Chapter 1.8 — The Appraisal Ceremony (Ann’s Fate Revealed)

  —The Afinix u Triskelion Ceremony—

  “Yep… it’s still a mouthful, you make it sound so easy Tess!” I raised my brow at her.

  Tess chuckled, “well of course, I am a member of the Temple Order after all.

  “Don’t you mean, former member?” I muttered skeptically.

  “No, I'm still a member… I’ve just been exempted from Temple duty. I'm the headmistress after all.” A slight grin on her lips.

  I tilted my head, and let out a small cough. Yeah right… She was such a huge headache to work with. She did whatever she wanted; drinking, smoking, gambling and getting into all kinds of trouble. Of course The Temple Order of Feuerhartz

  got tired of cleaning up her mess, and decided to “relocate” her…

  …In other words—she was thrown out face first!

  Yeah… that sounds about right! Too bad I can't tell her that I know, she's full of BS.

  I won't be able to explain to her how I know.

  We stood outside the temple while waiting for the rest of the participants.

  Ann looked like she was stressed. She was walking back and forth, clearly nervous for the event.

  “Hey, you're gonna be fine… Ann.” I cheered her on.

  Ann’s pace slowed down, her head still lowered. “Yeah… I know… just thinking a lot.”

  “Hey it's ok… I mean you don't need to do much, just put your hand on an orb and let it do all the work.” I gave her the biggest smile I could.”

  “Pfff…. hahaha… why do you look like that?” Jen broke into laughter.

  Grey interjected. “Hey, now… don’t tease him, he’s just trying to cheer her up.”

  “It’s just a simple ceremony, hardly anything to be worried about.” Simon explained, adjusting his glasses.

  Tess shook her head. “No, this will follow her for the rest of her life. Of course she’s nervous… just because someone else's Appraisal went really well, doesn't mean everyone else will.”

  “Ahh, no… It's not the appraisal, that's my main concern.” Ann smiled while scratching her head.

  “Ehh, then what is it?” My eyes widened.

  She had trouble meeting my gaze, “no, it's nothing… please don't mind it.”

  That was weird. As long as I’ve known Ann, she’s usually cheerful and straightforward. She's weirdly well-spoken at the moment… almost—formal sounding?

  My thought was suddenly interrupted by an Initiate Acolyte. He had the same type of Simple white robe, with silver sigils as Tess.

  He looked towards me and Ann. “The Conductor has arrived, please prepare yourself.”

  Ann nodded, “Yes I'm ready.”

  We all wished her luck, as she began walking towards the center. She turned and quickly walked back to me. Before I knew it she hugged me very tight.

  “Umm… Ann—you alright?” I gently placed my hand on her back.

  She briefly closed her eyes, then revealed a small smile.

  “I’m alright now… Honeypoo.”

  She turned and immediately walked away towards the other participants.

  Somehow, that hug felt more like some kind of farewell. I stood frozen in deep thought… Nah!—I'm just overthinking.

  ———

  The next moment more people had gathered. It was as if the entire village had decided to all meet at the exact same spot.

  “Seriously… I don't remember this village having so many people. Did we accidentally kidnap a few towns just to fill this stupid spot.” I grunted like an old man.

  Tess shook her finger at me. “Now, now… don’t be harsh. If you look carefully you'll see that most of these people are from the local region. That’s also why we have a temple here—nearby villages, hamlets and smaller settlements gather here for the ceremonies… and also—”

  Tess cleared her trout. “The reason why we have to hold the ceremony, outside the temple doors.”

  “Ehh, Heimzuch is that popular? But there is nothing here—”

  “—No you don't" Jen shouted while slapping me on top of my head.

  “Stop it—or you're gonna embarrass yourself" Her face turned serious.

  I nodded, caressing my head. I could hear a few murmurs around me, looking up I noticed people staring at me.

  Oh yeah, they're not used to black haired people, and I haven't interacted with any villagers since I spent all my time at the orphanage studying…. But it's not like I'm the only one with black hair in this world.

  Suddenly they began flailing their eyes nervously away, like chickens who had lost their heads. I chuckled a bit, only to release it was Jen, who's staring them down with a sharp-cold look—Yikes… remind me not to get on her bad side.

  ———

  The murmurs began to quiet down. The crowd slowly grew silent as something stirred by the temple doors.

  A man in Cerulean robe, trimmed with gold thread and arcane symbols. He raised his hand in greeting.

  “Welcome to the annual Afinix u Triskelion Ceremony.”

  He cleared his throat. “ Today we will witness the birth of a new generation. Many of you have come far and wide to celebrate this glorious day.” He spread his arms wide, his voice echoed with authority.

  The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices carrying through the village. An Initiate Acolyte appeared behind the Conductor, carrying a round object in his hands.

  The Conductor accepted the orb and turned towards the participants.

  “When your name is called, please step forward and place your hand upon the Orb.”

  Ah, I see… so the Seer only shows up for bigger events. Guess the kids here aren’t really that important. I sighed, shaking my head.

  My eyes drifted—then froze. Standing near the Conductor were several men in dark indigo robes, their figure imposing.

  Hey, wait… are those the Nexus Sentinel? I’ve only seen them in the game, never in real life. Woo—they're frigging huge!

  As I stared at the Nexus Sentinels, the Acolyte shouted the first name.

  “Step forward, Lili Vein of Heimzuch.”

  A small girl walked towards the Orb and placed her hand on it. The Orb glowed brightly as three small spheres appeared, each in different colors and runic symbols. The Conductor began speaking.

  “She has been granted the Afinix of wind, earth and water.” His right hand rose, fingers spread wide. His voice boomed through the village.

  The spheres shifted in size—one grew larger while the other two shrank.

  “Her Triskelion is Exonus… water and wind.” His hand swept outward in an elegant arc.

  I raised a brow, scratching my head. Hmm… two elements in Exonus tier? Pretty common. Not very impressive. Like rolling a low stat at character creation.

  What a waste of a slot.

  “Her final Triskelion is Maximus, earth…” His palm lingered above the Orb, drawing out the moment.

  Maximus was way stronger than Exonus. This makes all three elements assigned to their respective Triskelion: she'd primarily use earth magic, while water and wind were her secondary options.

  The Conductor shifted his gaze. Above the Orb, glowing runic symbols formed a halo.

  “Her Capax Potential is… Strength." His voice dipped, measured and heavy.

  “Ehh? Wait, that little girl has Strength? But… she's so small!” My eyes widened.

  Jen shot me a sharp look, raising her fist. “You said something?”

  “Nope—didn’t say a thing.” I froze, sweat dripping down my face as I quickly looked away. She can be really scary sometimes…

  The Orb glowed white. This time, only one sphere appeared, carrying a different rune. The Conductor's face fell.

  “Her Manaflux is… Loflix!!” His voice rang out, echoed through the air.

  The crowd murmured, unimpressed.

  Loflix? Ahh… how unlucky. That’s basically the lowest level of mana pool you can get. Even with Strength as her Capax Potential, her overall stats are weak, poor girl…

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  The Conductor then concluded.

  “With all pieces aligned, she is granted the Discipline Nexus paths—Dust Initiate or Dust Squire!”

  The Orb’s glow faded. “This concludes your appraisal.” He bowed, one hand placed over his heart.

  The girl returned the bow and, with a sad look on her face, walked back to her parents.

  The crowd murmured again, this time more dismissively. My anger started to bubble. She might have weak stats, but it doesn't mean she—

  “—Hmm… Dust Initiate as long-range combat, or Dust Squire for close-range?” Grey interrupted loudly.”

  He turned to Jen. “Even with low Manaflux, wouldn’t the Dust Squire path make more sense, since she has Strength?”

  Jen, titled her head, thinking. “If she trains hard enough as a Dust Squire, she could become stronger.”

  “Wait, does that mean she could become a Grint Warrior?” I asked, eyes shimmering with hope.

  Grey chuckled, placing his hand on my head.” Easy there. That would mean she’d have to raise her Manaflux from Loflix to Bazix. She'd probably need to train most of her life to get that far.”

  “Hehe… it's so like you Leo, to think well of others.” Jen smiled warmly, pride in her voice.

  I blushed as Grey kept patting my head.

  ———

  The Acolyte called the next participant.

  “Step forward, Bry of Cleinwalth Home Orphanage.”

  “Huh, isn't that the boy Ann trains with?” I turned to Tess.

  Tess put a finger to her lips. “Ohh, is it?”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Yes… it's him. Don't tell me you didn’t know?”

  “Heheh, of course I know all my students.” She winked teasingly.

  My eye twitched. This woman… I never know what to expect from her.

  While I was fuming, Bry had put his hand on the Orb. It glowed.

  “He has been granted the Afinix of earth, wind, fire.” The Conductor’s voice rang clear, and he swept his right hand above the Orb.

  “His Triskelion is Exonus… fire and earth” His hand resting beside the Orb, runes pulsing.

  Yep, another two elements stuck in Exonus tier. Pretty normal. But hey, at least he got fire—which is rare. So… good for him, I guess.

  “His final Triskelion is Maximus, wind.” His palm lingered near the Orb, awaiting the next verdict.

  The runic halo formed again above the Orb.

  “His Capax Potential is… Intelligence.”

  “Wait—Intelligence? Didn't he have Speed?” I squinted.

  “Ohh, it makes sense if you think about it, ” Tess smirked.

  “But I saw him train with Ann. He was decent with a sword… right?” I asked, shaking my head.

  Jen folded her arms. “That’s only because he trained hard. Besides, it's obvious Ann has either Strength or Speed, since she surpassed him some time ago.”

  Hmm… guess I was stuck in my assumptions.

  The Orb glowed white again. The Conductor's eyes winded.

  “His combined magical power of Manaflux is… Bazix!!”

  The crowd murmured with excitement this time.

  Not bad. A step above Loflix, though within the common range.

  Basically, Loflix is Tier 1 spells and Bazix is Tier 2. Stronger, sure, but nothing insane like a certain—someone…

  The Orbs shimmered, as the Conductor announced:

  “The final result, the Discipline Nexus paths are—Gust Striker or Gust Adept!”

  The orb’s glow faded. “This concludes your appraisal.” He bowed, one hand over his heart.

  Bry smirked as he walked back to the orphanage instructors. I glanced at Tess, whose expression carried a hint of satisfaction.

  “Ohh, Gust Adept seems the obvious pick for someone with Intelligence, long-range suits him more, right?”

  Jen nudged Grey with her elbow. “Or, Gust Striker. He’s already gotten strong at close-range.”

  Simon standing and observing all exchanges, shook his head muttering. "Hmm, once a year is still too much.”

  I blinked, Simon said something—how rare.

  Turning my head towards Tess, I let out a smirk. “This must make you proud, huh?”

  Tess's eyes twitched briefly before she covered it with a cough and smirk. “Of course. With this many people here, maybe some of our children will be adopted.”

  I couldn't help but smile, thinking back to our first meeting.

  Sometimes she can be scary, but most of the time she's warm and kind with her heart at the right place.

  ———

  The appraisal proceeded for a good while, I was getting tired of standing.

  “How long is this gonna go on, we've been standing for what feels like days?” I leaned back as I complained.

  Jen turned towards me. “Stop whining, it’ll be over soon… remember we're also here to support Ann!”

  Scanning the area, I could find her. “Wait, where is Ann? I haven't seen her since she left?”

  Grey placing a hand on my shoulder. “Just wait and see.”

  “Wait, what do you know?” I wondered aloud leaning in closer.

  “Huh… What do you mean?” Grey tilting his head.

  I pressed. “There’s something you're not telling me. It’s been like this since I asked about adopting Ann.”

  Tess stared at me, her eyes widened. “Huh! What’s this about adopting—”

  —A thundering voice cut through the village—the Conductor, booming.

  “This hereby concludes the annual Afinix u Triskelion Ceremony!”

  “Ehh, what's over?” I froze, my face contorting in confusion.

  Suddenly a woman appeared behind the Conductor. She wore a deep blue robe with faint, glowing carvings and a thin cloth covered her eyes, adding an air of mystery.

  She was tall and slender, moving with elegance as if she was floating in the air. For some reason she reminded me of Tess, though I couldn't shake the feeling I had seen her somewhere before?

  She stood beside the Conductor, who raised his hand to the crowd.

  “Hear me, Heimzuch—the Afinix Seer has graced us with her presence.”

  More Nexus Sentinels suddenly filled the Area, and a carriage cut through the crowd. A nobleman and noblewoman stepped out, as they were escorted to the front surrounded by their guards.

  “Simon, who are they?” I asked, folding my arms.

  He smirked. “Ohh, you should know—they're the nobles of this region.”

  “Huh… no way… but nobles don’t attend appraisals for commoners, don’t they?”

  “No, they sometimes do… if they need to find an heir,” Simon explained, rubbing his chin.

  Hmm… that might be true, but I don’t remember such an event in the game. And what’s worse, I don’t recognize these nobles at all—thought I should.

  Something’s off here…

  “I welcome you” The conductor bowed, placing his palm over his heart.

  The nobles returned the bow. The nobleman then gestured with his palm to the conductor. “Please process, Conductor.”

  “Today is indeed special,” the Conductor announced,” as you all will bear witness to… the royal appraisal, conducted by the Afinix Seer.”

  He then turned towards where the participants used to stand, now it was filled with a handful of Nexus Sentinels. The Conductor raised his hands towards them.

  “Are you ready, young one?”

  What—who’s he talking to? I squinted but see anyone? I grunted as I was reminded of my current height, being a small kid really sucks…

  A girl walked toward the Conductor, coming closer i gaped in surprise

  “Ann? Why is he calling her?” I looked around me, but everyone looked at the stage. I could feel the tension rising in the air.

  The Conductor handed the Orb to the Seer, and looked at Ann.

  “Please step forward… Anja.”

  Huh, Anja… That name sounds familiar… but I'm not sure?”

  She stepped closer to the Orb. At a single gesture from the Seer, Ann placed her hand upon the Orb. It flared with light. The Seer titled her head, her fingers tracing the glowing runes.

  “She has the Afinix of fire, wind and water.” The Seer's voice rang clear, echoing through the square.

  “Her Triskelion is Exonus… wind, “ Her hand hovering lightly above the Orb.

  Ohh, so one in Exonus? Still common, maybe a bit above average.

  “Her next Triskelion is Maximus… fire.” The Seer’s lips curved into a faint smile as she looked at Ann.

  The crowd murmured, excitement rippling through them.

  No way… one in Exonus and one in Maximus can only mean one thing!!

  “Her final Triskelion is Primux… water.” She boldly declared to the crowd.

  The words struck like thunder, the crowd erupted in awe and disbelief.

  I clenched my teeth, Primux? I looked around me but no one seemed shocked, as if they were expecting this…

  Primux… the highest tier of all. Stronger than Exonus and Maximus combined…

  No wonder the crowd’s losing their minds.

  The Seer lifted her hand, and the crowd dimmed into silence. The Orb pulsed as the runic halo formed above it.

  “Her Capax Potential is… Speed.” Her palm gently hovering on one side of the Orb, awaited the final revelation.

  "Her Manaflux is… Higlix!!”

  Gasp rippled through the crowd. Then silence, a sliver of murmurs echoed as uncertainty spread.

  Well, what did you expect? One element in each Triskelion tier—of course her Manaflux pool is gonna be massive. Higlix means Tier 3 spells.

  I tried my hardest not to facepalm myself.

  Beside me, Tess bursted into laughter. “Hahaha… they really don't know what to do with themselves!”

  Jen and Grey shook their heads. Simon just stared blank, while Tess wiped her tears from laughing.

  “The final result for her Discipline Nexus paths are—Tide Scout and Tide Ranger”

  The Orb’s glow dimmed. “This concludes your appraisal.” The Seer bowed, one hand over her heart.

  Ann returned the bow and turned to step back—

  —but the Seer leaned closer.

  Ann froze.

  The Seer removed the cloth from her face, revealing a pair of glowing green eyes blazing like jade. The cloth slipped lower, uncovering her ears.

  It struck me. Wait… I remember… she's the elf fortune—teller!!

  The Seer gazed at Ann.

  “I see a bright future ahead… you are destined to become a powerful leader”

  Ann froze, her body trembling. Slowly she gave a hesitant nod. But just as she stepped back, the Seer took her hand.

  The woman then leaned in—but I couldn’t hear what she said.

  “However… you must give up your first love, or this world will fall into ruin.”

  “Huh!!” Ann blinked, her eyes wide as she tried to process the words.

  “Ehh… what do you mean… who?” Ann’s voice trembled, confusion written all over her face.

  “Then know this! Many lives rest in your hands—

  Anja Fie Von Drachj?ger!”

  Shocked, I fell to my knees.

  No way. That name… I’m thirty years in the past