Free Web NovelChapter 27: Ch 27: Test Centre
The test centre was at a location bordering the residential areas of nobles and commoners.
The traffic in the area increased the more they progressed towards the area.
"Move!" The soldier stomped the blunt edge of his spear on the ground, forcing the crowd to part reluctantly and letting them go.
Obviously, the man didn’t try to intimidate the nobles. He knew better on how truly easy it was to offend their "young masters".
"H-how much more?" Smut rasped as he bent on his knees, quite exhausted from all the walking.
The other three weren’t faring too well either. But they followed the soldier nevertheless.
"Boy if you pass the test today, you better increase your stamina. The Isikolo is unforgiving to lads like you." The Sihapi laughed lightly as he kept on walking, not bothering to wait for them.
A few minutes passed as they continuous pushed through the bustling crowd, the smell of sweat and asparagus lingering in the air between them.
Soon, they came in front of a huge field, fenced around the entire perimeter with a large pavilion built up on one side of the field. A small stage had also been raised in front of it where all the announcements were to take place.
In the pavilion, the noble guests rested comfortably while the commoners stood outside the fenced area. Despite the difference in treatment, the commoners looked to be in a more celebratory mood, their cheers dwarfing every other noise.
In front of the small gate,the soldier stopped. He faced the four teenagers he had led this far with a light smile on his face.
He then took out a key from his pocket and unlocked their metallic cuffs.
Instantly, all four of them felt a rush of energy within them, their cores pulsating in joy at being released from the Mana-Void enchantments.
"Well my task here is done. Enter the fields and they shall give you the proper instructions. Farewell then. Maybe I shall meet you all if you reach the rank of a Sihapi."
The four of them nodded as the man started walking away. But then as if remembering something, he turned around and warned them.
"Also remember that a normal citizen of the Windsor Empire can take this test any number of times, provided they fulfill the age criteria of 17 to 20. However, your status as slaves, gives you only one chance for this test. If you fail, you shall simply be auctioned off."
"And what about the nobles?" Shen asked with a curious expression.
The man raised an eyebrow as if amused by the question. "You could say the sun in Exodus has a better chance of rising from the west than a noble participating in these tests. They have different tests of their own from where they are recruited by the Citadel."
He sighed and cast one last look at them.
"They shall close the gate anytime now. Hurry up and pass this for your own sake."
Saying that, he bid them goodbye and walked away, disappearing among the thousands of people.
"He is a good guy." The red haired Shen declared as he flexed his wrists and looked at the others with a newfound fire in his eyes.
"What are we waiting for? Let’s win this and become soldiers in their ranks. Or are you all waiting for your personal masters to train you in their private bedchambers?"
He spoke sarcastically or atleast he thought so. The three of them looked at him with disgust in their expressions, walking past him as they entered the fenced field.
"H-hey wait, wait! I was just joking." Shen ran after them.
Inside an old lady stood with a calm expression on her face. Upon seeing them enter, she stepped towards them and raised her right hand slightly in the air.
"Give me your hands. I need to check your age."
A flicker of dread lit up Enzo’s eyes but disappeared the very next second as if it was never present.
’I hope it’s just physical age they are going to check...’
Fortunately for him, the lady was indeed checking their bone age. It was then that they found out Enzo was actually the oldest in their group at twenty years.
He was followed by Shen, who was also twenty years old. Then Alyssa who had just stepped into her adulthood and Smut at seventeen years.
"Hmm, you may proceed forward." The old lady stepped aside as the four of them joined the huge number of candidates standing in front of the small stage.
Lots of soldiers wearing plain leather armour, their postures less disciplined than either of the Sihapis or the Legions, stood in front of the pavilion and the stage. Any candidate who dared to step closer to them were met with the angry stares of these soldiers.
’The foot soldiers, forming the majority of the total strength of the Windsor army. They guard the estates of the Windsor nobles.’ Enzo mused as his eyes darted back to the empty stage.
The four of them were still on empty stomach and hadn’t got any time to take a break after all that walking. Lord Carlos taking advantage of them didn’t help either.
Under the direct onslaught of the morning sun, Enzo felt lightheaded. He had yet to fight but was already in a miserable state.
’Welp, let’s annoy her a bit.’
So wanting to kill some time, he opened his private chatbox with Valerie. A double tick sign at the right bottom corner of his last message showed she had seen that text but didn’t care enough to answer him back.
[Your Empire has the worst hospitality I have ever come across. Even my "barbarian" clan had better common senses and treatment. Not like I am expecting something grand as a slave but even your small lords can go against your order and delay us from reaching the test centre. Heh, it seems your authority is truly a joke.]
Enzo took a deep breath, startling the other three and drawing strange glances from the surrounding teenagers. They had already been distancing themselves from their group as if afraid they would catch some disease. Enzo could hardly blame them. freewebnovёl.ƈom
As the saying went: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
In that hindsight, wearing animal hides in none other than the Southern Capital of the Empire didn’t seem the best attempt at integrating with the people here.
Enzo ignored them as he looked at the rather bold texts he had written down. He prayed he had enough luck in his reservoirs as he clicked on send.
His heartbeat increased rapidly when within a second, the double tick mark appeared.
’Woah woah, we might be having two chronologically online Aspirants.’
He couldn’t help but gulp when she even started typing back. It seemed his ragebait was quite... successful.
[Valerie: Who is he?]
But the reply he received wasn’t anything he had been expecting. Enzo already had a feeling that she had no intention of killing him. Maybe because he was a fellow aspirant. Or maybe he looked like someone worth investing in...
Whatever the reason, Enzo had figured out she had enslaved him to either use his potential as an user of the Unique Mana Core and to make sure he wouldn’t turn against the Windsor Empire.
So...naturally, he wouldn’t just wait for her lead. He had decided to act like a damn pest and annoy her at every possible chance.
Additionally, he also wanted to test the waters. It was always wise to understand the boundaries of her own powers.
But seeing her calmn reply was rather unexpected for him.
[It was someone named Lord Carlos. He would be taking the route to the Plum City for whatever business he runs.]
[Valerie: Hmm.]
’Just that? She is not even gonna ask what exactly he had done?’
Enzo let out a quite sigh, thinking she was probably going to ignore it.
Afterall, who in their right mind would punish nobles just like that? Especially someone as smart and calculative as Valerie!
