Prince -ORIGIN

The Selection

The next morning, Era addressed the students of Merey. He explained everything about Sery and Yaduro, and then announced, "Merey on our planet Haikom is organizing a competition. The purpose of this competition is to find new potential candidates who may be available for doing A-rated missions. A-rated missions are usually completed by senior candidates with a Merey teacher as a guide. B-rated missions are done collaboratively by senior and junior students, while C-rated missions are done by juniors. There is also a high-rated A* mission, which is done by Krin (when a student at Merey completes their training, they are eligible to become a Krin) or a teacher. We need 20 students from this Merey. Your teachers will select you, and I myself will take those 20 students with me. That is all I wanted to say."

Junior students were instructed to stay inside their rooms as there was training going on for seniors and the teachers were discussing the 20 candidates. Once again, Karry, Lym, and Aria were present in Prince's room. Lym was lying on Prince's bed, playing with a pillow with Aria.

"Do you think one of us will be selected?" Lym asked.

"Maybe you, Lym," Karry replied.

Aria threw a pillow at Lym and said happily, "Yeah, Brother Lym, you have the potential to be selected. Your ability is amazing."

"Do you think that too, Prince?" Lym asked.

"Probably, they are right," Prince said.

Lym made a sad face, "That was dry, Prince."

Aria added, "Brother Prince never compliments anyone easily."

Karry chimed in, "Yeah, but he did to me once."

Aria agreed, "Me too."

Lym asked, "Only me, why? Prince, haven't you found anything good in me?"

Prince stammered, "No... no."

Lym questioned, "No?"

Prince clarified, "I mean, I do find good in you, just that..."

Aria interjected, "He's waiting for the right time to compliment you, Brother Lym."

Lym sighed, "Oh, I see, but I still don't know if I'll get selected. Well, I think you guys can also be selected."

Aria said optimistically, "Yes, maybe we all can."

Karry agreed, "Right."

Prince muttered in a low voice, "Except me."

Lym encouraged, "Prince, don't consider yourself weak."

Aria added, "He is right, Brother Prince."

Karry speculated, "What if only Prince gets selected from us?"

Lym replied, "It will be good, but I want all of us to be selected."

Aria agreed, "Yes, me too."

Several hours later, the names of the 20 selected students were announced. These 20 students had to come to Block 3. Teachers of Merey, Era, and some Krins were already present at Block 3. First, Vikho announced the names of students from each category. Five students were selected from each category, and luckily, all four—Lym, Karry, Prince, and Aria—were selected.

Vikho instructed them with more details, "You all have a great responsibility on your shoulders. This is just the beginning. You have a long path ahead. Those who were not selected need not worry; opportunities like this will always keep coming. We all have to keep working hard, and to those who were selected, we wish you good luck for the competition. We hope you do your best."

Everyone applauded Vikho's speech. The 20 students sat together in Block 3, talking with each other as the teachers discussed something with Era in Vikho's office. One of the students from the Scientific category said, "Reservations do exist in Merey."

His friend asked, "Why do you think that?"

He pointed to Prince and said, "See over there, that slim tall girl."

His friend corrected him, "But he is a boy."

He replied, "Let's ask him what he is."

He and his friend went near Prince and his group. He pointed his finger towards Prince and said, "So, Princess, my friend says that you are a boy. Are you?"

Lym angrily retorted, "What are you saying?"

Aria, Karry, and Prince were surprised; they had never seen Lym that angry.

He said, "Calm down, you big head. Well, let me introduce myself. People call me Nevgue. I am from the Scientific category, the same as our Princess," he smiled mischievously.

Aria said, "Will you please stop calling him Princess?"

Nevgue replied, "What's wrong with it? Actually, your group has three Princesses, and this big head—if he is also the same, just his body makes him different," his friend and everyone else there laughed.

Prince was quietly listening to him. Lym became more angry, "Nevgue or whatever you are, you have no right to say anything bad to us. Otherwise, you better care about the consequences."

Nevgue taunted, "What will you do, go to the teacher and ask for their help? You know what, you all don't deserve to be here. You are just here because of our teachers."

Prince calmed down Lym.

Nevgue's friend said, "But Nevgue, why are you saying bad things to them? I mean, normally you don't do this."

Nevgue replied, "They are selected without giving a test. They don't even know how easy it was for them to come here. My friends couldn't make it. They don't know how much hard work it requires to be here, especially this Princess."

Nevgue then moved away from them.

Nevgue's friend apologized, "Sorry to all of you. Nevgue is not bad, probably just overwhelmed. He probably read your mind. He can get information about someone just by watching them. I don't know though why he keeps calling you Princess, but if he is doing that, there can be a reason. So you will be Princess for me too." He also left.

Prince was just thinking about what had just happened.

Lym asked, "Is he right?"

Karry admitted, "He is right about Prince. I am not sure about other things."

Aria agreed, "Yes."

Lym questioned, "What are you saying?"

Aria explained, "Lym, we will tell you about this later." They also left Prince.

Prince was standing alone, wondering about everything. Soon Era took all the 20 students with him to Planet Haikom.