The town of Afgard was not Elise’s first time to visit. She had come to this place once a very long time ago. It was a memory that saved her from her misfortune and brought her to the place where she could proudly call home now. After entering the blocking wall that surrounded the large town, Elise who sat at the edge of the coach peeked her head a little out of the carriage to be greeted with people crowding the street. She saw the street too before in the past but it was too dark that she could barely remember the sight. 

“Is it your first time here to the town, young lady?” An old woman beside her spoke. 

Elise turned her head and shook. “No, it’s my second time here. The town is very merry today, has it always like this every day?”  

“It’s the town of the capital, so what you expect other than upheaval here. But as exciting and bright this town is, you could also see darkness lurking.” Elise heard the old woman’s words and saw a young girl being shackled in her neck and her wrists, the slaves who were about to be sell.

Afgard was known well for its slave auction and although it was a normal scene for many people, Elise couldn’t hold her concerned frown at the view.

“You have a warm heart-” The old woman praised, taking Elise’s attention to her. “It’s rare for people to feel concerned for slaves you see.” the old woman explained. “Where are you going to visit?”

“The Church,” Elise replied. “I’m going to take the test.”

“Oh, you mean the test to work in the Church?” The old woman saw Elise reply with a nod and sighed. “I don’t want to dampen your aspiration but working in the church is dangerous.”

Elise smiled softly and felt the coachman pulling the reign of the horse to stop the coach. “I know, thank you for your concern.”

Elise hopped down from the coach and passed two silver to the coach and turned her face toward the large white building divided into three sections and a steep staircase to the Church. The building had a beautiful cross on the top of the roof with lush green trees over to bring shades it was a very mesmerizing view to her eyes. 

Elise ascended up and saw men lining up in the other direction from the Church and followed to see a parchment written ‘Church’s Evaluation’ and followed to lined up in the queue. Being the only lady and commoner in the place Elise stood up like a sore spot than the others. People couldn’t help but stare at her, thinking how naive Elise was to line up in a wrong queue. 

When it was time for her for the adviser to ask her identity his mouth moved on to ask. “Name and age.” 

“Elise Scott, seventeen years old, sire.”

The man nodded and moved his feathery pen only to stop and asked again. “Elise?” A female’s name?

He placed down the writing board to see the small little lady and sighed. “Young lady, you lined up in the wrong queue. The Church’s entrance is over there.” he pointed his hand and Elise shook her head. 

She had somehow expected this to happen. A woman, working as in the church with job to protect the balance of human and mythical beast. The job itself doesn’t only require intellegence but strength due to how dangerous the job is. However she had made her decision long time ago and she’ll never back off now. “No, I’m not wrong, I do not want to go to the Church for now. I want to take up the written exam.”

“The test is only for men, young lady.” He reminded, seeing the little naive lamb that had lost her way. 

“I haven’t heard of such a rule before. The Church had never said that it was only for men.” Elise returned back and saw the man frowned. 

“Pardon my manner young lady, but this isn’t a playground nor is it a lenient place you think it is. People who took the test could also lose their lives as this is a work with your lives in the line the test is only the easy version of the work but that didn’t mean that the consequence would be different.” He didn’t hold back with his warning and gave a sour tone that rose some other people’s eyes on her. 

“I came with that as my resolve,” Elise replied and saw the man sighing to give her a small paper to let her in. “Silly woman, life is more important, I have warned you.” he murmured. 

“I appreciate your kindness, sir thank you.” she took the paper with numbers of twenty four upon it and pulled the edge of her skirt that had been sweeping the floor and walked inside the hall. 

Elise looked around as she didn’t know where to go and followed the rest of the men who seemed to know their way to the place where the test would be held at. Opening the large two doors to the place with a large blackboard and long desks, Elise noted that the slightly dimmed place must be the evaluation hall in which the test would be taken in. 

“Are you also here to take the test?” A voice curious voice came from behind. 

“Yes.” Elise replied briefly to look up and see a man with deep brown hair and caramel eyes extending his hand to her. 

“I’m Ernest, Ernest Lone.” the man introduced with a laid-back posture. 

“I’m Elise Scott, nice to meet you, Mr. Lone.”

“You seem to be quite confident,” Ernest spoke in which Elise returned with a lift of her red brows. “Don’t you see?” he bent his back and pointed to the rest of the men who had been watching at her with delving gazes. “Although they looked calm outside, the room had been noisy from the tapping fingers and feet all the time. It’s a clear body sign of nervousness- but you don’t seem to be nervous.”

“I’m nervous but I’m also confident and excited.” Elise looked at the man grinning. 

“You got guts. It’s rare to see someone especially a lady here, let’s do our best and wish for the best outcomes.” Ernest praised. 

Elise found the man a little weird. He told her as a confident one but in the room there isn’t anyone far more confident than him. “Likewise, good luck to you.” 

Ernest bent his head down and moved his steps to one of the seats. Following him, Elise took a random seat at the desk and not long after, a man with grayish hair named Ruhan closed off the door and passed the test over to the rest of the audience. 

Taking the paper on her hand and a pen, on the other hand, she dipped the pointed sharp nib to dip it in the black ink and read the question to fill the rest of the questions. 

Sparrows sang out a melody continuously hovering before the sounds of tick took from the wooden clock not far from the wall across Elise. By times, she could hear sigh and indistinctive whisper but nevertheless her focus didn’t falter. Her eyes stuck on the question and her whole sense stayed on the answer that floated on her mind. 

After a good two hours of filling the test, Ruhan the overseer of the test clacked the wooden stick on to the table to make a startling loud sound and stated. “The test is finished. Please pass your papers in sequence to me starting from the person on the east.” 

Elise placed her pen down and saw The man being called by Ruhan stood up and placed the paper and continuously followed by the rest of the people until it was her time to do so. 

As she placed the test paper on the lectern, Elise walked out to exit the hall and strolled down the wooden hall. Not far from the place a man with a blond hair had his eyes fixed on the red-haired girl he spotted until she left the Church. 

“Mr. Anderson?” Alex heard a voice calling his name and broke his gaze from Elise to looked down at Ruhan. 

“My apologies, What was it again?” Alex asked again and saw the old man giving a stern face just because he dozed off for a round minute. 

“The meeting of the Lord would be held tomorrow. I hope you have put good words to Lord Ian to attend the meeting, didn’t you?” 

Alex pulled a smile. “I tried but whether he would come or not would be up to his will. You do know with how fickle the Lord is him hearing my words is count as miracle from God. Let’s just hope he remember.” He heard Ruhan replying him with a deep sigh and shrugged his shoulder off. 

“I have some urgent business to attend. Well then,” Alex bent his neck to went off to the inner room of the Church.