Chapter 20 — The Southern Regional Examination
Two days slipped by almost unnoticed.
Virel never slowed.
Before sunrise, the markets belonged to merchants unloading caravans from every corner of the southern territories.
By morning, the streets belonged to soldiers.
By noon, they disappeared beneath an endless tide of people.
The city moved with a rhythm that never faltered.
Bells echoed at the same hour.
Imperial patrols changed with mechanical precision.
The forge district roared until long after sunset.
Lanterns replaced the sun before dawn quietly arrived once more.
Ashvale had measured time by seasons.
Virel measured it by purpose.
Tomorrow...
the Southern Regional Examination would begin.
Zero and Klaus left the inn shortly after sunrise.
Neither carried much.
Their travel packs rested lightly against their shoulders while their weapons remained secured across their backs.
The city already felt different.
Not because it had changed.
Because the people had.
Every street leading toward the city's eastern district had become crowded with young men and women around their age.
Some walked alone.
Others laughed together.
Several travelled with parents who spoke quietly, offering advice that would likely be forgotten the moment the examination began.
Weapons were everywhere.
Swords.
Spears.
Axes.
Bows.
One boy carefully polished a worn shield as he walked.
Another repeatedly practiced drawing his blade without ever slowing his pace.
Everyone prepared differently.
Everyone carried expectation.
Klaus looked around with open curiosity.
"...There are more candidates than I imagined."
Zero followed the flow of people.
"They came from the entire southern territory."
The answer seemed obvious.
Yet hearing it aloud reminded them both how small Ashvale truly was.
The roads gradually widened.
Stone buildings gave way to open plazas.
Ahead—
a massive complex emerged from the heart of the city.
High walls of pale stone stretched farther than either of them could immediately see.
Dozens of crimson banners bearing the emblem of House Ignivar fluttered above the battlements.
Beneath them—
the golden sun of House Solaryn stood proudly at the center.
The Empire.
And beneath it...
the South.
Carved into the enormous entrance gate were simple words.
Southern Regional Examination Grounds
No elaborate decoration.
No grand statues.
The name alone carried enough weight.
Thousands of candidates already filled the enormous plaza before the gates.
The sound of countless conversations blended together until individual voices disappeared completely.
Klaus stopped walking.
"...I've never seen this many people before."
Zero hadn't either.
The plaza possessed none of the excitement he expected.
Nobody shouted.
Nobody boasted loudly.
Most simply waited.
Some quietly sharpened weapons.
Others stretched.
A few sat beneath nearby trees with closed eyes.
Preparing.
Not showing off.
Preparing.
Zero noticed that immediately.
Strength here wasn't something people announced.
It was something they brought.
A young man practiced spear forms alone near the western wall.
Every thrust stopped at exactly the same point.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Not a single movement differed from the last.
Nearby—
a girl leaned against a stone pillar reading a weathered book while everyone around her trained.
She turned another page without once looking toward the crowd.
Further away—
a broad-shouldered youth swung a sword almost as tall as himself.
Each strike forced nearby candidates to unconsciously give him more room.
Nobody interrupted him.
Nobody challenged him.
Zero watched each of them briefly before moving on.
None seemed interested in the others.
They had come for the same destination.
Not the same audience.
"Look."
Klaus nodded toward a series of wooden notice boards positioned around the plaza.
Crowds gathered before them.
They approached quietly.
Several official announcements had been posted.
The first explained tomorrow's reporting time.
The second listed prohibited conduct.
The third detailed only one sentence.
The examination consists of multiple stages. Candidates eliminated during any stage shall immediately forfeit their qualification.
Nothing else.
No explanation.
No reassurance.
Only certainty.
Klaus frowned slightly.
"...Multiple stages."
"I figured as much."
Zero remained silent.
The Empire clearly had no intention of revealing the examination beforehand.
Everyone would enter equally uninformed.
A ripple spread through the plaza.
Not panic.
Attention.
One conversation stopped.
Then another.
Gradually—
thousands of voices began fading until silence settled naturally across the square.
Zero followed everyone's gaze.
An elevated stone platform overlooked the examination grounds.
An Imperial officer climbed the steps with measured confidence.
Crimson armor.
Golden trim.
The insignia of House Ignivar rested across his chest.
He didn't raise his voice.
He didn't need to.
"When the morning bell sounds..."
"...the Southern Regional Examination will begin."
His words carried effortlessly across the plaza.
"Candidates are to report before sunrise."
"Late arrivals will not be admitted."
"No candidate shall carry supplies beyond those permitted."
"Violence before the examination begins is prohibited."
"Disqualification is immediate."
He paused only briefly.
"The Empire welcomes your ambition."
"It will judge your worth tomorrow."
Nothing more.
The officer stepped away.
The silence lasted several moments before conversation slowly returned.
Klaus let out a slow breath.
"...Short."
"It told us everything we needed."
Zero replied.
Registration continued beneath a long series of wooden pavilions.
The lines moved steadily.
No noble queue.
No commoner queue.
Everyone waited together.
Zero noticed several richly dressed youths standing no differently than hunters from distant villages.
Nobody complained.
Nobody demanded priority.
Order had already begun.
When their turn arrived—
the official accepted Rowan's recommendation letter together with Ashvale's village seal.
"Ashvale."
He inspected the document carefully.
"The southern frontier."
"Yes."
The official nodded before reaching beneath the desk.
He placed two smooth wooden plaques before them.
Each carried only a single engraving.
A crimson flame.
Below it—
Southern Regional Examination
Nothing more.
No names.
No villages.
No family.
No rank.
Zero studied the plaque for a moment.
Every candidate held the same piece of wood.
The son of a duke.
The daughter of a merchant.
A frontier orphan.
Here—
none of that mattered.
Not because the Empire believed everyone equal.
Because tomorrow would decide who deserved to stand above the rest.
For this one moment...
everyone stood on the same line.
Interesting.
He slipped the plaque into his pocket.
As they stepped away—
another disturbance quietly moved through the crowd.
This time—
people stepped aside before anyone asked them to.
A small group approached the registration area.
Only four people.
No banners.
No escort large enough to attract attention.
Yet attention followed them regardless.
At their center walked a young man dressed in crimson robes embroidered with a silver flame.
His expression remained calm.
Neither proud nor humble.
Simply accustomed to being observed.
He passed the waiting line entirely.
Not because anyone ordered it—
because the crowd itself created space.
Klaus watched him disappear toward a separate entrance.
"...A noble?"
"Probably."
Zero answered.
His attention lingered only briefly before moving elsewhere.
There would be many nobles.
One more changed nothing.
The sun hung lower by the time they left the examination grounds.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
There wasn't much to say.
Tomorrow would answer questions conversation couldn't.
They wandered back through the quieter streets.
Candidates filled nearly every inn.
Restaurants buzzed with nervous discussions.
Some revised techniques they couldn't possibly improve overnight.
Others laughed louder than necessary.
Trying to hide uncertainty.
Zero simply watched.
People revealed themselves most clearly before important moments.
Back at the inn—
Klaus rested both arms against the wooden balcony overlooking the city.
"So..."
He smiled faintly.
"This is it."
Zero stood beside him.
Far beyond the rooftops—
three colossal black stone rings revolved slowly around a pillar of pale blue light rising into the heavens.
The Southern Transit Nexus.
Tomorrow...
someone's journey would end there.
Someone else's would begin.
Klaus looked toward Zero.
"Think we'll pass?"
Zero remained silent for a long moment.
The rings continued their endless rotation.
"I don't know."
It was enough.
Klaus nodded once.
"...We'll find out tomorrow."
Night settled quietly over Virel.
Lanterns flickered to life one after another.
Above the sleeping city—
the three ancient rings continued turning.
Ancient.
Silent.
Waiting.