As he went outside to wait for the kids, Mir sighed. What was he going to wear? He only had two possibilities. The Burning Sea School robe? Impossible. It would be rude to wear that. The only other outfit that was not one of a ‘poor’ kid was his special suit.

In the end, after pondering for a while, he decided it was better to put on a suit rather than some loose pants or shorts. He told Oka to wear his own as well though his didn’t have sleeves anymore. But it still looked stylish. They got out of their room wearing the suits and put on their glasses. It startled the prince as he never saw these kinds of clothes before…But he liked them. The mix of black and white and the materials, it looked stylish and noble. At the same time, it looked practical. At least, the one without sleeves did.

Of course, it would not be something he would wear just like that, he would have to modify the design a bit first…He was already thinking about the business prospects of this outfit and couldn’t help but let it show on his face as his smile curved upwards. Mir did not miss it and told the prince:

“Do you like them, elder brother Nio?

-I do. I am thinking of making one for myself, though a few modifications would be needed. Who should I ask for it?

-The design is mine.”

One of the prince’s eyebrows rose and he said:

“I will give you a percentage.

-Thank you, elder brother Nio. Just send it all to my parents.

-I will, you have my words.”

The prince might be the type of people that enjoyed fooling around but he was also honest and just. He was a man with values like those of a businessman and that was the reason Mir could be at ease with him. They shared principles and it was enough for them to understand each other’s intended meanings.

Mir knew that the prince was also someone who kept his words and believed the prince would not break his words. His parents would most likely start receiving a steady income in a few months.

The prince led them outside where a dozen guard in shining gold armors were waiting. They all had the number nine carved on the front of their armors. Mir did not remember the armors having this detail before so he asked the prince:

“Elder brother Nio, did you have your guard’s armors changed?

-That’s right. You have a good eyesight, little Mir. It’s easier to have this symbol. I can’t really keep the sparrow since a little brother of mine took my golden sparrow items, ahah. With this, at least, anyone will know what is coming.

-Elder brother Nio, I wouldn’t mind giving you back those items if you asked. We’re brothers after all!”

The prince was startled and coughed to stop himself from agreeing. He was royalty, well-placed to know that nothing in this world is free. It only took him seconds to understand the hidden meaning behind Mir’s sentence. He couldn’t help but chuckle while thinking how this kid was so cunning for his age.

If he agreed to receive the items back, it would mean him officially accepting Mir as a sworn little brother. It was an oath. It would make Mir his equal. There is a difference as vast as heaven and earth between calling another one’s brother and being officially known as his sworn brother. He laughed as he answered Mir:

“You are a really smart child, little Mir. I won’t ask you to give it back. You earned it fairly. Make sure to use it wisely though.

-I will, elder brother Nio.”

As he said that, Mir laughed and the prince joined him. During all this time, only Oka was left out of the fun as he did not grasp a single thing from their exchange of words. But he did not really care, he was too focused on the sights of the town, the Palace town.

It was the biggest commerce hub in the kingdom. If you were looking for something, this is where it would be. The richest, the strongest, the evilest… Everything was here and every martial artist in the kingdom had to come here at least once. But the reason why it was such a major place and it developed to be what it is come from the presence of the Royal Palace School.

The place where all the geniuses of the richest clans and families come to cultivate. Obviously, they would have money to spend and due to their status as disciples, they needed vast amounts of resources. Simply enough, there was a high demand and so, businessmen flowed in the town. It is said that whoever dreams of making a name as a businessman had to come here and it was not an exaggeration.

As they walked through the crowded roads, people were scurrying out of their way. The guards weren’t here for show. And thanks to this, they could have a good look at the stalls and the city itself. There were all kinds of shops selling all kinds of goods, it truly was a business heaven and Mir couldn’t help but gulp.

Just seeing this was enough to birth back his businessman spirits. He was checking every corner of the city as they walked and calculating possible profits from what he saw. This place really was the best. He knew he could make hundreds of thousands here, without having to do much more than sightseeing.

After he died, the angel or god or whatever it was did not lie. For the first time, the hope of living a life in happiness became more than just hope. He only wished his body was older…

After walking for an hour, they arrived in the center of the city. There was a giant palace there. The city itself was immense and this building was not out of place. It was the biggest building Mir had seen. It went like a castle towering to the sky and reached a few clouds.

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It was a palace growing to form a tower. There were so many diverse types of architecture and colors that it was hard to describe and its sight itself was strange. Of course, they had seen it since the beginning and before they even entered the city but now, by being just under, they could finally admire its true majesty. The prince chuckled as Mir and Oka had their mouths wide open and gasping at the beauty of the building. Mare Reg Nio then said:

“This is The Royal Palace School. It is far from your average school where a lot of land is used. There is only this single building yet it is vaster than any other schools. It looks more like a tower now but at first, there were only three stairs. It was a palace used to train the royals. Then, with time, more was added and it became the tower it is today. Its name however did not change and remained the Royal Palace School. Its fame only grew as well. Even considering other kingdoms, this is a top school. I am glad to be the one saying it, welcome to the Royal Palace School, Mir, Oka.”

There was silence for minutes as both Mir and Oka took in the sight with excitement climbing up in their bodies. The prince waited for them to calm down but since they didn’t and got more and more heated up instead, he decided to give up on the idea and led them to the entrance.

Giant doors, ten meters high, golden with beautiful carving of all kinds of beasts and men fighting each other. In front of the doors was a long table where five old men in golden robes with a dolphin image on the front. It was exuding an air of intense valor. They were imposing even though they were sitting down.

They didn’t even move as the prince and his guard reached them. One of the five old man spoke:

“Good day to you, Mare Reg Nio, Ninth Prince. What can we do for you today?

-I would like to register these two kids for the entrance exam, in my name.

-Very well. What are their names?

-Mir.

-Oka.

-Family or clan names?

-None.

-Then, think of one.”

Everyone was startled by the old man’s words. He was probably used to it and answered the question on everyone’s faces:

“In cases when kids are brought in for the examination by a noble and they aren’t from any clans or families themselves, they have to think of a family name for themselves. If they succeed on their entrance exams and are admitted as disciples, by royal decree from the founder of the school, those family names are bestowed upon them and their clans are officially created. Though, they will only become official once the kids graduate and only if they survive until then.”

The prince coughed a few times. He did not remember this. He knew the two kids would succeed the examinations and it meant he would indirectly be responsible for the creation of two new clans. Something only the king should be able to do was accessible to anyone?! This was shocking. Mir and Oka were overjoyed. The prince was curious about this and asked:

“I don’t remember this rule.

-We do not have to mention it if no one ask. It would be detrimental to have this information spread.

-Then, why is this rule still valid?

-Because sometimes geniuses are born from commoners and talent is what we value most. We nurture the best and keep our elite standing this way. However, the examination is that much more difficult for commoners.

-Alright. Then, little Mir, little Oka, choose a family name for yourselves. It would only become official after you graduate though.”

Mir did not really care about it. He had lived until now without it and using his name from his previous life was out of question as only hate remained for it. He thought about it and pondered seriously. What did he want his name to be? How many people received the chance to decide their own name?

He was not only bearing the weight of his name but all his future descendants name on his shoulders. What did he want it to be like? He thought of a few things. He felt like a pioneer. “I want it to highlight our power, to highlight our honor, to highlight our abilities…”.

It was hard to settle on one thing as there were so many things he wanted to emphasize… In the end, he wanted to show the worth of each future descendant in this name, a challenging task. Then he thought “Why not settle on a name that would highlight any surname then?” and then, he grinned as he said to the elder:

“Mea. I want it to be ‘Mea’.”

The elder nodded and turned to Oka. The young kid told him:

“Me as well, I shall become part of young boss’s family.”

The elder told him:

“Kid, this means that if he failed, you would automatically fail as well. Are you sure about this?

-I am.

-Very well. Mea Mir and Mea Oka, please go inside to take your tests.”

The giant doors opened to show them a beautiful hall of white stones and luxurious decorations. They entered. It was beautiful outside but the inside was not losing to it. There were many people as well. Everyone was sitting here and there at different tables.

The prince walked with his group to one empty and they sat there in silence. Thousands of tables were full and many more were empty. It felt like it was bigger than it should. Mir turned to Oka and he nodded then said:

“The space is altered young boss.

-I knew it. This place lives up to its reputation and we’re not even truly inside yet.”

The prince turned to the kids and asked Mir:

“Why ‘Mea’?

-I wanted to highlight so many things that there was nothing that fit in so I settled on using a highlighter. ‘Mea’ is an acronym for ‘Mise en avant’. It means ‘to emphasize’. Basically, this name will highlight everyone’s surname and who they are themselves.

-That is a good name.

-Thank you.”

They patiently waited. It took the whole day. They were having the people enter the first day, had the tests the second and the opening ceremony was on the third. Then, school was on. At the end of the day, they were served a feast and ate to their hearts contents.

Next, an elder came on stage and explained the next step: the test. It was a battle race. In four hours, they would have to eliminate a maximum of dummies adapted to their ages. If they were to be killed or heavily injured, they would fail. And, if they didn’t kill enough, they would fail too.

Then, there was a ranking and rewards were given accordingly. To that end, every challenger would have to step through a door. They would be transported to a separated space and the challenge would start. They would be the one to decide whether to add or not more dummies and when.

It was a test of strength, endurance and wits. It encompassed it all and was so that the challenger’s ages mattered. It would be stupid to have the same contest for a seven-year-old and a twenty-five-year-old after all. It was well-thought.

One after another, the challengers were called on the stage and stepped through the black marble door. They disappeared as though they walked through a membrane. It was one of the most magical sights Mir had seen and he had seen quite a lot in such a brief time. So much that sometimes he couldn’t quite keep up with it.

He had a few questions regarding the test though and asked the prince:

“Elder brother Nio, why didn’t the elder say how many dummies we have to kill?

-The number is different for everyone. And they want you to challenge yourself, go as far as you can without going too far. They are testing your limits you know.

-If you don’t know how many to kill, you can only keep killing in fear you don’t reach the number, young boss.”