Ray and Darren faced each other while the sun glowed over the academy. The applicants standing behind each of them watched closely after Mei Zhi’s performance. Sweat covered some noble children as they stared in anticipation. One of them, a girl with long black hair tied with a red ribbon, shouted, “Darren, you must win!” Following her lead, the other noble applicants cheered. The sound soon filled the ceremony grounds.

  The teachers muttered to each other about who might win. Most of them considered Darren. Cedric scoffed at their ignorance.

  Lysa asked Ray, “Do you need a weapon?”

  Ray shook his head, cracking his fingers. “I have weapons.” She chuckled while Darren frowned. “You think your fists can compete against Aix’s swordsmanship?”

  Ray raised his middle finger, smirking. “Why don’t you find out?”

  Darren’s intense glare sent shivers down some of the lowborn’s spines. Lysa raised her hand and shouted, “Begin!”

  Darren rushed forward and swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for Ray’s neck. Ray tilted slightly to the side, Darren’s sword inching by his neck. His smirk still played on his lips as he said, “You’re pretty slow.” A loud thud rang through the ceremony grounds as Ray’s fist connected with Darren’s gut. He stumbled to his knees, his eyes wide.

  As Darren stayed on his knees, the cheering of the noble children went silent.

  Ray slowly walked away from Darren. “Come on, that was just a light punch.” He scoffed. “I wouldn’t even call it a punch; it was more like a touch.”

  Darren’s eyes turned red as he clenched his sword’s hilt. He turned, still on his knees, and threw his sword at Ray’s head.

  Ray ducked forward slightly again as the sword flew behind his neck. He raised his left hand and grabbed the sword’s hilt mid-air and turned to Darren with a smirk. “Your sword seems to have slipped,” he said as he tossed it back at Darren. “Is this… Aix’s swordsmanship?”

  That should be enough to rile him up. I’ll finish this quickly. He thought as he took a deep breath.

  Darren glared at the ground, exhaling sharply. He grabbed his sword and once again rushed toward Ray. This time he stabbed the sword forward, at Ray’s chest.

  Ray dodged it by turning left and punched Darren’s elbow, snapping it. A loud, guttural scream echoed through the ceremony grounds before Ray grabbed his neck and choked him. Darren passed out, and his body landed on the ground with a thud.

  The headmaster muttered, “Being patient and calm is a knight’s virtue. Darren was definitely a better fighter, but he lost his temper easily.”

  The teachers nodded, and Cedric smirked. The knight in black armor scratched his chin. “Overwhelming force,” he said while looking at Mei Zhi. Then, turning to Ray, “Strategic mind. I wonder who would win if they fought?”

  The headmaster said out loud, “Splendid performance.” Once again he signalled the men in red-white clothing to send Darren back home.

  Mei Zhi frowned at Ray. I don’t like him. He talks too much during a fight. She then scoffed. But he’s nothing special. Only the weak taunt their opponents.

  Lysa cleared her throat. “Congratulations to both Vivian and Ray for passing their first test.”

  The lowborn cheered, while the nobles grudgingly clapped. The prince frowned. But the princess clapped, her eyes admiring both Ray and Mei Zhi.

  The women in red-white garments moved down the line, handing each applicant on Lysa’s right a piece of cloth in varying colors.

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  “These colors decide your group,” Lysa announced, her voice carrying across the ceremony grounds. “Each color group will face another, but remember — this is not a team trial. Only applicants who win will pass. You will choose the order yourselves within your respective groups — who fights first, and who, last.”

  She paused, breathing steadily before continuing. “Line up by color and settle your order quickly.”

  Her gaze shifted to the applicants on her left. “As for you, since your numbers are fewer, your test of knowledge will come after the duels. So wait patiently.”

  The applicants nodded and watched intently as the ones on Lysa’s right began lining up by their respective color cloths. Elaira sighed, clutching the red-colored cloth as she spotted Jon and Sera in the same color group as her.

  She flipped her hair and said, “Listen here, if you were in another group and we fought, you might have failed. So this is good.”

  Jon nodded while still glancing at Mei Zhi, and Sera chuckled. “Don’t get conceited now, Elaira. It would be terrible if you were to lose.”

  Elaira scoffed. Shrugging her shoulders, she added, “I don’t think anyone here can beat me and you, let alone Jon, so it’s fine.”

  Sera shook her head. “That is true, but be careful.”

  The sound of a cough grabbed their attention. Turning towards it, they spotted the princess. She smiled and said, “As you may already know, I am Cassandra Leonide.” The sun reflected off her beautiful blonde hair, which draped over her shoulder. Her sparkling green eyes shone with warm enthusiasm as she continued. “If you do not mind, I would like to lead our group.”

  The boys and girls in the group, infatuated by her looks, nodded and started introducing themselves.

  Everyone stared at the princess except Elaira and Sera. Jon glanced back and forth between Mei Zhi and Cassandra. Sera slapped the back of his head and said, “What are you doing?”

  Jon sighed, scratching his head. “I can’t decide who I like more.”

  Elaira and Sera squinted their eyes, their faces contorting in disappointment.

  After a few moments, the noble children finished introducing themselves, excluding the lowborn and gentry, who were pushed aside.

  Cassandra clapped and glanced at the lowborn and the gentry and asked, “Will you not introduce yourselves?”

  One of the noble children spoke up. “They don’t need introductions; they are trash anyway.”

  Cassandra’s face dropped as she stared at him with an icy glare and said, “Am I… talking to you?”

  He froze in his tracks and stuttered, “N-no, I-i–.”

  Cassandra ignored him and turned back to the lowborn and gentry and smiled. “Please introduce yourselves too.”

  Elaira stepped forward, chuckling, and extended her hand. “I am Elaira, nice to meet you.”

  The noble children surrounding her burst into anger. One of them shouted, “How dare you, damned sun-burnt brat.” Another joined in. “The princess will not shake hands with a black monkey.”

  Elaira frowned and was about to jump at whoever said that, but stopped when the princess shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Elaira.”

  Elaira took a deep breath, plastered on a smile and added, “Yeah, likewise.”

  Following Elaira, Sera also introduced herself, followed by the other lowborn and gentry. Everyone except Jon.

  He just stood in place, he’s eyes closed and his breaths short.

  Sera glanced over at Ray, then back at Cassandra. “Princess, can I ask you something?”

  Cassandra smiled, nodding. “Please do.”

  Sera looked at the applicants around them and sighed. “Can we talk in private?”

  Cassandra tilted her head, her smile still on her face. “Alright.”

  The noble children protested, but she silenced them and walked with Sera toward the side.

  They faced each other, and Cassandra asked, “So, what did you want to talk about?”

  She tapped her leather boots on the ground while Sera stared at her for a moment before speaking. “I was wondering something.” Cassandra smiled, crossing her arms over her brigandine vest, and said, “Ask away, Sera.”

  Sera took a deep breath and asked, pointing toward Ray, “That guy over there — do you perhaps–”

  “Oh! Him! I know what you want to ask. I’ve been wondering the same thing.” Cassandra interrupted as she looked over at Ray. She sighed. “I wanted to ask him that as well.” Turning to Sera, her smile wilting, she said, “But I feel like he will not talk about it.”

  She grabbed Sera’s hand and said, “You know him, right? Why don’t you ask him?”

  Sera shook her head. “He says it’s just a coincidence.”

  Ray frowned as he heard Sera’s voice and glanced over at Sera and Cassandra. I feel like I’m gonna have some trouble.

  Mei Zhi smirked. What the redhead says is true; he does look similar to them. But he doesn’t act like a royal. She shrugged and continued looking around.

  Cassandra tilted her head. Letting go of Sera’s hand, she tapped her chin. “I could ask my father, since he probably has noticed. But I know he will not tell me anything either.”

  Sera clapped her hands and said, “Let us focus on the exam first.” Cassandra nodded and said, “We will figure this out once we enter the academy.”

  After agreeing, they walked back to their group. Cassandra decided the order in which they would enter the duel. So did the other groups, and all of them turned toward Lysa.

  Lysa took a deep breath and said, “You look ready. Alright, the duels will now begin.”