Chapter 7: Awakening
Navin looked at his grimoire with pride as he closed it; it burst apart in silver sparks before they once again entered his body.
He stepped down the platform and made his way towards Jaden and Selina. Jaden was looking at him with a wide grin as he reached him. Jaden gave him a tight hug and added.
"Congratulations, Navin."
Navin hugged him back and replied arrogantly.
"Hmph, I always knew that I would get a silver."
Jaden laughed at his answer and patted his back as he spoke jokingly.
"Of course, of course."
They broke apart the hug and focused back on the ceremony; more participants were being called after all.
Selina, who had been silent till now, looked at Navin and spoke.
"Congratulations, Sir Navin."
Navin turned his head towards her and gave a slight nod as he answered.
"Thanks."
Jaden heaved a sigh and shook his head on it. He just didn’t know why Navin was acting like this towards Selina.
A few more participants walked onto the platform after Navin. All of them obtained a bronze grimoire.
Jaden looked towards the altar with an anxious look as he waited for his fateful turn. Selina, sensing the predicament of her fiancé, grasped his hand and spoke softly.
"There’s no need to be anxious, Jaden... everything will be fine, I am here with you after all." As she looked at Jaden while saying so, her eyes turned nearly obsessive at the end.
Jaden looked into her obsessive eyes with similar intensity and answered.
"I am indeed thankful for you being with me, My Lady."
His smile widened as he tightened his grip on hers. Selina also smiled and did the same. Both of them continued to stare into each other’s obsessive eyes before a heavy sound echoed through the hall.
"Selina Miravale."
Jaden frowned a little at it and turned towards the altar with displeasure. Soon, his lips arched into his signature smile, he turned his head and looked at Selina as he added, while letting go of her hand.
"I do believe in you, My Lady... but I can’t help but say it."
"May luck favour you."
Selina nodded at him as she turned towards the platform. Her loving, obsessive and sweet face had turned indifferent as she walked upon the platform and followed the commands of The Curator.
Silver sparks appeared around her, but they didn’t enter her body; instead, they started to float around her until they burst apart.
Everyone looked at that strange event with a puzzled look. Jaden also had a dark look as his thoughts spiralled.
’Did she fail? Why did she not get a grimoire?’
He turned to look at The Curator, but he was surprised when he saw the look of bewilderment on his face.
He shifted his head towards Selina. She still wore an indifferent look as she looked at the crowd before her. Suddenly, golden sparks appeared around her and entered her body. Jaden blinked a few times as he muttered involuntarily.
"Gold?"
The crowd also began its chatter.
"Were those sparks golden?"
"What are those?"
"What does it mean?"
"Heck, I called it. She looks like the female lead, no matter how you look at it."
"I know, right?"
"Are we supposed to say that?"
"Golden? What’s that?"
"Who would have thought there’s a rank above the one we know of?"
The stunned crowd stared at her as she called out her grimoire, golden sparks appeared on her palm and took the form of a multi-coloured chrome cover book with golden embroidery and seven golden stars. That was her Gold Grimoire.
"G-Gold." The Curator added with a wide grin.
She looked towards Jaden and gave a beautiful smile, which nearly stunned everyone present in the hall.
She recalled her grimoire and stepped down. She walked towards him as the crowd looked at her with eyes filled with both admiration and envy, envy being the heavy part of it.
Jaden looked at her with a loving smile as she made her way towards him. When Navin had obtained his silver grimoire, he had felt envious of him, but when Selina obtained her gold grimoire - a rank he didn’t even know existed till now - he felt like that was how it was supposed to be, like it was the most normal outcome.
As he was about to step forward to hug her, The Curator called out.
"Jaden Cross."
Jaden’s smile faltered as he looked at Selina with a guilty look. Selina, on the other hand, gave him a thumbs-up, seeing the all-serious Selina act like that. Jaden chuckled a little and began walking towards the platform.
As he walked past her, she spoke, and her words echoed in his head like a gong.
"Make sure to surprise everyone, love."
Jaden smiled widely as he nodded and walked onto the platform. He followed The Curator’s commands and placed his palm over the small brazier and closed his eyes.
He suddenly heard someone say "open", so he opened his eyes. He suddenly found himself standing within a library with grimoires floating all around him.
The grimoires moved and began to spin around him. Soon, a black night sky-like book with golden arcane embroidery and seven golden stars appeared before him.
"G-Gold?" he muttered as he grabbed the grimoire and suddenly felt a pull on himself. He closed his eyes and opened them again... he was back within the hall.
Everyone was looking at him with stunned expressions; he also had obtained a gold grimoire after all.
Jaden also had a puzzled expression, not because of the book... but because of what was before him.
[Binding ’Picturebook’ to the Grimoire]
[Host had met the hidden condition - The Golden Child]
[Ding! You are being rewarded for completing - The Golden Child]
[Host’s Enhanced Intelligence and spirit stats are increased by 5]
Jaden suddenly felt like some kind of shackles were removed from his mind. He frowned a little while muttering something with a puzzled expression.
"Where... am I?"