“Oye Igni, listen well.”
Igni did not take his eyes off the man sitting in front of him.
It’s no secret that the man before him is one of the strongest in the world.
He is none other than the “Extreme Wizard.”
He has aged, sure, but he has mastered the magical arts, and against any common foe, he would turn them to ash in less than a second.
Igni: “What’s up, grandpa?”
Igni suppressed his nervousness as he inquired his grandfather.
His white hair tied in a ponytail, his grandfather wore a robe that covered most his wrinkled skin. Even at his age, his eyes still looked like a hunter searching for his prey.
Lucas: “The Secret Art of Being Popular - Lesson #1. ‘WOMEN LOVE STRONG MEN!’”
Igni: “W...women love strong men!”
The one known as “Extreme”, one of the strongest wizards ever known, spoke solemnly and seriously with his grandchild.
Lucas: “Yes, I have been loved and adored by women because I became the strongest.”
Igni: “Because Grandpa is the strongest!”
No one doubted this fact.
If you ask 100 people passing by, all 100 would say that grandpa is the strongest.
Lucas: “That is why, Igni, the upcoming ‘Compatibility Ritual’ will determine everything!”
Igni: “O-Okay!”
The Compatibility Ritual. This was a custom carried out by every country in the world.
Magic - a source of power beyond human strength.
That magic was broken into several various types.
[EARTH] ・[WATER]・[FIRE]・[WIND]・[LIGHT]・[DARK]・[LIFE]
All children reaching 12 years of age attended the Compatibility Ritual to learn their Magical compatibilities and affinities to any of the major types of Magic.
Once they know what kind of magic they are compatible, that itself will determine their future.
There are those who research magic.
There are those who become adventurers.
There are those who abandon all hope in the magical arts and live a common life.
Lucas: “Igni! If you want to be popular with women, you will have to be compatible with the strongest of types!”
Igni: “The...strongest… type?!”
Lucas: “Yes, and that strongest type is…”
<<<<>>>>
“Igni. Igni! Are you awake?”
Igni: “Y-Yes father!”
Igni woke up to his father’s voice..
It looks like he was having that dream again when he met his grandfather a week ago.
Even though he just fell asleep in the carriage, Igni’s father burned red with anger.
Father: “Oh please! You don’t listen to anyone when they’re speaking. You leave home without permission. Do you even understand your position as the first born son of this family?!”
Igni: “I’m… I’m sorry, father…”
Igni shrunk back in his seat.
Father: “Why is it that your younger brother Fray is so much more advanced than you are? How could you be so useless?”
Fray: “Father, please do not scold my brother. He was staying up late last night studying and must be tired.”
Igni was embarrassed that his brother had to cover up for him.
Father: “Do you understand? We are going to the Awakening Ceremony, and you MUST inherit the [LIGHT] trait. The Talcoyz Family trait must be carried on!”
“ "Yes, father." "
Both nod their head in agreement.
Father: “Affinity to any other trait is unforgivable. The Talcoyz Family has always been a Clan of Light. We MUST have someone become the “Extreme.”...if only if it wasn’t for that despicable man…”
Igni’s father curses as he spat out the words.
That despicable man.
You didn’t have to ask who he was talking about.
Although he was the first “Extreme” in the family lineage, his various associations and relationships with women almost destroyed the family’s reputation. This was Igni’s grandfather - Lucas Talcoyz.
But now, he is simply Lucas after he was expunged from the family tree and purged of his Talcoyz last name.
Igni’s father has called him the worst atrocity to incur upon the family, and the utmost embarrassment.
“A noble must live as a noble does”
This is what Igni's father always tells us.
As Igni was thinking about this, the carriage stopped.
...they must have arrived at the church.
Peeking outside, he sees other children his age nervously entering the church premise.
Father: “Igni and Fray. Don’t disappoint me. Approach this with the utmost importance. We MUST gain another Extreme for the sake of the family.”
Igni: “...I understand, father.”
Fray: “Of course, father.”
Igni and Fray bow before leaving the carriage.
They mix-in with the group of children, and on their way to church, someone taps Igni’s shoulder.
“Have you been well, Igni?”
Igni: “Oh, Rose?”
He was surprised to find who was behind him.
Behind Igni was Rose Aquilmarun.
She is the only child and daughter of the prestigious family Aquilmarun. And she is also Igni’s fiancé.
With sky blue hair and almost transparent blue eyes, she is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.
Rose: “Let’s do our best today, Igni.”
Igni: “Yes!”
Rose: “I’ll be [WATER]. Igni, you be [LIGHT]. Together, let’s both become ‘Extreme’s.”
Igni: “Of course!”
This was a promise they made when they were 6.
Rose brings this up every time they see each other, and Igni can’t hide the embarrassment that wells up inside him every time this happens.
Fray: “Brother, we all know that I’m going to be the ‘Extreme‘ and not you.”
Igni: “Haha. Sure, then let’s see who’ll get there first.”
Fray and Igni are step brothers of the same age.
But they have gotten along just fine up until now.
Fray has many strengths which Igni lacks, but even so, Fray has supported his brother up till now.
Rose: “Look at all those priests, Igni!”
Igni: “R-Rose, you shouldn’t point at priests like that…”
Inside the church, the typical 1 priest turned into 10.
Looking intently into a magic crystal, all the priests shouted the affinity and compatibility of each child.
“[WATER] : [B]!”
“WHOA! B-Rank?!”
You heard the shouts come up from the crowd.
Rose: “Look, at B-Rank, isn’t that amazing?”
Igni: “Don’t worry. We’ll even top that.”
The priests will only shout the magical trait you are most compatible with. Other affinities and traits will be spelled out in something called a “Status” which is written on this board they give you.
The common rank is D or lower.
The boy who discovered his B-Rank had a wide-spread smile on his face.
“[LIGHT] : [D]!”
“[FIRE] : [C]!”
“[DARK] : [E]!”
The priests continue to process each child swiftly and efficiently.
“Next! Come forward!”
Rose: “It’s...it’s my turn. Here I go.”
Rose was called and steps forward. She looks nervous and stiff as she walks to the priest.
“Oh… this is…?!”
“D-did something happen?!”
The priest who looked the most extravagantly dressed peered into the crystal and widened his eyes.
“Th-this, could this be?!”
“Is something wrong?!”
“H- [HOLY] : [S]...”
The priest trembled as he spoke the words.
A [HOLY] Trait?!?!
At the news, murmurs erupted from the crowd with Igni.
“Th-the [HOLY] Trait?!?! That trait that only appears every 100 years?!?!”
“And she’s S-RANK?! This has to be some sort of joke, O Holy Priest!”
“I… I am not joking…! The crystal never tells lies….!”
The priests began to hurriedly run about, as Rose just stood there in disbelief.
“That can’t be?! A [HOLY] Trait S-RANK?!”
“There’s never been any occurrences like that…”
“It’s...it’s the beginning of a legend!!”
The crowd is even more excited than the priests.
I wonder if Rose even understands that meaning of this news.
The [HOLY] Trait is a tier higher than the [WATER] trait, and any person who inherits this trait is determined as a saint, and the country will protect them with the utmost urgency.
And what’s even more shocking is that an F-Rank [HOLY] Trait is several levels ABOVE an S-Rank [WATER] trait.
The S-Rank of the highest of highest tiers.
Rose has already one foot set in the Extreme realm. It’s only a matter of time now.
Unbeknownst to everyone around him, Igni’s heart beat strongly in his chest.
“...Ahem. You are the child of Aquilmarun, are you not? You will receive a letter from the King later today. Until then, the Royal Guards will keep you safe. Do not fear. It only means that you have been blessed with more talent than the average person. The next child, come forth!”
Fray is called up next.
Igni: “You got this!”
Fray: “Thank you, brother.”
Fray steps forward.
“Oh, you are a child of the Talcoyz, are you not?”
Fray: “Yes I am.”
“Then let’s begi… what?!”
“What is it now?!”
“No, this...this can’t be…”
The priest again shows disbelief at what is shown to him through the crystal.
“[EXTREME LIGHT] : [SS]”
“E-[EXTREME LIGHT]?!”
The higher tier above the Light trait, the Extreme Light, and he’s a SS-rank?!?!
That’s another trait that only appears every 100 years or so.
But that’s not the most surprising thing about this.
The tier above the Light tier is only heard of in fairy tales.
And Fray inherited it!
“We have two upper tiers.”
“We are really lucky this year.”
“NEXT! Come forth!”
It’s finally Igni’s turn.
Igni: “Y-Yes!!”
Igni steps forward.
Rose: “Good luck.”
Rose whispers encouragement quietly into his ear.
….yes, for sure. I’m going to give this my all.
Alright, what kind of trait am I going to have?
[LIGHT]? Or maybe [EXTREME LIGHT]??
Or maybe [DARK]?
Or maybe something even more legendary and mythical like a unique [ORIGINAL] trait?!
As Igni’s excitement boils over, the priest quietly pronounces.
“[FIRE] : [F]”
At that moment, the entire church fell silent.
Igni: “....Excuse me?”
“What? You didn’t hear me? [FIRE] : [F]”
Igni: “....w---wait wait wait wait wait. No, no no no, that can’t be.”
His mind goes blank.
Something ice cold crawls down his spine.
That’s impossible! His most compatible trait is [FIRE]?!
And he’s an F-RANK?!?!
Igni: “...one more time.”
Please, check again.
But before those words left his left, the priest called to the next child.
“NEXT, COME FORTH!”
….it’s over.
That was it. All other thoughts escaped him except this one fact.
