Chapter 100: First Circle ceremony (1)
When they finally called Renard’s name, he walked up to the crystal. His heart was beating fast, but he tried to look calm. The crystal seemed to glow brighter as he got closer, like it could sense something about him.
Renard put his hands on the warm crystal surface. It felt smooth and warm under his palms. He let a small amount of his inner energy flow out, being very careful not to let too much escape.
The crystal started reacting right away. It glowed brighter and he could feel it poking around inside his energy, trying to figure out what kind of magic he had. The feeling was strange—like someone was looking through his thoughts and feelings.
Different parts of the crystal started lighting up as it found different types of magic in him. The red part pulsed when it found his angry energy that could work with fire magic. The green section flickered when it sensed his connection to animals. Even the purple part lit up briefly when it detected the power from his blood crests.
Renard knew he had to be careful. He couldn’t let the crystal see everything. So he guided his energy, making the fire part stronger while hiding the other parts. He wanted to seem good at magic, but not so good that people would ask too many questions.
The crystal kept checking him for almost a full minute. That was longer than most other students. Renard started to worry that something was wrong. Finally, the red section blazed with bright light while the other colors faded away.
"Fire magic, very strong," Elder Miriam said, writing notes. "You’ll train with Teacher Blaze."
Renard nodded and walked back to his seat. He felt relieved. Fire magic was perfect—it was common enough that people wouldn’t stare at him, but strong enough to get him good training. It also made sense for a farm boy to have fire magic.
As he sat down, Renard thought about what just happened. The crystal had almost found his other powers. He would have to be more careful in the future. If anyone discovered what he really was, his mission would be over before it started.
But for now, he had passed the test. He was officially a fire magic student, and that would give him the cover he needed to move around the monastery and search for Hobbren’s daughter.