While Arron and Rynia walked she explained to him.
"So, the academy actually has a ton of designated areas to apply for the test, the requirements are simple. You should have active mana and you should have prior experience using it." Rynia said calmly.
"So, we're going to the nearest one?" Arron asked, he was met by a simple nod.
"Yeah, although, you can also apply to do a written test to enter prism. But that's for smartasses and geniuses not for us simple folk who like to fight." Rynia shrugged.
"Wait, so we don't have to do a written test?" Arron asked turning to her.
"Yeah, Prism is an academy that nurtures an ability that you already have, it doesn't force an ability into you with rigorous studying or any of that." Rynia rolled her eyes, "I mean could you imagine training and also cramming for tests?" She chuckled. "That would be a nightmare."
"Huh... I guess that does make sense..."
"It does doesn't it?" Rynia turned to him and stopped walking, "Well we've arrived." Rynia said as she gestured at the place they arrived at.
Arron looked up to see a ton of people lining up for. At the end of the line stood a man with glasses and a blue robe, beside him was a blue crystal ball. There were several other parallel lines with the same set up. Recruiters with crystal balls beside them which the people each touched the crystal, then if it shined the recruiter would scribble something in their notebooks and tell the recruit something before they left.
"Huh... Do we really have to wait in the lines?" Arron asked turning to Rynia. "Yeah, we do." She answered simply sighing, "I know it sounds tiring but the tests are quick, the lines are quickly gonna pass." Rynia said straightening her back, her cheerfulness returning.
"Let's go! That line over there looks short!" She said as she sauntered over and took her spot at the line.
Arron walked up beside her and sighed, "Well, it's time to wait..."
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It didn't take that long thankfully, like Rynia said people were quickly doing the test and most passed since they already knew they had active mana.
And finally it was Rynia's turn. Since the cheerful girl was already an adventurer, she was sure she can pass the test.
"Just place your hand on the ball and-" Rynia already put her hand on the ball and it shone in a blue light, which made the recruiter sigh. "Maybe I should just stop saying that." The recruiter opened his mouth to speak more instructions out but Rynia already passed by him.
It was Arron's turn. He walked up to the crystal and the recruiter already had his notebook. Arron placed a hand on the crystal ball. He knew he had active mana, he wasn't worried that he would fail.
And sure enough, the ball glowed in a blue light.
Arron smiled and walked past the crystal ball following after Rynia who went on to the next area. Where a female recruiter was, the recruiter was there to see what experience the person had with mana. There were stacks of cards next to the recruiter on the table.
"Show me a single move that utilizes mana." The recruiter said boredom clear on her voice. She yawned as she fixed her glasses and stared at Rynia.
Rynia nodded and Arron was quite curious on what she would show. "Alright, let's do this." Rynia let out a breath a she prepared herself mentally.
Rynia crouched down, her fist clenched as she cocked it back all before she punched down on the ground. However, strangely the ground was completely unharmed, the recruiter waited for something to happen.
Arron tilted his head to the side in confusion, "What is she doing?" He asked as Rynia smiled, and right then and there, after Rynia already moved her fist off the ground it was like an invisible force hit and the ground broke.
The recruiter's eyebrows raised slightly before she scribbled something down on her paper, "Take a card, go to any inn that is empty and give them this card. They'll let you stay for free until the entrance exam begins."
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Rynia gladly took the card and stepped back walking towards Arron. "What was that?" Arron asked, bewildered and confused. "A delayed hit." Rynia smiled as she tapped him on the shoulder and walked past him. "Now, go and show me what you got." She smiled before she crossed her arms and pushed Arron out in front of the recruiter.
"I believe you heard what I said to her. Go on." She spoke as she let out a sigh.
Arron nodded as he picked up a lose rock from Rynia's previous hit. He threw it up in the air before his fist shone in a white silver light. He punched the stone hard shattering it to dust.
The recruiter nodded before she spoke. "The bare minimum. Pick up a card and go." She said as she fixed her glasses on her face. Arron furrowed his brows slightly but decided to not pursue the matter. He picked up a card walked over to Rynia.
"Let's go, the recruiter's a bit of a jerk." He said as he walked along with her. Rynia whistled a tune unfamiliar to Arron as they walked on, it was time for lunch.
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"So like, what's the deal with the entrance exam?" Arron asked as he took a bite of his steak.
"I don't know." Rynia shrugged, "The exam changes each year. Like right now, it's probably different from last year." She said as she shrugged.
"Last year it was a survival test in a forest with other people as well. The previous year it was a tournament with judges and other stuff. This year... I dunno'." Rynia shrugged.
"They're probably gonna test our combat ability." Rynia followed, she cut up her chicken breast and took a bite of the smallest piece. "I don't have a problem with either, if it's going to be a survival test then it's fine by me. If it'll be a combat test then I'm okay in that department as well." Rynia smiled.
"I'm an adventurer after all~" She waved her knife at Arron pushing her chair back.
A loud thud reverberated in the quiet diner, breaking the atmosphere and bringing attention to the source.
Rynia lay on the floor, "A-Ow-"
The loud thud was followed by a swift sound of a sharp end getting stuck on wood. The knife penetrated the wooden floor. But that wasn't the most shocking part, her eyes quivered in shock. The knife penetrated the wood mere inches away from her eye.
"Ah jeeze..." Rynia said, her voice quivering in fear of what might have happened if the knife fell just a mere inch to the left...
"Are you okay?" Arron got up swiftly after Rynia fell, he walked around the table and offered her a hand again. She took it and got up. He gave her a handkerchief, Rynia was confused why at first until she felt the warm liquid oozing down on her cheek. "Damn it... Maybe mum was right, maybe I shouldn't be around knives after all..." She whispered under her breath.
"Let's just finish our lunch and look for an inn afterwards..." Arron suggested before he sat back down on his seat. Rynia sat down on her seat as well. She reached into her leather satchel and pulled out a patch which she swiftly applied, showcasing her experience with applying these on herself now.
"Okay." She said her voice quieter now from the usually cheerful girl.
A waiter came and asked about her wellbeing but she swiftly drove him away. "I'm fine." She said, waving a hand in a dismissive motion. "Go away." The waiter nodded before he left.
"You're really clumsy, aren't you?" Arron said sighing. Rynia nodded, letting out a long sigh. "I am... And more than that it just seems like bad luck is chasing me wherever I go!" She complained, before she took a deep breath to calm herself.
Arron glanced at her in silence for a moment before he focused back on his meal. He continued eating calmly just as Rynia ate her own.
"So, you. What's your story, Arron?" She asked after a few seconds of silent.
"Me? Well, I just want to help my family... The usual..." Arron said as he took a bite of his steak. "You? You never told me your ambitions, why are you going to Prism?"
Rynia pursed her lips for a moment before she sighed. "Glory..." Arron's eyebrows raised in slight surprise as he tilted his head to the side. "Why?" He asked the expected question.
"It's cus' of my mum..." Rynia finally said. "Every single time I tell someone my mum is Resnora Liaharice, they fawn all over me. I don't wanna be know as just that Resnora's daughter... I wanna be known for something that I did! Something strictly me!" She said as she stabbed her fork into the chicken breast on her plate.
"Huh... Wait... Your mother is Resnora Liaharice?" Arron asked in bewilderment and Rynia pointed her fork at him, "See?" She said rolling her eyes. "This is why I don't like telling people who my mum is..."
Resnora Liaharice, one of the few SSS-rank individuals in the whole world. While Arron knew her mum was an SSS-rank herself he didn't know she was the Resnora Liaharice. The stormweaver knight. She was a force to be reckoned with. One of her feats that Arron knew was when she fought a dragon head on. Totally on her own, she held it back and gave it a fight. According to some mercenaries that were present there at that time, she managed to injure it leaving a scorching scar on the dragon's forehead and breaking off one of it's horn.
It was a dragoneborn. The highest level a dragon may ever reach other than godhood.
However, as much as Resnora's feats were admirable, he could not just ignore what Rynia was saying. "I'm sorry, I understand. I guess that's a good... Ambition?"
"Whatever, let's just go..." She sighed. Her mood soured whenever her mother was mentioned. "I don't feel like eating anymore."
Arron ate the last bite of his steak before he got up and followed Rynia out. They had already paid the bill- well, more like Rynia paid the bill, he couldn't afford any of this food...
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"Where are we going?" Arron asked as he walked by her.
"To an inn obviously! We gotta get some night-night before we have to train and get ready for the entrance exam!" She exclaimed cheerfully, it seemed like she finally reverted back to her bubbly self.
Rynia spotted an inn they could sleep in. "Come on!" Rynia tugged Arron along and they entered the inn.