In the morning, Leon woke up and found Theo to ask when the trials would take place.
"They would take place after 4 months, but because I came back earlier than expected, it is going to happen next week."
After saying that, Theo gave some books to Leon. After looking a bit, Leon understood that all of them was eye techniques. There wasn't too many books and Leon didn't hope to find many. Eye techniques were rare, not because they were precious, but because there wasn't many magus who specialized on eye techniques.
Particularly, one book caught Leon's eye. It was called [Eye of Illusion], most of eye techniques were specialized in eyesight, but this technique was based on illusions, and the first sentence was intriguing; [The perception is illusion and The illusion is perception]. And from the rest Leon could understand that it was a high grade technique, so Leon asked Theo about the book.
"You must pay a lot for this book." said while he was showing the book.
"You're wrong about that. There was a race called Djinns, as a race they were specialized on illusions. They could trap their opponents in their illusions and show them what they desired doing so they could suck their vitality. They didn't have much power, but they were strong on illusions. After their destruction, their techniques were spread around the world, but no one could master them. Every power in the world at least has one copy of their techniques."
Leon nodded, some techniques were suitable for some races and even if someone were to have their techniques, they wouldn't able to use them. The titan cultivation was the same, Even Leon had ability to read memories, if he didn't have titan blood in his veins, he couldn't cultivate the technique. Leon didn't have Djinn blood in his veins, he was a pure titan, so he couldn't cultivate the technique, but he can make it more suitable to him and make his research about it. But it would take so much time, that might be the reason for this technique to be widespread.
The other magus wouldn't be interested so much in this illusion technique and gave their years to research it. Leon would do the same if he didn't understand the core of this technique.
Perception was limited by one's eyesight and other senses. Even one's senses were to sharp and could see others couldn't that wouldn't mean they could see the truth. Perception has limits sense was one of them, but understanding the world was the second. One's believes and experiences would shape their perception and would limit their understanding of the world.
[Eye of Illusion] was a technique that uses your understanding of the world and constructing the illusion based on that. If someone's understanding deep enough the illusion itself could become reality. Leon didn't want to specialize on illusions, but he wouldn't throw away this technique. But creating illusions wasn't the only thing one could do with this technique. Gaining ability to see beyond illusions was a must for Djinns, so sharpening one's perception was needed to master this technique.
Leon was planning to stay in the system world around a thousand years, so he might as well make research on this technique after he cleared the other three dungeons.
…
Leon passed his days reading the eye techniques that Theo gave him. In a week, Theo always came to Leon and gave him other eye techniques. Leon copied them with his Book of Knowledge and he was creating a new eye technique based on [Eye of Illusion]. He could understand the gist of the technique, but it didn't mean he could use this technique. The only thing he could do was to learn eye techniques and deepen his knowledge about them.
Beside of his research about eye techniques, he also trained his spearmanship. Before Leon was using his spear how he liked, so he couldn't count as a spearman, but as a child with a stick. He learned about the basics but he didn't learn any advanced techniques. He was trying to make his spear technique like a reflex, but it would take too much time. The basics were important in any technique and using his weapon without unnecessary movements and doing precise attacks was the only things that he was training.
This day, Leon didn't train spear or study eye techniques. He was waiting at the center of the city with Theo. Choosing successor was a big event, so The Blazewing family invited other nobles to see the process and the people of the fief also came to see the next lord, at least the one who could gain recognition of the spiritual fire of the marquis house.
Leon didn't see Casper after the verbal confrontation with Theo. He didn't even bother Leon. He thought Casper would harass him to leave Theo. He could think a reason for that, Theo didn't say anything about his rebirth, so Casper should be thinking that Theo wasn't a threat to him.
If Theo wasn't cured, He couldn't gain the recognition of the spiritual fire and he wouldn't have the power to confront with him in the second trial, so in Casper's head, there is nothing to fear and there wasn't any reason for threat Leon.
After waiting for the sunrise at the top, Current Marquis came. He was looking like a stoic middle-aged man with his bit of gray hair around his ears.
"Thank you for coming here to see the first trial to choose the successor of the Blazewing House. I won't talk too much and make you wait. Bring the Blazewing fire."
Saying that he waved his hand and the servants hurriedly made their moves. It was a sacred ceremony so they were really careful with the procedure. After a couple of breath, they brought a fire in a dark red color to the stage which was already prepared with a carriage.
Leon could feel the heat from the fire, but he could also feel aside from just fire. Leon couldn't understand what was different, but he already knew that spiritual fires would have law traces in them. Leon wasn't at the stage that could understand the laws, so he couldn't discern the law in the fire.
Leon looked at Theo, he was clearly nervous and shaking with anticipation. It was his day to show that he wasn't a nobody to everyone in the city and his father. Leon could understand his emotions.
"Casper and Theo come to the stage."
The marquis said, Casper moved, but Theo didn't. Seeing that Leon understood that Theo didn't hear his father from excitement, so shook Theo to drag him to reality. When he shook, Theo looked Leon and Leon pointed the stage. Then Theo walked to the stage with many gazes on him and his brother.
Casper was looking Theo with cold eyes, but he didn't say anything because he was afraid that his father would hear it.
Theo and Casper took their places on the stage and sat down in lotus position and closed their eyes. Leon didn't know how they could gain the recognition of the spiritual fire, but he could bet on Theo.
The center of the city was crowded, but there was no noise. All eyes were focused on Casper and Theo. The fire was illuminating their faces with red hue and their eyes were closed, showing they were focusing to make a connection with the fire, but the fire didn't move towards any of them and continued to burn in dark red.
Gaining recognition of a spiritual fire without being a, at least a domain stage magus was hard but it wasn't impossible. One needed to have great affinity with the fire. Noble families would choose their successors according to affinity to their heirloom, so after generations of selection, their bloodline would be close to their heirloom.
Leon didn't have any plans for creating an heirloom to choose a successor, even if he did, the best heirloom would be their bodies. But it was a problem for Leon, he couldn't have any children with any humans or any other races aside from the Titans. Actually, this wasn't a problem for Leon. He didn't believe in love, but if he needed to he could make someone a titan with an ease.
They waited an hour under the sun to see the fire move, and it moved towards Theo. First, it waved towards him and after a fifteen minutes, it gave a wisp of fire to Theo then he inhaled the fire and spasmed while he was in lotus position.
Seeing that all the commoners was elated, they didn't have much of hope if Casper were to take the position, but when Theo got the recognition they were happy for their future.
"Theo passed the first trial." Announced the marquis. He didn't show any joy or sadness while he was saying that. After Theo gathered himself up, he walked to Leon's side with a smile on his face. While most of the crowd was happy someone wasn't
"How can I lose a trash." screamed Casper. He was angry and his voice was loud. Theo didn't say anything but the marquis said
"He should have cured himself."
Theo nodded with a smile. Hearing that most of the nobles looked differently to Theo. They didn't have any hope for this scion before, but after they heard that he was cured. They saw that he was equal footing with his brother. They already guessed that he would lose the second trial, but he could make a comeback in the third trial. Even Theo cured himself, he didn't practice and didn't know anything about combat.
"Even so, what? If you're not a coward you would come and face me in the arena." said Casper with hatred. He was clearly planning to cripple him in the arena so he wouldn't have any chances to come back in the third trial. Seeing that Theo was affected and the other nobles looking at him, Leon put his hand on Theo's shoulder and whispered to him
"You shouldn't do it, say this..."
Theo listened Leon and answered back.
"Brother a wise man would know when to fight and when to retreat, so I'll forfeit the next trial."
Hearing that, The nobles nodded inwardly, even stoic marquis smiled, and announced.
"Theo cleared the first and Casper cleared the second trial. Now I'm giving you two a mission to accomplish; the time for the opening of trials of gods near, so you two will go there and the one with most harvest will be chosen as the successor."