Reborn as the Head of the Stolen Mage Family

Chapter 14

I followed Marcel to the transport ship launch site.

Before us stood the majestic Kirhausen Family’s premier transport ship, Verdi.

The First Knight Division, lined up in front, bowed in unison.

“Young Master, you’ve arrived!”

They were Marcel’s escort, handpicked by First Knight Commander Tares.

Ten knights, Butler Ronan, and I boarded Verdi with Marcel.

“…”

“…”

I naturally took the seat beside Marcel.

He glanced at me briefly before turning his gaze to the window without a word.

Ordinarily, a Tail sitting side by side with the Young Master in the transport ship’s prime seats would be unthinkable.

But having been ordered by his father last night to “always keep Eddie close,” Marcel couldn’t express his discomfort.

“…”

Thus began the silence.

Marcel tried to control his gaze, which kept drifting toward me, but the more he tried, the more it bothered him.

Soon, he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

‘Today’s the entrance exam. I can’t fill my head with useless thoughts.’

Organizing his thoughts, Marcel leaned back in his seat.

I, watching him, quietly admired him.

‘Impressive mental strength. To calm himself and find composure before such an important exam.’

I even felt a twinge of envy.

Unlike Marcel, who only needed to focus on doing well in the exam, I had much to manage today.

My own mana.

The mana I planted in Marcel.

And balancing their power to achieve the desired scores.

‘Everything has to go perfectly without a single mistake. It’s the only way to meet Leo.’

As I, too, closed my eyes to steady myself—

“Engines 3, 5, and 7 activated. Preparing for takeoff.”

“Safe travels, Young Master!”

WOOOOO—WHIIIIR—

With the captain’s command and the family members’ wishes for a safe journey, Verdi began to lift off.

***

At Lieferden Academy’s transport ship landing site, exam administrators watched the approaching ships with tense expressions.

The side hulls and prows of the ships bore the crests of the empire’s most prominent magical families.

One by one, examinees disembarked, receiving final instructions from their butlers before casually greeting peers they “happened” to notice, engaging in brief conversations.

These were thinly veiled power plays disguised as pleasantries before they followed the administrators’ guidance.

“Please present your exam ticket.”

“Proceed to Lucia Hall for the written exam.”

“Keep your wand in its case.”

The administrators guided the examinees with crisp, no-nonsense efficiency.

Their rule explanations and responses to questions were almost mechanical.

Their rigid demeanor was intentional.

Most examinees were high nobles’ children, while the administrators were commoners.

To prevent attempts to intimidate or curry favor due to status differences, they maintained a strictly mechanical approach, allowing no exceptions.

“Hm… We’ll need to be extra thorough with examinee control this year. It’s no exaggeration to say the heirs of the empire’s most powerful families are all here,” an elderly gentleman standing behind the administrators remarked, his sharp eyes glinting.

“Yes, Professor,” the administrators replied, straightening like well-trained knights.

The man whose single remark tensed hundreds of administrators was Powell Showman.

An academy senior professor and the overseer of exam operations, Powell was a commoner who had risen to prominence, notorious for his strict adherence to principles.

“Hm…”

Powell scanned the landing site with a piercing gaze.

So far, everything was proceeding according to the rules without exception.

But he knew high nobles well.

There was always someone who believed their influence superseded the rules, and disputes with such families were an annual occurrence.

And, as expected—

‘This year is no exception.’

Powell’s eyes gleamed as he focused on one spot at the landing site.

His gaze landed on the newly arrived transport ship of House Conwell.

Two children disembarked from it.

Jeremy Conwell, the heir of House Conwell.

And Derrick Jenkins, the grandson of the veteran mage Lyman Jenkins and Jeremy’s close friend.

House Conwell and House Jenkins were famously close.

When the Jenkins family’s transport ship broke down before the exam, House Conwell gladly brought Derrick along to the academy.

So far, there was no issue.

The problem was that House Conwell’s transport ship was far larger than the designated landing bay.

Yet, they forced the landing, encroaching on the adjacent bay reserved for Archimedes.

Archimedes was the academy’s transport ship, currently carrying dozens of commoner examinees who couldn’t afford their own transport, approaching the landing site.

Without hesitation, Powell sent an administrator to House Conwell.

The administrator pointed to the encroached Archimedes bay and requested that the Conwell butler move the ship.

A brief argument ensued.

“It’s not like we encroached much. Can’t Archimedes just land a bit to the side?”

“That’s not possible. Archimedes carries dozens of examinees, and we cannot allow any safety exceptions. Please move your ship.”

At the administrator’s firm words, Jeremy and Derrick’s expressions hardened.

The butler, sensing the young masters’ displeasure, raised his voice at the administrator.

“What! Don’t you know transport ships consume the most fuel during takeoff and landing? Do you realize how big this ship is to demand we move it so easily…!”

The landing site fell silent in an instant.

The butler quickly realized his grave mistake.

Bringing a massive ship yet complaining about fuel consumption during takeoff and landing—

It was a classic display of families buying oversized ships to flaunt wealth.

“Uh, no… I mean…”

The Conwell butler’s face turned pale.

His words had practically smeared House Conwell’s reputation.

Jeremy Conwell gritted his teeth, glaring at the butler quietly.

Soon, his haughty, sharp gaze turned to the administrator.

Then, a deep voice broke the silence, resonating across the landing site.

“I believe the guidance was sufficient.”

The voice belonged to Powell.

Step, step.

As he approached the Conwell ship, Powell drew his wand.

Pointing it at the ship—

DRRRRR—!

“Wha… what…?”

“…Good heavens.”

In an instant, the massive ship lifted into the air, guided by Powell’s wand to a corner of the landing site.

Moving a colossal transport ship with a single wand gesture—an unimaginable level of mana.

As everyone at the landing site flinched at Powell’s display of power—

Swish.

Powell lowered his wand and looked at Jeremy and Derrick.

Unlike moments ago, when they were berating the administrator, the two boys shrank back.

“Causing a disturbance by failing to follow basic announced rules. It makes one wonder if House Conwell takes Lieferden Academy’s entrance exam lightly.”

Powell’s reprimand of House Conwell was unreserved.

Jeremy’s face flushed red with humiliation.

Derrick, watching his friend’s disgrace, also stiffened, but—

In the end, House Conwell’s ship was relegated to a corner of the landing site as punishment for breaking the rules.

Biting back their shame, the two boys quickly followed the administrator to the exam hall.

Other families’ children quietly swallowed their laughter at the sight.

Shortly after the Conwell commotion, Archimedes arrived at the landing site.

About 30 commoner children disembarked, had their exam tickets checked, and moved to the exam hall.

Dressed in shabby clothes and moving as a group, the commoner children—

“How many of them will pass this year?”

“There were nine last year, so probably about the same. But only one or two will make it to graduation due to tuition costs.”

“Why bother applying if they can’t even finish? The admission quota is only 100, and they’re just taking up spots.”

Instantly became a bigger spectacle than the Conwell ship.

“…Tch.”

“Ignore them. Keep moving.”

The commoner children, biting their lips, quickened their pace, ignoring the whispers aimed at their backs.

Then, two imposing transport ships entered the landing site’s airspace.

“Look! It’s Kirhausen!”

“And Dickens is here too?”

The two ships stole everyone’s attention.

Kirhausen and Dickens, two of Luxorin’s three pillars.

The heirs of these rival families had arrived simultaneously.

The door of Verdi opened, and Marcel and I stepped out.

The door of Elros opened, and House Dickens’ heir, Alexein, and his entrance assistant, Hendricks Dean, emerged.

The two families, having disembarked in order of landing, faced each other.

“It’s been a while, Alexein. I think the last time was your birthday banquet last year. Have you been well?”

“Of course, I’ve been well. Oh, and… I appreciated the gift from Kirhausen, Marcel. It was quite meaningful.”

Despite his smiling lips, a vein pulsed on Alexein’s forehead as he mentioned the gift.

I swallowed a small chuckle at the sight.

‘Gift, my foot.’

Naturally, the “gift” Alexein mentioned wasn’t a birthday present from Kirhausen.

Not long ago, when Kirhausen learned House Dickens tried to plant a spy, they sent a gift laced with mockery.

Through the assistant butler’s Tracker, I knew its contents.

A collection of basic-level problem books.

A jab at Alexein’s academic performance, far inferior to Marcel’s.

To think the three great families, called “Luxorin’s three pillars,” engaged in such childish feuds.

‘House Dickens has gone downhill in my absence. Trying to plant a spy was something the old Dickens would never have done.’

For a moment, pity and mockery flickered across my face.

I lowered my head to hide my expression, but—

I wasn’t the only one who found Alexein pathetic.

“…Right. Good luck on the exam.”

With a curt, dry response, Marcel turned and walked toward the administrators.

Following him, I glanced at Alexein’s reaction.

He looked dumbfounded and even angry that Marcel walked away without further conversation.

Unlike Marcel, who avoided prolonging a pointless exchange, Alexein’s reaction was immature.

After a moment, Alexein, glaring at Marcel’s back, also headed toward the administrators.

“Hurry up. Don’t dawdle.”

“Yes… yes, Young Master.”

He didn’t forget to take out his frustration on Hendricks, who was warily watching him.