AFTER A FEW moments, the three had finally finished eating their lunch, but they still have about thirty minutes left before the next examination. Most of the examinees toured themselves around the academy, thinking that this might be their only chance to take a good look inside the academy. They weren't that confident with their academic test, since well, it was difficult.
"The academy isn't that wide, should we stroll around for a bit?" Livia brought up, asking the two men walking on both her sides. They were currently leaving the dining hall. "Or should you warm up for your practical test?" She asked, glancing to Hades. She knows that Rufus takes the archery course, and that he can do his own warm up right on the test.
Hades shook his head at the two. "I can manage. Oh, by the way, what course are you taking, Livia?" He asked the lady.
"Directing course." Livia answered.
"That's surprising. I thought you'd have chosen the music course." Hades said, and Livia shrugged.
"Everyone say the same thing, but I don't have an interest in playing an instrument or singing for others, I'm not that sentimental. I'd rather have people act and move the way I want them to." She stated as if there was nothing wrong with her statement. The nearby examinees that heard her got a chill because of what she said.
"Well, I can somehow relate to that. Humans are measly tools that act on their emotions, but actors are basically empty dolls with strings. Being a puppet master isn't that easy, but it's useful at times." Hades added, and the two childhood friends nodded in agreement to his statement.
'A puppet what?' The others thought after accidentally eavesdropping on them. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.
"Directors are just reserved master manipulators." Rufus added his opinion and the two nodded in agreement. the examinees who heard that agreed to his opinion-no, what Rufus said is a fact.
As they arrived by the intersection, the three came to a stop. They were all silent, they didn't know what to do next or where to go, and somehow the two childhood friends glanced to Hades. As if they want him to decided where to go.
Hades sighed at the two and walked to the left path, where the culinary, arts and science and engineering department dormitories and training halls are. On the right path is where business, medicine and knight department dorms and training hall are. The training halls are where the practical examination will take place. Hades decided to go left because it's where the science and engineering department training hall is located, and the left and right path connects there. With that, Rufus and him could easily walk to the knight department training hall in a quick four minute walk.
The two glanced at each other, then immediately followed after him like chicks who run after their mother hen.
The academy was built like a small village with enormous buildings. Everything, the greenery and the architecture, are clean, simple and beautiful. The academy was located at the northeast part of the capital, and at the very edge too, it was a good spot.
In the wide space between the left and right paths, stood a nine foot tall tombstone, and according to history, the message engraved on it was written by the founder himself, Former Emperor Adam Grimes. Instead of putting a sculpture of himself on the wide space, he chose to engrave a message for the future students of the academy. Therefore, aside from the Imperial Family, who had a painting of every emperor, no one has ever seen his actual face in this time.
The student dormitory buildings each have ten floors (one floor for each year), but it was only as tall as the seven story main building. They were built with similar architecture and painted with white and dark colors. And near each dormitory are each departments' training hall. They are places where each departments' practical exams take place, and of course, it is also where official students train.
"Everything is surprisingly… how do I say this, simple and convenient?" Hades commented as he looked around. There was no unnecessary structure or unused and abandoned building, and aside from the brick paths, the ground was covered with well-maintained green grass. There are countless tress planted around the whole academy's territory as if it was a barrier. The academy was different from what he had imagined before, it was more peaceful and nature friendly.
And somehow… everything reminded him of the place where he spent his days recovering.
"Some say that the founder was quite a strange man, and he liked nature, medicine and arts. He even made the strictest must-follow in the academy a rule where we, the Golden Crown Academy, must always be close to nature." Rufus explained wearing a small smile.
"The academy is over a thousand years old, I'm impressed they manage to maintain and protect the whole academy from getting destroyed or corrupted. No wonder it's the world's oldest yet most prominent academy." Livia comments as well and soon came to a stop, the two glanced back at her.
"I'll be going this way, you guys are on your own. Good luck on your exam, I'll stop by to watch if I finished early." Rufus waved his goodbye as to her.
"Good luck to you too, Livia." While Hades wished her luck before she was out of sight.
The two young men continued with their walk wordlessly and after a moment, they finally arrived by the path that leads to the science and engineering department dormitory and training hall. There was a few moments of silence as they walked, but Rufus spoke.
"I just noticed, but you must be really interest in science and engineering. With your knowledge, you'll definitely pass. Why didn't you chose it?" He asked his friend as they turned to another path, where it leads to the said department's training hall. It was located just behind the dormitory.
Hades smiles at the question. "It's because of a promise. I promised that I will chose the Knight Department to maintain fit and healthy, and I keep my promises. Also, I'm more used to straining my body than stressing my brain out." He answers, Rufus arched a brow at him. Hades' words somehow confused him.
"To maintain fit and healthy? What, you have some sort of illness or something?" He asked, and Hades nodded without hesitation, his smile not leaving his face. The genuine expression on Hades' face somehow made Rufus more confused.
"You could say that." Hades continued to walk while Rufus stopped his tracks, gazing at his back. 'Is that illness related to his hair..?' He thought to himself and unfortunately, he is wrong. Rufus simply brushed it off and followed after his friend. He decided to not say anything.
He simply guessed that it must be a sensitive topic, and he does not want to make the calm Hades angry. Things might get difficult.
But before they could get a glimpse of the training hall…
"Holy shi- let's turn back." Hades suddenly cursed, Rufus was confused and saw him holding his pocket watch, checking the time. "There's only seven minutes before the exam, and we still have to get changed." Hades said, Rufus' eyes widened. And that that moment the two started running as if their lives depended on it.
"The first one to get there gets one wish granted by the loser." Rufus challenged.
"Bet." Hades accepted and quickened his pace, Rufus beamed a toothy smirk of amusement seeing Hades run. 'Damn, he's fast! But I'm not the one to lose in running!' He thought and took long strides with a quicker pace. He was confident in his fast feet and agility, he had outrun so many people, including his own father.
And then, before Hades knew it Rufus had already caught up to him. Although he was surprised by his friend, Hades was still indifferent as he ran.
"You're surprisingly fast. For an archer." He comments on his friend. Most archers he know are pretty slow because they lack a tad bit on stamina, but Rufus is pretty well-balanced, Hades could tell that in a glance.
"Don't underestimate archers, Hades! You might get killed by one someday!"
"Nah, I doubt it."
"I'll kill you then."
"Oh gods, I'm sooo~ scared."
"You should be!"
The real test was just about to start for the examinees. Everyone was either too nervous, so excited, confident, or casual. But all of them had the same feeling of anticipation for the exam, this was their first step to proving themselves that they could reach the top, that they could be an official student in the greatest academy on earth, Golden Crown Academy. They were preparing for the worst, but the worst wasn't their test.
It was who they'll be having the exam with.