The test of skill had them all competing to gauge their strength. The test of knowledge had them all be quizzed on how they viewed the Knights. The test of courage had them all face something that was beyond them, designed to overwhelm them with a large amount of fear. Each test, though, had something in common.
It was the same for every user. Even the test of courage, which threw different monsters and themes, was all still made to achieve the same goal as all the others. The first three tests were truly equal, because a person had control over whether they failed or lost and could shape the path forward with their own hands.
The final test, though, the test of soul, was completely different. Each person who took it, despite all meeting the king's core and having a conversation with him, was asked various questions.
For some, the core wanted to talk about their past. For others, their present, and for some, still their future. Some, it took one look at and allowed them to pass, and others had to fight tooth and nail to convince the core. Each thing they saw, the whispers it said to them, was all unique.
No test of the soul was the same, which led to one question.
What was Ken Yuan's test?
Olivia wouldn't say that she and Ken Yuan were friends. Just as she wouldn't say she was friends with Ash. She still harbored some resentment for what the girl had done. That said, she also didn't want Ken to get in trouble. There was nothing that could be done about it, at least not right now.
Ken Yuan had been knocked out and taken away due to holding a malicious intent in her heart for the kingdom and its people. That was why the final test was considered so important and why everyone was required to take it. It was impossible to hide from the king's gaze while in his realm, allowing him to see the life a person had lived, their thoughts, and their emotions. That gift had allowed him to see the darkness in Ken Yuan's heart.
Typically, a person was killed if they were viewed as a dangerous threat to the kingdom. Ken Yuan not being killed meant that her malice wasn't to the point where the king outright viewed her as an enemy, but she was still seen as a threat that could twist the will of the land.
The king wanted a land where all could live and be equal. Sadly, that wasn't the case, due to greedy nobles or beggars who refused to improve their lives, but the system did allow people to easily become part of the kingdom, so long as they didn't fail the final part.
Failing it meant Ken would be sent back home. Because she was a noble from her homeland, it would be easier just to blacklist her and send her back home. They could even attempt to extract money from the head of the Yuan clan for her return, since the father would most likely pay a substantial amount to have his daughter back. Especially with the state Rossum was in. They couldn't afford to lose talent like Ken, who everyone assumed ran away.
Most likely, Ken Yuan would be forced to fight in the war against Mordehim in her homeland and would either grow up to become a fine member of the Yuan clan, or she'd tragically die in combat.
Either way, Olivia knew, she would likely never see the woman again. That didn't exactly make her sad, as Ken could be a bitch at times, but she couldn't help but wonder if she could have somehow prevented this from happening. If she spoke more to Ken, would Ken's heart have changed, and would the woman have become a Knight?
What could she do now, though? Not even Davi had been able to stop Ken from being taken away.
"You okay?" Davi questioned.
"I am." Olivia nodded and folded her arms. "I'm just wondering."
"Wondering what?" Bruno asked, throwing his arms behind his head and giving a smile. "What's on your mind, bro?"
"Nothing." Olivia shook her head. "I don't want to say it out loud."
Growing up, she had been told stories about the Arcane Knights. Every kid wanted to be one, and she thought that if she did become one, her father would finally accept her. She got it in her head, all because a single Arcane Knight saved her. Since then, she fell down the rabbit hole, constantly looking up various Knights, watching them in action as they saved people. They were superheroes.
Right?
Would a superhero treat Davi badly? Would a superhero take Ken Yuan away the way they did? Would a hero act the way the Lance of Victory did?
The Knights were the good guys, right?
She didn't have a lot to compare them to, but the core had shown her other versions of herself. Mordeheim and Rossum's versions slaughtered other humans so easily. She doubted they were good. Gallenth's version of her seemed like a hero, but she was also pumped full of so much mana that Olivia doubted they could even be called the same person anymore.
Also, she was stuck in Phoenix Flight…
Whatever. It didn't matter. Suno was a good Knight. The Knight who saved her was also a good one. Tori, despite the harm she caused to Davi, also saved millions of people, right? This was still her chance to do good. They say that if you want to change a system, you should do it on the inside. She didn't know enough about whether the Knights were truly corrupt or not, but she decided that she wouldn't regret her choices, and she'd live her life the best she could while in Phoenix Flight.
She was an Arcane Knight now. She was going to be a superhero who would save everyone in front of her.
"Everyone, line up." Father declared. "Get in formation."
The arena had cleared out. Once Ken Yuan was taken away, anyone who no longer had a cloak on was asked to leave. Some people, enraged by the fact that they failed, attempted to pull some stunt but were quickly knocked out by the Knights.
Now that all the failed members were gone, the only ones remaining in the arena were those who had passed the final test—official Arcane Knights. Over three hundred people tried out for this year's test—some nobles, some commoners, and some not even from the kingdom. Only thirty passed.
Of that thirty, only seven were commoners. Finally, of those seven, only two members were from different lands. One was, Davi Hawker, while the other was a young girl from Gallenth. Twenty-three of the thirty recruits were all nobles. Ten of whom were Branch members. Every Branch member this year had also passed the exam.
Now, all thirty members stood shoulder to shoulder and stared ahead. The eight captains had come down from their thrones and stood before the new recruits. Next to them were their vice captains.
Father and the Lance of Victory, for Shining Sentinels. Crow and Mermaid, for Umbra Mortis. Dark Star and Stone Bull, for Mourning Stars. Grampa Green, though the man was in a movable hospital bed, which his vice captain Paragon pulled, for Oak Watchers. Dye, who had no vice captain yet, stood alone representing Hydra Storm. Gorgon and Briefcase, for Wandering Coin. Myth and Whisper for Pantheon. And finally, Laerton Eman, who, similarly to Dye, stood alone.
All the recruits stood at attention as the Knight's eyes roamed over each of them. Father had his arms folded, and the paladin studied the people before him slowly. He took in every detail. A heavy frown appeared on his face when his eyes landed on Davi, but he didn't say anything and moved on. All the captains waited for him to begin.
"I'll go ahead and say it," Father began. "Welcome to the Arcane Knights." He gave a smile, and most of the people cheered loudly. Not the commoners or the branch nobles, but the regular nobles all looked excited and pumped up. When the excitement died down, Father's smile faded. "It is a grand achievement that you made it this far, but do try to keep in mind one thing. From this point on, you are forbidden from failing."
Mutters went through the small crowd, and several of the nobles all shared confused looks. Father's face turned more stern.
"Arcane Knights are perfect. We protect people. We save the day, slay the monster, put an end to the war, and close the dungeon. We. Are. Heroes. You must act like it." The man announced, and his voice boomed loudly due to the intense strength of his mana. "Whoever you were before this moment no longer matters. You now live and die for the kingdom. Laws do not bind us, nor are we legally owned, but through our oath, through honor, and through duty, we gladly serve and give our lives to the foundation that Ruler Haru cultivated. As Knights, you must be perfect. You must stand and fight and show the people that you are worthy of their praise. I look at all thirty of you, and I see not a single soul worthy of being called a Knight yet, so get ready, because when we're done with you, you will no longer be the person you were. You will be a true Knight."
Crow stepped forward next, and the shadow mage puffed out a wave of smoke from the cigarette he had between his lips. "You all likely feel like big shots now that you're Arcane Knights, but don't get it twisted. Each of you are still babies. I could kill you all with a single wave of my hand. Of course, I'm not going to do that; it'd be a waste, but you all get the point. Going forward, you're going to be put through the training required to become real Knights. You'll follow your captain to your new guild base, where you'll stay and train properly. They'll have you go through various missions and other things, and if you survive for long enough, you'll be an official Knight."
Finally, Dark Star stepped forward. "Crow is right. Just because you passed the exam, don't suddenly think you're powerful or some sort of big shot. Let me in on a little secret. There are five kinds of Knights. At the very bottom are what we call Squires. This is what you guys are. Though you are within our ranks and will be going on missions, you're viewed more or less as still in training. Above the Squire position are the actual Knights. Most of you likely have stats and traits that are ranked at grade A or S. Well, to be qualified to rank up to the starting Knight level, you have to serve as a Squire for the minimum of one year, go on at least ten different missions, and you need one stat or trait that is ranked at the grade of E1."
Olivia's eyes went wide. E1? She had heard that before and even seen it. Davi had a stat that was E1, didn't he? Was that an actual thing? She assumed it was a bug. She was about to ask about it, but Ash beat her to it.
The wind mage frowned and raised his hand. "Excuse me. What's an E1 grade?"
Laughter filled the air as several of the nobles and even some of the branch families shot Ash judgmental looks. Dark Star's lips were formed into a line. "Right, commoners aren't aware of it because it very rarely happens for them. We mainly discuss it in royal families. To put it simply, the king's Circuit magic has a flaw."
"A flaw?" Olivia asked, shocked.
"That's right." Dark Star nodded. "It can only grade things at the lowest point of E and the highest point of S. That said, statistics can vary greatly and may lean toward one side more than the other. They say that if a stat is grade E, it means it's impossible to raise; however, that's not true. For some, it can be impossible, because the grade is so far below E that it would take trillions of years of training to reach the left of D- but for others, their grade could be slightly below D- and they'll be able to push out of that gap. Since the king's magic can't properly calculate all the grades, however, it caps out at E. This issue is true for S, though. S+ is not the final grade. When a mage reaches a point where it surpasses S+, the app experiences issues, and it'll 'soft' reset. This is known as an E1 grade. The one represents the fact that the stat has looped. If S+ is the best humans can do, then an E1 grade means you've surpassed what normal people can reach. It's still E1, though, because while you did reach a new realm of power, you realize you're all the way at the bottom. Naturally, stats can keep climbing. D1-, D1, D1+, C1-, C1, C1+, and so on. The grade will keep going up all the way to S1+."
Olivia felt like she had just been slapped across the face. This finally explained Davi. Both his Resistance and his Enchantment were listed as E1. He never seemed to be affected in dungeons, and now she knew why. This also explained why his armor spell and vault were so powerful. With an E1 Enchantment grade, he'd be able to code his spells way more naturally than anyone else. Yet, his Enchantments seemed weirdly weak in comparison. She'd need to see them more, but he should have been able to do a lot more, from the sounds of it.
"As I said," Dark Star kept speaking, a bit annoyed at the interruptions from the lower class. "Knights have at least one E1 stat. Their main stats are also usually at the S grade level. This varies, obviously, as some Knights completely focus on one area, while others are spread out. Above the Knights, you have Title Bearers. These Knights are special." Dark Star smirked. "To be a Title Bearer, you have to serve as a Knight for at least five years. Title Bearers are given a personal name from the king, along with receiving their Knight gear, which is a powerful magic item made just for them that will have the mana of Haru imbued into it. Stone Bull, show them."
Gray gave a slight bow, and he stepped forward. He rolled his sleeve up and revealed a metal bracelet around his wrist. "This is my Knight gear," Gray stated. "All Knight gear is a magic item that is at least C1 in terms of grade. It's hard to control, so only the best of the best get it." He flexed and activated his mana. "It's worth it, though, because it allows me to do this." Gray flexed, and his mana surrounded his bracelet.
There was a bright flash, and all the recruits felt a sudden surge of mana that made many of them stumble back. Gray now stood, decked out in thick rock armor. It clenched around his body, and a helmet shaped like a bull covered his head. Horns stabbed out, and a flowing cape of lava twisted down his back. Davi and Olivia both shuddered when they saw it. This was Gray's armor.
"Knight gear comes in two forms," Tori spoke up now, and she stepped forward, her floating lance following. "Either it is a weapon or it is armor. Due to how powerful they are, a person can only use one Knight gear at a time. It makes up for it, though, because not only does the Knight gear give you a massive boost in power, it allows you to access a second type of magic through the gear. Stone Bull here is an earth mage, but while his armor is activated, he gains the ability to also utilize lava magic. I myself have light magic, but my lance allows me to use psychic magic."
Stone Bull pounded at his chest and grunted. "The second magic type is gained because of the powerful enchantment placed in the item. There are various magical enchantments that an item can have, but they're rare, as it requires an enchanter with the Enchantment grade of A1 to properly make. If the enchantment is simple, like wands or staves, anyone can use them, but if the enchantment is something more complex, like its own magic type, it can only be used by a mage who has the same type. For example, a sword with the enchantment to cut could be used by anyone, since it's just a stronger sword, but a sword with the enchantment of fire magic within it could only be wielded by another fire mage. Knight gear is the exception; this is because of the traces of Haru's mana that are in it. While we have the gear activated, her mana enters us. Haru possessed True Magic, the same magic type as the elves, and as such, she could use every type of magic. With her mana, we can mimic a fraction of her power, allowing us to utilize Knight gear that has a second type of magic within it."
The two stepped back, and Gray's armor vanished in a flash. Olivia was stunned. She had seen things like that, Knights using multiple kinds of magic, but she didn't know how in-depth it went.
Davi, meanwhile, was frowning. Tori was one of the people he planned to eventually fight and defeat, as she had beaten him. She hadn't even used her lance on him when they fought, so how much stronger was she compared to him? Could she beat the dragon? He doubted it. The gap was growing larger, and he'd need to take serious action if he wanted to keep up.
"All title Knights have Knight gear." Dark Star began to speak once more. "Title Knights are also extremely powerful. At this point, all their main stats are at least grade E1, and they're likely to have a stat that is A1 or higher. Above them are the vice captains. To be a vice captain, you have to be a titled Knight, and the captain of the guild you're in has to pick you. Sometimes, title Knights from other guilds will be swapped around and be promoted to vice captains as well. A vice captain has broken through the barrier yet again and has a stat that is at least E2."
"E2?" Bruno's eyes went wide, and even a few nobles looked shocked. "It breaks through the limit again?"
"Of course." Dark Star's smirk grew even larger. "Now, the final type of Knight is, the captain. To be a captain, you either have to be a vice captain who gets promoted, or the king has to give you the position. Your average captain has several stats that are piercing the barrier and reaching E2. Also, it goes without saying, but the best of the best—the top three—are doing even better. I happen to have an E3 stat." Dark Star laughed.
"Just one." Father snorted. "Unlike me, who has two E3s and one B3."
"What's the highest rank?" Davi spoke up, and several of the captains frowned at him. Despite that, though, Crow offered an answer.
"Well, we really don't know. Stats and other things are fairly new in terms of the way they're graded. It's likely there are many mages from history who had powerful grades, but were unable to be graded at the time due to a lack of a proper system." The shadow mage hummed. "That said, it is believed that if Haru were alive today, her lowest stats would be at least S5."
That blew everyone's mind. Father was, without a doubt, the strongest person in the kingdom. The only two who could match him were Grampa Green and the king himself, and yet even then, it was widely speculated that Father would win that match, due to the other two being rusty and past their prime. Besides Haru's original Knights, Father was considered to be the strongest Arcane Knight that had ever lived, and yet, he only reached B3? Not even E4 or even E5, which Haru had likely surpassed.
If Haru had kept living and hadn't been betrayed by the Ebony Knight, would she have reached the barrier of E6? E7? S5 had been her lowest, so had she already reached it? What about S10? Was such a stat even possible? Would that being even be human, or would they be a god?
Who was Haru? How had such a being been born?
"Alright," Father called out again. "That's enough with the shocked looks. Remember, you're all Knights. We serve this kingdom, we serve this king, and we serve these people. We are swords, we are shields, we are heroes. We're the first and last line of defense. Spiraling towers where evil gods await. Dragons who fly through the heavens. Caves that only lead to Hell. Princesses who tempt heroes to settle down. A labyrinth you can never escape from. Vast riches, deep dungeons, raging wars, magical animals, and so many secrets to be found. You're all Knights. It's time you defend your home."
Crow flicked a finger out, and a powerful wave of mana launched forward. All the recruits gasped as it flowed over them. Davi glanced down at his wrist, where the metal bracelet they had been given was. Suddenly, it flashed, and it began to change. Black water surged out of it and surrounded their arm. When it faded away, the bracelet was gone, but in its place was a tattoo. It wrapped entirely around the wrist and was part of their flesh.
"The king's Circuit magic has been stored within you," Crow spoke up. "Now, you'll be able to activate the status window even while in a dungeon. Those earlier devices were enchanted with his magic and use his core to turn on, but with them inside of you, over the next few days, your own core will naturally be able to activate this. Also, just so you know, that mark is hooked up to a powerful magic item. If we want to find you, we can. That is, unless you chop your hand off."
Davi naturally got to work and flicked his hand up and down, causing his status screen to appear and vanish rapidly.
"Go ahead and separate now," Father said. "Get into groups with the others who have the same symbol as you. It's time we moved out."
Everyone scrambled to obey the powerful man and got into formation. When it was all said and done, there were eight groups.
Shining Sentinels had Bruno Moore, Emma Marsian, Irene Lunar, and Alexander Jupitar.
Mourning Stars had Simon Saturen, Ruby Marsian, Blake Lunar, and Law Jupitar.
Umbra Mortis had Rowan Zyne, Cain Lunar, Nori Jupitar, and Rin Marsian.
Oak Watchers had Triston Dow, Oliver Tol, Kuro Dar, and Lupin Uscle.
Hydra Storm had Astrid Gold, Kevin Dyrt, Moa Zedon, and Lucy Case.
Wandering Coin had Nick Ale, Fate Williams, Brave Larison, and Kale Blue.
Pantheon had Ash Anderson, Ashley Dyrt, Sera Grow, and Max Power.
Lastly, that left Phoenix Flight with just two. Davi Hawker and Olivia Lot.
At last, all the guilds had their new members. Thirty new Squires were about to start their brand-new life.