[He's so timid seriously...]
[What do you suggest then, we storm out? When we might not be able to enter this place easily again?]
[Tsk, this wouldn't have been a problem if we could use soren.]
[This was such a golden chance too...]
[So much for being a deity, this guy...]
"Name?"
"Yes?" Aster asked in hesitance.
Before he knew it, he was already in front of the sharp-looking professor. She had long straight lilac hair and rectangular glasses with hanging silver chains, giving a mature air around her.
She gave him a deadpan look.
"Your name, boy. We need to verify your registry."
[But we don't even have an identity?]
[Aren't we no better than ghosts here?]
He opened his mouth to answer but was left silent as if his tongue was tied. He didn't have a suitable lie to get out of this one.
He could say that he's a poor slum child taken in by Harin, who could vouch for his identity. Since most children born in the slums lived without knowing who their real parents were, they usually don't receive surnames.
But that would lead to exposing his failed ventures here to Harin, whom the letter was directed to. He didn't wish for that. He knew from the opened stamped seal in the envelope that Harin had already read the invitations but chose not to reply or show up for the examination's event.
'Should I say Kaisellin? But they'll figure it out.'
[That's not a good idea. I doubt he roamed around using his real name considering his circumstances.]
[Riverblood. Try saying your surname is Riverblood.]
'Raden?'
[It's a hunch. A few foreign voices resurfaced because of the ravings a while ago.]
Thinking it was better than staying silent and gaining suspicion, he did as Raden suggested.
"...Aster Riverblood."
"Riverblood? Riverblood...hm." The woman lightly fixed her glasses as her irises quickly moved side to side back and forth, skimming through the hologram.
She momentarily glanced at him with a strange expression before turning back to press a few buttons.
Aster's back was slowly drenched in sweat, though he maintained an emotionless and confident facade.
[Raden. If this fails, we're screwed. Mentioning a fake identity or claiming someone else's could lead to an instant death penalty.]
[Just trust me, Eiran.]
[Do I even have a choice? If Aster dies, we'll all go down together.]
[What nonsense, we can't die because of the curse.]
"Confirmed. The young Marquis of the Riverbloods."
'Wait what?'
[Huh?]
[Mar-marquis? Why are we suddenly a noble?]
[What's going on, Raden?]
[I told you.]
"You can now proceed to the examination room. If you follow that hallway, you'll see a guide. You can ask him your assigned area."
Aster walked away without a word, straightening his facial muscles in his attempt to hide his blank stupified expression.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
'What kind of sorcery is this...?'
[Are we just extremely lucky or what?]
[That can't be. We wouldn't have gotten caught if the heavens were on our sides.]
[Heavens? You mean Kaelum?]
[It's a figure of speech.]
"I knew I wasn't imagining it; it really was you."
A certain olive-haired and lanky teen trailed off behind him excitedly. He looked like popped out of nowhere, but he was actually one of those who received their plaques first in line. He immediately spotted Aster again without much trouble.
Aster scrutinized the olive-haired greenhorn who was smiling at him like a weirdo.
'This human is...'
For a second time, he had felt an odd sense of familiarity from him. Unlike the uncertainty he'd felt from the sudden surge ravings in his head, he was confident in determining this particular person.
Yes. He is definitely—
'...annoying.' Aster successfully concluded.
'Must stay away at all cost for the peace of mind.' He seriously nodded at himself, making Zyler tilt his head in confusion.
"You're thinking of something offensive, aren't you?"
Aster ignored him and increased his pace without fail.
"You are! Hey!"
Aster occupied one of the empty desks where there weren't much people around. Trying not to look like a dullard who kept following him around, Zyler decided to occupy the back corner.
As much as possible, he didn't want to attract attention to himself, unlike the snobby priest in front of him. As much as he guessed that Aster didn't wish to mingle with others, leading him to chose the fairly unoccupied part of the circular desk arrangement, he had inevitably attracted attention precisely because of that.
Zyler couldn't help but stare at him in amusement. Did he actually think such an obvious self-isolation would make people notice him less?
Everyone had a strange fondness for aloof-looking men.
The room had gone steadily quiet upon the entrance of the chief examiner, who happened to be the same professor he ran into in front of the dean's office.
His azure eyes scanned through the whole room, where it lasted a little longer upon spotting Aster among the applicants.
"As you all know, Alioth Knight Academy's annual entrance test is divided into three: the written, individual practical test, and the final mock group battle. You can only proceed to the next test once you're proven to be qualified in the first."
"Now, some daring ones would ask, 'why the need for a written test where knights gather to fight and make a name for themselves?'"
He slowly paced back and forth, making sure his presence completely dominated the whole room. He feet stopped in front of the podium, leaning his hands on its sides to further build the tension.
"Bear this in mind. We don't need brainless brutes. If strength is all there is, then how are knights so different from mercenaries and vagabonds? There's plenty of that in Vendalius."
His low voice resounded clearly, making sure the applicants won't take their eyes off him any second.
"Honor? Chivalry? Honor is for gods! What we need are people who can indisputably understand their role, execute orders, and fulfill their duties without fail."
"We need soldiers. We need strategists, we need generals, we need alchemists and artisans. We need bolder, ambitious people."
"Because war never starts and never ends by violence alone."
"Kuanos Genesis doesn't need those who are simply strong. We need the educated."
The aspiring cadets saluted to him in unison.
"Glory!"
The professor raised his hand sternly.
"At ease."
As soon as he lowered his hand, the neat pile of papers placed at a side table scattered and landed in front of each applicants' desk.
Aster calmly scanned the contents without much thought. Unlike everyone else present, the results didn't matter to him. He just needed to fill it in quickly and leave as soon as possible since he had no other choice.
'Hm? It's written in runic alphabet.'
[They're downright crazy. Going as far as using mystical language just to ensure that the test questions wouldn't be leaked?]
Runes were mystical alphabets that stirs the power of nature through complex combinations psyche resonance and spellforms. Once verbally uttered, they were referred to as Geas, binding and powerful vows. In worst occasions, some types of Geas can even attract the attention of ancient Sorenians.
[It's another level of strict.]
Zyler silently flipped through the pages with furrowed brows. He sneakily glanced around at the applicants with worse expressions than him.
Among them, there are those who'd never received proper education and have little to no basic knowledge of runes. Among them was the commoner who teased him around earlier.
There were also those who were privileged with early education, managing to cull their confusions and start answering the test.
'And—'
His gaze landed on three distinctive people in the circular test room: a small teen with gunmetal chonky hair lightly fixing his bulky glasses, examining his paper in careful detail; a blonde teen dressed in patchy clothes yet strongly emitting the vigor of a warrior; and, sitting a little farther in front of him, was the rude snobby priest who barely showed much reaction since the start of the test—no, scratch that, he wasn't the reactive type in the first place.
'Lastly, there were those who maintained their composure from the start like this wasn't much of a bother.'
Utilizing the alphabet used in spellforms in order to carry out the examination is another form of test in itself.
'A test of silence.'
Whether or not the applicants present here would speak of the test's contents to the outside commerce and sell such valuable information out.
Although the test questions generally don't create spellforms that can effectively generate a proper geas, most of the applicants here weren't bold enough to utter them out loud.
Zyler sighed inwardly. Around midnight after the Madam and him parted ways, he had immediately scrambled various illegal information networks in hopes of finding potential leaks of test answers. There were literally none, not even hints.
Of course, after figuring out the situation firsthand, he finally understood why it was a futile attempt.
[Should we even be here? Vontravis must have long noticed our disappearance. We promised this venture was going to be a quick one.]
[Even still...we're dragged all the way here. I don't want to bear with the humiliation of submitting an empty test paper...]
[Talk about being pushovers.]
The scholarly fragment, Eiran, finally spoke.
[How about you all quit the yapping and start answering?]
There were a specific variety of questions. Most of them were situational mock strategies, some delved deeper into the art of spellforms, while others were standard textbook questions.
Luckily or not, there was a pen conveniently provided along with the test questions, so Aster wouldn't be able to conjure an absurd excuse like forgetting his pen so he could quit and storm out of here.
[That one's a trick question. It looks like its focus lies on the given spellform, but the secret actually lies on the terrain.]
Aster lightly nodded and scribbled as told, steadily being coached by Eiran.
[Don't go specific with this one. Earthlings have little to no knowledge of a Sorenian's bodily anatomy. Only focus on how the legends portrays it.]
[An Abyssal-inclined restoration spell that boosts morale? Hmmm. If one would think of a fitting strong name...it would be Vinithom, which is technically 'vanity' in a more advanced level of runic wordplay.]
After a while, his hand stopped writing in a sudden realization.
'Wait, how did you know all that?'
Eiran paused, not knowing how to answer him.
[...I just do.]
'Don't tell me you suddenly gained knowledge after hearing those ravings a while ago too?'
[Nonsense.]
'...'
[Aghhh! It's not Vinidum, it's Vinithom! V-I-N-I-T-H-O-M! And it's the 'o' that has a dash at the upper part, not the 'i'!]
Aster lightly flinched at Eiran's sudden outburst.
'But it's pronounced the same in Geasian wordplay...'
[You stubborn uncultured swine!]
'I am YOU!'
[Precisely why I cannot accept this brainless behavior!]
'Who are you calling brainless?'
Aster abruptly slammed the pen on the desk in controlling his facial muscles from distorting.
'I mean, why are we even taking this seriously? We came here to investigate, not sit around here like a fool! Why does it matter if we can't them get right?'
[Of course it matters! My pride is on the line here! Most of all, acting stupid is never our style.]
Aster's senses suddenly dulled as a dizzying headache overtook his system. Alarmed he instinctively clutched the sides of the desk to resist what Eiran was planning to do.
'You—!'
[I'll take care of this the way Kaisellin would have.]
Aster's head quickly drooped down to the wooden desk, creating a faint banging sound. It wasn't necessarily loud, but with how quiet and tense the atmosphere was, he inevitably caught the attention of those around him, even the chief examiner.
[It's either we go all out—]
After a brief moment, he rose back and steadied his sitting position as if nothing happened, now carrying a slightly different demeanor.
'—or do nothing at all.'