The one dying from all of this was the clergyman in charge of divine power tests.

His disposition, already poor due to working overtime yesterday and the day before, was currently hitting rock bottom. Especially considering Acid was in the care of the villainous Mirmod family. He couldn’t find a kind word to say.

“Sit down. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“…Okay.”

As soon as Acid sat down opposite him, the clergyman continued disdainfully.

“I suppose you wouldn’t know this.”

Acid looked at the clergyman with clear eyes, sensing something peculiar in his gaze. The clergyman cleared his throat a couple of times.

“Kid, there are four categories of divine power. One is offensive, another is defensive. Yet another allows for communication with the divine, and the last is healing.”

Though the clergyman might not know it, even the street beggars knew that much.

People with offensive or defensive divine power become paladins. Those with the power to communicate with the divine become clergy or shrine maidens. There are few with healing power, but they become healers.

Healers possess the ability to heal everything at the brink of death.

“Given the healing divine power is so rare… well, I suppose you’d like to be a knight like your older brother.”

The clergyman chuckled mockingly at Acid.

“Know that cases where divine power manifests at your age are extremely rare.”

Acid simply stared at him before nodding.

“I understand.”

“I’m giving you the chance to leave without the test.”

“No, I’ll…take it.”

Acid knew but had come just in case.

Though he felt daunted, he had no intention of giving up.

For a moment, the clergyman hesitated at the clear and distinct voice, but that was it. He shrugged his shoulders and offered a small cube to Acid.
“Tch. Let’s start with the Cube Test. Place your hand on this cube.”

The priest didn’t bother explaining the process of testing divine power to Acid. He assumed this unremarkable boy would fail at the first stage—the Cube Test.

What nobody knew was that the divine power test consisted of two stages.

The first was to check if one possessed divine power.

This was done through the Cube Test; simply put, one had to place their hand on the cube on the table, and that was it.

Over 99% of the ragtag people who came to test their divine power failed at this level.

The other was to determine what kind of divine power one had and how much of it.

The priest thought there was no need to explain further as no ordinary person reached this stage.

With his chin propped up, the priest lazily opened his eyes to gaze at Acid.

His hand, when he reached out to touch the cube, looked surprisingly noble—unlike someone who had rolled in the dirt. But that was it; there was no way he could have divine power…

“…Huh?”

The priest squinted down at the cube.

When a human with divine power touched the cube, a pure white light would shimmer from their hand.

And right before his eyes, a pure white light was indeed shimmering.

The priest, who had briefly furrowed his brow, lifted one corner of his mouth in a derisive smirk.

“…Looks like you possess a modicum of power, after all.”

Acid didn’t respond.

The priest sneaked a glance at Acid, who seemed somewhat relieved.

Being Ted’s younger brother, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

However, passing the Cube Test meant nothing.

Even the 1% who passed the Cube Test were usually deemed to have meager, useless divine power in the subsequent tests.

He coldly directed his words at Acid.

“Don’t get comfortable, kid.”

“I’m not…comfortable.”

Unexpectedly unfazed, the priest handed Acid a rosary.

It appeared to be an ordinary rosary, with beads filled in a circular chain of metal…

But it was undoubtedly a rosary bestowed by a deity.

The rosary was a precious item that chose humans with strong divine power.

When a human held the rosary, light would begin to emanate from it. Depending on how strong the divine power was, the color of the mana emanating from the rosary would differ.

Usually, it was white; if the divine power was a bit stronger, it turned red; the most potent divine power made it shine gold.

“Consider it an honor to even hold this rosary.”

“…Yes.”

The priest leaned over the table and began writing his report.

Second Divine Power Test Result: Weak divine power.]

That should suffice.

Unlike the priest who had already decided on the result, Acid calmly lifted the rosary.

He remained steadfast, even in front of a priest who had shown no interest and had been entirely dismissive.

Many people had treated him that way. Only Cien had treated him like a human.

He wasn’t even hurt by such treatment.

Clutching the rosary tightly in his hand, Acid quietly asked.

“Should I hold this rosary with one hand like this?”

The priest was about to raise his gaze and answer indifferently.

But just then,

A vivid blue light began to flow from the rosary in Acid’s hand onto the floor.

“What, what is this.”

Never before had he seen such a vivid blue light in his numerous tests.