Raiah was a city of splendor. Tall golden buildings that could be noticed even from outside the oversized walls along with never ending markets within it symbolized the opulence and bursting economy that thrived within it.
There were hundreds of inns, some that served to the high classes and then most of the others that served to the common people. And yes, then there were the people. The population numbered at almost a million, which meant that at any given time, rain or shine, the streets were always bustling with people.
Yes, even for a capital city as large as Raiah, with this many people, many times the city could seem overwhelming, especially for those that had never been there before.
However, something that could even make visiting nobles gasp in surprise was the massive golden palace right in the center of the city. The palace had its own walls surrounding it, ones that were even taller than the ones surrounding the city. The large dome, the four towers in the corners of the mini city-within-a-city like place where the palace was located, screamed of overwhelming wealth.
Yet, even more surprising than the actual splendor for visitors was the even happier attitude that permeated the air. And why wouldn’t the citizens of this fine city not be content?
The Royal Family of Azel, especially in the last few decades had been especially good to the common people. Taxes and crime were at an all time low, and more and more reforms were introduced every year to help the cost of living in such a fine city.
So then, was it really that surprising that even a million people chose to live in the capital of the Revanian Kingdom?
However, on this day, there was another reason, a more important reason that the people seemed more upbeat. Many visitors assumed that everyone was still living off the elation of the parades that had overtaken the city during the Crown Princess’s eighteenth Nameday the week before. However, they would be wrong.
For a week like this occurred once every two years, which for how excited the common people seemed, was interesting since it occurred so frequently. Yet, everyone in the city loved to see a good competition, which is exactly what was about to occur.
Once every two years, exactly in the middle of the year, when the sun’s heat burned down onto the city, the Uroboros School of Cultivators held testing to accept new students.
Although the school itself wasn’t in Raiah but in a more secret location that none of the citizens knew about, the tests were held in the capital city each time.
Tens of thousands of Cultivators from the ages of 17-20 traveled to the city just to get a chance to compete, yet 90% of them were stopped at the competitor’s entrance as a Cultivation of at least the Channels Stage was required in order to even compete.
The lines stretched out from the four entrances of the arena. Even though the preliminary evaluations wouldn’t start for another few hours, the stands were packed with almost 200,000 people, waiting to see this year’s competition.
A figure hooded in a black cloak, one that seemed to be slightly expensive and made the figure underneath seem truly mysterious, finally reached the front of the line.
Two yellow robed Cultivators, who both looked bored and tired, stood at this Southern entrance of the Arena, and one of them was holding a plain wooden bowl.
“Step forward,” the other one said in a monotonous voice. “Bleed into this bowl.”
The hooded figure stepped forward, reaching a hand under his cloak. He then pulled his hand back out, bleeding from a slash across his palm. Raising it to the bowl, he let his blood drip in until the yellow robed Cultivators told him to stop.
Stepping back, he let the two study the bowl for a second before the same one who’d spoken before declared, “Age, 17 years. Cultivation… This can’t be right.”
The two ageless Cultivators suddenly seemed interested, whipping their eyes to the figure and back to the bowl they held.
Finally the same one repeated. “Cultivation. Forging Realm, Core Stage, Rank 1. Go on inside. One of the guards will lead you to one of the rooms. You’ll be instructed on what to do.”
The figure had no sudden reaction, instead smoothly gliding past the two Cultivators and into the open doors of one of the Arena foyers.
As he moved past however, the other yellow robed Cultivator reached out and snagged his arm. And for a slight second, just a tiny moment, everyone in the area felt a fear unlike one they’d ever felt, as if they were standing on the edge of a cliff of danger.
Everyone in the area felt as if there was a blade pressed to their throat, but only for a moment. This of course, didn’t pass over the heads of the two yellow robed Cultivators.
“Be careful in there, competitor. Most of the highborn have been using Cultivation pills and remedies all their lives and are much more powerful than you might think. Especially be careful of some of the lower classed nobles, however, who also have something to prove here. There is no shame in backing out before one of them takes you out, and trying again in two years. Just some advice, from one former commoner to another.”
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The hooded figure just gave the other Cultivator a nod before making his way into the Arena. A few minutes later, he was led to a small room containing only around 30 people.
It was basic, one meant for the fighters that normally graced the sands of the Grand Raian Arena, but in this case, many of these rooms were being used to house the competitors.
The hooded figure took one look at the groups that had formed within the room, as many of them tried to make alliances or tried to gain information from the others.
Most of them were commoners as there was no way that the highborn would be put in the same room as them, no matter how much the School preached equality.
And so, the hooded figure headed to a corner and sat down on a bench, waiting until he would be called out.
A few minutes later one of the competitors plopped down next to him.
“An interesting sight isn’t it? Almost like they’re all vultures clawing at each other, hoping to steal the scraps from each other’s beaks.”
The hooded figure turned to look at the man sitting next to him. Unlike the dark clothes that he was wearing that made him almost fade into the background, the person next to him wore almost a blinding golden coat with figures of red lions running all across it. There was no jewelry or any other gaudiness to him, and he looked almost uncomfortable, as if he’d been forced into the bright clothes.
He was almost a head shorter than the hooded figure, standing at around 5 foot 8. He had darker, more tanned skin along with brown hair and gray eyes, all of which showed that he was much more comfortable outside than in. A noble he might be, but he seemed different than the others.
“Gorian Freian. Or Lord Gorian I suppose. Personally not a fan of too many formalities, and the School tries its best to do away with that sort of stuff, even though it still seems to stick. So, the name’s Rian.”
For the first time since he’d entered the city, the black cloaked man raised his hood. Dark eyes shone out from a smooth, slightly tanned face. Jet black hair that had recently been cut stood on top of his head, matching the color of his eyes.
“Mordekai Eritos. You can call me Kai.”
Two things had made Kai reveal himself and his name. The first was that he would’ve had to raise his hood at some point to reveal himself anyways. And the second, more important thing was that the lower classed Lord seemed humble from both his appearance, which was many times plainer than the other highborn that would compete, and in his speech, which seemed to lean much more towards common than highborn, though Kai had no doubt that he could switch between the two with ease.
What this told him was that, Rian came from a lower classed house and he’d lived much more amongst the common people than any of the other nobles.
He seemed trustworthy for now, which was exactly why Kai liked him.
“Interesting name. I’ve heard of the customs in the southern villages.”
It wasn’t a slight nor an insult, but a genuine question for knowledge, though it would also give him more information about Kai.
“Yes, they’re very unique in their ceremonies down there.”
Sensing that Kai did not want to elaborate, Rian continued to make conversation.
“Apparently, I’ve heard that this group is the most powerful the Uroboros School has ever tested. I’ve heard that the Crown Princess has already bound herself to her first Spirit and the Heir of the House of Landon isn’t far behind. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? With these powerhouses, is there really a chance for the rest of us mortals?”
At Kai’s questioning gaze he said, “They only accept a hundred Cultivators every two years, and normally, most of them are either late ranked Channels Stage or early ranked Core Stage. They’ve never had anyone in the Spirit Realm take the test ever and this year, they have two.”
“The preliminaries should tell us though. There are about three thousand of us right now, and only a third of those should pass the preliminaries. That’s when the real tests begin.”
“You said us,” Kai finally said. “Why did you choose to sit beside me?”
He turned himself just a smidge towards Rian, ready to let loose as soon as he sensed something.
Rian, however, raised his hands and said, “Nothing too nefarious. You’re just the strongest Cultivator in here, other than me.”
“How did you know that?”
“Other than the fact that you just confirmed it, the first thing you did upon walking into the room was to go sit in the corner. The others, they all want to make alliances, a network that might help them both within these tests and beyond. Yet, you were confident in your own power to the point that you didn’t feel the need to converse with anyone here.”
Kai raised an eyebrow. “I could just be an idiot, or an introvert.”
Rian shrugged. “Then, I would’ve wasted my time. Yet, you don’t seem to be either of those, from what I’ve observed.”
“You want to know what I’ve observed about you then?” Kai asked. “You’re a noble, probably from some outskirt town, heir to a dwindling family. Judging from your crest, your House once used to be great but has fallen on hard times and years ago, spent much of their dwindling fortune for the best Cultivation jumpstart for their Heir. And now, you’ve come here, hoping that entrance into the school will make you powerful enough to raise your House from its depths.”
He observed Rian’s facial expressions start from surprise to anger to dejection and then finally, just speechlessness.
“How…”
“Your language and non formalities told me you had to be a lower classed Noble from somewhere far from here. Yet the Crest and the way you carry yourself show old money and a once great House. Yet, when you talked about why you chose to sit next to me, you included yourself as one who was more powerful than me, and the fact that I scouted you instantly and saw you were a Rank 2 Core Stage Cultivator.”
The young Lord’s eyes widened even further before he quickly shook his head and swallowed, straightening his expression.
“It seems that I’ve already underestimated you. Most of what you said is correct, though I don’t trust you yet to confirm anything of importance.”
Kai waved his hand at him in a casual gesture and said, “Don’t worry about it. I understand very well just how important a good ally is and it was a great idea to scout the room. Just as you are now testing me to see if I am worthy to be an ally, I am doing the same.”
Rian stared at him, once again speechless before raising his head back and releasing a huge chuckle.
“Oh you’re going to bring some fun to these highborn aren’t you?” Rian finally said, grinning. “I see you,” he said gray fire burning in his eyes. “I see you. This is going to be a lot of fun.”
And Kai shook his head, also with a grin on his face.
If only he knew just how much “fun” I’m really gonna bring.