Chapter 22 — Before Dawn (Part II)
Beyond the bridge, the city changed.
Not dramatically.
Subtly.
The cheerful disorder of Virel's marketplaces disappeared behind them, replaced by broad stone avenues that seemed deliberately free of clutter. Every building stood with measured precision, their walls bearing the crimson flame of House Ignivar or the radiant sun of House Solaryn. Barracks stood beside training halls, while administrative buildings overlooked spacious courtyards where Imperial soldiers drilled in disciplined silence.
Even the air felt different.
It carried less of baked bread and charcoal.
More of polished steel and worn leather.
Klaus glanced around, taking everything in with the same curiosity he'd shown since they first entered the city. "This whole district feels..." He searched for the right word before settling on one. "...organized."
"It is."
Zero's answer was simple, but his eyes never stopped moving.
The soldiers stationed here weren't watching the endless stream of candidates passing through the district. Instead, their attention drifted naturally from rooftops to intersections, from windows to the narrow spaces between buildings. Years of experience had taught them that danger rarely approached from directly ahead.
"They're guarding the district," Klaus said quietly.
"They're guarding what happens inside it," Zero corrected.
There was a difference.
One protected walls.
The other protected purpose.
The Southern Regional Examination Grounds soon came into view.
Even from a distance, they dwarfed every structure surrounding them.
Walls of pale stone rose nearly thirty meters into the air, interrupted only by watchtowers flying the crimson banners of House Ignivar. Behind them, the upper floors of larger buildings peeked above the battlements, hinting at the sheer size of the complex hidden beyond.
It wasn't an academy.
It wasn't a fortress.
It was something between the two.
A place built for selecting the future.
Thousands of candidates had already gathered in the vast plaza before the entrance, yet the space never felt crowded. Wide walkways divided the crowd naturally while long rows of wooden pavilions handled registration with remarkable efficiency. Imperial officials sat behind each table, brushes moving steadily across parchment as candidates stepped forward one after another.
No shouting.
No confusion.
Only order.
Zero stood still for a moment, taking in the entire scene.
Everything had a purpose.
Every line directed movement.
Every soldier occupied a position that allowed them to observe two others.
Even the pavilions had been arranged so that no single queue became longer than the rest.
Nothing here was accidental.
"Quite the place, isn't it?"
The familiar voice drew Klaus' attention before Zero's.
Bren approached with his weathered spear resting comfortably across one shoulder, offering the same easy smile they'd seen earlier. Dust still clung to his boots, and despite the significance of the day, he carried himself with a relaxed confidence that made him oddly approachable.
"I was wondering if we'd see you again," Klaus admitted.
"The frontier's a small world." Bren shrugged. "People from villages tend to find each other."
He looked toward the walls.
"First time seeing the examination grounds?"
Klaus nodded.
"They're... bigger than I imagined."
"Everyone says that."
Bren planted the butt of his spear against the ground before folding both hands over it.
"My father came here twenty years ago. He failed before the second stage." His tone remained light, though there was a trace of pride beneath it. "Still called this the largest place he'd ever seen."
"The second stage?" Klaus asked.
"So there are multiple?"
"Always."
Bren nodded toward the banners fluttering high above.
"This is House Ignivar's examination. They aren't looking for one talented fighter."
"They're looking for people worth sending to the Capital."
"The Imperial Capital," Klaus repeated.
"Right."
"And after that... the Citadel?"
A quiet laugh escaped Bren.
"That's the question everyone asks."
"My brother asked it."
"My father asked it."
"So did every hunter from our village."
He spread his hands.
"No one knows."
Klaus frowned.
"Seriously?"
"They say the Principal built the academy himself."
"They also say only two people know where it actually is."
"The Emperor..."
"...and the Principal."
Zero listened without interrupting.
Rumors rarely interested him.
The secrecy did.
An academy hidden from an entire empire wasn't merely protected.
It was intentionally removed from the world.
Why?
He filed the question away beside countless others.
There would be time to search for answers later.
The registration line moved steadily.
When their turn arrived, the Imperial official barely glanced up from his parchment.
"Name."
"Zero."
The brush moved.
"Age."
"Sixteen."
"Place of origin."
"Ashvale."
The official nodded once before sliding a smooth wooden plaque across the table.
Zero picked it up.
It was surprisingly light.
Completely blank.
Beside him, Klaus turned his over twice before looking back at the official.
"...There's nothing on it."
"There isn't supposed to be."
It was the first full sentence the man had spoken.
He rested his brush across the inkstone before meeting Klaus' eyes.
"The Empire recognizes bloodlines."
"It recognizes noble houses."
"It recognizes military rank."
His gaze shifted across the thousands of candidates filling the plaza.
"But not here."
He tapped the blank plaque resting in Klaus' hand.
"For the duration of this examination, every candidate stands at the same starting line."
"Noble."
"Commoner."
"Merchant."
"Hunter."
"It makes no difference."
"When you leave these grounds..."
"...your results will speak louder than your name."
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Then the official reached for another sheet of parchment.
"Next."
As they stepped away, Klaus looked down at the plaque again.
"I like that."
Zero glanced toward him.
"It means no one gets special treatment."
Zero looked around the plaza once more.
Children of merchants stood beside sons of nobles.
Village hunters waited beside academy-trained swordsmen.
Every one of them carried the same blank piece of polished wood.
Interesting.
The Empire hadn't erased their status.
It had simply decided that status alone wasn't enough.
A deep horn echoed across the examination grounds.
Conversation stopped almost instantly.
Thousands of heads turned toward the gates as they began opening with a slow rumble of stone grinding against stone.
At the same moment, a single black carriage rolled through the avenue leading to the entrance.
It bore no elaborate decorations.
No gilded trim.
Only one emblem adorned its doors.
A crimson flame.
House Ignivar.
The carriage came to a gentle stop before the gates.
An elderly man stepped out.
His robes were simple.
His hands empty.
Yet the moment his feet touched the ground, every Imperial officer within sight straightened instinctively before lowering their heads in respectful silence.
No announcement was made.
None was needed.
Authority announced itself in different ways.
The old man walked past the gathered candidates with measured steps, his expression calm, his gaze unreadable. For the briefest instant, his eyes drifted across the crowd before pausing on Zero.
Not recognition.
Not curiosity.
Assessment.
Then he continued walking as though nothing had happened.
Zero watched until the old man disappeared through the gates.
People like that...
didn't waste their attention.
The horn sounded once more.
An Imperial officer stepped onto a raised stone platform overlooking the plaza, waiting patiently until every eye settled upon him.
"The Southern Regional Examination," he announced, his voice carrying effortlessly across the enormous square, "will now commence."
He paused, allowing the words to settle.
"Keep your examination plaque with you at all times. Lose it, and your participation ends immediately."
No one questioned the rule.
No one whispered.
The officer stepped aside.
Beyond him, the gates stood fully open.
Training grounds stretched into the distance beneath the morning sun, disappearing behind stone towers and sprawling buildings whose purpose remained hidden from view.
Zero tightened his grip around the smooth wooden plaque.
Not because he was nervous.
Because another path had opened.
Without a word, he stepped forward.
Klaus matched his pace.
And together, they crossed the threshold into the Southern Regional Examination.