“Everyone, are you really not going to verify the most basic magical power at this meeting to decide the head of House Offensa?”

“V-Vice Archmage?”

“That’s why I brought a precision verification tool.”

Calliphe’s eyes widened.

‘That half-elf finally did it!’

She couldn’t display such pathetic magical power here.

Calliphe stood up defiantly and shouted.

“Guards! Take them away!”

“P-Pardon?”

The soldier guarding the grand conference room door flinched. He seemed reluctant to lay hands on the Vice Archmage.

At this moment, Young Marquis Caiman sneered.

“What’s the problem? Given that we’ve already brought up the illegal magical tool issue that wasn’t on the agenda, there’s no reason we can’t verify magical power, right?”

D*mn it. That old fox!

Calliphe bit her lip.

Meanwhile, Marcel prepared the magical power verification tool for operation.

The vassals, who had been flustered at first, were gradually becoming agreeable to the idea of verifying the ‘family head’s magical power.’

“But Vice Archmage, this is the largest verification tool I’ve ever seen.”

“Of course. This one tracks and grades even hidden magical power. Even untapped potential, that is.”

“Ohhh.”

“Then I’ll go first.”

Young Marquis Caiman placed his hand on the sphere.

With a woong sound, light emerged from the sphere and enveloped Caiman.

Eventually, the empty sphere filled with bright light.

“Ohhh… it’s a deep blue color!”

“Previously, the Marquis showed us a very clear blue color.”

“The clearer and purer the blue, the higher the grade in both quantity and quality of magical power. Blue itself is rare, truly befitting the Marquis’s disciple.”

The vassals added their comments one by one in admiration.

Like he already expected this result, Caiman smiled calmly.

“This is embarrassing. Once, I dreamed of surpassing blue.”

“Hahaha, you jest well. That color hasn’t appeared since the founder of the family!”

The vassals praised Caiman, satisfied with his magical power.

Caiman urged Calliphe with a sardonic smile.

“Now, it’s the young lady’s turn.”

“……”

Calliphe glared at the expectant Marcel before placing her hand on the sphere.

Woong―

“……”

“……”

“Gray… and quite murky at that.”

“Well then, let’s wrap this up now.”

Like they hadn’t expected anything better, the atmosphere shifted to quickly conclude matters, causing Vice Archmage Marcel to panic.

He muttered while fiddling with the machine.

“This can’t be right? If she opened a top-grade potion, surely…”

Top-grade potion?

Then a possibility suddenly occurred to Calliphe.

‘Come to think of it, I hit the potion bottle then? Because it needs magical power to open.’

Calliphe’s ability required hitting the target to manifest. That was the condition for her magical power to work.

This applied to objects as well as people. However, only magical power was transferred, not the growth ability.

This was something she had discovered while testing if she could open the top-grade potion before going to the banquet.

‘Then perhaps the magical power verification too?’

It was worth trying.

Pretending to throw a tantrum, Calliphe repeatedly slapped the crystal sphere with her palm.

“Isn’t this thing broken!? Show the proper output right now!”

“Aaah! You’ll break it if you do that!”

That’s when it happened.

Flash!

A golden light so intense it was blinding filled the grand conference room.

“…!”

Everyone froze in surprise.

Even Calliphe widened her eyes at the brilliant light pouring from the crystal sphere.

Someone spoke with a trembling voice.

“G-golden color… to think the founder’s color would appear…”

It was the highest grade color, so rare that most people didn’t know about it.

And also.

“We thought we’d never see it again after Lady Porsche passed away…”

It was also the color shown by Porsche Offensa, Calliphe’s birth mother.

“Good heavens. Good heavens, good heavens! Gold! It’s gold! Gold! Everyone, can you see it?”

Marcel jumped up and down excitedly like he’d discovered a gold mine.

While Calliphe was still staring intently at the crystal sphere, unable to believe it.

‘Huh?’

At first, she thought she was seeing things. But something seemed off about the golden light blooming in the crystal sphere.

‘What are those black spots?’

Like they were constricting the light…

Just as Calliphe narrowed her eyes to look more closely.

The black spots became a noose and swallowed the golden light.

Simultaneously.

“Cough!”

Calliphe coughed up dark blood.

When her hand fell from the crystal sphere, the light vanished instantly.

“Calliphe!”

Lynen caught her as she staggered.

“What’s suddenly wrong? Are you alright?”

“Oh, no! It’s the symptoms of incompatibility with magical power.”

Marcel quickly helped Calliphe sit down.

“The light emitted by the crystal sphere is all magical power, you see. You seem to have taken quite a hit from the intense light. You’ll feel better after a while.”

“Cough, cough. You d*mn old m-“

Lynen quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

“She keeps bleeding. This is truly concerning.”

“Mmmmph.”

He ignored Calliphe’s protests.

And reminded the vassals of the importance of what had just happened.

“House Offensa has gained another possibility to lead the family. Isn’t that right?”

“…!”

Murmuring and muttering. Unrest spread.

At this point, Caiman quickly objected.

“She coughs up blood just from a bit of contact with magical power, what use is a high level of magic?”

“I will help!”

“…Vice Archmage Marcel.”

Caiman’s eyes were fierce.

But Marcel’s passion for his dream was undeterred.

“There might be a way to solve the magical power incompatibility. Please give me time.”

“…I thought you knew how to distinguish between family matters and magic tower matters.”

“I apologize. But this is also about the future of the magic tower.”

“……”

Though Caiman glared at Marcel resentfully, the atmosphere had already changed.

The chairman summarized the situation.

“Given these circumstances, we will decide the succession of the family head at the final grand conference.”

“……”

“At that time, either Lady Calliphe or Young Marquis Caiman will become the family head.”

Everyone drew in their breath at this.

It was something completely unexpected when the grand conference began.

To think Calliphe would rise as a candidate for family head!

The chairman belatedly checked Caiman’s reaction.

“Would this be acceptable, Lord Caiman?”

“Regrettable, but I will follow the decision. However…”

Caiman’s gaze, skillfully hiding his anger, turned to Calliphe, who was still bewildered by the unexpected result.

“Since the young lady’s marriage to Duke Ortega must proceed, I will look for a suitable festival date.”

“Ah, for that we could call a high priest…”

“No.”

His eyes gleamed maliciously.

“Would that be enough? If I ask, the High Cardinal himself would come personally.”

* * *

The results of the grand conference spread quickly.

Everyone was shocked that Calliphe had become a new successor candidate.

“Did she beat and threaten the vassals?”

Such rumors even circulated.

Also, thanks to the accurate information, the crackdown on illegal magical tools showed great results.

As a result, the organization was rapidly falling apart.

“…My funding source has been cut off.”

Caiman muttered while scanning the report.

The next moment, he threw the report and violently swept everything off his desk.

Crash!

“D*mn it! Calliphe Offensa, how dare you hold me back!”

Beneath the gentle mask he showed others was a face distorted with violence.

“Just because you were lucky enough to be born with good blood, how dare you!”

The world was unfair.

Once again, his chance to bloom his talent was blocked by mere bloodline.

“No, no. Trial… this is all just a trial. It’s just delayed a bit, but in the end, this is my game to win.”

After all, there are many obstacles in front of someone who will change the world.

That’s when it happened.

“Young Marquis. Baron Rotten is here to visit.”

“…Let him in.”

Shortly after, Dietrich appeared nervously and apologized right away.

“I-I’m sorry, Young Marquis Caiman… ugh!”

A candlestick suddenly flew and hit one side of Dietrich’s forehead.

Looking at him clutching his bleeding forehead, Caiman ground his teeth.

“There’s a limit to stupidity. Splashing mud everywhere without even knowing who holds your leash. You vulgar b*stard!”

“……”

Dietrich, who had lowered his head, clenched his teeth.

Being familiar with appeasing Caiman’s temper, he could understand immediately.

‘D*mn it, now I’ve become a completely discarded card!’

Dietrich had already been worried about what to do after making an unfair contract with Calliphe.

But seeing this situation, it seemed unlikely he’d achieve higher status through Caiman.

He hadn’t expected him to be this angry, and it felt like his carefully built tower had crumbled.

‘Maybe if I grovel enough, I can at least get some crumbs…’

That’s when it happened.

“Just like someone who lived in dark and dirty places, sticking yourself anywhere you can. Not even remembering my grace in sending a mage to save your life.”

“…!”

A bitter smile formed on Dietrich’s lips as he kept his head down at Caiman’s words.

That mage who could barely keep him alive?

Moreover, if Calliphe hadn’t come first, Dietrich might have already been dead.

Sparks flew in Dietrich’s eyes.

But.

“…Ah~ I was actually going to tell you.”

Instead of revealing his true feelings, he decided to repay his anger more effectively.

He raised his head with a servile smile.

“Actually, at that time, Calliphe Offensa threatened me. She said she would tear open my wounds if I didn’t give up the information right away.”

“…You provided information then?”

“Yes. I wasn’t in my right mind then, being injured. I was nearly dead, wasn’t I? I’m truly sorry.”

Caiman’s eyes narrowed.

Dietrich hurriedly continued.

“But now that I’ve fallen once, won’t they let their guard down?”

“…What do you mean?”

“I’ll pretend to have switched to Calliphe Offensa’s side. Who knows? I might find weaknesses of that woman and the Duke.”

Caiman showed interest at this.

“Are you saying you’ll become a spy?”

“Yes. I want to regain your trust, Young Marquis.”

D*mn it, just wait until you get betrayed by this bat.

With veins bulging at his temples, Dietrich grinned wickedly.