THE PEOPLE OF the Medicine Sect Pavilion began assessing talents the day after Elder Leo made the announcement. There were already five lineups in the capital city's square, and at the front of the lines sat five Medicine Sect members, each with a crystal bowl on a table. They used it to assess those who wanted to participate in the competition.
"I wonder what kind of magic user I will be after I take the assessment," Lily remarked. She bit into her pasta while her gaze was fixed on the crowd.
To avoid drawing attention to herself, she used mascara to conceal her original face as well as the two male species she was with. As for her lovely maidservants, she had left them back at the estate. She needed fewer people, and five was already a crowd.
"Y-you'll take the assessment as well?" Prince Zak asked, a little nervously.
No.
He was incredibly nervous!
This was his first time leaving the palace. There was some excitement, but mostly anxiety. He could even hear his own heart pounding like a herd of horses racing unendingly!
"Please give it a shot, then, young miss," said Shadow Guard Loid. He was curious to see what would happen once the young lady held the crystal ball.
Lily sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "No, the result is most likely none." She just wanted to try it because she hadn't done it before. She already knew the outcome, though.
Lily took another look at her sides. The people below the restaurant began to shake their heads and cheer up. Those who did not pass appeared defeated, while those who did pass appeared ecstatic.
"Loid," Lily said. Because the two of them were already 'close,' she considered calling him by his name; and, of course, since he would work with her for free, she ought to treat him better.
"Yes, young miss?" Shadow Guard Loid gently held his teacup before taking a sip. Lily's brow furrowed in response to his demeanour. This guy was taking after his master.
"How about explaining the concept of magic to us?" she asked, winking at Prince Zak. The prince's eyes became energetic. He forgot about his worries and smiled cheerfully at Shadow Guard Loid.
"I thought young miss already knew about it?"
The corner of Lily's mouth raised. She couldn't help but suspect that this shadow guard had been attempting to bait her since who knows when.
But, since he was working for free and assisting her, she would be gracious enough to tell him the truth.
"I was born and raised here," she said, clearing her throat, "so when I said I have no idea about the insides of the Earth realm and have no magical energy—- I was telling the truth." She took a sip of her juice and added, "The Pei Family, indeed, came from an ancient family in the secular world, but," her eyes glinted. The surname Pei came from her great-grandmother's side. In terms of her great-grandfather's ancestry...
"Young miss was able to create a life crystal," Shadow Guard Loid pointed out.
Lily gave a quick blink. After that, she clicked her tongue. "My grandmother came from the Earth Realm; it would be strange if I didn't have a smidgeon of magic within me," she reasoned.
"You just said you don't have any magical energy," Shadow Guard Loid said, his eyes deadpan. Despite this, he admitted that he couldn't feel any magical energy emanating from the young lady.
It baffled him.
In that regard, Duke Pei's wife had been a mystery ever since he unexpectedly revealed a son. He had never left the secular world and had never married anyone in public, yet he had a son.
So his wife came from the Earth realm! Shadow Guard Loid couldn't help but wonder who the lady could be.
Lily rested her chin in her palm and said, half-heartedly, "Who knows? I was wondering that myself." She could perform basic magic, but she lacked the energy that a magic wielder was supposed to have.
But she liked it that way, anyway.
She would die of exhaustion if people began to expect something from her. But if they continue to regard her as an ordinary human being, she can continue to doze off.
"Enough about me," she chided. "Let's talk about magic instead; can't you see the little prince's eagerness to learn?" She pointed her palm to her right side, demonstrating the prince's delight and awe.
Shadow Guard Loid was hesitant. He wanted to know more, but it would be impolite to inquire about private matters, especially when it was about the Pei family.
He may be assisting his master in learning more about the young miss, but he will almost certainly be chastised by his master for asking too many questions.
"That guy over there is a fire magic user," Shadow Guard Loid said, motioning to the man in the third row who had just passed the assessment.
Lily and Prince Zak's heads swung instantly to gaze at the man who was now bouncing and cheering. His attire was tidy yet unremarkable. He had to be a citizen of the empire, or he could be a noble disguised as one.
Who knows?
Anyway, Lily kept her gaze fixed on the man as Shadow Guard Loid proceeded to explain, "Every individual who has spiritual energy is classified into five attributes." He lifted his palm, and as he stated, he placed one finger down, "Fire, water, wood, air, and storm. A person who hasn't yet practised magic will have spiritual energy emanating from his body which will be visible to the experts, but only the crystal balls could determine which kind of magic he could use; the more he levelled up, the more apparent what kind of magic he has."
Prince Zak nodded attentively.
However, obtaining a specific attribute was more difficult than one could expect. A magic user, for example, was found to have a fire attribute by the crystal ball. Before he is able to utilize it, he must first go through the cultivation process; the hue of the rainbow, with red being the weakest and purple being the strongest. The magic user would be able to complete his spiritual energy core if he reached the end of the advanced purple level.
"That's too complicated," Lily pointed out. It took some time for her sluggishly functioning brain to process every word.
"Indeed," Shadow Guard Loid agreed, "That's why only two out of ten people can use the attributes. Advancing with cultivation is also too difficult. It took centuries to fully complete the cultivation, while others were stuck and couldn't break through. Those who didn't manage to attain their attributes were kicked out of the sects and are known as nomads."
Prince Zak took a deep breath. He couldn't help but bow his head. He was starting to feel anxious again.
What if he doesn't make it? And what if the crystal ball didn't perceive him as having potential talent? His gaze shifted to his legs.
Last night, the witc--- the sister was tending to his legs. It had not yet totally healed, but it was on the mend. He no longer had to limp when walking. Even if it hurt him at times, he was nevertheless delighted. At the very least, he could now walk!
"Don't worry," Lily stated suddenly.
When Prince Zak looked up, he noticed Lily staring at him.
"You are destined for a brighter future; if you listen to me and stop trusting foolish and unreliable people, you will become one of the best."
Prince Zak's gaze stayed fixed on Lily before he nodded firmly. That's correct! He should be confident in himself! He didn't want to return to that dilapidated courtyard and be bullied again!
"By the way," Lily turned to face Shadow Guard Loid and inquired, "What kind of attribute is 'storm'?" There was something in her head that she couldn't get out, no matter how hard she tried.
She remembered her grandma emphasizing and explaining every attribute to her, especially 'storm', but she couldn't recall it at all!
"Storm attributes are those magics that were out of the four attributes," Shadow Guard Loid raised his hand, and a black, foggy thing came out of his hand.
Lily and Prince Zak's eyes shone brightly.
"This is a storm attribute," Shadow Guard Loid explained, then he closed his palm and the fog dissipated. The spectators' faces sank immediately. "The three major sects and the aristocratic families in the Earth Realm have storm attributes," he added awkwardly.
"So, basically, the storm attribute is the most powerful of the five," Prince Zak observed.
Shadow Guard Loid shook his head. "It would still depend on the type of magic you possess. You may have the Storm Attribute, but if your magic is weaker than fire, water, or whatever, you cannot be considered the strongest. For example, the Medicine Sect is known for having a storm attribute with healing magic, but it wouldn't help them when it comes to fighting. Yes, it could be considered powerful, but once war broke out, they couldn't use it to fight or defend themselves. That is why they are not only recruiting disciples with healing magic but also those with different kinds of attributes so that there will be people to protect the sect."
Lily and Zak nodded in agreement.
It's no surprise that the elder chose Olivia and her brother as his disciples. It was to give his sect some suicide troops. It could be the same reason for letting a lot of people enter the competition. It might not only be for status but also for recruiting, after all.
Lily was about to say something about how disheartened she was for those people, simply to show that she cared when the crowd outside the restaurant began to clap.
"What the hell is it now?" Lily asked, scanning the crowd once more.
"Congratulations, Crown Prince! As expected of our future monarch!" Someone exclaimed, and the applause and shouting grew louder.
"The Crown Prince has spiritual energy?" Lily was taken aback.
"Didn't Young Miss feel it?"
Lily rolled her eyes in response to that remark. "How many times do I have to tell you that I have no idea how real magic works?"
Shadow Guard Loid coughed. "Well, the crown prince has a little spiritual energy coming from his body, which isn't particularly obvious but was visible to those experts."
"If my brother has spiritual energy, then I'm certain I have to--- oww!"
Lily's fury flared, and she couldn't help but hit the young prince on the head. "Your talent has nothing to do with the imperial family!" she exclaimed angrily. "But the crown prince's timing is excellent. The emperor's attention would remain on that guy," she remarked, clasping her fingers and placing her chin above them. "Interesting. 'Fate' seems to be leaning on my side this time."