"I thought you had other business?" Freon whispered to Solis.
"I do, but I'm curious about the Ten Dawn's examination. I've never seen it myself."
"I don't think it'll be interesting though. Suit yourself."
Their conversation was cut short when the examiner arrived. It was a tall man with long blond hair in a ponytail. He wore a simple, yet fashionable set of clothes. According to him, he was not someone with a high Core Level. He was barely a Medium Gaseous Fog. This was contrary to what Freon would have expected, because how could he judge the qualifications of a Ten Dawn candidate without being relative to one? It was like getting a random person to judge the value of an antique. There was little chance they would be accurate. With questions swirling in Freon's head, the man gave everyone a bright smile.
"Lord Kel, Lady Vivian, I apologize for the wait. I believe there are three candidates today? What a surprise! Normally, we wouldn't get one in a whole year. Lady Solis, you are…"
"Spectating."
"I see. Then please follow me. The first test will be a test of your Core Level. As you might have heard, we agreed to lower the requirements to Half-Condensed Drop this year. If you can reach this standard, then you pass."
They went to a large empty hall on the twenty-first floor. This was where the Ten Dawns would usually practice or experiment on new spells, so the floor, walls, and doors were reinforced with metal. Of course, they were prohibited from using any truly powerful spells, since they could easily destroy the entire building. It was mainly used for small-scale spells, which was perfect for the exam. Before beginning, the man asked what everyone's main and sub fields were. A main field referred to their most proficient type of spell. In other words, it was their highest Attainment Stage. Their sub fields were the types of spells they were less proficient with, but still confident in casting, particularly in battle. These would be helpful in determining their best partner as a Ten Dawn.
Lord Kel was the first to declare, "Main field is light. Sub fields are energy and enhancement."
"Two sub fields. As expected of the Lanark Family's most promising scion," the examiner praised.
"My main field is water. Sub field is darkness," Lady Vivian said.
"Water and darkness… Are you following in the footsteps of your mother?" He was talking about Ten Dawn Yvonne Malkhorn, who was widely regarded as the strongest Ten Dawn and the closest to Medium Condensed Drop.
"Something like that," the girl replied vaguely.
He nodded and turned to Freon. "And what about you?"
Freon was not a fool. Although the examiner behaved formally with a smile, he never addressed Freon directly. The contempt in his gaze and words was obvious. Freon did not take it to heart. This was not the first time someone looked down at him, and certainly not the last. He replied calmly, "My main field is fire, and my sub field is enhancement."
"I see. I see. Now then, let's test your Core Levels-"
"About that, I have a suggestion," Lord Kel interrupted.
"Oh, what might that be?"
"Let's skip the bothersome tests and do this instead. A Ten Dawn is supposed to be the spear of the Zino Kingdom. Strength is king. In that case, we should have a mock battle. Whoever wins becomes the next Ten Dawn. Short and simple."
"That…" the examiner hesitated.
"I agree. We don't have much time to spare on this. We're very busy people," Lady Vivian asserted. "We don't need to do solo battles. We should do a team battle, two versus two. Ten Dawns typically work in teams of two anyways. That makes the most sense."
"I… Alright." The man succumbed to the pressure and agreed.
Lord Kel clapped. "Good. About the teams, since we have the famous Ash Bringer with us today, why don't I and Vivian fight against him?"
"Hold on. I didn't agree to anything yet," Freon scowled.
"The examiner already agreed to a team battle, so if you're declining, you're forfeiting your chance to become a Ten Dawn. Why hide? I want to see what our kingdom's most famous war hero can do," the short boy retorted.
"A Ten Dawn should be courageous, willing to brave any challenge, and surpass everyone else. What good is a Ten Dawn who hesitates on the slightest obstacle? They would shame the Zino Kingdom. I suggest permanently banning him from applying to be a Ten Dawn again," Lady Vivian added. Despite her previous friendly personality, this was a brutal move that cut every path off. She was forcing Freon to decide now: fight them or give up forever!
Freon narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I see… This isn't about the test. This is about the war. You're upset that I managed to overshadow you, the two most promising young scions of the Engelsheft Families, and you want to use this opportunity to knock me down a leg, to prove that you're superior. And you wish to do that by… teaming up on me? Remind me… Who's the real coward here?"
"Cut the crap. Do you dare or not?" Lord Kel demanded. He did not bother to hide the pure hatred in his voice. Apparently, Freon had guessed correctly.
"And you agree to this?" Freon looked to the examiner for confirmation.
"I doubt he would disagree," Lady Vivian chuckled. "My cousin and I represent both the Lanark and Winhelm Engelsheft Families. Our grandparents are the First and Second Sages. Some things don't need to be said, right?"
"A Ten Dawn should be strong. I don't see a problem. Do you accept or not?" the examiner questioned. From the looks of it, he must have judged it better to side with the two Engelsheft instead, which was predictable.
Although they taunted him, Freon did not fall to their provocations. He thought about it calmly. Yes, he was an accomplished Arcanist with Low Condensed Drop, double-casting, and a Bloodline Ability. Furthermore, he had plentiful experience fighting his way through a battlefield and even killing hundreds of people. He could be considered strong! However, that did not cloud his mind. Lord Kel Lanark, Lady Vivian Malkhorn… These two were once-in-a-generation prodigies, heirs to the greatest Engelsheft Families today. They carved their way to Low Condensed Drop and likely unlocked their Bloodline Abilities. They could not be underestimated, especially when they fought together. Who knew what they had prepared for him? He hesitated on what to do.
Lady Solis stepped up then. "Since you want a team battle, you won't mind if I help him, right?"
"I don't mind. We needed someone to balance the teams anyways," Lord Kel said casually. "We wouldn't want to be accused of beating someone unfairly."
"You don't have to do this. This is my battle," Freon said.
"Are you worried about me?" She smiled. "Don't worry. I'll show you how the princess of the Welgen Family fights."
Freon sighed. "Fine, I accept the challenge."
At the same time, Nassandra was quietly sitting in her office upstairs, unaware of the situation unfolding below. Her daily routine as a Ten Dawn was quite simple. She was supposed to practice her spells, collaborate with her partner, and push for a higher Core Level. Like Lord Kel said, a Ten Dawn was meant to be the spear of the kingdom, so power was their primary pursuit. Everything else was secondary. The true administration of the kingdom, such as trade, military, and research, was handled by the Ten Auroras, the other half of the Celestial Council. They were the equivalent of the Masters in the Alzar Kingdom's Royal Assembly or the Ministers in the Xingyuu Empire's Imperial Council. For the Ten Dawns, they were summoned only if there was a large-scale conflict that the local guards could not handle. The Second Great Kingdom War was an obvious example. Aside from the few meetings and public appearances, there was not much to do. This was especially the case, since Nassandra had lost her partner.
However, she was not doing nothing. She was reviewing all the spells she knew to figure out her current strengths and weaknesses. She wanted to create the foundation for her very own combat system! Anyone who knew her would have been shocked, since they knew how opposed she was to train and fight. She was a child after all. Not to mention, there were protective people like Ten Dawn Rosemary who warded away any pressure. This gave Nassandra a unique position in the Ten Dawns, where she was seen more as a symbol than a real weapon. Until the war happened, that is. Despite that, Nassandra was seriously researching her spells now. She was determined to become stronger and help her brother! Ever since she became a Ten Dawn, her strength had stagnated. Yet, it was finally beginning to move again. The youngest Ten Dawn would reveal her talent once more!