Talent Test

Jon had been put to sleep by Moro's spell, and Angel did not wake him again. He simply had the mute servant carry his mentor back to his room.

After that, everyone returned to the old castle.

Leon instructed the servants to gather everyone under fifty in the main hall so Moro could test their talents.

Angel originally wanted to be tested first, but Leon stopped him and whispered in his ear, "Let the servants be tested first. You can go after them."

Leon did not explain why, but Angel understood at once.

Moro had just said that the talented were one in ten thousand. If Angel tested himself right away and turned out to have no talent, it would naturally be humiliating. But if the servants were tested first and he went afterward, then even if he had no talent, he would not stand out too much. Of course, that was assuming none of the servants truly possessed talent.

Before long, nearly a hundred servants from the estate under the age of fifty had lined up at the castle entrance.

Though many of them had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, not one dared complain. They all stood ramrod straight, trembling with unease.

"Everyone is here. Then let's begin the test," Moro said. "One at a time."

The talent tests were conducted in a cramped storage room. Leon had ordered the servants to clear everything out beforehand, leaving only a few items Moro had instructed them to arrange.

Moro sat at the head of the table. Angel, Leon, Count Eaton, and the Alan siblings sat on either side of him. The seat opposite Moro was left empty for the person being tested.

A deep-sea oil candle burned in the lamp on the table. Its soft, bright glow spread through the room, illuminating the narrow storage room brilliantly.

Moro reached into his voluminous robe, took out a red crystal ball, and placed it on the table.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about the red crystal ball. Compared to the transparent crystal ball floating beside Moro, it appeared far dimmer.

"This is the Eye of Abyras, also known as the Talent Sphere. It is made from the eyeball of Abyras, a strange giant beast from the Abyssal Plane," Moro explained. "Though Abyras possesses no overwhelming power, its soul is extraordinarily strong. A Talent Sphere made from its eye can return the soul to its origin and reflect a person's talent."

The first person to enter for testing was Aoli, the maid who attended to Angel's daily needs.

Aoli was one year older than Angel and had turned fifteen today. The two usually got along well—not like master and servant, but more like friends. So although her expression was solemn when she entered, she secretly winked at Angel while no one was paying attention.

Angel briefly explained what this test was about. Aoli's eyes lit up the moment she heard.

As long as she had talent, she could become one of the legendary great wizards?

!Aoli's heart pounded wildly, so loudly that she could hear it herself.

This was an opportunity—an opportunity to change her fate. Aoli immediately realized that. Her formerly relaxed state of mind tightened in an instant. She gave Moro an extremely respectful bow, then sat opposite him while desperately suppressing her excitement.

Moro pointed at the red Talent Sphere. "The test is simple. In a moment, place your hand on this crystal ball. Do not take it away. Pay attention to everything around you and see whether anything changes. If there is a change, it means you have talent."

A change? Aoli did not understand at first, and neither did the others, so Moro explained, "These changes differ depending on the individual talent-holder."

"Let me give you an example. When I touched the Talent Sphere back then, I discovered that the fire in a nearby fireplace suddenly went from a tiny flicker to a roaring blaze. That change, which no one else could see and only I noticed, was a sign of possessing talent." After explaining, Moro thought for a moment and added, "The Talent Sphere cannot measure the strength of a person's talent, but it is said that one can gain guidance for one's future path from these 'changes.' Of course, there is no basis for that claim. I personally do not quite believe it. After all, I cultivate fire-element spells, yet I am not necessarily faster than those who cultivate water-element spells."

"My granddaughter Irene, after touching the Talent Sphere, heard all kinds of chaotic noises in her ears. That counted as a change." Moro then pointed at the chubby Alan. "When Alan tested his talent, he saw an extra piece of black bread appear out of thin air on the dinner plate. That was also a change."

"If nothing around you changes during the one minute you touch the Talent Sphere, then unfortunately, it means you basically have no talent." Moro shrugged.

After Moro finished speaking, he said nothing more and pushed the Talent Sphere toward Aoli.

Aoli swallowed deeply, then shakily stretched out her hand and laid it on the Talent Sphere...

The small hourglass on the table ran through one cycle—one minute. Disappointment covered Aoli's face as she shook her head at Moro, then left on her own initiative.

Moro remained expressionless. "Next."

Time passed bit by bit. Dozens of people underwent the test one after another, but unfortunately, not a single one possessed talent.

Then, after a sincere-looking young man finished touching the Talent Sphere, a sharp gleam flashed through his eyes.

"I just felt a gentle breeze blow toward me. It was as if I were standing in an ocean of wind." The young man spread his arms as if embracing the sky, his face filled with enjoyment.

"There... there was a change? A talent-holder has appeared?!" Count Eaton cried out in astonishment. He had never imagined that while no talent-holders had appeared even in the imperial capital, one would emerge out here in the countryside.

Leon's expression also brightened with excitement. Happily, he turned to ask Head Maid Mana about the young man's identity.

Head Maid Mana looked at the honest-faced young man, but her lips twitched coldly. This man had an especially terrible reputation in the estate. Who would have thought that someone like him would possess talent? While silently cursing the goddess of fortune for being far too biased, Mana replied in a low voice, "He is the son of Glen the gardener. His name is Fox."

Fox? Leon had never heard of him, but it was no great matter. There were many servants in the estate, and it was perfectly normal not to know them all.

Leon happily said to Mana, "Go to the storeroom later and take out a hundred gold coins as a reward for—"

"Wait."

Moro's low voice suddenly rang through the room.

Fox's eyes had been brimming with smug delight when he heard Leon mention a reward, but the moment he heard Moro's voice, he immediately wilted. Beads of sweat, large and small, covered his forehead

.

"An ocean of wind? Heh... In the imperial capital, no one dared deceive me. Yet here, someone actually dares make up stories right in front of me. Do you really think a white wizard has no temper?"

With that, Moro gave a cold snort, and a fierce gale swirled around Fox.

"Since you wish to stand in an ocean of wind, then I shall grant your wish. Taste Wind's Whisper!"

After a burst of screams, Fox was blown out the window by a whirlwind. He fell from the high third floor to the ground, and his cries of agony went on without end.

Leon's face turned pale. "Mr. Moro, what is going on? Was Fox lying?"

Moro sneered. "Though only the person involved can see the 'changes,' and outsiders cannot know of them, once a 'change' occurs, the Talent Sphere will shine, notifying me that a talent-holder has appeared."

Once Moro finished speaking, everyone naturally understood what had happened.

They had been watching from the side all along, and the Talent Sphere had never shone from beginning to end. Fox had clearly been lying just now.

After hearing this, Leon's face showed a trace of suppressed anger. He said to Head Maid Mana, "Starting tomorrow, I don't want to see Fox in Gelu Town again."

Mana gave a maid's curtsy, answered softly, and left the room.

No one paid any further attention to Fox's fate. Moro straightened his robes, put away his impatient expression, and resumed the testing...

Two sandglass-hours passed. All the servants had been tested, including Head Maid Mana and the knights standing guard. Not a single one possessed talent.

Moro then turned his gaze toward Angel.

Angel knew it was his turn.

"I'll go first. I'm quite interested in wizards too. Just now, Mr. Moro said that wizards possess long lifespans, eternal and undying. That is precisely what I desire." Leon stopped Angel and sat down before Moro. "If my lifespan is long enough, the more sights I'll be able to see. I want to experience every beauty this world has to offer."

Seeing his brother step forward, Angel did not hang back. Instead, he sat down beside Leon.

"You first." Angel made a clenched-fist gesture at Leon, the gesture they had used as children to encourage each other.

Leon smiled and rubbed Angel's soft hair, then smiled faintly as he reached his hand toward the talent orb.

The white sands of time within the sandglass slowly trickled down. Leon's gaze gradually swept around the room, trying to find where the "change" lay.

A minute passed. Leon's eyes filled with deep disappointment, and he withdrew his hand from the talent orb.

"Looks like... I have no talent." Leon spoke regretfully. During that minute, he had not noticed anything change. Just as Moro had said, those with talent were truly far too rare.

"It's up to you now." Leon patted Angel on the shoulder.

Angel nodded and slowly placed his hand upon the talent orb's smooth, lustrous surface.