Too Easy, And Late Realization

The two kept observing the Blue team, and honestly, he was a bit disappointed.

Most of the candidates there seemed scrawny, with only a few who could possibly pose a challenge.

But this scenario was a bit too... easy?

He turned to Clea, and she nodded back at him.

With that, the two snuck along the bushes, arriving at the blind spot of the wall they had been building.

It was empty, so without wasting another moment, Raelis ran up the wall, then used all his strength to leap forward, landing on the castle's rooftop.

Clea was right behind him, and she too seemed puzzled.

"They don't have any scouts?" she whispered. "Isn't that a bit..."

"Stupid? Yeah," Raelis remarked. "A few hours have passed and the only thing they've been doing is building a wall."

He respected their dedication, but he would obviously not let this chance slip by.

Raelis navigated the rooftop, slipped inside through the window, and began making his way to the throne room.

Surprisingly, there were a few people in the halls, but two of the three he had seen were asleep against the wall.

To ensure they wouldn't wake up easily, he pressed their pressure points—just enough to knock them out for a day or two.

And as for the only guy who was awake, Raelis knocked him out with a kick to the jaw.

When they reached the throne room's doors, they glanced around, not entering right away.

Yet no matter how thoroughly they searched, they found no traps. With that, Raelis pushed the throne room doors open.

And that was when something completely unexpected occurred.

All the people he had seen outside earlier were now inside the throne room, trying out all sorts of armor.

Some were testing potions, and even a few gave the fresh food a shot.

Yet when they ate the 'fresh food,' they fell to the ground and began foaming at the mouth.

But their lively banter didn't last long as they turned toward the open throne room door.

And yet, there was no one there.

Thanks to the dim lighting, Raelis slipped into the shadows unnoticed.

Clea, meanwhile, used a technique he'd only read about in books.

Shapeshifting. Literal shapeshifting.

She turned into a blue butterfly and flew with Raelis alongside the shadows until they reached the top of the throne room.

Not only was a giant chandelier blocking them from view, but there was also a small pocket where they could rest.

Clea returned to her normal form, and Raelis stepped out of the shadows, letting out a sigh.

"I guess you're a bit more special than I thought," he whispered. "Shapeshifting, huh... what else can you shapeshift into?"

"A lady must have her secrets," she replied with a faint smile. "But you're one to talk. Jumping into the shadows... you're basically the greatest assassin when you're working in the night."

"And you're the greatest scout I've seen," Raelis said.

But before they began rambling on for hours like earlier, he approached the ledge and looked down.

The entire Blue team was running around, searching for intruders, and even the King and Queen were proactively searching.

Yet their Blue flag remained in the same place.

Still...

"How are they here?"

"Cloning magic, maybe?" Clea commented. "The people outside did seem very weak."

He shook his head.

"You can't make a perfect clone. There's usually a dead giveaway—whether it's the length of the hair, the hands, face... anything," he explained. "Basically... a 16-year-old couldn't do this."

So they'd either uncovered some kind of secret, or...

Does each castle have a different outline...? Maybe it's not all equal.

Keeping that in mind, he explained his thoughts to Clea, who immediately made the obvious offer.

"What do you say we meet back here in five minutes? Let's explore the areas our scouts mentioned."

Raelis nodded, and with that, he jumped back into the shadows and slipped out of the room, heading east.

And when he finally arrived, it seemed like their suspicions were confirmed.

Instead of crop gardens, smithies, or alchemy workstations, there was a single giant, bulky machine pumping out smoke through what he could only assume was a chimney.

He wasn't sure what it did, but when he stepped closer, he saw one candidate operating it.

Raelis waited patiently, and thankfully he did, because a moment later, the candidate took out a black Mana Core, which belonged to a Grade 10 Mana Beast.

The candidate inserted it into the machine. It made a loud noise, and what followed was the side of the machine's doors opening.

Through them came a slime monster, and as soon as it noticed the candidate, it began to mimic their appearance.

And almost as if by instinct, it ran toward the wall off to the side and began digging.

They're artificially making mimics here... Raelis thought with widened eyes as he made his way back to their arranged meeting spot.

It seemed like Clea had arrived before him, so with a nod, she explained her findings, and Raelis did the same.

On the west side was an armory with fully repaired shining armor, and even some magic swords.

Raelis was starting to get the gist of it.

The Blue team was clearly the weakest of the four, so the headmaster gave them a boost in the form of a much stronger start.

Alas... Their start might be strong, but it doesn't change the fact that their King is...

"Clea, are you ready?" Raelis asked, and she nodded.

He took one final breath and hopped into the shadows, traveling down the wall, and arrived right behind the two thrones.

"No, I swear I saw someone. You don't think it's one of those Varekan freaks, do you?"

"Come on, Mira... You know their uncle is the emperor. If they catch wind of what you're saying, they'll put you and your family to trial."

"As if." Mira scoffed. "Just keep looking for someone. Oh, and don't forget to place a trap around the flag. We don't want someone getting it while we're out."

She tapped the throne's armrest, as if expecting a response.

But when no response came, she turned toward Simon with a frown.

"What's up with you... Huh?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed their flag had gone missing when it was there just seconds ago.

Simon remained stunned, but Mira stood up, nearly tumbling down.

"O-Our flag was captured! Scatter, everyone! Find it or we're all done for!"

In the meantime, Raelis had already made his way out of the castle, the Blue flag resting on his back as Clea followed him in her butterfly form.

It was easy. Way too easy.

Raelis felt like he was missing something. When he finally arrived back at his castle, he stopped abruptly, causing Clea, still in her butterfly form, to crash into the back of his head.

It didn't hurt, but it did snap him out of his thoughts as a sudden burst of clarity came through.

"Clea... the headmaster never said what happens when you capture a flag... right?"

She tilted her head. "Only the King can capture it. Everyone else can't—"

"No... I mean, after we've captured it. The headmaster never mentioned what happens to the team whose flag was captured."

Her eyes widened as she recalled a crucial detail, and so did he.

They exchanged glances, and at the same time, muttered the exact same words.

"The only way to eliminate a team is to capture the King and the Queen..."