Chapter 7: Chapter 6 – King’s Blessing

“I am Cier. The Last King of Subtramuros.”

The king manifested himself in the form of a tall slender figure floating up in the air. He wore a spiky silver crown that covered half of his face like a mask to the point that only his mouth could be seen, with tiny chain-like tendrils and long metal wires hanging down from the top of his head like hair. Huge mechanical arms stuck out from the sides of his shoulders, with gears spinning around like clockwork. His black robes reached all the way down to the level at which I stood.

K-King Cier?!

Gulping down my throat, I kneeled down on my feet and bowed down my head in response.

"There is no need for that, my child. Stand up."

I followed the king’s orders and looked at his mysterious figure.

“I don’t have power over Subtramuros anymore, so there is no point,” the king said.

“B-but….aren’t you the King?” I asked.

“Not exactly. King Cier died a long time ago. I am merely a magical artificial construct created from his consciousness. Merely just a tool of wisdom for the Council, so to speak.”

"So….does that mean you will be judging who gets to be an Enforcer?"

"Smart boy, didn't think you'd catch on so quickly."

That was just a lucky guess though….

“Are the exams already over?”

“Indeed.”

The king clapped his metal hands, the sound echoing as far as the white voids stretch out. Following that, a long sliver staff manifested out of thin air. The king grabbed onto its hilt and floated all the way towards me. Our feet were on the same level now, but the difference in height was tremendous. I could estimate that he was at least 3 times taller than me. I looked up towards his face, with eyes awe in wonder.

“Are you ready for your judgment?” 

I quivered my lips at the thought and nodded my head.

“Lars Lyons. For the title of Enforcer, you are…….”

My eyes closed, already knowing what the decision was going to be. 

“Worthy.”

H-Huh?

I opened my eyes to see the king’s staff pointing right at me.

“I don’t understand. Why? Why am I worthy? I failed miserably! I didn’t get a single kill during that exam!”

“What are you talking about? Who said the amount of kills determined your results? Read the instructions again.”

A screen popped out beside me.

For the second half of the exam, all participants have been divided into groups of 5 to fight in a battle royale. You will be working together as a team to defeat all the other groups and win. Note that only your individual performance will be evaluated during the exam duration. Factors include, combat ability, critical thinking skills, teamwork capabilities, survivability and inner mentality. Do your best, you only get one life. 

“But I have 0 kills. Doesn’t that affect combat ability?”

“Allow me to explain. Combat ability does not equal the amount of kills you have. It’s about how well you fought. And you did well.”

“I did well? I was pretty useless during our team fights, so how can that be?!”

“Did you forget what happened during your last moments?”

“Of course,” I looked away. “I was killed by a mage.”

“Not just a ‘mage’. It was Alessia, the Ice Princess who dominated the competition and stood at the very top of the battle.”

My eyes went wide open. “W-What?! It was her who won the battle royale?”

“Yes. And it wasn’t even close. Nobody stood a chance. All except one person.”

“Who?”

“You.”

“R-Really?” I touched my cheek with my finger.

“The most entertaining fight of the exam was between you and her. You put up a good fight and almost killed her with a sword. Combat ability at its finest.”

“I see…but that doesn’t sound like enough.”

“I’ll give you the full critique. During most of the exam, you performed poorly in almost every aspect. Your combat ability, critical thinking skills and inner mentality were almost non-existent, but at least you were able to overcome your deficits for those 3 aspects during the fight against Alessia. I would grant that an average rating. However, your teamwork capabilities were absolutely horrible, there is no denying that.”

That last line felt like a dagger towards my heart…..

“Survivability is just based on how long you survived, so I have judged it as mediocre. Combining all these results, you would have failed this exam.”

I tilted my head. “I don’t get it. If I failed, then why am I worthy?”

“Your written exam scores. It may not be as important as the practical exam, but it still contributes a good amount to your evaluation. Knowledge is power, after all.”

I completely forgot about them……

“Oh…so I got a pretty high score then, hehe….” I smiled lightly.

The king coughed.

“Ahem. In all of my assessments, I have never witnessed anyone obtaining a perfect score. Well done, Lars.”

“M-Me? Perfect?!”

I don’t believe it. I wasn’t even sure of all my answers. Well, maybe most, but some of them I just guessed!

“That perfect score was just enough to get you to reach the minimum required to pass. Do you understand now, why you are worthy?”

“Yes!”

All that time spent rereading the 5 books of the General Enforcer Protocol (GEP) series was absolutely worth it!

The king placed the staff on my shoulder.

“Are you ready to take the oath of the Enforcer?”

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I closed my eyes.

“I am ready.”

The king's voice grew deeper and spoke with a more serious tone.

“Do you swear to dedicate your life to protecting Subtramuros and its people?”

“I swear.”

“Do you swear to enact justice upon every evildoer who seeks harm against Subtramuros?”

“I swear.”

“Do you swear to never turn your back against those who are in need?

“I swear.”

My eyes started to grow a little moist…..

“Do you swear to always exercise prudence in your actions?”

“I swear.”

A tear of water fell over my eyelid.

“Do you swear to maintain integrity with your words?

“I swear.”

More tears followed after.

“Do you swear unyielding loyalty to the Council?”

“I swear.”

"Give me your hand."

I extended my hand towards the king. He laid the staff on my dorsum, its head resembling that of a dragon’s. Its eyes glowed and released a bright light that covered my hand almost entirely.

“Well then, as King of Subtramuros and representative of the Council, I grant you my blessing. Lars Lyons, you are now an Enforcer.”

Water flowed down on my eyes and my face lifted itself up to form a big smile.

I’ve actually done it, Master…….I’m finally an Enforcer! One step closer to becoming a Hero!

“I hope you serve Subtramuros well, Enforcer.”

The light continued to shine even brighter until my vision had turned completely white.

“Be the light that burns forever bright in the land of eternal night.”

……….

“Ugh…..”

I looked up into the ceiling and blinked my eyes. 

I’m back.

Lifting my body upward, I took off my VR helmet and noticed that my head was feeling rather woozy. I think I feel sick…..is it normal for things like this to happen during your first time?

“W-Woah….”

Getting off my bed, I nearly fell off my feet and lifted myself up slowly. Easy now……..

“YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!”

That voice sounds familiar. 

Looking over to check the source, I saw an orange-haired boy scowling at a nurse with a scorching glare. A vein seemed to bulge out of his forehead and his teeth clenched together like they were crushing each other apart. I’ve never seen someone so angry before. 

It was my teammate, Marko.

“The results are final. There will be no complaints,” the nurse stared at him expressionless. “The King has made his choice.”

“That ‘King’ is just some stupid AI! He isn’t the real thing!” Marko said. “What gives it the right to determine my results?! I am the Genius Gunner of Sector 5! I should have easily passed that exam!”

The nurse slapped Marko in the face.

“That AI was created by the former King himself and the Council has appointed it to handle the selection process.To disrespect the AI means disrespecting the King and the Council. You dare try to question their judgment?”

“I-I…..”

“Get out, before I report you for your insolent actions.”

“Tsk.”

Marko turned his back and stomped out of the room. 

“Everyone who failed must leave the room immediately,” the voice on the speakers announced. “For the passers, we have a few things to discuss. Please comply. Those who passed have received the blessing of the King, which is proven by the Enforcer Mark on the back of their hand, so you cannot fake your acceptance.”

I looked at my hand in curiosity and saw a mysterious mark on it. It was a black mark that formed the shape of a diamond with four wings and a red eye at the very center.

W-Woah….this must be what the King placed on me.

More people started leaving the room, all of them wearing disheartened faces. Eventually, only around half of the population remained. 

To summarize everything that the voice said, classes start in two weeks, so we had plenty of time to search for dorms or places to stay. We’ll be given a good monthly allowance, so I don’t need to worry much about my financial situation. The mark on our hand allows us to access the Enforcer database and communicate with fellow Enforcers. I believe this will come in handy in the future. Also, we’ll be notified when our uniforms have been finished, which is the part where I’m most excited about.

Ah…it’s hard to believe. After all my efforts, I’m finally living life as a student in the Enforcer Academy. I wonder where my journey will take me. Hopefully, I’ll be a Hero in the future. For now, all I can do is work hard on my studies and try to be the best Enforcer I can be.

“Lars! Wait up!”

As I was about to leave the academy grounds, a beautiful white lady called out to me. It was my killer.

“Alessia?”

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