We were in the dining hall, and I had just finished eating. I told Andrew and Sophia that I needed some fresh air. Truthfully, I just wanted some space. The silence would allow me to think.
Once outside, I saw that the sun was shining brightly, though a few clouds around it dimmed its light. The air was fresh and clean. I felt comfortable for a moment. As I walked, I passed horse-drawn wagons driven by soldiers and instructors heading toward the center of the camp.
I didn't pay much attention and kept going. I turned the corner of the camp. There was a quiet spot behind the supply tents. The terrain was uneven, with dry patches and weeds growing between the rocks. A small hill covered with light grass and a few sparse trees surrounded the area. From there, I could see most of the camp. Beyond that, the hill stood like a quiet watchtower, overlooking the area. This place was usually empty.
But this time, it wasn't.
Three people, two of whom were standing close together, were shouting aggressively. The third person stood still with his arms crossed and an unreadable face. In the center of the chaos stood a girl.
I narrowed my eyes, feeling like I had seen this scenario before in the many stories I've read. For now, I'll just watch.
The girl was tall. Her honey-brown hair was tied back in a neat bun. Her sweater was torn slightly at the shoulder, and there was dirt on her arms. There was a bruise on her jaw. But she didn't back down. In fact, she stood her ground and defied them even though she was surrounded.
My interference could cause trouble, and it's not in my best interest to make enemies.
"I didn't steal anything!" She shouted sharply. Her voice was steady. "Do you think I need your useless weapon?"
"Don't lie!" One of them shouted. He was broad-shouldered. He had long hair tied up and a beard that wasn't long. Then his friend, thinner but taller, shouted back and headed toward her again.
I knew I would regret it later, but I had to stop them somehow. I walked up to them.
"Enough," I said.
They turned to me as if I had interrupted something sacred.
"Who the hell are you?" The big guy yelled.
I ignored him. My eyes shifted to the quiet man behind him. He was tall and dark-haired with cold eyes. He looked like he could easily kill anyone. He was so quiet, and his posture was uncomfortable. He was dangerous, and I had to watch out for him.
"If she steals anything," I said while walking toward the girl, "report it to the instructors. Beating her in a place like this proves nothing."
Skinny chuckled. "And who asked you to be the hero? Do you want to join her?"
The girl moved beside them, her fists clenched. "I can handle it," she muttered.
"I think you misunderstand," I said, standing between them. "You can handle it or not. I'm not here to save you. I just want to stop the fight." 'and kick you out of here. I mean, this is my place.'
The quiet man behind them replied, "You're Roy, aren't you?" He smiled and said, "Interesting."
The moment he finished speaking, the skinny one lunged at me. It was expected.
I grabbed his wrist and punched him in the stomach and face. Then, I kicked him straight at his big friend, who grabbed him, pushed him aside, and he fell to the ground.
His friend shouted, "You brought this on yourself!" He was about to lunge at me when the quiet one put a hand on his shoulder.
"You can't beat him. Move away," he said coldly.
Then he moved. No screaming. No threat. Just a quick movement.
I blocked his first strike with difficulty. I stepped back gracefully and countered with a kick to the waist, which he easily blocked. Then, I jumped back. He pressed again. We exchanged a few quick, sharp blows. He was incredibly strong. If we kept fighting, it would be problematic.
We both took a step back at the same time, our hands still raised, and our feet firmly planted. Neither of us was breathing heavily.
I didn't even imagine something like that. He might be ahead of me. Every strike from him felt so heavy. So, I was right; there are a lot of powerful cadets here.
He tilted his head slightly. His eyes narrowed.
"Not bad."
I didn't answer.
He adjusted his sleeve and turned around.
"I'm Oliver. We'll meet again," he said as he walked away.
Then, he left. He didn't even glance back at the two behind him. The skinny one rubbed his chin as they followed after him, and the big one glared at me.
I'm not sure what happened. He attacked suddenly; I barely had time to think. Having people that strong here... I smirked involuntarily. I have to get to know him somehow. But now, I have to go back. It's too bad; the time I wanted to spend alone has been ruined.
I turned to leave.
"Wait," the girl behind me called out.
I had forgotten she was there. I stopped and looked at her. From close up, I could see her face better. Her eyes were brown, and she had long eyelashes. Blood was licking from her lips.
She looked down. "I didn't really need the help," she said, looking up at me. "But thanks anyway."
"I wasn't helping you. I was just trying to stop the fight," I replied.
She smiled slightly. "You're not very friendly, are you?"
She wasn't wrong, but I was trying my best. Maybe I would exchange some conversation with her later. For now, though, I was not in the mood. I raised my hand in a goodbye and turned to walk away.
"I'm Kylie," she said.
I got the feeling that she's the kind of person who talks even when there's silence. She seemed like she only wanted to make friends.
I nodded to her. "Roy."
She tilted her head, her smile not fading. "I guess I'll be seeing you a lot, Roy."
I continued walking. "Then see you later."
I didn't turn and didn't look at her. Still, I felt her eyes on me.
She didn't follow me. 'Good.'
When I came back, Andrew and Sophia were standing at the wall at the end of the main hallway, the wall in the middle, separating the two hallways leading to the classrooms and lecture halls. Some of the other soldiers were huddled nearby, some reading silently, others whispering nervously.
I slowed my steps. There was a large wooden board on the wall on which announcements were posted. Orders. Events. Sometimes, bad news.
In the center, freshly posted, was a single sheet of paper, thick, the ink still fresh. I stopped next to Andrew without saying a word, and began to read it silently, which included the following.
-Notice to all current cadets-
The Imperial Command has officially sanctioned the next RANKING EXAMINATION.
All participants will undergo a five stages assessment, designed to test abilities, knowledge, and viability.
The first phase will begin in five days. It is a written exam, and will cover the following areas:
History of the Empire.
Military tactics.
Field treatment and medical fundamentals.
Geographical Knowledge - Allied and Enemy Territories.
Empire law.
The average GPU is 80, who score less than this in the program will be automatically disqualified.
Details of the second phase will be revealed after the completion of the first phase.
-Prepare well-
I read it slowly twice. The message was clear enough, but what caught my attention the most was the elimination of people who scored less than 80. This is serious.
Andrew said quietly beside me, his arms crossed, "Looks like things are starting to get serious." His tone was calm.
Sophia leaned forward slightly, her eyes sharp as she scanned the lines again. She said, "So that's how they want to eliminate us. Whatever, but getting more than 80 is very difficult."
I nodded. "They want to reduce our numbers quickly."
Andrew looked around. "Everyone is already nervous. You can tell. Half of them don't care about studying; they only care about training."
After seeing their reaction, I can really tell.
Sophia turned to me and smiled. "Do you want to study together?" she asked.
I paused, putting my hand to my chin. "Sure, I could use some help with geography."
I looked at the paper again. I had a bad feeling about that exam. History, tactics, medical fundamentals, geography, law. It's all important. The outcome will be determined by these factors. But we only have five days for this.
That's surprising, and I don't think we have enough time. But let's try our best.
Andrew struggled with the basics of medicine. Sophia struggled with tactics. I wasn't very good at geography either. We weren't bad; we just had gaps. But maybe we could cover them together.
That was our last day of classes. From then on, we only had three hours of training every morning. The rest of the day was ours to study.
We needed a plan.
The library was quiet the next morning. The air smelled like old paper and polished wood. We found a wooden table between two huge bookshelves, and clean red carpets covered the floor beneath our feet. The ceiling stretched high above us, and a second floor had been built along the right wall, covering only half of the first floor. It was designed as a balcony with additional shelves at the top.
I stood in front of Andrew and Sophia. I said in a calm tone, "We will divide the hours into periods: forty-five minutes of intense focus and fifteen minutes for questions. No distractions."
I looked at Sophia. "Please help us with the medical fundamentals." Then, I looked at Andrew. "You too, Andrew. I need your help with geography."
Andrew leaned back in his chair and cracked his knuckles. "Finally! Are you teaching us the tactics?"
"That's the plan," I replied.
He nodded quickly. "Great. It's good to cover each other's weaknesses."
Sophia gave a slight smile. "That's why studying together is so much better."
And so, we began. Day after day, page after page. Sophia took the lead in medical fundamentals, quietly and patiently correcting our mistakes. Andrew was quick and knowledgeable in geography. He even drew maps from memory just to test me. When it came to tactics, I took over.
I drew lines on paper, moved coins to indicate locations, and explained the names of the tactics and how they work together. I also explained the same scenario five different ways. Sophia had told me before that she never understood tactics. But now, in the middle of our second day, she suddenly sat up straighter and spoke up.
"...wait. This is actually simple."
I looked at her, arms folded and leaning back in my chair. "It was never complicated. People just explained it the wrong way."
She stared at the paper in amazement. "I always felt like I was guessing. This is different."
We continued to study. Every day. For hours. The fear of scoring below 80 haunted all of us. It wasn't just about passing; it was about staying in the program. Anyone who averaged below 80 in any subject would be eliminated. It was that simple.
One afternoon, while we were studying in the library, Yuri walked by. He stopped by our table with his arms behind his back, as usual. His face was calm with a hint of humor.
"Oh, you three are working hard," he said.
We stood to pay our respects, then sat back down. I nodded. "Well, we don't have a choice."
Yuri stepped toward me and lowered his voice. "Do you know why the passing grade is 80?"
We all looked at him.
"It's not just about skill," he said. "It's about minimizing numbers. We saw that most of you don't care about studying. We only want those who can handle the pressure, learn quickly, and take on more responsibility. Also, the upcoming missions won't be easy. Some of you will want to quit in the future."
He took one last look at us and walked away. "Mark my words. Many cadets will regret passing this stage," he said, stopping in his tracks and turning his face back to us. "The next stages are just like hell." Then, he left silence in his wake.
They really wanted to reduce our numbers. But what does he mean when he says the next stages are hell? If this one is something like that, I can't imagine what's waiting for us next.
Andrew narrowed his eyes. "Man, he looked kind of scary. I felt my body tremble for a second."
Sophia chuckled. "Let's stay together. We'll pass every stage easily."
He smiled, and we nodded in sync. Then, we kept going with our study.
The following days passed quickly. Finally, the day of the exam arrived.
The hall was packed. The cadets stood side by side in front of the entrance. It was scorching outside, but it was cooler inside thanks to the stone walls.
Sophia stood next to me, her fingers clenching her papers. She said quietly. "I'm not sure about the tactics."
I looked at her, my voice calm. "You'll be fine, trust yourself and remember everything we've learned together."
Sophia nodded as if relieved.
Andrew came in, smiling. "Come on. Let's get it over with."
The first test was on tactics. I smiled when the instructor handed me the paper. Easy. I was confident that I would get a high mark. A perfect score, no doubt.
I turned the page confidently.
…
My eyes narrowed.
"If x equals 20 and y is the enemy's hypothetical supply rate, calculate the angle of retreat while maximizing unit efficiency in fog, on unstable terrain, under limited rations."
Huh...?
Absolutely not.
Why are there always x and y? Why? Every trauma I've experienced started with X, which is used in math, not tactical equations.
I looked to my left. Sophia stared at her paper as if she had been betrayed. She looked like a sad kitten.
I thought for a moment that maybe she would be a little relieved if I cheered her up, so I tried. I winked at her, raised my hand, and slowly made a sign in the air.
Then, I mouthed, "You." "can." "do." "it."
She nodded solemnly, and we exchanged goodbye glances.
I took a deep breath and returned to the battlefield.
And so the day continued.
One test after another. Eight hours straight. No breaks. No mercy. Just more questions.
At some point, (Andrew was sitting in front of me) and I noticed he was drawing a swordfight in the margin of a sheet of paper. One of the stick figures looked suspiciously like me.
I narrowed my eyes and chose not to react...
After we finally finished everything, we handed the test over to the instructors and left the class.
We met outside, and they looked relieved. I guess they felt the same way I did. We finally finished this. It was hell.
I looked over at Sophia. "You alive?"
She nodded slowly. "I forgot how to spell my name halfway through the last exam."
Andrew mumbled something, his expression a mix of fear and anxiety. "Guys, I don't think I'll pass medical fundamentals. There's no way I can get an 80."
I glared at him as I fixed my scarf. "Well," I said, raising my voice. "Maybe if you didn't draw fight scenes on the exam and focused instead, you could have passed."
He raised both hands and said, chuckling, "I tried my best to understand it, but I gave up in the end."
Sophia smiled a little. "Well, it doesn't matter if you score below 80. You need an 80 GPA, so it's okay if you score a little below that. "
I exhaled. "Yeah, that's true. Let's just wait for the results."
Andrew nodded, smiling, but there was still an anxious look in his eyes. "Yeah, I did well on the other exams. Let's just wait for the results."
...
Two days later. The results were displayed on the board in the main hall.
We arrived early. The board was surrounded by cadets, some silent, others cursing in secret. Some leaned against the wall with blank faces. Some sat on the floor with their heads in their hands. But others were smiling, even laughing.
We made our way forward, and I had mixed feelings in my heart and head. First, I was afraid that Andrew would fail, and we would pass. What could I do here alone without him? And what if I failed and they passed? So many questions ran through my mind, and my heart pounded so hard that I felt like I could hear it.
I quickly scrolled through the list.
Sophia Vila - passed. 91.9 GPA
Andrew Celgius - Passed. 80.6 GPA
Roy Celgius - Passed. 87.8 GPA
Andrew let out a deep breath as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. "We made it!"
Sophia smiled calmly and proudly. I nodded slightly. A faint smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. We had made it through the first half.
I exhaled and felt relieved. I can't believe I overthought it. We did it, and I am so grateful. We will stay together in the next stages.
We turned to leave as the hall still buzzed with conflicting voices.
On my way out, I saw Crimzo sitting in the corner reading a small book. Reading a book in such a situation, in a room full of people—what a weird guy. I had looked at his name; he had passed. After looking away, my eyes met those of the man I had met earlier—Oliver, I think—who looked at me with a smile. I turned away and continued on my way.
After I walked out of the hall, Kylie was waiting outside. When she saw me, she raised her hand slightly and said, "Roy, how are you? It's good to see you again. Did you make it?"
Andrew and Sophia looked at each other. I'm sure they're wondering what's going on. As I said before, though, I'll talk to her from time to time. Making friends is good for us in the future.
I nodded and said, "I passed. How about you?"
She grinned. "Yes, I made it. I'm waiting here for my friends. I think they made it, too."
I replied. "I'm glad to hear that. Good luck in the next stages."
"Thank you. You too." She said, smiling.
We left then, and Andrew couldn't wait a second. He said, chuckling, "Hey, Roy. Who is that girl? You never told me you made friends here."
I replied calmly. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later. Let's go to class."
The old program was back, and class started early in the morning. But when we entered the next class, the change was shocking.
Where there had once been more than 250 of us, there were now only 188. The seats were empty. There was silence in the classroom. The room felt wider and colder. And that was just the beginning.
After the instructor started the class, Yuri came in, interrupted the class, and said, "I'm happy to see you all succeeding here. Your numbers are still large, and this promises me a bright future. Now, after finishing the first stage, we're going to have more hands-on lessons and fewer notes. The program is still the same, but now we have more work to do." He put his hands on the desk and said loudly, "Stay tuned for the next stage. It could happen at any moment. I don't want you to be caught off guard. Get ready."
Everyone raised their hands in respect. "Yes, sir."
I can't wait to see what happens next. It makes me nervous, but it also excites me at the same time.