Chapter Four: The First Test, Part I.
The sky was still bright orange, the sun gleaming from the east without a single cloud in sight.
Me and Sir Laeroth were walking in the busy streets of Nero, on the way to the plaza for my entrance exam.
"I'll have to stop here, boy." He said, abruptly stopping his steps.
"..Huh? Why?" I asked.
"Consider this a test. Go to the plaza by yourself."
"No way! I don't know how to go there! Especially in this huge city…"
I just arrived here yesterday, so my knowledge of the roads was still pretty bad… It was the same when I first arrived on Orario, where I got lost countless times navigating back to the inn I first stayed at.
"Observe your surroundings, focus your hearing to where the commotion is, and find clues that are stationed everywhere. If you can't even do this, you'll fail the test instantly." He said. "And, if you don't get there by the second bell—in about five minutes—you'll fail."
"…This is unreasonable…" I muttered.
Putting me in somewhere unknown, and forcing me to go somewhere with a time limit… Why?
"Well then, good luck." He said.
In an instant, he disappeared from the surroundings. My head looked around the area, but he was nowhere to be found. The only explanation for it was: he turned invisible, like what Mr. Mord used on me back on the 18th floor.
But, I could still feel his gaze on me, from my back, but I pretended to not notice.
So the test started now.
"Uhh, may I ask where the plaza is?" I asked a vegetable stall owner from the side.
"Oh, watching the Knight's Entrance Exam too, huh? Go south from here, it should be an hour's walk from here. You can also hire a carriage for a smooth thirty-minute ride, but you're going to be late both ways since It's starting in five minutes." he said.
From the south? That's where we just went from!
Sir Laeroth had deliberately misled me by going in the wrong direction!
With that information in hand, I immediately ran as fast as I could to the opposite direction, towards the direction of the plaza— my heart pounding hard.
Focus my ears to where the commotion is,
There!
To the southeast!
I rushed through waves of passersby and vendors on the streets, going through narrow streets and alleyways leading to the southeast- to where the commotion was.
"Stop right there!" A group of people wearing metal armor and swords pointed at me were blocking my way.
It looked like I caused a commotion big enough for the knights to notice. I was about to stop, but-
"Keep going, I'll deal with them." Sir Laeroth said, his voice coming from behind me.
So I kept going.
I leaped up to a nearby building to avoid the knights and blasted off from there. "Sorry!" I shouted as I bolted off, but my words seemed to be lost to the winds with how I was going.
Every single eye in the vicinity was looking towards me, followed by screams of amazement or fear. Of course, with how fast I was going, I would certainly draw the eyes of many people. But I had no choice, the amount of time I had left was minuscule.
The average time to go there was an hour, and the time for a carriage to get there were thirty minutes— but I only had five minutes to get there in time, or else I would fail.
This had to be the most unreasonable thing that someone had asked me to do, but here I am, blasting through the buildings like I was fighting Cherylds again- those monsters I fought in that forest.
But, it was kind of scary with how natural it felt doing this. While I was panicking from the time limit that I had, the complex movements I did in the air felt like it was a part of me forever— I was simply doing it without even thinking. Hopping around and fighting monsters— Hit-and-run style combat -was what I did almost every day in the dungeon. Though, I didn't expect to use it like this, speeding through the city while running off the guards.
Eventually, my destination was on sight. A huge monument, surrounded by plain land and cast out bystanders with fences and a huge number of guards surrounding it. There was no doubt it was the plaza I was told to go to.
I finally reached it. It only took me about two minutes of constant running and hopping around, and I only got lost about two times— which was kind of surprising, really, as I didn't know the roads here very well— relying solely on the signs in the city and the view from up in the air.
My movement halted and I landed on the ground. Thankfully, none of the bystanders in the plaza noticed me— they were too focused on the upcoming event on the plaza than me, who just appeared suddenly. I really didn't want to cause another ruckus.
I pushed my way towards the unending crowd to get to the front where the knights stationed are. "Excuse me," I said as I pushed through. Many let me through, but some refused and only stood still like they didn't hear me, some even glared at me— but eventually, I got to my destination.
"Uhh, I came here to participate in the exam," I said to the knight in front of me.
"Your papers please," The knight said.
Papers? Sir Laeroth gave me nothing!
I hurriedly patted my empty pockets to make sure, but there was nothing there. What should I do now?
My heart was pounding, and I was sweating bullets— as if I forgot something important. Although I'm a hundred percent sure I didn't miss anything, this nagging feeling inside my mind was making me anxious.
"Your pockets, again." A whisper sounded from the air, right behind me.
Sir Laeroth!
Something slipped in my back pocket, and I grabbed it immediately— a folded piece of paper was in my hands.
I gave it to the knight, and he unfolded and examined it. After a few seconds,
"Confirmed. Bell Cranell from the village of… Cuba? A survivor? Well then, good luck with the exam. Take this with you and head inside, just make sure not to lose it," He then proceeded to give me what seemed like a glowing round object, and opened one of the gates for me to enter.
Village of Cuba…? Ah, I just remembered. Miss Komiya told me that she'll make me a background story so I could blend in here. But what did the guard mean, a survivor…?
Following the guard's instructions, I took the object and put it in my pocket, and went through the opened gate where a huge number of people stood, possibly examinees like me.
Chatters filled the place, and there were a variety of people here of all races I'm familiar with— dwarves, demi-humans, amazoness, and humans. Barely any elves in sight though, maybe only one or two out of the hundreds I've seen in this area— and I stood amongst them all.
"Good job on getting here within the time, boy" A voice emerged from behind me, "Just stay where you are and act naturally. I can't have people noticing me. The chief of the knights chatting with an examinee, if found out, a huge ruckus will spread, and I'd like to avoid that."
It was Sir Laeroth, and he was still invisible behind me.
"But you're invisible right? How would they find out?"
"The generals are currently watching right now. If I make a sudden move, they'll notice for sure. Some might understand, but misunderstandings are bound to happen- especially with the newest general."
So we're currently being watched right now? But I feel no gazes towards us at all. Maybe it's the 'enchantment' thing Sir Laeroth used earlier. Still, being watched without any traces at all was scary, so I tried to act as naturally as possible.
"Why did you make me do such an unreasonable task? I caused a big ruckus on the streets earlier, and I had knights stopping me on every road. I was probably mistaken for a criminal." I said, switching the topic.
"It's not unreasonable at all, that's a basic skill you need to have when you become Miss Komiya's knight. And, those weren't knights, just enforcers. I dealt with them, so don't worry about it." He said.
Ahh, that's right. I was just here to build a reputation for Miss Komiya to pick me up as her personal knight, not to become an actual knight that serves the city.
"By the way, I think you probably know this, but refrain from using your magic in the exam. A mere mortal with magic is unheard of, and I don't want you burning the entire city."
It seemed like they still had the idea that my firebolt can incinerate everything in the vicinity. After seeing what I did in the forest, it wasn't surprising in the least.
But I chose not to tell them the truth. Even if I felt like I could trust them, I was still in an unknown land— I didn't know their motivations or plans, so having a secret up was beneficial for me in crucial situations. And, as the saying goes, An adventurer's status is their lifeline. If they had no idea or had the wrong idea about my magic and skills, the better it was for me.
"I understand. What does the exam consist of anyways, Sir Laeroth?"
"You'll know soon. I can't give details on it, as it changes every year. But this year's exam should be a bit tough, and I presume less than five examinees might pass."
"Less than five?!" I said, my voice rose and my head turned behind me in surprise.
"Ah!" After realizing what I've done, I jerked back to my original position, acting as if nothing happened. Thankfully, no one noticed from the surroundings.
"And I just told you to be careful of your actions. Those guys are definitely suspicious now. Act wary of your surroundings, like you feel something is watching you. Cover up what you've done." Sir Laeroth said.
"Sorry…" I muttered and acted like I was panicking— looking all over my surroundings in a frenzy.
After a while, I stopped and let out a sigh, a fake sigh of relief.
"Good work, you definitely fooled those idiots."
Acting paranoid sucked. I was stared at by different people thinking I'm crazy, and it was embarrassing. But I had to cover up my blunder for Sir Laeroth as well— his reputation was on the line after all.
"Uhh, Sir Laeroth? What did you mean, less than five would pass this exam? Is the exam really that hard?" I asked, going back to the original topic.
"Yes. Five is even too generous, usually less than that passed every year. It was the reason there aren't too many knights." He said, "Ever since Her Majesty rose to the top, she kicked a bunch of useless knights— and turned the previously simple knight exam that only needed knowledge and reputation into an exam where the examinees put their life on the line doing dangerous tasks."
Dangerous tasks? This is the first time I've heard of this! Just why do I get roped into messy situations all the time…
"By the way, Sir Laeroth, you mentioned dangerous tasks right? Do I need a weapon? Where's my knife?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, I don't have your knife with me. Her Majesty most likely took it. Don't worry, she'll return it soon."
"But…"
That knife was special to me. My Goddess had given it to me, and I went through all sorts of situations with it. And right now, it was the only thing remaining that reminded me of them, my familia. I couldn't afford to lose it. I just couldn't.
"That knife is special to you, right? I can tell by your expression. But please trust Her Majesty right now." He said.
"…okay." It was the only thing I could say, my shoulders drooping. The only thing I had remaining from my home— taken away.
"It's starting." Sir Laeroth said.
Dong
A deafening sound coming from the bell atop the monument rang all across the city.
My posture straightened up after hearing it. It wasn't just me, the people around me fell into silence immediately and froze whatever they were doing.
The exam was finally starting.
"For your next challenge, stand victorious in your first task on the exam— without a weapon."
"Huh…?" I said, wanting more explanations, but-
"Tilemetaforá"
A cold, familiar voice out of nowhere cut off the silence, and the entire area glowed, including me. The entire plaza became a sea of suns- light sparkling everywhere to the point that nothing could be seen but bright light.
"AGHHHHHHH!" Everyone in the plaza screamed, before disappearing one by one.
There was no pain, but it felt like it was tearing my body apart. I gritted my teeth and my arms hugged my body, trying to keep it together. Still, the tearing sensation didn't stop- even when I was the only one left in the plaza.
Resist, resist, resist! Keep it together!
Gazes were all over me, possibly from the bystanders- looking at me who was writhing all over. But I ignored them and continued to fight this sensation that jolted through my body.
"Stop resisting and give in— It won't do you harm. Trust me." A familiar voice behind me spoke.
Hearing the voice- I let go and gave in to the tearing sensation, the last thing I saw was a blinding light erupting to my eyes and the feeling of my body getting torn from every direction.
"Hey hey hey! Are you seeing this shit? This kid has guts! Resisting Her Majesty's chirin like that!" A dwarfess stood up from her seat- staring at the screen in front of her, "I'll bet on this kid! Put him in my division!"
The screen worked similarly to the Deity's Divine Mirror back in Orario- it allowed the user to view a certain place from somewhere far away. The only one who could use it was someone who could use a part of a God's power and had an idea of how it worked- A Blessed One.
However, it had drawbacks. Its range was finite, and it needed to be held with something to stay- mana. So it drained a ton of mana every second, and a normal person would deplete their reserves in a second attempting this chirin.
Her Majesty Komiya was the one who set it up for this occasion. Being a Blessed One, her mana reserves were insanely high— almost infinite. There were a huge amount of screens placed all over the city just for the people to be able to watch the upcoming event, and she could keep them all up for a month straight without rest.
"Interesting indeed," A man said, stroking his beard, "But calm down K'zalda, the exam hasn't started yet. Whether he'll pass is still unknown, and it's not up to us where the winners will end up being in."
"That right," A young man nodded, "Anyways, where the hell are those four at!? Do they intend to miss the event and keep Her Majesty waiting!?"
"How can you say that after seeing this! Resisting a chirin from Her Majesty herself- that monster who can wipe out an army in a blink of an eye? He's good as passed already!"
"Hey." The young man glared at the dwarfess, his aura freezing cold— filled with murderous intent, "Are you comparing Her Majesty to a monster? And are you implying that Her Majesty's chirin is so weak that a mere country boy could resist it? I'll gut your head right here."
"I meant that as a compliment, you dumb-headed fool. And you've seen it yourself right? That boy resisted it for more than twenty seconds, without using any chirin."
"That was Her Majesty showing restraint. If she used her full power, she could teleport an entire city to another realm, and no one would be able to resist."
"But can you resist her Tilemetaforá for that long? No, obviously you can't, not even us generals could. But that boy did it, so stop undermining his feat because of your jealousy, you fool."
"And how do you know that? Also, comparing us to that country peasant? Us, who was chosen by Chief Laeroth himself to sit on the table of the generals? What heresy, K'zalda. You seem to be asking for death right now."
"How do I know that? Weren't you the one who was muttering "She's divine" for days after losing to Her Majesty in a duel in a mere second? So don't get cocky, newcomer. I don't recognize you as a general yet, and you're a thousand years too young to even pick a fight with me, Zenta." K'zalda said, cracking her knuckles and letting out a murderous aura- one that would make even a knight faint just by seeing her.
But Zenta, although was new, was still a general. That level of intimidation didn't affect him the least and he simply gripped his sword on his waist, preparing for a fight.
"Stop. You two," The man who simply listened in silence said, "The exam is starting, and Her Majesty is waiting for us there. Feel free to try and kill each other after this event, but not now."
Hearing the man's words, both of the generals had dispersed their aura and returned to normal.
"Good point. I wouldn't want to make Her Majesty wait." Zenta said.
"Hmph, looks like your life is spared today," K'zalda said.
" " " Tilemetaforá " " "
The three generals said in unison before disappearing in a blink of an eye.
Their destination? To the place where Komiya stood atop, gazing down at the hundreds of people who stood confused. To the place where wild cheers and roars went rampant.
To the place where the first exam would be held.
The Colosseum.
#
A/N:
Hello there, thank you for reading the latest chapter of my fanfiction, Amidst an Unknown Land.
This chapter took so long to write, so I split it into parts. School really got my schedule messed up, and now I only had two hours a day to write and plan, which sucked. I mean, it took me a whole day of brainstorming to come up with how the entrance exam should go— two hours just isn't enough.
But don't worry, I already have an idea of how the next chapter would go, so expect a release within the weekends.
And, I updated the previous chapters as well. Most of them were minor grammar issues, but some I fixed the prose and cleaned up some plot holes. But I'm pretty sure there are still some plot holes and more would come out the more I post. Building a fantasy world from scratch is way harder than I thought, but it is really fun, so I'll keep going.
Once again, thank you, and see you again in the next chapter.
