Let’s assume there is a human who possesses mana but is neither a mage nor a spirit mage.

Such a person is either an idiot who doesn’t even know they possess mana, or a dark sorcerer.

So how do you tell an idiot apart from a dark sorcerer?

The method is as follows:

Step 1: Confirm whether the person possesses mana.

Step 2: If they do, draw a blood sample.

Step 3: Smear the blood onto a holy relic. If the relic turns black, there’s a high probability the person is a dark sorcerer.

The biggest drawback of this method is that the blood of a spirit mage who has made a pact with a dark spirit, in other words, a dark spirit mage, also reacts to the holy relic.

Therefore, it is necessary to check if the subject transforms into a beast at a specific time.

This is because dark sorcerers have the characteristic of transforming into the phantom beast of the demon they are contracted with.

However, there is no way for us to know when a dark sorcerer will transform into a beast.

Furthermore, even if they do transform, we cannot distinguish whether it is a phantom beast of a demon.

For these reasons, in the past, anyone whose blood turned a holy relic black was indiscriminately branded a dark sorcerer and executed.

Those facing the end of the world simply couldn’t afford to distinguish between dark spirit mages and dark sorcerers.

This is precisely why dark spirit mages have disappeared today.

… (Omitted)

Excerpt from  < I’ve Ended Up As The World-Saving Saint >

***

Knock, knock.

Leonhart knocked on the door again.

“Your Grace?”

The moment I opened my mouth without thinking, Undine flew over and desperately clamped her hand over my beak.

• Be quiet! Do you want to get caught?

Ah, right. What came out of my mouth now wasn’t speech…it was the grating caw of a crow.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Your Grace, are you feeling that unwell?”

I was on the verge of losing my mind.

It felt like Leonhart was about to come in at any second.

‘Guys, guys! Wh-what do I do? What do I do?’

The spirits exchanged anxious glances.

• I don’t think Leonhart is just going to go back. Let’s get out of here first.
• Agreed, let’s escape through the terrace.
• Fuck, what the hell is going on… Pactmaker! Hurry and make a run for the terrace!

‘Huh? Huh? H-how?’

All I could do was lie sprawled across the bed, blinking.

I couldn’t walk, nor could I fly. I couldn’t even stand up.

My body’s structure had changed so completely that I had no idea what I was supposed to move or how to move it.

I couldn’t even communicate.

All I could do was look at the spirits with tear-filled eyes.

• Rianne, what are you doing?! This isn’t the time to fool around! Hurry up and get moving!
• Could it be that she’s unable to get up? She looks like she’s having trouble moving.
• Shit! You can’t even talk to her, so why are you asking?! Just move her with magic!
• I’ll do it! Wind Feather!

‘…?’

Nothing happened. Sylph spoke, looking completely bewildered.

• My mana isn’t responding.
• What?! Aqua Drop! …Huh? You’re right.

The spirits and I fell into a state of total panic.

For some unknown reason, none of our mana would activate. Mana was the only thing we could rely on right now.

In the meantime, Leonhart delivered his final warning.

“I believe I’ve been polite enough. I’m coming in.”

Undine paled and began stamping her feet in panic.

• Gasp! He says he’s coming in!
• Wh-what do we do? We’re all going to get caught at this rate!
• We’re fucked! Gnome, lift her!
• (Nods!)

Gnome, the strongest among the spirits, tried to hoist me up, but ended up flopping face-down.

Every form of strength spirits could exert in the human world was drawn from mana or the power of nature.

But now that mana wouldn’t respond, it seemed even their physical strength had weakened.

• Sylph, let’s help! Fire lizard! Keep watch outside!

The spirits sprang into action.

Undine grabbed my left wing while Sylph took hold of my right, allowing Gnome to finally regain his balance and stand.

Salamander flew out to the terrace to check the surroundings.

• There’s no one here! Now’s our chance!

But before we could even reach the terrace, the doorknob turned.

We all froze in place, our trembling eyes fixed on the door.

I swear, it was the most terrifying moment of my life. It felt as though my blood had frozen solid.

Salamander’s telepathic voice rang through my head.

[Fuck! What are you waiting for?! Throw her!]

Snapping back to their senses, the spirits pooled their strength and hurled me through the air.

At that exact moment, the door swung wide open.

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