Ferir blinked.

  “What?”

  One elegant brow of the woman arched.

  “You did not notice? The tea was drugged. Both cups. Including the one prepared before you entered.”

  Ferir understood the situation immediately.

  So that was it.

  Those being carried down stair had all been poisoned by the tea.

  If someone had reasoned it through carefully, they might have grown wary of the first cup prepared in advance. But only those truly alert would remain cautious even after it was replaced with freshly poured tea.

  Ferir hadn't really thought that far. It was simply his instincts telling him to be cautious.

  Still, what did any of this have to do with manner?

  The woman folded her hands lightly in her lap, her smile stayed the same.

  “A Ruler does not eat or drink anything that has not been verified. If a Ruler lacks the awareness to safeguard his own life, then who could possibly guarantee it in his stead?”

  Ferir felt the tension drain from his whole body. Did that mean he had passed the final round?

  He had survived the Qualification Trial of the Realm of Light? Out of thousands?

  That easy?

  Suddenly, the woman leaned forward. Her hands clasped on the table, one brow lifting as her tone turned formal.

  “May I know your name? It is required to complete the remaining procedure.”

  Ferir opened his mouth, but instead of answering, he asked calmly.

  “Should you not introduce yourself first, before asking for another’s name?”

  The woman lowered her head, her smile bright and unforced.

  “You are right. My bad. I’, Teresa Luska.”

  Ferir continued:

  “Then, Teresa are you the owner of this place?”

  The woman named Teresa no longer smiled, yet her expression remained composed. A brief silence passed before she nodded.

  Ferir smiled back at her, the first genuine smile since he had entered this room.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Lady Teresa. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m the representative of the Union, the Ruler, Ferir Hakken.”

  He had been right.

  The trial was not over yet.

  Ferir recalled the words of the white-robed attendant outside the door. From the moment he stepped into this room, he was a Ruler. Until he walked back out, he had to remain in that role.

  Teresa showed no sign of surprise at all. Just as Ferir had expected, she was an excellent examiner.

  “Then let us dispense with pleasantries, I would like to address the matter at hand, Your Grace. I have been informed that you intend to bring the land on the western outskirts of my territory under the direct administration of the Grand Palace?”

  he continued without pause, laying out a series of details that Ferir quickly understood to be the substance of this trial.

  The land in question was the territory of a nomadic tribe. For several decades, it had been the site of ongoing military conflict between the local inhabitants and the ruling lord.

  Recently, rumors had begun to spread that the tribe was using dark witchcraft to curse anyone who attempted to encroach upon their ancestral land. It was precisely this situation that now called for the intervention of the Grand Palace.

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  Teresa pressed the issue relentlessly, posing one question after another, each answer immediately leading into the next.

  The questions grew increasingly complex, delving deep into land law, religious doctrine, and the military structure of the Union. These were matters Ferir could not possibly have mastered through books alone.

  On top of that, Teresa was an exceptionally skilled negotiator. She had a keen talent for manipulating the flow of conversation, subtly steering the atmosphere to draw out responses that benefit her.

  By the fifth question, Ferir’s answers had begun to falter, clumsy and lacking a firm foundation. Teresa did not let that hesitation slip past her.

  “Then what of my demand for compensation, to be paid in both coin and a seat within the Grand Palace? With contributions of that scale, I cannot accept anything less.”

  Ferir truly was not sure. For a fleeting moment, he almost nodded in agreement, but the thought chilled him at once. That would be an irresponsible choice.

  “Your Grace?” Teresa urged, her tone sharpening.

  Ferir decided he could not prolong this awkwardness any longer. This was not something he could resolve on his own.

  “I believe… that I require time to consult with the Council on this matter, Lady Teresa.”

  Displeasure flickered across her expression.

  “Thousands of my people have died in these conflicts. Their families deserve a clear answer and appropriate compensation. You are the Ruler. You should be able to decide this.”

  Ferir shook his head.

  “It would be irresponsible of me to give an answer when I am not certain of it. Please forgive me. I will return with a decision on another day.”

  The woman let out a quiet sigh.

  Then… I suppose I cannot press you any further. We will end things here for now.”

  She rose to her feet and opened the side door, stepping aside.

  “This way, Your Highness.”

  Ferir didn't hesitate and quickly stepped through the door.

  As soon as he was out of the room, his heart skipped a beat, then began to race. It was overwhelmed by the tension inside. The composure he tried to maintain vanished, and sweat began to pour down. And Ferir allowed himself a sigh of relief.

  For that brief span of time, the trial had let him glimpse the immense pressure weighingh on the shoulders of a ruler.

  Once he calmed down, he found himself standing in a narrow corridor, the walls lined with numerous paintings. Teresa stood before him, her earlier tense expression replaced by a standard polite smile.

  "Candidate Ferir Hakken, please follow me."

  He followed her down the corridor and into another chamber. Inside, a long table awaited, behind which sat seven individuals dressed in the white attire of the Grand Palace. They had clearly been expecting him.

  Teresa gestured for him to take the seat opposite them. After he sat down, she walked to the long table and sat on the final empty chair at its end.

  The othe seven looked toward her in silence. She gave them a nod.

  Grand Palace Envoy Flinch, seated at the center of the long table, was the first to speak.

  “You have completed your examination. Was it interesting?”

  Ferir gave a stiff smile.

  “It was rather intense… for me.”

  The envoy’s lips curved faintly.

  “In just a few short minutes, we wished to show the candidates a side of the position they may never have imagined. The constant threat to one’s life. The burden of making swift decisions. The necessity of vigilance at all times. Where there is light, there is shadow. Where there is glory, there is responsibility.”

  His gaze sharpened slightly.

  “Ferir Hakken, do you believe you are ready?”

  Ferir thought back to the suffocating tension of that room. The poisoned tea. The negotiation that twisted like a tightening vine. The weight of a single nod that could cost lives.

  Slowly, he shook his head.

  He understood full well that this gesture might cost him everything at the final moment. But he could not force out a lie.

  “I’m not certain.”

  “Why?”

  “This responsibility is too heavy for me, at least at this moment. You’re right. I had never truly considered these things before. And now that I have, I can no longer confidently claim that I could shoulder such burdens alone.”

  The chamber grew very quiet.

  Suddenly, Teresa spoke.

  “Have you forgotten something?”

  Ferir looked up at her, confusion flickering across his face.

  “The last thing you said to me.” She gave him a few seconds, allowing his memory to retrace its steps. “You said you needed time to consult with others. That is what we wanted to hear.”

  She paused briefly before continuing.

  “A Ruler does not carry everything alone, Ferir Hakken. There are always those who stand beside him. That is us. That is the Grand Palace.”

  Eight resolute gazes turned toward him at once, each bearing a faint, steady smile.

  For a moment, Ferir felt as though he could entrust his entire life to these people.

  “So let me ask you again. Are you willing to face those hardships, as a Ruler, together with us?”

  That was the first lesson on the path to becoming a Ruler, a lesson Ferir knew he would never forget for the rest of his life.

  This time, doubt still lingered within him, quiet and honest. But he nodded.

  The Grand Palace Envoy lifted his voice, warm and resonant.

  “Then, Ferir Hakken, congratulations. You have passed the Pre-Selection of the Ruler in the Realm of Light.”