Minerva: "This is getting more interesting than I expected."
Next to Mariana was a table on which lay a wooden board with a list of names.
The names of the 150 people who had succeeded.
And she pronounced the first name:
Mariana: "Frederic Hydra!"
Frédérique Hydra was called by a clear voice that echoed throughout the arena.
The blond young man jumped slightly before offering a nervous smile and stepping forward under the gaze of the 149 other contestants.
Minerva immediately recognized his silhouette.
Minerva: "It's him... the boy who was joking around during the race."
It was the same boy who had been cracking jokes while he was running.
Frédérique stopped in front of Mariana and the purple crystal ball, visibly impressed by its size.
He scratched the back of his head before speaking.
Frédérique: "Um... what exactly do I have to do?"
Mariana gave him a calm, almost benevolent look, a stark contrast to the overwhelming pressure of the situation.
Mariana: "It's very simple."
"Place your hand on the crystal ball."
"Nothing more."
She then indicated a stone table placed beside her, on which lay several blank sheets of paper and an enchanted quill.
Mariana: "Once contact is established, the crystal will analyze your potential."
"The results will appear as magical writing on a sheet of paper."
"Your rank, your elemental affinity, and whether you receive a blessing, a curse… or nothing."
Frédérique swallowed hard.
Frédérique: "And… is this private?"
A brief silence fell over the makeshift bleachers.
Mariana slowly shook her head.
Mariana: "No."
"For the sake of fairness, everything will be public."
"Here, no one has the right to hide their abilities."
"You will learn to fight, but also to live with the gaze of others."
A murmur immediately rippled through the ranks.
Some seemed excited, others deeply worried.
Minerva felt a tightness in her chest.
Minerva: 'Everyone will know… absolutely everything.'
Roy, beside her, clenched his fists, his eyes never leaving Frédérique.
Roy: "This makes things more serious than I thought…."
Mariana took a step back and inclined her head slightly.
Mariana: "You may begin, Frédérique Hydra.' "
Fraderique: ".... Okay."
The young man took a deep breath, then slowly placed his hand against the smooth surface of the violet crystal.
Immediately, an intense light pulsed from the heart of the sphere, casting shimmering reflections onto the arena walls.
The runes engraved on the ground lit up one by one.
The enchanted quill began to write on its own across the blank page.
Silence fell completely.
The letters ceased to glow, and the magical writing solidified permanently on a sheet of paper:
Rank: Average
Element: Earth
Blessing or Curse: None
Frederique: "Oh."
A slight murmur rippled through the arena.
Frederique blinked, then let out a slightly forced laugh.
Frederique: "Well... at least I'm not weird."
Mariana nodded.
Mariana: "An average rank is neither a weakness nor a condemnation."
"It all depends on your effort."
"You may go."
Frederique retrieved the sheet of paper, cast one last glance at the crystal, and then rejoined the crowd.
Passing by Minerva and Roy, he gave a thumbs-up with a smile.
Frederique: "See you at training!"
Roy responded with a wave of his hand, while Minerva simply nodded.
Even though the two had only known each other for a few minutes, they had chatted briefly on the way home, and the common thread between them was that they both knew Minerva.
Minerva: "Earth... average rank... he seemed relieved."
Mariana wasted no time.
She called out another name, then another.
Mariana: "Okay, next..."
The candidates stepped forward one by one, placing their hands on the crystal ball, discovering their abilities under the watchful, and sometimes cruel, gaze of the others.
The reactions varied:
- Some smiled.
- Others paled.
- A few clenched their teeth in silence.
Minerva watched everything, trying to understand what it all really meant.
Minerva: "Rank is just a potential... but here, everyone will judge based on it."
After about thirty revelations, the atmosphere had changed.
The initial excitement had given way to a heavy, almost oppressive tension.
Mariana consulted the list, then raised her voice again.
Mariana: "Next."
"Noth Ferdi."
Minerva: "...."
At that precise moment, Minerva felt a knot tighten in her stomach.
Minerva: "It's him..."
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
The young man with dark hair calmly stepped out of the crowd.
His hands were in his pockets, his gait tranquil, almost nonchalant, as if this whole scene didn't really concern him.
The murmurs resumed immediately.
Student: "He's the swordsman..."
Student: "He seemed so calm..."
Noth: "..."
Noth stopped in front of the crystal ball and finally raised his head.
His face was still half-hidden by his hair, but his gaze was surprisingly lucid.
Noth: "I'm just touching the crystal?"
Mariana: "Exactly."
He placed his hand on it without hesitation.
The reaction was immediate.
The crystal ball began to vibrate violently, much more so than for the previous candidates.
The violet light became almost blinding; luminous fissures seemed to run across the surface of the sphere without shattering it.
In the arena, no one spoke.
The enchanted quill scratched at the paper with almost aggressive speed.
Then everything stopped.
Mariana approached, glanced at the sheet of paper… and paused for a very brief moment.
This hesitation, however slight, was enough to send a shiver through the assembly.
Mariana: "Result."
She read aloud.
Rank: Superior
A breath rippled through the stands.
Element: Fire
Roy inhaled sharply.
Roy: "Superior Rank…."
Mariana continued, her voice deeper.
Blessing: Blessing of Truth
A total silence fell over the arena.
Minerva felt her heart skip a beat.
Blessing of Truth: A passive ability; the user can read a person's mind and know if they are lying.
A commotion erupted instantly.
Student: "Read minds?"
Student: "It's far too powerful..."
Minerva stared at Noth, unable to look away.
Minerva: "Reading minds... knowing if someone is lying..."
Noth: "..."
Noth, for his part, showed no emotion.
He retrieved the sheet of paper, simply raised the sword at his belt as a sign of success, and then rejoined the crowd as if nothing had happened.
As he passed near Minerva, their eyes met for a brief moment.
Minerva: "....."
Noth: "...."
Minerva had the strange feeling that he could see right through her.
Minerva: "Could he... read my thoughts?"
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
Noth continued on his way without a word.
Behind them, Mariana was already reading the list again.
Mariana: "Next..."
Mariana: "....Roy Iligo."
At the sound of his name, Roy jumped slightly, then took a deep breath before leaving the crowd. He glanced quickly at Minerva, trying to smile.
Roy: "Looks like it's my turn..."
Minerva nodded, her hands clasped in front of her.
Minerva: "It'll be alright."
"Just do what everyone else does."
Roy stepped forward to the purple crystal ball.
He remained motionless for a few seconds, as if to catch his breath, then finally placed his hand on the cold surface of the crystal.
The light activated immediately, but this time it was more unsteady.
The sphere pulsed slowly, as if something were resisting within.
The magic quill traced the symbols, more slowly than for Noth, but with a heavy, deliberate insistence.
Mariana approached and read the result aloud.
Rank: Medium
Roy gritted his teeth slightly, unsurprised.
Element: Wind
His eyes lit up briefly.
Roy: "The wind… perfect for a swordsman."
But Mariana didn't stop there.
Blessing or Curse: Mace Curse
A murmur of concern rippled through the arena.
Mace Curse: Permanent effect. Everything you carry will be twice as heavy, including your own body.
For a split second, Roy didn't understand.
Then his face froze.
Roy: "Wait… my body too…?"
He didn't have time to say anything more.
His legs gave way abruptly.
BOOM
Roy crashed to the ground, unable to stop his fall.
The arena stone trembled slightly under the impact.
Roy: "Gah!"
His breath caught in his throat.
His body simply refused to obey him.
Mariana: "Your starting weight was around 75 kilos."
"Now, your body weighs 150."
"Don't push yourself."
Minerva felt her heart clench.
Minerva: "Roy!"
She rushed out of the crowd without thinking, immediately kneeling beside him.
Minerva: "Don't move!"
"Breathe gently."
Roy tried to raise his arm… but couldn't.
Roy: "It's… like… everything is crushing me…"
Minerva placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him, even though she herself was trembling.
Minerva: "A curse… so brutal…"
At that moment, she noticed movement to her right.
Minerva: "…"
Someone else had stepped forward.
Noth Ferdi.
Chapter 9: Frederic Hydra and Noth Ferdi
The End