As the sun began to set, Rise's group rested near the outskirts of Ateria, waiting for Mixarnt's group to catch up. The atmosphere was calm, a stark contrast to the chaos they had endured earlier. Tessa, Mara, and Lina focused on healing Rise, their hands glowing with restorative magic as they worked to mend his injuries. This time, they had the luxury of taking their time, no longer being chased by Kleto's group.
"I hope it's okay that we're resting here for now," Liva said, addressing the merchants with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about the group that was chasing us earlier—they've been taken care of by our friend." She gestured toward Razen, who was still sleeping peacefully beside Rise. The merchants, though shaken by the earlier events, nodded in understanding. They hadn't expected the escort mission to turn into such a chaotic ordeal, but they were grateful for the group's protection.
Ewan, ever the diligent one, was busy inspecting the carriage for any damage caused by the earlier attacks. He moved methodically, checking the wheels, the frame, and the horses, ensuring everything was in working order for the final stretch to Ateria.
Razen, meanwhile, began to stir, her eyes fluttering open as she regained consciousness. "Ugh... huh? What happened?" she asked, her voice groggy. The last thing she remembered was being hit by a sleep spell and activating her Red Rampage, which allowed her to fight while unconscious.
Lina, one of the healers, quickly approached her. "Lady Razen—oh, right, sorry, Lord Razen," she corrected herself, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I forgot you don't like being called a lady."
Razen's face turned red as she waved her hand dismissively. "F-forget I said that," she muttered, her voice tinged with awkwardness. The fact that Mixarnt had invited her on a date and confessed that he liked her meant he saw her as a woman, and that thought made her heart race. "Anyway, what happened to Kleto's gang?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation away from her embarrassment.
Liva chuckled, her tone light. "Let's just say they won't be bothering us anymore. You took care of them pretty thoroughly," she said, giving Razen a knowing look.
Razen blinked, her memories of the fight slowly coming back. "Oh... right," she said, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Guess they learned not to mess with me."
Just as the group was settling into their rest, the sound of approaching carriages caught their attention. Mitchel, leading Erenesto's group, arrived with a calm and confident demeanor. She stepped forward to greet Rise's group, her expression reassuring. "We're here," she said simply, her voice carrying a sense of relief.
Rise, though still healing, managed a grin. "About time! Where's Mixarnt?" he asked, his tone playful.
Mitchel gestured toward one of the carriages. "He's inside, resting. Valentia, Julls, and May are healing him. He fought hard against Aaron and won, but he's pretty exhausted," she explained.
Rise's grin widened as he spotted Aaron, tied up and beaten, inside a cage, an anti-magic cage on one of the wagons. The once-proud assassin now had a swollen, unrecognizable face, and Rise couldn't help but laugh. "Hahahaha, look who's all tied up! Not so tough now, are you?" he teased, his voice filled with mockery.
Aaron, though battered and bruised, managed to glare at Rise, though his expression lacked its usual menace. "Shut up, brat," he muttered, his voice weak but still defiant.
Razen, now fully awake, walked over to the cage and smirked. "Looks like you bit off more than you could chew," she said, her tone smug. "Maybe next time, think twice before picking a fight with us hahaha." She and Rise continue to annoy him.
The group finally arrived at Ateria just before the sun set, the city gates welcoming them with cheers from the townsfolk. The merchants, relieved and overjoyed to have reached their destination safely, expressed their gratitude to the participants. The atmosphere was lively, but the tension among the candidates was palpable, especially as Althea, one of the trial overseers, stepped forward to address them.
"Okay, since everyone is here, we will start the next phase of the trial tomorrow. For now, go ahead and get some rest. Only the participants who arrived with the merchants will be tagged as passing the first phase of the final trial," Althea announced, her tone calm but firm. She stood with an air of authority, her sharp eyes scanning the group.
Kleto's group, however, arrived moments later, limping and battered, their wounds a testament to the beating they had taken from Razen and the others. "H-hey, wait up! We've arrived too!" Kleto shouted, his voice filled with desperation and anger.
Althea turned to them, her expression unimpressed. "No. All of you who arrived just now are disqualified," she said casually, as if stating the obvious.
"What!? But the goal is to arrive here!" Ratrat protested, clutching his injured arm, his face red with frustration.
"Yes, along with protecting the merchants," Althea replied, her tone sharp. "It was a simple escort mission, which is why we didn't group you like in the fourth trial. In this phase, all of you were required to work together. However, you all started a conflict and even put the merchants' lives in danger. You prioritized your egos over the mission. That's not what an Aether Knight does."
Kleto, seething with resentment, stepped forward. "Grrrr! I can't accept that! Then what about that guy Aaron!? Why did he pass the first phase? He was the cause of all this!" he shouted, pointing at Aaron, who was sitting inside a cage with a swollen face, grinning smugly at Kleto's group.
Althea glanced at Aaron, her expression neutral. She wondered what Mixarnt was planning to do with him, but she didn't voice her concerns. Instead, she simply said, "Aaron arrived with Mixarnt's group, which means he passed the first phase. A pass is a pass, and a fail is a fail."
Kleto's group erupted into protests, but Althea remained unmoved. "You all arrived one minute late. I would have allowed it if you had arrived earlier or at the same time, but you didn't. Rules are rules," she said, her tone final. Her small grin as she delivered the verdict made it clear she wasn't going to budge.
Mixarnt, sitting atop Aaron's cage, couldn't help but comment. "Wow, didn't know big sis Althea has a shitty personality," he said casually, his tone light but his words cutting.
Althea shot him a glare. "I DO NOT! Just so you know, I really can't allow them in. Rules are rules, and such is the Aether Knight Trials," she said, her voice firm. She then turned back to Kleto's group, her expression stern. "Like I said, the first phase requires every participant to arrive in Ateria at the same time. If you can't even fulfill a simple task of escorting merchants, how can you be fitted as Aether Knights?"
Kleto's group fell silent, their anger and resentment boiling beneath the surface but with no way to argue against Althea's logic. They had failed, and there was no changing that.
As the disqualified candidates were teleported away via terrain shift, their dreams of becoming Aether Knights shattered, the remaining participants began to disperse, finding places to rest and prepare for the next phase of the trial. Mixarnt hopped down from the cage, stretching lazily as he approached Althea.
"Thanks for holding the line, big sis," he said with a grin. "But you really didn't have to be so harsh on them."
Althea sighed, her expression softening slightly. "It's not about being harsh, Mixarnt. It's about upholding the standards of the Aether Knights. If they can't handle a simple escort mission without causing chaos, they don't belong here."
Mixarnt shrugged, his grin never fading. "Fair enough. But hey, at least we made it through, right?"
Althea nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Yes, you did. And now you need to rest. The next phase won't be easy."
As Mixarnt walked away to join his friends, Althea couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Despite the chaos and challenges, the group had come together and proven their worth. The final trial was far from over, but with candidates like Mixarnt and his allies, the future of the Aether Knights was in good hands.