Chapter 37: The Mana Sensitivity Test

“What are you staring at? Haven’t you ever seen a fairy before?”

The man’s voice was surprisingly bright and clear, sending shivers down Hay’s spine.

‘A fairy, then. Thank goodness. Not a ghost.’

His heart pounded with a sudden rush of alarm.

The man scanned Hay and Renki with an air of displeasure, then called out into the dark interior of the shop.

“I’ll be back for the item tomorrow, so please take good care of it!”

“Understood, but don’t come early tomorrow morning! Come just before sunset!”

From within, the shop owner’s voice echoed.

“Got it!”

The mage replied cheerfully, pulling his hood lower and covering his face with a scarf before striding past Hay and Renki.

“He looks frightening, but his voice doesn’t sound like a bad person’s. If he’s a fairy, what kind do you think he is?”

Renki whispered from beside him.

“He must be a ‘Ganethua’.”

The Ganethua were a fairy tribe known for their plaster-white skin, with eyes and nails that were entirely black or dark blue.

According to the book *Fairy Tales* that Briana Lamperche had given him, they lived in tribes in the northern wastelands, but he had never expected to encounter one here.

Fairies typically traveled in groups, so it was possible there were other Ganethua nearby.

“Close that door! You’re letting in a draft!”

The shop owner shouted from inside.

Hay’s gaze lingered on the Ganethua mage for a moment before he collected himself and stepped inside the shop.

While the shop’s exterior was as hideous as an abandoned house, its interior was surprisingly clean and bright.

It also seemed far more spacious than it had appeared from the outside. Had the space been magically expanded?

“Excuse me. I’ve come to sell some items.”

The shop owner was a middle-aged man with streaks of gray in his brown hair. His windswept hairstyle reminded Hay of the male lead from an old drama, *Winter Sonata*.

“Well, well, if it isn’t a Spirit Master. And you’ve brought a cute little spirit with you.”

The man winked over the top of his thin, elongated spectacles. Upon hearing the words ‘cute little spirit,’ Sylph purred contentedly.

“My name is Gnolan Venter.”

“I’m Hay Styles.”

“What have you come to sell? Let’s have a look at your wares.”

Venter said, clearing away the various trinkets scattered across the round table.

Hay gestured with his chin towards Renki, who then took out the Black Mage’s staff, wrapped in cloth and slung over his shoulder, along with a grimoire from his bag.

“I sense dark magic.”

Venter raised his sparse eyebrows and unwrapped the cloth.

“It’s certainly not yours, I presume. A trophy?”

Hay nodded in response to his question.

“As a Spirit Master, you likely aren’t familiar with the market prices for magical tools. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you a fair price. Now, if you’ll permit me, may I examine them further?”

“Please do.”

Venter lifted the Black Mage’s staff. He turned it this way and that, even attempting to inject mana into it as he began his appraisal.

Renki, seemingly fascinated by the sight, stood silently before the round table, observing. Hay, meanwhile, casually browsed the shop while Venter appraised the items.

Several magic staves hung on the walls, and grimoires were neatly arranged on display shelves.

They ranged from beginner to advanced, yet none of them seemed to possess any true value.

The truly valuable grimoires were likely stored in the back. Such items were typically high-priced and only shown to specific customers who sought them out.

After some time had passed, Venter, having completed his appraisal, cleared his throat.

“Here’s the deal.”

With a rather satisfied expression, he stroked the magic staff and the grimoire.

“I’ll buy the staff for 200 gold and the grimoire for 500 gold.”

“Excuse me?”

Renki exclaimed in surprise.

Hay, too, was somewhat taken aback by the unexpectedly high price.

A total of 700 gold.

Hay inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘Could Kisen Ludor, despite being a mercenary captain, have been unaware of the true value of these items when he handed them over to me?’

‘Or perhaps his performance in the subjugation battle was truly worth 700 million won?’

“The staff is quite well-made. Whoever crafted it processed the magic stone properly. I would have offered even more if not for the lingering dark magic. Cleansing dark magic is no easy feat, you see. That’s why it’s 200 gold.”

Venter tapped the staff as he spoke.

Next was the grimoire.

“While my skills as a mage are ordinary, through this trade, I’ve come to know every spell in existence. Yet, this particular grimoire contains several spells even I don’t recognize. If I don’t know them in this city, it means no one does. Regardless of whether it’s dark magic, unknown spells inherently hold high value. Hence, 500 gold. If you’re not satisfied with my offer, you’re free to check other shops.”

It seemed he was utterly convinced that his offered price was exceptionally reasonable.

Though one could not judge a book by its cover, Hay decided to trust the place, as Sylph had led them here.

“Very well.”

“So, you’ll sell to me?”

“Yes.”

“Then please wait a moment. I’ll just fetch the money from my storeroom…”

Venter, who had been briskly heading towards the storeroom, turned back to Hay.

“What do you need?”

“Do you have a spirit stone staff?”

“I have spirit stones, but Spirit Masters don’t visit my shop often, so I don’t keep staffs pre-made. I only take custom orders.”

Hay placed his own staff on the round table.

“Can you craft something better than this?”

“Oh? White oak wood!”

His eyes gleamed as he handled the oak wood, turning it this way and that.

“It’s sturdy. And the quality is excellent. There’s no need for new spirit wood. Though it’s unrefined and rustic, embedding a spirit stone would significantly enhance its quality. Let me see…”

He set the staff down and went into the storeroom, returning with a rummaging sound as he carried out a box.

“These are all the spirit stones I possess. I have some high-grade spirit stones, but with my current ability, I can only embed two mid-to-low-grade spirit stones into this staff.”

Hay took the spirit stones Venter offered him.

Coincidentally, they were precisely the right grade for his current level.

“Excellent. Please embed two of these. Oh, and as a bonus, could you cast an anti-pollution spell? And an enhancement spell too. My mercenary life means it gets dirty everywhere, and maintenance is a hassle. The wood grain also keeps getting damaged from use.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll charge for the enhancement spell, but the anti-pollution spell will be free. That makes the total cost 540 gold. Ah, so I’ll owe you 160 gold in change. Please wait a moment. I’ll go get the money…”

“One more thing.”

“Something else you wish to buy?”

“I’d like to get a mana sensitivity test.”

“For yourself?”

“No. For this one.”

Hay patted Renki’s shoulder, who stood beside him.

Renki wore an expression that suggested he hadn’t quite grasped what he’d just heard.

“It seems you intend to raise that child into a mage.”

Venter chuckled.

“Raise me into a mage? What do you mean by that…? Me? You’re going to test me?”

Renki pointed to himself with an index finger, his gaze darting between Hay and Venter. He appeared utterly bewildered.

“A mana sensitivity test isn’t difficult. However, it’s not cheap. It costs 10 gold, are you willing to proceed?”

“What?! 10 gold?”

Renki gasped in astonishment.

“Yes, please do it.”

Hay readily nodded.

It was indeed expensive, quite literally. Ten million won for a single test.

“Please wait a moment.”

Venter bustled towards the entrance, flipped the ‘Open’ sign hanging on the door, and returned.

“Hey, little one, could you give me a hand? Lift this table, that’s right. Over there.”

With Renki’s help, he pushed the round table into a corner. A carpet covered the floor beneath it. Once removed, a magic circle was revealed.

“This is the magic circle used to test mana sensitivity.”

“I thought you just held hands to test it?”

“While that method exists, people often mistake it for a scam. In truth, many scoundrels claim to identify magical talent that way, filling people with false hope, only to pocket their money. That’s why I use this method. Furthermore, only Archmages can accurately gauge mana sensitivity by holding hands. Any lesser mage attempting it will likely produce faulty results.”

His words held merit.

“In contrast, this magic circle boasts about an 80% accuracy rate. Moreover, it visually reveals one’s potential as a mage: if there’s talent, the circle will glow from its center. The greater the talent, the wider the illuminated area of the magic circle will become.”

Hay nodded.

“Shall we begin, then? Come now, little one in the mask. Stand in the center of the magic circle.”

Renki glanced between Venter and Hay. He appeared utterly dumbfounded.

“What are you waiting for?”

Hay nudged Renki’s back, gently pushing him into the magic circle. Standing awkwardly within its bounds, Renki seemed unsure of what to do.

“Don’t move; just stand still.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the mage began to chant a spell under his breath, forming a series of hand signs. Rather than elaborate, these were a few timid, precise gestures.

A moment later, the magic circle began to glow from its center. Renki, startled, pressed his lips together and even held his breath.

The light, originating from beneath Renki’s feet, initially shone white before gradually shifting to gold. Finally, it mingled with crimson, radiating a deep reddish-gold hue.

Soon, about seventy percent of the magic circle was bathed in that radiant light. Observing this, the mage gasped in admiration.

If Venter’s words held true, Renki’s talent appeared to be considerable.

“It would be a shame if he didn’t become a mage, wouldn’t it?”

Venter’s voice was quite excited.

As he unfurled his hand, the magic circle’s light extinguished as if it had never shone.

“Does he have talent?”

“He does! Absolutely! But he’s a peculiar one, with a very unique attribute.”

“Attribute?”

“Did you see the reddish-gold light just now? That’s the color of the attribute he possesses. Attributes can be innate or developed over time. I’m not sure which applies to him, but gold typically signifies the sun and light. Red, on the other hand, represents passion and anger. As he learns magic, he’ll come to understand his own attribute better—the source of his power, that is. Attributes can’t be judged solely by color; just as not all gold attributes are the same, there are subtle differences with each mage.”

Hay suddenly recalled how Lexa’s mana had predominantly taken on a golden hue when she used magic.

‘Was Lexa’s attribute the sun?’

“Do you perhaps take on apprentices?”

“Hmph, I’m merely a 5th-class mage. How could I possibly take on an apprentice at my level? If some low-level mage tries to lure you into apprenticeship, just pretend you didn’t hear them! A master should be at least 6th-class or higher! Learning from the countless 4th and 5th-class mages out there is usually pointless. You’d be lucky if they even teach the basics properly! Otherwise, it’s easy to become a mediocre mage.”

“Then, is there anyone in Cheaf who teaches magic lessons?”

“Master, just a moment.”

“There are five individuals renowned for their lessons in this city.”

“Then could you introduce me to them?”

“But they’re all scoundrels. They typically fleece students for at least 200 gold for basic lessons, bundling in various grimoires and magic items as well.”

‘What a bunch of thugs.’