The carriage stopped in front of the Antica branch of the Adventurers’ Guild. Orson stepped out, followed by Litte, and led the way inside.
It had to be said—the Stranick family crest was practically a golden ticket in Antica City. Just showing it was enough to guarantee the highest level of courtesy at any establishment.
“Welcome, Young Master Orson.” Predictably, as soon as the guard at the entrance turned and rushed into the guild, Orson knew someone important would soon come out to greet him.
“Hello, Mr. Marvin.” The man who came out to receive Orson was Marvin, the head of the Antica branch of the Adventurers’ Guild.
Six years ago, it was Marvin who had witnessed a moment that would go down in history.
At the time, twelve-year-old Orson had been evaluated by the Adventurers’ Guild and confirmed to be both a Tier 4 warrior and a Tier 4 mage after repeated testing.
While Tier 4 adventurers weren’t exactly rare within the guild’s records, Orson’s case was an exception—he was only twelve years old!
At an age when most people hadn’t even begun their training, he had already achieved what many couldn’t accomplish in a lifetime.
“Young Master Orson, what brings you here today?”
“Well, it’s been six years since I last had my combat abilities tested at the Adventurers’ Guild. I thought I’d update my personal information,” Orson said, gesturing toward Litte. “And I brought Litte along to show him around.”
“Oh! So this is Young Master Litte, I presume? It’s an honor to meet you.” Marvin greeted Litte politely before leading the two of them toward the testing room.
“Young Master Orson, do you have a general estimate of your current abilities?” Marvin asked as they walked.
“What do you think, Mr. Marvin? What’s your guess about my current strength?”
“Well, given that six years have passed and considering your remarkable talent, you must have reached Tier 6 by now,” Marvin said with a smile.
The three entered a room with an obsidian pedestal at its center, upon which sat a crystal orb.
All it took was placing one’s hand on the orb to obtain the results of the test.
The crystal orb’s glow would shift from gray-white to deep violet, with the intensity of the color corresponding to the adventurer’s tier.
– Gray-White: No tier.
– Red (Light, Standard, Deep): Tiers 1–3.
– Orange: Tier 4.
– Yellow: Tier 5.
– Sky Blue: Tier 6.
– Indigo: Tier 7.
– Light Green: Tier 8.
– Deep Green: Tier 9.
– Deep Violet: Tier 10.
Marvin stood by the obsidian pedestal as Orson stepped forward and gently placed his hand on the crystal orb.
Instantly, the room was filled with a dazzling array of colors.
Gradually, the light in the crystal orb began to stabilize, settling on a vivid indigo.
Marvin’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched.
Once the color remained steady for five seconds, Orson removed his hand, and the room returned to normal.
“Young Master Orson, you...!” Marvin stammered, his lips trembling as he stared at the stable indigo glow.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen an eighteen-year-old Tier 7 powerhouse.”
“It’s nothing special,” Orson said with a modest smile. “Every generation will have its prodigies. One day, there will be someone greater than me.”
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Litte.
“No, no, Young Master Orson, your talent is unprecedented! While it’s hard to say if anyone will surpass you, this news will absolutely shake the entire Empire!”
“In that case, Mr. Marvin, I’ll have to ask you to keep this a secret,” Orson said, noticing Marvin’s excitement. “I don’t want this information to spread. Can you do me this favor?”
With that, Orson retrieved a gemstone from his spatial ring and handed it to Marvin.
“Of course. Until you choose to release this information yourself, no one will hear about it,” Marvin said, accepting the gemstone and nodding firmly, fully aware of its value.
He then turned his attention to Litte.
Orson noticed Marvin’s gaze and said with a smile, “It’s fine. Litte knowing about this is no problem.”
With Orson’s assurance, Marvin didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he asked casually, “Young Master Litte, would you like to try the test? Who knows—you might have hidden talent.”
“Me?” Litte blinked in surprise before hesitating. “I’ve never had any formal training, so...”
“It’s alright. This crystal orb can also measure magical potential. When Young Master Orson was a child, he tested his potential on this very orb, and even the Empire’s court mage came to witness it.”
“Well... okay.” Litte nodded and stepped forward, mimicking Orson’s earlier motion as he placed his hand on the crystal orb.
“Hmm...” Both Orson and Marvin froze when the crystal orb remained completely unresponsive.
“Uh, Young Master Litte’s magical aptitude...” Marvin trailed off before quickly recovering. “It’s possible this crystal orb is faulty and couldn’t detect anything...”
In truth, both of them had seen what had really happened. The crystal orb had flashed gray-white for the briefest moment before going dark again. The duration was so short that it almost seemed as though nothing had happened at all.
This child’s magical aptitude was so weak that he couldn’t even maintain the gray-white glow. It was unlikely he’d ever be able to learn magic.
Seeing the lack of reaction from the orb, Litte, who was perceptive, already knew she must be severely lacking.
“It’s fine, Litte. You’re already amazing. The crystal orb is just acting up,” Orson said, giving Marvin a knowing look before feigning irritation.
“Mr. Marvin, this crystal orb of yours really needs to be replaced. It’s the same one you had six years ago. After all this time, it’s bound to malfunction. It’s unfair to those who come here to be tested.”
“You’re absolutely right, Young Master Orson. I’ll contact headquarters immediately to request a replacement. Once the new orb arrives, we’ll invite Young Master Litte to test again.”
“Good, that’s what I like to hear,” Orson said with a satisfied nod before leading Litte out of the room.
Marvin escorted the two of them out of the Adventurers’ Guild and remained at the entrance until their carriage had disappeared into the distance. Only then did he let out a sigh.
“Young Master Orson is already making moves to establish his dominance. As expected of the Empire’s once-in-a-millennium prodigy,” Marvin muttered to himself.
How could he not understand Orson’s intentions in bringing Litte here?
It was a simple show of strength—to demonstrate the massive gap between himself and his new brother, ensuring Litte would give up on any aspirations of inheritance.
Still, there was no denying Orson’s power. Reaching Tier 7 at eighteen was nothing short of terrifying. The strongest individuals in the Empire were only Tier 9, and they had been out of sight for years, their current status unknown.
The remaining prominent figures were aging Tier 8 powerhouses. For someone like Orson to reach Tier 7 at his age put him firmly in the upper echelons of the Empire’s combat prowess.
Three months earlier, when Princess Elsa of the Empire had become a Tier 6 mage, the entire country had celebrated, with the emperor hosting a grand banquet in her honor.
One could only wonder what the emperor would think upon hearing of Orson’s current strength.
Not only was Orson a Tier 7 mage, but he was also a Tier 7 warrior.
At that moment, a secretary approached Marvin.
“Chairman Marvin, regarding Young Master Orson’s updated information...”
“Don’t make it public. Just record it within the Antica branch of the guild and ensure no one else can access it. Also, don’t spread the information yourself. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” the secretary replied, nodding before heading off to handle Orson’s records.