The evaluator carefully recorded everything that had happened during the battle and was quite satisfied with the level of the rookies who had passed. In front of him were the five chosen ones: Dorian, Alaric, Lyssandra, Kael, and Arvanys. All of them had demonstrated above-average abilities, but among them, there were some who clearly awakened more interest.
'They are all above average.'
There were several bodies scattered across the floor of the tavern. Some were still alive, although unconscious or seriously injured, while others had not survived the test.
None of the five had really hesitated when the time came to fight to their limits. Alaric and Lyssandra had shown some resistance at first, but when they realized there was no other choice, they also acted without hesitation. The evaluator knew that the others responsible for the guilds were waiting outside and had probably already noticed the potential of those young people. Because of that, he would need to get ahead of them and make his offer before they did.
"My name is Kurte. It's been quite some time since the last time I saw rookies like you. So, this will be our guild's card. We are called the Earth Dragons and are ranked as the third strongest guild."
The guilds had been created mainly by mercenaries who did not wish to directly ally themselves with any territory.
Many orphans also ended up finding shelter within them, making them a sort of place where people without important connections could find work and survive. For this reason, some regions did not like them. Tianlong, in particular, had tried several times to find a way to control the guilds, but they continued to maintain their independence.
Kurte sensed an aura coming from outside and immediately understood that the other evaluators were irritated. After all, he had been the first to introduce his guild to those who had passed. Even so, he could not be blamed for that. After all, who had chosen him specifically to lead that test?
Taking out five cards, Kurte handed one to each rookie. The cards had the symbol of three brown dragons flying in a circle, representing the Earth Dragons guild.
"Anyway, let's go. It's time for us to meet with the others and our employer."
The five began following him outside the tavern. As he walked, Alaric once again noticed the shadows he had seen earlier. Now, they were standing outside the establishment. From what he could tell, the other evaluators had probably already sent their evaluations to their superiors and were now trying to convince the rookies to join their respective guilds in the future.
When everyone finally left, Kurte approached the tavern and placed one hand against the wall. A small amount of energy traveled through his fingers. The next instant, the entire building began to disappear, as if it were being erased from reality, until not a single trace remained that the tavern had ever existed.
The young people who had been defeated were also taken away. Those who survived still had a chance to enter a Guild if it saw potential in them. The five who had been chosen were mainly selected because of the mission.
"You did well getting here first, Kurte."
"Leader!"
A man appeared behind him without making any sound. His face showed no expression, and Kurte almost jumped in surprise when he noticed his presence so close. The two men standing behind him also reacted in the same way.
That was something common with the leader: he had a habit of suddenly appearing behind others and beginning to speak as if he had been there for a long time.
"Thank you, boss. Is there anyone you were more interested in?"
"I'd say I was interested in that Kael and Arvanys. They have a different aura from the rest."
"I'll try harder to recruit both of them, then."
The boss simply nodded before disappearing again, leaving Kurte and the other two alone. Without wanting to waste any more time, Kurte began walking quickly toward the place where the meeting would take place. As he moved forward, he continued thinking about the five rookies. He had also noticed the frightening potential of those two.
The girl possessed a strange amount of mana. Even though someone without the ability to directly see or measure another person's mana would not be able to determine her exact amount, Kurte had enough experience to realize that she probably possessed an absurd reserve.
As for Kael, his body had also caught his attention. That boy's physical structure was above that of many Second Circle mages, which probably meant he had undergone quite intense physical training.
'Even so, I'll still keep an eye on the other three. Perhaps someone more interesting will emerge among them.'
After some time, they arrived at a large mansion. Kurte entered and found the five rookies sitting in a row of chairs. There were three rows in total, and in the other two were representatives of the two best academies on the continent. It was a curious situation. Three groups that normally hated each other were now gathered in the same place, forced to work together to complete a single mission.
'This shouldn't take long. Once we start, a competition will emerge to decide who can get the core first.'
Kurte sat in an elevated position alongside some mercenaries and academy teachers. A little farther away, he was able to notice Virelle. Recently, she had been drawing quite a lot of attention because of her rapid advancement through the circles. Just observing her was enough to realize that she was extremely strong. As far as Kurte knew, the two of them were in the Seventh Circle, so perhaps he really had a chance against her, even though she was a prodigy.
While those present waited, a man entered the room. His hair and beard were blue, and his face showed such obvious exhaustion that he looked as if he had not slept for several days. His appearance was so worn out that anyone could imagine that a simple stronger gust of wind would be enough to make him fall.
"My name is Cristian Deymir. Thank you for accepting my request. I know it may seem like an unimportant request to you, but this core is very important to me."
Cristian walked a few steps before continuing. His voice remained calm, although the exhaustion was evident in every word.
"The person who stole the core entered a dungeon in a desperate attempt to escape. I planned to send my guards, who are in the Fourth Circle, but this dungeon has a rule that only allows people from the Second Circle or below to enter. Because of that, I made a request to the best places I could find, where I knew there would be people capable of carrying out this task. And that is why you are here."
Cristian took another step forward and raised one hand. An image appeared over a small magic stone, showing the appearance of the stolen core.
It was a blue crystal of extremely beautiful appearance. Carefully carved marks covered its surface, forming designs similar to white flowers. For a few seconds, several of those present silently observed the object. It did not even look like an ordinary Nartheis core, which made some of them wonder whether that object had some importance beyond what Cristian had explained.
"I ask you, please, to recover this core. I am determined to offer an even greater reward to whoever manages to find it first."
Those final words were enough to change the atmosphere in the room.
Without Cristian realizing it, he had just started a competition between the three groups that already possessed considerable rivalry.
"Sir, may I ask why you want this core so much?"
The one who had raised his hand and asked the question was Kai, sitting in the first chair of the middle row. Cristian turned his tired eyes toward him before answering.
"My wife liked carving cores and making them more beautiful to sell and see other people using them. This was the last core she carved before falling into a coma."
Kai remained silent for a few seconds, realizing too late that he might have touched upon a sensitive subject.
"I'm sorry for my companion's question, sir."
Valença spoke from the chair beside him, while Kai scratched the back of his head, clearly not knowing very well what to do.
"There's no need to worry, miss. You are young and curious... and I would like you to remain that way. It reminds me of my son."
Cristian gave a weak but sincere smile. After a few seconds, he asked everyone to follow him. The mission would still take some time to begin, so he decided to offer them a meal before they left.
The teachers, mercenaries, and students followed him to another room of the mansion, where several tables had been prepared. There was food spread across practically the entire room, forming a true banquet. After the tension of the test, that moment was an opportunity for everyone to rest a little before beginning the mission.
The rookies sat at one of the tables, beside the students from Astrong Academy, and began eating calmly. At least most of them.
Kael and Arvanys seemed to be especially hungry. As soon as they started eating, the two practically wasted no time.
"It's been a long time since I ate someone else's food and thought it was this good. I think I'll ask for..."
"I barely ate properly either, so I have to take advantage of this."
Seeing the two eating so quickly, Alaric shook his head. After watching them for a few seconds, he began eating almost at the same pace as Kael, although he kept his face completely hidden by his hood.
Beside him, Lyssandra discreetly moved closer. The two began exchanging a few whispers, speaking so quietly that no one around them could understand what they were saying.
"I hope our disguise isn't discovered."
"Calm down, master. Your plan is perfect."
"Yes, you're right."
For an instant, Kael's eyes glowed red. Alaric and Lyssandra immediately fell silent. The two discreetly looked at him, wondering if the boy had managed to hear their conversation.
Kael, however, simply continued eating at the same speed as before, as if nothing had happened.
Alaric and Lyssandra exchanged a silent glance before finally letting out the breath they had been holding.
Perhaps he really had not heard.
Meanwhile, their employer was speaking with the guards who had come to deliver some news.
"What do you mean my son is missing? He should be right at my parents' house."
"It was precisely Mrs. Deymir and Mr. Deymir who sent this information."
Cristian placed his hand on his head while letting out a sigh. For a moment, his eyes went toward the guests in the room.
"Find him immediately."
"Yes, sir."