Return of the Fallen Nobleman With an SSS-Rank Talent-Chapter 35: Affinity Test [3]

After confirming that he had talent, Adam took a few steps back.

He discreetly adjusted his weight on the cane, taking care not to aggravate the injury too much. The pain was still there, constant but bearable.

What really interested him... was Alaric’s expression.

And it was worth it.

The man remained silent for several seconds, his brow slightly furrowed. He didn’t seem surprised. Not satisfied.

He seemed... conflicted.

Finally, he exhaled.

"Now that you have both demonstrated a talent for magic, we will move on to the next step: determining your affinity. Depending on that... you will learn different spells."

He paused briefly, as if gathering his thoughts. Then he pointed to the stones lined up inside the wooden box.

"The process is simple. You will touch each affinity stone. If any react, it means you are compatible with that element."

His gaze grew deeper.

"Normally, a person only has an affinity for a single element, regardless of race. In extremely rare cases... it can be two. And in all of recorded history, there has only been one individual with three affinities. An elf."

Elves...

Adam’s expression tightened slightly, almost imperceptibly.

In books, they were described as elevated beings, guardians of nature, noble to the core. Creatures that spoke with the forests and lived in harmony with the world.

Beautiful lies.

The reality was very different.

They were proud, brutal, and fanatical about combat.

Closer to conquerors than to wise men.

Adam also believed in that idealized image once... until war showed him the truth.

And it was in the midst of that truth that he met his best friend.

The memory was not entirely bitter.

But it hurt.

He lowered his gaze, allowing his hair to hide for a moment the shadow that crossed his face.

Renna watched the stones with contained tension.

Alaric examined the crystals with professional concentration.

Neither seemed to pay him any attention.

And Adam was grateful for that.

Some memories... were not meant to be shared.

With a slight sigh, Adam raised his head again, waiting for Alaric to continue.

The man looked first at Adam. Then at Renna.

"Which one of you wants to start?"

Adam gave Renna a small nod with his chin, silently yielding his turn to her.

She was much more excited than he was. A thousand possibilities must have been swirling around in her mind.

Fire? Wind? Ice... shadow... lightning?

Alaric nodded calmly.

"Let’s start with the earth affinity stone."

Renna swallowed hard.

The stone was a deep brown, almost dark coffee color, with golden veins that glimmered faintly in the light. It wasn’t flashy... but it had an almost comforting solidity.

She reached out her hand.

She touched it.

Nothing happened.

Unlike the previous crystal, there was no immediate reaction. There was no sparkle.

"You have no affinity with earth," Alaric said in a neutral tone. "Don’t be discouraged. Let’s try the next one. Water."

Renna nodded, though her smile was no longer as steady.

She placed her hand on the navy blue glass. Inside, the color seemed to move gently, as if a miniature ocean were trapped there.

She waited.

Nothing.

The blue remained motionless.

"No affinity with water."

Then came the ice.

Then the wind.

Lightning.

Shadow.

Darkness.

One after another.

Each stone remained completely unresponsive.

Adam watched silently as Renna’s shoulders slumped a little lower with each attempt. Her fingers began to tremble ever so slightly. Her breathing became more restrained, as if she were trying not to let her disappointment show.

But that wasn’t strange.

It was completely normal.

Most people weren’t compatible with more than one element. In fact, finding one was the norm.

Adam knew that.

So did Alaric.

That’s why there was no surprise on their faces.

Just wait.

Because there were still stones to be tested.

"Now we will move on to the fire stone."

Renna slowly looked up.

Her shoulders were still slumped, but deep in her eyes there was still a spark of expectation.

The stone was a deep red, intense like a ruby in the sunlight. Something alive seemed to beat inside it, and the air around it grew slightly warmer, as if breathing invisible embers.

Renna reached out her hand.

She placed it on the glass.

For a split second... nothing happened.

And then...

The red exploded.

A crimson glow burst from the stone, intense and vibrant, as if a flame had awakened inside it. The light illuminated her face, reflecting in her eyes, wide with surprise.

The heat increased, enveloping her.

The stone burned brightly for a few more seconds... and then the glow began to stabilize, slowly diminishing until it remained a steady, clear glow.

Alaric watched silently before declaring:

"Affinity with fire."

It took Renna a second to process this.

Then she clenched her thin hands, marked by malnutrition and hard work, and emotion broke through her composure.

"YES!"

Her voice echoed across the training ground, pure, vibrant... almost childlike.

For a moment, she was no longer a slave.

She was just a young girl who had found something that was hers.

Adam watched her without saying a word.

But deep down, something in his chest softened.

"Congratulations. You have entered the world of magicians."

Alaric did not raise his voice. He didn’t need to. The solemnity was in the silence that followed, in the way the air seemed to settle around Renna, still illuminated by the memory of the fire.

But the man’s smile soon faded.

His gaze shifted.

To Adam.

The warmth of the previous moment dissipated with an almost imperceptible subtlety.

Adam stepped forward.

The cane struck the ground once. Dry. Controlled.

"It’s my turn again."

Alaric held his gaze for a moment too long. Then he took the first affinity stone and set it before him.

Earth.

The brown crystal lay motionless, solid, indifferent. Under the light, its golden veins looked like ancient cracks.

Adam reached out his hand.

His fingers descended slowly and touched the stone.

And then...

Failure.