Yo Chomai dropped his hand and turned to face Sun Yunso.
“You’ve passed.”
Sun Yunso gave a small nod.
“…Understood.”
Just step aside for now and be patient.
The other people who are taking the test will finish up soon.
Without saying another word, Sun Yunso headed to the side of the training area.
Yo Chomai turned back to the crowd.
“Next.”
The people looking to apply exchanged nervous glances with each other.
After seeing others fail before and Sun Yunso’s success, nobody seemed too excited to give it a try.
Eventually three young men stepped forward together.
“We’ll do it.”
Yo Chomai gave a single nod.
“One at a time.”
As the first person reached out, they gently took hold of Yo Chomai’s hand, and instantly, his body became rigid.
Beads of cold sweat started to trickle down his forehead, and his legs began to shake uncontrollably.
For what felt like an eternity, he fought to stay upright, his entire being frozen in a mixture of fear and panic.
Finally Yo Chomai withdrew his hand.
“Pass.”
The young man released a shaky breath, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.
The next person in line took a step forward, his outcome was no different from the others.
As he stood there, his whole body began to shake violently under the intense pressure, but somehow he managed to push through it, driven by his unwavering determination, and in an instant, he had made it through, passing the test with a surprising show of strength.
The third followed.
He fared no better.
His chest heaved with each labored breath, and his skin took on a ghostly pallor, but still he clung tight, refusing to relinquish his grip.
Finally, after a wrenching, agonizing fight, he too succumbed, his body surrendering to the inevitable.
Yo Chomai scanned the room, his eyes moving from one person to the next, as he took in the remaining applicants.
“Next.”
It seemed like no one was willing to come forward. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Yo Chomai had taken notice of this and had made up his mind, his decision was now final.
“Since no one is willing to—”
“Excuse me.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up, their attention caught by a calm voice.
Then, a young man emerged from the crowd, his movements slow and deliberate.
He was a striking figure, with long blue hair that cascaded down his back like a river of night sky, and a single braid that fell neatly over his shoulder, framing his face.
His eyes were a bright, piercing blue, and they seemed to hold a deep calm, a sense of peace that was almost unsettling.
His skin was brown, the kind that comes from spending countless hours under the sun, and it gave him the appearance of a wanderer, someone who was used to roaming the outdoors, unencumbered by the constraints of city life.
He stopped before Yo Chomai.
“My name is Lokei Yoshe.”
Chomai took a quick glance at him, then nodded in response.
“Very well.”
He extended his hand.
Lokei did the same.
As their hands touched, the air seemed to vibrate with an unseen force, yet Lokei stood firm, not even batting an eye.
The tension just kept building, but somehow he came out unscathed.
It was like the fear had swept right over him, leaving no scars or lingering effects, just a strange sense of calm in its wake.
A small, gentle smile spread across his face, and then he let go of Lokei’s hand.
“You pass.”
Lokei bowed politely.
“Thank you.”
Chomai gazed out at the handful of applicants who remained standing at the courtyard’s edge.
The testing process has come to an end, and for those who didn’t quite make the cut, it’s time to move on.
One by one, the rejected applicants lowered their heads and quietly walked out of the Guo Family estate.
Only five people remained standing inside the training grounds those being:
Sun Yunso, Lokei Yoshe and the three applicants who had barely managed to withstand the Trial of Fear.
Yo Chomai turned on his heels without another word and shot a glance over his shoulder
“All five of you.
Follow me”
Sun Yunso kept a quiet pace by Yo Chomai’s side while Lokei Yoshe kept a distance, his hands buried in his pockets.
The five recruits followed Yo Chomai through the grounds of the Guo Residence.
Gardens of exquisite beauty dotted the grounds, and posted along the perimeters, were guards, watching with a strict vigilance.
No one said anything, but after a few minutes Yo Chomai finally spoke.
“I suppose I should tell you why you were recruited”
The five applicants turned their eyes to him.
“Simple really.
You were hired to serve as guards”
No one seemed surprised.
Most of them figured as much when they applied
“As some of you may know, our esteemed Guo family’s princess is set to wed one of the kingdom’s most influential families.
The matter itself is strictly confidential.
Not that any of you need to worry about that.”
The five recruits stood silent as Yo Chomai’s expression darkened.
“Normally, we’d be able to handle the security detail ourselves.”
He stopped abruptly and turned to face the five recruits.
His next words came out in a sharper tone,
“However, we received credible information that on the wedding day, an assassin is going to try and kill the Guo princess.”
There was a tense pause before anyone said anything.
“The target of the assassination is the Guo princess.
That is all”
One of the recruits swallowed loudly
“An assassination?”
Yo Chomai gave a sharp nod
“That is correct.
And that is why you have been hired.
Our security detail has been stretched thin to the point that we can only provide minimal protection to the princess, despite her status.”
His steely gaze bore into the five recruits.
“I need you five to take up positions in our defense line.
If the assassin makes his move, it will be your job to protect the princess, no matter what the cost.”