The group following Skymender was reluctant to part, wanting to stay by his side, but Skymender shooed them away.
He experienced the first moment of peace and quiet since before the first event.
He sat with his aunt's family, who looked at him sympathetically. They no longer viewed him as some country bumpkin with no manners, but as a respectable noble.
As the time for the second event came, the room fell into silence. A hundred servants came and disassembled most of the arena, creating a new platform.
Loud footsteps sounded out, breaking the silence. The doors opened and a man wielding a greatsword strapped on his back came through.
He stood at least eight feet tall, and weighed at least 400 pounds. He was a monster in every way.
Although he weighed 400 pounds, it was 400 pounds of pure muscle. This was one of the largest men in the Empire's history, a Sword Master, and a disciple of Sword Master Shang, simply referred to as Sword Master Gargantuan.
Veins bulged all over his body, and it seemed as if every step he took could cause an earthquake.
He eventually reached the now platform and spoke, his words ringing out greatly.
"I know none of you nobles truly workout to achieve the pinnacle of human strength, but we'll see who among you are the best."
Sword Master Gargantuan's words sounded rude, but they were completely true. Nobles needed to uphold a dignified image, and it would be impossible to do so looking like Sword Master Gargantuan. Therefore, he spent most of his time among physically talented commoners.
A few people, larger than others, all walked over to the platform. This competition was actually for all ages. Skymender did not participate. He had never physically trained. He may be stronger than other nine year olds, but even an average 17 year old would be far stronger than him.
The competition did go on for about thirty minutes. Unlike in the last event, there were a few winners, one for each age group.
Finally, the second event ended, and Sword Master Gargantuan left the noble gathering.
Skymender's peace was once again taken away as children surrounded him. He was quite popular, and he made good use of this opportunity to make himself seem better in their heads. In the future, perhaps he could use such a thing.
However, he was also honing his mind. The third event was one of intelligence, one where he would shine.
There was a reward for the winner of the third competition every year. It was greater than the rewards of the winners of the second event.
After all, it was rare that there was a truly exceptional individual worthy of a great reward in the second event.
It was like comparing a chicken to a dog when there were plenty of lions among the commoners.
Soon, the third event rolled around. The platform was extended and desks were brought in. The Imperial Scholar walked out, with multiple servants carrying large amounts of paper and writing utensils.
"The third event is one of intelligence. Anyone who wishes to participate, below the age of 18, come now."
The third event, like the first, was restricted to those under 18. The second event was the only exception to the rule.
Skymender stood up, as well as most of those under 18 in the room.
The girls attending, few of whom had participated in the first event and none in the second event, finally got their time to shine.
They stood up and moved to the extended platform. It would not hurt to participate in this test, even if one didn't want to lose face. Only the top 10 would be revealed in the end, though only first place got a reward.
As everyone got seated, tests were handed out.
The rules were quite simple. No speaking, no hidden gestures, and absolutely no cheating. it would not go uncaught, and the person who cheated would be completely humiliated.
Skymender looked over the test questions. Some were basic knowledge about language or science. Skymender had always felt that he had great talent for science, but he wasn't sure why.
Talent was unexplainable, he couldn't understand even if he wanted to.
He flew through the first few sections of the test.
Naturally, he was at quite the disadvantage. There were plenty of people participating that attended the Imperial School.
However, the points on the test were adjusted for age. Scoring would be completely different for Skymender and someone 17 years old.
In addition to this, the standard test questions were not the only ones on the test. There were also logical questions, and some that Skymender had to think about, but did not necessarily require prerequisite knowledge.
Some simple questions were worded difficultly and Skymender had to unravel them.
He had an itching feeling that something unknown was among the test, but he still tried his hardest.
After an hour, a sound rang out.
"Writing utensils down. Close your papers." The Imperial Scholar said.
Everyone did so immediately.
Servants came in and collected them, before leaving the room. The Imperial Scholar left as well.
"At the end of the noble gathering, the results will be released."
Naturally, it was harder for these tests to be scored compared to the other two competitions.
The noble gathering continued on.
People went around talking and showing things. The next time Skymender looked at the clock, it was 6 pm. The noble gathering would end at 10 pm.
He found a seat and sat down. His group had mostly dispersed. He was tired after so much.
As he sat alone and rested, a surprising visitor sat next to him.
Skymender opened his eyes and looked over.
His green eyes met with a pair of normally colored, yet unspeakably arrogant eyes.
Skymender moved to get up, but the person spoke. "No need for all of that. Let's talk."
Skymender stopped moving and moved back to his previous position.
However, he did not lose his seriousness at all. That was because the person sitting next to him was the Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom.