Chapter 14 - Entrance Exam (3)

The parents were quickly led to the side of the arena where various sittings were available.

"Good luck." Hendrick left after tapping Shin upon the shoulders as he quickly caught up to Baron Marep.

There was still a form of discrimination within these sittings as well. The nobles were sitting in noticeably more comfortable areas whereas the merchants and other commoners sat under the sun with no cover.

However the merchant families seemed to have expected this as they brought their own parasols and sun covers which they gladly shared with others who didn't have a cover above their heads as well.

For a small fee of course.

Rodrick frowned at this sight for a moment before continuing his speech.

"All contestants will be first checked for age and then one area of their bodily enhancements at a time. Once All those over the age of 18 and at the cannot apply for the Royal Academy. You are, however, applicable to train as a squire under a knight. You may apply for that in the knight's guild within the Kingdom."

A few people, whose faces had been grim at the age restriction, gained new faces of hope after hearing about becoming a squire.

"Also, warriors at the weaponmaster level or above are not allowed as well. I'm sure you understand the reason why but one of the main reasons why I attend the ceremony every year is to prevent such powerhouses from entering the academy. A weaponmaster powerhouse joining a school for iniates and meisters... Unless they have an issue with their head, they're lilkly a spy."

People chuckled at these words but didn't seem to mind it as much.

Though Rodrick did speak of spies, it was very rare to see such daring moves.

They were in the central area of the empire's capital. A spy who was able to infiltrate this far will definitly not just be at the weaponmaster level.

"All examinees please make your way to the left where you'll have a bone age test first. Aftewards, you may freely join any of the three body enhancement area tests. Once you have recieved marks from all 3 areas, you may come up here to sign up." Rodrick concluded as he backed up and sat down before a small table.

Shin quickly made his way to the age testing area where 5 different examiners stood before a small mechanism as the examinees went up one by one to get their age tested.

It didn't take long for Shin's turn to come around as he walked up to the examiner on the left.

The examiner raised an eyebrow at Shin before sighing. "Please come stand here. I don't know why it's mandatory for kids like you who are clearly under the age limit but please do understand I'm just following the protocols. You'll feel a small prick"

"It's okay, I undertand." Shin replied as he stood upon the mechanism as a few needles came out and poked into his legs before quickly retracting back. A green light appears upon the mechanism as around half of the gauge had lit up.

"Under the age of 18... Under 10 actually. Go on, you pass. Next." The examiner gave him a small ticket as Shin walked past the man and headed onto the bone testing area.

Another examiner, a man who was exuding a mystical aura. stood before a large orb as examinees placed their hand upon the surface of the orb one by one. A strange energy, similar to the one Shin saw when he tested his own bones with the small orbs Hendrick had given him, seemed to be flowing through their surroundings as the examiner checked them one by one.

Shin then walked up and placed his hand upon the orb. A bright orange-yellow glow bursted out from the orb before swirling around Shin like a tornado before quickly dissipating.

The examiner, in shock, stared at Shin for a moment before quickly handing him an orange ticket with the words 'Bone' written on them before speaking. "What's your name?"

"Shin Silverwing."

"Ah... Silverwing... Alright go on." The examiner seemed to think for a moment before resuming his duties after waving Shin off.

Shin then quickly got his muscles tested which gave a similar shock to the examiner before recieving another orange ticket before he realized something.

'The meister level divides the gas of the 3 tiers into red, orange and yellow... Though it's likely that everyone here is at most an iniate, they are using the color system to judge our body enhancement levels...'

And orange was for the 2nd tier.

'Does that mean the yellow glow from earlier means I'm almost at the 3rd tier for bone?'

Shin walked to the blood testing area slowly in thought before bumping into someone by accident.

Shila, the person Shin had bumped into, glared at him for a moment before quickly turning back and walking off.

It seems the shock from earlier had rattled her enough to not 'annoy' Shin any further.

Shin approached the examiner who noticed him before simply handing him a red ticket.

"Huh?" Shin looked up at the man in confusion.

"It's under Duke Allflame's orders. We know you have reached the limits of blood as an initate already so you may just go ahead." The burly man smiled before tending to the other examinees as Shin slowly walked away.

Shin turned and looked towards the podium where Hendrick waved and smiled at him.

However, the duke was nowhere to be found.

Shin's head tilted in confusion once again but he brushed it off as he walked up to the podium before standing before Rodrick.

"Hello, it's an honor to me-"

Boom!

A giant explosion occured from the left as Shin quickly turned to see the age-testing area having half blown apart.

Rodrick and the other examiners quickly stood up before shouting. "Enemy attack! All examinees head towards seatings!"

Shin, however, was frozen on the spot as he stared at the man who walked out from the age testing area.

It was a pale man whose eyes couldn't be seen due to a robe. He stood around the various corpses as his gaze was locked onto Shin.

"Threat...Eliminate..." The man murmured.

"Insolent!" Rodrick shouted out "Everyone! Stabilize the situation and check for other intruders!"

The other examiners quickly spread apart onto the various areas of the arena.

Whoosh!

Rodrick then exploded into a ball of flames.