“Huh, how troublesome.”

The Duke twitched his large shoulders once, then stared intently at Liria.

As if looking at something he greatly disliked, he scrutinized her for a while before furrowing his brow.

“What use is such a tiny bit of fluff?”

Clicking his tongue, the Duke pointed at Liria with his finger.

“Anyway, you!”

“Y-yes?”

“Now that you’ve woken up, shouldn’t we continue the aptitude test that was interrupted?”

“Um, well, about that.”

She had no idea where to begin or how to explain.

Should she honestly confess that she hadn’t manifested magic like others, but had instead contracted with the spirit of keys and become a spirit medium?

‘No, what if it was all just a dream?’

Then she’d be a child who dared to lie in front of the family head.

It might be better to pretend not to remember and assess the situation.

“Well, what is it? Speak up.”

“Ah, I think I suddenly lost consciousness while taking the test. I’m not sure what happened.”

Liria said, rolling her eyes around innocently.

Then Suleiman kindly informed her.

“Last night, young miss, you collapsed before the results came out and were moved to this room. We’ll resume the test as soon as your condition improves.”

“…Ack, no! I passed through the final gate, you know. Surely I don’t have to take the test from the beginning again…!”

Liria said, shaking her head vigorously in surprise.

“You, didn’t you just say you couldn’t remember?”

“I-I remember up to obtaining the golden compass.”

As the Duke’s sharp gaze pierced her, Liria scratched her head and laughed sheepishly.

One day earlier.

Liria collapsed right before the results.

This was an unprecedented situation.

After urgently moving her to a room and summoning the family doctor to examine the child’s condition, fortunately, there were no major issues.

“It seems she exhausted all her mana during the aptitude test, causing her to lose strength. She should wake up after getting enough sleep.”

After the doctor left, the test supervisors all remained silent as they looked at the sleeping Liria.

The first to break the silence was Suleiman.

“This is truly strange.”

He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed with his own eyes.

Liria had made both magic circles glow – the basic four elements and the higher attributes. However, the golden compass didn’t point to any specific attribute, but rather to a direction leaning east.

Empty space.

The child stared at that spot, then smiled and took a few steps before collapsing.

It was incomprehensible.

She fainted as if falling into a deep sleep, her small fist tightly clenched.

Suleiman had observed numerous aptitude tests for Roberg successors, but this was a first.

Ilina and Fabian were equally perplexed.

“…I clearly saw it. Both magic circles glowing.”

“Since she didn’t manifest a specific attribute, it’s hard to say she passed the test.”

“Then should we consider it a failure?”

When Ilina asked Suleiman regretfully, he narrowed his already wrinkled eyes even further and sternly warned the two.

“For now, let’s postpone the results of the aptitude test until the child wakes up. You two should know this and refrain from disclosing the results for the time being.”

“Understood.”

At that moment, a man with an intimidating presence entered the room.

A thick chill settled in the room.

The three who had just decided to temporarily conceal this matter froze in place.

“…Y-Your Grace!”

It was Duke Roberg.

Blood-red eyes sharper than arrowheads.

A low, husky voice addressed his old friend and the person in charge of the aptitude test.

“…Suleiman.”

Before the old man could nod, the other two quickly left the room, leaving Suleiman behind.

‘Those traitors. Leaving just to save themselves! Abandoning this old man?’

Suleiman, who had been avoiding the Duke’s already fierce gaze, fell to his knees with a thud.

“Please kill me!”

“…You.”

Gritting his teeth, the Duke unleashed a relentless wave of icy mana.

The chilling energy pressed down on his entire body, making his teeth chatter.

Suleiman glanced at Liria and said, “Your Grace, even if you’re angry, you should restrain yourself here… Your collapsed granddaughter is present.”

At that, the Duke’s cold gaze fell upon Liria.

Delicate features that were the spitting image of Classid. The small, young thing was breathing heavily in her sleep.

He was aware that his youngest granddaughter’s aptitude test was taking place.

It was also the family head’s prerogative to order the notification of the aptitude test schedules for successor children.

However, he tried not to show any personal expectations or interest.

It was an experience gained through his youngest son, Classid. If not for the accident, that boy would have had talent, character, intelligence, and physique comparable to his own.

But everything ended in an instant.

That damned incurable disease.

Vast wealth, powerful magic, healing arts, rare elixirs, and even forbidden methods.

It was all for naught.

Was there truly no way to fix his son’s heart?

He bitterly regretted not stopping Classid when he left for the monster subjugation.

He desperately missed his long-departed wife.

‘Lillian, at this rate, I don’t think I can… save Classid.’

The self-deprecating thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The Duke, who had downed a glass of whiskey, looked at Liria with a clouded expression.

The child’s face overlapped with that of his collapsed son, Classid.

That night, the Duke spent the night on the sofa in Liria’s room.

***

Two days later.

“Since you passed the aptitude test, we just need to measure which attribute you have using the golden compass.”

Suleiman said it simply, but Liria was still pretending to be sick, postponing the measurement.

The rare ‘spirit medium’ would surely receive higher treatment than a magician within the Roberg family.

However…

‘I hope this power doesn’t become known to Osdel and Benjamin, Belita, or to the public.’

If it became known that Liria herself had value to be exploited, she didn’t know what might be done to her if she were captured immediately.

Just like what Adrian experienced in the original story.

‘I must not let Osdel see my weapon.’

Those events were certainly not a dream.

“Kookook!”

The key spirit Kiki poked its head out from under the blanket and quietly approached Liria.

Liria still didn’t know much about this power.

One thing was clear: her wish had been decided.

Liria recalled her wish that she had shouted to her grandmother that day.

“I want to become the true master of the keys! So I want to use all the power that the keys can bring!”

Could the key really fulfill my wish?

I was incredibly curious.

Liria hugged Kiki and whispered.

“Do you know? What will my key’s power become?”

At that, Kiki’s small, pointed ears perked up attentively. After grooming its fur with quick paw strokes, the ferret-like spirit extended a single front paw.

Liria touched it with her index finger.

“…Huh? Nothing’s happening… Gasp!”

Soon, Kiki started breathing heavily. Its chest somehow became puffed up, and mana began to surge like waves in Liria’s heart, her mana heart.

Whoosh!

As the mana filled up like rippling waves, Liria naturally began to gently roll and manipulate that vast and powerful mana.

Just like in the previous aptitude test, while creating a mana key, she once again reaffirmed her strong desire.

“I want to become the master of keys and become stronger than anyone. So I can save everyone!”

It was the moment when she grasped the completed key-shaped mana in her hand once again.