"Interesting." After pondering for a moment, Black Earl seemed to have thought of something and let out a low chuckle.
"Previously, I guessed that those four sheep might have been special creatures summoned through some special summoning technique, possessing special abilities that allowed them to trap Swift Spirit."
The word "special" originally referred to things that differed from the ordinary. And what differed from the ordinary was rare.
Black Earl had said "special" three times in a row, but those three instances were not equal in meaning—they advanced layer by layer. It could be understood as first identifying all clams and shells in the sea, then finding the pearl-producing clams among them, and then, among those pearl-producing clams, locating the sole one capable of producing the most perfect pearl.
Rare among the rare, selection among selections.
The odds were extraordinarily low, infinitely close to zero.
So after saying this, Black Earl could not help mocking himself. "Thinking about it now, it was rather laughable."
"Then what is Your Excellency's view now...?" Angel asked.
Black Earl said, "It should have nothing to do with summoning techniques. It is the Shepherd's ability."
"What I can be certain of is that this Shepherd is definitely a wind-element Rhythm Apprentice, but he is more than merely a Rhythm Apprentice."
Dox frowned. "Dual-element talent?"
Black Earl said, "No. He is wind-elemental, purely of the elemental side. It is simply that his wind is somewhat special."
As Black Earl said this, he looked toward Kael. "You faced his wind directly. What characteristics do you think it had?"
Kael froze for a moment and began recalling the Shepherd's wind that he had sensed on the arena platform. That wind held gentleness and heaviness, fury and tranquility. It was exceedingly changeable, and moreover, it gave Kael a peculiar