"So, how does the Imperial Production Guild choose their candidates for the Four Pillars' Inheritance exactly?" As both Valyr and Zeik made their way to the Akashic Battlefield, the two of them began to talk with one another along the way, hoping to decrease the feeling of awkwardness around them. At some point in their conversation, Valyr brought up to Zeik a certain topic he was curious about.
"As far as I know, there's a certain process to it." Pondering over the question, the gears in Zeik's mind turned for quite some time before he was able to answer. "If I remember correctly, it's a three-step process?"
"Anyways, take my next words with a grain of salt." Briefly scratching the back of his head as he thought about it even more, an expression that seemed to say he had latched onto something eventually appeared on his face as he continued. "First, the Imperial Production Guild sets down a list of criteria that they would like to see in the candidates that might possibly participate in the inheritance."
"Yep." Nodding in response, Valyr then told Zeik that he had already known of the criteria the Imperial Production Guild had set down for the candidates. With that, he asked the man to proceed onto the two steps that came after the criteria.
"Well, once the criteria for the candidates has been established, the four guilds under the Imperial Production Guild would go ahead and look through the list of members that had registered under their guild and see if they fit the criteria the Imperial Production Guild had given," Zeik said not long after in response to Valyr's request.
"Of course, with how many members there are within each guild, the number of potential candidates each guild ends up with still numbers around the double digits, with the lowest number being around 20 or so. Add on the possibility of candidates that fit the criteria but just registered themselves into their respective guilds, that number sometimes ends up being higher."
"Then, what comes after that?" asked Valyr once Zeik was done talking.
"Information gathering," replied Zeik concisely. "First, the guilds verify whether the information that they've obtained from their list is true. After that, they do a few more tests revolving around the capabilities of that person, such as their capabilities in production and capabilities in combat."
"And that's what you did, right?" At those words, Valyr looked at Zeik, causing the latter to let out an awkward chuckle.
"I'll admit once more that I probably went a bit overboard back then." As Zeik looked back at Valyr, he had a wry smile on his face. "But your combat capabilities at that time was something I could only compare to another person that had also been recently tested around that time."
"Compare in a good way… or in a bad way?"
"In a good way, of course," replied Zeik. "Amongst all of the Rank 1 and Rank 2 class holders at that time that the four production class guilds gathered information on, only one could be said to be standing at the peak amongst all of the four production class guilds."
"Of course, when we're talking about members within the Blacksmith Guild, then you're undoubtedly the best when it comes to combat," added Zeik not long after.
"What's the name of that person that's the best in combat?" Ignoring the words of praise Zeik had tacked onto his words near the end, Valyr thought back to the man's earlier words.
"Unfortunately, I have no clue which family that person comes from." Flashing a slightly apologetic smile towards Valyr, Zeik went ahead and told the young man what he wanted to know. "What I do know is the name that those close to him call him."
"And that is…?"
"Hal," said Zeik, prompting Valyr to go silent as he rummaged through his treasure trove of memories from his past life.
'Huh. Nothing.' Surprisingly, after rummaging through his memories for quite some time, Valyr found no mention or tidbits of information regarding the person named Hal. With that, he felt a sense of deja vu, recalling the time where he could not find out anything about himself or the Zeihardt clan in his early days of setting foot in Greater Beyond. 'I guess I'll only find out who that person is once we meet up for the tournament a week before the inheritance.'
Thinking that he had gotten more information than what he bargained for from asking Zeik, Valyr decided to shift the topic to something else more mundane, which the two of them kept up until they arrived at the northwest defensive line outside Algerie Kingdom.
…
"We're finally here." Stopping in front of a rift that spanned over 20 meters in both height and width, Valyr and Zeik watched as people in uniforms moved around the vicinity, asking all of those that wished to enter the rift to arrange themselves in a line.
With all of those with uniforms emanating an aura that surpassed most of the people that wished to enter the rift, the people quickly did what they were told, arranging themselves into a line as they waited for their turn to enter the rift.
Naturally, Zeik and Valyr joined the line as well, considering that they were going to enter the rift as well. Though, while they were waiting for their turn, Zeik decided to ask Valyr a question.
"You do know what the Akashic Battlefield is like, right?"
"I do." Valyr nodded in response.
"Then you know about the various entrances corresponding to certain monster levels and strengths, right?" Somewhat surprised that Valyr knew about the Akashic Battlefield considering the young man's history, Zeik decided to ask more to ascertain whether the young man truly knew of its characteristics.
"I do, but I forgot how many entrances there are in this Akashic Battlefield in front of us," responded Valyr as he nodded with slight uncertainty. "If I remember correctly, there are eight entrances, right?"
"There are six entrances, actually," Zeik clarified in response. "All of them are named after a certain being that had made a great contribution to the kingdom."
"That I know." Valyr nodded in agreement. "Anyways, why the sudden question?"
"Well, let's just say you being knowledgeable of the Akashic Battlefield caught me a bit by surprise. After all, you've been away from the kingdom for quite a long amount of time." In response, Zeik looked at Valyr with a slightly awkward smile. "Anyways, it's our turn to enter the rift."
"Which point would you like to enter?" Now at the front of the line, Zeik and Valyr were swiftly greeted by a young man in a guard uniform, asking them their destination within the Akashic Battlefield.
"Point Caelion, please." Just as Zeik was about to reply to the guard's question, Valyr took the initiative to reply first, prompting the guard to nod in response as he infused a bit of mana into the rift, changing its coordinates.
Whoosh!
"Alright, the rift has been set to Point Caelion. You are free to enter." At these words, Zeik and Valyr thanked the guard before proceeding to step inside, disappearing from their original positions a few seconds later.
