The first crystal dummy came from the right, about to slam its hard and heavy fist to make a hole in the child’s skull.

BAM!

His fist slammed to the ground instead, as Maellan easily to dodge it with his Spear of Levin in hand!

“Nice dodge.” Ronin said, peeking his tiny head at the door and enjoying the spectacle.

“Atta boy!” Duke Taevas cheered in delight, the first time Ronin saw him genuinely happy.

“The boy’s agility and reflex are also good.” Inspector Jasny Krustal seemed to note on the pad handed to him by Assistant Inspector Vyrill Krustal. “But that spear is truly something to behold, and he managed to summon it quicker than the average child in their Triannum.”

The spear just materialized after he said the incantation. It was approximately 7 feet in height, and the 13-year-old was only 5 feet and 8 inches.

But Maellan carried it with ease, sometimes turning the sapphire shaft over to push his crystal opponents away.

The head of the spear sizzled and released sparks, and seems to be made of pure electric energy._.

‘It was a smart chose for him to use the shaft first to block enemies’. Ronin thought.

‘Because quartz is highly reactive to electricity. If he hit the dummies with it too soon, he might get electrocuted to crisp.’

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Dirt flew everywhere and even stained Maellan’s face. The dummies could not keep up with the boy’s speed, and were often pushed back to fall down using his spear shaft.

Every time these crystal dummies would aim to punch him, Maellan would parry with his spear, but not poke them. Beads of sweat trickled on his forehead, as all he did was keep dodging and blocking.

“He must have realized it too. He can’t stay in defense forever.” Ronin wished he could watch closer in the range of his 5-meter mind-reading ability, so he could see what was on his eldest brother’s mind.

Meanwhile, the crystal dummies seem to be not dumb after all, as they soon recognized the child’s fighting pattern.

If he continues to stay on defense, this would be easy for them.

With the wave of Assistant Inspector Krustal’s hand, they changed tactics and arranged themselves to surround the child on all sides!

Maellan was immediately surrounded, and even if he pushes back one of them, the other beside it will attack. He was now like a cornered rabbit surrounded by five wolves.

“Maellan!” Duke Taevas yelled in worry.

“How disappointing.” The Inspector Krustal crossed out what he wrote earlier with a pencil, and was about to snap his fingers to have his assistant Vyrill stop the dummies, but—

“Thank you for letting me enact my plan,” Maelle said in the most polite tone as all the dummies closed up on him and…

He used his spear as leverage to go spinning in the air just as all the dummies were about to hit him!

Then after doing this outstanding aerial backflip—

He threw his spear right to one of the dummies, who were all huddled close to each other!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!

Electricity flowed from the tip of the spear and to the crystal dummy it touched. And soon, it crackled along with it towards the other dummies, electrifying all five of them at the same time!

Maellan landed on his feet at a safe distance from the electrocuted crystal dummy horde. He just smiled and caught his breath, waiting until all the dummies die off.

And they did, falling down and burning out the temporary energy put inside them by Assistant Inspector Vyrill, who lost control of them.

What was left was the spear impaled on one of their heads. Maellan carefully took it out, avoiding the remaining sizzle of electricity.

The little Coal boy peeking by the door watched everything with wide eyes, not daring to blink and miss a second of it.

“….. So he also knew it all along, how he can’t just stay in defense. Not only that, he used it as a way to deal the final blow faster, fooling all of us and his opponents.”

“Of course, he’s the wise and bookish eldest brother after all. I should have expected it from his character type.”

So Ronin says, but he sounds pretty proud somehow, grinning widely at his brother’s performance.

Inspector Jasny Krustal dropped his writing pad and pencil with a shocked expression on his face.

Then, he clapped heartily with his meaty hands!

“Bravo! Wonderful performance expected from a Zafeiri!” He kept clapping with his jolly old face wrinkling from so much smiling. “Not only having prowess in battle of brawns, but have the brains too! Truly worthy to be a soldier for the Kingdom of Sephyrine!”

Duke Taevas was beyond overjoyed and relieved. Ronin guessed it was not for his son’s safety, though, as he said. “Well done, Maellan! I almost thought you would fail and bring shame to our name, but I was foolish to even think that!”

Duke Taevas hugged him, but Maellan just smiled awkwardly. “Thank you, Father…. I am glad I did not sustain any injuries.”

“The result of this test is crystal clear. You, Maellan of the House Zafeiri, shall be welcomed in the Academy in two moon’s time!” Inspector Jasny picked up his writing pad and pencil and handed it to the cloaked assistant, who just quietly loomed away as if to sulk.

Assistant Vyrill waved over the ‘dead’ crystal dummies, and the ground shook once more as they sunk, never to be seen again as if nothing happened in this backyard at all.

Inspector Jasny Krustal added: “I shall quickly give a recommendation for the Spire of Warriors! You will be attending the Academy’s top military training program, with the best establishment to hone your skills as a fighter!

“With your skills and the Spear of Levin in your hand, you will become one of the top students in no time!”

Duke Taevas nodded happily at this decision. “Thank the gods and to you, inspector. My son will lead the life that I have only aspired for in my youth—“

“Father, there is something I would like to say.” Maellan rubbed scratched his arms uncomfortably. “I have been thinking about it for a long while.”

Ronin watched his father’s face suddenly be filled with dread. “What….. is it, son?”

“I am grateful to pass my Triannum test for the Academy, and I am also grateful to receive the offer for the Spire of Warriors. But in my heart, I know my true calling for the future was not to fight people….”

He looked at his spear still sizzling with fatal electricity with deep sadness. “Or bring death and carnage to them like this.”

He waved his hand, and the Spear of Levin disappeared.

“Father, I want to heal, not kill. I want to be a doctor.”