Ever since Leon saw the "Good" rating pop up on his divine spell panel after his Holy Light Meditation, a thought had been forming in his mind.
It seemed that his identity—or rather, his fame—could also increase the "audience feedback" provided by onlookers.
Previously, even before the Bishops and the Archbishop had arrived, he had already earned a "Good" rating just from the gaze of the surrounding priests.
Besides the "extravagant" act of performing Holy Light Meditation in public, it was also because Prince Aaron had revealed his identity.
The combination of the "Prime Minister's second son" and the "Hero of Solainem" buffs had allowed the divine spell panel to give a very decent Divine Spell Performance Rating.
So, Leon wondered: could he construct a persona for himself and embed it in the minds of others to increase his fame and bring in even more abundant audience feedback?
Leon was now making his first attempt: establishing a persona.
A persona couldn't be generic or mediocre. It had to be unique and full of contrast to catch people's eyes, allowing them to quickly recognize him through a few simple traits.
As for how to do it specifically?
First was the "genius" label.
Leon had already over-delivered on this front.
Comprehending a Silver rank divine spell in three minutes and being able to cast it immediately without the slightest hitch.
This performance had already firmly planted Leon's image as a "divine spell genius" in the hearts of all the priests.
Whether it was the Bishops and Archbishop or the Apprentice and Formal Priests participating in the assessment with him, the looks they gave him now were filled with the respect one gives a transcendent genius.
The second step was the "eccentric" label.
Remaining unfazed even if the sky were to fall, maintaining a calm expression as if no one else were around from start to finish.
Even upon hearing that Archbishop Charles would recommend him as a God-Chosen candidate, he only gave a faint nod, showing no sign of surprise or delight.
This was the trait Leon was cultivating—the image of someone with supreme divine spell talent who didn't care about it at all.
As for the third step, it was to break this "indifferent" personality and create a contrast.
Leon already had an idea for this step.
However, he had to wait until after the divine spell comprehension assessment was over to act on it, otherwise, it would seem a bit too forced...
After planning it out in his mind, Leon settled down and didn't waste a single moment, continuing his Holy Light Meditation.
He didn't use the multitasking method for walking and meditating because dual meditation was quite draining. It was currently the Priest Assessment, and although Leon felt he had a 99.9% chance of crushing all the other priests to take the top spot...
But... only 99.9% certainty wasn't safe enough!
He still needed to give it his all!
...
“That is what a true genius looks like!”
Seeing the other priests below still struggling to comprehend their spells, their faces filled with worry and solemnity, and then seeing Leon already peaceful and focused on his Holy Light Meditation, one of the Bishops remarked with deep emotion.
Not only was he more talented than ordinary people, but he was also more hardworking.
That is what a true genius is.
He wasn't like those mediocre people who loved making excuses, believing they were talented and only failed because they didn't focus, thinking they would surely succeed if they just tried.
But in reality, the ability to focus on the task at hand is itself a talent—a top-tier one at that.
As the three hours slowly ticked away, some commotion began to stir among the priests below. Gradually, some began to complete their comprehension and sought out High Priests to register.
After registering, they had to demonstrate the divine spell they had just learned in front of a High Priest.
Priests with better talent only needed a dozen or so practice runs to successfully cast the spell.
Although the power was weak because they had just mastered it, the power of the spell didn't carry much weight in the total score. Therefore, neither the candidates nor the grading High Priests paid much attention to it.
After all, a priest like Leon—who could cast it instantly upon mastery and demonstrate its full power on the second try—could only be described as a monster.
The three-hour comprehension period soon ended. When the High Priests announced the end of the session, some priests were joyful while others looked dejected.
“He’s a freak... I barely managed to finish this Bronze rank spell at the last second, but that Leon... he finished a Silver rank spell in three minutes! He’s not even human!”
“Hah! You actually want to compare yourself to Priest Leon? Look over there—even Sylvia, the top student of Bemis Academy, and that big shot Austin don't dare compare themselves to him!”
“Exactly. I just went to ask around, and the focus of the academic priests' discussion isn't even who's going to win this round anymore. They’re just ranking from second place down, debating who has a chance to be right under Priest Leon...”
“From the looks of it, Priest Leon's divine spell talent... might not be below my own!”
“...”
After the divine spell comprehension phase, there was a short break.
In the past, during this break, the candidates would be discussing who might have cheated or who would take first place.
But now, no one dared to cheat, and as for first place... no one dared to challenge it.
After all, even academy toppers like Sylvia and Austin took about two and a half hours to comprehend their spells.
As for three minutes... they were practically from a different world.
Right then, the volume of the priests' discussions suddenly dropped, much like a classroom during self-study when the teacher on duty suddenly walks in.
The reason for this was that Leon had finished his meditation and stood up.
The surrounding priests instinctively held their breath as they watched him walk out of the great square.
Normally, leaving the Great Sacred Light Square during the assessment was not allowed.
But Leon was clearly not a normal case.
“Phew~”
Seeing Leon leave, many priests breathed a sigh of relief.
For some reason, when Priest Leon was present, an inexplicable pressure weighed on their hearts, making them afraid to even breathe too loudly.
“You’ve been outshone, Top Student Sylvia. How do you feel right now? Care for an interview?”
On the other side, Austin, the top student of Belmont Academy, stood beside Sylvia and spoke with a wry smile.
Sylvia withdrew her gaze from Leon and turned to look at Austin.
Austin shrugged. “Priest Leon only switched paths recently. He was being raised as a bloodline warrior before.”
“Who would have thought his divine spell talent would be so high? He’s completely stolen the spotlight from us academy toppers.”
Sylvia said coldly, “Spotlight? Do you care that much about such empty fame?”
“Who doesn't?” Austin replied.
Sylvia turned her head away without answering.
Austin didn't mind. He asked, “The next part is the combat assessment. Who are you planning to choose as your opponent?”
Sylvia answered without hesitation, “Leon.”
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