"Your wind affinity... is superb. I can feel it—your body has a strong pull for wind elements," Dilovei praised, her gaze drifting from her blurred fingertips to Tiyi's chest.

"Is that so?" Honestly, Tiyi hadn't been able to focus just now.

"Next, water affinity. Raise your arms and place them behind your head."

"Mm... understood." Tiyi hesitated slightly but chided herself inwardly—she shouldn't waver anymore.

She chose to obey Dilovei's instructions.

"Different body parts react uniquely to elements. We must find the best spot for testing." A faint blue glow appeared on Dilovei's fingers as she traced Tiyi's slender form, hovering just above her skin without touching.

Tiyi closed her eyes, treating it like a nun's healing check. Though Yedi rarely suffered serious injuries and had no such experience, this thought helped her stay calm.

Yet with her eyes shut, she felt Dilovei's fingers brush her skin with unseen force—was this elemental perception?

Dilovei's fingertips pressed against Tiyi's armpit.

"Lady Dilovei, how is my water... affinity?"

"Exceptionally... excellent. Let me check elsewhere. There might be a spot even more attuned to water..." Dilovei bent down, the soft water-element glow illuminating her icy, focused face.

Tiyi pressed her lips together, her knees instinctively knocking as she endured the test.

"Water is truly superb."

"Next, fire element..."

"Earth element..."

"Lightning element..."

"Here is ideal for testing dark element affinity."

Tiyi's expression shifted with each test—wind, water, fire, earth, lightning, dark—like moon phases changing.

...

Dilovei brought her small hands before her face and took a deep breath.

"Alandiye, your elemental affinity is outstanding. More incredibly, your body harmonizes perfectly with every element except light." She placed her hand under Tiyi's nose again, nearly brushing her lips. "Can you feel it? As if the world itself is drawn to you."

Yet Tiyi sensed only her fragrance.

She ignored Dilovei's odd phrasing. The key point was clear: she had exceptional magic potential.

"Was I really once a Holy Temple Knight? How can I be so suited to be a Witch? Compatible with everything but light?"

Tiyi couldn't force joy. Though this aided her plans, her heart conflicted.

"If my reading is accurate, I've never met such an affinity body. But great affinity alone isn't enough—it's just the foundation. To unlock it, you need sharp elemental perception. That requires your own effort."

"I'll teach you perception methods. But there's no fixed way—it's mysterious, needing personal insight. This is where Witches truly diverge in skill."

Dilovei stepped back and whispered, "Now, close your eyes."

Tiyi shut her eyes.

"Empty your mind. Feel..."

"Lady Dilovei, what should I feel?"

"Feel your surroundings. Imagine wind. Picture water. Sense anything in this darkness that excites or intrigues you..."

But Tiyi felt only pitch blackness.

After a while, Dilovei asked curiously, "Well? What did you sense?"

Tiyi frowned and shook her head. "Nothing. Only darkness. Endless darkness."

"Huh? How?" Dilovei stroked her chin. "Most feel nothing on their first try. But with your affinities, you shouldn't sense nothing for this long."

"Tiyi, not even a tiny spark? Something curious? Any movement?"

Tiyi still shook her head.

"Am I expecting too much? This is common—many girls take months or years to sense a glimmer. Perhaps your mind is preoccupied? Try again," Dilovei said.

Preoccupied?

Indeed, Tiyi had resolved to learn magic, but her ingrained beliefs resisted change. She still felt guilt—viewing magic as heresy, an evil force causing calamity.

"No, I must calm my mind. Banish these thoughts..."

"But am I stepping onto a path of no return? Is magic truly not a sin?"

Though her resolve strengthened, discarding past beliefs wasn't easy.

Tiyi tried repeatedly. Yet her perception remained utterly dark—no trace of light in that void.

"I'll try once more..." Tiyi panted, sweat beading on her skin from mental strain.

"Enough for today," Dilovei said. "Succeeding on the first try is rare—even prodigies struggle. For most Witches, failure is normal and won't hinder progress. Besides, Tiyi, your swordsmanship talent is already exceptional. We shouldn't push too hard."

"Sorry for wasting your time," Tiyi murmured, her face flushing slightly.

"It's fine. Take it slow. We'll try tomorrow." Dilovei stepped forward, patting Tiyi's soft shoulder. Her calm eyes gleamed with determined azure light, as if urging her on.

This pure, simple trust from a chance meeting eased Tiyi's heart.

How could a Witch—rumored to be selfish, deceitful, and lustful—have such eyes?

Dilovei and Tiyi returned to the cathedral. Candlelight had dimmed across the hall, the night deepening.

"I'll take you to your lodgings," Dilovei said.

"Mm..." Tiyi nodded.

They climbed to the second floor—a hollow level encircling the hall.

There lay the Witches' dining area, living quarters, and at the far end, the sleeping zone.

Rows of plain double-decker wooden beds filled the space. As Tiyi followed Dilovei in, a wave of feminine scents from alchemically-made bath shampoos washed over her.

Tiyi suddenly realized—with "lodgings," did they mean she'd stay in the girls' dormitory?