An Aureate administrator asks Darrow if he wants preferentiality for House Apollo; Darrow declines. After a brief add-on test, he completes an immersion game to seize a goblet, repeatedly thwarted by unforeseen obstacles. He finishes only after killing a wizard and enslaving the elf race with the wizard’s wand, driven as much by annoyance as strategy.

Interview Proctors arrive. Among them are a lion-maned figure (Jupiter), a matronly woman, and a quick, baby-faced man marked with winged feet (Mercury) who plays a hand-slapping game with Darrow. An elegant Apollo Proctor fixates on appearance, asks Darrow’s ambition—“Imperator of a fleet”—and dismisses it as too lofty for Darrow’s birth without stronger patronage.

Fitchner of House Mars, slovenly and Scarred, arrives, declares he gets the “mad dogs,” and sucker-punches Darrow, warning him not to hit back. Darrow kicks Fitchner’s shin; Fitchner laughs, and Darrow remains in contention. Soon, Darrow and ninety-nine top candidates are displayed in a 10×10 grid for the Draft, their traits shown; Darrow’s readout flags rashness, high intuition, loyalty, and rage. Elite Drafters, each under a House standard, prepare to choose.

The Draft begins with a genAlt boy taken by Jupiter. At the fifth pick, Mercury’s group interviews Darrow but passes him over for a candidate with grand family holdings. At the tenth pick, Fitchner approaches again amid disagreement. Two Drafters champion Darrow: a towering woman with three long braids and Lorn au Arcos, the Rage Knight. When Lorn points to Darrow, Fitchner grins; Darrow is selected tenth from a thousand candidates, joining House Mars.