Chapter 344: It Has Begun

In the middle of the stage was Hunter Brogan, the lady that came after him, and another lady standing side-by-side Brogan, all of them wore a Diamond necklace. Their necklaces weren't even hidden. Them standing alone gives off an intense aura that with a wave of a hand of the lady in the middle, the crowd went silent.

Ned sat in front along with what he supposed to be Diamond Rank Hunters recommended. After doing a quick glance to his right and left, he was certain that there was at least eight Diamond recommended: six male and two female. Ned, for the second time, looked behind his shoulder, still struggling to see where the twins were. It doesn't concern him that he was to do the exam alone, but something that could be with him wouldn't be bad either. 

The eight of them sat almost two meters apart from each other and were then surrounded by the men in a blue uniform. Behind, there was a gap that separates them and the rest of the candidates. 

Although a dozen meters apart, Ned could hear the murmurs of the other candidates above the ascending stone stairs. 

"Who's that kid?" 

"I never saw him before."

"He looked too young to be here." 

"What academy he was before?" 

"Isn't that the siblings of Vestok Academy?" 

"Look, Gelelon of Logaria Academy." 

"What are they doing here? They're from the West region. What are they doing here in the South?" 

Ned sighed. Ain't it obvious? And thought, for the same reason that you are here.

Ned almost slapped his forehead but heard someone was calling his name from the other end of the stadium. 

"Ned," a voice said of what seemed to be louder than a whisper. 

Behind him, after the gaps, were the recommended candidates of Gold Rank, next was the was Silver Rank candidates, and so on. 

Ned had to raise his head to check who was calling him. 

Over the ascending stairs, on his left side, was Su'aya with Su'ayun on the Gold Rank recommended side. 

So, Master Claire was once a Gold Ranked hunter, Ned thought as he waved for the twins. He nodded and seemed happy to see the twins. 

Over the crowd, Su'aya waves at Ned relentlessly with a big smile. Su'ayun had to pull her to went back to her seat which she did with a blushing face. 

Ned went to sit and crossed his arms as he ponders things. Above the stage were the three Diamond Rank Hunters still standing as though waiting for someone before the exam started. 

Ned noticed one thing: most of the candidates were from academies. There were some from noble Houses with their crest plastered on their clothing, and the one that doesn't have a crest was either a pirate or sons and daughters of merchants or artisans. There were students on one aisle that were in their full uniforms. 

One thing Ned knew about the participants that came from an academy was that if ever they passed the Exam, they will instantly have the Rank of a Silver whether their points got the lowest among the rest as long as they passed the Exam. Talking about a difference when one got to finish academy.

It was understandable indeed since candidates from an academy studied for four years, gaining much more knowledge than the one that didn't. 

Ned sat at the far end of the Diamond aisle beside a guy, perhaps twice older than him, while the rest of the six were lined on his right. The one on his left sat with a blank face, a guy with neatly cut hair, in a white, and golden robe. He's got blade rested on the stone stair beside him. But no matter how he hides his nervousness, it was still visible as he kept on jerking his knees. On his right was a lady out of the two, she threw glances at Ned from time to time, but it seemed that she was checking the same as he was doing. Ned met her amber eyes, she smiled and went to look over her shoulder. 

The murmurings stopped after a man walked on the stage. 

He wasn't just tall, he was towering even the bulky Hunter Brogan. He's got long and silver hair, silkier than the Diamond Rank lady behind him. He wore his jacket as neatly as how he fingers his hair. Aside from the emblem on his left, and the Kingdom's crest on his right, there was nothing much to show on his elegant clothing. Piped under his jacket was a vest in the color as his hair, under the vest a necklace of diamond rank shining under the sun. 

The stadium got no roof to shade them as it was open from above. But it seemed that the moment the tall guy walked on the stage, the surrounding went from warming air to cold and breeze. 

He stopped in the middle of the square stage. Before he delivers his speech, he went to look at Ned, his bright blue eyes shimmering as his necklace. He smiled, more like of a grin as he stared at Ned. 

Ned went to look at the man blankly. Whereas the man on his left threw a glance at Ned in a confused manner. The lady on his right cocked an eyebrow while he stared at Ned the same. Ned supposed that the candidates behind him were staring as well. 

I don't know him, Ned thought, still with a blank face. 

The silver-haired man raised his head and said, "Aspirants." He paused, trying to be as dramatic as he could be. He then fingered his hair in the same manner Su'aya did: smooth and elegant. His hand was too delicate to be an alpha male. Suddenly, his hand moved in slow motion as he raised it. "Today: 16th day of the Lower Fire month, 0326 Year of the King. I, Enel val Montmotenny of House Stanet, Vice-Captain of the Royal Knight, Diamond Rank Hunter, Gold Rank Explorer, Subjugator of the West, will be this year's conductor of the Sudden Plate's Hunter Exam... Candidates of the South." Another pause, his voice was as smooth as the movements of his hands. A shining bracelet under his right wrist. His eyes then went to the far end of the stadium. "`Fearers of the Cay. High and lower Nobles alike." And paused, this time his eyes went to Ned after he scanned the crowd. "Even if you're from the North or the West. Or from Scattered Bay..." His voice swayed looking at Ned. "Let it be known, that today is the start of the Exam." 

It has started. The Hunter Exam has begun. 

Cheers of woos boomed over the crowd. There were hundreds, and all were cheering after the man, who called Enel of House Stanet finished his speech. He waved his hand to cheer along with the crowd. After he left the stage, he threw a glance, then a wink at Ned. The Diamond Rank Hunter behind him bowed deeply. 

The crowd went to cheer for almost a full minute. Then the Diamond Rank hunter on the stage dispersed aside from the lady next to Brogan before. 

She raised her hand which made the cheering settled down. She let the silence linger in the air for a moment before she started her speech. Her speech wasn't as elegant as Enel did, but she sure got the crowd's attention. She spoke while combing her raven hair while also scanning the crowd with her smile. White teeth gleamed under the sun. 

Anjenette was a Diamond Rank Hunter of House Winterstone, a House directly connected to the Royal House Pendragoon. It seemed that there was a distinction even at Diamond Rank Hunter as she was respectful to Enel even though they were of the same rank. 

"Aspirants," she started over a Voice Claim. Unlike Enel that uses nothing to increase his voice, Anjenette produced an orb with a flick of her wrist. "Out of 637 of you that joined the Exam, depending on the result, the Association will only take not less than a hundred of you." 

The crowd gasps. But it was the opposite, they were even more thrilled rather than disappointed. A hundred seemed too little of a number, but as Anjenette explained, there were only 30 that passed last year's exam.

Seems like the Kingdom and the Association were in dire need of Hunters, Ned thought rubbing his chin. 

"Now," Anjenette continued. "Each of you will be given an orb called Storing Claim in which you will inject your Mana into it." 

Just like O'rriadt, Ned thought. 

"Each orb contains 50 points of your mana. You will lose the chance to become a Hunter when you lost your orb after the first phase of the Exam ended. You must have a thousand points to proceed to the next phase. Failed to accumulate a thousand points; you're out. Killing someone; you're out."

The man in blue uniform started to hand the Storing Orb on each aisle. 

"I can see it in your faces," Anjenette continued. "Curious as to what the first phase is? Well, curious no more, since it is the time to announce the first phase!"

The cheering, and gasping ended. What remained was utter silence. A loud boom from the gong beside the stage resonated. 

"Let the Theater of War, begin!"