“Please,” The king began. “Take a seat and applaud yourselves for making it to this point! Every single one of you fought hard to reach this point.”
After a long round of applause, the king began what Seiji assumed would be a long seminar. His suspicions were proven correct when King Vassilis started going over the basics he’d already learned from Cora. The Valkyrie Exam was a thirty-day competition where Valkyrie Cadets and their Servants worked together to pass through two types of events – Evaluations and Exhibitions. The Evaluations were one-on-one meetings between a Servant and Sir Lasko. Much to Seiji’s dismay, though, King Vassilis did not elaborate on what would happen during said meetings. The Exhibitions, meanwhile, were far more interesting.
“Much like the Evaluations, there will only be two Exhibition events that will be taking place. The First Exhibition is a series of one-on-one battles. Cadet against Cadet, Servant against Servant. You will be made to fight two opponents we feel best push you to your limits.”
As he finished that statement, Seiji shot a glance at Cora. Though she didn't return it, he noticed that her ears shot straight up at the mention of having her abilities tested. If he were a betting man, he'd bet that Cora knew she'd fight Selene at the First Exhibition.
“The Final Exhibition, meanwhile, will be the ultimate test of your bonds. It will take place on the final day of the Exams.”
…That’s it?
A long silence followed those words. Seiji stared blankly at the king, waiting for some sort of elaboration, but none was given. Instead, he moved on to the next topic, leaving Seiji quite disappointed.
He’d gone on to talk about how the Cadets had been selected, likely for transparency. Just as Cora said, they’d each been training for their spot for most of their lives. They were, according to the King, 16 of the best, most capable seventeen-year-old women in all of Haven. The Servants, meanwhile, were picked by the Valkyrie Exam Committee due to their physical and magical prowess in life or untapped potential by their deaths. Seiji glanced over to Cora, who gave him a short nod of confirmation.
According to King Vassilis, the Einherjar Division was responsible for recreating the Servants’ bodies, while the Soul Division was tasked with placing their Souls inside said vessels. Seiji involuntarily placed a hand on his stomach. He had no idea how they’d managed to do something so outrageous, but he supposed he'd have to get used to this kind of thing.
“Now,” King Vassilis said. As he spoke, he paced about the small stage, making eye contact with each Servant. Seiji involuntarily straightened each time they’d meet his own.“I suppose you’re all wondering why this System Ceremony is named as such.”
Following nods and half-shrugs from most of the Servants, the King continued. “Your bodies were remade for the sole purpose of being susceptible to… iteration. When a Cadet is transformed into a Valkyrie, her body is fundamentally altered to give way not only to a pair of wings but a wellspring of unrivaled power. A Servant, therefore, must always be capable of keeping up with her ever-growing ability. The Valkyrie and the Servant are the ultimate duo – the unstoppable team that fights to protect their planet.”
He smiled broadly, stretching his arms out wide as he seemed to do often. As his words echoed through the room, Seiji couldn’t help but feel a bit of awe. Cora’s power was still incomprehensible to him. When she pinned him in Sir Lasko’s chamber, she was unmovable. A simple slam was enough to crack the walls of the office. She held him back with a lazy hand. If he had that kind of power back on The Ardor, Seiji knew he would've been able to demand the Hidden Hand grant him his freedom.
Or erase them from existence…
“Every Servant in this room will be provided with a basic System – an augmented interface capable of charting all aspects of your growth. Once granted, your body and soul will sync with those of your Cadet – granting you their physical power and magical techniques. However, this does not mean that you will have immediate access to those powers and techniques. When you receive your System, you will officially be designated as a Tier 1 Servant. It will allow you access to your Cadet’s most basic technique as well as a manageable fraction of their power.”
Seiji watched as King Vassilis observed the Servants, excitement building in his chest. All he needed to know was how to get stronger. Once he knew, he’d start his training today. As if capable of reading his thoughts, the King continued.
“Thankfully,” he began, “Gaining power is not as difficult as one may assume. We have thirty days, not thirty years. We can’t have Servants lagging.” The King chuckled. “As I have said, the Valkyrie and the Servant are the ultimate duo. To advance to higher Tiers of your system, you must strengthen your Bond with your Cadet. This cannot be quantified, so please don’t go rummaging through your system for Bond statistics.”
As light laughter filled the hall, Seiji found himself thinking about his time with Cora. Sure, they'd become colleagues, but he wouldn't use ‘bonded’ to define their relationship. He imagined Selene and Lirio, and how they seemed to coordinate their feeble intimidation attempt. Even if it was likely orchestrated by Selene, Lirio played his part perfectly. Seiji felt Cora’s sidelong glance before he met it. They were clearly thinking the same thing.
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“To encourage Bonds between Cadets and Servants, we will have several ‘Bond Events’ scattered about Haven through the duration of the Valkyrie Exams. They will appear suddenly and sporadically, so please do not rely on them as your sole method of advancement.”
He met Cora’s eyes from across the table and the girl gave him an eager grin. He wanted to ask about the specifics, but knew she’d likely hiss at him again, so he kept quiet and smiled in turn.
“Ah, yes. I’ve forgotten. Forgive me. The System you all will receive is capped at the 8th Tier. Upon reaching it, you will have access to as much of your Cadet’s power as you can physically handle. Should you two complete the Exams, your system will be upgraded – though I won’t get ahead of myself.” With a soft chuckle, he continued. “Do well to reach the 8th Tier.”
After explaining the intricacies of the System to the Servants, King Vassilis went back over the events of the Exams. The soonest was the First Evaluation, which took place on the 10th day. This would be followed by the First Exhibition on the 20th, then the Final Evaluation on the 25th, and lastly the Final Exhibition on the 30th. More interestingly, though, he spoke about an exclusive event that took place on the 28th day.
“The Favorite’s Rite is a weeklong training session led by myself and the queen, Valkyrie Eir.”
Much to Seiji’s surprise, Cadets all around the room began to shout at their tables. Cora stared straight at Seiji and practically yelled, “We need that! We’re going to that!”. Seiji did his best to match her enthusiasm, but couldn't find any words other than, “Alright. We’ll go.”
The king quieted the room with a raised hand. “Yes, this is a new addition to the Valkyrie Exams. Eir and I will be taking the Cadet and Servant most likely to win the Exams and personally train them in the Silent Antichamber. While we would like to take you all, time dilation does a number on your internal clock! So, we'd rather put that effort into the two most likely to serve Haven.”
It made perfect sense. When Seiji reached his eighth year, the Hidden Hand stopped paying for his necessities. If he needed something, he had to buy it himself – and the only way to get money was by taking on jobs. Though not nearly as severe as that, he understood the logic behind the Favorite’s Rites. It was a waste of resources to train those who couldn't utilize what they were being taught. By reserving the Favorite’s Rites for those most likely to win, they were ensuring that their resources weren’t wasted.
“With that, I believe it is time for us to begin supplying you all with your Systems. This will be relatively quick.”
The king raised a hand to the sky and pulled at air. Space warped around his fist as the King struggled against an invisible force Seiji couldn’t comprehend. After a few seconds of this strange conflict, sixteen yellow lights popped into existence around the King. They faded in and out like fireflies, dancing around his silver-armored form like fairies.
“Cadets!” King Vassilis shouted, his voice loud enough to carry across Haven.
Each Cadet shot up in unison, standing with hands at their hips and eyes locked on the King.
“Ready!” They each shouted, their combined voices just as loud as the King’s.
Accepting their confirmation, the King waved a hand across the room. At the gesture, every light that’d danced around the King now shot for every one of the Cadets. Seiji winced as one of them blasted itself directly into Cora’s forehead. The girl accepted the foreign light and exhaled, her only reaction being a slight backward tilt of her head. As soon as each Cadet received their light, they took a single, practiced step to the side of their tables.
“Servants!” The King shouted. “Kneel before your Cadets!”
Seiji didn’t dare hesitate. He knelt before Cora and stared at the glossy wooden floor.
“Grab their hand and swear to them these following oaths, are you ready?”
“Ready!” Seiji shouted. After the other Servants shouted various affirmations, the King’s commanding tone turned a bit more casual. “Grab the hand of your Cadet. When I speak these oaths, look into your Servant’s eyes and say only ‘I swear it’. Do you understand, Servants?”
“Yes!” they all shouted together.
Cora extended her hand, and Seiji accepted. As he looked into her eyes, Seiji saw an emotion in her he’d never seen before – doubt. Seiji couldn’t help but feel a bit offended by it. He’d already given his word to fight alongside her, and he was confident in his ability to keep up physically. What was there to doubt?
“Servants! We expect you to fight each battle with the strength of a warrior. Swear to your Cadet that you will never back down from any challenge you two may face.”
“I swear it!” They shouted, their voices echoing through the hall.
Seiji meant it too, and he hoped Cora could see that. The girl looked into his eyes as if searching for something, longing for something. She continued to search as the King spoke once more.
“We expect you to consider your perception with every action you take. You represent the best this universe has to offer. Swear to your Cadet that you will carry yourself with the decorum and poise of a true Servant.”
“I swear it!”
“We expect you to respect all that you have been provided and all that will be provided to you throughout the Exam. Your Servant has long sworn to take full responsibility for you. Swear to your Cadet that you will value your Bond and appreciate all they will do for you.”
“I swear it!”
“Show your resolve, Servant, and kiss the hand of your Cadet!”
Without hesitation, Seiji pulled Cora’s hand to her lips and kissed it. Yellow light flickered in his vision a few times, before it swallowed his vision whole. The world seemed to spin, all sorts of strange sounds flooding his senses as lost his balance. He held onto Cora’s hand for support and was comforted to find she’d knelt to keep him upright.
“Thank–”
“Don’t speak!” She whispered. “Just breathe!”
Seiji did as he was told. He held onto Cora’s hands, performing simple breathing exercises to keep himself oriented. As soon as Seiji felt consciousness try to leave him, the sensation vanished – leaving him feeling as he had been just moments before.
He tried to thank Cora again, but the girl ushered him back to their seat. Seiji looked around the room, unsure what to expect. Most, if not all of the Servants in the room were still struggling under the disorienting yellow light. The only Servants that weren’t were Lirio and a blonde-haired boy in the far side of the room. As he looked around, he locked eyes with the king. The man gave Seiji a small nod, and Seiji awkwardly returned it. To his shock, Cora looked at the King with a clear scowl.
“That was too much! Go easy on them!” She mouthed.
The King didn’t respond with words. Instead, he smiled broadly as he turned his attention to the rest of the room.
“Ugh!” Cora groaned. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. Awakenings are usually painless, but these Systems were loaded with too much aura. Congratulations on finishing so fast! Now, let’s get to picking a class. Give me your hand!”
Seiji wasn’t able to register any of what Cora said. His vision was swallowed by the opaque blue screen that’d appeared as soon as Cora had begun to speak. Unsure how it’d appeared, and unsure how to get rid of it, he simply stared at the large white letters on the screen.
WELCOME TO THE SERVANT SYSTEM.
PLEASE CHOOSE A CLASS: FIGHTER, MAGE, BALANCED.
Underneath each was a basic drawing depicting each class. For fighter, there was a man crouched into a basic fighting stance. For mage, an elf carrying a tall wooden staff. Finally, for balanced, a man with a dagger in one hand and a ball of fire in the other.
SELECT A CLASS TO SEE ITS STATS.