บท 81: Ch 62 - Make A Stand (Part 1)
"Benjamin Almond."
Finally, it was my moment to shine.
I rose from the ground and brushed off the dirt from my clothes. They had us exemplary candidates sitting on the floor, can you believe that?
But I had grown accustomed to it by now.
"Good luck," Jason whispered with a calm smile.
Marcia, sitting timidly behind Jason, cast curious glances my way.
"Well, see you on the other side," I remarked before making my way toward the stage.
I maintained a steady pace, gracefully rotating my arms in a circular motion. After sitting on the ground for hours, my body had become slightly stiff. However, there was no trace of nervousness in me as I held my head high and stretched my arms, exuding confidence.
I approached the phantom mage host and she handed me the dial card. Finally, I had the opportunity to closely examine the dial card.
The card was crafted from golden metal, and adorned with the etched insignia of the 9 royal academies. Arranged in a circular fashion, each insignia was placed around a central dial knob, giving the card a resemblance to a clock.
As I turned my gaze toward the grandmasters and their retainers seated in the stands, I noticed their curious glances and the judgments forming behind their watchful eyes. However, I remained unaffected by those gazes and stood with serenity and composure.
The grandmasters were engrossed in reading the stone tabloids. I observed attentively as their expressions shifted dramatically while perusing my data. Their initially bored gazes transformed into seriousness as they delved into the contents. It was evident that my achievements had left them bewildered.
A subtle tightening of my smile accompanied the satisfaction I felt in witnessing the changing expressions of the grandmasters.
But suddenly, the expression on Grandmaster Hamanthra's face changed.
"So, you're that troublemaker who caused quite a commotion during the coronation trial on the ceremony train,"
A proud smile appeared on my face as I scratched my head,
"Yes, madam. It was a close death experie-"
"Hush! I didn't give you permission to speak, did I?" she interjected, glaring at me. There was an undeniable anger in her eyes.
My smile vanished instantly, and I stood there silently, feeling puzzled. She was the one who brought it up, and now she was shutting me down. I couldn't understand what her problem was.
"Well, it's not uncommon for young kids to manifest mana creations during moments of danger," she remarked, her tone slightly more neutral. "Still, it's quite an impressive feat that you managed to create a shield using mana."
As she continued, I couldn't help but wonder if Grandmaster Hamanthra had a bipolar personality. She seemed to alternate between praising me and appearing angry. Regardless, I knew that her perception of me would influence the invitations I would receive, so I made an effort not to show any displeasure and to avoid further upsetting her.
Maintaining my smile, I stayed silent, trying to project humility.
Hamanthra shifted her attention to the stone tabloid, scanning its contents. "However, the report also mentions that you were actually expelled from the ceremony train following that incident. It states that you were personally removed from the train by the chieftess due to allegations of bullying other candidates. It goes on to describe how you led them to a secluded area and physically assaulted them, causing one candidate to be so severely injured that he couldn't participate in the ritual."
All of a sudden, the smiles vanished, replaced by a heavy tension in the air. My nerves went into overdrive as I heard Hamanthra's statement.
What the hell!
That report she had just read was complete bullshit! Those kids were the ones who had actually picked on me. I merely defended myself and gave them a light beating. And as for the candidate she mentioned, his injuries were caused by a deranged rail guard, not me. The whole situation had been traumatizing for everyone involved.
The atmosphere shifted, and the other grandmasters started looking at me with disapproval. Even my fellow candidates cast doubtful glances my way.
"I apologize for the interruption, but I want to clarify that I was the one who was targeted by those very candidates. All I did was defend myself and give them a taste of their own medicine. That's also when a rail guard came to the scene. Instead of helping us he actually tried to kill us. Thankfully there was a ninja-like skilled man who intervened and saved us."
"Ninja?" Biswaq muttered, clearly confused.
The grandmasters exchanged puzzled looks as they discussed the matter with their retainers. A brief moment passed as they deliberated.
I glanced around and caught sight of Wagon Manager Bervice. However, he intentionally avoided making eye contact. The red-haired woman standing beside him now looked at me with disappointment, further deepening my sense of unease. What was the meaning of this?
A sinking feeling settled in my gut.
Hamanthra responded after conferring with her retainers, her tone resolute. "Nonsense. To our knowledge, no such incident has ever occurred. If something like that had happened, we grandmasters would have been notified."
She continued, her voice laced with anger, "A rail guard that goes attacking kids. No such incident was reported. The only kids that were harmed were the ones you beat up."
I couldn't fucking believe this!
"But the chieftess of the ceremony train was present! You can ask her-"
"Trying to tarnish the reputation of the Ceremony Organizers with such blatant lies," Hamanthra interrupted, her voice seething with fury. "You were the one who assaulted those children right after just receiving the healing treatment. And now, you have the audacity to concoct these lies and shift the blame onto rail guards."
She appeared infuriated and showed no intention of listening to my side of the story.
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง 
HellerFeed
HellerFeed Hope everyone's doing well.
Granny has been hospitalized but her health is now stable.
My parents left to look after her and currently, I live alone with my brother.
It's really a drag to make meals, have been eating fast food but from today I will try to make something myself at home.
Thanks for reading as always.
Have a nice day!
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