[Three Days Later]
"Huff... Huff..."
Derek slowly rose to his feet despite the extreme lightheadedness he felt.
[Congratulations. We have reached the minimum threshold necessary for premature Magia Circuits to be established throughout your body. Most of these channels cannot yet be used to release Magia from your Central Path, but the basic framework has been made.]
"Thanks... Max." Derek smiled weakly while rubbing his head. "You really worked hard all this time."
[It’s no problem at all. More importantly, how are you feeling? Your body should be in a poor state at the moment. You need to rest as quickly as possible.]
"I’ve... been better." Derek sighed, feeling another spell of dizziness assail him.
Ever since he finished the mandatory breakfast and successfully registered for the Confirmation Ritual, his body had been exerted nonstop in order to draw in and disperse as much Magia as possible to develop his Magia Circuits.
There were no breaks in between.
Naturally, Derek hadn’t remained awake throughout this process.
However, now that it was all over and Max had returned control over his body to him, he could feel an overwhelming wave of weakness threaten to send him unconscious.
Still, he endured and maintained a standing posture for a few seconds to get his bearings right.
"Even with the constant use of [Invigorate] and Max’s help regenerating my body, I suppose there’s no true replacement for proper rest..." He bitterly muttered this while slowly walking out of his room to freshen up.
[Sleeping for at least 12 hours should help you recover a lot of your strength, but I advise that you sleep for a whole day to return to optimal condition.]
"Unfortunately, I can’t do that yet..." Derek smiled wryly.
[But, Host...]
"The reason I made you overwork is because we’re in a race against time. I need to finish the Confirmation Ritual before my siblings arrive. Once that’s done, I can have as much rest as possible."
Max was silent for some time before it finally let out one word.
[Alright.]
.....
The Internal Affairs Hall was not as grand as the Central Building, but it was many times bigger than Derek’s home.
Its compound was at least a dozen acres of land, with different small buildings scattered around the busy field.
Many workers could be seen keeping themselves busy, either with household logistics such as general groceries, repairs, salary disbursement, allowances, and the overall budget included in many divisions within the Estate.
All of the important decisions still required Melanie’s approval, but this was where most of the affairs of the Lewis Household were resolved.
Derek felt several gazes on him as he entered the compound and made his way towards a certain building.
It was smaller than many others, but it had a certain pristine image about it.
Despite being a bungalow, the building looked like a small palace, with four pillars at its cardinal points. It had a pitch-black, almost obsidian hue, with a glossy texture that swallowed sunlight and gleamed with eerie brilliance.
Derek walked into the hall only after showing a ’pass’ that he had obtained a few days earlier.
Once he entered, an oppressive feeling immediately enveloped his body.
It felt like he had grown several times heavier within the span of only a few seconds.
At first, Derek assumed it was because of his exhaustion.
However, once he took a few more steps forward and noticed an old man smiling at him from a distance, he knew it had to be something else.
"You could feel it, huh? That shows you’re not Inept at least..."
The old man, who now slowly approached him, was dressed in a simple all-black hooded robe, with silver embroidery elevating it to a higher level of luxury. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
He was shorter than Derek, with a thin and lanky build. His pitch-black eyes revealed a mix of wisdom and mystery, while his completely bald head shone within the hall.
Derek held his breath in his presence.
This man was one of the Lewis Family’s most esteemed stewards, and the groundskeeper of this particular building.
He oversaw the Confirmation Ritual without bias and had witnessed at least three generations of Magi during his tenure.
The only other time Derek had met him was during his first Confirmation Ritual, in which he failed miserably and was labeled an Inept.
Back then, the old man had a frown on his face the moment Derek stepped in.
His younger self had thought it was because—just like the others—perhaps the old man also despised him for the matriarch’s death.
But it all made sense to Derek now.
’I didn’t feel any pressure upon entry, so he knew I was Inept...’ Derek parted his lips to say something, but words failed him at that moment.
He could only nod and smile.
’It seems taking the Confirmation Ritual is less about determining if one can be a Magus, but more so the talent the Magus possesses.’
"Come with me. Let’s get this over with quickly." The old man chuckled loudly as he walked away, using his walking stick to support his hunched and slightly frail frame.
The sleek and smooth wooden cane made rhythmic noises, its clacking sounds painting a foreboding image as the two advanced towards a secluded room.
Within it was a large circle, filled with all kinds of strange symbols.
It was a Runic Circle.
"Step into it."
The old man’s words were direct, and Derek obeyed without a moment’s thought.
It was possible that this was another trap.
Perhaps entering the circle would kill him without leaving a trace.
But that wasn’t likely.
The old man, whose name only the family patriarch knew, was shrouded in mystery, and for good reason.
He stayed out of family politics and lived a mostly secluded life.
Someone like him, who had remained loyal through three generations of Lewis Family Magi, would not be a conspirator in an attempt on his life.
This assurance emboldened Derek as he stood still within the circle.
Not too long after, it began to glow.
The runic symbols lit up one after another, initially revealing traces of white before transforming into other more diverse colors.
At first, the old man was quiet.
He simply watched with a passive, almost bored smile. Having done this countless times, he couldn’t be impressed by such a routine process, after all.
However—
"E-eh?"
—His expression slowly began to change as time passed.
The runic symbols kept lighting up, contrary to his expectations, each color getting brighter than the last.
’How is this possible?!’ The old geezer asked himself in disbelief.
’Most Inepts will never develop a Magia Circuit. There are rare instances where Inepts end up possessing Central Paths and ultimately developing a Magia Circuit at a later point in their life, but their talent usually caps at E Grade. The highest possible result would be the lower echelon of D Grade.’
As his thoughts rapidly fired, so did the vast body of light continue to burst forth.
It had already surpassed the C Grade threshold.
Then, it passed the B Grade mark as well.
It was already slowly approaching the A- Grade point when a loud knock on the room’s door could be heard.
"Who the hell is that?" The old man barked in annoyance. "Go away! Can’t you see we’re busy here?!"
The door slowly opened to reveal none other than Melanie.
—The interim head of household.
"A-ah... Lady Melanie..." The old man quickly changed his tone, though his anger at the interruption still remained evident on his face.
"I apologize for interrupting, but I have come to fetch my brother. Our siblings have just returned, and he has to come with me to welcome them."
Although Melanie spoke in a casual tone, her eyes immediately flickered with strange light once she noticed the odd scenario that was playing out in the room.
’This is...!’
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say anything further. Instead, the old man interrupted the tense silence.
"A-ah... Is that so...? Well, the Confirmation Ritual is almost complete. Just a few more seconds and we’ll know... Oh my goodness... it has exceeded A Minus tier! It’s approaching A Plus!"
Melanie’s eyes twitched a little upon hearing those words.
As someone who had D Grade Talent herself, hearing that her previously Inept brother was going to attain the highest grade of talent attainable through ordinary means was ridiculous, to say the least.
However, she controlled her countenance and only watched.
Until—
FSHUUUU....
The Runic Circle slowly whirred out of life as the brilliant lights turned off one after the other, until everything returned to its original dim state.
Derek opened his eyes at this moment, stunned by the presence of his older sister and the shocked expression of the old man in front of him.
"How did I do...?" He nervously asked, fighting back the exhaustion and worry that assailed him at the same time.
The old man was trembling as he looked at Derek.
Tears trickled down his face.
"You really are the hope of the Lewis Household. The Goddess has not forsaken us yet..."
Derek felt uncomfortable with that statement. He glanced at his older sister and immediately caught her frown.
However, before he could say anything, the old man broke the news to him.
"Congratulations, Derek Lewis! You passed the Confirmation Ritual with an A Plus Talent Grade. Your Central Path has accumulated a hundred percent Magia, and your Magia Circuits have no inherent problems detected."
Upon hearing those words, Derek felt a great surge of relief.
The most difficult hurdle had finally been crossed.
"Stand proud, boy!" The old man folded his arms as he loudly laughed. "You now have what it takes to become a Magus!"