Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats

The testing chamber fell silent as all eyes fixed on Liu Meihua. The crystalline apparatus dimmed, its assessment complete, leaving behind an echo of the guide's words hanging in the air: "A B-rank intelligence-type with a Mythical-Level Calculation Talent."

Marcus stared at Meihua, his jaw slackening with undisguised shock. His mind raced to process this revelation. In his original timeline, Meihua had never appeared—her existence alone represented a deviation from the future he remembered. Initially, he'd dismissed her as an inconsequential alteration in the flow of events, but this shattering revelation forced him to reconsider everything.

A Mythical-ranked talent? That alone had been difficult enough to reconcile. But now this—a B-rank advancement at her age, she was progressing even faster than him despite him being a combat-type and a regressor. The disparity seemed impossible, defying the natural order of advancement he understood.

She's an intelligence-type, yet she's advancing faster than me, a combat specialist, Marcus thought, his fingers unconsciously tightening around his freshly-issued license. What's happening here? How is this possible?

His gaze shifted to Ambrose, searching for a reaction, but the Rothschild heir's expression remained unchanged—not a flicker of surprise disturbed his composed features. Did he already know? Has he been helping her somehow? The questions multiplied in Marcus's mind like ripples in a disturbed pond.

Adelaide's expression mirrored Marcus's astonishment, her merchant's composure momentarily shattered by the unexpected development. She had always seen Meihua as just someone who lazied around with nothing else going for her except for her talent, she hadn't expected her to be such a genius.

In stark contrast, Hualing remained utterly unbothered, her attention fixed firmly on Ambrose as always. Whatever concerns occupied the others held no interest for her; her master's reaction was all that mattered, and if he wasn't surprised, neither was she.

Princess Athena's shock perhaps surpassed them all. Her warrior's pride, already wounded by her inexplicable reactions to Ambrose, suffered another blow as she processed Meihua's results. She had dismissed this entire excursion as a frivolous adventure—just a kid's whim to acquire licenses for low-level dungeon exploration. Marcus's C-rank had surprised her, certainly, but remained within the bounds of exceptional rather than impossible.

But this? A B-rank girl with a Mythical-grade talent? Athena herself bore the same talent grade, but she was a princess who had trained relentlessly since childhood under the kingdom's finest instructors. To find a civilian academy student who reached such a level shook the foundations of her understanding.

Is reaching such levels common nowadays? she wondered.

The tension dissipated somewhat when Adelaide approached the testing apparatus next. The guide, having regained her professional composure, announced the results with practiced neutrality: "A C-rank intelligence-type with a Top-Level Accounting Talent."

Athena exhaled slowly as Adelaide received her license card. At least that's more reasonable, she thought, the tightness in her chest easing slightly. Perhaps the other girl was simply an anomaly.

As the testing proceeded, only two members of the party remained—Ambrose himself and his ever-present shadow, Hualing. The guide's confidence faltered visibly as she confronted her dilemma. Standard protocol required testing for license issuance, yet testing the Rothschild heir seemed presumptuous, perhaps even dangerous. As the Rothschild heir, his information was most likely classified at the highest levels, and the personal knight of a Rothschild would similarly fall under protected status.

The guide fidgeted with her uniform, her eyes darting nervously between the remaining participants and the testing apparatus. Would the young master consider it an insult if she didn't offer him a card? Would he be offended if she suggested he undergo the standard testing procedure? Her professional training hadn't prepared her for this diplomatic minefield.

As her internal panic mounted, a confident voice cut through the chamber's uncomfortable silence.

"My sincerest apologies for the delayed welcome, Young Master Rothschild. Had I known the heir of House Rothschild would grace our humble establishment today, I would have been waiting at the entrance personally."

…

The deep, authoritative voice reverberated through the testing chamber, commanding immediate attention. All heads turned toward its source – a towering figure striding purposefully through the doorway. The man's impressive physique dominated the space, his broad shoulders and powerful frame clad in the distinct navy and gold uniform. His muscles rippled with each deliberate movement. A network of faint scars were visible on his exposed forearms.

"Chairman?" the guide whispered, her professional composure momentarily fracturing in the presence of such an unexpected arrival.

The man placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he passed, his touch gentle despite his intimidating presence. "You can go back now. I'll take it from here," he instructed, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

Marcus's eyes widened with recognition, his breath catching in his throat. The Association Chairman himself? The legendary warrior whose exploits during the war in his previous life had been documented in countless historical texts stood mere feet away. Though the chairman had never earned an official title like Athena's, his contributions to the kingdom's defense were no less significant.

The chairman approached Ambrose directly, extending a weathered hand in greeting. "Young Master Rothschild," he acknowledged with respectful familiarity.

Ambrose accepted the handshake, as he stretched out his hand, he activated his Mind's Eye ability:

[Name: Darius Stormcrest]

[Level: SSS]

[Talent: ???(???)]

[Health: ???]

[Mana: ???]

[Strength: ???]

[Stamina: ???]

[Agility: ???]

Surprise flickered across Ambrose's features, carefully concealed beneath his practiced neutral expression. This was the second time his Mind's Eye ability had failed to reveal comprehensive statistics—the first being his encounter with the Sin in the entrance dungeon. Though he could theoretically expend additional mental strength to pierce deeper, he suspected the revealed information would remain obfuscated, possibly appearing as meaningless symbols or figures.

What's the point? he reasoned, he was already so strong, what difference would it make if he knew his exact stats. Since he already knew how stats were calculated, Ambrose could easily calculate the approximate stats for someone at the SSS level.

Chairman Darius maintained the handshake a moment longer than strictly necessary, his weathered face settling into an expression of diplomatic regret. "Young master, although we are honored to have you here today, I'm afraid we cannot fulfill your request," he stated plainly.

Confusion registered briefly in Ambrose's eyes before Darius continued his explanation.

"Since you are the Rothschild heir, it wouldn't be appropriate for you to be associated with the Heroes Association," the chairman clarified, his gaze shifting momentarily to Hualing's vigilant form before adding, "and that applies to your knight as well."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Ambrose's features. The reasoning made perfect sense—the Heroes Association exercised considerable authority over licensed heros, creating potential conflicts of interest for noble houses. Their independence needed to remain uncompromised, particularly for families as powerful as the Rothschilds. Still, the practical implications were inconvenient; without licenses, their dungeon-raiding plans would be significantly hampered.

Darius, noticing Ambrose's subtle reaction, quickly offered an alternative. "But there is no need to worry, you can still raid dungeons," he assured with a confident smile.

"I can?" Ambrose's surprise manifested in his voice, genuinely caught off-guard by this unexpected concession.

The chairman gestured toward Princess Athena standing several paces behind them. "Just like the princess, you can receive a dungeon pass that functions identically to our licenses. It grants the same access privileges without binding you to Association authority or regulations."

Understanding dawned on Ambrose instantly. Of course. The solution was elegantly practical—how else would members of powerful houses participate in dungeon raiding? Their pride and position would never permit them to subject themselves to an organization's authority, yet their ambitions would demand access to the resources and experiences dungeons provided. The pass system neatly resolved this contradiction, maintaining the delicate balance of power between nobles and the Association.

"Then I'll have to thank you for that," Ambrose acknowledged.

Darius responded with hearty laughter that filled the chamber. "Hahaha! It's no problem at all," he assured, moving toward the crystalline testing apparatus with practiced familiarity.

His fingers danced across the control panel in a complex sequence, bypassing standard protocols with the authority his position granted. Within moments, two cards emerged from the machine's base—passes rather than licenses, but serving identical practical functions. Ambrose accepted both cards, deliberately keeping Hualing's rather than handing it to her directly. He didn't know what she would do with it so it was better to just keep it for her.

Examining the passes, Ambrose noted they appeared nearly identical to the licenses his companions had received, distinguished only by subtle variations in the embossed symbols and the absence of some information. He slipped both cards into his spatial storage pocket, mentally checking this task off their agenda.

That's one objective completed, he thought, contemplating their next move. Should we return immediately, or take the opportunity to explore the capital further? The rare chance to experience Lumina Crown seemed too valuable to waste.

Before he could complete his deliberation, a thunderous explosion shattered his thoughts. The entire building shuddered violently, dust cascading from the ornate ceiling as tremors rippled through the stone foundation. The atmospheric pressure shifted perceptibly as distant screams penetrated the thick walls.

The testing chamber door burst open as the guide stumbled back in, her face pale with fear, clothing disheveled from her desperate sprint.

"What happened?" Chairman Darius demanded, his casual demeanor instantly replaced by the commanding presence of a veteran warrior.

"We're under attack!" she managed between ragged breaths, her wide eyes reflecting genuine terror.

…

[Name: Athena Lumina]

[Level: S]

[Talent: Battle Frenzy (Mythical)]

[Health: ???]

[Mana: ???]

[Strength: ???]

[Stamina: ???]

[Agility: ???]