Chương 247: Rivals?

For a few seconds, there was only silence. Then, the courtyard erupted in shocked gasps and murmurs. I stood frozen, my mind racing to process this unexpected turn of events. Being allowed entry was one thing, but being declared a candidate for Sainthood was something else entirely, and not something I had any intention of pursuing. Lady Mara pushed forward through the crowd, her face flushed with indignation.

"This is absurd! You cannot seriously be considering this... this village boy for such a sacred position!" She gestured wildly in my direction.

"He has no lineage, no training, no understanding of our sacred texts or traditions. He was milking cows and grinding wheat mere weeks ago!" Despite the unnecessarily harsh comments, I kept my expression carefully neutral. Lady Mara was a strange one, within the span of an hour, she had switched from accusing me of being unnaturally dangerous to insisting I was too common and uneducated.

"The Blue Sun cares nothing for lineage or prior training, Lady Mara," Elder Sorrin regarded her calmly.

"It bestows its blessings where it wills."

"But there are protocols! Traditions!" Lady Mara's voice rose higher.

"Candidates train for years under proper masters. They study the Cerulean Texts, memorize the Lightweaver Precepts. This boy likely can't even read!" Well, that wasn't exactly true. As I've told them many times before, Tomas could read, though not particularly well. And I, of course, because of the system, was far more literate than my current body's original owner.

"I can read, Lady Mara," I murmured, slightly offended by the accusation.

"My mother taught me before she died." Lady Mara scoffed.

"Reading farmhand messages scrawled in dirt is hardly the same as studying ancient texts written in High Cerulean!" Ouch...

"And yet," Lady Laelyn interjected, "just moments ago, you were insisting that Tomas was far more than a simple village boy. You called him a harbinger of death, suggested he had unnatural abilities." Good. It seems I wasn't the only one who caught the old lady's hypocrisy. Lady Laelyn tilted her head, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"And now you argue he's too simple and ordinary to be considered for training? Which is it, Lady Mara?" Lady Mara's mouth opened and closed several times, her face growing increasingly red.

"That's not... I wasn't..." She took a deep breath.

"I simply meant that there's something suspicious about him. And now this test confirms it! No ordinary villager shows such strong resonance. It's unprecedented!"

"Unexpected, yes," Elder Sorrin agreed.

"Impossible, no. The histories record several instances of extraordinary talents emerging from humble origins." He fixed Lady Mara with a stern look.

"Or do you question the Cerulean Orb itself?"

"Of course not," Lady Mara backpedaled quickly.

"The orb's judgment is sacred. But surely you must admit the timing is suspicious. Lady Laelyn works her entire life toward this moment, and suddenly this boy appears, inserts himself into her household, and now stands to compete against her?" While I didn't like that the old lady was attacking me, I had to agree with her.

Being considered for Sainthood would place me under intense scrutiny, exactly the opposite of my plan to remain inconspicuous while learning everything I could about the cultivation system of the blue sun academy. But the most concerning aspect was something none here would understand. With Kal being a looper, the sudden appearance of an unknown candidate would immediately register as an anomaly.

Loopers became hyper-attuned to patterns and disruptions; an unexpected element like me would draw his attention immediately. It would be best to withdraw from this deadly competition, let others fight for their time in limelight, I'd rather spend my time being a basic initiate, reading books in the library. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"I…I don't wish to compete with Lady Laelyn," I said, injecting a tremor into my voice.

"I only sought to remain in her service. If this position is meant for nobles, I gladly withdraw and settle with being a regular initi—""You cannot withdraw," Elder Sorrin interrupted.

"The Orb has recognized you. To reject its judgment would be to reject the Blue Sun itself." Wonderful. Trapped by their religious dogma.

"The traditions of the Selection are clear. All who demonstrate sufficient resonance must be included among the candidates. The Blue Sun itself will make the final choice during the ceremony." The elder turned to address me directly.

"You will participate in the Selection as tradition demands, regardless of your background or prior training." I bowed deeply, concealing my face and the flash of frustration I couldn't completely suppress.

"I am honored beyond words, Elder. Though I fear I will disappoint expectations."

"The only expectation is that you submit yourself to the Blue Sun's judgment with an open heart," Elder Sorrin replied, his tone softening slightly.

"The outcome is already written in the patterns of light." The only outcome that would have is me being soul searched by a Rank 8 monster, no thank you.

"Master," Azure called out.

"As happy as I am that we made it to the academy, I think we now have bigger problems to worry about."

"Kal," I replied silently.

"If he's truly experienced hundreds or thousands of time loops, he'll immediately notice such a significant change in events."

"Unless..."

"Unless he attributes it to the butterfly effect," I concluded, following Azure's thought.

"Small changes in initial conditions leading to massive differences in outcomes. If he believes in that principle, he might accept that this particular loop has simply diverged more dramatically than others."

"Or he might attribute it to the Blue Sun's blessing," Azure suggested.

"From what we've gathered, the belief system here allows for divine intervention. A previously unknown candidate suddenly manifesting exceptional resonance could be interpreted as the Blue Sun itself changing the game." Both were reasonable possibilities, and I clung to them like a drowning man to driftwood. The idea of facing a Rank 8 Lightweaver who was a time looper was terrifying.

My only hope was that this deviation might be interpreted as part of the natural variation between loops rather than the introduction of a completely foreign element. If my performance as a candidate is unremarkable, perhaps everything will be okay. After all, why would a looper attend the same selection ceremony over and over again. Surely, he has more important things to do, like ticking things off his looper checklist. Elder Sorrin clapped his hands once, the sound snapping me back to the present moment.

"Now, if there are no further objections..." he glanced pointedly at Lady Mara, who pressed her lips into a thin line, "... let us proceed with the traditional welcome ceremony. Afterward, the candidates will be escorted to their quarters in the Aspirants' Wing, where they will begin their preparation for the Selection."

"And what of Lady Laelyn's companions?" Beric asked, reluctance evident in his voice.

"They will be accommodated in the Visitors' Wing, as is customary," the elder replied.

"During the period of preparation, candidates must remain somewhat sequestered to focus on their attunement to the Blue Sun's energies." Two attendants materialized at his gesture, bowing low.

"These acolytes will show you to the Visitors' Wing." Beric frowned, despite only being a Radiant-Touched, he felt uncomfortable being separated from his charge.

"My duty is to protect Lady Laelyn—""Within these walls, she is under the protection of the Order itself," Elder Sorrin interrupted firmly.

"No harm will come to her here. This is our most sacred promise." The finality in his tone brooked no argument. Beric looked to Lady Laelyn, who nodded slightly, giving him permission to stand down. With visible reluctance, he bowed to the elder.

"As you wish. But I request daily audiences with my lady to ensure her well-being."

"Granted," the elder replied.

"Now, let us proceed with the welcome ceremony and orientation." As servants appeared to collect baggage and escort people to their various destinations, Lady Laelyn moved to my side.

"Don't worry about Lady Mara," she murmured, pitching her voice for my ears alone.

"She's been my chaperone since childhood and sees threats to my position everywhere." It seemed anyone surrounding the lady saw threats everywhere, a paranoid bunch for sure, but with sufficient reason to be so I couldn't really complain. Her eyes crinkled as she continued.

"Though I must admit, even she couldn't have anticipated this particular development." I studied her face, confused by her lack of concern.

"Aren't you upset? I've inadvertently become your rival for a position you've worked toward your entire life." Lady Laelyn's expression softened.

"The Saint position isn't about individual ambition, Tomas. It's about finding the person best suited to channel the Blue Sun's blessing for the benefit of all." She clasped her hands before her.

"If you are that person, I would be the first to celebrate your selection. Her sincerity was disarming. In the few worlds that I'd visited, they all shared one common theme - cultivation being ruthlessly competitive; the idea of graciously accepting defeat was almost unthinkable. Yet here was Lady Laelyn, seemingly untroubled by the prospect of losing her birthright to a supposed village boy.

Either she was the most genuinely selfless noble I'd ever encountered, or she was playing a deeper game than I could perceive. Neither option fit neatly into my understanding of how power worked.

"And perhaps this is why we were meant to meet," she continued, her eyes bright with something that looked suspiciously like hope.

"Two candidates with complementary paths..."