Silver Crown City, Elven Merchant Association Apprentice Building, assessment room at the end of the third-floor corridor.
Elonore set down the guiding needle and took a step back.
On the fine steel plate before her, the complete framework of a first-tier defensive circuit stood clearly visible. Every line was clean and decisive, and the connections between nodes were seamless.
The examiner was a three-hundred-year-old elder elf. Wearing a monocle, he leaned close to the steel plate and studied it for a full two minutes.
He raised his head, glanced at Elonore, then looked down at the record board in his hand.
"Twelfth day since enrollment. Complete inscription of a first-tier defensive circuit. Zero mistakes."
He turned a page on the record board.
"The last apprentice to achieve this result took four months."
Elonore lowered her head, twisting her hands together before her, not daring to meet the examiner's eyes.
"I—I just practiced more diligently..."
The examiner removed his monocle, wiped it, and put it back on.
"I'll report your results. Go back and wait for notification."
Elonore gave a bow and hurried out of the assessment room.
Violet was waiting against the corridor wall. The moment she saw Elonore emerge, she crossed the distance in two strides.
"How did it go?"
"I passed. Zero mistakes."
A huge smile bloomed across Violet's face. She clapped both hands onto Elonore's shoulders with enough force to make the little elf stagger a step forward.
"Good! Wonderful! I told you my teaching methods were fine! Come on, I'll take you to claim your reward before the Grand Elder!"
Elonore was dragged downstairs by her, her steps struggling to keep up.
"Master, wait. There's something I want to tell you."
Violet stopped and turned back to look at her.
"What is it?"
Elonore bit her