As Rhys leaves the office, he leans over the door and thinks.
"Sorry, Anna, but this needs to be done. The only way for me to move forward and unlock the mystery of the system lies within the military, and for that, I need to enter the military school."
Rhys thought and looked at the system window.
[ System Quest ]
[ Pass the Entrance exam for the Military school ]
[ Reward: Two skill points and class unlocked ]
After getting the signature from the Director, Rhys posted it and started to prepare for the admission exam. The Military School of Celestria was harsh when it came to the admission exams, there were no exceptions.
The exam was divided into two parts - the written exam and the physical exam. The written exams were no joke; it was one of the toughest exams conducted in Celestria, but the physical exam was in a different league of its own. The major key to passing it was a good physique; any type of physical disability could put you in negative markings, if you don't meet the height and weight criteria, and if you fail the fitness test, all of such factors added to an applicant's negative marks.
After a few days, Rhys received a letter from the school. The letter stated that
"Congratulations, you are eligible to apply for the Entrance exam of the Military School of Celestria. The exam will be conducted next week at the capital city, Pearl. Please be on time and upon arrival, register yourself at the gate entrance. We wish you all the best."
Two days before the exam, Rhys packed all his belongings and departed in a carriage for the capital. Before leaving the orphanage, Anna handed him some spare money. While departing, he looked at the orphanage for a few seconds, it was starting now the journey and the fight for life. This might be his last moments of peace; all these years have passed by, and Rhys was prepared for what may come.
There were children, helpers, and Anna who were at the front gate to say goodbye to him. Because he was one of his own kind, a kid who was leaving at just the age of thirteen.
Usually, the kids in the orphanage were allowed to stay there until they turned fifteen. Once they reached that age, they all left to find themselves in this big world. That was the rule, but Rhys was the first to leave at thirteen. An exception was made for him given his higher intelligence and the letter of the entrance exam.
"Tsk...what a useless feeling,"
Rhys thought as he saw everyone standing and waving at him with smiles. He just turned around and sat in the carriage.
At the end of the second day, Rhys reached the capital. With the help of the money that Anna gave him, he got himself a room at a cheap tavern. After getting fresh and having some food, Rhys looked out of his room window. Although it was night, the city was lit up with the lamps, and one could hear the joys and cheers of people throughout the streets. It was a mesmeric scenario.
"So it's finally starting tomorrow, huh. I wonder what kind of fools and toys I will meet up next. "
Rhys smiled at the thought of that.
The next day, he reached the exam hall on time. There were a lot of applicants, and by the looks of it, Rhys could tell who was the nobility and the higher nobility. Their carriages had insignia on them. The more powerful house they belonged to, the more luxurious the carriage they had. But it all didn't matter to him as his sole focus was on the exams.
The written exam was conducted for two hours. Some scratched their brains while some weren't wasting their time at all. There were examiners everywhere around the hall, keeping a sharp eye on the applicants. Any kind of misconduct wasn't tolerated, and they were disqualifying such people in an instant.
Rhys was the first one to complete, as he got up to submit his papers, a few eyes were shocked by how fast he submitted it. As he handed over his answer sheet, the examiner looked at his watch.
"Looks like we got our first quitter."
As the officer commented, Rhys didn't even bother to turn around and answer his mocking. He just walked away.