Meanwhile, Ame had been led alongside a few others to a different side within the walls. The palace was extending through an area even bigger than a regular city and it was even more of a sight from up high in the air.

Clearly, many facilities were hidden from sight in the back. Ame and the group was led slightly further in than the other candidates would soon be. The man in the lead dropped down within a circular open area. Surrounding it were many big edifices of random uses. If she had to guess, they were linked to the military in some ways. They looked like they would be seeing how uniform and lacking in style they were. Compared to the others at least.

The man that led them here motioned for them to remain here for a moment as he walked towards one of the buildings and knocked on the door. No longer had he finished knocking that it opened. There was no one behind it. Only a few seconds later did an old man with long white hair exited. Obviously, he used spiritual energy to push the door open before his arrival.

That old man wore a pristine crystal-like battle robe with a few golden-colored armor protections. He wore a red cape that flew down his back.

The golden-armored man bowed to this old man and greeted him: "Greetings to Squad Captain Harris!"

The old man nodded and walked towards the group of potential new recruits. He glanced at them one by one. As his eyes landed on Ame, she felt as if the man was peering inside her. It was quite the weird feeling. She knew he was checking her cultivation but it felt slightly irritating for some reasons...

Unexpectedly, the old man did not continue to examine the others and began to smile at Ame. He nodded at her and spoke to her: "Kaen Ame if I presume?"

She looked back at the man and nodded. She firmly maintained eye contact with him. The old man chuckled and stated: "Come with me, the King would like a word with you"

She frowned and did not move. The old man turned around as he said: "Why hesitating now?"

He walked away at a calm pace and soon, Ame followed. In the end, it was true that there was nothing to fear. Nothing but death. And this place was her only way to escape death. If they rejected her, she would die anyways.

They left the circular area and went inside the building. The golden-armored man closed the door after they entered and went back to the other applicants. His duty was to test those people. As for Kaen Ame, it was not up to him...

...

After walking through dozens of hallways, they reached giant doors of at least a dozen meters in height. The old man spoke solemnly: "Beyond those doors awaits our King. Are you ready?"

She breathed in and out and nodded her head. Depending on what happened next, her head might end up flying off her shoulders.

The old man smiled and pushed open the gigantic doors to reveal a simple room. It had a rather high ceiling but that was the only unusual thing about it.

Inside of it was a long ebony table with five seats on each side and one big throne at the far end.

The old man bowed as he entered and Kaen Ame replicated his actions. Only after she heard a deep tone 'Rise' did she lifted her gaze. She saw the old man move towards the chair closest to the throne and only empty one.

She took that time to look at the people sitting there.

They all wore the same clothes as the old man. Except the one at the far end. He wore a golden robe and a crystal crown rested on his head.

He was the King.

Paragon the Sixth, Ruler of the country.

And cultivator of the 30th stage.

That's right. This man that looked to be at the prime of youth was actually more than sixty. With his handsome appearance, who could have known?

Kaen Ame was even more impressed by the fact that there were five others who looked like youths at this table. This meant that in this single room, there were six people at the highest stage...

The King looked at her neutrally as he said: "I had been waiting for your arrival, Kaen Ame. Welcome to the Palace"

Kaen Ame was not quite sure how to respond. While she had expected to meet him at some point, it was a bit too fast. After all, due to her situation, the King would be made aware before she was allowed to join but...To be received by him right from the start? Something felt wrong.

The King chuckled and stated: "Don't be so tense, we don't bite"

A few of the people seated chuckled while the others grinned or remained stoic. In any case, it did not help her relax.

Seeing that it was a failure, the King sighed and took a different approach: "I am aware of your situation with the Church. But as the King, it remains my duty to protect my citizens, of which you are a part of. However, to protect you, I'd have to sacrifice other things... So, cutting straight to the point, I will be your shield if you agree to be my sword. What say you, Kaen Ame?"

She swallowed hard and plucking every ounce of courage she had, she asked: "What would that mean in more explicit terms, Your Majesty?"

The man smiled radiantly as he asked for someone to bring her a chair. There was much to discuss.

...

They spoke for a few minutes and Kaen Ame quickly got the picture. He wanted her to lead the newly created 11th Royal Guard Corps. They would be tasked with management of the outside relationships. Basically, relations with sects, be they national ones or those from outside...