Embers of Hidden Crown: Trials of Unseen Heir
part 3. 5
Issac
what are you reading ?
Issac
( it's probably fantasy or so )
Hinami
" A common affair "it's a great book which gives insight about the basic essence to maintaining a relationship between states
Hinami
oh sorry , it's probably too hard for you to understand
Issac
No I meant what in the world !
Issac
Why would you choose to read that !?
Hinami
it's my personal preference, you have a problem with that
Issac
Not at all my lady ~ I'm just surprised at the combination, it's kinda odd you see
Hinami
And what's that supposed to mean 😑
Issac
I just thought you might read something like the princess who got saved by her knight in shinning armour~
Hinami
Pffft , is that what you usually read
Hinami
because it sounds like you're into those kind of stuff
Issac
Hey now ~ let us not confuse things I'm as manly as it comes , why would I even read books~
Hinami
Maybe because you can't * giggles *
Issac
Hey ! I can read , I just chose not to !
Issac
By the way Hinami , How old are you ?
Issac
* gasp * WHAT !? no way !
Issac
You look so young ! I expected 18 at most !
Hinami
Well it is what it is ,
Issac
Wait , does that mean you're engaged or married to a noble or an old rich man , because most of the ladies your age are already married
Hinami
On the Contrary , I'm neither
Issac
Ow , So you're Single ~
Issac
well well , Nice to finally meet a single woman ~
Issac
No need for details, Ha ha, I'm glad we met !
Hinami
Ya... ( whatever , just let me read my book )
Hinami
Well if you're done talking, I must complete this book so i suggest you give me some space
Issac
* snatches out of my hand *
Hinami
Hey ! hey ! give it back !
Issac raised the book so high that I wasn't able to reach it
Issac
Do you want it back ~ then reach it ~
Hinami
(I wanna punch him so bad!! )
After an exhausting day spent with Issac , I head back to my room and lied on my bed
I really need to come up with an idea to overthrow the current Emperor, but the Emperor isn't the major problem , it's the Crown prince !
Contestants
My lady , Sir Razor and Sir Issac are waiting for you at the dinning table
Maid
My lady , please wake up for the Masters are waiting for you at the dinning table
I woke up early in the morning and got dressed by the maids. I then went downstairs to the dinning Hall where Issac and Razor were sitted
Razor
Good Morning Lady Hinami
Hinami
Good morning Gentlemen
Hinami
* seats down on chair *
Razor
How are you enjoying your stay
Hinami
I'm having a great time thanks to the maid but I'm pestered by certain anomalies.....* turns toward Issac *
Razor
I'm glad you're having a good time
Razor
We currently took care of the routes leading to the Dukedom in the Centeral estate so you can return back to your Manor at day break
Hinami
Oh , I'll be delighted !
Issac
Come on ~ don't you wanna stay here a bit longer ~
Hinami
I believe I have work to do back at the Dukedom so I won't be extending my stay Sir Issac
Issac
why don't I show you around the southern estate for the day in that case
Hinami
Hm .....I actually think that's a good idea
Razor
Indeed , you can show the Lady around
Issac
I know that my ideas are always great ~
Hinami
......( so full of himself )
With that in mind , Issac and I went out to the main city and started strolling through the city
It was a nice sight. The weather was sunny and warm.
We visited the main attractions of the city like the river under the bridge and kept on strolling around
Issac decided to buy us a treat while I kept strolling around the city when....
Man
Hey ! watch were you're goi'n~ * Hiccup *
A drunk man approached us as we were passing by
Hinami
.......( Marshall is back at the Manor...Does that mean I can beat him up myself ! )
Hinami
Sir , you're the one who pushed ________.
Man
Ha ! how dare you talk back to me !!
Man
You noble women think you have the privilege to act however you want !!?
Man
It really puts me off ! you just don't know when to shut up do ya !
Hinami
look sir , I don't exactly know why you're __________.
Man
*grabs Hinami's hair *
Man
do I look like a joke to you !
Hinami
* punches man in stomach *
I punched the man as hard as I can but I shouldn't have , he was completely outweighed by my strength that he was thrashed to the ground
Man
H-How are you so s-strong !!? * cough *
Hinami
well....how are you so weak , ha ?
Man
( This women can't be that strong , I just happen to trip myself....that's the only explanation....)
The man stood up and tried to grab me once more but I gave him a good kick on his Rib and I heard it....break
Hinami
( oh my ....I didn't intend to do that 😶 )
Hinami
h-hey there , are you alright ...
Before I knew it someone grabbed my waist from behind and pulled me back
I raised my fist to finish the person off when
Issac
Woah there ! chill it's me
Issac
You aren't so pitiful when it comes to protecting yourself ha ,
Hinami
D-did you see that just now !?
Issac
I saw it as clear as the day , ( I'm still stunned.....)
Issac
sheesh , people should be protected from you Hinami ~ are you even a lady , Ha ha
Issac
No wonder you wanted to return even though you'd be ambushed, so this is why
Issac
you'll beat them to death like this guy ~
Hinami
H-Hey ! he's not dead....
Issac
but he must traumatized and in pain ~
Hinami
well....he tried to attack me first so ,
Issac
I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just thrilled with what I saw just now
Hinami
* sigh * let's just go back to the manor !
I went back to the manor with Issac and went back to my room
I don't need to tire myself further now , I'll go back home as soon as the sun rises. But the problem is.....Mom and Dad will kill me...
Razor
It was a pleasure having you as our guest lady Hinami
Razor
I'll try to finish what you gave me by the end of this month
Razor
I'm sure I'll bring you good news
Hinami
Thank you Sir Razor , I appreciate your help
Issac
I hope we meet again ~
I went inside the carriage and we started our journey to the central Dukedom
After 5 hours of driving, we finally arrived at the Manor , and as expected , i was greeted with Cold faces
Mom and dad rushed towards me and gave me a hug , but soon started scolding me
Mom
Young lady , what's the meaning of this !!
Dad
Indeed Hinami , what's your excuse this time ?
Hinami
look guys , I was looking into a sealed book that would help me to become the Emperor _______.
Mom
Hinami ! listen , I wanted to tell you this later when you change your mind but I have to break it to you now ! You young lady are going to be engaged to the Son of Marquess Nicolas de Fenton !
Dad
Your mother is right, out of all the engagement requests , we had to accept this offer
Mom
Hinami , you can't be the Emperor !
Mom
That's just , not possible !!
Dad
Yes dear , what you're ______.
Hinami
No ! I won't get engaged !
Hinami
look Mom , I know you don't believe in me but I do believe in myself, I won't get engaged and I'll pursue my_________.
Mom
you better fix your act Hinami !!
Mom
you're a noble women ! you can't just go outside, hang out with commoners and do whatever you want all over the Empire !
Dad
Hon , you're being too harsh on _______.
Mom
No ! I'm serious this time , The marquess will be here tomorrow to discuss and finalize your engagement, so get inside and prepare !
I head back to my room , unfazed by mom's act and changed my outfit
Hinami
Sui ! * hugs back *
Maid sui
My lady ! I thought you were lost ! do you know how worried I was !
Hinami
Sorry sui , I just had to go
Maid sui
* sigh * your mom lashed out on you didn't she
Maid sui
I'll prepare you a warm bath
After a warm soothing bath , I changed my clothes and was visiting by Cassi
Cassius
Hinami , how did it go ?
Hinami
Razor said he'll finish up by the end of this month ,
Cassius
And I have some good news for you too
Cassius
The election of Second viser of the Emperor has began, it'll be taking place tomorrow and will last 5 days
The second Viser is a position higher Than the prince and princess
They have the power to alter the decisions made by the Emperor by appealing to the Council. Not only that but they have the authority to navigate the Entire empires foreign relationships and Has control over yearly budget and funds
They practically have the highest power
Wait....I think that's it ! my ticket to becoming an Emperor !
But the thing is....No women has ever participated for the Viser position , besides, I need the Dukes approval to participate so I need an official letter with a seal on it
In addition , I need to register a Month and recieve a letter of acceptance ( recognition) by the Emperor so....maybe it's too late
Hinami
Isn't it too late ?
Cassius
what do you mean ? I have your official letter of recognition here
Hinami
* gasp * N-no way !?
Cassius
* chuckle * , Silly ~
Cassius
what did I tell you the moment you decided to become an Emperor
Hinami
That I've gone crazy ?
Hinami
Oh, that you'd support me with everything you can
Cassius
And here I fulfilled my promise , didn't I ~
Hinami
Cassi...you're the best !! * huggs tightly *
Cassius
Hey now , you shouldn't be so soft from now on , you're gonna compete against 20 other candidates from all over the Empire
Hinami
But Cassi , how is the election supposed to go
Hinami
* lets go of Cassius *
Cassius
well this year , there will be 20 contestants like I mentioned. All are men except you. Infact you're the only woman to ever participate in the event
Cassius
In that case , three among the 20 people will be selected
Cassius
first one is The Viser , you should know the role since it's you Hinami , you're a Library in form of a human
Cassius
Secondly , we have the Commander of Imperial Knight , you know that too
Cassius
And thirdly, the Imperial mage
Cassius
these are the 3 positions to be chosen
Hinami
Well, I'm sure I'll ace the exams and everything but
Hinami
Is it okay to show my full potential? what if the Emperor is suspicious?
Cassius
hmm....you're right , you better avoid too much drama and overdoing yourself, just stick to the basics and impress the Emperor enough to grant you the position you desire
Hinami
Did Dad agree to this or....?
Cassius
He did , he told me to tell you that he supports your every decision, but mom on the Contrary
Hinami
Yes, I know it well enough
Cassius
Then you better get ready for tomorrow
Cassius
The first round election will begin early in the morning
Hinami
then see you in the morning Cassi
I can't believe I got lucky this time , what an astounding chance !
So basically, there are over 100 people who wish to be elected for the first round of Preliminary where 20 people will proceed to the main event
These 20 people will go through a rough real life situation where their skill and knowledge will be tested
After a series of rounds, 5 people will pass after a grand exam , and only 3 will be selected among the five
lastly, there will be a grand ceremony in the Entire Empire to Announce the winners and will be given their respective position
I have to get enough sleep cause I have a long day ahead of me ....
Maid sui
You have a competition to go to !
Hinami
I'm awake ! I'm wake !
I woke up early in the morning, changed my outfit and went outside to the carriage
Cassius
You better hurry up , come in !
Hinami
Hm ? are you tagging along too ?
Cassius
well, I'd like to see my sister win y'know ~
we got in the carriage and started our journey to the capital where the election was held
Cassius
You look oddly calm Hina , aren't you supposed to be worried or something
Hinami
Hmm , I should shouldn't I ?
Cassius
There are plenty of pupils trying to get in, even passing the first round
Hinami
well , I think I have an advantage both in knowledge and skill
Cassius
You are extraordinary Indeed but you should never let your guard down
Hinami
Ha ha , fine fine ~
After an hour af driving , we finally arrived at the capital
It was packed with people, there was absolutely no room for movement
Plenty of men who came from the farthest point of the Empire gathered to seek a better life
There were mages , graduates from school of politics, professors , Aristocrats and much more. Most were young but a fair share of them are middle aged and above
I never expected this much people to compete in the preliminaries !?
Sir Pablo ( Host )
Gentlemen , please make a line of 10 and Let's proceed with the registration
Sir Pablo ( Host )
Those with no official letter of recognition will not be accepted,
We made a 10 line out of 100 people and started passing our our letters to the guards on the front gate
Guard
Excuse me madam , you're in the wrong place I suppose ?
Hinami
Excuse me , I'm a contestant here
Sir Pablo ( Host )
What do you need ?
guard
This little girl claims she's in the competition
Sir Pablo ( Host )
Hm ? * checks my registration card details *
Sir Pablo ( Host )
It says here that she is
guard
females never participate in such things !
Sir Pablo ( Host )
I also think it's odd
Sir Pablo ( Host )
Wait here madam, I'll go speak with the higher ups
The Host went to the main competition judge , the previous Viser and started speaking with him. As the two spoke , the viser shot a glance at me and returned back to his business
I feel uneasy for some reason....
Sir Pablo ( Host )
* comes back *
Sir Pablo ( Host )
Madam , I've spoken to the higher ups and they see no problem in letting you compete ( you're not gonna last either ways....)
guard
Well then , you may enter the exam hall
Turns out , the first round of the preliminaries was an entrance exam. The famous " Kao zhing " , the hardest exam ever known to Humanity which accesses a great deal of knowledge
Around 86 people passed through the guards with valid Recognition cards while the rest returned back to their homes
We all took a seat at the grand exam hall and waited for further announcements
Vizier Archael
Welcome to the Viser Selection Vying. I'll be your judge alongside The Crown prince Alastair, Her majesty the Empress and Our majesty the Emperor Himself
Everyone
woah ! the empress and emperor ! no way ! * talk *
Vizier Archael
I , Grand Viser Archael will be in charge of grading the exams alongside the best mages in the Empire
Vizier Archael
The mages will make sure that the exam are legit and no cheating occurred. Those who are found cheating will bedisqualified , sentenced to 3 years in jail and a heavy fine as it's considered, mild treason
Vizier Archael
The exam will be 5 hours long with no breaks, it will roughly include every academic subject and critical thinking skill based questions
Vizier Archael
You have 15 minutes to prepare , we will comense the exam shortly
Everyone
this is so intense , I'm scared, I hope I pass * murmur *....
This time , all the tension among students made me a bit nervous , what if I score perfect grades ! they'll definitely think I cheated so I need to step down to some level
There are 100 questions from the test. Each question is a page long and accounts for one mark.
The highest ever recorded grade was 12 years ago , by the son of the man who created the questions.
57 , that's the highest he could get
student 1
Hey missy , what brings you here ~
Some guys approached me as I was preparing for the exam
student 2
Hmm , I don't think I've ever seen a women participating here before ?
student 1
Duh , cause they can't, it's too hard for their pretty brains ~
student 2
well that's true Ha ha !
student 1
But I truly wonder , what's a beautiful lady like you doing in a place like these ~
student 1
Are you here in place of your brother ~
Hinami
....( such nuisance...)
student 2
hey , don't scare her ~
student 1
HA HA ! I apologise my lady ,
student 1
And I heard you never recieved proper education before
Hinami
Yes , I was self thought
student 1
Ha ha ! self thought? so you never went to an academy or so , how confident are you in yourself
Hinami
well pretty much I guess
Hinami
now can you please excuse yourself, I'm busy preparing for the exam
student 1
Ha , we're in the middle of a conversation lady , what's with the attitude
student 2
such uneducated incompetence, have you not learned etiquette like other women
Hinami
I believe I have more etiquette than you'll ever do ,
student 2
Ha ? what are you implying
Hinami
You have no looks nor the character , you are lacking in both. the only thing to help you survive is wealth or knowledge.
Hinami
Judging by your act just now , you're either a commoner , or a poorly raised noble. Failed in both cases.
Hinami
As for knowledge, the exams will decide
Everyone
Pffttt , ha ha ha ! what a response ! HA HA ! maybe it's true ha ha , he looks so annoyed * talk , chatter *
student 2
Hey ! you're really putting me off missy, watch what you're saying
Hinami
Cry and snitch on me ~
student 1
* grabs Hinami by the hair *
This is my first time seeing a women participating for a position besides the wife of High ranked nobles
Hinami , as her name tag shows , I've never witnessed a women toying with a man's response as it was nothing
They would usually cry or ask others for help but the level of confidence I see in her is something else , as if she's holding back for their sake
student 1
* grabs Hinami's Hair *
student 1
You're enjoying this aren't you ~ you think this is funny ! ha !?
student 1
Stop spoiling our name you little brat !
I stood up to help her out but...
After analysing the guards situation, Hinami quickly grabbed the guys little finger and broke it
student 2
Y-You ! what did you do !?
the guy lets go of Hinami's hair and started screaming in pain. She broke his finger in an instant that it did look as if she didn't touch him at all
Everyone
what's wrong with him ? why all of a sudden ? is he sick or something
Indeed , nobody saw what happened ....
That was sheer strength...perhaps she's a mage too ?
Guard
Hey ! what's going on ?
student 1
s-she broke ______.
Hinami
Sir , I think this student is sick, he kept screaming since a while ago
Everyone
Ya, he was messing with her but he got sick and fell ! ya ! we saw it !
Guard
Lady Hinami , Were you in any way assaulted by this individual ?
Hinami
Yes Sir * sniffle * he grabbed my hair and was gonna beat me up !
Everyone
Ya , we testify ! she was assaulted by the man !
Hinami
......( why's everyone on my side today ?? )
Guard
Sir Montrio , You should've read the Vying rules carefully
Guard
Those who assault other students will be disqualified from the exam right away ,
The man then grabbed the student and dragged him away
student 1
No wait ! I didn't do anything !!
the other one left Hinami's side and went back to his seat
Everyone
He deserved it , one less competition ! wohoo ! ya !
She's truly fascinating, maybe I should get acquainted with her .....
Hinami
* sigh * when are we starting the exam ~
Liam
* sits next to Hinami *
Hinami
( another one ? now what ! )
Liam
don't worry, I'm not like them , I'm here to get to know you ~
Liam
You'll definitely need a friend in the future, who knows , we might be in the last 3 to be elected * smiles *
Liam
My Name's Liam by the way
Hinami
Are you perhaps a mage ?
Liam
Indeed....how did you know?
Liam
( you don't make those sorts if random guess ? )
Hinami
Anyways, My names Hinami
Liam
I'm glad we crossed paths Hinami , let's pass the exams and meet on the Second round of selection !
Hinami
( *gasp * did I just make another friend ! )
Liam
Then see you later and good luck ( she has such an innocent smile...)
Vizier Archael
Gentlemen , Ahem and Ladies we will now start the exams !
Vizier Archael
Take your seats ,
The invigilator came in with the papers and started distributing them to everyone
I took the first front seat so I was given the exams first
I hope it doesn't go too well....
out of the 85 contestants, 24 were disqualified for cheating, 13 gave up and 4 fainted from excess stress
I already finished the exam an hour ago and I'm seating idle , but the Invigilators are roaming the place so I'm just putting on an act
In fact after 1 more hour , I decided to change 10 of my answers to seem less suspicious and divert attention away to other students on the result day
Aften an additional hour , we finally submitted our exams and went out of the hall, Outside....
Hinami
Cassi * waves hands *
Cassius
How many questions did you miss ?
Cassius
Tch ! that wasn't enough, you should've missed at least 20
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