“Sion, your examinations shall begin shortly.” Sion sits before the old man, Prime Minister Geard. Geard looks down at Sion behind his round glasses, his aged face showing his displeasure at the situation. No matter the feelings of King Rihtwis, he cannot find it in himself to trust Sion. Even if the illustrious General Shard has taken a liking to him in this short week, how is he meant to believe in a wanderer who has simply appeared before them. To Geard, Sion’s appearance was too convenient. As long as Sion might still be a spy or a trap set by their enemies, Geard cannot give him free rein. He would have preferred for Sion to simply fail the training from the outset. Although it displeases him that he now has to make it so, these tests will be a farce. No matter what happens, Geard intends to find cause to fail Sion here.

“Yes sir.” Sion responds unknowingly, instead simply believing in himself and his strength.

Geard has decided to simply observe the examinations, and so the two wait for the arrival of the first examiner. After several idle minutes, a man in formal wear enters the room. He bows to Geard.

“Greetings, Prime Minister Geard. I am the examiner for academics.” He turns towards Sion and begins to approach. Geard moves further away as the examiner takes a seat across from Sion. “This will be an oral examination. I’ll give you the results for each question as you answer.” Sion nods in acknowledgement. The examiner begins the first test.

“We’ll begin with ancient history. Question one: describe the first major era of civilization.”

“The first known era is the Divine Era. It was when the gods still appeared in the realm of mortals. Due to their closeness to the divine, humanity at the time was able to develop quickly both magically and technologically. However, very few remnants of their civilization still exist today, with those remnants only being assumed to be of the Divine Era due to their superiority to modern technology and mention in less ancient texts, which is also where most of our information on the era comes from.”

“Very good, I’ll give full marks for that answer. Question two: what caused the downfall of the Divine Era?”

“A war had broken out between the gods, and our world was the battlefield. A large number of people died in the crossfire and many structures were destroyed. Lord Creogeno pitied us, so he instituted the Pact of Heavenly Isolation, which cut off any connection between heaven and earth.”

“Again, very good. Question three: how did the gods intervene in humanity after the Pact of Heavenly Isolation?”

“The gods granted power to heroes and their Chosen and had them fight on behalf of humanity in accordance to their will. The most notable of these heroes received worship and ascended to godhood themselves.”

“Very good, this marks the end of ancient history. Next we’ll look at contemporary history. Question four: give an overview of King Bana’s dragonslaying expeditions.”

“At a relatively young age, Great King Bana fought the dragon ruling over his small village and killed it. After several more years of training, Great King Bana adventured out into the world and gathered up allies. They then roamed the continent and killed more dragons, liberating more regions and gaining more manpower and resources. On these expeditions, which lasted less than a decade, Great King Bana and his party killed three of the Dragon Monarchs and at least fifty of the lesser Dragon Lords. Afterwards, the remaining Dragon Lords fled the continent, leaving the First Empire of Dracabana to be born.”

“Good. Question five: give an overview of the Prismatic Orders and the Flowering Crown Accords.” After answering the previous four questions so easily and so quickly, Sion falls silent. His face contorts as he racks his brain, going through all the information he was given by Father Cynde. After close to a minute, Sion offers an answer.

“The Prismatic Orders were knights, and they fought each other for a long time. They cut up Dracabana even more when they did. The purple one won, and they created the Flowering Crown Accords to stop future wars. But they couldn’t actually stop any new wars.” The examiner looks a little pleased at Sion’s difficulty answering, gently chuckling to himself as he responds.

“Well, I suppose you don’t know much when it’s not ancient or about Dracabana. That’s no good, but many of my peers are like that too. You were more or less correct overall, but lacking several key details, I feel. Firstly, the Prismatic Orders were born of the dissolution of the Lionheart Order. It’s also important to note that the orders had aligned themselves with the seven most powerful nations at the time, and that was why they were fighting. This is just a small thing, but the ‘purple one’ was the Ioeides Order. And the last major point I’d add to is that it was the nation who backed them that created the accords, and they had stripped themselves of the power needed to enforce it efficiently by making them an equal member.” Sion watches the examiner closely as he explains these things, making sure to absorb as much of it as he can. Seeing his curiosity so clearly, a small smile grows on the man’s face. “We’ll return to Dracabana for this question. Give an overview of the birth of the Second Empire of Dracabana.” Sion, contrary to the examiner’s expectation, still looks as though he is struggling for an answer here, although the answer does come faster.

“First, a giant kingdom emerged. The kingdom lasted a long time, leading to their last king, King Johnathan giving territory to King Libban of Dracabana. King Libban was invaded by many other nations and defended against each one, taking territory from each. This grew Dracabana back into an empire that prospered for many generations after.”

“Once again, a fine enough answer, but lacking some important details. King Johnathan had most of his lands seized by his chancellor and his nobles, so it was only the small part of the kingdom he still controlled after it split in three that he gave to King Libban. The first two nations to attack the new Dracabana were those two other parts of the kingdom. Another thing worth noting is that King Johnathan’s kingdom possessed incredibly powerful trade networks, which, after absorbing the rest of the kingdom, were controlled by Dracabana. This is the reason that other nations had decided to try their hand at invading, as they assumed Dracabana wouldn’t yet have the strength to defend itself. This last thing isn’t important per se, but it’s a fact I personally have a liking for. After King Johnathan abdicated and gave his lands to Dracabana, he remained a close advisor of King Libban and they became sworn brothers.” Sion nods as he listens. “Next we’ll discuss magic. Question seven: What are the mechanics behind each class of magic?”

“For divine magic, you affect external mana around you without using any internal mana. This is almost always done through prayer or wishes, though some really powerful priests just need the will. Chosen, being given a small amount of divine power, can also control external mana just with their own will, but they’re usually limited to just their divine domain. Bloodline magic just uses internal mana, without using any external mana. It feels like your body just spends mana directly to cause magic. Arcane magic uses formulas and internal mana to reform external mana, which causes magic.”

“Very good. Question eight: when did the modern systems we use for magic first emerge?” The examiner looks a little proud of himself for this curveball question back towards history.

“The Mystic Era. Some old and powerful mages can even trace their master’s all the way back.” The examiner sighs.

“I suppose that even if you aren’t expecting it, this is still a simple question. Let’s move on to geography. Question nine: Give an overview of each of Dracabana’s neighbors.”

“The entire east side of Dracabana and a large portion of the south is bordered by The Great Wastes. Even though different nations claim parts of the wastes as territory, nobody is able to control it. This has two reasons. The first is the presence of many dangerous monsters. The average level of strength in the wastes is so high it’s hard to maintain anything there. Most nations have forts on the border just for defending from the monsters. The second reason are the Void Walkers, who will raid and dismantle any attempts at a settlement or permanent building for the resources.” Sion looks deep in thought as he tries to recollect the next bordering nation. “The rest of the south, the west, and some of the north is bordered by the Sunnestead Empire. I know it’s a large and powerful nation, but not much else.” The examiner chuckles.

“I suppose they’re a fairly insular empire. They haven’t done much, despite their power, so no surprise you don’t know much.” The examiner chuckles as he gestures for Sion to continue.

“Dracabana’s third neighbor is the Kingdom of Saturgranum. They’re really good at farming and they trade with a lot of fruits, vegetables, and other crops. It’s also where Sagax Academy is.” The examiner can feel something burning inside of Sion when he names Sagax. He stands up and faces Geard.

“Prime Minister, although I have only asked these many questions, I’ve come to a decision on Sion’s academic prowess.” Just from watching, Geard knows what he’ll say next. However, this doesn’t stop him from hoping he’ll declare Sion a lost cause. That he’s decided that Sion wouldn’t be able to make it in Sagax. That he’ll give a proper reason to send Sion away right here and now. “As much as I hate to say it,” foolishly, Geard gets his hopes up for just a moment, “I can’t imagine Sion having too hard a time even at Sagax. Not only is he already quite learned, he’s still very curious. We’d be blessed to have him at our own academy. So blessed that it crossed my mind that I could fail him now and keep him here. But what kind of educator would I be if I started holding my students back?” The examiner chuckles again. “Is that all, Lord Geard?” Geard waves the examiner off dejectedly, and the examiner leaves with a slight hop in his step.

Geard is troubled that now even the headmaster of Clea Academy has rated Sion highly. With so many prominent people speaking in favor of him, it becomes so much harder to reject him outright. Yet Geard still cannot trust in Sion. There is something Geard sees in Sion that unnerves him greatly, although he still cannot pinpoint it exactly. Geard desperately does not want to let this unknown element go out into the world, especially not bearing Dracabana’s name on his back, but still he cannot find an excuse to stop him from doing so. He turns and speaks to Sion.

“That is the first exam complete. We will break for lunch. Your next exam will be in the training grounds.” Geard exits the room, leaving Sion alone. Sion walks out of the room, not knowing what to do next, so he heads to the training grounds early.

Sion looks overhead at the sun straight above. It certainly is noon already, although he feels he’s accomplished little by so late in the day. As Sion looks up thoughtlessly, covering his eyes in the shadow of his hand, he hears soft footsteps approaching his back. He turns quickly to see Scima behind him. Scima looks completely innocent, making it strange why he had approached so quietly.

“We’re discussing the strategy for you and the general’s fight.” Scima turns and leaves. Sion follows.

Scima leads Sion out into the fields between the two walls of the castle. Beneath one of the few lone trees that stand here, General Shard and Theyni sit on a blanket. When Scima sits down, he begins eating from the basket of food placed in the middle of the blanket. Although he said it was a strategy meeting, it is a picnic before anything else.

The four of them eat in silence. They eat as though they have no interest in anybody sitting beside them. The sun is still bright, even in the shade of a tree. Theyni alone is unnerved by how solemn a meal they were taking. Although a fight was soon to follow, it was little more than a rote spar, only now with an august onlooker in the audience. She half-nervously looks between Scima, Sion, and her grandfather, hoping one of them will soon finish eating and begin speaking. Scima finishes eating first. He begins speaking even as the others eat.

“So, what’s the best way for the general to lose to Sion?” General Shard nearly starts choking at the suggestion, Theyni turning towards him with worry. Sion doesn’t react, remaining polite and stoic as he eats, although he too was shocked at the thought.

“What is Scima saying?” Sion thinks to himself, his face still not betraying his confusion. “General Shard is way too strong for something like that. Who would be fooled by a victory against him? He’s even stronger than dad.” Sion scans the blue panel for General Shard to study it, as he had been during their more recent training. Whereas both Sion and Scima’s skills are expressed with numbers around five to eight, with their most used just reaching two digits, the general’s skills in combat are deep within that, each greater than sixty, some surpassing seventy. “And he has hundreds and thousands of times more experience than either of us. I’ve never seen anything that I could imagine beating the general, much less doing it myself.”

General Shard clears his throat and swallows down the food in his mouth.

“Scima boy, what kind of nonsense are you spewing?” Scima responds quickly, as though he had prepared his answer beforehand.

“Just think about it, general. You already know that Sion is strong enough. This exam is just to prove it to that old man, so if you lose he’ll definitely agree. And it’s not like that old man is skilled enough to see through it either.” General Shard sighs.

“What an insolent brat you are. And Geard probably could tell. He’s a jurist, so he’s used to seeing through lies and acts. And even beyond that, my pride doesn’t allow that. I refuse to make myself lose and I’m sure I’ve made Sion strong enough for him anyway.” Although it doesn’t show on his face, Sion is happy to hear that sort of confidence in him.

“I don’t know. Something’s felt off about that old man since Sion came. It feels like we have to show him something incredible to me. Sion? Any thoughts?” As Sion finishes eating, he clasps his hands together for several seconds, still remaining silent and expressionless. He responds the moment his hands disconnect.

“Nobody would fall for your plan. General Shard is too strong for that sort of trick. Even if I came close to winning, he could just hold back a little less. It’s best to just be honest and hope it comes through.” Scima sighs with disappointment.

“Fine. Let’s think about how Sion should fight to look the best then. General, any weaknesses he should be exploiting?” General Shard begins to stroke his white beard.

“I have a tendency to slow down when I’m trying not to hurt my students too badly. So that I don’t hit them over and over again all at once.”

“But you hit me over and over again all the time.” Scima responds. The general focuses in and looks straight at Scima.

“That’s because you’re a brat who won’t learn anything until I beat it into your thick skull.” Before Sion can retort, Theyni speaks up.

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“Grandfather has been feeling some pain in his hip lately.” General Shard looks at his granddaughter with a feeling of betrayal on his face.

“Theyni dear, I’m not some old geezer who could be taken down just because he’s gotten too old.” Scim leans closer to Sion, but continues to speak at the same volume.

“So, Sion, the general is slow, lethargic, and pained in his old age. Is that enough for you to work with?” General Shard smacks Scima on the head as Sion answers him.

“I don’t need anything. I think that just fighting as I would should be enough. There’s no point in winning with tricks.” The general looks at him gently.

“Sion boy, you’re such a good kid. If only Scima would learn a little from you.” He speaks without any regard for Scima right in front of him. “Scima’s always causing trouble and jumping right to violence. Where did I go wrong with him?” Sion looks confused as Theyni answers him.

“When Scima was brought into the barracks as a prospective soldier, His Majesty King Rihtwis ordered Grandfather to raise him up as a personal guard for Lady Eva.” Sion nods as General Shard continues.

“Even though I’ve spent a lot of time teaching Theyni too, she never acts violent like that.” Scima nods in enthusiastic agreement. Sion looks slightly confused by this.

“No, on the fir—” Sion stops talking when he meets Theyni’s eyes. She’s glaring at him, silently ordering him to speak no further. When Sion stops, Theyni responds to her grandfather.

“It’s not like it’s all bad. Scima is always ready to fight when he needs to.”

“And when he doesn’t need to.” After General Shard responds, there’s a small lull in the conversation. Scima finally pushes through with a retort.

“At least I’m not lazing around like an old man.” He looks straight at General Shard. As he rears back to smack Scima again, Sion glances up at the sun.

“Oh, the sun’s gone down a little. Do you think we should go to the training grounds?” The general stops himself, saving Scima, and glances up towards the sun as well.

“I suppose we should, Sion boy.” General Shard stands up quickly, stymieing a grimace as he feels pain in his hip. Sion stands next, then Scima, then Theyni. The three of them follow General Shard back to the training ground.

As the four enter the training ground, Geard greets them with a soldier by his side.

“General Shard, you’re here. I was just about to send out a soldier,” he gestures at the soldier who is looking for a moment to break away, “to inform you that it is time for Sion’s exam.” The general nods in response as he continues past Geard towards the center of the training ground. Sion, Scima, and Theyni still follow after him, ignoring the prime minister entirely. Geard turns to follow the group. At a certain point, Sion steps closer to the center of the training ground and both Scima and Theyni stop.

When Sion and General Shard face each other, Geard begins to speak to the general.

“You better not hold back because he’s your student.” General Shard scoffs slightly. Geard has heard of the general on the battlefield but has only known him as a rough-around-the-edges but kind old man. Even though he knows it won’t happen, he hopes that the general beats Sion into the ground.

General Shard places a hand on the hilt of his sword. Sion raises his fists. Geard watches them, then comes to a sudden realization.

“Wait! Wasn’t he meant to be instructed in the sword!?” Geard looks to General Shard, who looks back at him with a confused expression. He quickly realizes what has happened.

“Oops, did we forget to report it?” The general does not look apologetic.

“This sort of behavior can’t be allowed!” Geard hoped to seize this opportunity now and stop himself from seeing yet another thing he wouldn’t be able to deny. “If Sion here cannot use a sword up to the standard that would be expected of him—” Scima cuts Geard off.

“Old man, Sion is strong enough for you. If you try and stop him for such a stupid reason, then I’ll stay here too.” Although Scima in one part wants to defend and support Sion, he also wants to give Geard a hard time. Geard has never been able to understand Scima, and so he has no choice but to back down here, unless he wants to run the risk of weakening Dracabana’s image because of something so minor and foolish.

“Very well. I accept this change to Sion’s training.” Sion and General Shard set themselves back into their stance as they face-off. Geard looks between the two of them. “Begin!”

As Geard calls out, General Shard pounces. In just a moment he stands in front of Sion, deep within his reach. In the next, his sword is drawn, flying straight towards Sion. Suddenly, Sion drops down, crouching in front of the general. As the general’s blade passes above Sion’s head, he turns his wrist. He brings down the edge of his sword and smacks Sion in the head with it.

“Your head was split. One death.” Sion shivers as General Shard says this.

For the past week, the general has been teaching Sion self-preservation in the heat of battle. Their spar would reset completely at the first of the general’s “fatal strikes,” with him declaring that Sion was now “dead.” If there should have been too large an injury, the fight ended right there. Sion understood the general’s intention in naming this “death” the first. The general was planning to “kill” Sion, over and over again, counting and noting each one, unless he could prove himself to Geard.

In the tiny window in which Sion processed what had happened, General Shard pressed the tip of his sword into Sion’s forehead. Sion is knocked back slightly, almost falling out of his squat.

“Too slow. Two deaths.” The general swings his blade at Sion’s head once more. As it draws near, Sion grabs it. General Shard begins to pull his sword free from Sion’s grip. Sion plants one foot forward and begins to stand. As he rises, his fist bursts forward and slams into the general’s stomach. Taking his sword with him, the general is sent back.

General Shard dashes forward. He lowers his body and slashes at Sion’s legs. He sweeps Sion’s legs and knocks him off balance. Sion flips himself back on his hands to catch his balance and make distance between them. As his back faces the general, the general pokes into Sion’s back with his sword. Sion can feel the force of the blow, but maintains his balance.

“You left yourself open. Three deaths.” Sion holds himself near the ground on all fours, looking up at General Shard. When the general takes a step forward, Sion springs into action. Holding his body up with his hands, Sion swings his legs towards General Shard. The general stops moving.

“Sion boy, I’m not in your range.” As the general stands still, watching Sion’s leg, waiting for it to pass by him ineffectually, Sion’s leg begins to glow softly. At the moment right before his leg passes the general, Sion’s leg begins to burst with soft blue light. It trails behind him and sits in the air as it begins to dissipate. The light gathers and extends out further beyond his foot. The general is just barely able to notice the attack and shifts his body slightly as the solid light smashes into his arm and turns to mist. As the extension vanishes, General Shard begins to laugh uproariously.

The light, as it stops gathering at his leg, clings to Sion’s entire body. As he twists his body to plant his leg back on the ground, then spins to face the general once more, the light trails off his body. It hangs in the air and rises as mist. Beyond simply having been strong and effective, Sion’s soul magic was a spectacle. General Shard looks at Geard as his laughter subsides.

“Geard, is that enough for you? Or should I kill him a couple more times?” Geard, without his noticing, had let his displeasure slip. General Shard, at the very least, has realized what he wanted in these exams. Geard looks at the blue mist enshrouding Sion. He knows he doesn’t have deniability.

“No, Sion has shown enough for me. This exam is over. The next and final exam shall be in several hours, a short while after sunset.” Geard turns and leaves for the inside of the castle. General Shard’s hand cuts through the last remains of the mist and rests on Sion’s shoulder.

“Sion boy, that was a good kick.”

“Thank you.” Scima approaches the two, Theyni trailing behind him.

“Two down, one to go. The last one is manners?” Scima sighs. “I don’t see the point of the old man’s tests. I’m no good at manners, but he’s not getting in my face about it. Why’s he got it out for you, Sion?”

“I don’t think he has anything against me, he just doesn’t trust me.” General Shard looks at Scima.

“Ignoring the fact that Sion is more trustworthy than you, you have better etiquette than him.”

“Huh? No way, he’s definitely nicer than me.”

“Etiquette and manners aren’t about being a good person. They’re about following a set of rules so that nobles can pretend they’re better than everyone else. And Sion doesn’t know the rules well. And you at least play pretend at being polite when you’re with Lady Evangelina.” Scima lowers his gaze slightly.

“I see.”

Theyni cheerfully speaks to Sion.

“Well, with how you’ve done so far, I’m sure you’ll be fine even if you mess up a little here.” General Shard turns to Sion.

“I’m not so sure about that. I don’t know why, but it feels like Geard just wants to reject Sion. I think he’ll jump at the chance to fail you for something stupid if he can.”

“Why would he want to do that?” Sion asks.

“No idea. Even if me and him have had our differences, and even if I quite frankly don’t like him, he’s always been fair. It’s strange how much he doesn’t want you to succeed.” General Shard ponders the thought for a second. “Maybe he thinks you’re a spy? You did just appear from nowhere I hear. But that only explains so much. Back in my days of active service, I never let a spy past me. So I’d say that my trust counts for something, at least. Anyway, Sion boy, watch out in case he’s planning something strange and be on your best behavior.”

“Yes sir, I’ll try my best.”

And so Sion goes off towards the final battlefield Geard has prepared for him.

After several hours pass, Sion enters an attached building to the side of the castle. This building, though grand and impressive in its own right, pales to the castle itself. The basic decor is the same, it is clear the two buildings are joined, but the adornment has been entirely pared down. Where the main building of the castle, where the royal family and their guests of honor reside, has armors, weapons, and paintings displayed, this building has only flags and simple banners.

A maid leads Sion into a hall. The hall is empty save for him, the maid that had led him there, and another maid already waiting there. There is a large table in the center, with the head of the table alone set for dining, and large pillars set with glowing stones lining it. Sion scans the room, but cannot find anything. No hiding places, no spots to observe from, no signs of Geard at all. The two maids join and quietly discuss something to themselves. Sion waits in silence for them to finish before he asks his question.

“Where’s Geard?” The maid on his right, the one who had been waiting in the hall, answers.

“That’s Prime Minister, sir Sion. And the Prime Minister has delegated the task of assessing you to us.” Sion looks doubtful, and throws a glance at a wall.

“Is that really so?”

Behind the wall Geard runs cold. Before Clea had become the capital city of Dracabana, Clea Castle had much fewer servants and very few guests. Clea, as a fortress city, was wary of any visitors in case of subterfuge, and they would typically cordon them off from the main building in what has now become the servant’s building. In order to investigate any suspicious guests, many walls throughout the building are one-way glass walls, appearing normal in the room, yet allowing observation from another. These rooms have since been sealed off, but for this occasion Geard has opened one. Sion should have no way of knowing about these trick walls, and yet Geard could have sworn that he and Sion had locked eyes. Sion turns away quickly, however.

“So, what do I do?” Sion asks.

“Just go through the process of eating a meal.” Sion nods, then walks to the set head of the table.

Sion steps behind the chair. He places a hand at the top of the chair back. He pulls one side back, creating an opening for him to enter from. He sits in the chair, realizes the distance to the table, then stands slightly and pulls the chair back in.

As he sits, one maid places soup in front of him and another pours him water from a lightly decorated pitcher. Sion leans forward slightly and begins to eat the soup. From the corner of his eye, Sion can see both maids clearly. Neither of them show any issue with his eating.

Meanwhile, from behind the trick wall, Geard is despairing.

“Oh! He’s eating improperly! What would the other nations think!” Geard catches himself. Despite his plans, Geard has already come to realize that he cannot deny Sion’s ability nor his character in truth. He already knows that he has no real desire to keep Sion from Sagax. However, a prideful and stubborn old man he is, and he does not want to admit to himself that he was entirely wrong, and that his senses have seemingly dulled so greatly that he would misread Sion so severely.

The two maids whisper something to themselves as they watch Sion eat, then together move back towards another room to bring more food for the exam. It was then that several things occurred, all in quick succession.

First, magic from all around the room gathered at the lowest and highest crystal of the pillar nearest to the two maids. The magic, as magic typically is, was completely invisible save to Sion. Sion, although he was struggling to eat with proper etiquette already, was devoting mental resources to keeping watch of the room around him. He saw when the magic around the room began to move towards the two crystals, and so he turned to look at the pillar. Although he still feigned focus on eating correctly, he was watching the pillar. Then, as the maids pass by, a ring of electricity passes through the stone pillar and hits the maids, causing them to begin to collapse. At this, Sion begins to stand. As the maids begin to fall to the ground, a loud yet unseen explosion is heard. The sound booms around the hall loudly, and at this Geard has realized that something is terribly wrong. Geard now rushes to exit the room behind the trick wall. While his back is turned the pillar begins to shudder and gently sway. As Geard pulls open the door and walks through it, the pillar begins to collapse. Sion stands sharply, knocking his chair to the ground. He dashes to the maids and the falling pillar. As Sion runs, the two maids fall fully to the floor, the pillar plummeting towards them. Sion drops his body as he draws near to them, forcing himself between the pillar and the ground. As Geard swings open the door to the hall, he sees Sion, his hands on the pillar, and the pillar resting across his upper back. Geard looks shook to the core.

“What has happened here? Is everyone okay?” Sion looks at the maids beneath him then weakly turns his gaze up at Geard.

“These two need to be moved… I can’t drop the pillar without hurting them…” Geard quickly approaches and gently drags the two unconscious maids out from under Sion. As he does, he looks at Sion, straining beneath the weight of the stone pillar. As he does, he finally finds what about Sion he had found so unnerving. Once the maids are no longer in danger, Sion slips out from under the pillar, letting it crash into the ground as it would have without him. Sion stretches his arms above his head.

Geard’s class is “Justice,” a high level class within the “Jurist” tree. One of his most unique abilities is “Eye of the Scales,” a strange power that essentially allows its user to see motive. The exact mechanics are more nebulous; when a creature takes actions for a selfless or a selfish purpose, the glow of a circle visible only to the user changes. If selfless, a creature will glow green, and if selfish it will instead glow red. It can see this both in regards to a specific act or event, but also in regards to an entire lifetime. Almost every creature, even non-human creatures, have this glow. The only exception Geard has ever seen was Bishop Erd, who rather than a glow had a golden garden of flowers. With this power, a proper court trial, and an experienced judge, it is possible to very accurately ascertain both the guilt and the motive of a defendant, and adjust their punishment as due.

Geard had been doubtful of Sion from the start. Even when others spoke highly of him, Geard had trouble believing them. He hadn’t known the reason until he had seen him act for the sake of others. He could tell that Sion had struggled to protect others simply because that’s how he is. That’s what his long experience as a judge had told him. And yet, “Eye of the Scales” saw nothing. There was no change, no glow. Sion was empty in his eyes. Geard had let himself be fooled by his eyes. Geard had forgotten something so simple and basic as facing people properly. He begins to laugh at his own foolishness in not realizing sooner, and in all of his behavior that stemmed from that.

“Young Sion,” he begins jovially, “You have passed. Certainly and with flying colors. We are honored to have a young man of your character and ability represent our nation. Do well in Sagax, and support Sion and Eva diligently. That is all else I have to ask of you.” Sion responds while still stretching out his body.

“Yes… sir.”