"Good luck." Rui wished them with a gentle expression. "Do your best and look out for each other. Good luck."
"We'll make you proud, big brother."
"Yeah, we'll definitely get in, just you watch!"
Rui smiled with pride and affection, hoping he did a good job hiding his anxiety.
"Off you go, then." He sent them towards the long busy line of applicants, inspecting their competition. As predicted, they were all taller and bigger.
His senses swept through the area examining them carefully. ('Any Martial Apprentice applicants...?')
His eyes narrowed after a moment. ('Just one.')
When he applied, there were five.
Well.
Technically four, since Nel wasn't a Martial Apprentice, but he was as strong as one without a doubt. This made the difficulty of the entrance exam much lower, something Rui was relieved about. In his senses across the entire area, he had sensed several Martial Artists of various Realms, including a Martial Senior.
"So." Colonel Geringan's voice came from behind him. "You're seeing your siblings off, are you?"
"Same as you." Rui calmly replied. "You don't seem too surprised."
"Of course not." He circled around with measured strides in his military garb. "I knew that there was a high chance that you would enroll those two kids for the Martial entrance exam."
Rui wasn't surprised by this revelation. Colonel Geringan had already divulged that he had friends in the Martial Union, from his faction presumably, who could get things done for him that would otherwise not be possible.
He probably found out that Rui was commissioning a Martial Apprentice instructor, and why, through his sources within the Martial Union.
"You know, I'm surprised you commissioned me despite that," Rui commented lightly, meeting his gaze.
"Well, you have a reputation, and the commission was about more than just Crea, anyway." He replied straightforwardly. "And in my judgment, you haven't attempted to sabotage Crea or hold back in your training of her."
"Did you think I would?"
"It was always possible, I didn't know you very well, of course." He shook his head.
"..." Rui sighed as he watched Max and Mana finally enter. "Does Crea know?"
"Of course not." He snorted. "I'm not a fool to reveal something that could affect her performance. I don't intend to tell her, and neither should you."
"That sounds about right," Rui replied before turning and sky-walking away.
He exhaled heavily, trying to relax. He didn't care about Max and Mana failing to get in, it was always a long shot and they were aware of that. They had five more attempts each with an additional year of training and growth. He was sure that under his training, they could crack through it.
The failure would probably be good for tempering their psychological fortitude
He was more concerned with them getting hurt, but that too was not a problem in the long run.
But the worst outcome; death, was something that scared him a lot for Max and Mana.
Applicants died, it was part of the deterrence of the entrance exam, to prevent people who would be scared away by even a statistically low probability of death from applying. A lot more people flood the entrance exams if not for that.
He shook his head. "I've done everything I can, I need to trust them."
While he was out comforting himself.
Crea, Max, and Mana had already entered the Martial Academy and were guided to the first phase of the entrance exam. It was in a large hall, they had entered at one end of the hall, with the exit indicated at the very opposite end.
In between the two exits was a line of Martial Artists in the uniform of the Martial Union, with tables with boxes on them, filled with something they couldn't see. Time passed until the hall grew jam-packed with thousands of applicants and finally, something changed.
An old man emerged from the other side with a long flowing beard and mustache. Even his eyebrows extended, curling down. He was escorted by two Martial Artist bodyguards that intimidated anybody from approaching too close to him.
Yet, neither the row of Martial Artists forming a barrier to the other side nor the bodyguards drew, nay, wrenched their attention away. The old man singlehandedly outshined all of the other Martial Artists in the room.
"Applicants." He addressed them.
It was a simple word, yet it exerted profound pressure on each of them. They weren't able to fathom even a portion of it, yet they could sense, instinctually, that the man possessed godly power. They were no more than ants.
The atmosphere chilled, by just a degree, as none of them dared to interfere.
"Today you have gathered here for a reason. You have come from close and far to overcome the barriers and obstacles that stand between you and the Martial Academy, the greatest haven for the growth of Martial Art in the Kandrian Empire." He paused. "Most of you will fail."
The atmosphere stiffened as he very clearly iterated what they all knew.
"Some of you will succeed. Only those that have displayed the necessary mental fortitude born out of determination and perseverance, only those whose desire to walk their Martial Path is extraordinarily strong can become a Martial Artist." He paused once more, letting them digest his words.
"Steel your hearts, applicants." He continued. "I am headmaster Aronian, and I look forward to seeing you traverse your Martial Paths."
"The first phase of the exam is rather simple." He explained. "The Martial Apprentices you see before you will be handing out passes to the second phase of the exam. You need only collect the pass from the Martial Apprentices successfully. If you do obtain a pass from them, then you may proceed to the second phase of the exam. Good luck."
And just like that, he turned around and walked away.
Many of the applicants had confounded expressions on their faces. Yet, there were many that were completely unperturbed among them.
Crea, Max, and Mana calmly walked toward the Martial Apprentices.
