◇ The interview [part 2](6)

"I cannot have of any description related to my situation?" I asked evenly.

"No. And neither is I going to give you any condition of their gratitude towards you." Oak Boogle grinned wider but then with a sudden pause he adds, "And please, the wife is not pregnant either."

To my weird savage readers this may seems easy since Vance Sherman does not have both mom and wife but that answer will straight out reject mesince it is too sassy and dumb. This question has nothing to do with my skills, they are simply testing my character and to whom I give the importance.

I groaned slightly in irritation. With calmer and chill tone voice I reply, "My mom"

"May I know the reason?"Old man questions sipping his cup filled with something greenish-brown.

"Its vey simple sir, I would never choose a woman who I owe nothing. A child owes his or her half life and his or her philosophy till the child matures at a certain age. And I hate to hold onto any debt even it is just from my mother." I answered.

To zero brain-cells people this may appear a very tough choice since they are only acknowledging the term mother and wife, but in reality, here mother meants person who you needed before to grow and wife to the person you now need to grow with. The answer was simple to me, since I do not like abandoning those who helped me in my hardships.

"Mister Sherman, how much you know about Blue Rock University" asked Marcreeta while penning something down on the blank red sheet infront of her.

"I know the way exams are taken, most basic rules of university and I also know a bit about the teaching method used here." I said with a slight hesitation; this question was new to me, what the heck is this for?

"You must know that BRU is dream of millions of students and it probably is yours too." Marcreet stated, as if trying t say get out to me.

"Yes."

"BRU is powerful, right?"

"Yes."

"It has right to accept the students on the terms it wants to?"

"Yes."

"So, what will you do if this university rejects you illegally not following its own terms and conditions?"

"Yes?" I blurted reflexively.

"You cannot frame us in court; we hold a good amount of connections with them too. You cannot protest because we can simply send police to keep you shut. You cannot either get any legal proof since the process of selection here is very diverse and random. You cannot take help from any other person both because BRU dominates between empires and you are poor. So, how do you plan to defend yourself?" she asks me, her pen just centimeters away from the red sheet in front of her.

This question may sound very difficult to those who have the selection in BRU as their only hope, but to me BRU is just a shortcut stair to my plans for future. I would not hesitate to go for a longer path if needed. I know I am poor but I am not hopeless or helpless.

"I won't do anything. If my current situation cannot give me justice then I will chose a path that will make me strong enough to give justice to myself. After all BRU is just a part of a wonderful world, not the whole world." I responded coolly.

"You are calling BRU small in front of their sub main heads?" intervenes the old man, Oak Boogle, with an eyebrow raise.

"Wrong, I am calling BRU small compared to the whole wonderful world the lord created for me." I corrected his misunderstanding. Marcreeta grins and pens something down on the red sheet.

Her smirk told me that I am doomed now, because now real questions will arrive from her side-even though I barely know that woman, I can already tell she enjoys suffering of students.

I stood confidently there ready for anything.

A maid appears out of the blue with three glass of red wine. She stops infront of me with tray with wine glasses in her hand, her head bowing down and her face covered with a white mask having few gold designs.

"There is poison in two of those glasses, pick wisely." Marcreeeta demanded, her chin resting on her hand.

"I do not drink wine." I informed.

"What else do you drink then?" she asked with raising a brow.

"Water, simple plain water." I responded, her expression telling me how pissed she actually is.

"How about fruit juice or lemonade?" she questions.

"No, I only eat fruits directly for their taste." I responded calmly, well knowing that if she puts poison in water, it will change its color which will be noticeable.

"Fine..." she sighs irritatingly-I know I annoyed her, but this is not the end for sure.... Her sighing made the maid disappear with that wine glass. She later comes back with a thick black ribbon.

"Wear it, on your eyes." Maecreeta orders me.

I stare at blind fold for a few moments. My hand reach out for its end, I carefully lift it up and place it infront of my eyes. My hands tie it behind my head loosely. Now I was in complete darkness... if anything I saw was just a pitch black view with no end nor start.

"One of us will fight to you, you must doge the attacks and if you can then you may attack too. But not a single attack must be a miss unless you will be rejected for the entrance exam." A female voice informed me, sounding like Marcreeta.

"Why this?" I muttered in a low whisper to myself.

"Your form says you come from Lime Town, that town does not have any kind of thing to light itself in night except lanterns but those lanterns which are not able to shine after five hours. So it must be easy for you to fight in dark." She said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"If you even manged to hit the swordsperson even once, you will be qualified for the entrance exam" Marcreeta stated.

Shit! If I knew that this would happen, I would have written my birthplace as Lizard fort instead. But I had no other choice...

I held the end of the black ribbon and tied it around my head tighter, covering my eyes. The blindfold clung to my perfectly making sure no light shall pass through it.

I took out my mini knife, the same knife I used to kill Rifle Dorman with. The little knife which was barely about my hand's size felt heavier than it should.

One hit-that's all I need. But if I swing and miss... game over.

"Begin"

The air shifted-fast. I ducked on instinct, and a blade sliced through the empty space where my head had just been.

Too close...

I stumbled back, gripping my knife tighter. My opponent's footsteps circled me, steady and patient. He was not rushing- no he was waiting for me to panic, for me to lash out blindly and screw myself over.

Not happening dear enemy for now.

I clenched my jaw. Each breath felt louder than it should have been. I forced myself to focus- not on sound, but one feeling. The air shifted with the movement; faint vibrations whispered my boots.

Step... step... pause...

Swish!

I twisted away just in time. The blade grazed my sleeve-cold steel kissing the fabric- and I stumbled back again.

He's fast... too fast for random guesses. If I mess up once, I am finished.

I need a plan. Fast.

He's circling... pausing before every strike. He's testing me. if he thinks I'm just dodging, he will get reckless.

I shifted my stance, loosening my grip on my knife just enough to make my movements clumsy-like I was tired, like I could not keep it up anymore.

Step... step... pause...

There it was.

I stumbled deliberately, dragging my foot like I had lost balance. The swordsman lunged-faster, harder than before.

Now!

I did not dodge this time- I lunged into him. His blade hissed past my side as I ducked low and drove my straight into his ribs-the flat of the blade, not the edge. The dull strike hit solid and the swordsman staggered back with a grunt.

"Hit confirmed" barked the old man voice.

I froze, the knife still in my grip.

"I...win?" I muttered, almost in disbelief. Last time I was badly defeated in a fight in the dark in one of my previous lives. But.... I won... this time.

The swordsman coughed out a dry laugh. "Lucky shot."

I smirked, finally relaxing my grip. "Let's call it that."

The blindfold loosened and slid from my face. I blinked hard as the world came back into my view. The swordsman infront of me was still scowling and rubbing his side; He looked like as if he swallowed a lemon.

As promised by that cruel witch Marcreeta, I was released and I already confirmed that I will be allowed for the entrance exam.

I was told that my real entrance exams will be taken after four months-and the expenses for my rent will be paid by the university.

Correct, if you all think the university is super hell rich. Even qualifying for its entrance exam gives a lot of benefits which is why some people just take the interview to be selected in the entrance exam and get free money since it offers free 500 gold crowns, 5000 silver crowns and 10,000 bronze camel for free just to be smart enough to qualify for giving entrance exam. And, yes I was given that right worthy amount of mine.

#BALANCE=

505 gold crowns

7,198 silver crowns

14,130 bronze camels

*+500 gold crowns +5000 silver crowns +10,000 camel crowns

I walked outside the interview building, glanced at the large line of waiters who were still waiting for their turn. It was around 6p.m. of night, the night was mercilessly chill and everyone was revising their script for introducing themselves-to be honest their preparation will go in drain since the questions are really random.

Out of blue a random man asks me about the questions I was asked in the interview-gosh he reminded me my school days when I would ask question of viva to my classmates whose turn were before me due to having smaller roll number.

A small smile tugged at the corners of lips, I honestly answered the man, "Questions are decided how you introduce yourself and some other details about you but none of them would be the same as mine so trust yourself."

He looked troubled by my answer but thanked me anyways.

My eyes darted to the surroundings infront of me; little kids were begging their mom to get them another piece of granny hair candy, some couples were comforting each other by rubbing their hand against each other for warmth since early winters were in motion, few birds shitted on a man and his wife who were kissing each other just a moment ago, a little boy was selling handmade bracelets-wait, children are not allowed to do that, not in capital for sure; this is termed as child laboring in constitution of the empire.

I walked to the child asking him about the reason for selling these.

"Brother this was a task assigned by the our school, they intended to teach children business by this activity." The little chubby boy explains.

"What? What is your school name?" I asked lowering my head to his height.

"It's called Blue Rock School A" He answered, then with an enthusiastic wide smile he offers me the bracelet, "Brother why don't you buy one of my bracelets, I will give it to you for the double of the original amount which will be 200 bronze camels and 2 silver crowns."

I hissed, I could not believe my ears that he just doubled the amount instead giving a discount.

"Gosh... this a very bad business strategy but I will buy one anyways."

"Give me one which gives off a...." I paused, thinking what kind of vibe I want from the bracelet. Then suddenly Naina's face flash before my eyes. She reminded me of a garden of daisies and dandelions, "A bracelet that gives off vibes like daisy and dandelion." I added.

"Ooh... are you in love brother?" the little chubby boy asked, his eyebrows raising and falling mischievously.

"Shut up and give me my bracelet." I yelled, my eyes slightly twitching.

The boy gave me a bracelet having a simple white flower in middle with a small shiny white ball in between and two twin green strips near it in a bit distance with few simple yellow circle patterns beside the strips.

#BALANCE=

505 gold crowns

7,196 silver crowns

13,930 bronze camels

*-200 bronze camels, -2 silver crowns

***

"This is a mess." I mumbled to myself as I stared at the bracelet in my hands.

The boy's words echoed in my ears lightly as I headed back to my home-was I in love? Do I actually love Naina-no. I was using her for my sake to reach those gods which Vance did somehow but I could not yet.

In the anime, Naina reached godhood easily compared to other characters plus she's the closest to me in this world which will make it easier for me to manipulate her but... do I even carry any pity for that child after reincarnating into this weird world for more than a hundred times?

I lost emotions for the people of this world when I fell into this loop. Everything feels like a mere play of a show and their emotions-acting. I feel like I am stuck in scene which keeps replaying and that stuck feel just makes me forget that those are emotion not the script that the god has set for them to play.

As I was busy in my thoughts blindly a sudden wave of push by someone makes me misbalance, I felt my weight lighter after the shock-I just got robbed!

#BALANCE = 000