The Wizards had not come here as guests.
One of them had the children of the estate line up in the courtyard, then took out a crystal ball and tested them one by one.
The dozens of children in the courtyard stepped forward nervously, and the crystal ball occasionally lit up.
But their aptitudes were all rather poor.
When it was Marfa's turn, the crystal ball began to glow as soon as she placed her palm on it. The light lasted longer than it had for the other children.
Even after Marfa removed her hand, the crystal ball continued glowing for more than a dozen breaths before slowly dimming.
"High-grade soul aptitude!"
The Wizard glanced down at the crystal ball, then at Marfa, and directly pinned a gray badge to her chest.
Its edges gleamed dully beneath the afternoon sun. It was the lowest-grade bone identification plate of the Withered Bone Spire Academy.
Marfa did not know what the plate represented, but seeing the envious, jealous, and resentful looks of the "little companions" around her, she still felt a surge of joy.
She reached out and touched the badge to make sure it was real. Then she withdrew her hand and stood in line, waiting for the others to finish their tests.
From then on, her treatment within the family improved greatly. Relatives who had once regarded her as a plague now eagerly flocked to her.
Even her cold and indifferent "father" rarely showed a smile, allowing her to dine at the main table with her so-called "brothers and sisters."
A few days later, when those mysterious Wizards were about to take her away, her "father" gave her a small cloth pouch containing several black stones.
Although Marfa did not know what the stones were for, she accepted them solemnly.