The interior of the room could only be described in a word—Magnificent!
The area of the room was so huge! I'm sure over 200 people would fit in here with ease. If over 200 individuals would fit around the entrance, then what of the inner part?
I could see people entering and coming out of different doors. It was like a hub.
"This is where we rank, test, and train citizens of Kynburgh. Though they have to meet a certain requirement before they would be able to enter the Palace's Hall Of Testing."
Alexia's voice came from behind, explaining the reason behind the bustling environment.
Why would the Palace be used as a testing ground for such a multitude?
As if reading my mind, Alexia added. "The testing ground is a dimension of its own. The Palace only houses the main entrance into this dimension while some sub-doors are placed on different locations of Kynburgh."
How fascinating, a dimension! Those legendary places that are said to exist in-between reality and illusion; a place that exists in the void, protected by a thick barrier… I'm quite interested in the study of such places.
"For a place with no evident history, you have good facilities and resources." I blurted out.
The books in my collection held knowledge of particular places in the history of Alcelia, so I found it hard to believe that I would miss a peculiar place like this one.
"You don't believe our records?" A voice came from behind me, though distinct from Alexia's voice.
Turning slowly, I met the gaze of an old lady. She had wrinkles which were evidence of her old age. With a deprecating expression, she stares intensely at me.
I didn't rush to answer, looking at Alexia for advice. I wouldn't want to cause trouble for my caretaker.
"Miss Renita!" Alexia called out with a tinge of excitement in her voice.
"What a naughty girl." The old woman, Renita, turned to hug Alexia, nudging her. "You have grown so much, you can't even come to say hi anymore."
She pouted, sounding displeased by Alexia's actions.
Seems they know each other, even treating Alexia like some little girl. Won't say I'm surprised though; ignoring accidents, in Archon, even ordinary people live for over 80 years.
"And who is this twerp?" Renita commented, staring at me with fiery eyes.
"My Master, Stiles," Alexia stated in a rather calm tone.
Hey! Ain't you supposed to be standing in for me, saying stuff like, "How dare you refer to my master as 'twerp'"... At this moment, I felt betrayed by my caretaker.
"Ohh! The supposed 'Crown' bearer." She uttered as if just coming to a sudden realization.
I don't know why, but her words did not sit well with me. Why the "supposed"? Are you insinuating I'm some imposter… mind you, your people started all these… I wanted to lament but held my lips to avoid attention. I wouldn't want to get those creepy stares from passersby.
"You want to run a test to be sure of his identity, right?" Miss Renita inquired, her eyes becoming dreamy.
She didn't wait for Alexia to reply as she said. "You are such a mature girl! Though he looks cute, you can't trust appearances."
Saying this, she headed deeper into the room of testing, gesturing we follow her.
"Is she some teacher?" I asked, curious about the lady's Profession. "No, more like an Examiner, a sub-profession for Education," Alexia commented, moving ahead of me.
Examiners play a vital role in Education since they are tasked with confirming the students' readiness for the task ahead… not a bad profession. I wonder what Ability she possesses…
To become successful in a Profession or even get an entry into a profession, you must undergo a test to meet the criteria for that Profession.
For instance, a Surgeon with no Ability to operate on people is worthless… or rather, it causes an issue if someone without the Ability to perform a task tries to do it.
I'll have to lock up my curiosity for now. Alexia seems to have a weak spot for the old lady. I would not want to cause their relationship any harm.
As we navigated through the dimension, we came upon a lot of individuals. But unlike the palace, none of them seemed to know who I was, which I appreciated.
The dimension was divided into different parts for separate purposes. The way they trained didn't fit what I was taught. After all, Mom and Dad had different methods.
"Welcome to my lab!" Miss Renita said excitedly, showcasing her well-equipped laboratory. It was filled with high-level equipment, some of which I had no idea of their purpose.
"Come over here," Renita ordered. "I hope if you become the ruler of our Kynburgh, you won't hold a grudge against this old woman?"
I could feel the sarcasm in her words. This woman truly sees me as some imposter, not like I care… But, I just don't like it.
Ahh! I'm contradicting myself…
"So tell me, what is your main Profession—your preferred Profession if you don't have a Profession yet?" She inquired curiously.
I'll have to decide now… not like it matters, I just want to see the outcome of the test result.
The only problem is that this Book Of Rankings would record whatever rank, main profession, sub-profession, and other details the test would provide. Stop thinking too much, Stiles… Nodding my head. "Scientist."
"Sub-profession?"
"Can't I go with only a main profession?" I inquired, not willing to pick from the many sub-professions of Scientists.
"Scientist has varieties of sub-professions in it. If it were main professions with fewer sub-professions, then there won't be much friction.
But Scientists are different. There are Physicists, Chemists, Biologists, and Mathematicians. Even under these groups exist other groups." She said calmly, explaining her reasoning to me.
I don't think it would hurt to choose randomly, I can still do other things… There is no need to think too much about the situation… I'm Stiles… There is no way I'll be hindered by such a test.
As a twelve-year-old kid, Stiles found it hard to settle on his main thoughts. What would you expect of a child, who had to choose his Profession in the early phase of his life?
Though Stiles was no ordinary child, it didn't matter what part he took, he would always end up…tch.