Only Heroes Possess Both
Roy had barely made it back to the chapel.
Did I come back too soon?
Children eager to pass the test quickly and show off were already lined up at the front, waiting their turn. A few who had stumbled midway through the chant were shoved to the very back of the line, looking either crushed or on the verge of tears.
"Huh? Young Master Roy!"
Theo and Sion, boys from the branch families, spotted him and hurried over. Both wore proud faces; clearly they had already finished their attribute tests.
"Did Young Master Roy succeed as well?"
Roy gave a light nod.
"Oh, of course! Now among us nobles, only Bella still needs to pass."
He turned his head. Bella stood at the very front of the line, diligently reciting the chant. The next holy sword would make it her turn.
"If it isn't too rude, may I ask what attributes Young Master Roy received?"
Roy held up four fingers for Theo. It meant every attribute had appeared—except the holy one.
"R-really? Wow… Sion and I only got three each."
"Amazing. Anna had three too."
"Young Master Roy's older sister, Lady Anna?"
"Yeah."
"Ohh, I see. Then Young Master Roy is the most impressive of all."
Roy smiled lightly. He had no intention of getting puffed up over children's praise, yet the thought of the other talents he had kept to himself made a smile rise on its own.
Through the Dragon's Breath his mana capacity had already surged dramatically; this life looked like it would be worth living after all. And if, just as the spirit of the Golden Eyes had said, he gathered every remaining Dragon's Breath and drank them all?
The day he would finally be called a sage—something he had longed for so fiercely—would not be far off.
I will make it happen. No matter what.
"Huh? It's Bella's turn now."
At Sion's voice, Roy looked toward Bella, who had begun her chant. Small, round-cheeked, and timid—yet that very quality drew the eye all the more. She had been born with mana talent that rivaled Anna's; within this territory, at least, she ranked among the finest. Raised properly, she would become a thoroughly useful talent.
"Oh! Looks like she succeeded on the first try."
"Of course she did. She's a noble."
The little girl who had been scrunched up with nerves finally let her face relax once she passed in a single attempt. Flushed, she listened to the priest explain her attributes, then began glancing around. Her eyes met Roy's.
"……!"
A brilliant smile bloomed across her face at once. She scurried toward him—only to stop a few steps short and start fidgeting again.
"You succeeded in one go."
"Yes…"
"Amazing. Congratulations."
Her already large eyes grew even wider.
"Th-thank you."
"So. What attributes did you get?"
"I-I got all of them. Except holy."
"Is that so?"
At that moment the boy named Sion cut in. Theo's bulk made the already small-for-his-age Sion look even tinier.
"Is that really true?"
Bella only nodded without answering him. Conversation with other children still seemed to put her on edge.
"You're not lying, right? You're really the same as Young Master Roy?"
Sorry, but I got more than ten. Kid.
The boy shot a quick glance at Roy, worried that Bella claiming equality might have ruffled him. That was why he had stepped forward to cut her down first.
Catching on, Roy gave a soft snort and deliberately stroked Bella's head for all to see.
"Well done. I like talented people. Of course, I like people with even greater skill more."
The girl, who had been savoring his touch for a moment, startled and composed her expression. The two unwelcome boys were staring hard at her from right beside them.
"Bella. Next time we meet, surprise me even more. I'll be looking forward to it."
"Okay. Bella will work hard."
"Don't work too hard. Train your body as much as your magic. If a friend gets sick, it makes me sad—so stay healthy."
"Okay."
Bella steeled herself.
Next time… I can meet him again. Because we're friends.
While stroking Bella's hair, Roy spoke to the two boys as well.
"You two are the same. Earlier you said you wanted to be my friends, didn't you? For that, you need matching skill and character. Remember I invited you to my birthday? When the day comes, make sure you don't embarrass yourselves in front of my father."
Both boys nodded vigorously.
"And…"
Roy searched for the son and daughter of the weapons shop and general store he had noticed earlier. Both had already passed the test and were glancing his way from a corner.
"Sion. Go fetch those two. The weapons-shop and general-store kids."
"Yes!"
Sion dashed off in high spirits. Receiving a direct order from Roy seemed to delight him thoroughly. The boy dreamed of entering the future lord's mansion as a butler, so the reaction was only natural.
"Did you call for us?"
"Yeah. You two remember I invited you earlier, right?"
"Yes!"
"How could we forget that?"
"Anyway, persuade the adults properly by then, and don't mess everything up by causing some stupid accident."
"Yes."
Well. Is this the end of the vessels worth cultivating here?
The so-called "commoner mutants" Roy truly wanted were nowhere to be seen. There was no need to open his Golden Eyes and check the children's mana talent; outstanding ones revealed themselves on their own.
Phew… I'm exhausted.
Turning seven had improved things a little, yet this was still his limit. Drained, Roy slipped behind Theo's broad back and pulled out the cookie Anna had secretly pressed into his hand. Sorry, but there were too few to share with the others.
Bella mumbled beside him with the eyes of a hungry cat.
"Friend…"
In the end Roy pushed the last remaining cookie into her mouth and slowly stroked her hair.
Evening of the first day of the baptism ceremony.
The High Priest found a priest hard at work before the underground altar, drawing mana from the holy swords and sorting it by attribute.
"High Priest. What brings you here?"
"Is the work finished?"
"Yes. Look here."
"Hmm. The amount is rather small this time."
"Yes. The number of noble children was unusually low this year."
"If you're done, extract the mana from this one as well."
The High Priest handed over a holy sword wrapped in fine cloth. Seeing its color, the priest asked in puzzlement.
"What is this? Looking at the quantity and the jumbled colors, is this the gathered result from several people in one blade? I even see hues I've never encountered in my life…"
"Well, let's leave it at that."
"Then I'll draw out the mana contained here at once."
The great formation carved into the floor began to glow softly in response to the priest's mana. It was a magic circle that classified the mana stored in a holy sword by attribute and transferred each type into the jet-black stones set at their respective positions—fire with fire, water with water, and holy with holy.
A jet-black stone holding only a single attribute was far more valuable than one mixed with many. Naturally so: one could select the right stone for each purpose. The work was essential if precious mana was to be used with maximum efficiency and no waste. Holy mana, in particular, repelled other attributes so violently that separation was mandatory.
"Th-this can't be…"
The High Priest's reaction as he watched was far from ordinary.
"Why… is that? Is something wrong? Shall I stop at once?"
"Ah—no. Continue."
The reason for his shock was this: among the jet-black stones now being charged by the mana flowing out of the sword, the one that gathered holy mana was glowing.
Roy's attribute talents were so diverse that every other stone lighting up could be accepted. Rare though they were, such geniuses were occasionally born. But why was the holy-attribute stone shining?
Holy mana and every other type were natural enemies. They never manifested together. Or rather—there was one exception. Once every several decades or centuries, it was said, a person was born who possessed both holy mana and all the rest.
The High Priest could scarcely accept that the tale he had heard only as rumor—so absurd he had dismissed it as a joke—was unfolding before his very eyes.
"High Priest?"
"Wh-what."
"What do you mean? It's finished. The amount collected from the children today and what you just handed me are almost identical. Where on earth did you gather this? Holy mana can be requested from the priests, but the rest… High Priest?"
"Ahh. I was lost in thought for a moment."
"Tired already? It's only the first day. You'll need your strength if we're to finish both the baptism and the coming-of-age rites safely."
"Who said I was tired?"
"Hahaha. Still in good health, I see."
The High Priest heard none of the priest's chatter.
"You. Let me ask just one thing."
"Yes."
"Have there ever been heroes born of baron houses? Weren't most of them of royal blood? You need mana of that caliber to be a hero, don't you?"
"Oh, High Priest, you don't know? I'm not sure about barons, but there's that one—the commoner hero born in a stable. The Karok legend."
"Come now. Who believes that! Not just anyone becomes a hero. That story was invented to make commoners feel better."
"Still, who knows? Mutants exist, they say. Why, about ten years ago there was one in Visvalt—an extremely powerful mutant woman. The rumors were flying everywhere."
"If you're going to spout nonsense, stop. Finish cleaning up here and go rest. Tomorrow will be busy from first light."
"Yes. You should rest as well, High Priest."
Left alone, the High Priest repeated the same words over and over in his mind.
Impossible… No, even so…
A being born with talent for both holy mana and every other attribute at once. As far as the High Priest knew, only one such existence had ever walked the world—the Hero.