One year later...
[Yuna's POV]
An entire year has passed in the blink of an eye, and despite the short time, I watched Kisara grow from a young, innocent girl to someone that's more mature and that's getting more beautiful by the day.
Even though I was ecstatic by her growth, I also felt a sense of dissonance with myself. Even if a year had passed, I haven't found myself aging one bit, which was another reminder of the situation I'm in. It was safe to say that I'm definitely not in the world created by the Tablet of Memories. Instead, this might really be the past.
Yet, that only filled me with more questions than before. Why was I brought to the past and met up with Kisara? Why did the Tablet of Memories select me? And last of all, the question that I have always overlooked: why did Holactie choose me? What's so important about me other than being good at duelling that I was brought to this world?
Even answering one of those questions would satisfy my overflowing curiosity, but the possibility of achieving the answer in my current state was incredibly low. Finding myself lost in these mindless thoughts, the days gone past felt like a daze...
"Yuna..." As I was lost in my thoughts, the door to our room slowly opened, and Kisara's face appeared from the doorframe, "It's time for us to go."
"Ah yes," I nodded and hopped down from the windowsill.
Glancing at the room, I felt a sense of pride for how long we had come. With a clear goal in mind, Kisara worked passionately and was able to secure a job helping the inn owner with cooking, washing and cleaning. While the pay was a bit low, we were able to secure a room at the corner of the tavern and have been living here since then.
"What's wrong?" Kisara asked, sensing my quietness, "Is everything okay?"
Noticing her worried gaze, I hid away my concern with a smile, "Don't worry, I'm alright."
Instinctively, Kisara fell into my embrace and hugged me tightly, "Yuna has been really quiet lately. You would also stare into the distance and not move much."
"Is that so?" I uttered in surprise, unaware of my behaviour, "I think I'm just a bit tired, that's all."
"But..."
"Like I said, you don't have to worry," I comforted her, and she pursed her lips, "Kisara, you really don't have to worry, okay? I'm feeling fine." As if reassuring her, I kissed Kisara on the forehead, and her grip on my clothes tightened. Wanting to divert her attention, I gently held her shoulders.
"Honestly, I'm more worried about Kisara. Today's finally the moment you've been waiting for, so I'm quite anxious about whether something will go wrong."
"Hmph, there's nothing to fear!!" Kisara confidently stood up, "I have practised very hard, and I will definitely do my best!"
"Even if I don't know the answer, Yuna would just help me cheat, right?!" Kisara gazed at me with complete trust, and my smile twitched in disbelief.
I take everything back; she has not matured one bit. But one thing she got right. I would've helped Kisara regardless, but it just didn't feel very pleasant for her to point it out so blatantly.
*Sigh* "Try not to rely on my help too much. It wouldn't be good if the answers were wrong." I explained, and Kisara nodded solemnly.
Despite the challenging exam, I know that I don't have to worry. During that time, Kisara worked really hard. From writing hieroglyphs in the sand to buying wooden boards and clay tablets for her to use. There were even times we sneaked back onto the rooftop to try and find Shada again so he could give her some materials to work with.
"Do your best, Kisara. Nobody could look down on the hard work you put in. Even if Kisara failed, I won't stop being proud."
"Yuna..." Kisara muttered with emotions, and she hurriedly wiped her eyes, "T... Then we have no time to waste! I will definitely pass this exam!!"
With excitement, Kisara leapt out of the window. As she fell, I caught her hand, and she gently touched the ground in a fluid motion.
"Why would you do that?! Just use the stairs!" I yelled, and she smiled mischievously.
Before I could scold her, Kisara ran off, and the sound of her laughter echoed down the busy street. Sighing for the tenth time today, I dashed after her. Fortunately, with her back turned, Kisara wasn't able to see my embarrassing, warm smile...
An hour later...
By the time we arrived, the place was already teeming with people. The exam was set in the very temple where Kisara had made her promise. Watching the crowd, we noticed the people lining up in a long queue and talking with several people sitting by a booth. Realising that's where she should sign up, Kisara quickly entered the line and waited patiently for her turn.
When Kisara finally reached the front, she hesitantly approached one of the booths, "H... Hello..." She greeted awkwardly, and the man sitting by the table raised an eyebrow.
"Are you here to take the Royal Scribe Exam?" The man questioned, and seeing Kisara's nod, he wrote down something on the papyrus, "Do you have anyone referencing you? If not, you must pay a fee to participate."
Already being briefed by Shada, Kisara obediently placed a small bag filled with coins on the table. When the man thoroughly checked the amount, he nodded and wrote down Kisara's name before handing her a small wooden tablet.
"Alright, this is all for now; you may leave." He ordered, and Kisara was ushered away. Still, in a state of confusion, she moved to the place where other people had also finished their registration.
"It's a little strange..." I commented while staring at the registration process in confusion, "I thought it would be a bit more complex than this..."
Nodding along, Kisara carefully observed the small wooden tablet given to her. Instantly, she gasped and quickly covered her mouth. Noticing her reaction, I grabbed her hand and led her to a corner where we were alone.
"Yuna, look at this," Kisara exclaimed and showed me the wooden tablet. On it was a small inscription of hieroglyphics, and she began to read out what it said.
"As the Ra's Eye is at its peak, go to the sacred ground of our Gods' earthly home. Stand where the shadow stretches longest, and you will find what you seek..."
I frowned at the confusing words, and Kisara grasped her chin deep in thought, "This must be a puzzle of some sort."
"But why would they give us this?" Kisara muttered before gasping, "Unless! Yuna, do you think the test already started?!"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, think about it! There has to be a reason that we were given this, but if my suspicion is correct, this is telling us the location of our test site!" Walking back to the group, we began to notice people examining the small tablet.
Some seemed to have already realised the truth and moved calmly to their venue, while others were still left confused.
"To think the eliminations have already begun," I uttered and tapped Kisara's shoulder, "Have you figured out what ours meant?"
"It first said that at Ra's Eye at its peak." Kisara explained, "Ra's Eye is also commonly known as the sun. So when the sun is at its peak, it is midday, right!?"
"Then, when it said God's earthly home, do you think they mean the temple?" I said excitedly, "Also, where the shadow stretches the longest, that typically happens when the sun is setting, and the sun sets in the west!"
Nodding eagerly, Kisara climbed the stairs to the temple. Once we were by the entrance, she turned left, following several other people who seemed to have also solved the puzzle. When Kisara finally stopped walking, we arrived at a courtyard connected to the main temple.
Inside, multiple low tables were placed neatly in rows, further strengthening our confirmation that Kisara had gone to the right place. As we admired the surroundings, a man dressed in clean robes approached the group.
"For now, find a spot to sit down and await further instructions." He spoke calmly and gestured at the vacant desks.
Following the man's order, Kisara found a spare desk all the way in the corner and knelt. Unlike those modern school desks, the tables were longer and shorter, so everyone had to sit on their knees.
"There's not as many people as I thought..." I muttered while observing the room. With the numerous tables set for the participants, only two-thirds of the empty seats were filled.
Suddenly, shouting came from the outside, and I curiously left Kisara's side to observe the commotion. Moving to the courtyard, there were a couple of people angrily shouting at the staff we talked to earlier.
"What do you mean you can't let us in!! We have paid the registration fee. Are you scamming us?!" A person in front of the crowd yelled with a red face.
"Unfortunately, sir, this is merely the protocol. You all have already been informed of the location and time on the wooden tag."
"How am I supposed to know that?!" The man roared, "You wrote this incoherent mess and expect us to understand?!"
"Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do. I apologise if you couldn't understand the words written. I could only wish you be more attentive next year..."
"Why you!!" The man barged out of the crowd and tried to assault the staff member. However, before his arms could reach him, several guards blocked his path. Intimidated by their sharp weapons, the group of people could only clench their fists in frustration.
One by one, they eventually left, unable to do anything but remember their mistake and try again next year. Feeling strange about the merciless eliminations, I moved back to Kisara and held her hand. Watching her innocently tilt her head, I smiled worriedly.
Things would really be fine... right?
"We should now begin." The staff announced while standing at the centre of the courtyard. With a small wave, several more staff entered, carrying various papyrus scrolls and wooden boards.
"You will each be given a wooden plaque that contains all the questions you must answer and a papyrus scroll that you can write with. During the examination, you may request for more scrolls, but only a maximum of three times."
"If you are caught cheating during the exam, you will be immediately disqualified and banned from participating in this exam in the future."
"Are there any further questions?" He asked and nodded with satisfaction when everyone shook their heads. "Good, you have two hours. I wish you all luck." Taking out a giant hourglass, he flipped it, and the sand began to drop.
Instantly, everyone grabbed their pens and unfurled their scrolls. Kisara's face tensed with tension as she nervously dipped her pen into the bottle of ink, and the Royal Scribe exam had officially started...
[3rd POV]
"Ho ho ho... There are a lot more examinees this year..." An elderly man laughed and stroked his beard with amusement.
Walking through the quiet temple, he curiously observed each testing site, watching the potential new scribes diligently writing on their test papers.
Stopping in one particular courtyard, the man hummed and glanced at his apprentice, who was watching a participant in the corner. Following his gaze, the elderly man smirked when he saw that his young disciple was staring at a girl.
"Shada, did that young lady catch your eye?"
"Ah, no, Master Shimon..." Shada shook his head stiffly, "She's merely someone I know, and I didn't expect her to really show up..."
Staring at Kisara's writing on the scrolls, Shada felt a strange sense of satisfaction. It wasn't long ago when he overheard her bold claim of stepping foot into the Royal Palace, and having the will to carry out that promise was admirable.
Additionally, at first, Shada merely provided some spare resources out of a whim, but as time went on, he could see her talent in this role, and gradually, his advice became more serious as well.
"Hmm, is this whom you've been giving those teaching materials to? And here I thought you were getting engrossed in your studies..." Shimon spoke with disappointment, and Shada frankly shook his head.
"N... No Master Shimon! How could I ever?! Of course, I have already reviewed and memorised everything before giving it away!" The boy yelped with a pale face, causing Shimon to laugh.
Realising he was being tricked, Shada stared at the ground with embarrassment. Thankfully, remembering their current environment, Shimon's laughter soon died down.
"So, how is she? Does the girl show any potential?" Shimon questioned, and Shada frowned.
"Kisara has a lot of talent. From what I can tell, she indeed has some background in literature despite her commoner background, and her speed of learning is remarkable."
"That so?" Shimon smirked, "Then she must be impressive if my disciple praises her. But we must not look down on the others as well. In the end, no matter how much you praise someone, it's meaningless if they couldn't overcome the hurdle of this test..."
"Yes..." Shada agreed with a complicated expression.
"But I hope your judgement of her is correct." Shimon replied sincerely, "I would like to meet the one that my disciple personally trained, after all."Feeling embarrassed, Shada averted his gaze, but deep down, he couldn't help but agree...
[Yuna's POV]
"Oh, this guy's answer is pretty good; Kisara, listen closely!"
"Hmmm, this person's calculation seemed a little strange. Kisara's answer is probably correct."
"Kisara, I think this is wrong here. You forgot to subtract this number!"
I frantically corrected her mistakes and continued to pace around the room. Despite knowing that I might break her concentration, I couldn't control myself at the thought of her failure. However, my worries were also misplaced as Kisara answered the questions with ease.
Thankfully, most of these questions were related to literature, which Kisara was able to solve due to her past. Additionally, the test contained several mathematical questions about general arithmetic. But with my help, within one year, Kisara learned how to calculate numbers and was able to perform some decent algebra skills.
Although some questions were quite tricky, it's not something a little bit of the ghost over-your-shoulder method couldn't solve! Because of my non-physical form, I could sneak a peek and write the answer on Kisara's scroll with my finger. This was the perfect crime, and I could never get caught doing it!
Hmmm?
Cheating? What was this cheating you're talking about? This was merely a skill, yes... An ability that Kisara worked very hard for!
Laughing cheekily at my brilliant idea, I continued to watch over Kisara and time quickly passed by.
"There are ten more minutes left." The staff member announced suddenly, and everyone's pace became faster than before.
She increased her speed, and Kisara was able to complete the remaining questions. When she finally reached the last question, she paused as her pen hung inches above the scroll.
"What's wrong?" I asked, and Kisara frowned.
"T...This question..." She whispered, her voice barely audible and gestured with the tip of her pen, "I don't know how to answer this..."
"Is it something we haven't learned?" I questioned anxiously, and Kisara shook her head.
"It's..." She stammered in a flustered tone, "It's asking why I want to become a scribe..."
"A moral question?" I tilted my head in surprise. This was something unexpected...
Unlike the regular exam questions, these questions were very strange. Unlike having a correct answer, they were something to judge someone's character. Since people can easily lie about their answers, I don't really know how they were able to tell if they were dishonest, but if they asked something like this in the first place, the testers should have a method...
As the sand continued to drop to the bottom of the hourglass, Kisara bit her lips as she continued to hesitate.
Gently, I placed my hands over her shoulders, and she flinched, "Just relax, there are no wrong answers... Just write what comes to your mind."
Nodding stiffly, Kisara began to write, and before we both realised, the remaining sand in the hourglass dripped down. Thankfully, Kisara seemed to be satisfied, and a small, relieved smile bloomed on her face.
"Now, everyone, place your pens down, and we will come and collect the exam materials." The staff member explained, "The number of people participating was lower than expected; thus, please be patient. Your results will be announced soon."
Gradually, people begin to stand up from their sitting places. Following the other testers, Kisara left the courtyard. As the sunlight struck her face, Kisara finally released the tension in her body.
"I don't know what, but I feel more nervous leaving the exam than being in it," Kisara muttered.
"Well, that's just the way it is." I patted her head, "Well, whatever the result was, it doesn't matter!" Smiling reassuringly at Kisara, I held back the anxious sigh; I hoped things would really go well...
[3rd POV]
Meanwhile, in the Courtyard...
"G... Grand Vizier!!" The examiner screeched in shock at Shimon's sudden appearance before quickly bowing, "W... What brings you here?"
"Hmmm, can you show me all the test scrolls? Actually, give me the one that was used by an examinee named Kisara." Shimon explained, and the man nodded hurriedly.
Handing him the papyrus scroll, Shimon hummed as he opened it, revealing all of Kisara's answers.
"Master..." Shada muttered as Shimon continued to read through the answers in silence.
"Huh? Not bad..." Shimon chuckled to himself, "There are some minor mistakes, but most of the questions are correct."
Typically, it was customary for people not to get all answers correct; however, instead of having specific questions wrong, there were many small mistakes, only making a part of the question correct. It was as if more than one person was working on this one scroll. But unbeknownst to Shimon, he didn't realise how accurate that hypothesis actually was...
As Shimon continued to scan the remaining answers, he eventually reached the final question, which Shimon found to be the most interesting. Just as Yuna has predicted, it has no accurate weight.
However, it was indeed a method to test a person's character. Since the test was already difficult enough to leave only a few people as candidates, they could freely get help from the Millennium Scale, which can determine a person's sincerity in their writing.
"How interesting..." Shimon stared at Kisara's answer, and he felt his curiosity truly piqued, "Shada."
"Yes, master?" Shada lifted his head as Shimon handed him the Papyrus scroll.
"Go and find her."
Shada: "Y.. Yes?"
"Find Kisara and bring her to me." Shimon ordered while stroking his beard, "I want to see who she really is...
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I hope you enjoy it!