When I visualized the city that became my home in the last few years, I realized that I missed it more than I expected, if the last few months I hadn't focused so much on surviving and having a good test result I would have noticed that I miss the institute, the streets that I was almost killed several times and the fun dungeons that I can die every time I enter them.
I don't think I miss the city that much; I think I'll focus on the people I know who live here like Master, the teachers, Lofar, Calen and my fellow adventurers. These are good reasons to feel connected to a place, to focus on the people I care about and the events that happened in the city.
It was still very early when we arrived in the city, the students went straight to the institute and only after that they left for their own homes. I didn't understand why I did this, but the reason for it has nothing to do with me.
After the students were separated, I went straight to my room to drop off my belongings and see Wulfgar, but when I entered my room, I found nothing but a messy bed. Where is Wulfgar?
This is weird. Maybe he's with the master so I decided to go see her after dropping my luggage in my room, that was the initial plan I don't think I'll have a good experience if I don't go to greet my master today.
It took a while to find the office my master was using today, on the third try I found her sitting filling out some papers with Wulfgar lying next to her desk. A harmonious scene, but when I entered the room Wulfgar was excited and was going to run towards me, but a snap of his fingers made him stop as if he had been frozen.
Poor Wulfgar looked in my master's direction only to see her cold gaze, Wulfgar backed off and sat on the cushion and didn't make a sound he just stared at me with sad eyes and head down to give me the message. 'Save me please, save me!'
I think the last few months have been difficult for him, the master for having spent quite a bit of time training Wulfgar.
"Why did it take so long?"
"I didn't know where you were, mistress."
"A tracker should be able to find me more quickly, when I saw your high rating in that area, I thought you had improved, but it seems the average quality of this review is pretty low."
Cruel, she's in a bad mood and I had to arrive today.
"It looks like the master received a copy of my assessment, anything interesting about it?"
A mocking smile appeared on the master's face.
"Depends on your definition of interesting, I personally found it pretty normal for you. Not a surprise on him, killing a brood hand, slaying a little dragon, managing to keep every member of his team alive and leading his team to the top ten."
"So, my result was good?"
"Acceptable, your team was good but it was far from a strong team you did a good job with them but you have to remember why this test was done this way. Remember that the results will be used to determine where you will go when the war starts, the better your result the better the team you will be and the riskier the missions your team will be able to do."
"I had already planned to be in a good position, but I never intended to be in a position much higher than eighth like the first three. I actually thought I would be in the top fifteen and not the top ten, I think my position is high enough to be placed on a good team and not high enough to be considered for the star teams to have to do extremely risky missions."
"I remember now that was your plan, but if that's the case then why does you look happy, Ulric?"
"What?"
"You failed miserably, Ulric. Your team's assessment may have been good for your plan, but your assessment was shit for your plan, your individual performance has gotten way too high, you've excelled too many times during the test, nor can Medri do anything to hide your performance. "
"Was it too high? What was the exact place I ranked?"
"There is no individual rank because it would be stupid to do that for obvious reasons, the rank of teams will already cause a lot of problems among the idiot nobles so the students received more personalized and complete evaluations of their performance during the test. Medri had the function of hiding some of your achievements and grades so that you would have a very good evaluation, but not enough to be at the top of the students."
"You were supposed to be a good tracker and competent leader with solid foundations, but your current assessment praises your creative ability for innovative strategies and unusual solutions to normal problems, great leadership skills to the point that he is able to lead his team and alliance without having to fight with other competitors for the lead, you tracked a fucking dragon at a ridiculously high speed, avoided without ambush during your travels because you anticipated your enemy's movements by choosing a safer route than the normal route and to finish they said that your morals are adequate."
"Even more praise and marks of merit in your fucking assessment, any of the idiots that are going to be responsible for deciding which unit you are going to put you into one of the best options for that unit to be extremely strong that is going to be put in real and great danger since the beginning of the war. Remember that your teams will be put to use before the official war is announced and enemy kingdoms are not going to let that just happen."
"Sorry?"
"Why are you apologizing to me? The plan was yours not mine, I only agreed with him because it was a good plan if you want to apologize to someone use a mirror."
"So, what do I do? And what does proper morals mean?"
"Proper morals basically mean you're not an idealistic idiot, a saint, a real good person, and not a psychopath or sociopath. You will fulfill your missions and you won't sacrifice your team members if it's not necessary, but it also means that you wouldn't hesitate to kill a traitor or not use not so 'cool' methods to fulfill your mission. You are proper, don't take it as a compliment or insult, just ignore it and keep being you."
"About where your future is there is nothing you can do, I will help you by calling in some favors for you to be placed in a safer position, but don't think it will be a great level of security because that is already impossible for all those who participate in a war. What you will do before being sent to your destination several months from now is train non-stop, I have a nice training plan prepared for you and this time I will supervise your training personally."
I will die before the war starts; I had an even shorter life this time than before. I am very unlucky.
"Relax, you're not going to die so there's no reason to look so discouraged you've gained a lot of practical experience these last few months and that must have helped to be able to see your weaknesses and what's missing for you. Your strength is fine for an average low-level genius, but compared to those at the peak of your generation's power you may have noticed that you're quite weak, clever tricks won't solve all your problems forever."
"I know, but about knowing what I lack is basically strength, isn't it?"
"Your strength will increase when your core stage increases which is always good and, in your case, stable and balanced because you strengthen all aspects of your cup and core during your cultivation, but neither of these is the point I am. trying to do. What's missing is a real path, you don't have a real specialization you have a lot of strengths and you've developed in many areas and that's always useful, but without a central path you're wasting a lot of focus and opportunities."
"Can you give some more tips? You are my master."
"Now I am your lovely and beautiful master who can help you? I thought you didn't like spending time with me since the moment I talked about training with me your face went pale."
I have never used lovely and beautiful to describe the master.
"No need to beg, as I said before what you lack and a main path it doesn't exactly need to be a weapon, your elemental energy or survival. Your path may be a goal you want to achieve, but as far as I can see you don't have one."
"It's hard to decide where your life will go, I intend because I've been where you are now, you just have no idea what you want Ulric. But because you don't make a minor decision about the path you want to take your life, decide which weapon is your main weapon."
Which is my primary weapon, I don't think the master is simply asking me to choose between my bow or blades. I think I should have more choices for main 'weapon'.
A wild smile is on the master's lips when she sees that I realize her suggestion is quite complicated and really irritating.
What are all the options? And which one do I choose?