Chapter 1594: The Gatekeeper’s Test “You idiot.” Kai deadpanned, his tone dripping with utter disbelief. “Do you really think there is only one person named Gary in the entire world? There are more than one Garys, you know. But maybe you’re the only one out there with Green Hair.” The tension that had coiled around their small group, a mix of confusion and mounting dread, was quickly, and somewhat embarrassingly, cleared up by the man standing before them. Apparently, there was a man named Gary Bluebird. And he wasn’t just any person. He was the person who was in charge of the Redwing Kingdom’s entire army. The whole thing. From the way the two guards in front of them were speaking, Gary Bluebird was one of the most respected, most revered figures in the entire kingdom, a true Legendary figure whose name was practically synonymous with military might. “It’s a bit crazy that none of you have ever heard of him,” the man they were negotiating with, whose name was apparently Jord, muttered, shaking his head. Jord looked genuinely astonished, like they had just admitted to never hearing of the sun. “I mean, there are tales about him that span the entirety of Bronzeland. Every kid knows the stories.” The three travelers, Kai, Lupus, and Gary then scratched the sides of their faces in synchronicity. It wasn’t the first time they’d been in this exact, awkward situation: encountering someone so famous, so influential, that their utter ignorance felt like an insult. It was, frankly, quite amazing how people across such vast, large lands, towns and cities separated by weeks of travel, knew of individuals from other distant places. It made them wonder just what legendary feats these people had to have achieved to have managed to reach so far and etch their names into the collective memory of the continent. “There are so many stories of him,” Jord continued, his voice taking on a respectful, almost hushed quality. “And even now, in his older age, he is still swift with the sword. There is not a single person in existence that can best him in a duel. Although,” Jord’s gaze flickered to the side, his smile tightening, “there are some other stories as well. Some things in the past that… we don’t talk about.” He quickly shook his head again, a deliberate, sharp movement, and then got back to the point at hand. The momentary shadow that had crossed his face vanished, replaced by shrewd suspicion. “Honestly, though, if you don’t even know who Gary is, or what his position is within the kingdom, I’m starting to second-guess myself,” Jord admitted, folding his arms across his chest. “I can’t get you guys in on a personal recommendation if you end up doing badly in the official assessment. It will look really, really bad on me.” Things weren’t looking good. With the issue of their lacking credentials, it appeared that their only recourse might be the long, annoying wait in the queue for the front gates. None of them, not just Gary, wanted to waste any time with that. They wanted to get into the selection process easily and now. “We are strong. I can guarantee that,” Lupus declared, stepping forward. His posture was confident, almost aggressively so. Without another word, he reached into the sack they’d carried with them and, with a swift, dramatic motion, turned it over. CLATTER! Several large, incredibly clear crystals started to drop out, hitting the cobbled ground with soft, rhythmic thuds. Immediately seeing the clarity of the crystals, the man’s eyes opened wide. He knew instantly what level of beasts had been slain to harvest such treasures. These weren’t from common forest creatures. These spoke of true danger, true strength. “You can keep them as well,” Lupus said, trying to press his advantage and boost their strength’s perceived value. “Because things like that are easy for us to come by.” Jord was star-struck by the sheer quantity and quality of the crystals. He couldn’t believe they were telling him he could keep them. “This is… I mean, you could have taken these from a bandit or something,” Jord stammered, his eyes darting from the crystals to their faces. The greed in his expression was momentarily battling with deep skepticism. “These can’t all be yours. You three really did this?” “We did,” Lupus replied, unblinking. He didn’t even try to hide his arrogance. “And even if we did kill a bandit to get these, we killed the people who were capable of getting these crystals in the first place, so aren’t we better than them?” “But just to make things absolutely clear,” Kai interjected, cutting through Lupus’s morally gray statement with a sharper edge of truth. “We didn’t kill anyone for these crystals. We got them all fair and square from beasts. We are strong. That’s why we want to join the army.” Jord thought about it for a moment, chewing on his lower lip. To be honest, he had just received more than enough in gifts, enough to set him up nicely for the next year, to at least give them a shot. His reputation, however, was a different story. “I still can’t ruin my reputation with Gary,” Jord finally conceded, scooping up a handful of the glimmering loot. “So, as I said before, you must show your skills against one of my men outside. If you do well, truly impress me, then I’ll recommend you to join the testing ground. But understand this: if I pass you, it basically means that I think you’ll pass the official assessment with flying colors.” The entire group headed outside. The courtyard was loud and busy. Guards were still training away, attacking wooden dummies or sparing against each other, the rhythmic clang of their swords ringing out across the stone. “Harlock!” Jord called over one of his men, a burly guard with calloused hands and a well-used breastplate. “This here is one of our newest recruits at the west gate, and he’s quite skilled. I’ll watch carefully. Do what you can. Use whatever weapons you have, and let’s see how you guys do.” The three travelers looked at each other, wondering who they should send out first. This was a tricky situation. If they went too hard, too fast, the others might become suspicious that they weren’t exactly human. Their secret needed to be guarded carefully. But none of them knew how to use a sword, or any traditional military weapon, well. It wasn’t particularly in their forte. Kai, with his quick reflexes and natural agility, would be the closest in that aspect, but even he relied on more… unconventional methods. What made matters worse was the growing crowd. The noise of training had died down as the other guards noticed the impromptu challenge. A natural circle, a small arena for their fight, had quickly been formed by the gathered spectators. “I’ll go,” Lupus finally volunteered, his jaw set in a determined line. He cracked his knuckles, a sound that carried even over the murmurs of the crowd. “I’ll show them just how strong we are.” **** (Second Chapter will be out my morning) For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga When news drops about My Vampire System, My Werewolf System, or any other series, you’ll hear it there first. 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