St Chaos Healer

Ch 62 - Make A Stand

"Benjamin Almond."

Finally, it was my moment to shine.
I rose from the ground and brushed off the dirt from my clothes. They had us exemplary candidates sitting on the floor, can you believe that?

But I had grown accustomed to it by now.

"Good luck," Jason whispered with a calm smile.
Marcia, sitting timidly behind Jason, cast curious glances my way.

"Well, see you on the other side," I remarked before making my way toward the stage.

I maintained a steady pace, gracefully rotating my arms in a circular motion. After sitting on the ground for hours, my body had become slightly stiff. However, there was no trace of nervousness in me as I held my head high and stretched my arms, exuding confidence.

I approached the phantom mage host and she handed me the dial card. Finally, I had the opportunity to closely examine the dial card.

The card was crafted from golden metal, and adorned with the etched insignia of the 9 royal academies. Arranged in a circular fashion, each insignia was placed around a central dial knob, giving the card a resemblance to a clock.

As I turned my gaze toward the grandmasters and their retainers seated in the stands, I noticed their curious glances and the judgments forming behind their watchful eyes. However, I remained unaffected by those gazes and stood with serenity and composure.

The grandmasters were engrossed in reading the stone tabloids. I observed attentively as their expressions shifted dramatically while perusing my data. Their initially bored gazes transformed into seriousness as they delved into the contents. It was evident that my achievements had left them bewildered.

A subtle tightening of my smile accompanied the satisfaction I felt in witnessing the changing expressions of the grandmasters.

But suddenly, the expression on Grandmaster Hamanthra's face changed.
"So, you're that troublemaker who caused quite a commotion during the coronation trial on the ceremony train,"

A proud smile appeared on my face as I scratched my head,
"Yes, madam. It was a close death experie-"

"Hush! I didn't give you permission to speak, did I?" she interjected, glaring at me. There was an undeniable anger in her eyes.

My smile vanished instantly, and I stood there silently, feeling puzzled. She was the one who brought it up, and now she was shutting me down. I couldn't understand what her problem was.

"Well, it's not uncommon for young kids to manifest mana creations during moments of danger," she remarked, her tone slightly more neutral. "Still, it's quite an impressive feat that you managed to create a shield using mana."

As she continued, I couldn't help but wonder if Grandmaster Hamanthra had a bipolar personality. She seemed to alternate between praising me and appearing angry. Regardless, I knew that her perception of me would influence the invitations I would receive, so I made an effort not to show any displeasure and to avoid further upsetting her.

Maintaining my smile, I stayed silent, trying to project humility.

Hamanthra shifted her attention to the stone tabloid, scanning its contents. "However, the report also mentions that you were actually expelled from the ceremony train following that incident. It states that you were personally removed from the train by the chieftess due to allegations of bullying other candidates. It goes on to describe how you led them to a secluded area and physically assaulted them, causing one candidate to be so severely injured that he couldn't participate in the ritual."