The emperor surveyed the high priest, concern etched on his face. "What is happening? Why is the crystal emitting such a dark red color? Normally, the color ranges between black, white, silver, and gold. Is John in danger?"
The high priest shook his head, equally puzzled. "I am not sure, your majesty. This is an unprecedented event. In my 50 years as a priest, I have never seen such a deep red color emitted from the crystal. We will only be able to know the result when John explains it to us."
As they spoke, John's soul slowly returned to his body, his breathing labored. "John, are you okay?" the emperor asked as he approached the young prince.
"Yes, your majesty," John replied, taking a deep breath. "I think the exhaustion from the trials is transferring to my body. I should be fine in a bit."
The emperor nodded. "Since you're tired, let us get you something to eat. Then we'll talk about what happened and what god you've made a contract with."
John agreed, and the emperor announced that they would take a 15-minute break for John to rest and gather energy before meeting in the central hall of the temple. The nobles, already shocked by the deep red color emanating from the crystal, were sent into a state of panic by the emperor's clear favoritism toward John. The first prince and empress, in particular, were visibly annoyed, both wanting the emperor's favor for the first prince.
The high king and his faction members surveyed the panicked, annoyed, and angry expressions within the trial hall, and decided to leave. They went into the room where John was resting. No one dared to question their moves as the high king was with them.
"How is he?" Gallen asked as he looked at the sight of John eating the food before him ravenously. He rephrased his question, "I would ask, but looking at him eating like this at least means he isn't suffering from a great deal of damage."
The emperor sat beside his son and patted his back. "By the way, John, you can slow down for a while, you know. You have 15 minutes to rest."
John paused for a brief moment and replied, "I haven't eaten anything for I don't even know how long, so I'm starving. I will slow down once I feel like I've eaten enough."
The high king interjected, "What do you mean? How long did your trial last? It shouldn't take more than 2-3 days though?"
John put a piece of steak into his mouth before answering, "Ah, you see, I was chosen by the god of war, Kaelthar, and as such, for his trial, I had to face an army of goblins. I'm not sure how long the trial lasted, but it was definitely longer than a few days, which is why I am this hungry."
"Hold on! Do you mean to say you fought an entire army of goblins alone? How in the world did you manage to do that?" the emperor exclaimed in disbelief.
John gave a sly grin and replied, "It's…a secret."
The high king's eyes widened in astonishment, "Fine, fine. Don't tell us, but can you at least explain why the crystal was glowing with a dark red color during your trial?"
John shook his head, "I have no idea, I wasn't given any explanation about that."
The emperor let out a deep sigh, "I see, I see. Maybe you'll find out later with time. Oh, by the way, did you pass the test?"
John's smile widened, "I sure did!"
The emperor's face lit up with pride, "Fuuuuuh, that's fantastic!" He turned towards the high king and gave him a meaningful nod, and the high king nodded back in understanding. John looked at them with curiosity, as if they were having some secret conversation.
"Well, if all your questions are done, I would like to get back to eating," John said, his stomach growling loudly.
"Ah, yes, go ahead. I am going to be talking with my father till it's time for us to return to the main hall then," the emperor said as he got up from his seat and walked towards the high king.
"Ok," John nodded, a hint of excitement in his voice as he dug back into his food.
The 15 minutes passed quickly and John, along with the emperor, the high king, and the nobles who would eventually become a part of his faction, returned to the central hall. They were met with a chaotic scene. The nobles from the other two prince's factions were in a state of frenzy, pacing about the hall, and some had huddled together around their respective princes, discussing their next move. That was until they heard a commanding shout from the emperor.
"What is the meaning of this chaos? Have you no respect for order, especially inside a building of the gods? I expect better from you nobles. Get yourselves together, now!" The emperor's words boomed through the hall and the nobles quickly took their seats, albeit with annoyed and angry expressions on their faces.
"Now that order has been restored, I will explain the outcome of John's test. However, I will not be disclosing the details of his test as they do not hold relevance in this current situation. I hope you all understand." The emperor said as he looked around at the nobles, who nodded begrudgingly. They were not in a position to speak out against matters regarding the third prince, especially not after the assassination attempt that had happened earlier.
"Good, since you understand, I will begin my explanation." The emperor paused briefly to take a breath, then continued, "The god that decided to choose him was a god of war, by the name of Kaelthar, and I am pleased to announce to all of you that the third prince has successfully passed the trial given to him by God Kaelthar. While we are not aware of the exact details regarding which faction of gods he belongs to, as John was asked not to speak much about it, we assume him to be a neutral god. If there are any questions, you may feel free to ask them right now, but asking about his blessing is strictly forbidden, of which I am sure you are all well aware."
The emperor's statement was met with silence, and he decided to end the ceremony for the day. He announced the start of the banquet in celebration of the third prince's successful contract with a god.
"Now then, I hope to see you all this evening. Please go ahead and take rest in your chambers until the start of the banquet. Oh, I would also like to announce that the delegates of the elves that were supposed to arrive a week from now have arrived earlier than expected and will also be attending the banquet, so try not to do anything that would disgrace our empire. Oh and Julius, I would like to talk to you for a bit before the banquet, meet me in my office in 30 minutes." The emperor added before leaving with the exhausted John who was too drained to pay attention to what was happening and could fall asleep at any moment.
"Mother, what do I do now?" The first prince said as he approached the empress, a look of panic etched on his face.
"Don't worry, he won't punish you too harshly. It would cause him more issues than it's worth. But, you have truly disappointed me today. Could you not do one job right? He is only ten years old, for the love of the gods, how could you fail in killing a child?" The empress said, her expression one of disappointment. Without another word, she turned and left the temple, her handmaidens following closely behind, leaving the first prince seething with anger and fear.