Watching Alice flee, Theresia wanted to chase after her, but felt that doing so would only embarrass Alice even more.
But if she didn't go after her, she and Alice might not be able to talk for quite some time.
She helplessly glanced at Dekan.
The smile on Dekan's face seemed to say, "Sorry for the poor hospitality."
"Ugh."
Theresia let out a deep sigh.
That guy was becoming less and less human.
When she'd first met him at that little border-town shop, she'd thought he seemed pretty normal...
Normal?
Pfft. There was no way a normal person could have come up with that Goblin Sheriff.
Seeming to notice Theresia's inner conflict, Dekan called out to her, "Theresia, go find Princess Alice. I probably won't be able to leave here anytime soon."
It seemed the chief examiner had something important to discuss with him.
He also thought Alice could use a little comfort.
He'd been a bit too harsh on her.
Actually, Dekan hadn't intended to make an epic card in the first place.
He'd planned to do his best to make a rare-quality, third-tier card and call it a success.
After all, he'd paid such a hefty registration fee. Even if he wasn't going to make the electric meter run backward, he couldn't afford to take a loss.
But as he worked, he got carried away.
That card could have blown up at any point during its creation.
After all, every step of the process involved defying and rewriting holy attributes.
Fortunately, he'd been pretty lucky.
Not only had it not blown up, it had even reached epic quality.
What? You're saying I was just lucky to begin with?
What are you talking about? I don't understand.
"See you at school!"
Theresia waved at Dekan and hurried off.
She had to save Alice's heart, which had been left as devastated as scorched earth.
The exam was over.
Several examiners had now gathered around Dekan.
The moment Dekan had made an orange card earlier, the other examinees, who were still struggling, clearly hadn't been able to withstand its insanely flashy effects.
Without a doubt, they'd all been blinded by the light and failed.
Or perhaps their spirits had been shaken so badly that they'd lost the confidence to continue.
In any case, getting to witness such a miracle up close hadn't been a bad deal.
"Mr. Dekan, sorry for the trouble, but please come with us to meet President Leren."
Even though the chief examiner was a sixth-tier Card Crafter, he was exceedingly courteous to Dekan.
That was because Dekan was going to become an exceptional Card Crafter.
Those ranked third through first could collect their respective licenses from the certification hall on the third floor after passing the exam.
But they didn't have the items for an exceptional Card Crafter on hand!
The headquarters had to review and produce them.
The president would need to discuss the details with Dekan.
The exceptional title carried a level of prestige that couldn't be measured by tier.
They knew their place and understood how far Dekan might go in the future, so they were already treating him with exceptional respect.
"No problem."
"Please come with us."
"Sure."
Dekan followed several examiners out of the examination hall through an internal passageway.
The chief examiner then led him up the floating staircase to the sixth floor.
It was also the top floor of the building.
The sixth floor was sparsely populated, and Dekan was brought to the door of its most prominent office.
The chief examiner knocked softly. After someone inside answered, he opened the heavy door and gestured for Dekan to enter.
Inside the absurdly spacious office sat an old man.
He looked to be in his sixties, but his back was straight and his eyes sharp.
He wore the association's highest-grade uniform. A few strands of gray hair fell across his forehead, and a faint smile rested on his face.
He was clearly the president of the Card Crafter Association's Norton Kingdom branch.
To Dekan's surprise, before he could even walk over, the president stood up, came around his desk, and extended his hand.
Dekan was somewhat overwhelmed by the honor.
"Dekan, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, President Leren."
Dekan noticed seven purple stars embroidered on the chest of Leren's uniform.
Clearly, Leren was a seventh-tier, first-ranked Card Crafter.
A true big shot.
A seventh-tier powerhouse was terrifying, even if he worked a desk job.
He could easily crush a third- or fourth-tier opponent with a single swing of a hammer.
After inviting Dekan to sit on a nearby sofa, Leren said, "First of all, congratulations. You're going to become an exceptional Card Crafter of the association. It's a lifelong honor, but the review process is just as extensive, so you may still need to attend at least one review meeting."
"Exceptional Card Crafters are the highest-ranking core members of our association. No matter what happens, the association will have your back."
"I can't issue your badge, uniform, or license just yet, since the items that signify exceptional status have to be specially made for you after the headquarters approves them."
Dekan was a little stunned. He hadn't expected that making a third-tier epic card would earn him such incredible treatment.
He'd heard of exceptional Card Crafters, but the Card Crafter Association rarely publicized the system or privileges associated with the title, so he didn't know much about it.
"So, for now, I'm considered...?"
Dekan asked, puzzled.
"Until you pass the review, you'll temporarily have the privileges of a third-tier, first-ranked Card Crafter."
"That's good, then."
Dekan thought the Card Crafter Association handled things quite well.
The review sounded a little tedious, but the system seemed reasonable enough.
"By the way, is the review difficult?"
"I haven't heard of any exceptional Card Crafter having trouble with the review. Uh... in your case, though, the headquarters might investigate whether you have any connection to the Resurrection Church. Your card-making style is really... even more extreme than that of their archbishop."
As Leren spoke, his tone grew increasingly uncertain.
He'd heard about Dekan's glorious exploits in the Shadow World.
And those unorthodox cards of his.
"..."
Dekan fell silent for a moment.
It felt like his delivery was going to get held up for a long time.
And suddenly, he really wanted to wipe out the Resurrection Church.
It was only because those people existed that a pure-hearted citizen like him kept getting mistaken for a Cult Priest!
"Don't worry, Dekan. I'll do my best to communicate with the headquarters on your behalf. You're sure to become the thirteenth currently registered exceptional Card Crafter on the entire continent—and the second in the Norton Kingdom!"
Leren was clearly thrilled at the prospect of the Norton Kingdom having two exceptional Card Crafters.
"Even though I'm only third-tier, I can still be counted among the other twelve?"
"Once you've earned the exceptional title, it doesn't matter what tier you were when you achieved it. It won't change even if you advance to a higher tier later."
Leren explained it to Dekan.
If a fourth-tier examinee took a third-tier exam, no matter what quality of card they made, it would count as third rank.
To receive a second- or higher-ranked rating, they had to make a card of the same tier as themselves.
First and second rank were honors as well.
They meant that a Card Crafter could create high-quality cards of their own tier.
But exceptional status completely transcended the other three standard ranks. It was a symbol of a Card Crafter's absolute ability.
Anyone who could make an epic card was already a famous Card Crafter.
And Card Crafters capable of making an epic card of their own tier were rarer still!
Before you continue