Leilin did as the old witch instructed and placed both hands on the surface of the crystal ball.
Cold! A surge of sensation!
A strange tingling spread across his fingertips.
Leilin's head throbbed, as if a glass rod were being twisted violently inside his skull.
As the headache set in, the crystal ball before him began to emit a faint glow.
"Very good! Don't let go!" The witch stared at the crystal ball.
As the pain grew more intense, the crystal ball in his hands shone brighter and brighter. "I can't—I can't do it anymore!"
Leilin clenched his teeth, but the searing agony that nearly split his head in two forced him to involuntarily release his grip.
"Mm! About this much, then?" The witch nodded and produced a quill pen, jotting something down on Leilin's form.
"We grade an apprentice's aptitude from one to five — one being the lowest, five the highest. You fall in the third grade. That's a mid-tier aptitude!"
As she spoke, she flipped a ring on her finger and branded a strange symbol onto the parchment, which shimmered with a soft glow.
"The tests here are done. Go to the back! Next!"
Watching a freckle-faced girl enter the tent, Leilin took the parchment, rose to thank the witch, pushed aside the curtain, and moved on to the next stage.
The ground was just as empty as before, with only a white-bearded old man sitting in the middle.
"Judging by the size of this tent, there are probably only two tests — pretty simple!" Leilin thought to himself. He sat down in front of the old man and handed over the form.
"Third-grade aptitude? Not bad!" The old man stroked his chin. "Alright! Now for the affinity test!"
The old man tapped the tabletop. The desk split open, and from its center rose a black basin.
The basin was pitch-dark, seemingly carved from stone, and filled with a silvery liquid that flowed like mercury.
"Watch the center of the water's surface carefully!" The old man's voice carried a hint of guidance.
Leilin couldn't help but fix his attention on the center of the mercury. As his focus deepened, the liquid in the middle began to swirl faster and faster, as if a hole had opened at the bottom, forming a vortex.
"Now — tell me, what do you see?"
Leilin's eyes went slightly vacant. "Shadows — a black vortex! There are also red specks along the outermost edge!"
"Anything else?"
"There are some green specks around it as well!"
"Many green specks?"
"Not many! Very few!"
"Mm!" The old man snapped his fingers, and Leilin suddenly came back to himself. "What just happened to me?"
"Your test is complete! In terms of elemental affinity, you rank highest in the Shadow and Dark systems, followed by Fire, with trace amounts of Plant affinity as well!"
The old man spoke quickly while filling in the parchment, then stamped it with his seal.
"Here's some advice! A wizard can draw upon any kind of power — but choosing the path that aligns best with your affinity is how you'll go the farthest!"
The old man handed the form back to Leilin. "All done! Your tests are over. Exit through the back and start choosing your academy!"
Leilin bowed and left the tent.
He pushed open the rear curtain, and a beam of sunlight washed over him.
"Chip, pull up the data from just now!"
"...Subject was subjected to an unidentified field interference and entered a hypnotic state."
"I knew it!" Leilin's face darkened, then he let out a helpless breath. "At least there was no ill intent — otherwise..."
Deep within his heart, the desire for power burned ever stronger.
"Hey! Leilin!" George's voice rang in his ear. "You finished the test too?"
George's voice came through.
"Mm!" Leilin nodded, holding up the parchment form in his hand.
"I finished too, heh heh! This young master is a fourth-grade prodigy, you know!" George laughed boisterously, looking every bit the smug little upstart.
"I don't know much about wizard aptitude grades yet — could you explain it to me?" Leilin asked.
George's family was far more powerful than the Farell Viscount's household, which meant they had access to far more secrets about wizards.