"Now that you have been training for a year, it's time for your test to show your worth. Your father has decided you go through the same trial as the 100 children the Empire has recruited to form a special unit but you won't join it if you pass," Gozuki told me with his usual hoarse voice, and snake eyes. Although he has trained me for a year, we have not grown close at all, it was just training and nothing more. When we weren't training I have been studying his character and its simply described as blindly loyal to the Empire and ruthless.
He will do anything for Empire, and I mean anything, and I already have a feeling that out of those 100 kids, a lot will die in this trail.
"When and where?" I asked short and cooly. Guess my communication skill is the only thing that didn't improve over the year.
"Gifnora Forest in two days and you are not allowed to use your own weapon, it will be provided for you," he said nothing more and just left me on the balcony.
'Hmm, a special unit for what?' is something I have to find out.
---2 days later---
I stood in front of the mansion waving goodbye to my parents and leaving for the trial in Gifnora Forest. Mother is having a sorrowful face like I'm about to die, but guess it could happen if I'm not careful, and when I looked at Father he had a painful face, then a realization came, that father never told her about this trial before this morning, well it's his own fault.
Beside me is my muscled bodyguard Caroline, and she is following me to the trail, obviously not participating.
"Let's go, Caroline"
It didn't take long getting out of our little territory, and get on the bustling street, on our way to the main square before going to the gate in the south. This my first time getting out and roaming the city and I must say it is a pretty awe-inspiring scene until we reached the main square where there is some kind of uproar.
As I got closer I see 5 people bleeding, hanging on crosses with arrows in legs, arms, and shoulders. It got my already half-closed eyes to open a little in surprise, but not completely because I obviously already have a general idea of what transpired here. Its called crucifixion and nobles do it to give a message to the citizens, though I don't know what these people have done so I asked a random bystander.
"Hello, do you know what those people did?" I asked an old man with a cane standing beside me while pointing at the crucified people.
"They tried running away while not paying taxes to the Lord of this Territory. But personally I don't think they tried fleeing without just paying, because lately the taxes have gone up and a lot of people just can't pay it." the old man said his personal opinion in a whisper to me.
I just nodded at him and continued my way to the south gate, with Caroline behind me quietly following me. While walking I am thinking about some of my history knowledge before coming to this world, and according to it, if the citizens keep being dissatisfied a rebellion is bound to erupt.
After some time walking without paying attention, we reached the exit of the city where a lot of people are waiting, to get inspected before they can get into the city.
While walking out I threw my thoughts about a possibility of rebellion away, because I should focus on my trail in the Gifnora Forest, where most Danger Beasts are plant types that can camouflage into the surroundings and ambush people, killing you before knowing what happened.
I don't have any experience with Danger Beasts and my memories don't exactly help here, so this is a challenge for me.
Nobody disturbed us during our journey, but it's probably Caroline's fault, she's too scary to go against, and if I were other men or even girl, I too would be afraid if Caroline jumped me.
---Outskirts of Gifnora Forest---
*CLAP*CLAP*"Listen up kids you will soon be led into the middle of the forest, and those of you who can get out of it will be trained and given high ranking posts to be Guardians of the Empire." said a big man with his dark green hair combed backward and a little black Hitler mustache, standing straight in military-style with his hands behind the back, sounding like everything is an honor.
"Alright, men, give the kids some weapons and lead the kids into the forest immediately," said the Hitler man to his subordinates, but before they could move a voice interrupted them.
"Wait" interrupted a blond man with green snake eyes sitting on bear-like Danger Beast with a sword through its eye while still bleeding.
"?What is Gozuki?" the Hitler man replied back with dissatisfied tone and disgruntled face.
"We are still missing a participant, I promised his father to let him undergo this trail," Gozuki said with his eerie hoarse voice.
"What? And why am I not aware of this Gozuki?!" said the mustache man, while his face is twisting in anger, while almost looking like a baboon but.
"Calm down, he should- oh? He's here" Gozuki explained, then he saw me on the horizon.
Everyone present followed his line of sight, where the figure is coming close enough to differentiate the said person Gozuki made a promise for.
"That white skin, is he from the Zen clan like you were?" asked the man who has cooled down.
"Yeah," Gozuki answered while shrugging a little.