"Is she taking this exam seriously?" Freda angrily snitches
"Mommy! Look at that lady over there, why isn't she giving out colors like the others?" A child asked his mother in the audience
The crowd started murmuring with each other that made Freda uncomfortable so she confronts her.
"You, the lady with white hair, what's your name and where are you from?"
"My name is Catori my lady and I don't know where I've come from, I apologize" Catori honestly answered
The murmurs started to get louder.
[White hair, silver eyes - pale face, this must be the rumored killer who ends the Marquis' life] Freda thought
"You don't know? Then-- sigh, whatever, now answer me in all honesty, do you take this exam as a joke? Why are you not letting out mana?"
Catori, "I - don't have one"
"What? Speak louder"
Catori, "I don't know if I have one my lady"
The Holy Trinity went silent. Freda was about to scold her when she was stopped by Akio.
"Whether you are telling the truth or not you failed this part of the exam, are you fine with that?" He asked
Catori nods.
"Then, all of you it's okay to stop now" Akio ordered everyone
"The exam is still going to push through and just because of one failure doesn't mean we'll waste our time and energy, got that?"
"Yes, sir" everyone agreed
"Are you okay?" Gin goes to Catori
"Don't worry, I am fine" she replied
"T-then let's proceed to the second test!" Emilio announces
The crowd got back to cheering again.
"That was a nice save Akio" praises Ren "If it was Freda she'll probably hit that woman"
Freda got surprised "Wh-what? I'm not like that! Ren you idiot" she pouted and looks at Catori from afar as the trainees move to the center in a single file "To be honest, I don't feel any magic coming from her"
Akio and Ren nodded "Neither do we"
-
"Now moving forward to the next test! Showing of your elements!"
The ground starts to grumble and came out ten huge metallic dummy dolls from the ground.
Whoooooaaaa! The crowd screams in awe.
"Now, let me explain this part of the test," said Emilio
"Each of you is assigned one dummy to destroy using your element, you can show off your best skills if you want but you can only show one set of skill"
"Ha! I have been waiting for this then can I go first?" Adam volunteers
The crowd roars his name.
Adam! Adam! Adam! Adam!
It got him excited and started roaring as well.
"He's an idiot" Ann facepalm herself.
"Then Sir Adam if you please"
Adam moved forward and slowly performs a kata, he was chanting at the same time and then his fist started to spark.
Whooooooooooooh!
The crowd applauds.
When he was about to end his performance he spread fire across his entire area of range and with a punch of both of his fists, the fire went directly to the doll. Once the fire hits the metal a huge explosion happened
"All! Right!" Adam yelled as he continues to give out fire punches until there was nothing left of the doll only its melted standee.
The nobles were quite pleased with the performance including Viscount Claren his sponsor.
"Wow! That was intense!" Emilio who got frantic cheered together with the audience.
After Adam performed, one by one the trainees started showing off their skills as well. Ann with her control over the wind element made a series of small hurricanes shredding the doll followed by Cain a water wielder who creates a huge water bubble surrounding the doll as little sharp objects tattered its metal into pieces.
Dorothy with her control over ice simply froze the doll and with a flick of her finger, the doll came crumbling down.
Lilith, on the other hand, goes near the doll, she chanted a bit and touches the doll's surface where it started to melt by the poison she releases from the palm of her hands.
It got Ren's attention. "So she's a poison wielder - very rare"
"Hoho! This bunch is quite amazing don't you think?" Agreed Freda
Caleb and Linden who were both lightning wielders did the same type of magic where they created a storm cloud around the arena, from there sets of lightning struck the dolls, Caleb though was more overwhelming that with just one struck his doll immediately exploded while Lindens' only received visible scratches.
Linden blushed himself of embarrassment while some of the crowd laughs at him.
Finally, when Albert got his turn the lad was laughing as he points a finger to Gin.
"I have been waiting to tell you this but starting today you no longer serve my family! That means your sister's medication will also stop!" He said happily
Gin only responded by looking at him but deep inside he was devastated. He knew at some point Albert will fire him thus the only thing he can do was to find a house that will accept him.
Albert once again releases a strong frightening aura and creates a fireball above him. "I don't need slaves like you anymore so bye-bye!" He shouted and throws the fireball to the metallic doll and just like being hit with magma the doll slowly decapitated. "From now on - I am invincible, HAHAHAHA!"
"Sir Gin" this time Catori was the one to show concern.
"Don't worry, I just have to pass this exam so a house will vouch for me" Gin cheerfully smiled and steps forward for his turn
"Your majesty, don't you think that purple-haired guy looks familiar?" Leon speaks up
The King looks closer at the boy "He's the son of Baron Frederick Ward" he answered
Leon, "Ah, that traitor, I heard they lost their land and is serving that Albert's family, I mean was serving now that he's fired. To think he befriended Catori"
Gin took a deep breath and closes his eyes. The crowd went silent for a while. He took a stick from his pocket and with a click, it became a staff.
With a wave of his staff, the ground below him started to break and came out two earth golems.
Wow! Look at that! The audience was excited
"Ara, that's a high-class summoning" Freda praised
"Now! Destroy that doll!" Gin commands
The earth golems run towards the dummy and just like a bomb when they hit metal an explosion occurs, the explosion was much bigger than Adam's fire punches. The area within the doll was full of smoke.
The audience was cheering for him hard. That made Gin happy, maybe he might be vouched today so it doesn't matter if Albert fired him. He looks at the houses from above.
[Ha, never seen that one before right? This is my true strength and I can get stronger even more] he thought
"What the hell?" One audience gasped
When the smoke starts clearing out their eyes were a shock to see the metallic doll unfazed not even a scratch was taken
"H-how can that be!?" Gin yelled
The audience started rustling with each other telling him that he's weak.
"I guess it was all just for show" Freda sighed
"W-wait! There must be something wrong! I released one of my greatest skills!" Gin rebukes
Emilio nodded and looks at the Holy Trinity "Then if it's okay with one of you can check if there's a difference between the dolls remaining?"
"I'll check into it! Can you release another doll for me?" Freda volunteered
Another one appeared from the ground again. She got near Gin's doll and starts to examine it comparing to the next one that Catori will soon hit and lastly the new doll she requested.
"Hmmmmm... I'm sorry but both three dolls are the same, I don't see any problems" Freda said disappointingly
The crowd starts whispering to each other again that made Gin embarrassed himself.
"Ha, serves you right for being a show-off" Albert hissed
Gin wanted to choke him and kill him there on the spot but he had embarrassed himself enough. He looks down and goes back to the line where everybody was.
"How disappointing" Adam teased "...and I thought your worth being called a rival"
Freda goes back to her seat "Sigh, I was hoping to find some abnormality but I couldn't, it's so disappointing"
"Hmmm... There's something not quite right" said Ren
"What? You mean I'm wrong? How dare you - you bald of -" Freda was cut off by Akio
"Freda," he said then Freda suddenly froze up
"S-sorry" she apologized
"Ren, did you noticed something?" Akio asked
Ren nodded "I did but I have to make it sure later once this part of the test is over"
Akio, "Okay, don't be too obvious about it, so no one will notice"
[Trying to pull a trick while we're here, is unforgivable] Akio thought as he looks at Gin being approached by Catori
"Sir Gin"
"No- please don't come near me, I - I want to be alone" Gin refuse her
Catori did not go further and goes straight to the doll for her turn.
"Now! For the last one, please show us your best skill!" Emilio continued announcing
The usual, the crowd was booing.
Catori goes closer to the doll and looks at the Holy Trinity, Akio immediately notices her.
"What do you want?" He asked her
Catori stares at the doll in front of her "P-please fail me for this part of the test as well" she said
Everyone gasped to her statement including Gin.
"What!? Are you kidding us? To fail for two tests already? Then you have little chance of passing this Selection!" Freda hysterically yells at her
"I apologize, but even if I do plan to destroy this doll" she looks at Akio and lowers down her voice " it cannot be shattered easily"
Both Ren and Akio felt something different from her.
"So please proceed for the third test" with sincerity in her eyes "I assure you, I won't fail you this time" she promised
"Very well... Then let's proceed to the last test" Akio appeal
The whispers of the audience can be heard from the arena.
[Who the hell is she? So full of herself!]
[Wasn't she the one who killed the Marquis? Why is a killer taking the exam?]
[Hmp. She's like the King so arrogant]
[That traitor's son and that murderer doesn't belong here]
Catori looks at Gin who seems to be bothered by the crowd backstabbing him approached him.
"Sir Gin," she said
Surprise, Gin looks at her and force a smile "What? Don't worry, there's still the last test, we can do this!"
Catori can see through his eyes that he's been stopping himself from crying. She gazes her sight to Albert who was secretly smiling at the corner and she couldn't help but feel - angry.
The Head Knight finally comes out and the audience's murmurs changed into cheers.
"Sir Royce! Sir Royce!" They shouted
The Head Knight, Royce waves at them as he walks to the center
"My, my, my, what a festive day it is! Now, I'll be the one explaining to you the last part of the test so please trainees listen carefully" he creepily smiles while looking at Albert
"All of you will be entering a dungeon filled with monsters, this is not the same as the survival test we had, there will be more high-class monsters inside and death is inevitable, well I guess you all knew that considering what kind of exam this is" he laughed a little
"So what's the goal?" Dorothy raises her hand
"Each monster inside has a ribbon tied to one of its body parts, the ribbons have a specific point depending on the color, green is equivalent to 10, blue is 50, red is 100 there is one color that I won't be telling you and is the only color attached to one monster only, its equivalent will be a secret because you'll only be seeing it once you get the ribbon, it could be a 0 or more. Your goal is to get as many ribbons as you can, this will be done individually. Teamwork is fine if needed because that's how knight's work. So do your best, whoever got the most ribbons will have higher chances of getting vouch for a house" Head Knight, Royce, explained
"Well, that's easy! Let's start this then!" Adam cries out
"Very well" the moment Royce said those words a huge mirror appeared beside him along with three big holographic screens above surrounding the arena where everyone can see including the houses above. The audience were amazed that they can't help saying 'Ooooooh' and 'Wooooooooaw' simultaneously.
"We will be watching your battle on the screens above, and a reminder that once you enter, you only have two hours to impress the houses, when the time is up all of you will automatically transfer back here. Now, let the final test - begins!" Royce announces and the crowd scream, cheer and shout altogether that made the entire arena shake.
One by one the trainees went inside the dungeon as Royce was wishing them good luck. Albert who decided to come in last asked him "Is everything prepared?"
"It was troublesome but I got the job done, don't worry, just don't fail me as well, I got help from someone who I recommended you"
Delighted to hear what Royce said he held on to a small pouch. "No problem"
--- End