The students were lined up outside shortly after Mr. Auguiste finished speaking, nobody dared to dawdle.

  Two beautifully decorated carriages waited in the courtyard, they almost seemed out of place in the average village school grounds.

  Each carriage was drawn by a pair of enormous horses, their muscles healthy and bulging, nothing like the thin workhorses and donkeys the villagers owned.

  An old man stood next to one of the carriages. Everything about him looked sharp and stern, from his pointed mustache to the eyebrows that stuck out past his face like swords. His beard looked weathered and grey, and flowed down in a way that made him seem ancient.

  The second carriage’s curtain was suddenly drawn open, and a woman stepped down.

  She looked like she was in her later teens, maybe even twenty. Long and silky black hair, and a single mole near her lip, wrapped in flowing pink robes. She swept her eyes over the students with a soft smile, and every boy there was thinking the same thing.

  ‘Damn! What a beauty!’

  Orien was also included in this, of course. He quickly regained his composure, reminding himself that Mila would be somewhere outside in the crowd.

  “We don’t have girls like that in the village though...” he whispered as his gaze drifted instinctively, looking for Mila.

  She was in another class, but all students were gathered for testing today. He couldn’t see her yet, but he hoped she’d do well. He hoped the same for himself as well.

  The old man flicked his sleeve, and a loud thud shook the ground. A stone stele appeared in the center of the courtyard, and the students murmured in awe. Most people here had never seen cultivators in action, they’d only heard about what they can do.

  The stone stood roughly five feet tall, wrapped in a golden metal band etched with dull symbols. Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, body refinement... and one more symbol simply called “Other.” That one covered the more complex things that this stele would not such as illusions, curses, rarer elements like ice or wood.

  The rules were simple. Press a hand to the band, clear the mind, and wait.

  None of them had any Qi, so the stone judged only affinity and constitution, but not anything like cultivation level or innate talent.

  Some students got no reaction and the teacher explained that low confidence or scattered thoughts could have the test draw blanks.

  ‘I guess it’s true,’ Orien thought, 'State of heart and mind matters more for cultivators.’

  A boy from another class stepped up and was the first to generate a response.

  Low water affinity, low earth affinity.

  Haruki followed next and received a low affinity for wind... however, lightning flickered once, before dimming down which caused Haruki to nearly explode with joy.

  'I can’t imagine why a super low lightning affinity would excite that guy but perhaps it’s something he wanted?’ Orien couldn’t help but wonder.

  Hubert marched forward and thrust his palm onto the stele.

  Hummmm

  Medium body refinement affinity.

  The stele produced a hum for the first time, and he trumpeted through his trunk, pleased with himself. “Pawooooooo, I’ll strive to be a perfect all rounder,” he declared.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Hiyono went up shortly after...

  Medium fire affinity, low body refinement affinity.

  Then, it was Geno’s turn.

  Low affinity ‘other’, medium body refinement affinity.

  When he stepped back, he locked eyes with Orien and his smirk wasn’t even subtle.

  It was then that Lucille approached with quiet steps.

  Medium water affinity, medium affinity ‘other’.

  This was the second ‘other’ and her suitors lost their minds cheering while she barely reacted. An observant individual would notice that she glanced towards Hiyono after getting her results before looking away.

  ‘She’s a god damn genius... I don’t know what the passing grade is, but I just can’t fail,’ Orien thought.

  Finally, it was Orien’s turn. He placed his hand on the band and tried to empty his thoughts. For what felt like an eternity with everyone watching, nothing happened.

  Just before he started to panic, a dim glow appeared.

  Low affinity for body refinement, low affinity ‘other’.

  He heard Hubert holler encouragement and felt grateful towards his rambunctious friend.

  Orien tried to smile, but subconsciously he felt inferior. He didn’t feel negatively towards Hubert but rather himself.

  More students stepped up, and eventually Mila approached the stone. She looked back at Orien once, then at Geno. Her palm touched the stele and...

  Medium water affinity.

  Her face lit up straight away. Orien was happy for her but began to feel a sinking feeling in his stomach.

  “Affinities are not the be-all and end-all, you will still need to work hard! This is merely how well the present you align with an element or concept.” Orien’s teacher, Mr. Auguiste said.

  “Little Auguiste is correct,” a voice said.

  Everyone was baffled by who would refer to a teacher as such, but then the voice continued, and they saw who was speaking.

  “Those with medium or higher will come with us today. As for the rest, you will have another opportunity in one month. Fail again, and you’ll need to wait a year for another chance at recruitment,” The old man near the carriage spoke through his thick beard.

  Hubert clapped Orien and Haruki on the shoulders. “I’ll be waiting for you two, there’s no way they don’t take you.”

  Haruki’s eyes were wet, and Orien felt the same way, though he kept his face still.

  His gaze drifted up towards Mila. She was laughing at something Geno said, the two still seemed to be in a celebratory mood.

  When she spotted Orien watching, she waved and said “Orien! Don’t look so defeated, have faith! I believe in you. You’ll meet me there, won’t you?”

  Geno’s laughter died down immediately. There was irritation in his expression followed by disdain in his eyes. This cut deeper than any insult.

  “Thanks, Mila. I’ll meet you there,” Orien said. His voice was steady, but he was clenching his fists beneath his sleeves, causing his knuckles to become white.

  Hubert, Hiyono, Lucille, and the others with promising results gathered near the old man.

  Geno swaggered into the group, and he couldn’t be anymore overbearing to see. Mila followed, excited about what was to come but trying to stay composed.

  Orien stared at the ground, ashamed.

  He thought, ‘How could I let that stupid clown walk around like he owns the place...’ but then a voice cut across his thoughts once more.

  “Haruki, don’t disappoint our parents,” Hiyono called out, “Catch up to us.”

  Haruki looked devastated. He was very transparent with how he felt about the situation.

  Before he could reply, the old man administering the evaluation finally introduced himself. “This old man is called Old Moore. If fate permits, our next meeting will be worthwhile.”

  The woman’s gentle voice floated over the crowd next, “Don’t lose heart, keep your heads up! This is but the first step of many, so don’t be daunted. My name is Ling Yun, and I hope to see you all again.”

  Her kindness softened the blow, but only a little bit. Soon the chosen few boarded the carriages and disappeared, leaving a heavy silence behind.

  Everybody remaining in the courtyard failed the evaluation...

  Orien’s breathing turned uneven because he’d expected better from himself.

  He turned to Haruki, who was sobbing nearby and said “We’ll catch up, Haruki. There’s no way they’re gonna leave us behind like this.”

  Orien turned towards the exit and began moving after he said these words. Maybe it was because Hubert was friends with Haruki or maybe it was because he failed too, but he felt the need to say that before leaving.

  Haruki looked up at him just before he turned around, surprised.

  ‘This is the first time I’ve seen such a look on Orien's face... I know that Orien doesn’t get along with Geno, but even when they were at odds, I haven't seen his face like this.’ Haruki straightened himself and wiped his face with his sleeve.

  'I don’t know much about Orien because even though I've been put in the same class as him this year, I am friendly with everyone, therefore I cannot say that I have a very deep understanding of Orien.’ He thought.

  He was happy to know that Orien cared enough to offer some kind words.

  He wiped his face with his sleeve once more, ensuring he didn’t look too pitiful and made his way towards the exit as well.

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