Odyssey of the Renegade Sovereign-Chapter 44: Two sides of the same coin

The moment Astrael’s number was called, the hall went completely silent. All the children, nobles, and even the priest turned their eyes toward him. Everyone’s attention was locked on him with a mix of curiosity and expectation.

"What do you think? Will it be yellow grade or orange grade?" whispered a boy in the crowd, leaning close to his friend.

"No," another one replied confidently. "It’ll definitely be red. Didn’t you see how far he went on the stairs?"

"Yeah... but what if he surprises us again?" someone muttered from the back.

Astrael stepped forward slowly. His black robe swayed gently with his movement, the silver linings catching the light. He looked calm, his face relaxed, neither proud nor anxious.

Some children held their breath. Others leaned forward slightly, unable to hide their anticipation.

As he reached the glowing platform, the priest’s gaze lingered on him longer than usual.

"Place your hand on the Awakening Stone," the priest said, his voice a touch softer.

Astrael nodded. Then, without hesitation, he reached out and placed his palm on the surface of the crystal.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then, suddenly, the crystal began to glow.

Then, a dim shimmer appeared from the core of the crystal. But it wasn’t red. Nor orange. Not any of the seven colours.

It turned black.

Pitch black.

A strange darkness, rippling within the crystal like ink dropped into water. Silver cracks ran through it, like glowing veins flickering with suppressed energy

A collective gasp echoed through the hall.

"Is that... black?"

"W-What grade is that?!"

The whispers and murmurs spread quickly, growing louder by the second.

Even the priest’s face stiffened. He stepped forward, his brows deeply furrowed, and studied the crystal closely.

"This... this is not among the standard grades," he said aloud, his voice uncertain for the first time during the ceremony.

"Could it be an awakening stone broken ?" someone whispered among the nobles.

"No. It’s glowing steadily. That’s not how a broken crystal looks," another replied.

Astrael stared at the strange glow calmly, but he was shocked internally.

The dark crystal’s light flickered once more, and then a familiar blue screen materialised before his eyes.

[Talent Root awakening Initiated]

[Unique Talent Root Detected: Unclassified (Black Root)]

[Detected the Heaven’s will]

[Initiating the Heavens Deception protocol]

[Heaven’s Deceptions protocol activated]

[Loading.... Please Wait]

[Talent Root Awakening Complete]

[Innate Talents Unlocked]

[Congratulation host for awakening the divine skill - Plunder (???)]

[Congratulation host for awakening the divine skill - Synthesis (???)]

A long list of notifications flashed across his vision, one after another, each more bewildering than the last. For a moment, Astrael didn’t know what to focus on.

But then his eyes landed on the final two lines. His pupils contracted slightly.

"Two talents?" Astrael murmured under his breath, his voice almost disbelieving. He blinked once, then again, but the screen didn’t fade or change. The screen remained in front of him, the text glowing steadily.

"What even is Plunder and Synthesis?" Astrael wondered, eyes still locked on the floating screen. But before he could dwell on it further, the priest finally broke the silence.

"This result... is not part of the traditional spectrum," the priest said slowly, stepping back. His voice echoed through the hushed hall. "The colour... and the reaction... this is a phenomenon unrecorded in this county’s history. But—"

He paused for a moment, letting the tension settle in the room. All eyes were on him, waiting for an explanation.

The priest continued, his tone growing steadier. "But it is not the first time something like this has appeared on this land. There was once a man, long ago, who awakened with a similar grade—this same black root. Yet despite the mystery surrounding it, his talent and potential turned out to be... almost ordinary."

The confused murmurs spread through the crowd.

"So... it doesn’t guarantee strength?"

"Then what does it mean?"

"No one knows..."

Meanwhile, Astrael stayed silent. He had seen the system’s message. He knew this was not the same. It wasn’t the first time he had seen the question marks—he already understood what they meant. It signified something beyond the known or classified grades. Whatever that man in the past had awakened... it could be something entirely different from what he had just received..

Without wasting a moment, Astrael returned to his waiting area, his expression calm as he listened to the whispers spreading through the crowd.

"How is it possible? A high-grade mage talent... but with an ordinary talent root?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Yeah, who would’ve thought?"

"So that means, even with a high-grade soul space, he won’t be able to progress in cultivation..."

Similar murmurs echoed from all corners. Some people mocked him openly, smirking without restraint. Others remained silent, but their gazes were laced with clear disdain.

The very children who had approached him moments earlier with friendly smiles now kept their distance, as if being near him would tarnish them—like he was some kind of disease.

"Fools," Elyndra’s voice echoed coldly in his mind. "They think because they can’t understand something, it must be worthless. How small-minded."

Astrael didn’t react. He had seen enough of this in his previous life—the same pattern: high expectations followed by abandonment, and then mockery when things didn’t align with their shallow assumptions.

But this time, it didn’t bother him. In fact, this situation would only benefit him. With lowered expectations and no attention, he could grow stronger in peace, without anyone watching over his shoulder.

...

"What a pity," the Count said softly, his tone carrying a faint trace of sympathy as he watched Astrael return to his place.

He leaned back in his seat, hands clasped in front of him as his gaze lingered thoughtfully on the boy in black robes.

"To think such a remarkable soul space would be paired with an unknown low grade root," he murmured.

A few of the nobles seated near him nodded in agreement, their expressions ranging from mild disappointment to plain indifference.

"A shame," said one elderly noblewoman, adjusting her gemstone-studded fan with a sigh. "I had expected an orange grade, perhaps even higher. But this?"

"Looks impressive, but what’s the use if the talent root is nothing special?" a younger noble scoffed.

"Still," another man said with a thoughtful look, "black grade from the Awakening Stone isn’t something you see every day."

"True, but if it were something valuable, the priest would’ve said so," the younger noble replied with a shrug.

The Count didn’t respond further. His gaze remained fixed on Astrael, silent and observant.

The older man in spectacles beside him spoke up, his voice measured.

"My Lord, even the records of the central provinces mention very few cases of unclassified roots. Most ended up... average."

"Yes," the Count replied calmly. "It was said, Heaven env the talented one." He sighed gain while continuing. "But the boy’s soul space wasn’t average. We’ll keep an eye on this one."

He said no more. But a subtle gleam had returned to his eyes,curiosity, not disappointment.

...

As the whispers slowly faded and Astrael settled back into the waiting area, the priest cleared his throat and looked back at the parchment in his hand.

"Next," he called out, his tone recovering its formal weight, though a sliver of unease still lingered beneath it.

The moment the next person was called, the crowd stirred again. Because it was none other than Arthur.

The golden-haired boy rose from his seat with calm grace. His steps were measured and composed, but his presence carried a weight now—one even greater than before. The nobles leaned forward, eager to witness his performance. Some of the commoners even held their breath.

Arthur walked to the glowing stone, standing tall beneath the priest’s gaze. Unlike the others, he didn’t hesitate or glance around. His hand reached out smoothly, as though this moment had already played out in his mind a hundred times.

The instant his palm touched the Awakening Stone, light surged from its core.

But it wasn’t red.

It wasn’t even within the spectrum.

It was gold.

A brilliant, radiant gold that seemed to shimmer with warmth and authority, casting dancing reflections on the marble floor.

The hall gasped collectively.

A golden root.

Beyond the known spectrum. Rarer than red. Something seen maybe once in a century.

"A... a golden grade root?" someone whispered in awe.

"No way..."

"It’s not a joke. Look at that light!"

The priest himself stood frozen for a breath too long. Then his lips parted, voice echoing slightly from the crystal’s glow.

"Golden-grade...," he said while his eyes fixed on the stone.

Up on the viewing platform, the Count slowly rose to his feet. The nobles behind him stood too out of sheer disbelief.

"Golden," the Count murmured

Even the elder in spectacles looked stunned.

"My lord, this... this hasn’t happened in the past four generations."

"And now it has," the Count said quietly. "Two anomalies, side by side."

"This would shake the entire kingdom if it was known to..." The elder continued traling the word.

"I know." Said the Count.

Baron Avalon’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Arthur return to the waiting seats, his golden aura still flickering faintly around him. But he said nothing. Only clenched his fist once.

Back below, the children who had avoided Arthur earlier now looked at him with nothing short of reverence. Even those who had flinched when he told them to leave before now couldn’t tear their eyes away.