8 Accepted? Rejected?

“You two, put down your badges, go take a shower, then come down eat dinner,” Gilda the Bloody Cook ordered.

They had even prepared tidy clothes for us, with the mention “Nyomin EPHT candidate” written on the shirt.

Holding those, Jing and I headed to the second floor. The men’s public showers was to the right, and judging from the voices, there were still some guys in there. The women’s showers was empty, though. I rubbed my head.

“Then, I’ll see you later.”

I entered the women’s showers. I didn’t want anyone to see my injury on my chest. To my surprise, Jing followed me.

“What are you doing?” I said. “You can’t go to this bathroom.”

Was he so shocked by what happened earlier that he couldn’t think straight? He blinked.

“Oh, sorry. Armen, about what you did…” He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

He turned his back on me and went to the men’s showers. He really was out of it, to not even realize I wasn’t a girl either. I smiled, then took off my dirty clothes. I was already naked and taking the showerhead when a blushed Jing came in, scaring me to death.

“Armen! What are you doing here! You’re in the women’s showers!”

“Ah, yeah, you noticed? But since there are no girls, I thought I could use it. It’ll be quicker this way. You can stay too if you want,” I added reluctantly.

If I didn’t face him, it should be fine, right? I turned on the showerhead, then began to wipe off all the mud on my body. There was a lot of steam coming out. Was the water too hot? I used my deathforce to sense it… and jumped up. Hell, yeah, it was hot. I turned the handle and adjusted the temperature, then lowered my eyes to my injury. Ray said small injuries could be healed by my core but… I doubted this one would heal without a necromancer’s power. Energy was still leaking out from the wound. Well, as long as I stayed close to a group of people, I wouldn’t die, I guess.

My eyes paused on the silver pentagram Linah had given me for Christmas. I felt sad. If I couldn’t make it to the training, I wouldn’t be able to see Ray, nor Linah. And maybe even Zeeta, if he was really Leon and had passed the test. Yeah, that made me very sad. And all that sadness was all because, in the heat of the moment, I had thought that guy taking a shower on the other side of the room was worthier to become a Hero than I was. I was so stupid.

“Armen.” Jing was finally breaking the silence. “Don’t look at me, okay? But… can I ask you a question?”

I raised an eyebrow. Was he shy?

“Of course, what is it?”

“Was that story about your sister being sick a lie?”

“Yes, it was.”

“… And what you said about that mafia?”

“A lie too.”

“What about your injuries?”

“I never said I was injured. I did feel weak for a moment though.”

“… I see. You imitated well the Taipei accent.”

“Oh, but I am from Bird Island. That was true. My dad’s from Taipei.”

I heard him gasping.

“… Your dad? So you weren’t even an orphan.”

Was he still angry? I turned off the tap and took a towel.

“Yeah. I’m not an orphan. I lied to you. I kind of guessed I couldn’t beat you, so I used underhanded tricks. I wanted to win, like everyone else, you know.”

There was a silence during which I put on the tidy clothes the Nyomin had given us.

“Then why?” Jing insisted.

I glanced at him. He had finished his shower and had wrapped a towel around his body. His bald head was shining under the water drops. I put on my red knit cap as I confessed:

“No idea. I just did it.”

Jing stared at me, flabbergasted.

“What?!”

I smirked.

“But don’t think I’ve given up or anything. I will go to that training no matter what, you’ll see.”

Jing’s eyes glowed.

“How are you so confident? I mean… You weren’t supposed to help me. It’s unfair. I’ll go and tell the jury what happened—”

“Why bother? Didn’t you want to be a Hero?”

“I told you. Being a hero is not a title. If to become an official Hero I have to do things I don’t want to do, then I’d rather not. And I don’t want you to fail that exam.”

“Why, though? You don’t know me, and I lied to you.”

Jing shrugged.

“One action in a dire situation can tell you about a person’s nature more than a thousand greetings at the school’s gate. That’s what my aunt says.”

I stared at him. Then smiled. At least my yellow ribbon had fallen in good hands. Jing added, pondering:

“You’re just the kind of brazen guy who acts and thinks later.”

I jerked up.

“Eh?”

“I mean, the way you made up a story to keep me from attacking you, as if you already knew how sensitive I was to people bullied by hoodlums, then you gave up on your yellow ribbon, just like that, without even knowing why, and then you tried to retrieve the situation by cheating in front of the Bloody Cook. To be so impulsive by nature… it’s amazing.”

Huh… Why did it feel like I should feel insulted? I cleared my throat.

“Okay, well… Anyway, Jing, don’t say anything to the jury. I have an idea,” I declared raising my forefinger. “I’ll be sure to pass.”

“What are you gonna do?”

Already by the door, I grinned.

“Well, I may be impulsive, but I didn’t place first in the first test for nothing, right? I’m a genius, after all. Wait and see.”

As soon as I entered the room Gilda had led me into, Iker the Mantis’ statement was categorical:

“It’s a no, Armoon Men: we’re not the only ones deciding if you can pass or not. If you don’t fulfill the requirements, you won’t pass.”

Yet again, why was he mangling my name? I protested:

“I did fulfill the requirements to an extent. I left the forest with three ribbons. And I didn’t say anything about the first test to anyone.”

“That wasn’t a requirement, it was a deal we made to let you pass the first test, not the second one.”

“…” My lips went up innocently. “Well, but the bug still happened.”

“Blackmailing your examiners won’t help you, young man.”

My smile faded. Dammit. Had I been too optimistic? Iker sighed, putting down his cup of tea.

“I don’t have time for this now. Tim and Cynsea will soon arrive with the other candidates. Gilda, why did you bring this boy in here?”

The Bloody Cook glowered at me.

“He said he had something important to tell you about the examination. I guess he’s just wasting our time—”

“Wait!” I intervened. “I have something to say! Sir! Did you consider the possibility that there could be people among the candidates that can’t distinguish colors?”

There was a silence. Then Iker shook his head and stood up.

“No, I didn’t, but that doesn’t change the fact that a Hero has to overcome their disabilities the best they can. If I had considered color-blind people, I should have also considered people with spider phobia, germophobia, deaf people, and who knows how many other things… There is a boy among the candidates whose eyes can’t see anything but some kind of energy links, and he still was one of the first to come back to his base with the three ribbons. So, that’s how it is, Armoon Men.” He stopped before me, looking at me with his sage expression. “No more excuses, no more tricks.”

He was done talking. I felt down as I muttered:

“Yes, sir.” There was nothing more I could do, was there?

“Cynsea’s arrived,” Gilda said, glancing at the window.

The old man nodded, and as he walked out of the room, he added:

“Don’t give up until you get the results, boy.”

I managed a weak smile and gave a nod. Iker the Mantis wasn’t that bad of a man. Minutes later, the three groups of candidates had gathered in the large cafeteria of the red base, putting the tables and chairs away. Lifeforce was everywhere. I was feasting on it as I walked among the people, looking for Arkifa. I found her sitting at a table, in the company of two girls. Apart from some bruises she had already covered with bandages, she looked fine. She even seemed to have made friends. Phew. I wouldn’t have been able to ever look at Ashooka again if his girlfriend had suffered a major injury.

“Candidates!”

The sudden voice made me stop halfway and turn. I couldn’t see a thing over the heads of the other candidates. I may be tall compared to Ray, but a bunch of candidates there were just giants.

“Candidates!” It was Iker’s voice. “The second test of the examination is over! I’m glad to see that almost everyone came back on their own. Sadly, nine people had to be taken to the hospital of the reserve, three of them severely injured, but I was informed that they will be up and about soon…”

A movement on my left distracted me as Noah laid his elbow on my shoulder, whispering:

“Hey, stupidstar, I asked that baldy about what happened. Why did you do something so stupid?”

“Because I am stupid. You didn’t pick on him, did you?”

Noah raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Just a bit?” I glared at him. He slid his hand over my neck. “I just did this, then this.” I felt a surge of energy going through my body, and I think my muscles relaxed. “Normally, people just beg me for more when I do this, but Jing just told me to get lost. Some temper he has. The fatty from earlier too, he was putting a good fight. Guess the candidates are not that bad.” He released me as he confessed: “But you’re the one who interests me the most.”

Because I wasn’t that much affected by his crimson fire, huh?

“Sorry, you’re not my type,” I replied.

Noah gaped at me in shock, then snorted:

“You… I don’t mean it like that!”

Some candidates around us hushed us with exasperated glances. Iker the Mantis wasn’t the one speaking right now. The voice was feminine, quiet, but clear. It wasn’t Gilda’s: her voice was curt and hoarse; nor Cynsea’s: hers was loud and always cheerful. She was saying:

“… to forty-two candidates. Please sit down all of you. Come to the front when your name is called.”

Forty-two candidates? Weren’t they supposed to be sixty?

“Aaron Braveiro!” Cynsea called.

As we all sat down on the wooden floor, I was finally able to see our jury. Iker, Tim, Gilda, and on her side, a woman with two low, long black braids. I immediately fell for her hairdo. Maybe I was just a fan of pigtails. Who was she, anyway? The Nyomin judge? I had missed the introduction because of that crimson guy beside me…

Aaron Braveiro, a guy with a black hat, stopped before her.

“You were one of the first to find a ribbon, possesses good agility, and came somewhat prepared,” the woman said. “However, you saw a candidate that was in great danger and didn’t go help her, only thinking in winning and hence acting against the Heroes’ principles. In the end, you came 33rd to the blue base, without any ribbon. For all these reasons and after a long discussion, the jury has decided to give you a second chance next year.”

The black hat guy trembled a bit as he accepted a green badge. Bluntly put, he had been rejected. Then the next ones followed, one after the other.

“Aiden Beverley!”

… had tried to bribe two candidates into giving him the ribbons, using his position as a rich businessman’s son. Rejected.

“Aishah Suzuki!”

… had successfully brought the three ribbons to her base, fleeing the best she could from dangers. Admitted. Ranked 39th. That was the blondie of the sleeping gas, I realized. So her name was Aishah. She was grinning happily as she was holding her orange badge.

“Akito Smith!” … had accepted Aiden’s bribe, because his parents worked for Aiden’s father and he didn’t want them to lose their jobs. Rejected. Try again. “Amaia Vasilevsky!” had successfully brought the three ribbons to her base, but had stolen Crystal’s particles from the roots, intending to sell them in the black market. Rejected and sanctioned. “Ander Ibarra!” had pressed the help button of his badge when he was attacked by a giant spider during the night. Rejected. Try again. “Ariel Yamada!” had kept running away from danger, found four yellow ribbons, but then lost all of them to another candidate. Rejected. Try again. “Andrea Sisalik!”

The green dreadlocked girl from the Champion Institute stood up and stopped before the Nyomin judge.

“You didn’t try to find the ribbons, instead looking for other candidates who had them, but you controlled well your strength and succeeded in bringing the three ribbons three hours after the test had started. Admitted. Ranked third.”

Andrea took the orange badge with a curt nod. That reptilian-eyed girl was intriguing me more and more…

“Armen Moon!”

I jumped up. I knew my heart would have been pounding in my chest if I had been alive. I nervously came to the front as I heard some whispers:

“That guy’s the one who got first place in the quiz.”

“There were thousands of questions, how did he even answer to everything?”

“Some guys are so lucky.”

I stopped before the woman. She was prettier from up close. I smiled at her painfully, like saying: I’m rejected, right? She declared:

“You stole two ribbons from a candidate, tricked back another candidate, yet helped her, and finally found three ribbons, but lost one in the end and were one of the last candidates to go back to the base. For all these reasons and after a long discussion…” she paused, “the jury has decided to accept you.”

I froze. What?

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

The Nyomin judge raised her eyebrow, then handed me an orange badge.

“You are ranked last, the 42nd. Congratulations.”

Eh.

Eh?

Eeeeh?!