Chapter 360: Interesting
Selen closed a door behind her and the roar of the crowd vanished like a snuffed candle, leaving behind only silence. She let out a small sigh of relief. The Proving Grounds were a little too high energy for her. Working in silence was far preferrable — even if the opportunity was rarer than she’d like.
“You look tired, Selen.”
The voice came from the shadows of the small room she’d stepped into. She turned to it, but there was no surprise in her features at her sudden company. Sitting in one of the two wooden chairs flanking a rickety old table was a man with cold blue eyes.
“I am tired, Xiodan,” Selen replied. She pulled the chair across from him out and lowered herself into it. “I have to keep track of everybody.”
“That’s an exaggeration. You’ve only been assigned a subset of the groups. A rather interesting one, I would say.”
The corner of Selen’s lips twitched upward. “I never said it wasn’t interesting. Just tiring. We have quite the number of little snoopers this year. Even more than normal.”
“A natural part of the Proving Grounds.” Xiodan gave her a knowing nod. “After all, there’s no point merely testing the warriors that enter the fight. We seek the abilities of the guild as a whole. Anything they prove themselves capable of must be judged.”
“That’s a fancy way to say we don’t mind when people cheat.”
“Don’t try to tell me you don’t like it.” Xiodan crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back on the rear legs of his chair. “Cheating is the most interesting part. It’s just so creative. Are you really telling me you prefer watching people smack the shit out of each other with swords and magic?”