Thalia had asked me to stay in her room until further notice. I didn't mind; her room was cozy, and I had nowhere else to go anyway. When I woke up that morning, the sight of textbooks scattered all over the floor reminded me of the daunting task ahead. Thalia had been drilling me nonstop, teaching me everything I needed to know about this strange realm and its people. According to her, the first test would be a written one.
A written test, huh? That didn't sound too bad. But then again, I wasn't exactly brimming with confidence. After all, I wasn't even from this world.
I quietly slipped out of the room, leaving Thalia still asleep. The training yard was already buzzing with activity, the clashing of swords and the shouts of sparring partners filling the air. The sight was both intimidating and inspiring. These people were leagues ahead of me.
Determined not to waste any more time, I grabbed a pair of swords from the rack. They were heavier than I expected, but I adjusted my grip and began swinging them with purpose. My movements were clumsy, sure, but I figured practice would smooth out the rough edges eventually.
"Ah, you must be the Captain's niece," a voice called out from behind me.
I stopped mid-swing and turned to face the speaker. He was a tall man with a confident smirk, the kind of person who looked like he belonged here.
"When's the exam?" I asked, skipping the pleasantries.
"Five days from now," he replied, crossing his arms. "How have you been preparing?"
"Well, I have—" I began, but my answer was cut short.
"Ria, come on," Thalia's voice rang out. I turned to see her making her way toward me, clearly annoyed. She must've woken up and found me missing.
"Do you wish to pass, Ria?" she asked, her concern evident.
This was the fifth time she'd asked me that question, and my answer hadn't changed. "Of course I do," I replied, trying not to sound exasperated.
"Then we have work to do," she said firmly. No room for argument there.
We returned to her room, where she resumed her crash course on the Kaizu—this realm's people, their history, their culture, their way of life. It was overwhelming, to say the least. But Thalia was thorough. She focused on the parts most relevant to the exam, drilling me on the finer details until I could recite them in my sleep.
Still, it was hard not to get distracted. This world was so similar to Earth in some ways, yet entirely different in others. The way they spoke, the way they lived—it was fascinating.
"Ria! Focus," Thalia snapped, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Sorry," I said quickly, forcing myself to concentrate. I couldn't afford to slack off, not now. Not with so little time left.
The days blurred together after that. Study, eat, sleep, repeat. Occasionally, I'd steal a glance at Thalia and wonder why she was helping me so much. She wasn't just teaching me—she was invested in my success. I owed her more than I could put into words.
Finally, the day of the exam arrived.
The examination venue was packed. The crowd made me uneasy; there were so many people here. Were they all taking the same test? Could I really compete with them?
"Hey, stop that," Thalia said, noticing my hesitation. "You've got this, okay? You've studied harder than anyone else."
"Because I'm not from this realm," I muttered under my breath.
She sighed but didn't push me. "Don't worry. We've covered everything. You'll be fine," she said, giving me a reassuring smile.
I didn't respond, but her words gave me a sliver of confidence.
The examination hall was… odd. It looked like a classroom, but it had an otherworldly atmosphere. Maybe it was the high ceilings or the faint hum of magic in the air. Either way, I felt out of place. I found a seat and stayed silent, trying to focus. I couldn't afford to forget everything I'd crammed over the past few days.
This was it. Now or never. If I failed this test, I wouldn't even have a chance to join the Knights of the—
The creaking of the door snapped me out of my thoughts.
I glanced up, my heart pounding. Who was it? A latecomer? Or someone here to announce the start of the exam?
My grip tightened on the quill in my hand. Whatever happened next, I had to be ready.
A man of short stature entered the room, his steps deliberate despite his size. His presence commanded attention. He cleared his throat and spoke in a sharp, authoritative tone.
"My name is Tako Reiske, and I will be your instructor for this class," he announced.
The room fell silent. Even the faintest whispers died out as his voice carried over us.
"There are two rules for this exam," he continued, pacing the room. "First, you have only five minutes for each question. There are twelve questions in total, giving you one hour. Second, all question carries only one mark."
One mark? The class murmured in confusion, unease spreading like wildfire. Then, from the back, a young boy stood up, his expression hesitant but determined.
"But sir," he began, his voice trembling slightly. He didn't get far.
"I know what you're going to say," Reiske interrupted sharply, fixing the boy with a piercing stare. "Yes, one mark for all questions. That means it's either you pass or fail. No in-between. Anyone unable to score at least eleven marks will not proceed to the next round."
The room erupted. Protests, complaints, disbelief—everyone was talking at once. But Reiske didn't so much as flinch. He simply turned and walked out of the room without another word, leaving us to stew in our own panic.
I sat there, gripping my pen tightly. My heart pounded in my chest. Eleven out of twelve? That was practically perfection. Could I even manage that?
When the exam papers were distributed, it wasn't what I expected. Instead of a pre-printed test, I was handed a blank sheet of paper. Just a blank sheet. Before I could ask what was happening, a glowing message appeared on what looked like a magic board at the front of the room:
**"Give twelve reasons why you want to become a Knight of the Kingdom of Thiandris."**
My heart sank. Twelve reasons? Who could come up with twelve reasons? I glanced around. My classmates were all staring at their papers, their faces mirroring my own confusion.
I stared down at the blank sheet and tried to think. Why did I want to become a knight? My mind raced, but the answers felt shallow.
*I want to become a knight so I can help people…*
*I want to become a knight so I can protect people…*
But the more I wrote, the more repetitive it sounded. Wasn't "helping" and "protecting" the same thing? The words felt hollow, and I hesitated. I couldn't even bring myself to write down the one reason that burned in my heart: *I want to become a knight to seek justice against Red of the X.* But that would only bring questions I wasn't ready to answer.
"Five minutes more," Reiske's voice rang out.
Five minutes? I had barely written anything! My pen hovered over the paper, my mind a chaotic mess. I wiped my paper clean and started over, my hand trembling.
Finally, I wrote: *I want to become a knight because a terrorist killed my father, and I know the pain of loss. I wouldn't wish that pain upon anyone, so I am determined to shield others from such grief.*
It was the most honest thing I could think of. I poured my heart into that single sentence, and when the clock ran out, I set my pen down. I had only managed to write one reason. Just one.
As I left the room, my classmates' faces were a mix of emotions—some seemed confident, others were like me, lost in their own doubts.
"Ria!" Thalia called out as I stepped outside. She rushed up to me, her concern evident. "Well, how did it go?"
"It was alright," I said, trying to sound calm. But my voice wavered, and she noticed.
"Ria, are you okay?" she pressed.
"I'm fine," I lied. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel like her effort had gone to waste. Thalia had worked so hard to prepare me for this. I couldn't let her know how uncertain I felt.
"If you say so," she said, though her worry lingered in her eyes.
I returned to our room, lost in thought. My future hinged on that one sentence. Was it enough? I didn't think so. My doubts gnawed at me until Thalia burst into the room, her face a mixture of confusion and frustration.
"Why didn't you tell me the question was completely different?!" she exclaimed.
"How did you find out?" I asked, surprised.
"I overheard some people complaining about how hard it was," she said. "So, what was the question? And what did you write?"
I hesitated, but I couldn't hide it from her. "They asked us to give twelve reasons why we wanted to become knights," I admitted. "And I… I only managed to write one."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I spoke. Thalia's face softened, and she pulled me into a hug. "Awww, come here," she said, her voice breaking as tears filled her own eyes. Whether it was because of her effort or because she felt my pain, I didn't know.
"What did you write?" a familiar voice asked. I turned to see Captain Dai standing in the doorway.
"I wrote that I didn't want anyone to endure the pain I've experienced," I said, choking on my words.
"Then don't worry," he said with a smile. "You'll pass."
"How can you be so sure?" I asked, desperate for an answer.
"Who knows?" he replied, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "We'll have to wait and find out." Then he left, as quickly as he had appeared.
"How does he even move that fast?" I muttered through my tears.
"That's the Captain for you," Thalia said, sniffling.
---
By evening, the results were posted. A crowd gathered around the board, everyone pushing and shoving to see their name. My heart raced as I scanned the list. Name after name blurred together until, at the very bottom, I saw it: **Ria Saito.**
"I passed!" I cried, grabbing Thalia and twirling her around in excitement. "I passed, Thalia! I passed!"
"I'm so happy for you!" she said, laughing. Then her expression turned curious. "But… how did you pass? You only wrote one reason."
"I don't know, but I don't care!" I said, still giddy with joy.
"It's because of your reason," Captain Dai's voice chimed in from behind us.
"My reason?" I asked, confused.
"Yes." He smiled. "The exam wasn't about quantity. You could've written twelve reasons, but if they were shallow, it wouldn't matter. The board was looking for something real. Something with conviction."
Thalia nodded, realization dawning on her. "So, the number of reasons didn't matter. Only the strength of your answer did."
"Exactly," Captain Dai confirmed. "But don't get comfortable. The next stage will be much harder. It will test your determination in battle."
I clenched my fists. "I'll train," I promised.
"Good," he said. "This was the easiest part of the exam. The real challenge starts now."