A raven arrived at dawn, its black wings a stark contrast against the grey morning sky. It bore a scroll sealed with the golden eagle of the Valorian Royal Family. A summons.
The news spread through Stonefall Keep like wildfire. Kaelen was in the dining hall, having breakfast with his father, when the sealed message was delivered. Marius was absent, having ridden out early to inspect the barony's southern patrols.
Baron Theron broke the seal with a practiced hand, his brow furrowed in concentration as he read. A deep sigh escaped his lips, a sound heavy with the weight of a thousand worries. He looked across the table at his son, his expression grim.
"The King is summoning the heirs of all noble houses to the capital," the Baron announced, his voice low. "In three months' time, the annual 'Royal Assessment' will take place. It is a series of tests to gauge the strength of the next generation."
Kaelen's mind, which had been calmly analyzing the nutritional content of his porridge via the System, snapped to high alert. The Royal Assessment. In his first life, this had been the site of his greatest public humiliation. He had been a twelve-year-old boy, unable to pass even the most basic mana control test, failing to land a single blow on a training automaton in the qi combat trial. The whispers of "the useless heir of Valerius" had followed him for years after that day.
Now, it was a threat of a different kind. How could he maintain his mask of mediocrity under the scrutiny of the entire kingdom's nobility, including royal mages and seasoned generals?
"This is..." his father hesitated, searching for the right word. "...an opportunity, Kaelen. To show them that House Valerius is not to be underestimated. To show them what your hard work has achieved."
The hope in his father's voice was a sharp, painful knife. Kaelen knew he could easily dominate the assessment. With his Rank 2 Warrior strength and his exquisite mana control, he could probably place in the top twenty, maybe even the top ten. But to do so would be to paint a massive target on his back. Marius would become instantly suspicious, and other powers would begin to probe the secrets of the "miraculous" Valerius heir.
He had to fail, but he couldn't afford to be humiliated again. He needed to be perfectly, calculatedly, average. Good enough to pass, but not good enough to be noticed.
That evening, he was practicing his swordsmanship, his movements deliberately clumsy, when Marius returned. His uncle stood by the edge of the training yard, watching him for a long time.
"I heard about the summons," Marius said, his voice devoid of its usual false warmth. "The capital is a dangerous place for a boy, Kaelen. Full of vipers. Are you prepared?"
"I will do my best for the honor of our house, Uncle," Kaelen replied, parrying a strike from a wooden dummy.
"See that you do," Marius said, his eyes glinting in the torchlight. "Because failure in the capital brings a shame that is not easily washed away."
Kaelen felt the veiled threat. His uncle didn't want him to succeed. He wanted him to fail spectacularly, to prove to the Baron and the world that Kaelen was a lost cause, paving the way for Marius himself to take more control.
That night, in the darkness of his room, Kaelen achieved a breakthrough. He finally managed to sustain a small, stable ball of lightning in his palm, crackling with contained power. It was a Grade 1 spell, but the control it represented was immense.
The System chimed in his mind.
> [Skill Unlocked: [Lightning Orb] - Grade 1 (Mid-Tier)]
> [Quest Issued: The Capital's Stage]
> Objective: Survive the Royal Assessment. Secure a ranking between 100th and 150th place.
> Reward: [Skill: [Silent Circulation] - Allows for undetectable qi cultivation]
>
Kaelen looked at the quest, a grim smile touching his lips. The reward was exactly what he needed. The Assessment was no longer just a trial; it was his next mission. He would walk into the viper's den and dance on a razor's edge, and no one would ever know the truth.
The stage is set for a major confrontation in the capital! What challenges await Kaelen?
* Leave a comment with your predictions for the Royal Assessment! Who will he meet? What will Marius plot?
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