With the Dark Queen hiding in his shadow, Arthur decided to go to the Awakener's Association to register for the exam. The registration has been ongoing for a while now and today was the last day.
As he was in the hotel's foyer, Arthur's new phone rang. With puzzlement, he looked at the number on the screen and couldn't recognize it. The moment he answered the call, his puzzlement turned into a headache.
"My dear brother, Alexie!" Oliver's voice came roaring from the other end of the line. "Since you told me you're taking the exam, I've looked you up and found that you haven't registered yet!"
"I'm sick,"
"You don't sound sick, give me your location and I'll come to pick you up."
"Uh, no thanks I have my driver."
"Very well, let me look up where you stay and come to pick you up." Oliver insisted and Arthur sighed.
"Alright, I'm staying at the Ligas Hotel. When are you getting here?" Arthur surrendered.
"Give me half an hour! I live close by!" With that, Oliver hung up the call. Arthur was speechless but was otherwise helpless.
After half an hour, which Arthur spent reading an article called the Ethereal Properties of Manablood, Oliver arrived on time. He stormed into the hotel's foyer as his attendant followed after him.
"Alexie! Here you are!" Oliver waved at Arthur after spotting him. He trotted toward him and pulled on Arthur's arm. "We need to hurry since the registration will be ending today!"
"It's only the morning, Oliver," Arthur sighed. "The registration ends today, but we have time."
"You don't understand, Alexie! Most of the nobles are registering today. We need to be there early to make it."
"Oh, then why did you make me wait half an hour?" Arthur frowned. There were still many things he didn't know about this.
"I can't leave you alone, after all." Oliver sheepishly laughed. "No need to thank me. That's what friends are for."
Arthur wondered if this guy had a selective hearing or was simply delusional. He allowed Oliver to bring him toward their car and the two went toward the Union's Awakeners' Association.
On the way, Oliver made sure to give him a recap of the latest gossip in the capital. It was mostly related to their generation since the last generation was more interested in politics and getting stronger.
"Do you know Reinhold, the eyesore that we met yesterday?" Oliver said with contempt. "It is said he has been ass-kissing the prince nonstop to get into Princess Nera's good books."
"Well, that's vulgar." Arthur furrowed his brows at Oliver's words but the fat young man misunderstood his intentions.
"Truly, a scum!" Oliver huffed as he grabbed a napkin to wipe away some saliva he spurted. "Truly a toad lusting over the swan!"
"Who do you think is a good fit for the Princess?" Arthur asked with a smile as he expected the answer, and his expectations weren't disappointed.
"Why, me! Of course!" Oliver said as he delivered his opinion. "We were childhood sweethearts before…" Oliver paused.
"Before?" Arthur asked curiously.
"Never mind that!" Oliver waved his hand. "We two are meant to be together!"
"Do you like her?" Arthur smiled.
"Well, every man in the kingdom likes Princess Nera! She might be young now, but she'll grow up to be a fine lady!" Oliver said as if he shared celestial wisdom. Arthur didn't refute him and looked out of the window.
His death as Arthur Silvera seemed to have so little effect on the world. Even though many media outlets still broadcasted his fight and achievements, he was slowly being forgotten by the world.
When he met Nera yesterday, Arthur couldn't spot anything different. Even though the two weren't exactly friends, but they were not strangers either. Did his death mean so little to the world?
'What about Emma?' Arthur wondered. 'Is she mourning me now?' He felt sudden guilt at that thought. Emma was one of the few people he trusted, but he couldn't take the risk to reveal anything to her.
She saw something in him when he barely had anything at all. They spent days together and not one time did he feel uncomfortable.
Oliver kept spewing rubbish beside him about how beautiful Nera was or about the other beauties in the capital. Arthur, however, didn't share the sentiment.
He appreciated beauty, but he didn't feel any attractiveness to these women. Sometimes, just like what happened to Hua, it was simply a sexual desire. However, he couldn't feel anything toward Hazel who he had kissed before.
Maybe it was because it has been so long since he has seen her, but Arthur knew that deep down, he felt nothing but curiosity. They faced life and death together, making him feel like they might be connected in some way.
He didn't know why, but he simply didn't feel what everyone called love. As if everyone was born with the capacity to feel love, without ever needing to question what it is. For him, it felt like he was robbed of that too.
His only interests were getting stronger to avoid what he had to grow through before. Never does he want to return to the poverty, weakness, and humiliation he lived in those three years after his father's disappearance.
"We're here!" Oliver smacked Arthur's knee in an announcement, making him flinch. Arthur glared at him but the Oliver was too busy getting himself out of the car.
Arthur left the car and looked at the Awakeners' Association. Oliver didn't give him the time to admiral the ancient style of the association and pulled him inside.
Once they were inside, they were shown to the registration hall. Arthur remembered what he had read before regarding the annual number of applicants.
Fifty Thousand.
The hall was filled to the brim by young men and their families. There were nobles and there were commoners. The people that were lining up had different shapes and statures as if someone has plucked people from every group or minority to gather them into one hall.
Everyone here was striving for strength.
"Follow me, Alexie!" Oliver called out. "Nobles get a separate line, although I doubt its shortness. This year is more lively than usual." Oliver said as he wiped off his sweat with the same napkin from earlier.
As he followed the human shield, Arthur passed many students who were just as excited as he was. As he glanced at the side, he saw a guy of average build and face standing and looking upward at the giant statue in the middle.
The young man's eyes had a certain zeal as if wishing to defy the heavens. Arthur found the scene beautiful yet also a scary confession.
Their world was so dangerous that everyone strived for strength. Some of them strived for riches, which was also obtained by strength.
They were thrown into a wheel that refused to stop. They can either become stronger or simply perish in poverty. Whoever lags behind would be crushed by this wheel.
However, this was like inflating a balloon. At some point, the balloon would explode and everyone will face the consequences. The world's dependence on strength will come back to bite them.
When there's strength, there's also war and battlefield. Arthur knew that the world's balance was approaching its limits. Every day that passes is another day closer until the fallout of everyone seeking strength.
It was the same for the Holy Crown. As long as there are opportunities to get power, then there will be bloodshed. If you forfeit the battle to avoid violence, you'd only be left behind.
You will be crushed by the wheel.
Arthur shook his head as he kept following after Oliver. They found the line for the nobility to register and they took their spots.
"Phew, luckily we were here in time." Oliver sighed in relief. "Don't worry about the exam, I'll take care of you there too!"
Arthur smiled at his words and realized this guy wasn't so bad. He might be annoying, arrogant, vain, and conceited but he wasn't inherently bad. As he was about to open his mouth to say something, a figure passed him going in the opposite direction.
The scent was familiar. The stature was also the same. Her blonde hair shone in the light that rolled from the windows. Arthur reflexively turned around and stared at her departing back.
'Emma,' Arthur wanted to call out, but he stopped himself in time. She didn't know his current identity so it was futile to try talking to her. 'Is she also applying for Jerano?' Arthur realized that she has never mentioned it.
Emma stopped when she met a few people and talked to them. Arthur was able to see her side profile. Her eyes were tired and he could see dark halos under her them.
'Was she unable to sleep?' Arthur wondered. 'Was it because of me?'
It seemed she had realized he was looking at her as she turned to stare at him back, with confusion. They held eye contact for a few seconds before a face stood in his way.
"What are you goggling at, Bastard?" Reinhold sneered at him. Arthur looked at him coldly as Oliver strode in front of him.
"Nothing of your concern, eunuch." Oliver placed his hand on his hips. He then glanced behind Reinhold and his eyes widened. "Nera! What are you doing here?!"
Arthur followed his line of sight and saw that the person Emma was talking to was Nera, but he had failed to notice her earlier. However, he was confused since Nera should be in her sixteenth year. What was she doing here?