Next was the asura path test, everyone was given a stone at the same time, the sand clock turned and a minute after it was done.
Lazuli's absorption wasn't bad after her experiment with the jerky, moving the energy in the right way of her chakras now came as easy as breathing, she also didn't feel the need to cheat in this exam as the asura didn't felt right for her, being a "civilized woman" and all killing others or eating their flesh sounded way outputting, so she didn't ate the jerky to boost her absorption rate.
Even so she was done with the core before the sand ended, at the 45 seconds mark to be exact. Good to be an asura, not that good to be selected by the teachers after her misstep of "not wanting to be a hero".
76 of the more than 500 taking the exams where selected when the appraisal ended, all of them with smug faces and holier than you actitudes walked toward their respective resting places, the next part of the exams weren't needed for them as they had "earned" their place.
Next was the written exams, if aptitude was bad it could be overcome with knowledge and hard work, at least to some extend, so it was a necessity to see how well this "samplings" were. The way of the merchant was the one that emphasized on the written exam, for the others it was just to see how "hardworking" and "well read" a student could be, because besides affinity one understanding, insight and knowledge could very well make a difference.
The asura path disregarded this exam as it could be useful to have a sharp mind but at the end of the day, the one with the sharpest sword would be the winner.
This exam felt the easiest for Lazuli as the maths were basic elementary problems, history was almost all from the book she spent her traveling time reading and all the "cultivation and magics" theorems could be completed by pure logic and critical thinking. Feeling quite satisfied with her answers she turned her papers in and leaved the place, the tests had ended for the first day, next morning the results would be posted in the main square, some lucky ones would join the 73 to be admitted in one of the schools. Of the rest, some would begin the travel back home and some would stay to try their luck in the next test, which had already being announced to be a 2 weeks long survival in the weeping forest. It was one of the toughest tests, just being second to the desert survival.
All the fitness tests were deemed unnecessary this year, their abilities would be throughly tested in the forest anyway.
As Lazuli felt quite apprehensive in this new soroundings she headed to the meeting point with her guard, he had already made the registration on a inn to spend the night, thinking tomorrow he'll have to drag the "little miss" back to the house to become a life long servant the contempt couldn't be hidden in his eyes.
She was deemed untalented the first day and the elders won't pay for an unnecessary merchant school, that luxury was reserved to blood relatives of the family's main branch. Not to be spend on an orphan.
Looking at him she realized that they really didn't think she would like to see the tests to the end, she had made her mind, if she wasn't selected tomorrow she would join the forest test. Giving it a try sounded better than giving up mid way.
She took some supper, and retired to her room, instead of going straight to the bed Lazuli decided to meditate, it helped her to rest and a little extra energy never hurt anyone, or at least that's what she thought.
Unknown to her the test were graded almost instantly as a crafty mage did the job and had mastery in a weird spell: comparing. The spell sole function was to compare, so the mage had made in advance a answers sheet and used to grade every single test in one go, it also ordered them in descending order, so the ones that had answers more similar to the sheet were placed on top.
Lazuli's test was third as she got two history related answers wrong. First and second place were clean, all answers correctly explained and belonging to a pair of noble born sons, no surprises there.
"Sadly she won't do" said one of the examiners putting down Lazuli's test
"She has a good brain a not too shabby absorption rate but those roots are problematic" said another one.
"Not willing enough hmmp" finished the last, they were the immortal, mage and Asura representatives, checking the papers to see if any of them made an impression on them.
"She'll be a good merchant, if her family is willing to pay of course" finished the last one, Lazuli didn't have a last name so he wasn't willing to spend a favor and grant her a "scholarship" those he liked to save for "strengthening bonds" with important people.
"Maybe she'll survive the forest" said a fifth voice, a man that didn't belong with the other four.
"With respect to the esteemed guest, she doesn't look the part for a young one that'll try the forest, too soft" said the immortal.
"Don't know about that, how about a bet? If she joins the forest test you'll treat me to a drink, if she pass we let her choose a teacher among us, if she doesn't join I'll give you all a solar ring, if she joins but doesn't make it I'll stay another year, how does it sound?"
They all gasped for breath, the man before them hardly ever seemed interested in anything, he just came to the selection because of boredom and this little girl had enter his eyes.
Mind you they were weary, a solar ring sounded like it was too good to be true, but if the girl stayed it would definitely be troublesome as the esteemed guest before them only ate and drank what others would define as heavenly treasures so "inviting him for a drink" would in no way be easy nor cheap.
As for being chosen as a mentor, well it won't be the first student they had and the bet didn't said how they had to treat the girl. But him staying an extra year, that was a treasure in itself, one that they wouldn't and couldn't afford to miss, so they all agreed to it.