As for the man that proposed the bet, he was baffled as well, such a pearl among the pebbles and this quartet of idiots didn't realize it. He couldn't suppress a little disappointment in his eyes, the school's average quality was steadily dropping.
How could this apparently normal little girl score so high in the writing test? She may be an adopted daughter of some n.o.ble house, but he was well aware how such kids were treated.
All that knowledge was really beyond her means. She was more than what meets the eyes, and in all honestly he was bored, so this might prove to be a little entertaining, if not by her at least he got a good feeling on the faces of the other four.
Lazuli's night was a pleasant one, which was spend in tranquil meditation and arranging all the information on her head, se a.n.a.lyzed it, comprehended it and thought of what would be the best way to apply it. This was something she liked to do in her last life, as a pharmacist she was used to deal with a lot of information, if she just let it be her brain may become a mess of data.
The morning came and the results were posted, she wasn't picked up by any of the 4 schools, not even the merchants wanted her, at least not for free, but she understood her 'family' wouldn't pay for her education. The instructions for the forest trial were posted as well:
• No helpers allowed.
• Leaving the forest before time meant forfeiting.
• The first 20 to arrive at the meeting place would be given a reward.
• Those that don't arrive at the meeting place before the two weeks end would meant failure.
• Killing other compet.i.tors is ill advised.
• Wait in the plaza to be taken to the starting point.
So not much of a survival as a hike in the woods to reach destination, could be fun if this was her world, as it was not and the lack of suitable means to defend herself it was a scary. It made sense why almost everyone decided to leave and resigned to their fate when their name wasn't posted (except for the lucky ones that could buy their entrance on a school).
"So you are deemed trash, lets get going, dragging your sorry a.s.s on foot would take time I don't want to waste" said the guard, his duty would end when she was returned home to pay her debt to the family that raised her and the fare back would have to come from his reward money, so it would be a walking trip for the "no longer a little miss of the family" trash in front of him.
"This still hasn't ended, I still have a chance, I'll try the forest" said Lazuli while keeping her eyes on the poster that indicated she shouldn't leave the plaza.
"The forest?! You?! Ha! Don't overestimate yourself la.s.s, you wouldn't even se the sun of the second day, why bother?, come along and don't be stubborn" said the guard as he not so graciously grabbed her arm and tried to drag her away.
"It's my right and duty, who are you to disregard the rules of our great empire and interfere with an examine?!" Said Lazuli loud enough to be heard by the several guards in the plaza, but not so much to be deemed hysterical. They all turned to look at them as what she said was the true, no one was allowed to take away someone that wanted to continue with the exams. So the guard only could retreat mumbling curses under his breath, he'll have to wait a few days to confirm her dead before returning home, blasted la.s.s the inn stay would have to come of his pay check. He hoped she'll die soon.
How to know if a partic.i.p.ant died? It was easy, for the sake of the families that send their small ones a common life tablet would be procured for every taker. So if the wooden table with their name on the plaza broke it meant the child died. As easy as that.
And to prevent fugitives (those that entered the forest with the intentions to wait and scape) a tracking spell would be casted on them, a middle grade one at that, it lasted a month. If the great mage that casted it couldn't find a 16 year old in that time frame he'll become a laughing stock with his peers so it was not an option to fail, nor scape.
