Chapter 13 - Entrance Exam (2)

"Huh? Peak initiate? Wait. How!?" Shila shouted out in confusion.

"What?"

"That boy?"

The entire crowd around them stopped and turned to gaze at Shin as he felt their gazes stabbing onto his back. But he ignored the sensation as he had a question in his mind.

"Wait... My blood? Do you know something about it?" Shin asked.

"Hmm? You don't know?" The Duke's eyes opened wide as he asked. "Hendrick?"

"..." Hendrick glanced at the other nobles, who were now all staring at the four of them as the duke quickly noticed them as well.

"Shila, go play around for a bit. Here." The Duke snapped his fingeres as a red orb seemed to have encased the three of them as Shila grumpily stepped away in annoyance. "There, they won't be able to hear us now."

"Hendrick, tell me the truth. Who is this boy?" The Duke asked.

"...An orphan of war." Hendrick replied. "And now, my stepson."

Silence befell the three of them as Shin continued to stare at the duke for an answer.

The duke looked down at Shin's gaze in silence before sighing out.

"Shin." The Duke spoke. "You aren't completely human."

"Huh?" "What?"

Shin and Hendrick both exclaimed out in confusion.

Not human?

Then what was he?

A monter?

"Can you explain what you mean...?" Shin asked, scared of what he was. Or worse, what he would become.

Duke noticed the fear in the boy's eyes before speaking out. "I'm not entirely sure but I can feel the mana flowing in your blood. It's primordial and of the fire element. Most high level mages might be able to sense the mana within your body being abundant but I can see that it originates from your blood."

"Primordial...? Wait Fire element?" Shin spoke out as he suddenley remembered the scenes back from the lab.

[We have yet to succeed, is this even possible?]

[None of them have withstood the pain. Nobody in the world is compatible.]

[We're almost running out of the materials.]

[Another one burned up.]

...

"I believe you've never felt the cold right? And you never seem to get tired." The Duke guessed as Shin nodded in shock.

How did the duke know?

"That's probably because of the mana in your blood. Mana and Ki are both a form of energy and your body will naturally use the energy it has. As for the cold, the abundant fire element within your body will easily repell that passively." The duke explained.

"...But do you know what kind of blood this is?" Shin asked, now curious about what he had gone through.

"...I'm going to need a sample to research but this isn't the most appropriate location." The duke thought for a moment before speaking out. "I'm willing to do you a favor if you are willing to give me 3 additional vials of your blood for research."

"Deal."

"Wait a minute!" Hendick, who had been standing silently besides them, quickly shouted out.

"What's the meaning of this? Baron, stand back. I am currently engaging in a trade." The duke, with slight annoyance in his voice, spoke out.

"He's still a child!" Hendrick quickly tried to defend Shin "Wouldn't taking away that amount of blood hurt him?"

"Nonsense." The duke spoke out. "Four vials aren't that much. He'll at most feel dizzy for a bit and plus, the blood seemed to have long fused into his body. If not then he would've long been dead."

"But..."

"Shin." The duke cut off hendrick before looking back at Shin.

"Once you settle into the academy, come to my residence and meet me. You can ask Shila to accompany you." The duke smiled as he spoke.

"Okay." Shin nodded as the duke snapped his fingers again and nodded at them, quickly walking away towards Shila who seemed to have gotten into an argument with another kid. Probably because of Shin.

"Sigh... What were you thinking?" Hendrick scolded the boy. "The blood is the essence of a being, you need to treasure yourself more."

"I know but... I'll need to find out one day right?" Shin looked back up at the Baron apologetically.

"You... Ugh. Just think about it more next time."

As they were talking, Shin could continue to feel the gazes upon his body and hear the whispers about himself.

"Ignore them for now. The exam should begin soon." Hendrick patted Shin on the shoulders as he released his aura which then seemed to block out the sensation from the gazes.

Shin looked back up at Hendrick in shock.

He had completely forgotten about Hendrick's strength.

'One day...'

The power to ignore the gazes of countless eyes and to stand straight all by oneself.

This was the kind of power Shin strived for.

The main issue, however, were the words of Duke Allflame.

'Mana... Should I have become a mage instead?'

'No, mages are too fragile.'

'But I heard they have a thing called a mana shield.'

'What if you run out of mana while fighting?'

'It's better to be a warrior.'

Shin continued to find reasons to convince himself that becoming a warrior was a superior choice as a knight in a full suit of armor and a red cape walked up the podium acompannied by a few others who were also in armor.

The knight pulled off his helm to show a middle aged man who then shouted.

"Good day to you all."

Everyone fell into silence as the man continued to speak.

"My name is Rodrick Asche, the principal of the royal academy. On behalf of the Emperor, I greet you all."

Rodrick Asche

A grand weaponmaster of burning fire.

It was said that he never carried a weapon as he simply conjured up a sword made of burning ki on the spot whenver needed.

"I hereby announce the beginning of the entrance exam!"