After Mya took Celia into her arms, she said, "I'll bring them to get something to eat. I'll take them back to your place after you've departed."Remy nodded and watched as Mya left with his younger siblings. He then spotted a shadow standing on Lake Solunar's drawbridge. Remy was smart and instantly figured out who that person was and why Mya pulled his siblings away from him.Walking over to the drawbridge, he asked, "You wanted to see me, sir?"Adrian turned around and gestured for Remy to come closer. As they stood side by side, he pointed at the stars and said, "Before my father died, he told me that if I looked up at the sky, I'd always be able to see him because he’d be the brightest star. Have you heard something similar before?"Remy nodded. "My mother said the same thing to me before she died. She said she'd turn into a star and watch over us.""Do you feel pressured?" Adrian asked. "I’m a bit of a mess since this is my first time playing the role of an older brother.
“She sounds like a great teacher," Adrian said. "Ms. Lucy is the person I respect most in this world. I wouldn't be here today if not for her.""Do you have a dream of your own?" Adrian asked. "I think so. The first dream I have is to become a man my siblings can be proud of, plus I want to be able to lead happy lives. The second is to rule the world and to show Ms. Lucy that I'm not a coward."Adrian smiled. "Your situation is similar to Jerome's, but you've got siblings by your side. Jerome, on the other hand, has lost even his only benefactor.""I heard about that. I've been paying attention to him since he became one of my strongest contenders in the selection," Remy answered honestly. "Who else is there aside from him?""Zack, Polaris, Sage, Juno, and about a dozen others. But in my opinion, Jerome's my biggest rival.""Do you think he's strong?"Remy nodded. "He's really strong, but he hides it well."Adrian smiled. "I'm glad to hear that you think that. Have you eve
The party soon ended, and Lake Solunar returned to its peaceful state. The candidates left on their respective planes after they were done cleaning up.***Adrian stayed in Songton over the next few days, while the candidates rested at their respective venues.A few days later, the second round of exams began throughout the six venues. Adrian was in his office early that morning when Mya suddenly barged in."Adrian, your apprentice has come all the way from Wyvern Peak to see you!""My apprentice?" Adrian was unable to recall who it was for a moment. A young man then walked in and said, "Long time no see, sir."Adrian instantly recognized the man and greeted, "Barry!"He had not thought about Barry because the latter had been working under Lucas for quite some time. Seeing his apprentice, he smiled and said, "It’s been a long time. Aren't you supposed to be with Lucas? What are you doing here?"Barry scratched his head and smiled. "I graduated from being Sir Lucas' subordinat
Shocked, Mya turned toward Adrian once more and said, "Doesn’t this mean the selection might be compromised? We’ll have to expect more surprises now…"While she was in deep thought, Adrian said, "I've been expecting this since a long time ago.""What?”Barry and Mya were stunned at Adrian's words.Mya said, "Are you serious? Since when? Why wasn't I aware of this?"Adrian honestly replied, "Nicholas Frost already called to warn me about Bashir the moment he noticed him. However, I haven't been able to come up with a counterplan against him.""Nicholas Frost?" Barry asked in confusion."Why? Do you know who that is?" Adrian became curious. "Are you referring to the guy who's been studying under the miracle doctor since he was little? I hear that he's at Bortugua or Tortuga or whatever. It's been so long since I've seen him."Mya's eyes widened. "You know Nicholas?"Barry held his hands in the air. "We grew up together, and I used to beat him up when we were little. Our surnam
Adrian continued sitting in his office. After a while, a staff member walked in and reported, "Sir, the written test is about to end, and Monarch Crystal called from Novemton. She wants you to decide where the next exam will be held."The written test served just to test the candidates' knowledge, while the battle test simulations were the main highlight.Adrian took a look at the schedule and asked, "What's the next test?""The six-way showdown, sir.” This showdown was where candidates from the six venues team up with the others from their respective venues in a six-way battle against the other venues. The main point of this test was to see how well the candidates operated as a team. The victors of this test would gain five points, the runner-up three points, and the second runner-up one point. Additionally, candidates who performed extraordinarily would be rewarded with an additional three points each.This was an important test as compared to the written test, so Adrian ponder
The man’s name was Ian Hoboken, an elder for two generations. Consequently, his words carried a lot of weight."The Dome was decommissioned because we did not have much spare cash lying around to maintain it. But it is a fact that The Dome is where we’ll be able to test our candidates' capabilities to the fullest during the selection, which is why I agree with War Legate Draco."For one, Novemton is now economically prosperous, so we have more than enough money to reopen The Dome. Secondly, times have changed, and so have our candidates. More than a thousand of them have already surpassed War Legate Draco in the written test, which proves just how capable they are."Thirdly, by placing the candidates in The Dome for the six-way showdown, we can tell how well they work with one another and determine who out of them is truly competent. Thus, I think War Legate Draco has the right idea."Ian made some solid points, but the others were still against the idea because they did not wish t
Adrian nodded in response.The candidates arrived that evening. The next morning, they all entered the main hall for the assembly. Adrian walked out with their results around nine.Looking at the candidates, he said, "I'm going to announce your results from the last exam before we discuss the six-way showdown." He began to announce their results. Unsurprisingly, Jerome and the others scored full marks. Kieran was also among those who scored full marks, so he was allowed to enter the next segment. Less than half of those who scored full marks in the first round were able to do the same for the second as the second round of questions had been difficult.All of this was within Adrian's expectations. After he was done announcing the results, he said, "You have eight days before the next test. I'm sure you're all wondering what this six-way showdown is and why it's now being held despite not being a thing before."I won’t go into details about it today. What I want you all to remember
Gale then gestured and said, "Please, sit.”When everyone was seated, he continued, "You will all have to work as a team during this next segment against the other five venues. The Dome is a complex place with all kinds of terrain, which is why you'll need to select a leader. A leader is necessary to make a team more efficient. You'll need to be in sync with each other if you wish to emerge victorious and put on a spectacular show."A few candidates stood up and agreed, "Sir Gale is right. We need a leader to lead us, and we'll listen to their every instruction.“It's our responsibility to listen to our leader's commands as a unit, but the person who leads us has to be someone capable as well."At that moment, a girl by the name of Luna Ingrid stood up and said, "I'd like to nominate Jerome as our leader. I think he's the most outstanding one among all of us, and he's capable of leading us."Jerome seemed a little surprised when he heard this, but the other candidates all stood up