All the candidates had gathered at the designated area with the examiners. There was idle chatter among the candidates when a gong from the clock rang through the room, the time was 12:00pm.
Examiner: Attention!
Instant silence.
Examiner: Your report cards are ready, they are arranged in these boxes in alphabetical order according to your surnames, find yours, after which your rankings would be displayed on the board behind me. The captains would be arriving shortly and your squads would be assigned.
Some candidates were excited by the prospect of meeting the captains, leading to whispers amongst themselves. "I can't believe I'm going to meet them, it feels too soon" "oh my God captain Diaz would be here too" "I can finally meet the heir to the Pendragon household" "I hope I made it".
Examiner: (I forgot this is their first time meeting them, they usually address the candidates at the start of the examination, but Captain Sabueso and Captain Aspen apparently couldn't be bothered for whatever reason, Captain Diaz happily took that as an advantage to avoid and the rest followed suit) Attention! Proceed to collect your report cards before they arrive, hastily.
All the candidates walked up to the boxes to collect their cards
Tohgi: Yo, are you okay?
Winfell: I apologise for my embarrassing showing last time
Tohgi laughed it off.
Tohgi: Everyone has their first, it wasn't embarrassing at all.
Other candidates began whispering among themselves.
Candidates: Isn't that Winfell? Winfell Arnault! Why is he laughing with that peasant?
Tohgi: You seem to be popular, is there something I'm missing?
Winfell: nothing really
Winfell: Ken, it's been a while.
Candidate 3: So you defeated both Hanzo and Edana, you're not just words it seems.
Winfell: (completely ignored)
Tohgi: Considering that hostile aura you're giving off I'm guessing bygones aren't bygones.
Ken: I have no interest being friendly with a peasant, at the end of the day reiki determines everything, and you have been determined to be nothing.
Winfell: Isn't that a bit too harsh?
Ken was slightly irritated by the persistence of Winfell.
Ken: I don't remember conversing with you
Winfell: you hurt my feelings
Ken: I have no interest in the feelings of an Arnault
Winfell sighed.
Winfell: That again?
Ken: be cosy where you are while you still can
Ken walked away from them after collecting his report card. Tohgi suspiciously looked at Winfell.
Tohgi: Nothing really, huh? Are you a special kind of spoiled brat?
Winfell: that's a very quick conclusion
Tohgi: It was a question, so?
Winfell sighed and unenthusiastically responded to Tohgi's question.
Winfell: Pendragon, Arachni and Arnault. These are the three great families among the north and central
Tohgi: Oh I see, so you're the rich kid of the rich kids, I knew he was a spoiled brat.
Winfell: I can hear you.
Tohgi: Oh sorry I was thinking out loud, you can continue
Winfell: (that doesn't make it any better) The Arachnis recently got recognised and some people aren't so willing to accept them without any influence in the order, the knights are held to the highest regards.
Tohgi: hmm it is easy to hate those above you
Winfell: I don't blame him, he is the next heir and their great hope at knighthood, he basically feels forced to be at the top.
Tohgi: You're just nice, so how does one gain the status of a "great family"?
Winfell: By becoming a platinum millionaire... platinum coins are only used by countries, not for domestic use, hence why it is a statutory name to designate families in the tens of millions. However, becoming established and dignified among the knights is the way to cement your status among the people.
Tohgi: All that sounds like unnecessary stress
Winfell: agreed.
Examiner: now that you all have your reports we can display the results
Tohgi: Oh, that's right, I haven't looked at my report yet.
Page 1/6
S/N Name Grade Class
1 Winfell Arnault 520 B
2 Tohgi Akura 491 B
3 Ken Arachni 485 C
4 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
5 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
6 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
7 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
8 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
9 Hanzo Arachni 457 C
10 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
11 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
12 Tashiro 448 C
13 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
14 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
15 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx C
Murmurs rang throughout the venue, "who the hell is Tohgi Akura?" "is that an unpopular noble?" "isn't it that peasant?" "There is no way I wouldn't know of a house capable of producing a B class knight" "there must be a mistake". Tohgi immediately turned to Winfell.
Tohgi: (Winfell! Number 1)
Ken: (He's above me?? B-Class?)
Winfell: (2nd? With such little reiki and no clan training? how?) I felt you were strong in your own right, but scoring so high with so little reiki and no clan art is ridiculous.
Tohgi: coming from number 1 that sounds very patronizing.
Winfell: far from it, I actually wonder how a fight between us would go.
Tohgi: (how is he so genuine considering how everyone else is) You are a bit unsettling
Winfell: huh?
Tohgi: forget what I said
Winfell: Can I see your report card?
Tohgi: sure
Winfell: Here's mine
Name: Tohgi Akura
Rank. 2 Grade Class
Agility 79 B
Strength 75 B
Durability 72 B
Stamina 84 A
Reiki Quantity 47 E
Reiki Quality 64 C
Combat skill 70 B
Battle Rating 491 B
Name: Winfell Arnault
Rank. 1 Grade Class
Agility 72 B
Strength 68 C
Durability 83 A
Stamina 64 C
Reiki Quantity 78 B
Reiki Quality 83 A
Combat skill 72 B
Battle Rating 520 B
Winfell: (an all rounder, he undoubtedly makes the cut, he would be the first!)
Tohgi: (amazing reiki and he is good in all other aspects as well, isn't this basically cheating? Well, I didn't care about outranking anyone in the first place)
Candidates: The only B class admissions in the past became captains...
Candidates: An Arnault is expected, but how is that peasant B class?
Candidates: Who graded these?
Hanzo: tch, can you stop? you sound like flies buzzing.
Candidate: Huh? Just because you're a branch family of the Arachni doesn't give you any right to talk down to me, know your place!
Hanzo: My place? Say that again and I would cut your tongue out.
Candidate: I'd like to see you try, I out-rank you!
Examiner: Silence, your captains are gracing you with their presence
As the captains walked to their sits, the candidates could not control themselves.
Candidates: Oh my God it's him, Captain Sabueso Pendrago. His grace alone makes me shiver. I would pay to be in his squad, not that he even needs it.
Candidate: It's Captain Diaz. I wish she would make me her slave. The men in her squad must enjoy her presence.
Candidate: (I'm a summoner and good looking, I made it to the 4th page too, I'm a shoe in. Captain Diaz I'm here for you)
Candidate: If I marry the head of the Pendragon family my family would be instantly elevated, he is so gorgeous.
Candidate: Even as a guy I can relate to that.
Squad Ⅴ Captain: As per usual, you two take the spotlight.
Captain Diaz: the crop looks juicy this year *licks lips*
Squad Ⅴ Captain: that doesn't sound like a good thing from any point of view
Captain Diaz: It doesn't?
Captain Sabueso: Now, now, you can't let that side come out of you so quickly
Captain Diaz: You're such a spoilsport Sabby.
Captain Sabueso: I would really appreciate it if you don't call me that
The captain of Squad V noticed Tohgi in the crowd.
Squad Ⅴ Captain: hmmm? (isn't that?)
Tohgi: (I knew it, he's a captain)
Squad Ⅴ Captain: (he actually came?) does anyone have the ranking report?
Captain Sabueso: How did you pick your members if you don't even have the ranking report?
Squad Ⅴ Captain: I left that to my vice, that's irrelevant, just hand it over.
Captain Sabueso: That really isn't allowed
Squad Ⅴ Captain: It's 180 pages, did you really think I would go through it all?
Squad III Captain: he definitely wouldn't
Every other captain nodded in agreement.
Squad Ⅴ Captain: Hey, you shouldn't agree so fast, benefit of the doubt
Captain Diaz: I can give you mine, but it comes with a price, Aspy, can you pay it?
Squad Ⅴ Captain: I'll owe you, anything within my power
Captain Diaz: That's a boring caveat, but I'll take it
Captain Diaz handed over her report. He began reading the report from the bottom up.
Squad Ⅴ Captain: (Tohgi, Tohgi, Tohgi, He's not here. 2nd?!?! B-Class?!?! I knew he had some talent but to come this far in 3 years, I knew you shouldn't have come here)
He dropped the ranking report after reading Tohgi's page.
Captain Diaz: So? Who caught the attention of the nonchalant Aspy?
Squad Ⅴ Captain: He's an Arachni, I was hoping he would be neutral so I can snap him up, but he's a summoner. He's all yours!
Captain Diaz: hmmmm? You do know you're a terrible liar, right? I'll find out eventually.
Examiner: Attention! I would now call your name and the squad you have been chosen for. If you hear your name line up in front of your captain. Squad one! Winfell Arnault, Maleek Usman...
The Examiner continued calling out their names until he had finished announcing the new members of each squad, all 90 spots were filled and Tohgi's name was not called.
END!