The combat assessment ended in a blink of an eye.
It wasn't due to a lack of skill - Alden couldn't even react to what had happened. One moment, the Noble Guildmaster was standing there, in the middle of the barren field. The next, she was beside him, sheathing her estoc as Alden's leather armour dropped to the ground, the straps cut with a precision that stunned him.
How she had done that, he did not know.
An instinctive tremor racked Alden's frame.
He shivered, suddenly sensing the cloaked figure's sharp blade press against his neck. He froze.
The white-haired young man also noticed the staff-wielder level her weapon against him, its jewel tip ready to destroy him if even he showed the slightest hint of malice. Alden tried not to tremble at the thought of his body turning into a lump of bloody flesh, fragments of it scattered across the barren field.
The dark sword in his hands dissolved into nothing as soon as its supply of mana was cut. His muscles and body slowly relaxed, tension within them receding, like a tide. And once he was no longer riding that combat high, the weariness and exhaustion from such a tense fight ambushed him all at once.
Struggling to control his expression, Alden let the pain filter into his subconscious, paying it no heed.
Instead, as he stared at his peculiar opponents, a risky idea bloomed in his mind.
One which could answer his question, but also land him in a heap of trouble.
'What's life without a little spice?'
Alden coughed internally, knowing he just wanted to justify his actions, and very aware of how flawed his logic was. Still, he really wanted to find out if his theory was right, or if he had got it all wrong.
'Well… here goes nothing.'
Inhaling a soft breath, and sinking deeper into his relaxed state, Alden circulated his mana, catching the three Noble Sisters off-guard. Just as the cloaked figure had removed her blade, and the staff-wielder had taken a step back, Alden moved, driving an elbow into the former's midsection.
The cloaked figure instinctively groaned… and the other two Nobles flinched, as if they were experiencing the same pain.
The trio whirled on him, and Alden's good eye flashed.
"Are the three of you Soulbound?"
The young man's gaze shone with curiosity.
Unfortunately for him, the three Experts were far from pleased.
The cloaked figure screamed, disappearing from her spot.
Alden scrambled to get away, teleporting to the edge of the field.
What followed was a wild chase where Alden did everything in his power to escape, and the cloaked figure did everything - well, mostly everything - to get revenge for the ungentlemanly act. Eventually, Alden collapsed to the ground before her sisters, breathless and out of mana.
The Noble Guildmaster and the staff wielder stared at him with an equal amount of pity and disapproval. Alden just accepted his fate. He sensed the cloaked figure emerge behind him, doubtless ready to teach him some manners.
However, before she could, the eldest Sister intervened.
Toni froze and pulled back the cowl of her cloak, indignant.
"Yes, and it is a mistake he will not repeat again. Right, Alden?"
The Keeper's Apprentice nodded vehemently - or at least tried to, his lack of energy preventing him from bobbing his head.
"You have my deepest apologies."
He raised his head with great difficulty and spoke in the most formal tone he could muster. Toni was not impressed, shooting him a scathing look, which promised a world of retribution one day. Alden merely smiled, which only set off the middle sister even more.
The staff wielder brought a hand to her face and shook her head.
"Alright, enough of your antics. Both of you."
The Expert with the golden armour sighed, removing the black and yellow mask she wore, which reminded Alden greatly of a bee.
The cloaked figure immediately fell silent after noticing the warning in her big sister's gaze - her mood-ring eyes shifting from a light blue to a dark green. Even Alden, who did not know what that change signified, shrank back, afraid of provoking the Noble Queen.
Now that he thought about it…
The three sisters possessed remarkably similar features to each other. Of course, they weren't identical, but Alden almost felt like he was looking at the same person. Perhaps that was only because his mind had registered them as one entity, based on their near indistinguishable auras, which would make sense, if they were indeed soul bound.
Alden struggled, before the Guildmaster offered her arm, and the young man gratefully accepted.
Once he was standing before the trio of Experts - Toni sulking to the left, the Noble Queen in the centre, and the staff wielder to the right - did Alden realise he had not received the outcome of his assessment yet. It had slipped his mind during the discovery of the Nobles' secret, and him fleeing from the once cloaked figure.
He believed he had done reasonably well.
To his knowledge, Alden had not made any huge errors, and the few that might have occurred were overshadowed by his speed and trickery. Still, a worm of doubt couldn't help but take residence in his stomach, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot, restless.
Alden awaited the Guildmaster's evaluation with bated breath.
She stared at him, eyes swirling in a hypnotic pattern, before she spoke, her voice loud and clear:
"Alden. You have displayed flawless reactions, evidenced by your ability to dodge my sister's sneak attacks. You have shown great intelligence and awareness, realising that the key to your victory lay in dismantling our defence, which is why you aimed to take down my youngest sister first. You used your Skills in a versatile manner, and always kept moving, never slowing down… All things very important in a fight.
"You also utlilised the firepower of your Magic Class to great effect – forcing us three to become more serious. A feat, rarely if ever, accomplished by someone from a lower rank. So… taking that all into account, I declare you capable of holding your own as a Paladin. You have passed. Congratulations!"
Alden took a second to absorb the good information, before a huge sigh of relief escaped him.
The staff-wielder congratulated him with a smile.
Alden nodded and felt his lips curling into a small smile, as well.