The crowd was silent, the demonstration from Heimer had left them tensed up;
Follow instructions, or bear no chance of enrollment.
What better way to demonstrate that than kicking out thousands in an instant.
The atmosphere was so thick that it could be cut with a knife.
"Tests…
What types of tests" Leo's mind wondered off.
The only anxiety he had was from the number of people there, not from the test to come.
When he came to, he was now looking at Heimer.
Their eyes locked for a moment.
"That kid…where have I seen him." Heimer couldn't seem to remember.
He was too far away when he ordered Ren to save Leo, so it wasn't surprising.
What surprised Heimer however was Leo's body, or rather what flowed through it.
"Aether?
Directly in his body…
Is that kid human?" Heimer couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at Leo intently.
This almost lasted fifteen seconds.
All eyes turned to where he was looking at, but they couldn't seem to find out.
"The tests will tell" Heimer took his eyes away from Leo.
"I wonder what he was looking at?" Leo was as unaware as everyone else.
He assumed it was someone else.
[Bam! Bam!! Bam!!!] The drum was struck once again.
"Now I'll be doing some sieving." Heimers voice was as loud as ever.
We care about the lives of children.
"All who are not up to sixteen should leave!" He stated.
A lot of people started leaving.
Leo was in a pinch, he was still fifteen.
Or so he thought, as he was about to step out of the line, he was struck by a realisation.
"Sixteen?
My birthday is not until next we…
?!
[His face brightened]
…I slept for three weeks, that means my birthday passed" Leo's face lit up.
The set of events made him think he was blessed, but then again –
(... I'll enroll you at the academy when you turn sixteen…) The memories of his father dawdled in his mind.
His mood tilted.
Looking around now nearly a thousand had left, even the girl who was on the line to the left.
The supreme called the same corporal over again and she jotted down what he said.
The same occurrence as before; they marked certain people from the crowd.
They were about seventy.
"I don't tolerate lies.
All who were marked should leave!" Heimer stated.
The marked ones were in confusion, many started proliferating.
How had the supreme known of their lies, perhaps he did a background check on the recruits.
There was no definite answer for them; now that they were found out they had to leave.
The crowd was now murmuring, twice now had the supreme shown feats leaning to inhuman.
They finally felt like the rumours that were spreading were true – rumours that he had gained powers.
The murmuring continued.
[Bam! Bam!! Bam!!!]
At the strike of the drum they became silent
The lines that were forty two in number had become twenty four, their numbers had nearly been halved.
And then the supreme spoke once again.
"In about six months we are going out beyond the fourth sector.
I assure you there will be beasts beyond human comprehension." Heimer said.
The other commanders looked at him in shock – all but Lana, Ren and Ricia;
It was the first time the others had heard of this too.
The crowd murmured.
Heimer continued.
"The last time we fought against them, we lost thousands.
The survival rate is less than two percent.
Now I ask you all…" His voice was cold and uncaring.
"He isn't going to sugar coat it, well it would be better to not.
I was there that day, I saw the grotesque scenery." Lana remembered that day at the frontline.
She watched from atop the wall as the soldiers succumbed to their brutal faith.
"And even that…
He isn't going to reveal that here is he?" She remembered the sight of her brother using aether.
"Do you have the resolve to die?
If yes then stay, if not then leave."Heimer threw the dreaded question to the crowd.
Now a lot of the crowd dispersed, it wasn't easy to choose death.
Most were here for the food so they wouldn't starve to death, but with this their faith would be similar.
They were halved once more.
Heimer watched the face of the ones that remained.
"Only few here are truly ready to die.
I doubt there are truly any, yet they stand…" Heimer had a satisfactory look.
Leo stood still, he was afraid of death and also feared the beasts, but refused to move.
"Beyond the border" He was enticed by the thought;
Sweating and even shivering a bit, but once again his curiosity out did every other feeling.
"We're still over the thousand mark.
[Clap!!! Clap!!]
What nex-" Leo's thoughts were overshadowed by Heimer's claps.
[Clap! Clap...]
He gradually stopped the claps.
"I am enamoured by your resolves.
You've all passed."
The crowd was loud, they had become confused.
Chatter spread like wildfire.
Even Leo was perplexed.
[Bam! Bam!! Bam!!!]
The noises simmered down, they had learnt to be obedient.
"It is as I had said — You have all passed.
You see earlier...
When I said there weren't enough resources for six thousand, and we would have to cut it down to a thousand.
That was a half truth, or a half lie; whichever may suit you.
Truth is...we have enough resources for five thousand, but I chose to slim it down so it would be abundant.
Only the first question was truly useful, the second was to see how many were determined.
So yes, you have all passed." Heimer had a more comforting tone now.
He walked down the stairs and had a talk with the corporal who held the book.
The crowd was in an uproar, the subversion of their expectations had made this feel more earned.
"Yes!
I made it." Leo celebrated by punching downwards at the air.
Heimer climbed back up the stairs.
[Scribble] As Leo was celebrating something was scribbled on his left shoulder.
He looked to his left.
"What is it this time…" Leo's look changed to that of distress.
There stood a corporal with a marker; Leo's shoulder had been marked.
His iris shrank.
"Oh sorry for telling another lie.
I said everyone standing here had passed, that was an error on my part.
'Everyone' without a mark.
All who have just been marked, have been disqualified." Heimer faced away from the crowd after saying this.
The sun was starting to set, it was going to be a long night.