"What is evil?… Everything that stems from weakness." — Friedrich Nietzsche
My name is Dan Reith, and I am thirteen years old. I am an ordinary boy—without supernatural powers, without a unique talent, and without exceptional intelligence. I was born into a poor family of four, living in a modest government housing complex in Northern Norasa, within the borders of the Kingdom of Hinar. I always felt that the poor belong in the shadows, and that the world has been harsh to the weak since birth.
My parents work at a small fast-food restaurant, while my only sister pretends to work at a major company but in reality, she does nothing but meet a wealthy young man who showers her with gifts, while we live a simple life barely above mere necessity.
I was an ordinary student, blending into the background like a ghost so as not to attract the attention of the bullies at Tuliz Middle School, a school filled with brutes and tyrants. My school life was dull and monotonous… until the day I made the biggest mistake of my life—the day I broke the one rule I had always lived by: being a ghost… being nothing more than a shadow of myself.
During one gym class, I approached Minai, the most popular and beautiful girl in the school, perhaps in the entire city. Her hair was long, silky, and blonde, her eyes emerald blue, her skin white as snow, and her lips red as cherries. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and every boy in town dreamed of being with her.
I confessed my love to her, admiring her beauty and perfection in every way. I thought she would reciprocate just like in movies, comics, or anime: a beautiful, famous girl falling for a poor, lonely boy, beginning a legendary romance.
But reality was far from that. She rejected me harshly, her words piercing my small pride like arrows. I felt as if the ground had swallowed me, and everything around me turned dark.
"You… I could never like you! There's no way I could ever date someone like you. I dream of standing beside a man worthy of me… a man from the Academy of Kings and Queens, wealthy, famous… strong enough to secure my future. But you… you are none of that. Do you understand?"
Her words were like knives—painful, yet honest. She didn't intend to hurt me; she only wanted to secure her own future in this harsh world, where there is no place for the weak, and every moment of weakness is measured in pain and suffering.
After classes ended, walking home with heavy steps, five upperclassmen lunged at me like hungry wolves. Kicks and punches rained down from all sides. Pain shot through every part of my body, each blow feeling as if it was dragging me back into my cruel reality. My heart raced wildly, air burning in my lungs, until everything around me blurred and their screams filled the air:
"How dare a lowlife like you approach her?!"
"Standing next to her is a crime that must be punished!"
"We will make you an example for every worthless wretch who dares to come near Minai!"
"You must be reborn to even think of standing beside her."
I was sure my end had come; my face bled, my ribs ached, and darkness began to consume my vision… when suddenly, Touma appeared.
A man in his early forties, tall, athletic, with a muscular frame, broad shoulders, piercing blue eyes, and neatly styled dark brown hair. His features were sharp, his face carrying a quiet boldness, and his smile vanishing when seriousness appeared.
He moved with incredible speed, knocking the assailants to the ground like they were puppets. He carried me on his back to his small shop and carefully tended to my wounds.
He smiled and said:
"You can call me Touma… but tell me, why did you provoke their anger?"
I explained everything from the beginning. He shook his head seriously and said:
"Falling in love is not a mistake… but you are weak. How about I train you daily? I'll make you strong and clever enough to enter the Academy of Kings and Queens."
I laughed bitterly through the pain in my chest, knowing how much of a failure I was, and said:
"Me? The Kings' Academy? Are you joking? I have no strength or intelligence… that school is for nobles and the wealthy."
Touma laughed, patting my head, and said:
"It's just an ordinary academy, believe me… and I'll prove it to you."
Year One: Fear and Patience
During the first year, Touma introduced me to fear and patience:
1. Daily Mental Training: Watching dozens of horror movies daily, each testing my nerves, each scream or bloody scene gradually strengthening my psychological resilience.
2. Daily Physical Training: Running 10 kilometers daily, push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and rope exercises with Touma. Every day, my body screamed, every muscle burned, yet something grew inside me: endurance, resilience, and fortitude in the face of fear.
3. Weekly Encounters with Bullies: Touma took me to different schools to face the strongest bullies. Every encounter was hell: I got beaten severely, sometimes losing consciousness, feeling my body on the verge of collapse.
But this hell was nothing compared to my mother's anger when I returned home, bruised and battered:
"Dan! What have you done to yourself? Are you insane?!"
I stood silently, feeling guilty and afraid, yet there was a strange feeling… a sense of strength and maturity forming inside me, despite the pain.
Year Two: Mind and Body
At fourteen, Touma introduced a new phase: alongside daily physical training, I was forced to read a massive array of books:
History and politics of the kingdom and the world.
Mathematics and physics.
Religion and philosophy.
War strategies and psychology.
He set strict deadlines for completing the readings, and any delay or failure was punished with additional exercises, sometimes with severe beatings until I lost consciousness.
Despite the harshness, I knew Touma was shaping me into a mature and strong person, so I never hated him. Even when I outperformed him in mental tasks, I felt gratitude for his effort in shaping my character.
Finally, on a clear day by the sea, Touma handed me a card bearing the emblem of the Academy of Kings and Queens.
"Dear Dan… your training is complete. This card grants you admission to the next grade. A great future awaits you… but heed these pieces of advice—they are your only path to success in the academy and in life:
1. Always keep your mouth shut.
2. Never reveal your plans until they are accomplished.
3. Never expect to receive what you give.
4. Remember your goal every day when you wake up.
5. Sometimes what you cling to is the very thing you must let go of.
6. To control someone, first control their fear.
7. God places people in your life for a reason.
8. People will always resent you when you do what's best for you.
9. Use everything available to achieve your goal.
10. What makes a man a king isn't his crown… but his soldiers."
Tears streamed down my face as I hugged him tightly. I promised to remember his advice for life and become the best at that academy, no matter the cost in pain or effort.
The Academy: Beginning the Journey
The Academy of Kings and Queens was more magnificent than I imagined:
A colossal palace-like building, adorned with golden decorations, its massive windows reflecting the sunlight, and a golden gate at the entrance.