When Lazuli asked if she could join the Royal Knights, no one was against it if that's what she truly wanted. The issue was that she would have to wait until next year to participate in the knight selection. That was until Duncan remembered that Major Knights and higher ranked knights could accept new applicants year round.
Since Lazuli was adamant about joining, Sol decided to ask the man at the very top of the Royal Knights' hierarchy, Commander Zaman. He also brought Lapis and Lazuli along to show the results of the revival, which, although it didn't end as expected, was considered a great success.
"Hmm, so that's why you joined us in the first place," Zaman commented as he listened to their story. He turned to Lazuli, who could only be differentiated from Lapis by the fact that she was wearing a dress instead of a knight's uniform. "Normally, I would suggest you wait for the selection, but that's almost a year away, and these are rather special circumstances. It can be done, but you must pass a test before I can approve your application."
Lazuli nodded confidently. "Sure! I'll ace whatever test you have in mind!"
Though she had been dead for an entire year, her revival restored her body back to her prime, which was in low B-Rank. On top of that, she gained two new skills: [Samsara Awakening] and [Fortified Soul], both of which significantly increased her attributes.
Zaman nodded and turned to Sol. "Alright then, Sol, I'll leave it to you."
"Are you sure I should be the one to do it?" Sol was concerned it would be seen as favoritism if he conducted the test. After all, he was her sister's captain and also the one who revived them.
"Yes, I trust your judgment," the Commander said with certainty. Not only did it save him the time of conducting the test himself, which could be better spent on more important matters, but it also served as a way to test Sol's character further. He wanted to see if Sol could make unbiased decisions, and in the event Lazuli failed her test, whether he would tamper with the results.
Being entrusted with the task, Sol nodded seriously. "I won't let you down."
"I know you won't," Zaman said encouragingly with a smile.
…
Back in his room, Sol considered what sort of test would be appropriate.
'Direct sparring with other knights? No, both parties will hold back too much to prevent serious injuries. Going off her status page won't work either, as people can have a high level and strong skills but be completely incompetent with them…'
Sol tapped on the paper that had her status page printed on it after being recorded by one of the Royal Knights' archivists, with her consent. Sure, he could have used [Analysis] on her, but like with his allies, he didn't want to breach their privacy without permission.
'Her skills are all based around poison magic. I could cater the test to make the most of her abilities.'
After thinking about it, he shook his head.
'If anything, it should be the opposite. Similar to the illusion tower we had as our test, it was meant to push us to our limits and see how far we could go. But I can't create something like that… maybe I don't have to!'
There was already a structure in the city that inherently served a similar function.
With a plan in mind, Sol called everyone to their squad's rest area to announce the rules of the test.
Aron was the last to arrive, and once he took a seat, Duncan asked, "We're all here. Is there a reason you called for all of us?"
Duncan found it odd that they were all gathered when the test was only for Lazuli. Sol could have told her and Lapis separately and informed the rest of them later, but since he chose to wait until they were all together, it was clear it involved them as well.
Sol nodded as Duncan's assumption was correct. "Yes. After some consideration, I think I've found the perfect test for you, Lazuli. Your test is to kill the Gravedigger."
"Sure, no problem!" Lazuli confidently stated, puffing her chest out. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't blessed in that region, so it was barely noticeable.
On the other hand, Lapis frowned. "Do you want her to fail?"
If Lapis didn't know Sol better, she would truly believe that was his intention. The rest of the squad wasn't sure why the objective was an issue. While it might be tough for a weak B-Ranker, a decent one should be able to come out on top.
Sol smiled and shook his head. "No, of course not. I hope she succeeds, and I think it's important she overcomes this challenge."
Lapis' next words made the rest of the squad, and the test taker herself, realize why such a test was impossible. "You want a poison mage to fight undead?"
Lazuli almost fell out of her seat. "Undead?!" The mere thought of them frightened her. "How do you expect me to fight them?! My magic doesn't even work against them!"
Undead were a poison mage's natural—or, in this case, unnatural—enemy. Poison magic had next to no effect on undead, as it normally harmed or interfered with a target's organs. But the undead didn't have any working organs to begin with, they were able to move thanks to the magic that saturated their bodies.
"Maybe I should draw a vial of my blood, just in case…" At first, she had been confident in her ability to tackle anything, but knowing what her opponents were, she had already given up.
Sol maintained his smile and soothed her worries. "Don't worry, you won't be going alone. Aron and Nataly will join you and form a party."
"Us too?" Nataly asked, surprised to be suddenly dragged into this.
Nataly and Aron were still C-Rank, but only because their levels held them back. Aron spent most of his time practicing his skills and socializing but rarely entered dungeons. Nataly, on the other hand, had only reached C-Rank just before the knight selection, and when not on missions, she spent most of her time on the second floor of the Royal Library, catching up on her studies. She hadn't had time to gain more levels.
Though the enemies in the dungeon were a higher level than them, they shouldn't pose too much of a challenge and it was a good opportunity for them to level up.
"Yes, all three of you will tackle the dungeon as a party. Duncan, Rex and Lapis will also go, but only as a precaution. I don't want you two to help—just intervene if their lives are in danger."
Lapis and Duncan nodded, taking the task of watching over them seriously.
The only issue was Lazuli, who had no confidence in being of any use against the undead.
"But I'd just be dead weight…" she lamented. The test was for her, yet she couldn't kill a single enemy. Was the real test to be carried by her allies?
Sol sighed at her defeated expression and took a more direct approach. "So you're going to give up? If there's an undead outbreak, what are you going to do? Stay at the back and cheer us on? What if there's another situation where you can't use poison magic? Are you just going to accept death?"
"No! I'll try to help…"
"Then stop limiting yourself. Poison magic may be your only method of fighting, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can always push forward with determination and find a new way."
He knew this better than anyone. When he was level 5 and still hadn't gained a talent, he didn't give up. He kept working at it, pacing himself, and researching ways to tackle monsters stronger than him because of their skills and talents. For years, he didn't give up, spending what little money he earned on keeping his worn down sword sharp.
Sol didn't choose this test just to make it as hard as possible. He wanted to see if Lazuli had the ability to adapt and push through adversity. Everyone in their squad was capable in multiple ways, with a variety of talents to complement their versatility. Lazuli would be the first one trick pony in the squad, with poison magic as her only means of combat. Some would see that as a disadvantage, but Sol believed that with some guidance, it could become her greatest strength.
His words seemed to strike a chord within her. With a fierce gaze, she stood up from her seat and pointed at him. "Fine! You want me to slay a Gravedigger? I'll kill twenty of them!"
He didn't mention that Lazuli didn't actually need to slay the Gravedigger. As long as she showed resolve or at least covered her weaknesses, Sol would consider it a pass. He took that idea from the way the knight selection test was held, where applicants didn't need to beat the tower—just get as far as possible. He would privately pass the real requirement for success to Duncan later, as he didn't want Lazuli to call it a day after discovering a way to kill the undead.
'I doubt you can kill one, much less twenty…'