Chapter 21: 21- The Heir and the Half-Blood: The Riverwood Festival
The Heir and the Half-Blood: The Riverwood Festival
The sun bathed Riverwood in light, and a line of eager village youths awaited their turn for the assessment test. From a distance, one figure stood out during the festival—Roderic, the heir to Duke Edric Stonerheart. He was intently watching a young man in line who was talking to a red-haired girl, a standout among all those present.
’Roderic still has his eyes on me.’ Jon, sensing the disdainful gaze from the haughty young man, couldn’t fathom why he had become the focus of his attention. If Jon had been less withdrawn in his previous life, he would have realized that the reason was the beautiful young woman who followed him like a shadow.
"Jon, are you listening? What are our odds of passing the test?" Gwen snapped Jon back to reality. She had long given up getting annoyed when he would drift into his thoughts and forget the world around him. "We’ll definitely pass. Out of all the Riverwood youths, we’re the only two crazy enough to have raided a dungeon before." As he answered his friend, Jon leaned in and whispered the last part into her ear.
Jon acted this way merely to calm Gwen, who had a tendency to worry excessively about trivial matters. However, to Roderic, Jon’s behavior seemed more like a challenge. "Damn half-blood!" Roderic was genuinely irked. Jon was unlike the other commoners he usually encountered; he neither retorted insults nor gave tedious speeches. He simply accepted, and something about the way Jon responded to his insults made Roderic feel that Jon couldn’t care less about his existence. That was a hard pill for him to swallow.
Now, in addition to getting closer to Gwen, Roderic was determined to ensure that Jon didn’t secure one of the available slots. His interest in Gwen was fueled by her lineage. Noticing her flame-red hair, he realized she was a pure-blooded Breton, an ancient and increasingly rare race in Aeloria, known for their strong affinity with the fire element. This contrasted with the even rarer Glacian race, who mastered the ice element. Legend had it that these two races were enemies millennia ago, and due to battles between them, their lineages were nearly extinct.
"Next, place your hand on the crystal." As Roderic schemed, a man in a light robe made the announcement. ’Damn! Mom rushed me so much that I forgot to leave my sword at home,’ thought Jon, who stepped forward and extended his hand to touch the crystal.
**[GAME MENU]**
---
**Name:** Jon Woodmoon
**Age:** 9
**Level:** 12
---
**[STATS]**
- **HP (Health Points):** 250
- **MP (Mana Points):** 230
- **Strength:** 30
- **Agility:** 35
- **Constitution:** 29
- **Intelligence:** 27
- **Luck:** 15
’So, the magical artifact can’t display all the information...’ Jon was surprised to see that only some stats were revealed, which was a relief for him. "Approved, please wait in the competition area." The competition had moderate to high requirements, as the Imperial Academy was strict about its attendees. Up to that point, during nearly an hour of assessment, Jon counted only nine people, including himself, who had been approved. And considering the size of the line, he was certain that Gwen would be the last.
As Jon had predicted, only Gwen passed the test after him. "Listen up, the first competition is archery." Gwen was ecstatic upon hearing that one of the challenges would be archery. "This is going to be a breeze, Jon. Just make sure you secure second place, okay!" Gwen, even after all this time, hadn’t realized that Jon always let her win in the contests she set up, which is why she maintained her cocky tone.
"The second test will be a free-for-all fight against Carter, the head of the Duke’s personal guard. The two highest scorers will win." Everyone watching the festival was buzzing with excitement; two of these young people would have a guaranteed future. However, one person didn’t share this sentiment. ’So this is your grand scheme,’ thought Sylvia, who was originally supposed to be the one to fight and assess the youth.
She sensed that Roderic had something up his sleeve. Sylvia considered intervening but ultimately decided to let it go. She just wanted all of this to be over so she could get back to her life of work, drinking, and fun. The last thing she wanted was to get into trouble with the Duke’s family.
The first test took place in a nearby forest close to Riverwood. The ten youths had two tasks: first, to hit ten distant targets, with accuracy determining the score; next, they were to hunt, with stronger targets yielding more points. All of this had to be done within a 20-minute timeframe.
In the end, Gwen led the scoreboard with a perfect score of 100 points. Jon was right behind her with 90 points; he had intentionally missed a shot so as not to tie with Gwen. Something about Gwen’s radiant, joyful expression whenever she won filled Jon with happiness. The other eight competitors had average scores, ranging between 50 and 70 points. These scores were quite high, but Jon and Gwen had a considerable advantage due to their previous forays into the goblin dungeon.
Roderic, who had insisted on overseeing the entire test, was extremely pleased. ’Excellent, if this half-breed had come in first, it would be a hassle to get rid of him,’ he thought. For the first time since arriving in Riverwood, Roderic was genuinely happy. "Carter, remember, even if it seems obvious to everyone, you must eliminate the half-breed named Jon," Roderic instructed his personal guard as they headed for the second test. Sylvia and others who heard this instruction cast disapproving glances, but deep down, they didn’t really care what these kids were up to...