Chapter 456 - The Tests
"Master!" Amanda shouted in sadness, "don't be this stingy with my kid!"
"He isn't your kid, he is your man," Mr. E teased her before Arthur stepped in and said: "Alright, select the fairest tests ever you conducted."
His words attracted the glaring gazes of Amanda, before he explained, "I don't want to waste this precious chance over some losers."
"You are wasting a great chance here," she sighed, "these are so shameless to help you more than the disciples they trained for years so far."
"I will," Cesile hurried to raise up her hand, "I can spare more time for you, all the time you want my dearest disciple," she glanced over Amanda while saying these words.
"I can spare all my time for him," and Amanda refused to budge while Mr. E laughed as he stood between the two kittens, "stop it already, we'll start conducting tests and see."
Arthur waited on the side waiting for each master to determine his standards. It didn't take them long, as in just ten minutes everyone had already selected his own tests.
Each master provided Arthur a piece of paper with the instructions of the tests required. Arthur glanced simply at these six papers before thinking:
'Distribute these to everyone here, tell them to group together to attend these tests.'
'Ding! Any specific locations for each master?'
'You set and then inform me later.'
'Ding! Done!'
The next minute a great ruckus suddenly occurred. The masters glanced in surprise to all this before Mr. E asked in doubt:
"What's happening?"
"They are going to be grouped according to each master's test," Arthur simply replied.
"How… how on earth did they know?" Mr. E threw his next puzzling question.
"Well," Arthur paused before shrugging, "this is my world, and I can do whatever I want in it."
"Lucky you," Mr. E commended yet his gazed and other masters' gazes told Arthur they didn't believe him.
Everyone was pretty sure now he had more secrets, yet to be unfolded.
Arthur waited with others while everyone around kept moving in rapid steps. It took an hour for everyone to stand in six groups, while a seventh group stood there making everyone puzzled, including Arthur.
'Aren't there only six tests here? What is this seventh group doing? Those who won't take the test?'
'Ding! They are those who are confident enough in their abilities,' the system briefly asked.
"What is this group doing exactly?" Cesile pointed towards the seventh group with interest.
'More details please,' Arthur urged.
'Ding! They are the ones asking to take two or more tests from masters.'
'…'
Arthur swallowed his throat and controlled his laughs while answering Cesile:
"They are the ones taking two or more tests."
"At the same time?" Otman muttered in surprise.
"All of them want to learn from more than one master?" Slone asked in doubt.
"Hehehe, that's expected of my dearest disciple," Amanda laughed proudly, enjoying the shocked faces of others.
"You only have one disciple!" Otman argued.
"Don't be this shameless!" Cesile shouted.
"I really like this kid more," Armondo, who stood silently all this time, finally expressed his thoughts out, "so where is my group? Or should I start with this seventh one there?" he asked.
'Ding! His group is the one on the far left,' the system explained before adding more instructions about other groups as well.
And Arthur just relayed the info he received to the masters.
As they all got their assigned groups, they all dispersed leaving behind only Arthur with the handful five hundred of his top men.
"How much more do you believe they'll pick?" Ron suddenly asked.
"Around ten thousand perhaps," Arthur muttered while adding, "or even more."
"I agree on more," Amelia laughed before adding, "they had all lower numbers as bets than ten thousand."
"Hehehe, I love this bet. Whose idea was that?" Arthur asked.
"Amanda," Lily responded, "by the way shouldn't we take these tests?"
"Nah," Arthur shook his head, "I know your abilities and know how far you can reach. Let they test those I don't know."
"But I'm dying to see those tests," Madly jumped from the middle of everyone, "please let us go and see. I want to see Master Slone's test."
"I want to see master Otman's test," Deem suddenly said.
"I want to see master Cesile's test," Randy said.
"I want to see master Amanda's test," Amelia also joined.
Arthur raised his hands before this became a scene. "Alright, go and do whatever you wish," he said and instantly all dispersed to each master's group to watch the tests being conducted.
"Ain't you curious to watch?" the golden dragon asked all of sudden while Arthur stood alone in this place.
"Nah," he shook his head, "I already saw their tests in the paper."
"Some are strict to be honest on these kids," the golden dragon honestly said.
"I know," Arthur shook his head before adding, "but this is a great chance to filter those not special enough to be nurtured by me."
Arthur wasn't that much interested, yet the tests took a long time to conduct. Slone's test was the simplest, as he used a crafting test to judge over others.
He asked his group to either make gears or build up defensive equipment or any sort of equipment that could be used in wars.
Yet he wasn't the fastest. The fastest test was from Armondo who simply asked his group to exchange swords with him for a couple of rounds before he judged over their strength and potential.
That made him finish his group in less than two hours, before heading directly without any further instructions towards the seventh group to continue his tests.
Mr. E asked for alchemy, while Otman asked for making arrays, runes, and Ley Lines.. As for Cesile, she simply asked her group to use staffs and swords and launch offensive attacks against a gigantic hill made of a special type of ore she took out from her storage ring.