@Chet31 As it was stated the war would have happened either way (you will learn later why). They were just looking for a diplomatic reason to start it which is why they sent in that annoying old guy.
Why the hate? This is an exam to become a FIRST CLASS MAGE. If there was no risk involved a lot more people would try to advance. The participants should be aware of these risks. Losing mages who are stupid enough to sign up despite not having the skill to fall back on is part of the exam. As...