Meeting With The Elder... And A Masked Girl?

"Why would the village elder want to meet with us?"

Wang Zihan said in a slightly suggestive and raised tone of voice.

The eldest twin scoffed and turned to face Yoru who was still standing beside Zhao Lina.

"The real question is why is the elder looking for a certain someone here hm?"

He said glancing at Zhao Lina who was reading the note given to her by the farmer boy.

Then he added, "the elder didn't mention a single name, but wrote very specific things about this certain person."

His eyes landed on Yoru who was looking back at him with a straight face.

The older twin smirked, staring back at him confidently like he was superior to this commoner.

The youngest twin walked down the stairs and smacked the table with his hands producing a loud thud.

" So? Gonna tell us the truth yet? Spill it!"

He growled at him as he pierced him with his determined gaze, Zhao Lina sighed and walked away from the two boys.

" I have told the truth, no lies were said. However, I do not know why the village elder is looking for me."

Yoru said with a bored tone as he turned to look at the young twin who's all up in his face trying to look big and scary.

The young twin smirked and slammed the table again, poking Yoru's chest.

" Wuss! Ms. Zhao, are you seriously asking THIS man to be your partner? "

He laughed and tore his gaze away from Yoru and walked away towards his older brother.

The three other commoners of Wang Zihan's group were much calmer now atleast as they chimed in.

" Other than the whole village elder thing... Did I actually hear correctly or did THE Zhao Lina actually ask HIM to be her partner? "

The two girls from Zhao Lina's group also chimed in, surprised looks on their faces.

" Ms. Zhao what does this mean???"

" Are... Are you really going to make him yo... Your..."

Zhao Lina gave them a long look and sighed, then responded:

"Are you criticizing my judgement?" She said coldly as she eyed the twins and that one other commoner.

She then turned to the two girls making them flinch and feel scared suddenly, however she softened her tone as much as she could.

" Not in whatever way you're thinking, he intrigues me and he looks like he'll be useful in the future, unlike most of you."

She said, turning to look at the twins and the commoners of Wang Zihan's group with a fierce gaze.

They too also flinched but played it off by rolling their eyes and walking back up the stairs.

Clap!

"Alright, alright, enough! Let's go get some rest, we've wasted some precious sleeping time and princess here probably needs her beauty sleep to be presentable."

Wang Zihan said cheerily.

* * *

Morning arrives and the chickens yell.

The birds chirp melodically and the early morning rustles of shops and people walking about.

Ten rooms were filled with a few rustling and them the doors flew open one by one.

The young youths were in new sets of clothes, though some didn't feel like wearing them or were grossed out, they had no choice as they would reek of sweat.

They then all made their way down to the dining hall where warm food awaited them.

Taking their seats at the tables, the innkeepers placed some other foods down for them.

It was a rather comfortable silence that filled the room.

That silence was broken by the farmer boy who was confused and asked, "Where did Yoru go?" While munching on some eggs and rice.

Indeed, where did he go?

Just as someone was about to guess, the innkeeper, the old man, came up to them and then chimed in:

"Looking for the young one? He's already had breakfast so, so early. He's by the garden, no need to worry."

The old man's words made them feel rather at ease for some reason, much more calmer than usual.

Even Zhao Lina, the young farmer, Roan, and Wang Zihan felt at ease.

Roan was surrounded by elderly while farming so he was used to it shouldn't he?

Wang Zihan's grandfather was the only one nice to him as a child, and Zhao Lina cares for the elderly and respects them.

Yet this stranger of an old man suddenly made their hearts warm.

I miss old gramps...

Grandfather, just you wait till I'm out of this trial!

He needs to rest more...

Everyone continued eating peacefully and then after that, they went to find their eleventh member.

.

.

They found their eleventh member, Yoru, who was meditating underneath a tree.

He was practicing Mana circulation and he was rather proficiently good at how he controls it's flow.

He was atleast just below the youngest twin in terms of skill and making it circulate naturally as his breathing.

Above the youngest twin were the two girls, then the older twin, then Wang Zihan and Zhao Lina.

The farmer didn't have the luxury to train himself with it since his family doesn't have the artifact, and as for the others they were below Yoru.

* * *

The eleven young youths arrived at the village Elder's not to big but also not too small, mansion and knocked on the gates.

The servants let them in and lead them into the large house, the furniture was well kept and clean, and each and every servant had a role to play.

They then arrived at the top floor and entered the elders office.

The Roan and the two girls who always accompanied him looked around the spacious room, along with the three commoners of Wang Zihan's group.

The twins sat by the couch facing the Elder, Wang Zihan and Zhao Lina sat on either side of the couch...

While Yoru...

Was sitting rather far from everyone else, his calm expression did not match the atmosphere that was becoming tense by the second.

His eyes landed on the elder but then changed to a masked figure by his side.

Long and smooth black hair and seems to be just a tiny bit shorter than him.

He does not recognize anyone out of the sixteen people who entered the trials who looked or match her description.

She didn't have a uniform of their school either.

After satiating their curiosity, Roan and the two girls sat down at a chair near a coffee table along with the three commoners.

Yoru was still far which is rather disrespectful since he was the one the elder was looking for, what's more is that he wasn't looking at the elder but the young girl beside him.

Seeing this, the elder let out a faint scoff and finally broke the silence.

"Shall we start with some introductions?"

He said with a hoarse voice as he swept the eleven youths with his gaze.

Then the young girl beside him also chimed in, speaking yet still facing towards Yoru.

"And after the introductions, we'll be asking some... Questions. And I... We'll, be expecting some truthful answers."

Finally turning away from Yoru, she also faced everyone else with a rather intense gaze despite her wearing a mask.

She was of the same age just like them, yet she was insanely creepy making eight out of the eleven shiver.