Immediately, Lady Stacy commanded the Raging Eagle to descend.
Woosh!
The massive beast sliced through the air as it descended steadily toward the ground, its wings generating powerful gusts that swept across the landing area.
The moment they landed, Lady Stacy wasted no time recalling the Raging Eagle back into her beast space.
Without hesitation, she took out two beast storage cards from her bracelet and released both Davi's and Nimue's pets respectively.
Gravilis reappeared with a low growl, adjusting its stance as if grounding itself after being confined.
Nimue's shadow fox landed lightly beside her, its movements silent yet alert as it observed the surroundings.
Immediately, Davi climbed onto Gravilis' back.
For him, this was far more convenient. Moving while being blind required him to constantly send out Asura Qi into the ground, using the vibrational feedback to determine direction and spatial awareness.
While effective, it drained his energy and stamina over time. With Gravilis, movement became significantly easier and far less taxing.
Lady Stacy glanced at both of them briefly before speaking.
"Follow me. I'll register you both at the ICM's Special Academy Institute."
Davi and Nimue nodded and quickly followed behind her.
As they moved deeper into the territory of the International Council of Mages, the difference between this place and the Blue Sky Kingdom became increasingly obvious.
The structures here were far more refined, layered with purpose, and carried a sense of authority that was difficult to ignore.
Nimue couldn't hold back her amazement.
She kept glancing around, her eyes lighting up repeatedly.
"Everything here feels… different," she said softly.
Lady Stacy gave a brief introduction as they walked.
"That building to your right is the Ministry of Magic Archons. It manages all mages who have reached that level and oversees their assignments and influence across different regions."
She continued pointing out different structures, explaining their roles… ministries, research divisions, administrative halls… each one more significant than the last.
Davi remained silent.
But inwardly, he sighed.
It was times like this he truly felt the weight of his blindness.
"…If only I could see it."
Still, he composed himself.
"I'll just listen for now," he thought calmly.
Just then, a voice interrupted.
"I see you didn't come back empty-handed… tsk, you managed to beat me this time. Two talents."
A fair-complexioned man walked toward them.
By his side was a young boy, around Davi's age.
However, unlike most candidates, he appeared extremely timid, his head lowered as though he couldn't even bring himself to look forward.
His appearance stood out immediately.
He was an albino.
Resting on his shoulder was a small monkey, casually observing everything with bright, curious eyes.
Lady Stacy smiled.
"Anthony… I didn't expect you to find anything in the Eastern Continent. It's only natural I beat you this time. I hope you're not backing out of our previous bet."
Anthony clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed.
"Tsk… you didn't have to bring that up. Of course I'm a man of my word. Do you take me for someone who backs out?"
Nobody liked losing.
Especially not someone like him.
Immediately, he retrieved a beast storage card from his bracelet and handed it over to Stacy.
She collected it with visible satisfaction. Even though she had access to such items, trading them could bring considerable value, especially among beast tamers and merchants.
Anthony then shifted his gaze toward Davi and Nimue, including their beasts. His eyes lingered on Davi for a moment longer.
"…Is he blind?" he asked.
Lady Stacy chuckled lightly.
"He is. But don't underestimate him. He's probably not any less talented than the one standing beside you."
At the mention, the albino boy flinched slightly.
The monkey on his shoulder suddenly burst into laughter, making the situation somewhat awkward.
Anthony's expression stiffened slightly.
Already irritated from losing earlier, this only made things worse.
"…How about we place another bet?" he said.
Lady Stacy raised a brow.
"Oh? What kind of bet?"
Anthony folded his arms before speaking.
"Each of us has about three slots to recommend magical candidates to the ICM's Special Academy Institute. Of course, being recommended doesn't guarantee acceptance… they will still undergo testing."
He paused briefly.
"But I trust your judgment, and I trust mine. Our candidates will pass."
"Naturally," Stacy replied confidently.
"Then the bet is simple. The candidate who ranks higher in the final evaluation wins," Anthony continued.
"Since I only have one candidate, it wouldn't be fair for both of yours to compete against me. So you'll have to choose one."
Lady Stacy frowned slightly before responding.
"If that's the case, I'm in. What are the stakes?"
"500 mission points," Anthony said.
There was a brief silence.
500 mission points was no small amount.
Although Lady Stacy was a prodigy at the Grandmaster level, she had only accumulated around 250 mission points so far, mainly because she hadn't been in the ICM for long.
Anthony, on the other hand, held the title of the youngest Grandmaster from the Eastern Continent at the age of 21.
Even though he was the same age as Stacy, he had stayed longer within the ICM, which naturally meant he had accumulated more mission points.
That alone gave him an advantage in this kind of wager.
Davi, Nimue, and the albino boy all remained silent.
There was a shared thought among them.
So this is how it works here… being used as stakes.
Davi, however, was thinking of something else entirely.
"Another test…? This ICM really isn't simple."
Lady Stacy exhaled slowly.
"I don't have that much. I can only bet 200 mission points."
Anthony smirked.
"That's fair."
He looked at her directly.
"So… which of your candidates are you betting on?"
"Davi," she said without hesitation.
Both Davi and Nimue were stunned.
Nimue, especially, didn't expect that outcome. Given her rare affinity, one that carried a trace of origin energy tied to the Age of Fracture… she naturally assumed she would be chosen.
Anthony frowned.
"You realize he's blind, right?"
"Don't worry," Stacy replied calmly. "You'll see."
The albino boy slowly raised his head and looked toward Davi.
For a brief moment, he felt something… a faint but undeniable pressure.
***
They continued walking and soon arrived at another large square.
Several Grandmasters were already present, each accompanied by their selected candidates.
Most had one.
Some had two.
Only one had three.
And just like Stacy, a few had managed to find two candidates.
Lady Stacy approached a woman.
"Francisca, it seems your luck wasn't bad. You beat me this time."
Francisca turned toward her.
She was another Grandmaster, and a terrifying one at that. She had reached that level at the age of 20 and was now 23, making her talent exceptionally rare even within the ICM.
She glanced at Davi.
"You didn't do badly either… you even found a blind candidate."
The words sounded like praise, but the underlying tone carried clear mockery.
Lady Stacy smiled instead of reacting negatively.
"Then why don't you place a bet with me?"
Francisca paused briefly before nodding.
"Alright."
The terms were the same as Anthony's she also pet 200 mission points that means the winner collects 600 missions points!
***
Not long after, a Magic Archon arrived.
She floated gently in the air, supported by a levitation spell.
"I see you've all arrived. Proceed and register your candidates."
One after another, the Grandmasters stepped forward.
In total,
33 candidates.
From 12 Grandmasters.
The Archon nodded slightly.
"That is impressive."
Her gaze shifted toward the candidates.
"All candidates, step forward. Leave your beasts behind… we will be testing each of you individually."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Tension rose.
Anthony, Francisca, and Stacy exchanged subtle glances.
None of them intended to lose.
"Now… let us begin," the Archon said.