Chapter 12: Talent Test

Jon had been cast into sleep by Moro's magic, and Angier did not wake him again, simply letting the mute servant carry his mentor back to his room.

Then, the group returned to the previous castle.

Leon instructed the servants to gather everyone under the age of fifty in the hall so that Moro could conduct talent tests for them.

Angier had originally intended to be the first to test, but Leon stopped him, whispering in his ear, "Let the servants test first, then you go."

Leon did not explain the reason, but Angier understood immediately.

Moro had just said that those with talent were one in ten thousand. If he tested directly and showed no talent, it would naturally be quite embarrassing. If the servants tested first and then he followed, even if he had no talent, he wouldn't stand out so much. Of course, this was predicated on the assumption that there truly were no talented individuals among the servants.

Soon, nearly a hundred servants under the age of fifty in the manor had lined up at the castle entrance.

Although many had been woken up in the middle of the night, not a single person dared to complain; they all stood straight, trembling with trepidation.

"Since everyone is here, let the testing begin," Moro said. "One by one."

The place for the talent test was a narrow storage room. Leon had previously instructed the servants to move everything out of the room, leaving only a few items arranged by Moro.

Moro sat in the seat of honor, with Angier, Leon, Eaton, and the Allen siblings sitting on either side of him. Opposite Moro, the seat was left empty; that was the position for the test subject.

In the lamp on the table, a deep-sea oil candle was lit. A soft, bright light spread from the lamp, illuminating the cramped storage room quite clearly.

Moro reached into his wide robes, pulled out a red crystal ball, and placed it on the table.

This red crystal ball was nothing special. Compared to the transparent crystal ball floating beside Moro, it appeared much dimmer.

"This is the Eye of Abilas, also known as the Talent Ball. It is made from the eyeball of the strange giant beast Abilas from the Abyss plane," Moro explained. "Although Abilas does not possess overwhelming strength, its soul is extremely powerful. The Talent Ball made from its eyeball can trace back to the soul and reflect a person's talent."

The first to enter for testing was Olly, the maid who attended to Angier's daily life.

Olly was one year older than Angier, turning fifteen today. Usually, the two of them got along harmoniously, more like friends than master and servant. Thus, when Olly entered, although her expression looked solemn and serious, she secretly winked at Angier when no one was looking.

Angier gave a brief explanation of the test's contents. After hearing it, Olly's eyes suddenly lit up.

*As long as I have talent, I can become a legendary Wizard?!* Olly's heart thudded so loudly she could hear it herself.

This was an opportunity—a chance to change her destiny. Olly realized this immediately, and her previously relaxed attitude instantly tightened. She bowed extremely respectfully to Moro, then, suppressing her excitement, sat opposite him.

Moro pointed to the red Talent Ball. "The test is simple. In a moment, you will touch this crystal ball with your hand. Then, do not let go. Pay close attention to everything around you to see if there are any changes. If there is a change, it means you have talent."

"Changes?" Olly didn't understand for a moment, and neither did the others. Moro then explained, "These changes vary depending on the individual differences of the talented person."

"For example, when I first touched the Talent Ball, I discovered that the flames burning in the fireplace not far from me suddenly turned from tiny sparks into a raging fire. Such a change, which outsiders cannot see and only I can notice, is the manifestation of possessing talent." After explaining, Moro thought for a moment and added, "The Talent Ball cannot test the strength of a person's talent, but it is said that one can gain guidance for their future path from these 'changes.' Of course, there is no basis for this claim. Personally, I don't quite believe it; after all, even though I practice fire magic, I am not necessarily faster than those who practice water magic."

"My granddaughter, Eileen, discovered various chaotic sounds coming into her ears after touching the Talent Ball. That counts as a type of change." Moro then pointed to the chubby Allen: "When Allen was testing his talent, he saw a piece of black bread appear out of thin air on his plate; that is also a type of change."

"If, during the one minute of touching the Talent Ball, there is no change in your surroundings, then unfortunately, it means you basically have no talent." Moro shrugged.

After speaking, Moro fell silent and pushed the Talent Ball toward Olly.

Olly swallowed deeply and reached out a trembling hand to place it on the Talent Ball...

The small hourglass on the table completed one rotation (one minute). With a look of disappointment on her face, Olly shook her head at Moro and then proactively withdrew.

Moro remained expressionless. "Next."

Time passed bit by bit, and dozens of people were tested one by one, but unfortunately, not a single person possessed talent.

At that moment, a young man with a loyal and honest appearance felt a flash of brilliance in his eyes after touching the Talent Ball.

"I just felt a gentle breeze blow before me, as if I were placed in an ocean of wind." The young man made a gesture as if embracing the sky, a look of enjoyment on his face.

"A... a change? A talented person has appeared?!" Count Eaton, standing aside, cried out in surprise. He had completely not expected that while no talented person had appeared in the Imperial Capital, one would appear here in the countryside?

Leon's expression also became excited, and he happily asked Head Maid Mana about the young man's identity.

Looking at the seemingly honest young man, Head Maid Mana's lip twitched coldly. This person had a particularly poor reputation in the manor; she hadn't expected such a person to actually possess talent! While cursing the Goddess of Luck for being too biased in her heart, Mana replied in a low voice, "He is the son of the gardener, Grant; his name is Fox."

Fox? Leon had not heard of him, but it was no big deal; there were many servants in the manor, so it was normal not to know everyone.

Leon said happily to Mana, "In a moment, take one hundred gold coins from the storehouse and reward..."

"Wait."

Suddenly, Moro's deep voice rang through the room.

When Fox had heard Leon mention a reward, his eyes had been filled with pride; but upon hearing Moro's voice, he immediately withered, his forehead covered in large and small beads of sweat.

"An ocean of wind? Heh... In the Imperial Capital, no one dared to deceive me; I didn't expect that here, someone would actually dare to make up stories right in front of my face. Do you truly think a White Wizard has no temper?"

After saying this, Moro let out a cold snort, and a violent gale swirled around Fox.

"Since you want to be in an ocean of wind, then I shall fulfill your wish. Taste this 'Whisper of the Wind'!"

After a burst of screaming, Fox was blown out of the window by the whirlwind, falling from the high third floor to the ground, his wails and cries continuous.

Leon's face turned pale. "Mr. Moro, what is going on? Was Fox lying?"

Moro sneered, "Although 'changes' can only be seen by the person involved and cannot be known by outsiders, once a 'change' occurs, the Talent Ball will flash with light to alert me of the appearance of a talented person."

Once Moro finished speaking, everyone naturally understood the cause and effect.

They had been watching the whole time, and the Talent Ball had not flashed once from beginning to end; clearly, Fox had been lying just now.

After hearing this, a trace of suppressed anger appeared on Leon's face, and he said to Head Maid Mana, "From tomorrow onwards, I do not want to see Fox in Gru Town again."

Mana bowed, gave a low response, and exited the room.

The crowd no longer paid attention to Fox's fate. Moro straightened his robes, tucked away his impatient expression, and continued the testing...

Two hourglasses passed, and all the servants had finished testing, including Head Maid Mana and the guarding knights; not a single person possessed talent.

At this time, Moro turned his gaze toward Angier.

Angier knew it was his turn.

...

"I'll go first. I am also very interested in Wizards. I heard Mr. Moro say just now that Wizards possess long lives and are immortal; that is exactly what I long for." Leon blocked Angier and sat in front of Moro. "If life is long, I can see more scenery; I want to witness all the beauty in this world."

Seeing his brother step forward, Angier did not retreat, but instead sat down beside Leon.

"You first." Angier made a fist-clenching gesture toward Leon, a gesture they used to encourage each other when they were children.

Leon smiled and rubbed Angier's soft hair, then gave a slight smile and reached his hand toward the Talent Ball.

The white sands of time in the hourglass fell slowly. Leon's eyes slowly scanned the room, trying to find the "change."

One minute passed. Leon's eyes were filled with deep disappointment, and then he released his hand from the Talent Ball.

"It seems... I have no talent," Leon said regretfully. Within that minute, he had not discovered anything changing. Just as Moro had said, talented people were indeed too rare.

"It's up to you." Leon patted Angier's shoulder.

Angier nodded and slowly placed his hand on the smooth, moist surface of the Talent Ball.