In truth, there was no third phase.
It was really just some obscure selection round.
No tests.
Just an all-round evaluation of the vessels as hunters.
This gave them more chances at passing than those who took the monarch's offer.
This doesn't mean all six of them made the cut.
It just meant the possibility of them doing so leaned more to the green, while the others leaned more in the red.
The seats observed them discuss.
They shared thoughts.
None of them seemed as impressed.
The fourth seat was the only one who faked enthusiasm, or rather, he exaggerated it.
He may have been a fan of one or two of them, but even he certainly knew that this batch was bad, not unlike batches that had come before.
"Cut the crap, Fourth. They just don't cut it. None of them do," the fifth seat said.
The third seat laughed.
"Oh, what's this now?" the second seat stepped in.
He didn't think it was fair they were trying to prove their point with overwhelming numbers.
