Chapter 17
“Now, do you understand?”
“……”
“I don’t think there’s any room left for objection, so I hereby declare it.”
I felt like I should struggle, that I had to resist somehow—but I couldn’t do anything at all.
For the first time in my life, I, Burpure, felt such a crushing sense of helplessness.
“Today’s winner is Lady Calmia!”
The moment the victor was declared, all strength drained from my body.
It must have been the release of tension, after holding myself so tightly wound.
But I couldn’t afford to show weakness yet, so I clenched my fists hard to endure it.
Thankfully, Banshee noticed quickly and supported me down to the floor from the wall.
I was too exhausted to calculate a proper summoning spell for descent, so her help was more than welcome.
Still… all those nights of study weren’t wasted after all.
The endless memorization of summoning circles, the careful work of fixing coordinates and calculating time intervals—it had all paid off.
I had buried myself in theory, fought my way to first place in exams, and yet… deep down, I had always been afraid.
What if… what if I never awakened dark magic for the rest of my life?
That fear wasn’t unfounded.
After all, I was a “saintess” who lacked a Dark Core altogether.
But even against such odds, I had made it.
I miss you, Father…
The thought struck me as I touched down on the ground—just as the door at the far end of the stage opened.
“Pay your respects to the Great Lord!”
Banshee bowed deeply.
I and the eliminated children also hurried to show our courtesy.
“So, the victor of this exhibition has been decided.”
“Yes, Great Lord.”
Grandfather acknowledged the greeting with a curt nod, then approached me.
His sharp gaze fell heavily upon me.
“Your calculations and application were not bad, child.”
“I memorized them really hard!”
He turned to those who had followed him in—his second son, Durun, and his third daughter, Audrey.
“And what do you think?”
Durun, my uncle, was handsome in the same way as Grandfather—his jet-black hair marking him as a true child of the bloodline.
Only, age had added a little softness to his features, giving him a somewhat benevolent look compared to the others.
Audrey, my youngest aunt, was different—her hair was a deep green.
That difference had been a lifelong source of insecurity for her, and I knew she had often tormented my father, who most resembled Grandfather.
Naturally, I did not like her very much.
Not that my uncle is much better—always hiding behind that fake smile.
Sure enough, Durun smiled and praised me.
“Remarkable indeed. Honestly, when I was Core Level One, I was so witless I could barely tell left from right. Truly, you take after Silvan’s daughter.”
Just yesterday he had said I was a pitiful child who should be quietly dismissed. His two-facedness was so typical of him.
Audrey chimed in sweetly.
“Yes, it’s hard to believe she only just began using magic yesterday. Then again, Silvan was always flawless when it came to magic.”
Which, of course, implied “but everything else about him was a disaster.”
Really… why are Father’s siblings—aside from my eldest aunt—all so detestable?
But of course, I only bowed politely and feigned ignorance.
“Thank you very much for your kind words!”
“Keep working hard.”
“You’ve done well.”
It was clear as day—their attitudes had completely shifted.
To them, I had once been nothing but a useless child likely to be cast out.
Now, I was on the verge of stepping into the main family as a competitor to their children.
The next Great Lord would certainly not come from my grandfather’s own children.
My father—the most brilliant black magician of them all—had no desire for the position, rejecting it outright.
My eldest aunt had married into another family.
Durun and Audrey both had ambition but lacked the talent.
And the collateral branches were beneath consideration.
But among my generation, many had already shown exceptional skill. The race for succession had begun in earnest.
“Then, shall I move forward with the proposal to bring Calmia Halroren into the main household—”
“Wait!”
A sudden voice cut in.
From the door entered Burpure’s mother, Lady Mari Feydel.
Following behind her were Andromalius and my father.
“…What is this?” Grandfather frowned.
Mari Feydel immediately knelt, speaking hurriedly.
“I apologize for disturbing your decision, Great Lord. But before you finalize anything, there is something you must know.”
“Something I must know?”
“It concerns the incident just now, when the children’s magic was sealed.”
“Has the cause been found?”
“Yes. The bottle that once contained Behemoth’s Grapes has been tested… and nothing was detected!”
“……”
“Which leaves us with only two possibilities. Either that bottle was not the cause… or…”
Her eyes turned on me with triumph.
“…this child destroyed the evidence.”
“……”
As expected.
The defining trait of Gelexo was that its components evaporated with time, leaving no trace.
That was why she looked so confident now.
But this isn’t the end. Not at all.
Because poisons that evaporated so quickly were rare, and thus, traceable.
As I had hoped, Father spoke up calmly.
“No… there is still another possibility.”
Grandfather’s eyes lit with intrigue.
“Another possibility?”
“Yes. Among poisons that erase magical power, there exists one whose components vanish entirely after twelve hours… Gelexo.”
Mari sneered.
“Hah! If that’s so, then why is that other child—who also drank from the bottle—perfectly fine?”
“……”
“Unless… you were the one who tried to poison them, and now you’re covering your tracks with your daughter!”
Father cut her off sharply, far more forceful than usual.
“I told you before—we will settle this fairly.”
He turned to Grandfather.
“Father.”
“Mm.”
“Gelexo… does not affect those who have reached Core Level Two or higher. It is too weak a poison for that.”
“……”
“Therefore, I believe… Calmia has already awakened as a Core Level Two black magician.”
“Absurd!” Mari shrieked.
Before the words had even left her lips—
CRACK!
A bolt of blood-red lightning struck the floor before her, so close it nearly tore through her body.
Mari gasped, frozen in terror.
The precision, the speed, the sheer control—unmistakably my father’s work.
“Feydel Mistress… you really should stop now.”
His tone was languid as ever, even as his magic bristled with killing intent.
“We already tolerated your outburst, barging in before the Great Lord with baseless accusations. Now, perhaps you should stay quiet… and let us speak.”
“You—you dare threaten me!?”
“Silence.”
It was only a single, quiet word from Grandfather.
But the entire room froze over as though encased in ice.
Mari lowered her gaze at once, while Father squinted but said no more.
Then, Grandfather turned a smiling rebuke upon Andromalius, who had thus far done nothing but watch with amusement.
“And what have you been doing while things reached this state?”
“Ah, Great Lord, what could a powerless demon do, caught between such forces? Still, I’ve gathered all the information I need, so please forgive me.”
“Then speak.”
“Indeed, Lady Feydel’s claim is not without merit. After all, proving that Lady Calmia has truly reached Core Level Two is not a simple matter.”
“……”
“So one might say… perhaps she is only pretending to be a Core Level Two black magician, just to buy herself some time.”
“Yes—that is exactly my point!” Mari cried, nodding furiously, seizing on Andromalius’s words like a lifeline.
