DMHS 8

Golden hair dazzling under the moonlight, like the fully blossomed moonflowers. Skin pale and smooth as finely crafted porcelain. Emerald eyes shining brightly even in the dark. The boy’s beauty was striking enough to stand out from a distance.

Kian’s eyes met the boy’s. The corners of the boy’s mouth curved up pleasantly, and his full lips slowly parted.

Though no sound was heard, from the shape of his lips Kian could understand the boy’s words.

–Cool.

…Cool?

Following the boy’s gaze, Kian looked down at himself. His unwashed body gave off a strong fruity scent.

A patterned blanket was wrapped at his waist. From the flour clinging to his hair tips, his face must still have been dusted white.

All day, from the palace guards to the attendants, even to the noble children, Kian had been laughed at.

On the walk to the castle as well, anyone who saw his appearance could not hold back laughter.

Even now, the boy was smiling faintly at him. But Kian instinctively knew. The boy’s smile was not the same as the others’ mocking laughter. The boy was truly, gladly smiling, he was delighted.

–Swaaa.

A strong wind blew again. Kian brushed back the hair that had been tossed across his face and looked at the boy. The boy, who was still smiling, spoke further.

–I, like, you.

This time, carried by the wind, Kian faintly heard the sound of his voice. The word “like” came out husky and rough, as boys that age often sounded. Kian clenched his fists and stepped forward.

“You are…”

But his voice was swallowed by the rushing wind.

–Swaaa.

When he pushed back the hair stabbing at his eyes and looked ahead again,

“……”

The boy was gone. Only yellowed moonflowers bloomed in the place where he had stood. Kian searched around for him. But the garden was suffocatingly quiet.

“……”

There was no trace of anyone else, nor any sense of presence. Even when he spread his perception wide, the result was the same.

‘Was what I just saw a dream, or reality?’

Kian felt as though he had been enchanted by something.

A strange night.

At that moment, all that reached his ears was the noise of the wind and the sound of his own roughened breath… For a long time, Kian could not leave that spot.

The next morning, Kian washed early and went down to the dining hall. Even so, a few people had arrived before him. The candidate had their noses buried in stacks of papers, memorizing something intently. Seeing that, Kian recalled what Ibrahim had said the night before.

‘In every contest so far, the first trial has always been a written exam. There’s only one day left, but do you want to cram? If you’d like, I can get you some practice questions.’

Kian had declined.

‘If it’s just common knowledge questions, that’s fine. I’ve lived long enough, you think I can’t handle questions like that?’

Though Ibrahim had given him a strange look.

‘It doesn’t seem like you’ve lived that long…’

Thanks to that, Kian could enjoy breakfast at ease. There was nothing better than putting steaming hot scrambled eggs fresh off the pan into his mouth, then biting into sausages with juice running down.

‘The weather in Paleon was far too cold.’

There, because of the low temperature, freshly cooked food cooled instantly. But there had been an upside. It had led to the development of hot pot dishes, where food was brought to the table in the pot and heated over the fire while eating.

Just thinking of hotpot filled with mushrooms, beef, and vegetables made his stomach feel warm.

‘Ibrahim’s here.’

Ibrahim, who was stacking food neatly on his tray, looked around for Kian. Kian raised a hand to signal him. Noticing the gesture, Ibrahim looked at him. But instead of approaching, Ibrahim tilted his head, then turned his gaze elsewhere.

“Ibrahim?”

Kian called out.

Only then did Ibrahim look straight at him, jaw dropping open. With four quick steps, thud, thud, thud, thud, Ibrahim sat across from him.

“S-Sir Kian?”

‘He really does have many tricks.’

First walking with matching hands and feet, now speed walking. Kian thought Ibrahim was impressive.

“You really are Sir Kian, right?”

“That’s right. Eat your breakfast.”

“Wow, it really is Sir Kian. So yesterday’s disguise had a reason after all. You showed up like this now because you were worried the other candidates would start harboring strange feelings if they saw you? Anyone who saw you like this wouldn’t be able to help but fall for you! But Sir Kian, who wants fair competition, didn’t like how that would turn out. Everything was part of your plan…”

Kian let Ibrahim’s words pass in one ear and out the other. Kian himself was aware that his looks weren’t bad.

‘At least it’s better than a face that makes people recoil on sight.’

But his thoughts on his appearance went no further than that. For one who lived the life of an immortal, a striking face was a disadvantage in many ways.

Dark black hair and eyes were rare enough. If his features were also memorable, he drew attention too easily. If possible, Kian would rather have had a face like James or Allen, the kind that was easily forgotten after one look.

“I’ll leave something to you today.”

Kian finished his meal first and stood up.

At the Caladium Palace too, Kian, now appearing cleanly washed, drew reactions.

“Who is that? I didn’t see him yesterday.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a man that handsome. But his build and air feel strangely familiar.”

“Isn’t that Sir Semes?”

“Semes? Don’t be ridiculous. That crazy-looking guy from yesterday couldn’t possibly be him…”

Kian grinned broadly for them to see.

“It is him.”

“It’s true.”

Even after that, voices continued buzzing about him. At times like this, his sharper hearing than most was uncomfortable. He bundled mana to block his ears, and then the same official who had appeared yesterday, dressed the same way, came into view.

“The time has come, so I will announce today’s test. The first trial will be an exam to check your knowledge, common sense, basic intellectual ability, and comprehension skills. Please prepare the desks and chairs.”

With a scraping sound, fifty desks were set out.

“The exam paper is six sheets. The problems are on both sides, so check each sheet and answer. Thirty will pass this exam. Results will be announced this afternoon after grading.”

Kian sat at his assigned seat. The official’s aides went around collecting the summary notes and practice questions that people had brought.

‘So twenty will be eliminated here.’

Now Kian understood why the other candidates were so nervous. If they had been eliminated in a test like yesterday’s, they could have made excuses. They could say the circumstances were bad, or they yielded for the sake of their party, and use that to console themselves and their families.

But with a written exam, thirty with the highest scores would pass, and the remaining twenty would fail. There could be no excuses. They would simply be revealed as lacking brains. Of course, Kian was not dull. He had abundant life experience accumulated over long years. Especially in history, he was confident.

‘I myself could be called a walking history book.’

Who else here but Kian had actually lived and experienced the kingdom’s four hundred years? Knowing that the first questions were in the “history” section, Kian gave a satisfied smile. The pen in his right hand spun swiftly.

‘Even if this seems like cheating, it can’t be helped. Kids, if you’re upset, then live longer yourselves.’

Tak.

Kian help the pen tip tightly to tackle the first problem.

1. Write three policies enacted by William II for the stabilization of people’s livelihoods.

…Kian stumbled right from the first problem.

‘Who is William II?’

What did he care about a king’s name?

Besides, kings’ posthumous names were decided after their deaths, so no one called them that while they were alive.

‘If at least they gave me the time period, I could infer what policies came from the royal court then.’

But the problem was just that single line. Looking around, everyone else was already writing furiously as soon as they received their test sheets.

Scratch scratch scratch.

The sound of pens on paper filled the room. Suppressing the faint anxiety rising inside him, Kian moved on.

2. Write the significance and limitations of the policies William II enacted for livelihood stability.

‘This is bad.’

Now Kian had to admit it.

Glancing further down, he saw that even up to question 5, everything was about William II. Since he didn’t even know who that was, how could he possibly write about policies or implications?

‘Let’s just answer what I do know.’

Flipping quickly through the questions with blurred eyes, Kian finally found a ray of light.

16. Write the names of the four heroes who, alongside Hero Edward, founded the kingdom.

He never thought a question he knew would feel so welcome.

Kian’s pen raced across the page.

→ Yan, Rowan, Betias, Hellenos

17. What did Hero Edward do before receiving the Goddess’s oracle?

→ Tended cattle in a stable.

18. What happened to Hero Rowan before receiving the oracle?

→ After a witch hunt, she was tied to a stake and burned.

19. What did Hero Betias do before receiving the oracle?

→ Burned down the ‘Forest of Eternity’ and exterminated the elf race.

Enjoying the flow of answering, Kian soon hit a wall.

20. Write the reason the Goddess chose the heroes mentioned above.

The reason he, Rowan, and Betias had been chosen…

After some thought, Kian wrote his answer.

→ Because they had committed terrible slaughter for the sake of revenge.