The entrance exam has only one test to do. Alas, it wasn't an easy one either.
Indeed, the participants only needed to fight against a monster. Something that all of them did already at least once in their lives.
However, the monster they had to fight was a specific monster only present on this planet. It was a rare creature that people rarely saw, thus the holy church organized a big event so that people could see their entrance exams.
The entrance exam was held in a massive arena in the city's heart. The arena was specially designed to host events of this scale, with tiered seating that could accommodate thousands of spectators.
The arena was packed with people of all types. There were so many people that it almost seemed impossible to gather that many in one place. There were even different guilds that weren't affiliated by any type with the holy church because of how well the latter advertised the event. After all, seeing a rare monster wasn't something common.
The arena was also adorned with banners and flags, each one representing different guilds. The air was thick with the smell of roasting meats and the sound of merchants hawking their wares.
At the center of the arena was a large circular platform, surrounded by a moat filled with water. The platform was made of polished stone, etched with intricate patterns and symbols that glowed in the sunlight.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe spectators were cheering in anticipation of what would happen, and quickly, their wait was rewarded.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience," The presenter said as the audience cheer grew louder. "And without further ado, here's what our participants will have to face, Pheonixes!"
*Wouahhhh*
*Wahhhh*
The people screamed so much that it looked like the ground was shaking. And then suddenly, the ground of the arena split into two, and monsters in cages came out.
In those cages were phoenixes. There were six to be more precise, one for all of the participants. They were all grown-up phoenixes, however, they weren't adults yet. After all, if they were to be so, the people capturing them wouldn't have been able to do so in the first place.
And those legendary birds slammed their bodies against the cages, but nothing managed to destroy them.
And as if to not make them wait further, the participants all came to the arena one after the other. Kye, the red-hair woman, as well as the other participants.
And the moment Kye saw the monsters, his heart skipped a bit.
'Pheonixes? Do we have to fight against phoenixes?' He thought to himself as people were all excited. He too would have been excited by such a sight if he didn't know more, alas, he had a friend who was a phoenix. 'Did Ras allow it? It can't be, right? He's not the type to send his kin to death like this.'
And as if they could hear his mind, Kye got an answer.
'Please help us, oh you who got the blessing of the king.' A feminine voice resounded into Kye's head. The latter looked at the phoenixes, and he could see how helpless they were.
'What happened?' Kye tried to ask back, but he, unfortunately, got no answers to his question.
'Please help us.' Another voice came in.
'I don't want to die.'
'We can't revive yet. We are not adults yet.'
...
...
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIt wasn't only one or two voices that Kye could hear, but numerous. He heard all of the phoenixes' voices and their pleas for help.
'What should I do, now?' Kye questioned himself as he looked around, trying to find a way. Unfortunately, he couldn't find ways to save them.
There were way too many people in here, be it the spectators who wanted to see the phoenixes in action or even important individuals who were without a doubt very strong and who could stop him easily.
'Seriously what should I do?'
Thankfully for Kye though, he wasn't alone. 'Kye listen to me,' Lightbringer said. 'A prince must protect his people. Even though they aren't under you, and you don't have any obligations to comply with the duties of a prince, they are still under a dear friend of yours. So chose wisely.'
Lightbringer's words made a lot of sense. Even though as he said, he didn't have to uphold the values a prince had to follow, he nonetheless couldn't turn a blind eye. After all, he couldn't forget all the things Ras has done for him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please listen to the explanation of the test now." The presenter said to get the attention of everyone. "The rules are simple. Each participant will be given a cage with a phoenix inside. Their task will be to defeat the phoenix and retrieve the phoenix feather that's inside. The first person to retrieve the feather wins and will hold a better position at the Holy Church!"
The presenter paused for a moment to let the rules sink in before continuing. "But be warned, these phoenixes are not your average creatures. They have been specially bred and trained to be more challenging than usual. So, use all your skills and abilities to defeat them."
The crowd erupted in cheers as the presenter finished explaining the rules. Kye looked at his cage, and he could see the phoenix inside looking back at him with fearful eyes. He knew that he couldn't bring himself to harm the creature, even if it meant failing the entrance exam.
He decided to take a risk and go against the rules.
Kye had made a decision, and he knew that it would cost him his chances of passing the entrance exam. But he didn't care. He had chosen to do what was right, even if it meant going against the rules. And at that moment, he felt like a true prince, someone who would always prioritize the welfare of others over his own desires, even though he had never lived like this in the first place.