"Oh come on… Why can't this day just end…"
Fen was actually thankful to Kaisha. If she insisted on staying glued together as they were during the tests even while they followed their teacher back into the city, the young man would be unable to handle it. Limiting herself to just holding the young arcanist's hand, Kaisha was just vibing to some kind of music flowing through her mind.
Tightening her grasp on Fen's hand, this silly girl protested, as if she was growing impatient. Given what kind of promise the young man made earlier, Fen didn't know whether to be happy or actually worried.
After all, as their relationship… was slowly changing, the chances of something wrong happening constantly grew. Right now, they were about to visit the real tournament area, where they would soon present their skill.
At this point, Fen didn't dare to have any doubts about being discovered. Instead of being hopeful and living through the hell of heartbreak, later on, this young man preferred to take the worst-case into account and actually turning happy once it proved to not be as bad.
"Don't worry, today we only have this visit left."
Not sure whether he was trying to calm Kaisha or himself down, Fen commented as his attention was drawn towards the beautiful part of the city. Despite nothing stopping him from doing so, it was the first time he actually travelled so deep into the settlement. Even in the situation he was in, the astounding architecture of the royal part of the town was so insane that the young man just couldn't tear his eyes apart from it.
"Royals… sure love to live big…"
On the other hand, Kaisha didn't look the best. Her mood took an instant dive as if their current sight brought out the worst from her entire self. Intrigued by this change, Fen was about to ask, when the entire group stopped.
"Everyone, this is the city's colosseum."
Stepping on the top of a small boulder that just happened to lie in the corner of the street, Stiel gathered everyone's attention on himself.
"This is where in three days of time, you will face the opponents both from the Imperial capital and from the Inquisitors' cadet branch."
Dropping a bomb right on top of their heads, Stiel continued to stare at them with a serious expression on his face. There was no hint of joy in his eyes.
"What you will be doing there, is doing your best to hold against your enemies. That's the sad reality of the event. We are not allowed to win, as this could uproot the crown's authority over this place. Their people always have to be on the top."
Fen suddenly understood why only those who won during the tests were brought to this place. Taking a quick look to the side, the young man could see that the teacher of the second grade was only shaking his head in defeat. At this point, no one would dare to take this matter lightly.
"That's why we can still give you guys a way out. If you don't want to participate, we will make it seems as if you guys decided to yield before the fight. In fact, no one will never admit that this meeting happened. If you want, we can openly ridicule you, but give you the way to live your life in peace, or you can take part in this humiliating display only to have a chance at serving the crown. Surely, the pay is great and the duties are few, but the question is, are you willing to give up so much only for the sake of a comfortable life?"
There was no way that it was happening. A single day shouldn't hold so many surprises and turnarounds!
In this one moment, Fen realised one thing. If he could avoid the attention at the small price of losing his dignity? Who cared about such a thing? But seeing even greater depth in Stiel's eyes, the young man realised that it wasn't the end to the big upsets today.
"Additionally, those who will give up will receive a border pass to the nearest country with the arcanist academy. We will give each of you a token, proving that you finished the basic course and are to be allowed into higher education. In two words, it's your way out of this place."
There was no doubt that this reveal was insane. Yet, in this very moment, Fen's attention was directed elsewhere. Ever since their teacher showed his real face, Kaisha was looking at him as if he was some kind of messiah.
Each and every word of Stiel painted a huge picture, of the real relationship of factions inside the country. The arcanist guilds had to be some kind of foreign unit of outside force! Adding the archarities that represented various interests of the guilds, they could easily be perceived as a thorn. Given that their ultimate authority lied outside of the Empire borders, they were bound to be in conflict with the Royalties as a whole!
Even if that situation was hidden away from the public view, what Stiel just said, revealed the true colours of both groups.
Arcanist guilds gave the chance to the best students to quietly escape from the country and live in a wider, greater world. On the other hand, if someone was content with a comfortable life, he would stay in the empire. Freedom or privilege? Given Fen's situation, the choice was obvious.
"What if someone wants to fight the royals?"
Suddenly breaking the atmosphere, Kaisha's hand made her look as if she was reaching for the stairs. There was a strange kind of brilliance in her figure at this moment. With the rays of the setting sun turning her hair into a storm of the colours, Fen could tell that with this spirit, she could easily turn at least half of the class into this outburst.
"Then you will understand why after so many attempts, everyone just ignores that option. First, they are stronger."
This time, it wasn't a bomb that he dropped. It was a bucketful of ice-cold water. Right on the heads of everyone in both classes, that managed to qualify.
"Generally saying, if a single of you could somehow manage to even hit the enemy, it would already amount to a miracle. Those people are breed to this role. What's more, once you stand against the crown, you can forget about ever leaving the country or getting a comfortable lie. You just… waste away."
His voice was filled with seriousness. There was no way that this could all be Stiel's prank. In this situation, Fen didn't really have any choice from the beginning.
"I will…"
"I will let myself be defeated."
Once again taking the lead of the conversation, Kaisha stepped forward. Her face was full of extremely mixed feelings as if her entire soul was torn in this choice.
"What did you want to say?"
Turning her head around with her expression free from that morbid face she made before, Kaisha looked with genuine curiosity into Fen's eyes.
"I will…"
At this moment, Fen realised what it meant to be tormented by fate. How could he make a decision just like that? Support Kaisha and let her live a short life in a lie about him, or openly pick the better option? What should take priority? His budding feelings or his rational mind?
This question wasn't as easy as one could picture it. Even if a rational mind allowed to do more in one's life, what would be a life without following one's nascent, moral instincts? Who would Fen turn into if what he deemed to be right from the bottom of the soul… was to be ignored?
"I will…"
Finally making up his mind, the young man was about to speak and take the backlash of this decision right on his face, when another voice entered the fray.
"What a lovely meeting do we have here!"