The Blessings

Chapter 40: The Crystal's Judgment

The Hall of Harmony slowly emptied as scholars and visitors poured into the streets of Astraea.

"The Mana Affinity Examination is beginning!"

"I heard students from the Royal Academy are participating!"

"They say the crystal has never been wrong!"

Excited conversations echoed throughout the city.

Echo walked alongside the others, trying to process everything he had seen since arriving at the capital.

"...So what exactly is this examination?"

Edric glanced over his shoulder.

"The Mana Affinity Examination determines a mage's natural affinities."

"Fire, water, healing, spirit, enchantment—things like that."

Echo tilted his head.

"And if someone doesn't have one?"

The group grew unexpectedly quiet.

Edric eventually smiled.

"Everyone has at least one."

"Oh."

Echo thought for a moment.

"...What if I get something embarrassing?"

Kodie looked at him.

"You've already done that several times today."

"I walked into one sign."

"It was three."

Mira quietly laughed while Dorothy shook her head with a smile.

---

The Royal Plaza was magnificent.

Thousands of spectators surrounded a massive crystal standing proudly at its center.

It towered over the crowd, its surface covered in countless glowing symbols that shifted continuously like stars across a night sky.

Royal guards stood around its base.

Scholars occupied the upper platforms.

Guild representatives from across the kingdom watched from reserved seating.

A giant banner floated overhead:

«Annual Mana Affinity Examination»

Echo stared upward.

"...That thing is enormous."

"It was created over six hundred years ago," Edric explained.

"According to history..."

"...it has never made an incorrect judgment."

Echo immediately crossed his arms.

"I don't trust it."

Dorothy raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't even touched it yet."

"Exactly."

---

The examination began.

One by one, participants approached the crystal.

A young boy placed his hand upon its surface.

«Fire Affinity: B»

Polite applause followed.

Next came a young woman.

«Water Affinity: A

Ice Affinity: C»

Another.

«Earth Affinity: B

Metal Affinity: C»

Echo watched with fascination.

"So people can have more than one affinity?"

Edric nodded.

"Most mages possess one or two."

"The more talented often possess three."

"And legendary mages?"

Edric looked toward the crystal.

"They're remembered not for the number of affinities they possess..."

"...but for the rarity of the ones they do."

Echo quietly repeated those words.

At the time...

He didn't realize how important they would soon become.

---

Hours passed.

Some participants celebrated.

Others looked disappointed.

One particularly dramatic noble collapsed to his knees after receiving a D-rank affinity.

Echo pointed toward him.

"...Should someone check on him?"

"He'll recover."

"How do you know?"

"This happens every year."

---

Suddenly, the crowd erupted into cheers.

"Lord Cassian!"

"The Royal Academy's prodigy!"

A young noble stepped onto the platform with practiced confidence.

Blue mana swirled around him as he placed his hand upon the crystal.

«Water Affinity: S

Ice Affinity: A»

The plaza exploded into applause.

Even Echo looked impressed.

"...Okay."

"That was pretty cool."

Cassian smiled proudly before stepping down from the platform.

His eyes briefly met Echo's simple traveling clothes.

He raised an eyebrow.

Echo immediately frowned.

"...I don't think he likes me."

"You've never met him."

"I can feel it."

---

"Edric of the Verdant Guild."

The crowd immediately began whispering.

"The Young Master!"

Edric sighed.

"I was hoping that title wouldn't follow me here."

He stepped onto the platform.

The crystal emitted a brilliant emerald glow.

«Healing Affinity: A

Plant Affinity: A

Alchemy Affinity: B»

"The Verdant Guild truly chose well."

"Two A-rank affinities..."

"The future Guild Master."

Echo grinned as Edric returned.

"I knew you were hiding something."

"I'm beginning to regret introducing myself."

---

"Mira."

Mira visibly tensed before stepping forward.

She gently placed her hand upon the crystal.

Soft golden light spread across the platform, accompanied by gentle streams of blue mana.

«Healing Affinity: A

Light Affinity: B

Water Affinity: C»

The crowd immediately began whispering.

"Healing Affinity: A?"

"At her age?"

"She'll become an exceptional healer one day."

"And Light affinity as well..."

Dorothy's expression softened ever so slightly.

Mira hurried back to the group, her face completely red.

"I wasn't expecting everyone to stare."

Echo smiled.

"Too late now."

---

"Kodie."

Without a word, Kodie walked onto the platform.

For several moments...

Nothing happened.

Then a calm silver-green light illuminated the plaza.

«Spirit Affinity: A

Nature Affinity: A

Wind Affinity: B»

This time...

Even the scholars began murmuring.

"Spirit affinity?"

"That's uncommon."

"And Nature as well?"

"No wonder Lady Dorothy accepted him as her student."

Kodie simply stepped down as though nothing unusual had happened.

Echo stared at him.

"You've been secretly impressive this whole time?"

Kodie looked back.

"I assumed you noticed."

"I did not."

"I know."

Even Dorothy couldn't suppress a small smile.

---

Finally...

The official looked toward the remaining participants.

"Echo."

Echo pointed at himself.

"...Me?"

"No."

"The other Echo."

"Oh."

The official sighed.

"Yes. You."

Laughter spread through the nearby crowd.

Echo slowly climbed onto the platform.

For the first time all day...

He felt nervous.

He looked back toward Dorothy.

"What if it says I'm terrible?"

Dorothy smiled gently.

"Then you'll simply continue improving."

"...That's surprisingly comforting."

"It wasn't meant to be."

---

Echo slowly placed his hand upon the crystal.

Nothing happened.

The plaza grew quiet.

"...Did it stop working?"

"Has that ever happened before?"

Echo slowly looked up.

"...See?"

"I told you I didn't trust it."

Then...

The crystal began to glow.

Every symbol across its surface illuminated simultaneously.

Red.

Blue.

Gold.

Silver.

Green.

One after another...

Every known affinity appeared.

«Fire.

Water.

Earth.

Wind.

Healing.

Light.

Shadow.

Spirit.

Nature.»

The crystal trembled violently.

The scholars rose from their seats.

"What is happening?!"

"Impossible!"

Even Dorothy's expression changed.

Then...

Every symbol disappeared.

Silence.

Only one remained.

An ancient mark.

A spiral surrounded by seven waves.

Lyra immediately stood.

"No..."

The elderly scholar from the Hall of Harmony nearly dropped his staff.

"That symbol..."

"...It cannot be."

Echo looked around in confusion.

"...Did I break it?"

No one answered.

The crystal released one final pulse of light.

Ancient words slowly appeared across its surface.

«Designation: Unknown

Resonance Detected

Classification: Lost»

The entire Royal Plaza fell silent.

Echo slowly turned toward the others.

"...Is 'Lost' a good thing?"

Nobody seemed to know.

Far above Astraea...

Hidden atop the highest tower of the Royal Academy...

A hooded figure quietly opened their eyes.

"So..."

"...after all these centuries..."

"...the world remembers."

The evening wind carried those words across the city.

And for the first time in hundreds of years...

The ancient magic of Resonance had awakened once more.

---

End of Chapter 40

«History remembers the powerful.

Legends remember the extraordinary.

But once in an age, someone appears who forces the world to remember what it chose to forget.»