After walking for a while, the two girls led Eros to the entrance of a small chapel. They spoke softly to a priest inside, who was dressed in sea-blue ritual robes and resting with his eyes closed.

  "Father Taqrida, please conduct the entrance assessment for Eros."

  Taqrida snapped his eyes open, a flicker of blue light flashing across his pupils before vanishing. He scrutinized Eros from head to toe, frowning slightly at the boy's pale complexion.

  "So, you are the child from the House of the Rose Duke? I heard you suffered a backlash from attempting to use magic far beyond your level?"

  Because the current crest of Eros’s family featured a prominent rose, the name "Rose Duke" had spread quickly through the Imperial capital. Eros was slightly surprised that an academy priest already knew of his situation, but a quick thought reminded him that Estelle likely informed the school beforehand to explain his late arrival.

  Eros offered a dry, awkward laugh, remaining silent.

  Father Taqrida let out a cold snort. "Young people nowadays... always so ambitious yet unwilling to keep their feet on the ground."

  What can I even say to that? Eros thought, continuing to laugh awkwardly. Seeing that Eros wasn't talking back, Taqrida lost interest in lecturing him. He reached for a transparent crystal ball, walked up to Eros, and said flatly, "Place your hand on it."

  Eros complied without a word.

  The next instant, Eros felt the miniature [Book of Night] in his mind emit a faint glow. Simultaneously, the crystal ball beneath his palm began to shimmer—but the light wasn't the standard white. It was a vibrant, pulsating green.

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  As the radiance intensified, the entire transparent sphere transformed into a brilliant emerald orb. Everyone present, save for Undine, was stunned.

  Green light? Standard assessments always produced white light. Why was this boy's affinity so rebellious?

  Even Father Taqrida was taken aback. He asked hesitantly, "The lineage you awakened... it isn't human?"

  The noble onlookers outside erupted into an immediate uproar.

  "What the hell? Not human? Does the House of the Rose Duke carry demi-human blood?"

  Eros nodded, following the cover story prepared by his family elders. "The elders said I have awakened the Elven Bloodline."

  The clamor grew even louder. The young nobles began whispering frantically to one another.

  "Is it the legendary Elven race?" one asked. "Is that even possible? Elves left the continent of Croatia tens of thousands of years ago. How could their bloodline still remain?" another countered.

  "SILENCE!" Taqrida barked, his voice cutting through the noise. He turned back to Eros, nodding thoughtfully. "The Elven race is too ancient... I cannot confirm this on my own. Wait here."

  He hurried to the back of the chapel. Moments later, he returned with two other priests. Their robes were different colors—one in grey and one in golden-yellow—indicating they belonged to the other two Great Churches.

  The two newcomers rushed to Eros, staring at him and then at the emerald orb with wonder. After a brief discussion, they turned to Taqrida. "We can't be sure either. There are simply too few records concerning Elves."

  Just as the three were scratching their heads, the grey-robed priest clapped his hands. "Why not request a Holy Artifact Judgment?"

  Taqrida and the golden-robed priest hesitated. "Requesting a Holy Artifact requires the approval of the Deans..."

  The grey-robed priest, clearly an impulsive man, didn't wait. "I'll go ask the Deans right now!" He hurried off immediately.

  After another period of waiting, a large group of high-ranking academy officials arrived, followed by a massive crowd of students who had caught wind of the "legendary genius" and his strange assessment.