"So, what are you here for?" Lady Solis asked.
"Applying to be a Ten Dawn."
"Hmm… I see. I think you'll be the third person to apply this year, aside from Lord Kel and Lady Vivian. But I heard they might be changing the requirements soon."
"And how do you know that?"
"Some people in my family are responsible for administering the tests. I overheard them speaking about it yesterday."
"I see."
"You're not curious at all?"
He gave her a flat look. "Would you tell me if I asked?"
"Why wouldn't I?" The girl was puzzled. "Lord Freon, do you think I'm chatting with you because I have an ulterior motive in mind? While it may be true that my family is encouraging me to get acquainted with you, that isn't why I'm here. I'm here because you saved my life in the Siege on Yongtein and I wanted to know my savior better. Is that so wrong?" She appeared hurt.
Freon was taken aback by her sudden honesty, and for a while, he could not come up with a response. After a moment of careful consideration, he replied slowly, "No, you're right. It isn't a problem. It's just… I don't have a good impression of the Engelsheft Families. I apologize."
She smiled brilliantly. It was enough to brighten the whole room up! "Thank you."
"Then how are they changing the requirements for a Ten Dawn?" he quickly asked. He had to distract himself from her ridiculous charm.
"I believe they will be lowering the Core Level requirement to Half-Condensed Drop. That is the biggest thing."
"I'm not surprised. Too many of the Ten Dawns died in the war. The kingdom will want to fill up their spots quickly."
"Yes, many people did pass away," she repeated with a dejected look.
"…"
Under that awkward note, the conversation ended. Freon had time to wonder how he got into this situation standing next to this pretty girl. Yes, she was not the most beautiful. There was Lady Kalasena, the famous icy princess of the Dewshard Household, who captivated the hearts of countless men. Likewise, Empress Xiuying and Ming Tzu came to mind. These two were breathtakingly gorgeous, like paintings come to life! It was hard to imagine there was anyone more beautiful. Normally, he would have never had the privilege of meeting, much less talking, to these people, yet he did. He only realized now. His status changed a lot since two years ago when he first met Elizabeth. He was no longer the useless older brother of Ten Dawn Nassandra! Though he did remain somewhat wary of Lady Solis, he did relax. Thirty minutes flew by before they reached the front of the queue.
"Hello, how may I help you?"
"Hi, I would like to apply to be a Ten Dawn."
The large man looked up and widened his eyes. His voice was shaking with excitement. "You're Ash Bringer? You're really him?"
"Uh…"
"Gosh, you're really him!" He jumped up to his feet and shook Freon's hand aggressively. "I've been dying to meet you! You know I had to fight tooth and nail to work today, since everyone figured you would be visiting soon, but it looks like I was the final winner! Ha!"
Freon was lost for words. Suddenly, he regretted coming here today.
Perhaps, the man noticed his discomfort, but he quickly corrected his attitude. With the toothiest grin, he said, "Sorry about that, I got too excited."
"I can tell."
"Please wait a moment." He left with a skip in his step.
"You're more outstanding than I thought. He didn't even notice me," Lady Solis chuckled behind her hand.
"I'll never understand," Freon sighed.
"You don't have anyone you look up to?"
"No."
"I think it's a good idea to have someone. It gives you a clear goal to achieve, for who you want to become."
"Except he doesn't know me. He only knows the version of me through stories."
"That's fine. We don't need to know every little fault. We should become the best version of our idols instead. That would make us a better person."
The man returned. "Sorry for the wait. The application will continue on the twentieth floor. Please follow me."
He led them to the central staircase, which extended from the first floor all the way to the thirtieth floor in a spiral fashion. To walk from the first floor to the twentieth would have been a daunting task for anyone else; however, they did have magic. Freon and the man had their wands, while Lady Solis had a wooden ring. Wind-type or movement focused spells were not challenging nor rare. Everyone could use the most basic spell for the journey. Freon casted Spring Step and catapulted up the flights of stairs. His casting speed was clearly a notch above the other two. He was already on the second floor by the time Lady Solis casted her spell. She glided up slowly. It was not exactly flying or fast for that matter, yet it fitted her perfectly. It made her reminiscent of a fairy. She landed on the second floor with grace. Since they were not in a race, they waited for their guide.
The man was obviously not the greatest Arcanist. He failed to cast his spell twice and barely succeeded on the third. Sweat covered his pudgy face. He was dangerously close to backlashing there. To be fair, his poor performance was due to Freon's presence, which made the man more nervous than normal. To control Magic or Martial Energy needed proper concentration after all. With great effort, the man made it to the second floor. Freon and Lady Solis were concerned, except he reassured them he was fine. They pressed on until the man ran out of Magic Energy on the fourth floor. Freon was not surprised. In the past, he suffered from the same problems when he was a Low Gaseous Fog Arcanist. A few spells and his Core would run empty. Embarrassed, the man decided to walk the rest of the way. Freon and Lady Solis had more than enough energy to reach the twentieth floor. Their guide was completely exhausted though.
This was why the higher floors were reserved for those with superior status and Core Level. The topmost two floors were used by the Conquestian. He was the head of the dragon Celestial Court and the Zino Kingdom! The twenty-eighth to twenty-fifth were used by the Three Sages. The twenty-fourth to the twentieth were used by the Celestial Council, so the Ten Dawns and the Ten Auroras. This was also where the Celestial Council officially convened. Interestingly, Elizabeth's office as the Royal Ambassador was on the nineteenth floor. Although it could have been higher, the previous Royal Ambassador, Queen Samanthie, was not an Arcanist. She needed help to climb the stairs every day. For Elizabeth, this was not a problem. Freon's sister, Nassandra, worked on the twenty-second floor. He never visited, but apparently the view was incredible. The eighteenth to tenth floor were used by high-ranking officials, like military generals or region masters. The bottom floors were for everything else.
Since the Celestial Council was not in session, there were few people here. It was mostly the Arcane Knights who patrolled the entrance and prevented curious people from going up. Security was not the best. Freon had to wonder if this was the best the Zino Kingdom had to offer. Then again, the Conquestian and the Ten Dawns were up there. There was no better assurance than that! The Arcane Knights did not stop them. Many even greeted him and Lady Solis. They were quite famous after all. At the examination hall, Freon groaned, because he saw two people he did not want to see. It was Lord Kel Lanark and Lady Vivian Malkhorn. Lady Solis did say they were applying to be Ten Dawns, meaning it was rotten luck to run into them today. The pair noticed Freon too, though they were mainly surprised to see his companion, Lady Solis. It was an odd sight.
"Lord Kel, thank you for accompanying my performance during the banquet party. It wouldn't have gone as swimmingly as it did without your help. Lady Vivian, I didn't get the chance to see you at the party. How have you been?" Solis asked.
"Fair. Are you applying to be a Ten Dawn too? I don't recall you wanting to," Vivian replied.
"I'm not. I'm accompanying Lord Freon."
"You are?" She stared at Freon then Lady Solis. It was obvious what she was thinking.