A chill ran down Thane's spine, a drop of sweat rolling from his temple. His back was completely drenched in an instant—a mixture of cold sweat and coffee.
"Am I… afraid?" he muttered to himself.
He had never felt such foreign emotions before.
Two men, one slightly taller and the other about his height, stood like insurmountable mountains.
It didn't last long before the white-robed man opened his mouth. "How old are you?" he asked, sizing Thane up from bottom to top.
Thane gulped instinctively before composing himself. "I'll be 17 years old… on New Year's."
The man smiled and continued. "New Year is in two weeks. Mhm… Are you here to apply for admission?"
"Admission? What are you talking about?" Thane replied, his previous tone returning. Both men in robes noticed it—the speed at which he overcame fear and nervousness. Quite marvellous for a lad who wasn't even 17.
The blue-robed man spoke this time. "You're not here to take the aspirant's test?"
"Oh, the test!" Thane raised his brows as he recalled something.
"Simon told me about that. Nah, I'm not here for any shitty test. I just wanted to visit the capital, and Pops told me to watch the yearly aspirant competition."
The white-robed man's face furrowed. "Shitty test, huh?"
Thane ignored the displeasure on the man's face and, after pondering for a moment, threw out a question. "What's that test for?"
The white-robed man had already had enough of his ignorance, but the blue-robed man chuckled. "Didn't your friend Simon tell you about it?"
Clicking his tongue, Thane scratched his arm; the spilled coffee made his body itchy. He replied nonchalantly, "That weak boy just said he was applying for the aspirant test, that's all.
And no, he's not my friend. He met me on my way here. Kid's a nerd and kinda knew a lot—told me several things about the capital."
By now, his nervousness had completely vanished. It seemed he no longer cared about the fact that these men were Five-Lined Blessed… or perhaps he simply felt no threat from them.
The blue-robed man smiled, unusually patient with Thane—for who knew why.
"The aspirant test is taken to select the best individuals to groom for the future. They will be trained for war and.. " He paused for a moment, looking deeply into Thane's eyes before adding,
"Leadership... The academy they choose will provide them with everything necessary for such a future.. Warfare knowledge, skills to command an army, martial arts for wielding weapons, and so forth."
Thane's eyes gleamed with excitement. "War! Against the wildlings?" Leadership didn't interest him in the slightest.
Hearing Thane's words, the blue-robed man's face grew grave, his mind drifting into a troubling thought. His genuine smile gradually faded.
Thane twitched his eyebrows at the sudden change in the man's expression. "You good, uncle geezer?"
"Mostly wildlings," the white-robed man answered before glancing at his companion and continuing, "but maybe against other kingdoms too."
"Did… Edniot Quintess also join an academy to become that powerful?"
His question pulled the blue-robed man back from his thoughts.
"Haha, did the young man inspire you as well?" he asked with a hearty laugh, his voice booming.
Thane covered his ears and retorted, "Argh… goddamn geezer, I'm right in front of you. Lower your tone!"
Once the vibrations in his ears settled, Thane continued. "Yes, I want to be like him. No— I want to surpass him!" His words carried weight.
"Then join the Golden Crown Academy," the blue-robed man suggested.
"Or you could go for Blue Leaf Academy as well," the white-robed man added.
Thane curled his lips and hummed before speaking. "The Blue Leaf Academy… the one that guy Willa Merrytimes came from."
The man in white robes scowled. "Martinez is his clan's name."
Thane scratched his neck; he needed to change his coffee-stained clothes and take a good, warm bath to stop this irritating itch.
Amidst the discomfort, he inquired,
"How long do I gotta stick around at the academy to be like Edniot Quintess? Oh, and while we're at it.. Just so you geezers know, I freaking hate studying."
"Two years," both men answered in unison.
The blue-robed man glanced at the white-robed one and spoke with a bright, warm smile. "He wants to be like Edniot. You should step back."
The white-robed man frowned. "That's exactly why I can't let him join Golden Crown. You already have a bunch of powerful aspirants. Leave him for me."
He sighed. "It's useless… let him decide."
"Absolutely," the man in blue agreed.
Both old men looked at the tall teen. The blue-robed man met his gaze and spoke.
"In one week, come and fill out the form for the aspirant test. You have to pass it.
The test will be divided into five parts and will be completed within a week. The new batch will start on the first day of the new year."
With that, the blue-robed man tossed a pouch. "This is for your coffee," he said as he walked out of the toilet.
"Yo, blue geezer, what's your name?" Thane called out hastily.
The man turned his head only to smile again before vanishing, leaving Thane alone with the white-robed man.
They looked at each other before the white-robed man spoke.
"I don't have money on me, so I'll help you in some other way. But before that, let me give you some advice.
Do not reveal your clan to anyone. Hide your bracelet. If you can't, then paint it copper."
Thane lowered his gaze to his bracelet and muttered, "But why? You geezers are weird as hell. Are both of you crackheads?"
Hearing no response, he looked up—only to find that the white-robed man had vanished as well.
On top of the grand arena, both Five-Lined Blessed men met again.
"You owe me one, Zoases," said the man in white robes.
The blue-robed man, Zoases, squinted his eyes and questioned, "Are you really going to waste it on that boy?"
"Yes. Keep his existence a secret and do not recruit him." The white-robed man's voice was firm.
"Athenok, my dear friend. I'll leave the kid to you. And now—we owe each other nothing," Zoases said, his usual smile lingering before he vanished.
Athenok looked toward the horizon and mumbled, "I hope I won't be disappointed this time."