"He looked like he knew what he was doing, but in reality, he'd made a serious mistake. The scroll he chose indicated that he intended to make a purification-type spell card, but no purification spell card used Demon Blood. Besides, Purifying Holy Flame was only needed for offensive holy-element cards. It seemed he was just an amateur."
The examiner couldn't help but start criticizing Dekan's card-making process.
"The materials he chose are only enough to make one Magic Card. He won't get another chance to try."
"That card's looked like it might explode any second for a while now. Even I'm getting a little nervous."
"When it does explode, we'll just have the fire and rescue crews ready."
"Wait, can any of you read the magical writing he's using?"
"...It doesn't look like human magical writing. Those syllables would probably be very difficult for humans to pronounce."
"Is it Dragon language? Or Elvish?"
"No idea! I've never seen a Card Crafter use a nonhuman magical language before."
Dekan entered a state of total absorption. For a moment, it was as if he'd forgotten human language entirely. All he could hear was the intent Master had once conveyed to him in his mind.
Although this was his first attempt at making a third-tier Spell Card,
for some reason, it felt right.
It was as if his hands moved forward on their own, guided by his consciousness without any need to think. He knew exactly what to do at every step.
After who knew how long, the corners of Dekan's mouth finally lifted in a faint smile.
He'd done it.
And he'd done a good job!
"Master never lied to me."
Dekan finally finished the engraving. His cautious, painstaking movements suddenly sped up and became fluid. He completed the sealing process in less than two minutes.
The moment the haze dissipated,
orange light flooded the entire hall!
A nearby examinee was blinded by the flash and made a mistake, losing his final chance.
Even so, he gaped, rubbing his eyes as he couldn't help taking another look.
Before he could get angry, he was stunned.
Orange?!
Could something like that really appear in an examination hall?
"A third-tier Epic Card?"
"I actually got to witness a third-tier Epic Card being made!"
"So Dekan's a Card Crafter by trade!! No wonder all his cards are so weird!"
"If he made an Orange Epic, does that mean... he'll become a third-tier Special-Grade Card Crafter?"
"How many years... how many years has it been since anyone heard that title!"
The audience erupted in a roar of astonishment like a tidal wave.
Dekan calmly walked over to the examiners' table and handed the card to the appraiser.
After appraising it, the appraiser wiped his glasses and checked the equipment.
Then he tried the appraisal again.
[Blood Purification] [Category: Spell Card] [Rarity: Orange Epic] [Tier: 3] [Effect: When used on yourself, removes abnormal status effects of third tier or below. When used on a different race, purifies their blood and evaporates some of it. Cooldown: 120 seconds.] [Remark: Heretic! I will purify you!]
"You call this purification?!"
The appraiser's eyes widened. After confirming that the appraisal result was correct, he murmured in disbelief.
Then, under the examiners' shocked gazes, the card was sent to the testing room.
"Is this card really safe? Are you pure-blooded human?"
"...Why don't we just pass him outright?"
Before long, the card was brought back out.
It was ruled valid without question.
Neither of the two testers dared to let the other use the card.
If their bloodlines weren't pure, they might end up getting purified.
The audience continued to erupt in waves of discussion and cries of astonishment.
It felt like a holiday celebration.
But unlike the cheerful spectators who were enjoying the spectacle, the air between Alice and Theresia was especially tense.
When Alice first saw the orange light, she froze for a moment, as if her brain had short-circuited.
"Orange... Epic?"
Alice's face gradually grew hot, as if she were finally beginning to understand the situation.
Had she really been boasting in front of a Card Crafter who could make Epic Cards all along?
A monster who could even make an Epic Card of his own tier!
She sniffled, and her eyes began to grow misty.
She could only feel the things she'd said to Dekan earlier echoing in her ears like a curse, refusing to fade away.
For a moment, she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"P-Princess Alice, Dekan was just lucky! Card crafting is thirty percent skill and seventy percent luck!"
Theresia reached out to touch Alice, flustered, but seemed afraid Alice would shatter at her touch. She hesitated, unable to bring herself to place a hand on her shoulder.
"Th-this kind of distinctive card... Could it be that all the cards he uses are ones he made himself?"
Alice's voice trembled, and it seemed her tears could fall at any moment.
She looked at the publicly displayed appraisal result.
It was hard not to connect a card this distinctive to Dekan's deck.
That led to a terrifying possibility—
Dekan had actually made all his cards himself.
This had nothing to do with luck. It was pure ability.
He'd already been able to make second-tier Purple Rare cards with ease back when he was in the second tier.
Even that Ruined Poet was probably one of his early works!
Dekan was undoubtedly a Card Crafter of such extraordinary talent that Alice could never hope to catch up to him.
"..."
Theresia fell silent. She felt that Alice's eyes were barely holding back her tears and didn't dare upset her any further.
"Y-you knew about his card-crafting skills all along, didn't you?"
Alice understood what Theresia meant.
"No, Alice. I really didn't expect you two to get along so well. And I thought he'd make a Purple Rare card at most..."
Theresia said timidly.
That made Alice tremble even harder.
Then she noticed several association staff members waiting behind them awkwardly avert their eyes.
Clearly, those officials had also witnessed Alice boasting to Dekan.
Alice tried to hold back her tears, but the shame threatening to kill her was beyond words.
Her eyes grew redder and redder, and tears fell like beads from a broken string.
At last, she suddenly thought of something and looked toward Dekan in the examination hall.
Dekan was looking at her, too, and gave her a radiant smile.
Speckled sunlight streamed through the glass windows onto Dekan's face, but it still couldn't outshine his smile.
"Waaah..."
Alice stood up and ran away from the audience seats, sobbing uncontrollably.
It was the first time in Princess Alice's life that she'd ever run away...
Before you continue