Chapter 2: The Unkown Curse Mark
Aesgrain city an independent city in the middle of what is known as the "Grayland" region. Currently, the Southern gate of the city was filled with people, carriages, and a few landed airships. It was because today was the official recruitment day of the Irocrest Academy, a place for young arcanists. Youths from the city's neighboring places, accompanied by their parents or guardians, arrived in the area to take the admission test.
Just like these youths, Charles who was only 14 years old also came for the admission test. After a month's time spent living in this foreign world, and with the influence of the previous body owner's memories, he came to embrace the path of mysticism and arcane arts. Arcane arts were something that truly didn't exist in his previous life, he was determined to explore it in this lifetime.
At this moment, an examinee was sent out of the black tent, with a disappointed look on his face. It seemed he failed to pass the Irocrest Academy's admission test.
"Next!" A young man wearing well-fitting black clothes opened the black tent from inside and called the next examinee. The Irocrest Academy's silver pentagon insignia that portrays a wizard's staff with four angel wings was pinned on his chest, on top of his short gray cape with silver linings.
Charles was the first one who met the man's eyes, so he prepared himself to enter the black tent. However, someone suddenly grabbed him from behind before he could take a step and pushed him to the side. It was blond-haired boy around his age.
"Hmph!" The blond-haired boy glared at Charles with an arrogant look, as if the latter was a trash before entering the black tent.
'What a shit kid,' Charles commented inwardly, but only looked at the person's back calmly, as if he wasn't offended. He could tell this blond-haired guy was of high social status, judging from his clothing and accessories. It wasn't worth it making any form of conflict with this type of person at this point. 'If the so-called Nobles in this world are like this, I'd be really disappointed.'
A few minutes later, the blond-haired boy came out of the tent with an excited look on his face. Charles only ignored him and finally had his turn to enter the black tent.
There were only two people, the examiners, inside the black tent. Both of them looked young and calm, exuding a little aura of mystery, as one would expect from an arcanist when meeting ordinary people.
"Any experience regarding arcane arts or mysticism?" Leon, the man sitting behind the table immediately asked Charles directly.
"Yes." Charles answered honestly.
"Good, tell us about it."
"Uhm, my deceased mother was a Ritualist and she taught me a few things." Charles answered honestly. From his basic knowledge, there were many different types of arcanists, and one is a ritualist who excels on arcane arts based on rituals.
"Hmm, at least you're not starting from completely nothing. However, I still must remind you that mysticism and the practice of arcane arts involve great danger that may cost you your life. If you are not prepared, you better avoid it and live your life as an ordinary person instead." Leon explained.
Charles nodded slightly. How could he not know? The previous body owner died because of his ignorance and carelessness in mysticism, while his mother died as a price for trying to bring back the dead through a forbidden ritual. "Does that mean I can be admitted to the academy if I'm prepared?"
"Well, in most cases like yours, that is indeed true. But there is a test for each special case just to make sure. Now put your hand here." Leon pointed at the black-tainted glass orb lying above the table.
Charles followed the instruction without question. He and the two arcanists in the tent observed the glass orb in silence.
It took around thirty seconds before the glass orb finally had a reaction; it emitted a dark glow. But other than that, Charles did not feel any other difference, making him more curious about the mysterious dark glow.
At this time, the two examiners continued to observe for a few more seconds, but the dark glow around the black-tainted glass orb suddenly started moving away as if flowing. The two examiners both reacted with surprise.
The mysterious dark glow was obviously not a form of light. It was more like a mysterious, phase-less dark substance.
Charles had no idea what was happening. The mysterious, phase-less dark substance flowed like threads floating on the air, going towards his chest? "What is it doing?"
"You have a Curse Mark?" Leon looked at Charles then at the latter's chest area.
"A Curse Mark?" Charles did not know what it was in actuality, but he suddenly had a likely guess.
"It can't be wrong. The question is, what kind of Curse Mark is it?" This time, it was the other examiner, Frank, who spoke. He calmly pulled down the collar of Charles' upper garment, revealing a pitch-black tattooed symbol that resembles an eye with hair-like tentacles spreading outward. Looking closer, countless of tiny character symbols actually formed the entire tattoo, barely visible through the naked eye, though they couldn't be understood.
"That's certainly a strange one.' Leon commented.
Frank nodded as he continued observing the Curse Mark.
'It seems this tattoo is truly beyond ordinary.' Charles thought. He had always been wandering what the pitch-black tattoo on his chest was since it wasn't in his memories. 'Is this perhaps the remnant of the curse that killed the previous body owner? Or is this a result from my mother's forbidden ritual.'
This time, the mysterious, phase-less dark substance already reached his chest. Strangely, it seemed to seep into his skin where the Curse Mark is located, but he didn't feel anything unusual at all. Regardless, he chose to remain silent while the two arcanist examined the Curse Mark.
"It's absorbing Arcane energy, but I've never seen a Curse Mark that looks like this." Frank said before letting go of Charles' garment
"Me neither. Perhaps some of the professors in the Academy has knowledge about it, we should write a note about it." Leon said, then returned to his seat to write something. "What's your name, boy?"
"Charles Donatyr Freeman."
"Congratulations, you're now admitted to Irocrest Academy. Due to your unknown condition brought by the unknown Curse Mark, I advise you to avoid exploring any form of arcane arts, particularly rituals, before you enter the academy to avoid any kind of mystical accidents. But don't be worried, once you've entered the academy, there will professors well-versed in Curse Mark to assess your condition. Please be patient."
After saying that, Leon flicked his index finger and a dark-silver metallic token magically appeared in the air which he easily caught. The metallic token also had the same symbol as the pentagon-shaped insignia pinned on his chest, a wizard's staff with four angel wings. "This is your special token, please don't lose it before entering the academy. The academy will officially receive you new students in three weeks from now. Try not to be late or there may be some penalties."
After receiving the dark-silver token, Charles was immediately sent outside the black tent. He then left the whole place and decided to return home. However, the worrisome thing he just discovered today still lingered in his thoughts…
An unknown curse.