As we talked that day, Alexander told me he found me just outside the metal door that lead to the underground cavern that day.
He said that after anybody passes out in the pool, the pool either deems them worthy to live, modifies their body but doesn't reconstruct it and spawns them out of the pool to any random location in the mansion.. or, they're left to die.
And from what he said as he talked to me, it's safe to assume that nobody has ever seen that Phoenix during the ritual before. I'm the first.
I smile wryly.
"Well, it doesn't matter to me. What matters is what the Phoenix told me about my wife, myself, and my destiny. It told me about the mysterious entities that are 'guiding' me towards my destiny. And that my journey begins at Ludia, the city of beginnings.. where the hell is it even located at?"
I mutter to myself. If anyone heard me, they'll think I'm crazy.
"I should wait for now and do proper research and know more about this world. I planned to leave this household after I learn Magic anyway."
I scratch my head.
It's been five months since that gruesome ritual. Much has changed– well.. not much, but somethings have changed.
At least people no longer blatantly gossip and insult me directly or in my presence. I'm staying in the main residence now and.. I go on strolls around the entire mansion whenever I feel like. I'm allowed a little freedom, and that's... About it, that's all that has changed.
Today will be the day that determines whether I learn magic from this family or not, it'll also determine how people will see me from now on– Either as a trash or as a star. And of course it also determines whether I'll be disowned by my family and banished for having an affinity to another element that isn't fire.
I don't really care though, no matter what happens today, it won't affect me, because my goal isn't to become loved by this family or the people, it's to learn magic. And I don't care where I learn it from or which element my mana is in affinity with. It's just that it's easier for me to learn here first and know more about this world than diving into a world I know nothing about, defenseless.
I walk towards my door, determined to go get the detection done with.
__________
"I heard that the Affinity Detection day is always crowded with people, but I didn't know it'll be this crowded."
It's the training grounds of the Mansion, a large spaced area with sand on the ground that causes dust at the slightest movement, the training grounds is big enough to contain... Hundreds of people.
And as I arrive at the training grounds, I see a crowd filled with eager men and women of all types with their children.
They're all here to detect their children's mana affinity, and if by some miracle the child's mana is in affinity with the fire element, their child will be scouted by the Flameworth's household and trained from a young age to become a flame mage and the child's family will be compensated of course.
I look around as I walk in, I can see various carriages parked in a single line at the entrance to the training grounds. They're all from nobles of nearby fiefs, or even from faraway, who knows? And according to Jennette, some of them are from the branch families of the Flameworths.
I slip past the crowd of people standing in the training grounds, most of them are mothers– Commoners, some of them are fathers, and many of the nobles sent their representatives. And all of them are with children, not older or younger than the age of four.
Under the hot, scorching afternoon sun, the people are gathered, the entire grounds is filled with hussling and bussling and various murmurs from every direction, and the sound of children, some giggling, some playing and some crying can be heard as they all wait for the announcer and his huge affinity detecting crystal to show up.
It's so noisy. And this kids.. well, that's how normal four year old children are supposed to be like. I'm the odd one.
I'm at the front line of the crowd in the training grounds, waiting for the announcer too. I'm neatly dressed in a finely tailored 'Noble' outfit.
And the gossips of these people are rather... Annoying.
I sigh, running my hand through my hair.
"Isn't that the trash illegitimate child?"
"I think it is, I heard his mother was a mere maid."
"No wonder his hair is black, really different from a normal Flameworth's."
"Do you think he'll be worth anything?"
"Pffft, please, he's a half blood, I bet after today he'd be disowned."
"Hahaha, you're right. He's so disgusting, standing there like some kind of big shot just because he's a Flameworth."
"Hey, careful, you don't wanna get roasted by a guard because you're insulting their Young Master."
"Ha! As if they care about that trash."
I hear their Snickers and I can't hold back my annoyance anymore.
I turn my neck to absorb the sight of the women that are trash talking me.
My eyes glowed a dangerous and ominous crimson under the shadows of the people in front of me as I flashed a hostile look at them.
With a flinch, they straightened their backs, avoiding my gaze as beads of sweat run down their forehead.
I turn my neck back to my front.
Fools that don't even have a coloured ring around them, even their children have nothing. They should give up on this detection test.
And finally, the Announcer steps forward and stands on a high wooden platform, I can see three men carrying a huge colourless crystal that reflected the sun's light.
They dropped the crystal on the wooden platform, it was oddly shaped, like the map of some country.
With a very very long scroll on his hands, he started calling out names of people– supposedly the list of people who signed up for this year's affinity detecting test, to come up with his/her child and touch the Crystal to check their child's Mana affinity.
As a child touches the crystal, the colourless crystal can shine one of four different lights: Red, Yellow, Green and blue.
Red for Fire.
Yellow for Earth.
Blue for Water.
Green for Air.
And depending on the brightness of the light as it shined on the crystal, their affinity was graded to be high or low.
Many of them cried as they took the children they held away from the platform with lowered heads. And some of them celebrated as the announcer declared their child with an affinity to fire, whether low or high.
Some noble kids from the branch families stood out with some of them having high, mid or low grade fire affinities.
I look at the announcer, my eyes locking with his and a smile plays on his lips.
"Charles Liam Flameworth. Step on the platform and detect your mana!"
And finally, I hear my name... it's my turn.