"Go on Gles. Show that ajumma how powerful you are." I gave Gles a thumbs up.
I also didn't miss that eye twitch from the examiner. 'She must have known I was mocking her.'
I was sure she doesn't understand me. 'Did she read my mind?'
"Um. Uh. What does ajumma mean?" Gles asked with an innocent face.
"It means aunty. Now go."
The grin on the examiner's face froze.
Gles went up to face the examiner. She held up her palm aiming at her opponent. "Be careful, ajumma!"
The examiner's eyebrows twitched again. She lowered her center and held up a blade in reverse before her.
"Mana Barrage!"
A rain of mana bolts shot at the examiner. The examiner spun like a ballerina on her toes. A barrier of blade lights blocked the attacks. Spinning blade-light rings flew out of her weapons and arched in the air towards Gles.
Seeing the opponent counter attacked, Gles didn't step back or dodge to the side. Instead she ran forwards.
"Mana Barrage! Mana Barrage! Mana Barrage!"
More than a hundred mana bolts surrounded Gles and assaulted the examiner. Mana bolt upon mana bolt came at the examiner like bullets from a machine gun. She respond with a blade dance. Each slash would cancel off two bolts simultaneously. Her grace was like a swan princess over the lake. Nothing could pass over her when she twirled.
The barrage stopped when Gles ran out of mana. Her chest heaved up and down from exhaustion caused by mana drain. The examiner walked up to her in a fluid motion. Gles closed her eyes ready to receive a knock out blow. And the verdict of failure. But...
"Good one. You pass."
It never came. Gles couldn't believe her ears.
She passed.
She turned to my direction. I gave her a smile. She smiled back and ran towards me.
"Solon! I passed!"
She grabbed my hand and shook it hard while hopping in place. Seeing her bright smile I couldn't help but feel as though I was falling for her.
I shook my head, trying to kick down my heart into some hidden corner. I gave Gles an encouraging smile. "Let's continue getting stronger then."
"Yes!" She replied with a smile that almost made my heart jump.
****
An hour passed and the examination was done.
Only a handful had passed.
"To those who had passed, follow me." The examiner said and continued through the door where she first came out of.
We passed the door and found ourselves in what seems to be another reception hall, albeit more extravagant.
It looked like a café, luxury restaurant and reception room smash together. There was a second floor over looking the ground floor. Also having chairs and tables only a lot more luxurious than the ones on the ground floor.
"I'll be handing you over to the receptionist. You can get your license card from her." She pointed at the counter and left us for the second floor.
"Welcome. I'd like to have your names so that I could issue your ID, please." The receptionist wore a polite smile.
I went up first and no one opposed. I pulled Gles to my side before talking to the receptionist. Thank god it wasn't another he-lady or I might start to think that the guild master had a fetish.
"Solon Geit and," I turned towards my friend.
"Glesisha. Glesisha Ervinsyl."
It was the first time I heard her surname.
'She really was a noble!'
The Ervinsyl surname indicated she was born of noble blood. And Ervinsyl wasn't a small nobility, it was a big one. Countdom level big.