The Day of the Preliminaries
At last...
The day everyone had been waiting for had arrived.
The day of the Dainhart Family's preliminary trials.
From the earliest hours of the morning, an unusual liveliness had spread throughout the vast lands belonging to the Dainhart Family.
Servants moved swiftly between the various buildings, carrying out their duties with greater urgency than usual. Guards stood at their designated posts with heightened vigilance, carefully monitoring every entrance and pathway, while groups of family members gradually made their way toward the grand arena where the preliminaries were about to take place.
There was an unmistakable sense of anticipation hanging in the air.
Excitement.
Curiosity.
Expectation.
Something was about to happen.
Yet, despite appearances...
This was far more than a simple competition between a group of young descendants.
At least...
It was to anyone who understood the true nature of the Great Families.
A considerable crowd had gathered around the arena.
Members of the Dainhart Family themselves occupied much of the seating, accompanied by representatives from families affiliated with the Dainhart household and several influential figures whose presence alone spoke volumes about the importance of the event.
Altogether...
There were no fewer than two hundred spectators.
And that was merely the beginning.
Several distinguished guests had also arrived from families that maintained close relationships with the Dainharts.
Among the most notable figures present was the Head of the Rosebritt Family—one of the Four Great Families that ruled over the eastern territories of the empire.
The second son of the Siram Family had also arrived.
The Sirams...
The Great Family that governed the vast southern lands.
Those names alone were enough to elevate the significance of the event far beyond what an ordinary observer might initially assume.
Leo stood quietly near the edge of the arena, his expression calm as his eyes slowly traveled across the surrounding stands.
The place was crowded.
Conversations overlapped one another.
Whispers drifted through the air.
Curious gazes moved constantly between the young participants.
Some spectators openly examined the competitors, while others observed them with far greater subtlety.
Many of those eyes belonged to people who had begun evaluating the contestants long before the preliminaries had officially started.
Leo remained silent for several moments.
Then, within the depths of his mind, a thought surfaced.
"On the surface..."
His gaze briefly shifted toward the competitors.
"These are simply preliminary trials meant to select the people who will represent the family at the academy."
His eyes then moved toward the section reserved for the distinguished guests.
They narrowed slightly.
"But if one looks at the situation carefully..."
"It's obvious that this is merely a facade."
Leo did not need much time to understand what was happening.
There was no practical reason to gather such a large audience merely to select two individuals for admission into an academy.
And the presence of prominent figures from other Great Families...
That was even less likely to be a simple social courtesy.
Leo continued his analysis in silence.
"Gathering members of the family and their affiliated households is understandable."
"But inviting influential figures from other Great Families to watch a preliminary competition..."
A faint glimmer appeared in his eyes.
"There can only be one purpose."
Reputation.
That was what this event was truly about.
At its core...
This entire occasion was a stage.
A carefully prepared stage.
And the contestants standing below were not merely young people competing for two positions at an academy.
They were displaying themselves before an audience.
Their talent.
Their potential.
Their strength.
Every victory.
Every defeat.
Every moment of weakness.
And every moment of brilliance...
Would be remembered.
"They want to raise the standing of the family's heirs in the eyes of others."
"Especially before the other three Great Families."
Leo's thoughts continued.
"And at the same time..."
"The outstanding performance of a Dainhart descendant will also strengthen the reputation of the family itself."
It was a simple game.
Yet beneath that simplicity...
Lay something far deeper.
The Great Families did not rely solely on strength.
Reputation mattered.
Influence mattered.
Alliances mattered.
And perhaps most importantly...
The image of those who might one day inherit the family mattered.
All of those things were forms of power.
Leo glanced toward the arena once more.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"And I doubt the results of these preliminaries..."
"Will only determine who enters the academy."
His thoughts paused.
His expression became slightly more profound.
"They may also have a considerable influence on determining the future heir of the Dainhart Family."
After all, the person who emerged victorious today would not merely prove their talent.
They would gain something else.
Recognition.
Their name would spread throughout the family.
And beyond it.
Exceptional talent.
Visible strength.
A remarkable achievement performed before representatives of the other Great Families.
Those were ideal qualifications for anyone who wished to someday stand at the pinnacle of the Dainhart Family.
But...
Things were never quite that simple.
Leo fell silent.
Then another thought emerged.
"It's a double-edged sword."
His gaze moved toward the other competitors.
"Just as victory can raise someone toward the summit..."
"A disastrous defeat before this many people can just as easily throw them into the abyss."
Failure here would not be easily forgotten.
Especially for members of the direct bloodline.
Every one of them carried the name Dainhart.
Every one of them possessed, at least theoretically, the possibility of becoming the family's future heir.
But a humiliating defeat...
Could destroy those possibilities entirely.
"If someone falls disgracefully today..."
"They may never be given another opportunity to climb again."
Leo quietly released a breath.
A world ruled by Great Families is far more troublesome than it appears.
At that moment...
Someone stepped onto the central platform.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in elegant formal attire bearing the unmistakable crest of the Dainhart Family.
The steward of the Main Palace.
The moment he appeared...
The noise throughout the arena gradually began to fade.
Conversations grew quieter.
Whispers disappeared.
One by one, the gazes of the spectators turned toward him.
The steward raised one hand.
Mana gathered around him.
A moment later, he activated a sound amplification spell.
His voice spread clearly throughout the entire arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
He paused briefly before allowing his gaze to sweep across the audience.
"I welcome you all to the Dainhart Family's Academic Preliminary Trials."
Silence descended over the arena.
Everyone became more attentive.
The steward continued.
"These preliminaries will consist of two stages."
He raised one finger.
"During the first stage, all participants will be divided into two groups."
"The direct bloodline..."
He paused.
"And the branch bloodline."
The distinction immediately drew the attention of many spectators.
"Members of each group will compete separately until only five contestants remain from each side."
Several murmurs rose among the audience.
Leo, however, remained silent.
His expression did not change in the slightest.
The steward raised a second finger.
"After that..."
"The second stage will begin."
His voice grew slightly louder.
"The ten qualified contestants will compete against one another."
"And in the end, the first and second place winners will earn the right to enter the academy."
Whispers immediately spread through the audience once again.
That meant the direct bloodline possessed no absolute privilege during the final stage.
Even someone born directly into the main family...
Would still have to face members of the branch families.
And there would be no excuses.
No special treatment.
The victor would advance.
The defeated would fall.
The steward continued.
"There are ten participants from the direct bloodline."
"As for the branch bloodline..."
He paused deliberately.
"There are thirty participants."
He gestured toward one side of the arena.
"Therefore, the preliminaries will begin with the branch bloodline competition."
His voice rose.
"Due to their greater numbers, the first stage will take the form of a Battle Royale."
Several spectators widened their eyes.
A Battle Royale.
Thirty participants.
One arena.
That alone was enough to make the atmosphere noticeably more exciting.
Thirty young magicians.
Thirty competitors.
All forced to survive while surrounded by potential enemies.
But the steward had not finished.
"The battle will continue until only ten participants remain."
Then his expression became more serious.
"Furthermore, alliances are strictly prohibited."
His amplified voice echoed across the arena.
"Any attempt at cooperation, coordination, or prearranged agreements between participants will be considered cheating."
"All parties involved will be immediately disqualified."
The rule made sense.
In a battle involving thirty people, even a small alliance could easily overturn the balance of power.
A group of weaker participants working together could eliminate someone far stronger than any of them individually.
That was precisely why the Dainhart Family had imposed such a restriction.
They were not merely testing strength.
They wanted to see who could survive alone.
Who could make decisions under pressure.
Who could identify danger.
Who could adapt when surrounded by enemies.
And who...
Would remain standing when everyone else had fallen.
The steward continued.
"Once the ten remaining participants have been determined..."
"Individual matches will be held between them."
"Until only five contestants remain."
"Those five will advance to the second stage of the preliminaries."
At last...
The steward finished his announcement.
He raised his hand once more.
"Without further delay..."
The entire arena fell silent.
A moment of complete stillness.
Then—
"Let the preliminaries begin."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The silence shattered.
Whispers erupted throughout the stands.
Excited voices began to rise.
Spectators leaned forward in anticipation.
Meanwhile, the participants from the branch bloodline began walking toward the arena.
One after another.
Some wore confident expressions.
Others concealed their nervousness behind carefully maintained calm.
A few stared coldly at the people around them, already treating every other participant as an enemy.
The Battle Royale had yet to begin.
And already...
The atmosphere was tense.
As for Leo...
He slowly released a breath.
Then, with unmistakable boredom in his eyes, he thought to himself,
"Finally..."
His gaze settled upon the arena.
"After all those long and tedious introductions."
Then...
A faint glimmer appeared in his eyes.
Not excitement.
Not yet.
But perhaps...
Expectation.
"I just hope..."
A slight smile appeared on his lips.
"That there's something worth watching."
As the participants entered the arena one after another...
The preliminaries had finally begun.
And with them...
The true struggle had begun as well.