightly.
"Hello Mr. Rubino , why are you here?" as he said this, Ethan Tural quickly inspected the older man from his feet to his head.
"I am here to recommend your son Adamas to the science section of my tower." Alexander answered dryly.
Ethan looked at him puzzled.
Alice, noticing her husband altered by the situation, approached him.
"Long story short, form me, your son is a genius." said the magician, smiling.
Clearing his voice, he went on.
"His sister, instead... is very brave."
As he said so, he shot a midnight blue look at the girl.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check whether Ambra Tural lives up to her claims, obviously if you agree".
"All right, go ahead." Alice said, then quickly take her husband's hand and whisper in his ear.
The second after, Ethan also gave his approval to do the interview.
"Good. Ambra, do you want to take the test here in front of everyone or do you want to be alone?"
"Alone...please."
"Good."
Then, the two went to Ambra's room and locked themselves.
"Adamas, can you explain to me what you and the commander talked about to get to this point?" Alice asked in a firm but maternal tone.
"Me too," charged Ethan.
"Erm... dogs! Yes, dogs! Of Silver's breed! He... he was really curious, you know, about our dog's... lineage?" but seeing that Ethan and Alice continued to stare at him impatiently, he finally gave up.
"We talked about Witch Out and probability calculation..." he said in a broken voice, on the verge of crying due to the pressure of the situation.
Obviously it was done intentionally by Adamas.
"Ahhh~, okay okay, don't worry, I didn't teach you these things just because you asked, you'll need it anyway, you did nothing wrong son," Ethan intervened, a look of concern and pride crossed his face.
Alice intervened with actions, offering a warm hug to her son, ruffling his hair.
"Just so that you know, you have to give Ambra a talk afterwards. She made another one of her outings," Alice took the floor, looking at Ethan.
"What?"
"She was the one who asked to enter the magic section of the Red Tower. And that's right after she heared Ad's recommendation."
*Sigh*
"That girl is incorrigible," said Ethan, shaking his head.
"Who knows who she got from..." Alice answered quietly.
*Clap!*
Clapping his hands, Ethan took the floor.
"Well, now let's discuss Mr. Rubino's proposal, shall we? All three of us," Ethan said with a soft smile on his face.
"Mh!" Adamas said, nodding.
******
Meanwhile, in Ambra's room
Ambra's room was modest but meticulously kept, filled with the scent of old pages. The desk cluttered with open tomes and loose notes stood beneath the soft glow of a magic lamp, casting warm light on parchment and ink.
Everything else was in its place: the bed perfectly made, the shelves, even the curtain gently swaying with the wind.
A quiet, almost studious order reigned.
Alexander took a seat on the only chair, facing Ambra, who sat on the edge of her bed, back straight but hands folded in her lap.
From the moment he stepped in, he could sense it — the family knew about her magical potential. There was no need to go in circles.
"Well, my dear, you're still just 15 years old, so I won't ask you to use magic here or any practical demonstrations. It could be dangerous indoors.
"Let's start with the theory: what can you tell me about the composition of 'mana'?"
The crimson man knew what he was asking, and it wasn't an easy question for a 15-year-old girl, especially since the topic was addressed in the second year of the basic magic course and by asking her this, he made his intentions clear: he didn't want to go easy on her.
" 'Mana' is the lifeblood of every magician," she answered calmly.
"It's present within us and in the world around us. It is divided into six primary elemental particles: air, water, earth, fire, light and darkness."
Alexander wasn't that surprised by the girl's answer, she had to live up to what she said, and indeed, although incomplete, she had answered the question in an academic way.
"Next question: can all wizards absorb these particles equally?"
"Well... theoretically yes," Ambra replied.
"But the 'affinities' change everything.
A mage's affinity determines which particles they can draw in more easily. It also shapes their skills and how their magic manifests, but in this case, there are also theories of diagrams."
At Ambra's response, Alexander nodded, then continued to ask questions ranging from the first to the second year of the basic magic course, slowly ramping up in difficulty. Ambra answered steadily, sometimes pausing to think, but never retreating. This went on for several minutes until the magician stopped.
He looked her in the eyes: violet, intense and unwavering.
"One last question," he said. "Why do you want to enter the red tower? You are competent, sure. But why should I recommend you?"
Ambra hesitated for a moment, then answered simply.
"I want to learn magic, because I think it's something worth knowing. I don't know how to explain it... It's like it's the only thing in this world that I feel a sense of attraction about...?"
With those words, even Ambra was puzzled by her own response.
However, seeing that the answer did not satisfy the magician, Ambra continued speaking after a few seconds of contemplation.
"For as long as I can remember my father always told me that I had to find something fun and never boring, nothing 'static'. Something that kept 'moving', changing... something that made me feel alive.
"At the time, I didn't get it. Everything seemed boring. Predictable. But then, one day, while I was playing behind the counter at my father's shop, a customer came in. She was just a girl, with messy brown curls escaping her hood.
"She saw me peeking out and I don't know if for curiosity about the reaction or anything else, she said, 'Wanna see something pretty?' Then — she lit a tiny flame in her palm. It turned into a flower, then a bird, and finally a firework.
"I was stunned. In that moment, what the girl had done made me understand what my father told me. That thing, magic, it moved. It danced. It bloomed. And I wanted to follow it."
This answer left the magician speechless. Alexander had heard hundreds of reasons in his long career. None had ever sounded so honest. Or so disarmingly simple.
"..."
Waah, did I say something I shouldn't...? Look at his face...
Ambra thought, letting little or nothing of her thoughts show through her expression,and immediately afterwards she asked "W-what is it?"
"Very good, that's enough for me."
"Are we done yet?!"
"Yes, that may be enough. Let's go down, I have to talk to your parents"
*Criiiick*
The bedroom door opened, drawing the attention of the family on the ground floor.
Ethan and Alice saw the crimson commander with a thoughtful face going down the stairs with their daughter following him.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tural, could you give me a moment to speak? Just the three of us please" Alexander said with a formal tone
Hearing this, Adamas looked at his older sister with a questioning look, as if to ask what had happened, and immediately followed Ambra to the first floor.
Arriving upstairs, Ambra and Adamas pressed themselves against the wall, out of sight, listening to the speech.
Who knows what the hell I said to get him that reaction... That I was wrong to tell the truth...? No, Ambra! Lying is never a wise move.
Leaning against the handrail, Ambra put her head in her skirt, while her purple hair closed her view sideways.
Damn it! I want to be a sorceress! This is the only chance I have left! I study diligently, I train in the garden, I'm ready! Please, I want to go into the Red Tower and study magic!
I just want this! Please, superior beings of magic, if you exist, do this mir-
Suddenly, the commander's slightly hoarse voice flooded Ambra's ears.
"I will also recommend your daughter for the entrance test" the crimson wizard said in a solemn voice