At the edge of the universe, behind numerous nebulae, there existed a small galaxy that had no neighboring galaxies. it was so well hidden that no one in the larger universe was aware of its existence. interestingly, this galaxy was devoid of life except for one planet located in a system orbiting a white sun.
It was the ideal planet for human life among all the planets in the universe, and its inhabitants lived comfortably, unaware of the existence of any other life beyond their world. In fact, there was little scientific advancement on this planet, and the people were still in the Middle Ages.
In the Kingdom of the Sun, nestled at the foot of high mountains, there was a small village. The villagers earned their livelihood by mining a valuable material found beneath the mountains. This material was sought after by magicians throughout the kingdom for various magical purposes. In addition to its enchanting properties, the mysterious substance also possessed significant medicinal qualities, resulting in a high demand for it.
The villagers possessed a unique skill: they were the only ones who knew how to extract a valuable material from the earth and process it into its purest form. This material was crucial to the kingdom and the royal family, serving as the village's main source of income for many years. Most villagers had spent their entire lives there and had never traveled to other cities, but they had heard rumors that their material was being sold for high prices elsewhere.
Useless descriptions won't be helpful here, as the esteemed reader is likely to envision the scene in their own way. However, something quite special is happening in the village today, so let's pay attention.
"Today is the most important day of your lives, do you understand?" the teacher asked. "Yes!" was the enthusiastic response from all the children in the audience. "So, I'll explain for the last time," the teacher continued. "We will take you to several different experts. Each one will assess you and determine whether you're suited to learn their profession or not. Based on that, we will know which profession to assign to each of you."
Today was the most important day of the year, at least for the children. It was the day when all children between the ages of 12 and 15 discovered their future professions. This event was significant, and many boys prepared for it as thoroughly as possible because each year, two of the children would win the most prestigious profession in the kingdom: magic. Those who were selected would have the opportunity to study at the special magic academy in the capital.
On the other hand, the lowest profession in the village was that of a miner. While only the villagers possessed the skills to extract the special material, mining was considered menial work. Additionally, most of the profits went to the distillers rather than the miners, which discouraged anyone from seeking a mining job. However, three children—John, Liana, and Tom—were the exception.
These three came from families with a long lineage of miners, and for generations, no one had emerged from their families who was not a miner. Even their teacher did not expect any of them to pursue a career outside of mining.
"This ceremony is the most important event in the village," the teacher lectured enthusiastically, even though both he and the students knew he was just a fool who couldn't even become a miner, which was why he ended up teaching. Nonetheless, he maintained a serious expression as he continued, "I have had the honor of sending students to the ceremony for 20 years..."
He rambled on, and people's attention began to wane. Everyone felt stressed, especially those who had siblings pursuing prestigious professions like knights or magicians.
"Now," the teacher said, "we will go to a temple outside the village where the experts will be waiting to determine your professions." The group began to walk after their teacher, except for Tom, who stayed behind, seemingly lost in thought.
"Tom," Liana called out, "Tom, wake up! The teacher won't wait for us." Tom and Liana had been inseparable since birth, and you could say they were the best of friends.
"Okay," Tom replied, shaking off his thoughts and starting to move towards Liana when suddenly someone pushed him, causing him to fall to the floor.
"Maybe you should stop trying to get him involved all the time," John said as he pushed Tom. "Can't you see that no matter how hard you try, he doesn't change?" Unlike Liana, John and Tom were not the best of friends. In fact, John disliked Tom because he saw him as an obstacle between himself and Liana, the girl he loved. On the other hand, Tom had no fondness for John either, viewing him as a maniac.
Tom and Liana had only met John at school, where John quickly fell in love with Liana and attempted to drive a wedge between her and Tom. However, Tom did not have romantic feelings for Liana; she was simply a good friend. He could never understand John's motivations and often impatiently wished for John's misfortune, imagining a day when a cart would run over him.
Let's put aside the hatred and disgust they felt for each other for a moment. As they spoke, they arrived at the temple. This temple was the most prominent structure in the village, thanks to regular maintenance by priests from the capital city. Not every village received such care from the Order of the Golden Goddess, but this village was considered very important, so the kingdom wanted to ensure it was well cared for.
The children entered the temple, where a variety of experts awaited them, including a local mining specialist and a qualified magician from the capital. Additionally, an important nun had traveled from the great monastery dedicated to the revered god worshiped throughout the kingdom. Her purpose was to bless all the children, wishing for their health and asking the goddess to grant them her strength and protection.
No one really believed the dubious actions of the priests during these ceremonies. With all due respect to them, the priest at every professional event was often the most questionable presence in the room. There would always be some older man who seemed to enjoy harassing the children, causing them trauma. It's no wonder that the number of believers dropped drastically. Additionally, in these ceremonies, the priest was often referred to as "the seeker," which would raise eyebrows among the children.
However, this time the nun was different. She was young, with very long, light golden hair, and strikingly beautiful. Tom found it strange that such a young woman held a position like hers.
The monastery was arranged in such a way that, in the center of the main room, there were the experts and the children, while the adults of the village stood around them at a distance. Most of these adults appeared eager to escape the overwhelming boredom of the ceremony.
"Alright, children, you can stand wherever you want. The important thing is to maintain order; each of you should be with one of the experts," the teacher shouted, hurrying them along as he wanted everything to go smoothly. The children quickly split up and approached the various experts. From Tom's perspective, this was one of the most boring events he had ever attended. Unlike the others, he felt no interest in what was happening. Coming from a family of miners who ran a large mine, he found that being a miner was quite profitable. Even his friends Liana and John were curious about the different activities.
One thing did catch Tom's eye—a crystal ball that a nun was holding, allowing the children to touch it. No one understood how the ball worked, but everyone was aware that it gave the priest on duty a final confirmation of each child's condition. Every time someone touched it, the ball glowed with a faint red light. It looked intriguing, and Tom wanted to check it out. Just as he was about to approach, he heard a voice calling out to him from one of the adults in the room.
"Psst, hey kid, come here." Tom walked over and found a young man with black hair and fair skin standing in front of him. "Listen, kid, do yourself and the universe a favor: don't touch that ball. It won't do you any good."
What does this ball do?" Tom asked, deciding for some reason to trust this strange man.
"If you want to know," the man replied as he began to turn around, "you'll have to search a bit for the answer. But I'll give you a hint: only you and the nun can see the light coming from the ball." With that, the man finished speaking and left the temple.
Tom stayed where he was, continuing to observe the other students.
Tom understood that the crystal ball classified everyone into their appropriate professions, but he couldn't figure out how the nun discerned each person's profession just by observing a faint and pale color. He wasn't even convinced it was a crystal ball. In any case, he avoided touching it, and surprisingly, no one asked him to do so either.
All the children passed by the ball. Some received desirable professions, while others got less prestigious ones, but most seemed satisfied with their assignments.
The last ones to approach the ball were John and Liana. John was very excited and wanted to impress Liana, hoping to receive an important profession. When he touched the ball, it glowed with a brilliant golden light. And as the mysterious man said, only Tom and the nun saw it; even John was oblivious to the golden glow. The nun was taken aback, but she quickly composed herself, and a wide smile spread across her face. She instructed John to wait and hurried down to the Royal Knights messenger, who had come to scout for anyone suitable for the Royal Order—a rare event that occurred only once a decade. She whispered something in his ear, and the messenger's expression turned excited. He nodded and whispered something back to her before she rushed back to check on Liana.
"What happened?" Lyanna asked John. "Why did she leave so suddenly?" John, stressed by the possibility that he had messed up, stammered and struggled to provide a clear answer. He was unsure of what had actually occurred. Lyanna sighed, thinking to herself that he was just an idiot, and then headed to the ball.
As soon as Lyanna touched the ball, Tom's eyes widened in disbelief. The ball glowed with a brilliant white light, and a beautiful woman emerged from it. She floated in the air, her long golden hair cascading down around her. She didn't appear to be completely human; her allure was almost otherworldly. To Tom, she seemed like an illusion. She embraced Lyanna again, and while it seemed that no one else witnessed this extraordinary sight, Lyanna felt a gentle warmth enveloping her. The entire encounter lasted exactly five seconds but left a profound impression on Tom—and not just him.
The nun stood there with her mouth agape, garnering the attention of others who began to whisper suspicions about her, comparing her to the questionable priests. Realizing the scene was drawing attention, she quickly approached the magician, speaking to him in hushed tones. He frowned slightly but nodded in response.
After that, everything continued as usual until it was all over, and the children gathered outside. The teacher handed each of them a note indicating their future profession. Tom received a note that stated he would become a miner. Before everyone went home, the teacher called everyone together to share an important announcement.
"I haven't received my note yet," Liana said to Tom. "And neither has John. I hope nothing bad happened." Tom, who had read enough fictional stories in his life, understood where the plot might be headed and reassured her, "Don't worry; everything will be fine."
The teacher stood in front of the students and called Liana and John to join him. As they stood beside him, their feelings were unclear. The teacher then announced, "Liana and John have truly impressed the magician, the royal knight, and even the nun. This is a great honor that our village hasn't seen in many years. Liana has been accepted into the Golden Tower of Magic, and John has been accepted into the Royal Order of Knights. According to the nun, nothing like this has happened in a long, long time."
The students began talking excitedly among themselves about the privilege they had of being in such a unique position. As they chatted, the nun stood beside the teacher and said to John and Liana, "John and Liana, I would be delighted if you would come with me to the capital right now. Your potential is immense, and it's a shame you aren't starting your studies immediately. We will speak to your families and explain the situation to them."
John and Liana were so excited that they could hardly speak. They simply followed the nun, their faces beaming. The nun placed them in a luxurious carriage, accompanied by the knight and the wizard. Amid all the commotion, Tom felt a sense of failure, even though he understood that Liana was about to receive an important opportunity. The white glow surrounding the moment seemed almost miraculous. Liana was still a very good friend, and apart from her, he had no other close friends. Seeing her leave without getting a chance to say goodbye was frustrating.
Tom tried to get closer to the cart, but the guards prevented him from approaching it. "Child, it is forbidden for commoners to approach the cart without permission. Stay away." From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of John and Liana, who were excitedly talking with the nun and the guides. After a moment of reflection, Tom concluded that as long as Liana was happy, he could be happy too. He calmed himself and returned to the village.