Chapter 18
Well… this is a special case after all.
Normally, proving one’s Dark Core stage was simple. All you had to do was demonstrate a spell that could only be cast at that stage.
The Dark Core, in a sense, was like the computer installed inside a dark mage’s heart.
A weak old computer lagged and froze just playing a single video, while a high-spec machine could run graphics-heavy 3D games without issue. The Dark Core worked the same way.
If your stage was low, no amount of effort would allow you to cast higher-tier spells requiring complex calculations and dense dark mana.
Over centuries of observation, the range of spells possible at each Core stage had been documented—like a list of minimum specs for different games.
But… this case is ambiguous.
Ascending to the Second Stage immediately upon awakening was extremely rare. Even including the head of the Meitenche family, it was said to be fewer than ten in all of history.
Even so, someone who awakened at Stage 2 likely hadn’t yet learned spells suited to that stage. At best, they would still be studying First Stage spells.
Moreover, a dark mage just after awakening was dangerously unstable. Their magic could fluctuate wildly for up to a year.
That meant if I claimed, “I don’t know how to use Stage 2 spells yet, and my mana is unstable…” — it would end up like Schrödinger’s cat: neither entirely true nor false.
At that moment, Lord Faidel spoke forcefully, his voice sharp with accusation.
“If decent, talented children suffer because of one student’s foul play… wouldn’t that be a loss for Hallloren?”
“…”
“And if such tampering took place, then perhaps that child’s sudden ability to wield dark magic was also due to some other form of cheating.”
“Hmm.”
“Isn’t that far more plausible than the absurd claim that a so-called failure suddenly awakened as a Dark Core Second Stage?”
It was a blatant attack directed at my father.
I looked toward him in worry.
Surprisingly, his expression hadn’t changed. He wasn’t even channeling magic.
And yet… that very calmness radiated a deadly atmosphere, more ominous than any threat.
At last, he opened his mouth.
“And who are you… to pass judgment on my daughter’s potential?”
His words cut short, discarding even the barest courtesy one would show a branch lord.
“Can you… take responsibility for those words?”
“It is you, Lord Silvan, who must take responsibility for your claims once the truth is revealed!”
It was obvious she had colluded with the steward to poison me. She had staked everything on this gambit.
And since no trace of poison had been detected in the Behemoth grapes, she had reason to feel confident.
No matter which way the investigation turned, she believed she could cut off the tail and escape unscathed.
Unless, of course… the impossible happens, and I prove I truly am Dark Core Stage 2.
Grandfather reacted to neither side’s arguments. Instead, he simply fixed his gaze on me.
His ruby-red eyes glimmered strangely—amused, almost expectant.
I don’t know what it is you want from me, Grandfather… but once I learned the poison was Gelekcho, I knew what I had to do.
“I don’t know if my Core is really Stage 2 or not. It’s my first time even feeling it…”
“That much is only natural.”
Grandfather, who had once experienced it himself, answered nonchalantly.
“But if I need to prove it… there is one Stage 2 spell formula I memorized.”
“…”
“I’ll try it.”
During practical sessions, when others trained, I could only study theory.
That made my studies broad, and with my eyes on the future, I often prepared ahead.
Though I feared being mocked for the “foolishness” of memorizing advanced formulas without ever awakening, I had kept it secret.
“Ho… this should be interesting.”
Uncle Durun, watching from the sidelines, crossed his arms with a smirk.
“Mm… but wouldn’t it be unwise to push yourself?”
Aunt chimed in, feigning concern but with a clear challenge behind her words.
Neither of them truly believed I was Stage 2.
But if it turned out to be true… from that moment on, I would become their greatest obstacle.
Even if I joined the main family, I had planned to live quietly in the shadows. But… well, so be it. Let’s do this properly—the path of a dark mage.
“Even if it doesn’t work out, I’ll do my best!”
I thanked my uncle and aunt for their “encouragement,” then met Grandfather’s eyes.
“…May I try?”
“Go ahead.”
His lips curved upward.
“Show us.”
I glanced toward Lady Mari Faidel.
Her face twisted—anger at how things were slipping from her control, mixed with a sneering disbelief that I could possibly be Stage 2.
Ah, the very embodiment of “Burpure.” Always underestimating the opponent to the very end.
I inhaled deeply and focused on restraining the flow of dark mana.
My brain was already fatigued from the heavy calculations I had cast earlier today.
But I had to succeed. Above all, I couldn’t let Father bear false accusations because of me.
And then…
“I believe… Kalmia has awakened directly into Core Stage 2…”
“And who are you… to pass judgment on my daughter’s potential?”
For the father who trusted in me without hesitation, I would not falter.
I stepped forward.
Curiously, there was no fear.
Yes, my mana might spiral out of control, injuring me gravely. Yes, I might fail to complete the spell at all.
Yet this tightrope act thrilled me—the same exhilaration I’d felt earlier, scaling the wall with Burpure in pursuit, performing impossible calculations with each step.
I wanted to do better. To perfect it.
Even if dark magic did not suit me as a Saint, I wanted to create a flawless result.
With that determination, I drew upon my power.
“Let the will of darkness… fall downward.”
The incantation left my lips, dissolving crisply into the air.
Obedient dark mana resonated with the words, shaping itself into form.
The moment was brief, but for me—holding the formula in perfect clarity—it stretched into eternity.
One misstep, and the mana would backfire.
But at last—
KWA-RRRRRR!!!
Darkness rained down.
Ah…
It was the Spear of Darkness, the very spell Burpure had proudly displayed earlier, claiming it as proof of Stage 2.
Yet mine was on an entirely different scale.
Where he had summoned a single spear, I unleashed a storm of countless lances, streaking through the sky like a meteor shower.
I… did it…
I tried to smile, but my facial muscles no longer obeyed.
My body had reached its limits after that extreme concentration.
Slowly, my strength gave out.
No… Father will be worried…
“Mia!”
His voice reached me faintly, just before the world went dark.
The girl’s frail body collapsed as though weightless.
Platinum hair fanned out, leaving ripples of light in the air.
Silvan rushed forward, catching his daughter in his arms.
A quick check assured him it was mere exhaustion. He exhaled a sigh of relief.
But as soon as tenderness crossed his face, it vanished, replaced by an expression colder than ice.
Lifting his head, Silvan turned his gaze upon Lady Mari Faidel.
“…Are you satisfied?”
