emperor chapter 27

Chapter 14 – The Test

The person who asked for directions was elderly and had difficulty walking. So, I escorted them to their destination. Had their destination not been on the opposite side of the testing grounds, I wouldn’t have been late. I hadn’t overslept, nor did it take me long to get ready. I was simply being kind. Foolishly so.

“Huff… Huff…!”

I bent over, gasping for breath. The sprint to the testing grounds had completely drained me. My stamina would recover eventually, but time, unfortunately, was irretrievable.

Straightening up, the first thing I saw was a sign that read, “Testing in Progress.” It served not only as an announcement but also as a sturdy lock, barring the door.

“What do I do? …Should I just barge in?”

My brain was starved for oxygen, leaving little room for rational thought. Like someone in a trance, I reached for the door.

“Don’t go in.”

Just before my hand touched the door, a voice stopped me. I froze, retracting my hand like a robot given a halt command, and turned towards the source of the sound.

“Can’t you see the sign that says ‘Testing in Progress’… Minette?”

“…Sebek.”

The proctors for the apprentice exam were mid-level priests with free time. Despite his carefree demeanor, Sebek was, indeed, a mid-level priest.

Recognizing me instantly, Sebek approached with a bright smile.

“What happened? Late?”

“Yes. I was helping someone who was lost.”

“Right, right. Nine out of ten latecomers tell me that.”

“No, really. Please believe me.”

“Coming from you, Minette, of course I believe you. But rules are rules. I can’t let you in.”

The testing grounds were filled with others taking not just the apprentice exam, but also the lower and mid-level priest exams. The rule was likely in place to prevent disruptions.

Was I really going to fail without even taking the test…?

Sebek flipped through the papers he held.

“Let’s see. Minette. You haven’t taken the practical yet, have you? It was scheduled after the written exam, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then let’s do the practical first. It’ll kill time while we wait for the written exam to finish.”

“What? But I’m late.”

“There’s been a recent change in regulations due to the high number of latecomers. They’re given another chance in the afternoon.”

“Really? Thank you!”

“You’re cute when you do that, but thank Gael, Caro’s High Priest, not me. He’s the one who eased the rules.”

Not all temples had them, but larger temples like Caro had High Priests.

I had heard about Gael from Parfait. Gossip about superiors is usually negative, but in Gael’s case, it was all positive.

He sounded like a competent and benevolent leader. Of course, that was just the impression I got; I had never actually met him. He wasn’t someone an apprentice priest could easily meet.

“I’ll be sure to thank him if I ever meet him.”

“Right. To increase those odds, you’ll need to graduate from apprentice status first. Follow me. We’ll conduct the practical elsewhere to avoid causing a disturbance near the testing grounds.”

Sebek led me down the hallway. When we were a good distance from the testing grounds, a row of individual rooms, much like a hotel, appeared on either side of the hallway.

After trying a few doors, Sebek chose a suitable room and entered.

It was an empty room that resembled a nondescript conference room.

“Have a seat.”

We sat facing each other across a large table. It felt like a job interview, which made me unintentionally nervous.

“Hey, no need to be stiff. Lower and mid-level exams are one thing, but the apprentice exam isn’t that difficult. The practical just tests basic abilities. If I were the High Priest, I would have abolished this tedious procedure. Haha!”

“Hahahaha… Haha… Thank you for your consideration.”

“Just do what I tell you, Minette.”

“What do I need to do?”

“Let’s see. Apprentice exam… a small cut should suffice.”

The reason for moving away from the written exam area was to avoid causing a disturbance, wasn’t it? I had assumed it was to avoid noise from conversation, but I was wrong.