Joint Test and Reunion

The morning sun stretched across the sky, its golden rays spilling over the academy grounds. A gentle breeze carried the chirping of birds, blending with the rustling of leaves. The training field, vast and well-maintained, was filled with students standing in organized groups, their chatter mixing into a low murmur.

Instructor Ritrevon stood at the front, scanning the assembled students with a sharp gaze. He held a clipboard in his hand, flipping through the attendance sheet before calling out names.

"Yosef," Instructor Ritrevon called, his voice crisp and authoritative.

"Here," a voice responded from within the sea of students.

"Gerold Belliard?" Ritrevon continued.

"Present," another student answered.

The sheer size of the gathering made it obvious—this wasn't just one class. The training field had been filled with students from multiple sections, all gathered for the upcoming test.

A sudden burst of laughter, deep and booming like the roar of a bear, interrupted the formal atmosphere. Heads turned as a large, bald-headed man with a thick black beard stepped forward, his muscled arms swinging freely as he walked.

"Hahaha! What do you say, Ritrevon? Off to a great start this year?" the man said, his voice carrying across the field. Without hesitation, he swung a massive hand toward Ritrevon's back, intending to give him a hearty pat.

Professor Ritrevon sidestepped the gesture effortlessly, maintaining his composed demeanor. "Acting brutish is not setting a great example for the students, Professor Gadivox," he said, his tone laced with disapproval.

Gadivox simply grinned. "Come on now, don't be like that. You gotta lighten the mood," he replied, folding his arms over his broad chest.

"Have you taken attendance for your class yet?" Ritrevon asked, clearly unimpressed.

"Who needs attendance when you've got a great memory?" Gadivox smirked, waving a hand dismissively.

Ritrevon sighed heavily, rubbing his temple as Gadivox's laughter echoed in the background.

Clearing his throat, Ritrevon turned his attention back to the students. "As you all know, this is the first Practical Test of the term, and therefore, certain rules must be established," he announced, his voice commanding the attention of every student.

"The first rule: you are not allowed to exit the test area. There are borders—wooden fences surrounding the entire zone," he explained, gesturing to the perimeter.

"The second rule is an obvious one," Gadivox interjected, smirking. "No killing each other."

A few students chuckled nervously, but no one doubted that the warning was serious.

"And lastly," Ritrevon continued, ignoring Gadivox's interruption, "if you find yourself in a dangerous situation unrelated to the test, you are required to contact a professor using the Communication Crystals. Professor Gadivox will now distribute them."

As the crystals were passed around, Luke examined the one in his palm. A smooth, glowing gem embedded in a thin metallic frame, humming faintly with energy.

'So these are basically a 911 call like in my previous life,' Luke thought, turning it between his fingers.

"Attention!!" Professor Gadivox suddenly shouted, his deep voice cutting through the students' murmurs. Immediately, the crowd fell silent.

"The test is simple," he announced. "Four teams will compete to reach the designated objective point within three days."

"We will now call names and assign you to your groups," Ritrevon added, flipping through his list.

'Something similar to the entrance exam, then,' Luke mused as names were read aloud in the background.

"Luke!"

Luke's name was called, and he moved toward the designated area where his team awaited him. As he approached, he took a glance at his teammates.

Three noble-born boys, all standing with an air of entitlement, their uniforms pristine and their expressions confident. Next to them, a red-haired girl stood with a calm yet commanding presence.

'Seriously? Of all the teams to be on...' Luke thought with a sigh.

Before he could fully assess the situation, another name was called.

"Persin!"

Luke raised an eyebrow. That was a surprise.

As Persin made his way over, his gaze landed on Luke, who waved casually at him. Persin returned the gesture but then glanced past Luke, noticing the other team members. His eyes lingered on the three noble boys before resting on the red-haired girl.

"Well, lucky us, huh?" Persin muttered as he stood beside Luke.

"To be paired with a princess," he added with a smirk.

"A princess?" Luke repeated, his curiosity piqued.

"You didn't know?" Persin chuckled. "That's Princess Felior Iskar. The third princess of the Kingdom of Iskar."

Luke gave a slight nod, but Persin wasn't done.

"Not that it matters, but it's pretty obvious how those noble guys are sucking up to her."

"That does make sense," Luke admitted, noticing how the three noble boys were subtly positioning themselves around the princess, speaking to her in hushed, deferential tones.

Before the conversation could continue, one of the noble boys turned toward them, his face twisted in irritation.

"Hey, you two," he called out, his voice dripping with disdain.

Luke and Persin barely glanced at him.

"Why have you not greeted the princess yet?" he demanded. His posture was straight, his hands folded behind his back as if expecting them to fall in line.

Luke took a moment to recall his name—Jevon Striyeup, one of the more well-known noble heirs in the academy. The other two were Tergil Mayal and Otrus Jearon, both from respected families.

Neither Luke nor Persin responded, choosing instead to ignore the demand.

"You dare ignore a nob—" Jevon started, his voice rising in anger, but before he could finish, the professors spoke up.

"Your destination is the top of that hill over there where you'll see a blue flag atop," Professor Gadivox announced, pointing far into the distance.

Several students groaned.

"You've got to be kidding me," someone whispered.

"Is that seriously the only direction we get?" another murmured.

"That'll take us more than three days at this rate," a third voice muttered.

"Silence!!" Gadivox roared, his voice like a thunderclap.

The field instantly went quiet.

"Are you knights, or are you a bunch of weaklings in need of protection?" he challenged, his sharp gaze sweeping over the students.

No one dared to speak.

"Alright then," he smirked. "Get to it!"

Without hesitation, the teams sprang into action, bolting toward their designated direction, eager to cover as much ground as possible before the real challenges began.

As they sprinted forward, Professor Ritrevon crossed his arms and turned toward Gadivox. "You're always great at motivating the troops," he remarked dryly.

"Maybe you should consider becoming a motivational speaker," he added with a smirk.

Gadivox burst into laughter. "Hahaha! You might be onto something, Ritrevon!"

With the test underway, the first steps toward the challenge had begun.