Sable couldn't believe her eyes. On the first page, it talked about 1,000 rules. She let out a groan and skimmed through the first few, slightly demotivated.
"Rule #1: Respect all authority figures aboard the Watercraft, including Archmages, instructors, and certified enforcers. Punishment for disobedience may include immediate removal from the ship."
"Okay, fair enough."
She flipped the page.
"Rule #2: Do not tamper with or attempt to bypass the magical surveillance systems installed throughout the vessel."
"Sure, whatever."
Then she skipped ahead through a dozen pages.
"Rule #93: Forbidden to summon familiars without written permission and containment clearance."
"Wow, they really thought of everything… how are we supposed to remember all of this?!"
She flipped another section… and paused.
Her eyes squinted at the bottom corner of the page: 93/1000.
"…Wait."
She turned the page again.
Rule #94.
"No way! No freaking way." She sat up straight, flipping faster now.
"Rule #132: Do not eat after 8:00 PM."
"Rule #164: Avoid swimming on weekends."
"Rule #199: It is prohibited to purchase alcohol at the bar! Seriously? Then what's the point of having a bar?"
Sable closed the rule book and tossed it across the mattress.
"How are we supposed to remember all of this? Is this some kind of joke?" She facepalmed herself with both hands, groaning out loud. "God…this is too much! How did you beat the Sorcerer Exams, Father?" Letting her arms lazily fall to their sides, she stared at the ceiling above her. "You were one of the most prominent sorcerers in this generation… dad… but at this rate I don't think I can make it."
Outside Sable's dorm, just beyond her door, the metallic clank of heavy boots echoed down the hallway before shouting followed suit.
"No, no, wait! I didn't even know that was a rule!"
Sable blinked, sitting up on the bed as the sound grew louder. Her door vibrated as the voice continued from one of the candidates.
"I just left my room to check the pool temperature! That's it! I didn't know! Seriously, how was I supposed to know about Rule #287?! There's 1,000 of them man!"
A second voice, calm and cold, followed.
"Rule #287: No movement from dorms without an access pass. Violation equals immediate expulsion."
"What the hell is an access pass?! I didn't even—!!"
The shouting was cut short by a blinding flash through the bottom slit of her door, followed by a strange sound; like air being vacuumed out of a bottle.
Sable froze with her eyes wide as her breath got caught in her throat.
The hallway went quiet again… before the slow return of retreating footsteps.
"Holy shit…!" She slowly stood from her bed and walked over to the door, putting her ear gently against it.
There was nothing.
Her fingers trembled before tightening into fists.
"…They weren't kidding," she muttered, stepping back. "They're really going to disqualify people for breaking any of those rules. But how are we supposed to memorize all 1,000 of them? Doing anything at this point is risky…"
Her eyes glanced at the book still lying on the bed where she'd tossed it.
For a moment she just stared—contemplating everything.
"That guy was banished from the ship. That's gonna happen to me if I don't lock in…" Then, groaning dramatically, she walked over to the bed and flopped back down, dragging the heavy rule book onto her lap.
"…Fine. I'll read every last one of your stupid rules if that's what it takes."
Her father had faced worse, and so would she.
With a grunt, she flipped the rulebook open once more, determined not to be the next one dragged down the hallway screaming for another chance.
"Alright let's get this over with for fuck sake!"
And so Sable read. She read for hours on end, trying her best to memorize every rule she came across.
By the first hour, her legs had gone numb from sitting cross-legged on the mattress. The book was thick, like whoever wrote it had more obsession than common sense.
She dragged her finger line by line, mumbling under her breath, occasionally scribbling things into a notepad she took out from her briefcase.
She couldn't help but make her handwriting messier by the second.
Two hours in, she had started rocking slightly as she read; anything to keep herself awake.
Three hours in, she was mouthing curses under her breath.
"Oh fuck me in the ass! This is gonna take forever…"
She couldn't believe some of the things written in this stupid rulebook.
Rules for the pool, rules for the dining hall, rules for knocking, sneezing, walking in pairs, sneaking snacks, brushing your teeth, touching artifacts, not touching artifacts, breathing too loudly around an Archmage, and—
She slapped the book shut for a moment and stared at the ceiling.
"I am going insane!" She whispered to herself, falling back in bed. "God!"
But then she remembered the sound of that kid from earlier; begging for another chance before getting wiped from the ship.
"Right now is a good time to play Terraria or do something to relieve some stress." Huffing a deep sigh, she rose back up and went back to reading.
Needless to say, the hours crawled by.
She curled up with a blanket thrown around her shoulders like a cape, hunched over the open pages like a tired little gremlin. Her eyes burned, and her neck ached. Sable could also feel her stomach grumble, but she kept going, not risking going outside; because somewhere in the middle of those rules, was her ticket to being kicked out.
By the time she flipped the final page, it was past midnight.
She didn't say anything about reaching the finale, she only stared at the page for a long time… then closed the book gently, letting her head fall backward with a thud against the bed frame.
She laughed bitterly.
"That's one way to weed people out… goodness grief!"
She tightened her fingers around the blanket as she curled up, lying down.
Exhaustion was evident in her facial expression.
One arm was curled around the heavy rulebook like it was some oversized teddy bear. Her cheek was buried in the pillow with her hair being a mess. She needed a break.
Sable muttered something incoherent before tugging the blanket up to her chin.
"This stuff is anxiety-inducing… but I saw no rules about sleeping."
Her thoughts were scattered all over the place. She thought of her dad… his dumb laugh… and his long unnecessary speeches about magical ethics, and how he used to fall asleep on the couch with books on his chest.
She never imagined she'd miss that so much… but here she was.
"…I'm doing my best, pa," she whispered softly, almost to herself. "So don't laugh at me if I screw this up."
Closing her eyes, Sable's breathing slowed down.
She pushed the book from the mattress as it hit the floor with a thump, and finally, she took her rest.
For now, Sable Hasteheart—daughter of Atreus—had passed her first trial.
If this could be called a trial that is—
+
"And what are you doing out here at 3AM, candidate?"
Standing in front of Vordera was a girl dressed in a sailor top and a skirt with a brown beret. She had long golden hair, one black glove, and stockings with laces. One could easily notice her blue eyes with a noticeably droopy shape and a sly, calm demeanor.
"What's wrong with me being out at 3AM? There are no listed rules about it."
Vordera lifted her brows with a stern stare, crossing her arms.
"So, you read the rulebook and memorized everything, have you?"
"Why would I not? It's a necessity to stay on board."
"Then where is your access pass?"
The sly girl reached for her skirt pockets, pulling out a card with her name printed on the front. Vordera approached her, taking the access pass with a keen eye.
"Adelheid Schäfer? That's a German name. So you've come from Blutsteinreich." Vordera lowered her brows into an unnoticeable frown.
There was a reason for her expression; Blutsteinreich was the Bloodstone Realm, infamously known for being a darker, and more aggressive country, full of powerful battle sorcerers, and primarily Germans.
"Is there something wrong, Archmage, Vordera?" Adelheid's sly grin appeared mischievous as she stared at the sorcerer. "You seem upset."
"Bloodstones…" Vordera muttered under her breath, huffing a sigh. "There is nothing wrong, just make sure to return to your dorm before 5AM, you know the rules after all."
Adelheid smiled with her usual droopy eyes.
"Of course. Thank you for the reminder."
Vordera gave her access pass back before taking her leave.
Adelheid stared at her from behind, resting her hand against her chin.
Following Vordera were two magic enforcers, and one of them glanced at the Archmage.
"Is that really who she said she was…?"
"Yes." Responded Vordera firmly. "That's Adelheid Schäfer, the troublemaker. A few years ago, she was responsible for over 200 deaths during one of the Sorcerer trials. Now she's returned once more, seeking her prey."
The other magic enforcer, who was relatively new to this job, widened his eyes.
"2-200 deaths? Are you serious?! How can we let someone like her back into the exams?"
Vordera focused forward, her expression unwavering.
"Murderers or not, the Sorcerer Exams are open to anyone. As long as she follows the rules, there is nothing I can do to kick her out."