"Crow? What exactly was the point of this test?" Myth questioned. Typically, the three top captains would draw straws a month before the exam and use that time to come up with whatever their selected test was. Most of the exams were simple and easy to understand, but he was struggling to see the value in Crow's.
"You don't see the value in this test?" Crow said, sounding almost hurt. He held a stack of papers, which he was going through. All the captains remained on their thrones near the top of the stadium and had printed sheets of all the answers that had been given, allowing them to review them all. "I think this is the most important exam that has ever been held."
Dark Star slapped her knee, and the old woman let out a squealing laugh. "He's bullshitting you! He and I have been drinking the month away and didn't actually come up with our exams until the last day."
Father gave a deep frown. "So, I was the only one who bothered coming up with a good test?"
"Good test, my ass; yours was just a battle royal." Crow huffed. "Dark Star's also wrong. I've had this test in mind since I became a captain."
"Really?" Gorgon frowned and tossed the papers behind her, allowing them to scatter. "Because honestly, this test doesn't tell me anything; most answers are all the same. Also, why did we bother printing out an extra stack for Phoenix Flight? She's still not here."
The plushie of a bird rested on top of its own stack of papers, slightly tipped over. Paragon awkwardly cleared her throat as she held her own stack up for Grampa Green to look at. She had to physically reinsert one of his eyes into the socket. "Should I look over the papers myself?" she asked.
"Yeah, yeah, and can you read the answers out loud?" Dye stated. He was still awkwardly turned in his throne, painting away. He had four full portraits, all of different exam takers who had mana that caught his attention. One of them was the snow-haired girl from before, wearing a witch outfit, but he also had portraits of Ken Yuan, Bruno Moore, and Irene Lunar. It made Gorgon even more confused about why the snow-haired girl's painting existed, since the other three pictures were all of powerful exam takers.
She had tried to keep an eye out for the strange snow-haired girl, but it got so tedious sorting through all the tests, especially when that scarred-faced man left and took most of the class with him.
"I still don't get why this test is so important." Myth said after a moment. "One word feels like it isn't enough. Most of the people said the same thing."
"So then look at ones that are different." Crow shrugged. "A few people left replies that were wholly unique."
Most of the answers were things he expected. A lot of people had said 'Strong', 'Brave', 'Powerful', 'Epic', 'Heroic', or similar things. A few were things like 'Incredible', 'Magical', 'Wealthy', 'Handsome', 'Pretty', and 'Determined'. Fewer still had only two or three people who answered the same way. 'Divine', 'Warrior', 'Hunter'. Even 'Knight' was used a few times, which just seemed lazy.
It was the papers that had unique answers, though, that caught Crow's attention. There weren't many, but there were a few.
'Name: Bruno Moore. Answer: BROS'
'Name: ____ Answer: Irene'
'Name: Ken Yuan. Answer: Foreign'
One answer even caused Crow to pause. Unlike the others, which were one word, this page had a picture on it. Poorly scribbled down on the page was some long stick figure that looked like a child's attempt to draw a dragon. 'Xs' were placed over the drawing's eyes, and above it was another stick figure holding up a poorly drawn sword. An arrow was pointing at this stick figure, which led all the way to the top of the page, where the exam-taker's name was. The name had been written in, but then scribbled out and replaced with a new name. Davi Hawker.
The one that really drew Crow's attention was a bold statement.
'Name: Olivia Lot. Answer: ______'
Whoever this Olivia person was, she had refused to answer his test. Everyone had been so busy trying to come up with the perfect answer, and yet this woman practically looked him in the eyes and spat at him! To have the guts to do that, knowing everything could be on the line, was truly impressive.
That did raise an issue, though. He had tried looking up the name Olivia Lot but got no results. No one in the test went by that name. Lot was a widespread name in some parts of the kingdom; a lot of people had it, which was why it was called 'Lot' in the first place. As a result, many people appeared when he typed the name in, such as Brave Lot, Fate Lot, Mary Lot, and others, but not Olivia Lot.
Not only had this person refused to answer, but they had also given a fake name.
Little did Crow know that this was actually because Olivia's real name was Mary, and she had forgotten to include her full legal name.
Crow set all the papers down and lit up another cigar with shadowy black flames. "Tomorrow will be the last two tests, right?" He asked the room.
"Yep." Dark Star gave a crooked smile, showing her many missing teeth. "Tomorrow is my last test, then the king's test. We'll all know our new squires then!"
"And just what sort of test did you pick, you old goat?" Crow asked, smirking. "Knowing you, it's likely something deadly."
Dark Star let out another laugh. Besides Grampa Green, she was the oldest living captain and had been around when Father and Crow were still just squires. Back in her day, the exams didn't include simulations since it hadn't been discovered how to properly utilize the elf towers until very recently in history. Because of this, Dark Star's tests were usually the most extreme and were the main reason the waivers had to be signed to take a test. Some people even lost their lives in her test…
"I had a brilliant idea." The old bat announced. She pointed up to the sky and let out a cheerful squeal. "We give them their Knight gear early!"
***
Olivia let out a loud scream. Her voice echoed through the pillow, and she kicked her legs up and down, having what could only be described as a mini tantrum.
Ken rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Seriously," the red-haired foreigner huffed. "You're acting like you're five. Stop being a baby."
Olivia sniffled and rolled over onto her back, shaking her head. "I've already blown my chances at two tests! How do I recover from this?"
Ken scowled. "Quit crying. You and that scarred-faced bastard made me waste a lot of time in the first test, and I doubt I did well in the second, so I'm in the same boat as you."
"To be fair, Ms. Ken Yuan, you are quite notable." Irene giggled softly. "I imagine all the captains have their eye on you already."
"Well, they can go look elsewhere." Ken turned her nose up. "I don't care what they think of me. I do not need to impress them. Compared to the Martial Cultivators, Arcane Knights are nothing more than a cheap defense force."
"So why are you even taking the test?" Olivia asked flatly.
"And who said a mutt like you could speak to me?" Ken glared down at Olivia.
"And we're back to you being a bitch." Olivia sighed.
Ashley hummed and brushed her hair back. "I miss Sera." The maid said simply.
After the second exam had come to an end, the recruits were all led away by a few Knights in suits. Instead of standing out in the open, sandy field, they had been taken to the back, where several rooms awaited them all along the hallway. The area was divided into two sections, one for boys and one for girls. Four people also shared one room.
That was how Olivia found herself stuck in a room with Ken Yuan, Irene Lunar, and Ashley Dyrt. The room itself was shockingly fancy and quite spacious. It had a closet filled with various outfits, which Olivia had helped herself to, changing into a long black nightgown. It also had four queen-sized beds, all placed against the wall, as well as various drawers and a bathroom. The room was meant to last them one day, and tomorrow they'd be back to taking the exams, but for this one day, Olivia was confident she would get to sleep like a queen.
All four of them had already bathed and showered, going in groups of two. She went with Irene, while Ken got stuck with Ashley, and the two girls did not get along, bickering the entire time.
The sun was already starting to set, and the moon was rising up, which Olivia could see through the window. She remained on her bed and sighed. Just two tests were left. The next test would be the final captain test, and then all that remained was the king's. That basically meant she'd have to do well in the next exam, or her chances of being a Knight would come to an end.
While she was pondering this, Irene sat quietly on her bed, humming a soft song, and Ashley sat in front of a mirror brushing her hair back. The maid already didn't like Olivia because she was friends with Davi, so combining that with having to share a room with her and Ken Yuan made it evident that Ashley was not having a good day. Finally, that left Ken, who kept pacing around in the room, back and forth.
The woman was almost like some sort of predator, keeping her eyes locked on everyone as if Ken was afraid they'd all try to jump her. Ken also kept her hand next to her gourd in case she needed to summon Yujin.
"Why are you walking around so much?" Olivia asked boredly. "With how strong you are, you could probably beat us all. You're acting way too paranoid."
"Yeah." Ashley sneered slightly and looked at Ken's reflection in the mirror. "Go ahead and sleep. Nothing bad will happen. Promise."
Ken forced a smirk. "Martial Cultivators can go without sleep for months. I might not be one yet, but I've also trained my body. Everyone in Rossum is able to stay up for at least a week before the body demands sleep. You won't be trying anything on me, you damned Estirian mutt."
Ashley let out a low growl, and a faint glow covered the woman's skin. The hand holding the brush stopped, and her eyes narrowed. "I do wonder, why is a Rossum musclehead all the way out here taking this test?" Ashley's angry look faded, replaced with a smirk as she turned in her chair to stare Ken Yuan down. "After all, they claim the people of Rossum train and train until their muscles swell and even their brains have biceps. It's all they're good for. Yet where has all that training gotten them?"
"Watch your mouth." Ken barked out.
"Invaded." Ashley glared down at Ken. "Rossum is quickly losing the war to Mordheim. I heard they even had to beg Gallenth for help, but those metal-lovers ignored Rossum's plea. Rossum is being burned to the ground as we speak, its people dying in the streets, as the cancer that is Mordheim devours it, and yet instead of being there and helping, you're here?"
"Shut up," Ken demanded.
Ashley didn't shut up and instead kept talking. "It's pretty obvious why you would come to Estiria. You know that the Knights can actually handle the forces of Mordheim, and you're safe here, unlike in Rossum."
"Shut up!"
"You keep calling everyone here mutts, but you're the dog that ran with her tail tucked between her legs, so how about you start begging your superiors like the proper bitch you are?"
Ashley was smashed back-first into the wall faster than the girl could react. She had at the very least thought she'd be able to get a spell off before Ken was on her, but the Rossum warrior was seriously no joke. Ken's eyes were practically blazing, and the girl looked like she was about to murder Ashley, who suddenly didn't look as confident or smug as before.
"Do you think I wanted to come to this shitty place?" Ken's voice bounced through the room as she made no effort to lower it. "You think I like being in such a shitty area where there is almost no chi? Estiria is shit! The air tastes awful, and these cities are so loud and bright—I hate it! But I didn't get a choice! Feng lied! He said he would come back, and he didn't! What was I supposed to do? He controlled the boat, not me!"
Ashley tried to shove Ken off of her, but she wasn't even able to get Ken to budge a little. "Row Dust Orb!" Ashley practically spat the name out, and swirls of dust twisted and launched, ramming directly into Ken's head, but again, the girl didn't budge. A bit of blood trickled down Ken's face, but that was it. She was way too strong for such an attack to cause her serious harm. It did piss Ken off, though.
Ken growled and pulled her fist back. Mana exploded through her arm and swirled around her fist, taking shape. It almost looked like a gauntlet of light had encased her hand, and she took a step forward, about to cave Ashley's face in, but before she could, a pair of arms wrapped around her arm. Ken whirled around, her eyes full of rage, but they softened slightly when she saw Olivia standing behind her.
"What do you want?" Ken asked through gritted teeth.
"Come on, you idiot." Olivia grabbed Ken's hand, and she dragged the girl out of the room. Somehow, she actually managed to pull Ken along, and the door slammed shut behind them as they stepped into the hallway.
Ashley remained standing, her legs shaking, and slowly she slumped down, falling onto her ass. Her face was pale, and she looked as if she had almost wet herself.
"So," Irene's voice awkwardly carried through the quieter room. "Maybe in the future we don't piss off the girl that can murder all of us? Huh? I might be blind, but even I can see that that was a bad idea."
Outside of the bedroom, Olivia dragged Ken through the halls. A few girls had been outside chatting, but most had heard the screaming and banging, and so none of them said anything; they simply watched Olivia cart the powerful girl away.
Ken didn't say anything and allowed herself to be dragged, but eventually she made a face and yanked her hand back once she was out of sight from everyone else, and it was just her and Olivia. "Where are we going?" Ken demanded.
Olivia turned to look back at Ken and shrugged. "Dunno. Just gonna go for a walk."
"What? Why?" Ken asked, narrowing her eyes.
Olivia shrugged her shoulders again. "Well, you've calmed down, haven't you?" Ken opened her mouth to retort but then stopped and made a slightly sour face at the realization that Olivia was right. "I get mad a lot also," Olivia said quietly. "My blood can start to boil, and I'll feel this pounding in my head. The names Ash calls me always set me off, and I demand a duel with him, only to then get my ass beat. Bruno suggested that I should always just walk away if I start to get pissed. I never do, but I figured I could try to force you to take a walk, and it might help. That Ashley girl is kind of a jerk, huh?" Olivia asked, then she lifted her finger and poked Ken in the nose. "Just like you."
"Me?" Ken made another face and shook her head. "How am I the jerk?"
"You go around calling people mutts. You even suggested I should worship your boots at one point, and on top of all of that, you're kind of racist." Olivia said, listing everything off with her fingers. "So yeah, you're a jerk also. That said, I can say that girl should have stopped when you told her to, but you also need to do that, you know." Olivia placed her hands on her hips, giving Ken a stern look. "If you aren't nice to people, how do you expect them to be nice to you?"
"Why should I be nice?" Ken hissed. "That kind of thought is for losers."
Olivia sighed. "Okay, then just don't be an asshole? You know you don't have to say something rude? If being nice is too hard, then just shut up and look pretty or something, I don't know." Olivia turned away. "I like the Arcane Knights. Not everyone has to, but try to respect that some people do okay. You don't need to like my kingdom, and I'll admit it has flaws, but this place is my home. I've seen both good and bad come from this place, and I want to help it improve. That's why I'm trying to become a Knight. I'm sorry if being an Arcane Knight isn't your dream, but it's mine. I don't know why you're here, and I don't know what happened to you, but try to make the most of it, okay? It sounds like that's all you can do right now."
Ken looked down at the ground, almost seeming ashamed. The girl muttered something under her breath.
"What was that?" Olivia asked, with a knowing smirk already present on her face.
"You know I said I was sorry!" Ken growled and turned around.
Olivia giggled and watched as Ken began to walk, but then suddenly they both stopped when they heard a loud noise. It sounded almost like cheering? Ken was the first to reach a window, and the woman groaned.
"What?" Olivia asked.
"Take a look," Ken grunted.
Olivia stepped forward and peered out the window. Her eyes went wide when she saw that, down in the courtyard, a massive crowd of boys had appeared, forming a large circle, and directly in the middle, two people stood. Rowan and Davi stared back at each other.
"Oh yeah." Olivia blinked. "The fight."
The match between Davi and Rowan was about to begin.