With this cry, all eyes turned to the young boy who hit the sickle-shaped blade on his left wrist. Blood started to flow from the finger-thick incision and all of it was poured on the Ten-Buds Ghost Orchid.
Grumpy Hanry attempted to jump out of his seat, but one arm reached out and sat him back. The Head of the Plant Department stopped the middle-aged man sitting on his right.
“Senior Master, exam takers have to do everything themselves!”
Colors of hate appeared in Hanry’s eyes. The Head of Department also saw this and immediately withdrew his hand from the man’s arm.
“Look at that fool. He’ll kill himself for a test he already got enough points!”
“I wonder if he can recover after losing that much blood energy.”
Master Louise was silent, but instead of him, the children of the noble families were speaking. For them, Mel’s actions were the last point of redundancy. They were making fun of what they could not understand.
The ninth bud of the Ten-Buds Ghost Orchid bloomed when mayhem was stirring up the hall. Then at that moment, all the sounds went silent. Now, there were only plants with white and red flowers staring at each other.
“It happened. One of the kids from a common family has managed to open the ninth flower!”
The boy with the crooked hair shouted. One of the participants, who were from the public, was equalizing the greatest success of the last twenty years.
“The flowers of the plant turned to red and lost all their medicinal properties. We’ll have to throw it in the garbage when the test is over!”
As if the young master had not seen the success of Mel, he began to vault about the plant which had flowers with changed colors. Louise was very agile about changing the subject.
Mel lifted his gaze from the plant and looked where the three men were standing; confusion in the middle, jealousy on the left, and finally admiration on the right greeted him.
“Old friend! This time, let’s do it the way you wish. Now that we have embarked on this business, let’s bring it to an end!”
A few minutes before the test was finished, Mel grasped the sickle-shaped dagger again with his bloody left hand and this time stroke it to his right wrist.
It was the last two minutes when the blood gushed over the plant. Everyone, except the stalwart young man, had settled with their results. But Mel had one more goal.
He fed the Ghost Ten-Buds Orchid with his blood for one more minute. Everyone’s attention was on him. Kids of the common people stood up and gathered in a semicircle behind Mel.
“He’s trying to make the Tenth Bud bloom!”
“Yes, if he succeeds, he will equalize the record that was set a hundred years ago!”
The inspectors on the right side came in front of Mel and began to examine closely what was happening. The children, who overheard the conversations between them, were on fire.
“Come on friend, you can succeed!”
“Hold on, you can do it!”
Mel unintentionally got the support of the children of the common people. In their looks, there were signs of seeing him as a leader.
“Hanry, the record from a hundred years ago belongs to you, what do you say? Will the boy be able to catch you?”
The Head of Department turned to his right and spoke, and wondered what the middle-aged man would answer.
The respondent’s eyes were on Mel. He spoke when the sand in the upper part of the giant hourglass hanging on the wall remained just over a handful.
“He already caught it!”
These words resonated throughout the tall building. Their tones were not too loud. The reason everyone heard it was because there were no other voices.
Then the cheering of the young children surrounding Mel had begun. The Ghost Orchid with Ten Buds was glowing with ten red flowers.
As the turmoil continued, Mel passed out and fell. What caught him was the boy with crooked hair.
Grumpy Hanry jumped up and came to Mel who was a few tables ahead of him. He quickly applied the mixture of two slimes that appeared in his hands to the bleeding spots on Mel’s wrists.
He also gagged a green medicine at the size of a hazelnut in his mouth. The Head of Department, who had previously blocked him, just watched this time.
The children of noble families watched with envious eyes. The angriest one was Maria Gloove. Even though he opened the ninth bud using the sap and repeated the best grade of the last twenty years, one of the peasants came out and shared the record of a hundred years.
The sound of her fingertips hitting the table harshly was suppressed by the noise of her grinding teeth. If what happened in the first test could be described as throwing the children of noble families for a loop, the young girl was like being slapped in the face.
In less than five minutes, Mel came to himself. During that time, Grumpy Hanry and the other children had returned to their places. Only two inspectors were standing at the head of the boy who had bloomed ten buds.
“Congratulations young man. Can you say your name?”
The old man took a very sincere attitude while asking this question to Mel who had just opened his eyes. It was impossible to think that he was the same man who gave the noble kids the advantage.
“Mel. Mel Malcom, sir!”
The boy’s face was white like a limestone, yet he answered without changing his upright posture.
“Mel, leader of the first test, I give you this plant for opening ten buds and I write ten points under your name on the score table!”
“The second test will be held at the same time tomorrow. You may dismiss!”
After speaking, the Head of Department got up with slow moves. As he was slowly walking towards the exit, a voice stopped him.
“Sir, can I ask you something?”
It was Mel who spoke, and he was addressing the Head of Department who was walking away from his desk.
“Impertinent boy! Who are you to dare to talk to the Head of Department? “
Louise Gloove, who was like a powder keg, shouted harshly. He seemed to go further, but the old man held out his hand and silenced him.
“Ask, you little one. I am favoring you for equalizing the record of a hundred-year!”
“Sir, Master Louise said that my friends’ plants will be thrown away because of their red flowers. Is that true?”
Hearing the question, Louise’s eyes were widened! A kid, who hasn’t passed the tests yet, was using the Head of Department to verify his words.
“Yes. Unfortunately, within a day the flowers will fade and the Ghost Orchid with Ten Buds will no longer be used!”
It was really sad news, but after hearing it, a big smile appeared on Mel’s face.
“Then, can my friends get these plants?”
“You overstepped the limit too much!”
Master Louise took a step or two towards Mel and shouted. This time, he quickly passed the Head of Department and approached the table. Fortunately, there was someone he didn’t reckon with. Grumpy Hanry suddenly appeared between him and Mel.
“Where are you heading my young colleague?”
The atmosphere was tense. The two highest ranks, after the Head of Department, in the Plants Department, were literally confronting each other.
“They can take the plants. They can see it as a sign of the sacrifices they have made. At least they deserved it, didn’t they, Louise? ”
With his back facing the old man, the Young Master took a deep breath. He spoke by ignoring Hanry, who was grinning at him from a distance.
“You are right, sir. They can take it to remember the lifespan they spent!”
Louise Gloove hissed a few more times before pulling his forked tongue back in his mouth. Then he followed the Head of Department and left the single-story building.
Within ten minutes, first, the children of noble families and then the test inspectors left the building. Grumpy Hanry, Mel, and the children of the common people stayed inside.
