Ceremony of the Heavens (1)

[A/N: POV of a specific person will be mentioned at the start of a chapter. If not it is 3rd POV]

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Five Years later

Five years have passed since Klaus spoke with his father about his idea of doing business. Today is an important day for Klaus. Today is his birthday and also the day the ceremony of the heavens is conducted.

Today he would either awaken as a mage/ knight or become someone insignificant who couldn't awaken. Not everyone could awaken during the ceremony.

Klaus believed this was so because the ceremony is itself not up to the task. There are many professions people pursue but only two can be awakened and even then they aren't specific.

Knights use different weapons such as swords, and spears, and some use shields for defense purposes. If the specific route isn't determined, they could waste their talent using the wrong weapon of choice.

Mages too have different streams but the most developed are fire, light, and earth. This is so because many see fire as the best element to defeat enemies, light to heal others, and earth for defense.

The other streams are not developed much. This stagnated the growth of magic.

Moreover, if a mage with a particular element uses another element, it won't be as much as effective.

For example, if a mage with a water element talent wanted to combat and for that purpose, he spent resources and time on mastering the fire element, it is just a waste. Fire and Water are opposite elements and this would drain a lot of resources and waste a lot of potential.

Klaus decided that he would look for a much more effective way. For now, he doesn't know where to start, so he shelved the idea for now.

'Why do they have to do this today? If I awaken, my day would be great but if I fail, it would be a disaster.'

Klaus's three brothers had gone through this and they successfully awakened as knights. They are now attending the academy but returned for today's event.

"Don't worry brother. You'll succeed", assured Klaus's brothers when they saw how nervous he was. They do want him to succeed in awakening.

Normally many noble children would wish that their siblings would fail to awaken during the ceremony. They all know that anyone who fails the ceremony would be treated as waste and wouldn't be considered by the elders for the positions in the family.

The Emsier children are not saints who want their siblings to gain achievements that would push them away but there is much difference compared to others.

The Emsier couple made sure that they fight each other fairly. So instead of wasting time trying to sabotage each other, they spend time improving themselves. They saw many children who went down the wrong path. Though many succeeded by using the wrong path, their growth goth hindered.

The three brothers understood why their parents raised them the way they did. In this way, they would remain, brothers, even after one succeeds while the remaining others fail to gain the top power in the family.

Moreover, they knew from their father who told them that Klaus wanted out of the competition and wanted to be a merchant. He's even become of the successful ones.

They have competition between them, so the three often duel each other to show their prowess but with Klaus it is different. He is a merchant now but even merchants need power to survive or would die.

For now, as the son of Archduke, problems didn't rise as much as they would for any other. Klaus is keen on expanding his business to other nations which would be a recipe for disaster.

In these five years, it was well and good with his business mostly staying within the archduchy and around the capital. If he wanted to expand, there would be resistance and assassination attempts as well.

Hiring bodyguards would be a temporary solution but without processing power in their hands, they are doomed to fall. So they wished that he would awaken as either a knight or mage.

Though awakening is not required to train, unawakened could only become common soldiers. Only the awakened can reach true power.

Of course professions like blacksmiths, alchemists, etc... are well respected, the ones of such professions would be under someone powerful if they need to be carefree.

They knew from their brother's behavior, he wouldn't want to be under someone. The only way to be independent is to be powerful.

"Klaus, it seems they are ready".