Chapter 235

Attribute Stones were usually formed naturally and were also referred to as traces of spirits, but they could also be manufactured artificially.

In the case of those gems emitting brilliant light inside the beautiful case, they were Attribute Stones specially crafted by Harden for the students.

The four basic attributes of water, fire, earth, and wind.

“From now on, you will learn how to handle various attributes, but for now, we will find just one more among these basic attributes. If you touch an Attribute Stone of your choice and use its attribute even a little, you will pass the pop quiz.”

—Oh! This seems doable?

—A single attribute shouldn’t be too hard…

The students reacted positively.

Perhaps because the exam seemed less difficult than they had thought, or because Eucherim had found their primary attributes so easily that they didn’t really feel the weight of it.

However, Roan knew.

‘This exam is harder than they think.’

He knew it was an exam with a certain degree of difficulty, where about 30% of the students would fail time after time.

Furthermore, it was even trickier because it was closer to testing talent rather than skill.

Originally, the standard way to search for a secondary attribute was not by holding an Attribute Stone like that for an exam, but by praying diligently in an environment rich in that attribute until one mastered it.

They had to consider themselves lucky that they could get by like this, thanks to Harden’s help.

At this point, if there was any skill involved, it was calculating which attribute suited one best and recalling a useful prayer.

Seeing that the students seemed too optimistic, Anne shared her own story.

“It is a simple exam, but it is not an easy one. In my case, my original attribute was wind, but when I became Lord Eucherim’s incarnation, I became able to use the light attribute. Ah, of course, a rare attribute like light is extremely difficult to adopt as a secondary attribute. And even for a common secondary attribute, you have to train for years to use it like your primary attribute.”

—Ugh… isn’t the exam too difficult?

—I can’t even use my primary attribute properly yet…

Anne’s story was even more effective than she had anticipated.

Anne wondered if she should cheer the students up again, but decided not to worry about it.

…Even the assistant was gradually adapting to Acherandir in that manner.

Just then, someone among the students raised their hand high.

“Assistant!”

It was Demona.

Anne turned her head very slowly, her reluctance to look in Demona’s direction plain to see.

“Yes, student Wicronon.”

Anne vowed not to be surprised by whatever Demona might say.

“I want to use the dark attribute!”

‘What does she want me to do about it?’

True to her vow, she wasn’t surprised, but she was flustered.

Was she asking to be allowed to use the dark attribute?

Or was she asking about the training method for the dark attribute?

Just as Anne was pondering how to reply.

Roan, who was sitting next to her, scolded Demona.

“What were you listening to just now when Assistant Anne was speaking? Rare attributes like light or dark are extremely hard to use as secondary attributes. Besides, there are only four Attribute Stones over there.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Demona wore a disappointed look.

It seemed she had really just meant she wanted to use it.

Then, as if she had suddenly thought of a way, she asked again.

“If I also become Lord Yorus’s incarnation, will I be able to use the dark attribute?”

“Well, that…”

Anne pondered how she should answer Demona’s question.

She knew for sure that if she gave a proper answer, Demona wouldn’t understand what it meant and would interpret it however she pleased.

…Anne had figured out Demona to some extent after just the first class last week.

Instead, Roan stepped in this time as well.

“Talk to me after you actually become Lord Yorus’s incarnation first.”

Yorus was famous among the gods for rarely ever appointing an incarnation.

“Heeing, okay…”

It was truly a breathtaking explanation customized for Demona!

Demona nodded and agreed.

Even in her own mind, it seemed highly unlikely that Yorus would choose her as his incarnation.

Anne also nodded.

‘Darc is truly an excellent student!’

Just having him mark Demona like that on his own was a huge source of strength from the instructor’s perspective.

At that rate, she felt she could easily let it slide even if he used punitive holy arts on his friend a few times.

“But isn’t it a special privilege to use a rare attribute just because you became an incarnation? I hate things like that.”

—Uh, is that so?

—Is Wicronon really only speaking the truth?

The students tilted their heads, looking back and forth between Anne and Demona.

Anne, who had suddenly become someone who received special privileges, felt extremely wronged.

That wasn’t the case at all!

‘…Wait, is it a privilege?’

However, on second thought, Demona’s words did have some truth to them.

If she hadn’t become Eucherim’s incarnation, would she really have been able to use the light attribute as a secondary attribute?

The mandala, the evidence of her incarnation that hovered behind Anne, began to tremble slightly.

The doubt Demona had casually thrown out had caused even the incarnation’s faith to be tested!

In that situation, Anne looked at Roan without realizing it.

To precise, rather than just looking at him, she turned her face to him to send a rescue request.

…It wasn’t much different.

Roan felt that the situation was turning upside down.

‘No, aren’t you the assistant?’

The person teaching in this class was strictly Anne, not him.

Even if a student asked a slightly awkward question, she should think of a way to answer it, not get caught up in it herself.

Still, a test of an incarnation’s faith was an extremely urgent matter, so he had to step in.

If Eucherim were to descend for no reason, Roan would be the only one losing out.

“That is not a special privilege; it’s a matter of ability and talent. Not just anyone can become an incarnation.”

Honestly, from the perspective of Roan, who was from Earth, being born into a noble family was a much greater privilege.

An incarnation was not something won through a neighborhood game of ddakji; rather, gods or angels carefully selected a child with outstanding talent and compatibility.

Moreover, with Anne being a special case, incarnations usually had to sever ties with the secular world and live alone immediately upon being chosen.

To call that a privilege would be too cruel.

“Demona, are you planning to say that Sion and Senior Yusina also received special privileges?”

When Roan glared at Demona, she surprisingly repented.

“That’s not it… I’m sorry, Sion. I am sorry, Assistant.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Not at all, for asking honestly about what you do not know is a form of beautiful humility.”

At that moment, something very surprising occurred.

*Flashhhhh—!!*

—Ugh, what is that?

—A light suddenly from the sky?!

A brilliant light suddenly gathered on the ceiling of the Great Temple of Nerchiora.

The students felt a familiar energy from that light.

—It’s Professor Eucherim!

It was indeed the holy power of Eucherim, the Angel of Direct Vision.

Naturally, Anne, who would have known this before anyone else, was already kneeling and waiting for the revelation.

*Sssss—*

The energy of Eucherim, which had been shining for a long while, eventually shrank to a single point.

*Flutter—*

It turned into a single palm-sized feather and slowly drifted down.

The feather landed gently in front of Anne.

At the same time, Eucherim’s solemn voice began to be heard by everyone in the waiting room.

“[Thus speaks the Angel of Direct Vision. Who is it that has led Eucherim’s incarnation into temptation? One becomes stronger through black tempering, and one becomes stronger when bones are broken; yet a useless trial only drags the windy world into darkness, so my avatar must watch out and watch out again.]”

“Ah… Lord Eucherim.”

Anne shed tears upon realizing that because she had fallen into temptation, Eucherim had personally delivered his will.

“Roan, he says he’ll give me the dark attribute?”

“He did not say that, so be quiet.”

“Ah, I see…”

After snapping at Demona, Roan glanced at Anne’s mandala.

Its trembling had definitely subsided compared to before.

It seemed she had gained some confidence.

‘If a trial can be overcome, it serves as a stepping stone for growth.’

Anne’s ability as an incarnation had likely developed a step further.

However, Eucherim’s words did not end there.

“Impose a fine of 300 talents on Wicronon.”

—Eh? Who said that?

—It wasn’t Assistant Anne.

Delivering a revelation to an incarnation as an angel and imposing a fine on a student as a professor were separate matters!

“Is—Is he really a fine ghost?”

Just as Demona was looking around, unable to find the source of the voice.

A dark shadow cast over her.

“Huh? Priest?”

It was the priest accompanying Anne.

The priest spoke to Demona with a gentle face.

—Student, your fine is 300 talents.

“Hieeeek! B-But even Assistant Anne said it was okay?”

—Yes, Assistant Anne did.

Meaning he wasn’t okay with it.

Furthermore, since it was a direct instruction from Professor Eucherim, it wouldn’t have mattered even if everyone in the world said it was okay.

‘At any rate, she gets fined in a spectacular fashion.’

Roan was impressed by the scale of the fines Demona kept racking up.

Considering that the fine for not taking a pop quiz was 200 talents, at that rate, it was actually more profitable to simply not show up to class.

Thus, the freshmen’s first pop quiz began.

“Now, student Gaston Deban, come forward and choose. You only have one chance, so be careful.”

—Oh, it’s Gaston Deban.

—Gaston Deban, who wanted to have the Bell of Eternity.

—That guy will also make many black mages cry in the future.

Ever since Espard’s special lecture last time, Gaston Deban had been saddled with an unwanted reputation.

Gaston, whose primary attribute was wind, chose the earth Attribute Stone.

Roan pointed out his mistake.

‘Probability-wise, wind should go with water.’

Not only was the compatibility between the two attributes good, but the water attribute was also statistically the most common.

*Touch—*

Oblivious to that fact, Gaston placed his hand on the Attribute Stone, but.

“Eh?”

Unfortunately, nothing happened.

Anne offered advice from the side.

“Unlike magic, holy power also relies heavily on devout faith in the gods. Try offering a prayer to Deprua, the God of Earth.”

“Ah, yes. O Deprua, I, Gaston Deban, who was born in your embrace and grew up receiving your grace…”

Gaston offered a prayer belatedly, but it still had no effect.

“It is unfortunate, but it seems the earth attribute does not suit student Deban well.”

Anne declared the end of the test, and Gaston returned to his seat dejectedly.

Having seen that the exam was harder than expected, the students engaged in a heated debate over which attribute they should choose.

—My primary is fire, so this time I’ll choose water as its opposite!

—My primary was wind, so if I choose earth, wouldn’t I be able to use a dusty wind?

—Is there no Sacred Combat attribute?

‘Look at these idiots.’

…To Roan’s ears, most of it was just a loud, pointless debate.

Roan looked around at his friends.

“Sion, which attribute are you going to choose?”

“I heard the light attribute matches well with wind. Even Assistant Anne said so. Rippi, what about you?”

“They say earth has good compatibility with fire.”

Still, Sion, Rafia, and Riel did not disappoint Roan’s expectations and were pointing themselves in generally the right direction.

Roan felt satisfied and offered them help.

“Sion. Do you know the prayer to Sowidrin, the God of Wind and Navigation?”

Sion nodded.

“Yes. ‘O Sowidrin, who can go anywhere, in accordance with your will, I also seek to obtain wings…’ Wouldn’t it work if I do this?”

Sion had memorized the standard prayer to Sowidrin.

To Sion, who asked confidently, Roan shook his head.

“That is good, but there is a better prayer.”

“Pardon?”

Sion tilted her head, wondering what he meant.