Waking up, I found myself in a completely different place. I got up and felt my body hurt from all the bruises that accumulated during my fight with that Knight Woman and Levin.
I looked around to find out where I am and found that there are a lot of people my age in this place, Levin was sitting beside me and was listening to the someone infront.
"Where am I?"
I muttered with a frown which made Levin look at me with a chuckle.
"We are at the temple for the selection ceremony"
Levin answered my question as the person infront of the podium continued to call out names and someone my age would go there to kneel down and pray.
"You were unconscious after that beautiful lady knocked you out. Haha it was nice of her to ask us to bring you here too"
Remembering about what happened to me by Levin's words, I frowned as I felt my rage surging up at the thought of that woman. But I did not let it control me.
That woman was strong....stronger than anyone in the slums. I thought I was going to die out of boredom right after I took over the slums, I didn't know that there was someone out there....on a whole different world than me. This will be very fun.
'She was a trained knight, right?'
Thinking about her being a knight, I clenched my sweaty palms in excitement. I cannot wait to challenge her again and beat her then rise to the top.
"Levin!"
Then while I was out on my reverie, Levin's name was called out by the priest on the podium. Levin tapped my shoulder with a smile as I just shot him a glare and then he went ahead to the altar to kneel down.
He was given an instruction by the Priest(?) is that a priest? Okay whatever. Levin was given an instruction by the priest as he then went ahead to kneel down and pray. It only took him a few seconds before a fiery red light showered upon the crown of Levin's head.
"[ Levin has been blessed by Pyro ]"
Seeing that, I couldn't help but be amazed at that majesty. It was honestly so beautiful. I wonder if I go there....will I also be blessed like him? If I get blessed, will I finally take a step on being the greatest?
Right, I have always dreamed of reaching the top. As someone who has no one and is rotting in the slums, I have no sense of purpose in my life. I fed myself scraps on the slums, and was raised by thugs. I fought my way up with my fists until I became a leader of a Gang, but even that was still not enough for me and it only made me grew bored, I wanted more. But after the recent event, Someone finally made me see a whole new world, and it was her. The Knight Woman.
First step when I get blessed, I must destroy that woman who humiliated me.
Exchanging a few words with the priest, Levin then nodded with a smile as he went back down to where he came from. He passed by me with a smile as if he was boasting.
Darn bastard.
"Li Sheng"
It wasn't long, right after Levin's name was called out. It was my turn, As I was making my way to the altar, I walked past by many nobles who looked at me with a mocking gaze and even covered their noses as if saying that I am a smelly beggar. I paid them no mind and listened to the Priest..who by the way also did the same as those noble kids. His gaze was filled with ridicule but I did not mind it.
"Be sure to pray and kneel down"
I followed whatever the priest has said as the prayer started. I just wished to the Gods above to give me a power to become stronger and beat that woman but...I was met with no response. A minute, 2 minutes, three minutes....until a full 10 minutes. There was no response.
The Priest frowned at this as I looked at him with confusion. Then mocking me, he scoffed and uttered:
"You are UNCHOSEN. Leave."
At those words, every nobility in the hall chuckled and it was filled with murmurs. I was shocked, flabbergasted and speechless. I stood there and was about to beg but my pride did not allow me.
"What did he expect? Did he think he was special or something? pft. Idiot"
"Who cares about him anyway, He is just a beggar"
Listening to the words of my peers around me, I felt their stares boring holes through my body. I could not even look at them in the eye anymore as I just hunched my back.
I cannot believe that my lifelong dream of reaching the top will be dismissed just like that. All because of one measly reason of being UNCHOSEN.
I went back to where I was standing from and I saw Levin, he was staring at me with wide eyes as if he could not believe what he was seeing. He wanted to protest and wanted me to take the trial again, but what can he do? He is just a teenage slum dweller in a place full of nobility.
In the end....I really wasn't made to achieve Glory.
Hearing the bunch of mocking words, from those around me....I couldn't take it anymore. Yeah, fuck it. Who cares if these guys are nobilities.
As if something had snapped inside of me, my fists started to clench as veins would pop on it.
I grabbed the nearest noble kid by his collar as I soon then drilled my tightly clenched fists to his face and plummet him really hard, as if I was crushing stones.
I smashed his face so much that blood had started to bleed out from his nose. I kept punching the guy until someone start to break us apart and held me back, it took at least 8 men of my age to hold me down as the priests on standby called for the guards outside and restrain me. They beat me up until I was fully incapacitated, then declared.
"Li Sheng, for the crime of assaulting a nobility in the Sacred Grounds. You will be sentenced to immediate execution"
The Bishop who oversaw the ceremony declared as one of the guards raised their sword to strike my neck.
I just glared at them and also the nobleman who had insulted me, with such hostility in my face as I gritted my teeth and try to break free. With more seconds of resistance, and seeing that I can no longer resist the bindings on me....I just lowered my head to accept my fate.
So this is how it ends, huh?
"Wait...."
It was then when a voice halted everyone in the hall, my executioners halted the blades that they were holding and even the bishop who oversaw everything also stopped as he looked at the direction where the voice was coming from. I also did the same.
With the sounds of heels clacking through the marbled floor, I could not see their face very well because of my swelling eyes but I could tell who it was.
It was that female knight.
"By my authority as Archanus' blessed, I command thee that this young man right here....shall not be executed in this sacred grounds. Rather, he should be sentenced to 3 months of solitary imprisonment with trash as his food and murky water to drink. I am pretty sure that dirtying this Sacred Grounds with a blood of rat is surely not worth it. Am I right, Bishop?"
The Female knight declared towards the bishop as murmurs broke down in the surrounding, I also caught a glimpse of the bishop through my swollen eye and saw him pondering about something.
"and I am pretty sure, someone like him is not worth of your attention....right, Young Viscount Marle?"
The female knight added with a cheerful tone as she looked at the noble that I just assaulted. I didn't even need to see for me to know that the bastard was blushing through her words, like a dog in a heat.
"Y-yes! I am pretty sure a rat bastard like him is not worth my attention! He should just be imprisoned alone just like what Lady Valiere said!"
The mutt huffed in a gaspy tone, not even trying to hide that he was a dog in heat as the Bishop just sighed and declared my punishment.
"Very well, I sentence this peasant a 3 months of solitary imprisonment!"
With that, I had my life extended.
I stared at the female knight with my mouth wide open as I try to ask her why she was doing this, why did she save me, but she just.....gestured through her sword.
Upon seeing her expression, it felt like I could hear her thoughts. Telling me "Try to make things interesting, Tough insect."