If the heavens had ever taken the time to mold pure, undiluted cluelessness into human form and sent it down to Astrovia, then Levi would be its most accurate embodiment.
It wasn't just the kind of ignorance born from naivety, it was the cultivated kind, the type that thrived even in the presence of obvious signs and screaming context clues.
Despite having spent a year in Astrovia, Levi's grasp of its most basic systems could rival that of a stunned tourist who'd accidentally taken a wrong portal and just decided to roll with it.
The world might as well have been written in invisible ink for all he understood.
Kyle and Violet stared at him, disbelief painted thick across their faces.
"What?" Levi asked, frowning at their expressions.
"So…" Violet began slowly, "If I heard you right just now, you're literally saying you have no idea you're supposed to take a test to determine—"
"Wait." Kyle lifted a hand, halting her with a quick motion as he squinted at Levi like he was a riddle that didn't come with an answer key. "What else do you know? Aside from us using mana to pull off these crazy stunts?"
"Uhm…" Levi blinked, scratching his head with visible confusion. "Is there… anything else I'm supposed to know?"
Violet exhaled through heavily and hit her palm against her forehead. "At this point, I feel like your ignorance might kill you before old age does."
"You, my friend…" Kyle said, crossing his arms and shaking his head slowly, "are beyond any form of saving."
"Tch." Levi scoffed, resting his chin on his hand. "So I don't know a few things. Big woo. You guys are overreacting."
"Get a load of this guy," Kyle muttered, pointing his thumb towards Levi.
"Anyway," Violet sighed, folding her arms again, "the test is—"
She was interrupted by the classroom door which slid open, catching the attention of every student present.
A tall, slim man in a fitted white suit stepped inside, adjusting his glasses as he did. He had no oppressive force around him, neither any overwhelming aura that demanded fear.
Yet, an invisible pressure settled over the room the moment he entered. Not the kind that suffocated, but the kind that commanded attention.
His presence alone seemed to quiet the murmurs, and instinctively, the students began moving to their seats.
Violet leaned toward Levi and muttered, "Well, I guess you'll learn from him" Then, she quietly slipped into the seat beside Kyle.
The man's steps were slow like he measured them. He moved to the front of the class, his hands resting in his pockets.
His expression remained firm and unreadable as his eyes swept over the students.
"Welcome back to another session," he said. His voice was deep and reverberated through the classroom.
Intimidating was the last word they could use to describe his voice at that moment, yet it carried a weight that made it see like each word was chosen with precision.
His speech wasn't slow in a lazy way but rather like someone of royalty, as if each syllable deserved its own space.
"First, I'd like to congratulate you all on making it to your final year."
He paused, adjusting his glasses with his index finger.
"I believe you are all aware of how special and important this class is."
A moment of silence followed, his gaze sweeping across the room. Then, he continued. "But before we proceed… I've been informed that we have some new students among us."
His eyes settled on Levi, Kyle, and Violet, as if he already knew who he was talking about. "Please raise your hands."
His gaze was especially focused on Levi.
Levi hesitated, but under the man's sharp gaze, he slowly lifted his hand.
"I see..." the man studied them for a second, then turned to the large board at the front of the class.
With a flick of his wrist, the holographic display activated, glowing with a near transparent blue light. His fingers moved across it as he spoke.
"For those of you who are not aware, you may call me Mr. Reinhart. I will be your homeroom teacher starting today."
His fingers tapped on the screen a few more times before turning back to Levi.
"A bio-data form will be sent to you. Fill it out and submit it."
A faint vibration came from Levi's table as it lit up, confirming the arrival of the form. But before he could glance at it, Mr. Reinhart's voice continued.
"Later today we will be having a practical test today.
"And for those of you who recently switched from the non-bearer to bearer curriculum, you may undergo the Bearer Test. This test will determine your classification."
And so, Reinhart began to explain.
Tere existed two fundamental energy sources, Ki and Mana. They are often mistaken for one another, but they are fundamentally different.
Mana is an external force, drawn from the atmosphere. It wasn't something one was born with but rather something one must cultivate through a spiritual organ known as the Mana Core.
Possessing a mana core was the only way for an individual to be capable of using mana.
On the other hand, Ki was internal. It existed within every living thing. However, not everyone could manipulate it. Only those whose Ki reached a certain threshold could actively cultivate and wield its power.
Levi's eyes flicked across the information as it appeared on the holographic board. "So... That test... The classification test is the bearer test. That has to be it..."
A student raised her hand, "Can we use both, Mr Reinhart?" She asked.
"It is impossible for an individual to possess both Ki and Mana." Reinhart's tone deepened, getting lower.
A hushed murmur spread across the room, but no one dared speak over him.
"If an individual's Ki is at a level where it can be actively utilized," he continued, "Mana cannot coexist within the same body. The opposing forces would tear their soul apart."
"Hence, the body does not develop a mana core."
The glowing letters on the holographic board glowed like glitter for a few more moments before fading away.
Out of nowhere, Reinhart clapped his hands once. "Update your forms."
Levi quickly turned to the floating display on his table. The form was already open, prompting him for basic details, including his Bearer category.
"So like I mentioned earlier on," Reinhart continued, "we will conduct a test to confirm what kind of Bearer you are, and if you are one at all."
He turned toward the door, already making his way out.
One of the students raised a hand, but before they could speak, Reinhart spoke without turning back,
"All questions should be reserved for when we arrive at the test room."
And with that, he stepped outside, and the students exchanged glances unsure of if the should follow him or not.
Then the affirmation they awaited came. A voice echoed through the hallway, carrying a calm but unmistakable authority.
"Are you going to follow me, or do you plan on taking the tests somewhere else?"
The students snapped out of their hesitation and quickly hurried after him.
***
The doors to the room slid apart, revealing the interior. The air inside was noticeably cooler, carrying the constant buzzing of electricity like tiny storms trapped in a bottle.
There were four transparent cylindrical chambers at the far end, with smooth surfaces.
In the center of the room, a rectangular platform stuck out from the floor, its black surface shining under the white lights.
On top of it, three blue orbs rested on red pillows, each one glowing faintly, as if they held some kind of dormant power in them.
Violet stepped inside, her eyes wide.
"Well... Hello life of the rich."
Kyle whistled lowly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Exactly how rich was the guy that built this place ."
Violet turned, noticing Levi standing frozen in awe, his gaze flicking from the chambers to the orbs, to the walls and advanced technological equipments surrounding them.
She smirked and nudged Kyle.
"Huh?" Kyle blinked at her, then followed her gaze.
They both chuckled. Their voices snapped him out of his daze, making him look between them.
"What?" He asked, confused by their laughter.
With a grin, Violet responded "I'm just shocked there are things your ignorant self can be amazed by."
Levi scowled slightly, crossing his arms.
Before he could fire back, a young man in a white lab coat jogged over, his short brown hair slightly ruffled as if he had been in the middle of a repair.
He stopped beside Reinhart and adjusted his goggles.
"Oh, good morning, Mr. Reinhart. Do you need assistance with something?" His gaze flickered toward the students behind Reinhart, who were still taking in the sight of the room..
"I'd like to conduct a Bearer Test on some of them," Reinhart responded, gesturing towards the students with his eyes.
The young man's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"Oh, we have curriculum converters?" He looked them over briefly, his lips forming a small grin. "More prospective vanguard members I see."
Then, clapping his hands together, he motioned toward the machines.
"Alright sir, I'll handle the machines. Whoever's ready can follow me right now."
His words caught the attention of the students making all of them go silent. None of them moved.
"You should go first…" Kyle nudged Levi with his elbow. "Let's see what kinda power the amazing Zenon jr has"
"Shut up" Levi responded immediately.
All Kyle's words did was make him more nervous. He knew Kyle wouldn't have been the only one with such a thought.
Everyone here, either consciously or unconsciously, were expecting him to display something amazing.
He wasn't one who cared about impressing people, but what made him unsteady was the amount of eyes it would fixate on him
But thinking back at his encounter with Emilia, he wondered, could he even pull something close to that display?
Before he could say more, a sudden force slammed into his back, nearly sending him stumbling forward.
"Get outta my way, you wannabe."
Levi barely managed to catch his balance before turning to see who had shoved him.
And when he did, he immediately knew—this was trouble.