The Test Begins (Part One)

The morning mist had yet to disperse completely, but White Square in front of the Radiant Church in West City had already become a sea of people.

The enormous White Square spread outward around a spire that towered into the clouds, its smooth white paving stones gleaming coldly in the morning light. At that moment, however, this square symbolizing holiness and purity was occupied by two distinctly separate streams of people.

The front half of the square, closest to the church's main entrance and occupying the best position, was nothing short of a moving exhibition of luxury. Magnificent carriages adorned with family crests stood one after another, almost enclosing the square's edges in a mobile wall. The horses were splendid, the drivers stood solemnly, and servants abounded. Everyone stepping out of those carriages, young or old, male or female, wore immaculate clothing made from fine fabrics. The men's formal attire was crisp, the women's long skirts trailed gracefully, and their jewelry sparkled dazzlingly in the morning light. They greeted one another with familiar ease, forming social circles large and small. Conversation, laughter, exchanged pleasantries, and even the deliberately hushed play of children wove together into a backdrop belonging to the privileged class. The air carried a blend of expensive perfume, hair oil from carefully groomed heads, and fine leather.

The rear half of the square and its fringes presented a different scene. The people here dressed far more plainly, mostly in sturdy hemp or coarse cotton clothes, washed pale but clean and neat. Among them were dark-faced farmers with rough hands, travel-worn petty merchants, mercenaries wearing well-used leather armor, and families of minor country gentry whose respectable but ordinary fabrics and provincial reserve were readily apparent. Most waited in silence. Parents held their children's hands tightly, their eyes filled with earnest hope and anxiety they could hardly conceal.

Two invisible boundaries stretched across the square. At the edges of the noble circles, attendants and guards in crisp uniforms formed something like human walls, subtly blocking the gazes and approaches of those behind them. The nobles, too, occasionally swept their eyes over that "gray" mass at the rear with undisguised superiority and faint mockery.

"Look over there... Still so many people coming from the countryside to try their luck this year."

"Hah, a testing fee of ten gold coins. They must have saved for years, haven't they? Do they really think magical talent is cabbage growing in a field, something anyone can have?"

"Exactly. Magic is the art of the noble. It requires heritage and deep foundations. These peasants... They're just here to make up the numbers and waste the temple officials' time."

Like the buzzing of gnats, scattered murmurs drifted through the noble circles, laden with cold distance and arrogance.

Linley and Hillman stood near the front of the commoners' section. As Linley looked at the elegantly dressed crowd and the throng of horses and carriages ahead, Hillman said, "Linley, don't bother with them. They're just a bunch of clowns."

After so many years of Hogg's teaching, Linley paid these nobles of the kingdom no mind at all.

"Don't worry, Uncle Hillman."

At that, Hillman's lips curved into a faintly mocking smile. He patted Linley's shoulder, his voice steady and strong. "Linley, remember this. Here in White Square, before magical talent, a noble title is one of the most worthless things there is." He paused, sweeping his gaze over those magnificent carriages. "Do you know Ernst Institute, the continent's foremost magic academy? Any mage who graduates from there, even a commoner by birth, can easily obtain the title of earl and an honored position in any kingdom."

"An earl of a kingdom?" Linley was somewhat surprised.

"Yes. But a kingdom's titles can't compare with those of the Four Great Empires." Hillman lowered his voice as he explained some basic facts about the continent to Linley. "The Holy Union may seem powerful, but in reality, it has to unite numerous kingdoms just to barely contend with any one of the Four Great Empires. Our Fenlai Kingdom is merely one member of the union."

He shifted the subject back to the matter at hand. "The path of magic truly is paved with gold. This test alone costs ten gold coins, and that's only the price of getting your foot in the door. The real expenses come afterward-any proper magic academy charges at least several hundred gold coins in tuition every year. Add the costs of living and studying, buying magical materials, staves, scrolls, and books, and it becomes an astronomical sum for an ordinary family." Hillman's gaze passed over the commoner parents around them, their faces tense and hopeful, and an almost imperceptible sigh entered his voice. "The sole exception is Ernst Institute. As the continent's foremost magic academy, it accepts only true geniuses, admitting very few people each year. But once accepted, students from within the Holy Union pay no tuition at all."

Linley nodded silently, committing Uncle Hillman's words to memory. He rose onto his toes and scanned the increasingly crowded throng, searching for that familiar tall figure. "Why isn't Loa here yet? The test's about to start, isn't it?"

Meanwhile, in the little courtyard in Cast Iron Alley.

Loa awoke from a deep sleep to bright daylight outside his window. While drinking with an old acquaintance after their reunion the previous night, he had deliberately refrained from using Battle-qi to dispel the alcohol, enjoying the long-missed sensation of relaxing into a deep sleep while slightly tipsy. Now awake, he briefly circulated the dense, substantial Weapon Combat Battle-qi within his dantian. As it completed its circuit, warmth spread faintly through his limbs and body, instantly burning away the remaining traces of fatigue and alcohol. He felt refreshed and full of energy.

He got up and went into the shop to look around. Bob's bed was empty; clearly, he had enjoyed himself so much at Bishui Paradise last night that he had yet to return. Loa shook his head with a chuckle and thought nothing more of it. He washed briefly with well water, changed into his relatively neat set of clothes, and secured his money pouch close to his body. Besides loose change, it contained the ten gold coins he had specifically prepared for the test.

Judging the time, the test should be starting soon. He delayed no longer, locked the shop door, and strode swiftly toward the church square in the west of the city. A Rank 4 Warrior could already cover ground quickly. He did not run at full speed, merely threading through streets and alleys with steady strides far faster than an ordinary person's, the cool autumn morning air rushing against his face.

The closer he came to the west of the city, the denser the crowds grew. Many were heading in the same direction: nobles sitting in carriages with reserved expressions, commoners traveling on foot with hopeful faces. Loa wove nimbly and easily through the flow, and soon caught sight of the enormous White Square and the dense mass of people covering it.

Rather than immediately squeeze his way inside, he first stopped on slightly higher ground along the perimeter, his keen gaze sweeping across the square like a hawk's. The splendid bustle of the noble section contrasted sharply with the tense silence of the commoners' section. Before long, his eyes settled on two familiar figures at the front of the commoners' section. Even from a distance, Hillman's pine-straight stance and Linley's somewhat lean but upright back were enough for him to recognize them.

With his destination clear, Loa hesitated no longer. He drew a deep breath and began to "squeeze" toward them like a fish swimming upstream. He did not shove roughly, but a Rank 4 Warrior's precise bodily control allowed him to find even the smallest gaps in the crowd and slip into them with steady, determined steps. Those whose places he "borrowed" often felt only a gentle yet irresistible force guiding them slightly aside. By the time they turned around, all they saw was a tall, straight back already slipping forward. They could only mutter to themselves; no one dared actually speak up to stop him. The composure and faint sense of strength emanating from that figure made them instinctively reluctant to provoke him.

Linley was anxiously looking around when he suddenly heard a slight disturbance behind him to one side. Then a large, warm, strong hand landed on his shoulder. He turned in delighted surprise and met Loa's smiling eyes.

"Loa! You finally made it!" Linley breathed a sigh of relief and pointed ahead. "Look, it's almost starting!"

Loa nodded to Hillman in greeting. "Uncle Hillman."

Hillman looked him up and down. Seeing him full of energy and clear-eyed, he nodded. "Good. You're just in time."

Just then, the church's enormous, heavy, gold-trimmed white doors slowly swung open to either side with the low rumble of turning hinges. The dim light within made the entrance seem all the more solemn and sacred.

Two lines of heavily armored knights filed out through the doors with perfectly synchronized, immensely heavy steps. They wore silver full plate and closed helmets, and carried halberds shimmering with a faint holy light. They took their places on either side of the entrance. Like cold metal statues, they stood in solemn silence, yet radiated a chilling air of deadly severity and authority that instantly quelled every sound in the square.

Immediately afterward, a middle-aged cleric slowly emerged, wearing a black robe embroidered with intricate golden holy runes. His face was solemn, his eyes calm yet carrying unquestionable authority as he surveyed the now-silent crowd.

"Everyone," the cleric said. His voice was not particularly loud, yet it reached every corner of the square clearly; evidently, he was using some sort of sound-amplifying magic. "The Holy Union's magic testing will begin shortly. The various magic academies are already in position. This year's magical aptitude test is about to begin."

A slight stir passed through the crowd, and countless gazes instantly focused on the cleric.

"All children who meet the age requirements and intend to take the test, please have your testing fee ready and form orderly lines to enter." The cleric's voice remained even. "Parents, relatives, and friends may line up and wait at the other entrance. You may enter as well to watch the testing process."

As soon as he finished speaking, the church deacons and guards who had long been waiting nearby began directing the crowd.

"Let's go!" Linley took a deep breath, a flame of fighting spirit kindling in his eyes. He carefully handed Bebe, who was sleeping drowsily in his arms, to Hillman. "Uncle Hillman, please look after Bebe."

Hillman took Bebe and patted Linley's shoulder, then looked at Loa. "Both of you, be careful once you're inside and follow the instructions. Whatever the result, do your best."

Loa and Linley nodded together.

The two joined the stream of youngsters beginning to move forward and followed the directions toward those open doors, which led to unknown fates and possibilities. Behind them were Hillman's watching eyes and countless gazes from across the square, filled with hope, anxiety, anticipation, and prayer.

The white spire cast a long shadow in the morning light, shrouding the square where the futures of countless youngsters were about to be decided.

The test officially began.