“I really am a failure,” Robin sulked, for his effort was not rewarded by the world. “Maybe I really should stay as a farmer. It’s not like being a farmer is that bad, I can at least contribute to the logistics for the knight.”

  “The test is not easy. Maybe you’re just not lucky this time. It’s not like you can’t do it next year.”

  Looking back, Robin and Lily were really young. Most people of their age should be an apprentice or a merchant if borned in a rich family. Compared to that, becoming a knight was a suicide. Robin knew that and yet…

  “I can’t wait for next year. If I do that, this rage that I felt from the moment of my parents death would be forgotten. Sorry Lilly,” he looked back to his female companion, his eyes empty. “It looks like I dragged you into becoming a knight because of my selfish wish. Even so I can’t stop here. I will join a bandit if I have to just so I could kill all of our kingdom enemies.”

  “Stop saying stupid things like that!” She launched her fist into Robin’s head without any warning. Her slender arm packed an explosive power that turned her punch into a blur.

  The boy flinched from the weight behind the attack. “That really hurts! What do you think you are doing!?” A normal person would have fainted but Robin with his training ironically saved him from that fate.

  Lily stared at the boy before her. His empty eyes are now filled with brightness again. His mind had swayed from sadness to anger. She smirked, realizing the development that had happened.

  “Those eyes of yours are similar to your parents. When I was an orphan freezing to death begging on the street, your parents saw me and decided to raise me in your household. At that time, I couldn’t believe that someone could be that kind in this world.”

  “So what of it?” The boy's forehead contorted. He swung his hand metaphorically smacking the girl's story. “What’s the point of telling me about my parents? Exactly because they are the kindest person in the world that me sitting idle not seeking vengeance should be considered the heaviest sin imaginable.”

  “Even if that makes your parents sad?”

  The boy was stunted. He was so consumed by his rage that the thought about that never crossed his mind.

  “Before I was raised by your parents, I have seen many kinds of people including the one who was seeking death. And Robin, your eyes back then were similar to them.”

  “My eyes huh…” the boy rubbed it. He looked at the sky for a moment contemplating his decision that had dragged him to this very moment. “You are right, I shouldn’t seek my own death, much less joining the bandit. What was I thinking?”

  “Well you can pay me back by buying the extra large rotisserie chicken in the tavern.”

  “A glutton to the very end. Very well though it means today we will still sleep in the stable,” Robin had a new found conviction within him. “Though for now, I need to be able to make money first.”

  “In a moment I along with all the eligible participants would be called for the ceremony so this is a goodbye for now.”

  “Indeed. Don’t worry about the money, I will somehow find enough to treat you for the rotisserie chicken.”

  And so the boy and the girl parted ways happily. Robin swung his hand above the air as he saw until the end all the participants and examiners leaving the training ground. For in the end after the sun nearly sets, he was finally alone.

  “Looks like that’s the last of them. I should be on my way then…” Before the boy’s brain could register a movement reflex, a circle of complex magic appeared beneath him. The luminescent purple color blinded him.

  He could hear faint sounds and saw a silhouette of an old person. That person seems to chant something before all the boy’s senses go into overdrive. He could hear all and saw all yet his brain wasn't able to comprehend any of it. His insides were in shambles and the liquid inside him turned into a gas then to liquid again, the process which made him feel a tiny explosion inside his blood vessel. The pain was happening all at once yet he felt nothing, only an itching sensation. He tried opening his mouth with all his might to scream.

  “Heeeeelllllppp!!!”

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  “Hush boy! please behave yourself.” With that one sentence all of the boy’s senses went back to him and his pains departed to the unknown.

  Robin could finally see his surroundings and what he saw was a hall of some kind. The carpet he stepped on was really soft and all along the wall were beautiful paintings. It was clear that whoever the owner of the place was a rich person.

  “Please forgive me your majesty,” that voice again. The voice of the old man. “Using destruction and creation magic to simulate teleportation tends to have some side effects.”

  His majesty? That could only describe one person in this kingdom. Robin saw the person’s visage and that visage was similar to one he saw in history book although a bit older.

  “K-king Weyfered!”

  “Yes, that's my name. No need to scream like that please.”

  “B-but what are you doing here? Why am I in front of you and why am I…. Ugh sorry for that your majesty. I can’t find the right word.”

  “No, don’t worry, I understand your confusion. After all, Hermes has done a bad job of transporting you.”

  “Buh, now the toddler is brave enough to insult his elder,” said Hermes, the frail old man with a grey beard who wore a black robe. Like an expert, Hermes switched his sarcastic tone to that of a serious veteran. “Putting the rough transportation aside, you must be dizzy about the whole experience. Let me explain.”

  Robin couldn’t believe what he just experienced. He was in the training field alone after his failure and yet right now he must be inside the castle standing face to face with the king who controls a nation.

  “You see, the black ball that was used for the divination test is actually a sham. It’s not for finding a magician that accidentally joins the knight test, the black ball was actually used to find a certain pattern in person.”

  “A pattern?”

  “Indeed boy. A pattern. You could say this world is filled with that like a certain ratio in nature. Indeed a person has a pattern, a magical pattern inside each of them that corresponds to a certain fate.”

  “That’s enough of an explanation Hermes. The point is that the crystal turning black means a certain pattern was detected and once that happens, I order Hermes to immediately bring that person.”

  “So what does that mean? Why is turning the crystal black is considered so special?”

  “Special would be undercutting it. You see, young boy, you are the hero.”

  “Hero, me? You must be kidding? I can’t even pass the knight test.”

  “That’s because you are a fool!” Shout the old magician.

  In contrast to the harsh old man, the king was really pleasant. “Please don’t be too harsh to him. You see you are actually a magician but you train wrong by training your body instead of your inner mind.”

  “Don’t be too harsh!? If anything I’m not harsh enough to him. For someone to born with unique magic yet squandering that talent should be punishable by thousand deaths.”

  “More importantly, could you sign this?” The king pulled out a papyrus paper with his signature and the phoenix stamp on it.

  “And this is…”

  “A pact you could say. One that tells you to always follow my order.”

  'Does that mean I have to fight even to the death?’

  “Of course, why would the hero choose not to fight? That would be awful”

  “Then I can’t take it. I only fight so I could survive. I promise that I won’t seek death anymore.”

  “That's a fine decision, it’s just a pity.”

  “...?”

  “It is a pity indeed that such a young girl had to meet her demise at such an early age.”

  “Lily! You mean to kill her!? If you touch her then I will…”

  “Then you will what huh? You are a weakling. You can’t stand against a whole kingdom. You don’t even know anything about your magic.”

  “Fine I will sign the contract if it means you will ensure her safety. Also I want you to provide me and Lily with the best facility in the capital since right now we don’t have much money.”

  “That’s a simple request for me to grant. Very well, consider it done.. After all, having a rogue hero is the worst scenario that could happen to the coalition,” the king examined the contract with great attention as he made sure that Robin would sign it properly. Once it was done, he clapped his hands to give order for the old magician. “Now then Hermes please check his magic type.”

  “Be still boy,” Hermes placed his hands on the young boy's head. “Now I will try to identify your magic. Hmmm… Oh my… This is amazing. Boy your magic is one of a kind that is. I’ve never seen it in my 6000 years of life,” the grumpy old man was smiling. His wrinkles contorted into a scary image as the black dots from the aging complemented it.

  “Your innate magic element is time. You are the only magician in history that has the affinity to control time!” The old man was speaking enthusiastically, the spirit of the young had come back to him.

  “A time magician huh? Victory is as good as assured,” the king said as he touched his chin, thinking of all manners to use the young boy in the warfare. “Then Robin Corlio. Right now I declare you as the new hero! Hereby I bestowed you the title of ‘Temporal Ruler’.”