"How did you enjoy your dinner?" Ryan's father asked.

"It was excellent," Ryan answered. "The chefs did a good job with it today. I particularly enjoyed the pie we had for dessert, though, and the ice cream which accompanied it."

"And the singer?" His father asked.

"Her voice was a little off," Ryan answered. "But other than that, the song was interesting. The musicians were good as well."

"That is good," his father said.

Ryan knew he would likely never hear that singer again in-person. Anytime a musician or singer had an off voice to him, his father never hired them again and banned them from the family's hiring as well. He didn't mind, though. His father only wanted Ryan to hear the best sounds.

Others saw it as a weakness, but as Samuel Novar was a Tier Eleven in two different affinities, no one would openly dare challenge him. Few dared do it in secret, too, out of fear of the consequences for such an act. His strength and ability in magic was the only reason no one had attempted to strong-arm him out of the way.

Most of them saw Ryan as proof that Samuel's direct line was done as the head of the family, and Samuel's babying of him as a sign that the main line had grown weak. Ryan considered it strength, and his father did as well.

After all, if one can ignore the haters who call him weak, then can he not also stand above those who are weaker than him? Above who must resort to looking for weaknesses in everything and not just in that which is truly a weakness?

"Father," Ryan said. "Will I be undergoing an Appraisal?"

The moment he asked that, Ryan felt the silence around him as the guests stared in shock. Him, being Appraised? Why would anyone do that when he could never amount to anything as a mage?

"Indeed," Samuel broke the silence after only a few seconds. "Fetch her, would you?"

Ryan heard someone leaving the dining room, the sounds of their shoes implying heeled boots. A few minutes later, they returned with a woman. At least, Ryan guessed that based on the footsteps and his father's instructions. Something was set up in front of Ryan on the table as the person seated beside him stood and moved so that she could work, and he heard her gasp, startled.

"Everything alright?" Ryan asked.

"Sorry," she said. "I had been warned that you were… I wasn't expecting you to not react at all to me being right here."

"It's even more fun when someone tries to have a staring contest with me," Ryan smiled. "What do I need to do?"

"When I finish setting this up," she said. "There will be an orb directly in front of you. Place both hands on it, and I will turn the device on. It will generate a small hum, and likely feel like it's vibrating under your hands with the hum. As it does that, the computer it's hooked up to will analyze your magical power levels."

"Will it measure my mana as well?" He asked.

"No," she answered. "While we can measure levels of magic in regards to the six elements and if you possess the ability to use high magics, we cannot measure mana yet. A century and a half may have passed since the Great Collapse, but that doesn't necessarily mean we can simply invent the technology needed to keep up with everything. That takes plenty of time and research, and much of magic is still a mystery, even to the greatest of researchers right now. Measuring mana in a person also doesn't show an indication of one's Tiers, either, as all mana is the same, while the affinities are different."

"Okay," Ryan said. "So it'll only tell you what my affinities are, as long as I've awakened my magic."

"With the old technology, yes," she said. "However, this reader is an updated version, which can read even unawakened magic and let us know if you're awakened or not. It is more accurate in this way in that it can also read levels which are ordinarily too low to register, so with it, we know if someone is simply a very weak Tier One or if they are simply not yet awakened."

Ryan hadn't heard that they were able to do that yet, but knew his father would have vetted her thoroughly and wanted the best. It was entirely possible that the new testing device wasn't public yet, but it was definitely something that had been verified and tested extensively, or his father wouldn't allow it.

"Okay," Ryan said. "So this will tell me how few affinities I have and how low of a Tier each one is, even if I'm not awakened."

"It will inform us of your affinities and their Tiers," she responded. "Even if you are not awakened."

Ryan liked her. Most appraisers likely would have taken his bait and simply answered 'yes' to that question, but she amended her answer to both be correct and not call him weak.

She finished setting it up, then informed him it was ready. Tyler assisted Ryan in locating the orb and in placing his hands in the correct spot. The orb was cool to the touch, and exceptionally smooth.

"I'm turning it on," the appraiser informed Ryan as he wondered what it would feel like if it were warm and soft as well as smooth and round.

He heard her tap a key and click something, then he heard the humming from the orb. It warmed lightly beneath his hands as he felt the physical hum of the device. A full minute passed as the appraiser tapped keys and clicked her mouse, then she informed Ryan he could pull his hands off.

"What did he register?" Ryan's father asked.

"Yet to awaken," she answered. "Though he did register as a Specialist, which naturally means each of the elements are an affinity as well."

Ryan knew about that. All Specialists were Gems in magical terminology. In addition to being able to use high magics, they also had an affinity for each of the six elements. But giving them a polygonal title made them seem 'lesser', so most just referred to them as Specialists or Gems rather than the technically-correct 'Heptagon'.

Even more shared among all Specialists was that their Tiers for the six elemental affinities were always at or above their Specialist Tier. If Specialist went up a Tier, so did all of the other affinities which were at the same Tier as it, to keep the balance. No one knew why that happened or how it did, but it was still something everyone knew was a fundamental part of magic and the affinities.

"Does your special device," Ryan asked. "Know which high magics I have talent for?"

"No," he could hear the amusement in her voice. "We have yet to progress magic enough to discern that with technology. However, unlike with elemental affinities, Specialists can, with training, use any type of high magic."

While elemental affinities were set from birth. Someone without fire could never acquire the fire affinity.

"Shame," Ryan said. "I wanted to know how easy it would be to learn telekinesis."

Someone started choking, and Ryan estimated it to be his uncle Fredrick based on both the sound and where they were seated.

"I am sure that with practice, you can learn it in no time," she informed him.

"Excellent!" He smiled, knowing that those present were likely doing their best not to groan.

"What are his affinities?" Samuel asked.

"Would you like me to state them, or would you prefer a printed list?"

"Printed would be fine," Samuel answered, and Ryan heard her click something, then the sound of a small, mobile printer running.

"Can see that?" He held out his hand as she tore the paper off the roll. "Since I'm eighteen, I'm legally entitled to it."

"Sure," she placed it in his hand as his father groaned.

"Thanks!" He said. "Oh, I can't read this. Tyler, could you read to me what my affinities are?"

"I will do it," Samuel said as the paper was pulled out of Ryan's hand from across the table, no doubt by his father. "Are you sure you want it said aloud and not kept secret?"

"It's not like I'll be able to do much with my magic," Ryan shrugged. "Other than maybe the telekinesis bit. Do you know if you could find me a trainer for that?"

"I can… try," his father answered, and Ryan knew a telekinesis trainer would be 'difficult to find'. "Strange."

Ryan was curious about that tone, but remembered something he had promised Tyler and had forgotten at breakfast. Belgian waffles with chocolate chips were a weakness of his.

"Speaking of training," Ryan said. "Father, I am setting some time aside each day for Tyler to train his magic. Could you find someone to teach him that which he desires to learn? It would not do for my servant to be unable to use his magic to my defense, should it be necessary. He is with me more than any other, and he already has time for physical combat training."

"I can arrange that," his father responded. "Are you certain these are his Tiers?"

"Yes," the appraiser answered. "I ran the device three times to make sure, and it is fully-calibrated. I can use it on others in here if you wish to verify its accuracy."

Ryan waited for five more people to be Appraised, his father verifying their results met with the records their family had. He was curious about what his results were. He knew that awakening late usually meant the possibility of a higher Tier, so he guessed the fuss was over him having all of his Tiers as Advanced. That came with having a Specialist, if it were in the Advanced Tiers, though, but the rarity of Specialists probably made them forget that.

"So…" Ryan said. "Can I see that? I want to find out what my Tiers are, and you guys are just gawking over it."

"You can hear them," Samuel said. "According to the device, Ryan, you are a Divine in all seven affinities."

"Tier Twelve?" Ryan raised an eyebrow, which he knew unsettled a few people, even without seeing them. Tyler had admitted that it did that when he asked a few years prior, after Ryan learned how to raise a single eyebrow rather than both. "On all elements and Specialist?"

"Yes," his father said.

"Nice," Ryan said. "That must be some pretty potent telekinesis, then. Do you think I'll be able to lift up a semi?"

"Not anytime soon," his father said. "And with no offense intended to you, ma'am, but I will have him tested again by another device."

"Understandable," she responded. "I've not heard of someone placing so high when they aren't even awakened, so doubt is perfectly logical."

"Indeed," Ryan's father said. "Now, you will understand if I place a geass on you, yes?"

Ryan felt the room go still at that comment. He supposed that was natural, since no one other than him knew his father was a Specialist. A geass was a magical oath or command which could not be broken, and Samuel had placed them on the few people who did know, before they died. It was doubtful they died by accident, even if the results said they did.

His father specialized in geass spells among the various high magics, which would make it easy for him to bind everyone in the room to prevent them from revealing Ryan's results or that Samuel was a Specialist.

Ryan waited as everyone in the room, aside from himself, underwent the process of his father touching them and placing a geass of secrecy upon them. He also forced the appraiser to completely remove any traces of Ryan's results from her computer and printer. Only once all of that was finished was she allowed to leave.

"What about a house?" Ryan asked, and his father chuckled.

"I would be impressed," his father responded. "If those results are true, however, it does explain why you have yet to awaken. Quite an interesting birthday, yes?"

"Indeed," Ryan smiled. "So how do I go about getting awakened? I want to lift up the Reisnar Bridge."

"You will awaken naturally," his father answered. "Specialists always awaken, even if it takes them time. That is a guarantee. To find out your Calling, or the high magic you have the highest affinity to, will require it activating naturally or your discovering it while using various high magics. Most often, a Calling is discovered when high magic of the same type as it is used upon the Specialist."

"I see," Ryan said. "So after I get smacked with telekinesis, I'll be lifting an island up into the sky. How much effort do you think that would take? Also, don't blame me if I accidentally drop it on someone, my aim will be quite bad."

"You will not be getting smacked with telekinesis," his father told him. "And you will not be lifting any islands into the sky, either."

"How about mountains?" Ryan asked.

"That would require a lot more than telekinesis."

"Shame," Ryan mock-pouted, then scooted back his seat and stood. "Well, I am tired, so I am going to retire to my room. If anyone needs me, I will be busy practicing telekinesis, but do not worry, my aim will be perfect and I will not accidentally hit you with anything or use it on you."

"Good night, Ryan," his father said. "We will retest you tomorrow."

"Good night," Ryan responded. "Talk to you tomorrow."