For the first time in what felt like forever, Henrry saw a normal house.
It was simple—modest even—but it felt like home. A rare moment of peace.
All five of them—Henrry, Ronnie, Conrad, Mia, and George—sat around a circular table, quietly eating dinner. The air was warm, the light dim, and for a fleeting second, everything felt ordinary.
Ronnie looked at Henrry and said, "Come on, Henrry. While we're eating, let me explain who we'll be facing in the Regal Dignity Test."
Everyone turned their attention to Ronnie as he began.
"From our Mirage Clan, ten candidates will participate. Then flashed a teasing grin at the George,The same goes for the Aushadhi Clan, Shaurya Clan, and Beast Clan—ten each. The Imperial Clan, though, is sending just five. And then we have the Zones. Each of the four zones will send five candidates, making a total of twenty from the Zones."
Ronnie paused to let it sink in.
"So, altogether, we'll be competing against **sixty-five** other candidates. And only the **top five** will be selected."
Henrry leaned forward, puzzled. "Why do clans even support candidates in the first place?"
Conrad answered, "Because the more candidates a clan gets into the top five, the more resources that clan receives. Plus, they get to appoint high-ranking officers based on the test results."
He continued, "And the candidates who succeed? They earn high positions in the *Imperial Court*. Their families get upgraded to high-class living conditions. It's everything—status, power, future. That's why every clan gives it their all."
Mia turned to George. "You must know… what's the competition actually like?"
George leaned back in his chair. "The test lasts five to six days. On the first day, all candidates are assessed based on their **skills**, and they receive rankings."
He continued, "The top-ranked candidates get a **two-day break**, exempt from the early rounds of physical or mana-based competition. After that, they rejoin. But the remaining days? No one knows what challenges will appear. The tests change every time."
Henrry furrowed his brow. "So… nobody knows what the actual challenges will be?"
George nodded. "Exactly. The uncertainty is part of the test. Those five days can include anything—battles, survival, strategy… anything. No one can predict it."
Ronnie clenched his fists, a fire lighting up in his eyes. "Then we better train harder than ever."
He turned to Henrry. "you to train harder mister choosen"