The East Side of Aethelgard Academy
It was a vast, open green space, with a dense forest of thick trees looming on the far horizon. At that moment, about eighty candidates or more stood gathered, facing three academy officials responsible for the examination.
One of the officials stepped forward and began explaining the exam system. "Alright, listen closely. The exam is fairly simple in principle. You will be divided into groups of five."
"There will be approximately 18 to 23 groups scattered throughout that forest. The test will begin in about ten minutes, and you will have two hours to achieve your objective before the exam ends."
"Each group will be given a flag. Your goal is simple: protect your own flag while stealing the flags of other groups. Any group whose flag count reaches zero will be eliminated along with all its members—except for those who demonstrate exceptional individual performance. The group with the highest number of flags will receive bonus points, helping them secure a better rank in the entrance exam. Naturally, I advise you to focus on your personal performance without neglecting teamwork."
"Oh, and a small reminder: the flags are equipped with a system that reveals their location every ten minutes. Each group will receive a watch that allows them to see the positions of the other teams."
"Now, we will divide you into groups randomly. Go to that screen over there to find your group number, then stand near the sign bearing your number."
Leon's Perspective
I started walking toward the screen. Once I reached it, I began searching for my name and quickly found it.
{Group No. 8}
• Arthur Castillad
• Maya Blade
• Zina Ryder
• Leon Arcas
• Edward Spark
"So, I'm in the same group as Arthur, huh? In the novel, the focus was only on the protagonist's batch."
I headed toward the sign for Group 8 and found that the members had already gathered. There was Arthur, with his shoulder-length purple hair and handsome features. Beside him was an energetic-looking girl with long brown hair talking to a boy who seemed to be Edward. In the corner stood a pink-haired girl who appeared quite introverted.
"Hello, glad to meet you all. I'm Leon Arcas."
The group members turned toward me. The brown-haired girl spoke with a lively smile; she was clearly the social type. "Hi, Leon! I'm Maya Blade. Nice to meet you!"
The other boy raised his hand and adjusted his glasses, which had begun to slide down. "Edward Spark," he muttered.
I nodded and looked toward the other girl. "Ah... I'm Zina Ryder," she replied timidly.
I shifted my gaze to Arthur, who looked back at me at the same time. "Arthur Castillad," he answered with an indifferent tone.
"Alright, now that the whole group is here, we should—"
"Attention!" the academy official barked, cutting Maya off. "Now that you know your groups, you will receive your flags and watches. The team leader must wear the watch."
The other two officials began distributing the equipment. Edward took the flag, and I received the watch. At that moment, Arthur spoke up.
"I am the strongest here, so I will be the leader. Does anyone have an objection?" Arthur said, stepping toward me to take the watch.
"An objection? Yes, I have an objection. We should at least discuss the matter," I replied.
"A discussion? Do you really think I'd let any of you weaklings give me orders?" Arthur spoke in an angry tone as he activated his [Gravity] element.
Maya, Zina, and Edward immediately felt an immense pressure, as if the very air above them was forcing them to kneel. Pain etched across their faces.
"You...! How?" Arthur stammered, his eyes widening in shock.
"Arthur, you're still weak. All you can do is compress the air, not the person himself, right?" I spoke calmly, my eyes fixed on him.
I had expected this. Based on Arthur's recklessness, I knew he would resort to this amateur trick. He was still unable to manipulate the mass of objects; all he was doing was intensifying the air above us like a piston.
I had concentrated my energy into the soles of my feet and summoned my flames to swirl around my legs in a raging vortex. The temperature spiked, and the hot air began to surge upward violently, clashing against his invisible wall of pressure. I felt the weight lift from my shoulders as the air expanded forcefully.
At that moment, Arthur stopped using his element and looked at me seriously. Simultaneously, Maya, Zina, and Edward felt the heavy burden vanish. I stepped forward until my face was close to Arthur's, both of us staring into each other's eyes.
"Listen, you brat. A powerful element is useless if the user has an empty head. Do you understand?"
"Hey, you lot! What's going on over there?" The exam official approached, drawn by the commotion we had caused.
"Nothing, just a minor disagreement," Edward said, cleaning his glasses.
"Oh, yes. Just a small debate. It won't happen again," Maya added quickly.
"Fine. This is the first and last time. Next time, you'll face immediate elimination," the official warned with a sharp glare before heading toward another group.
"I... I agree with Leon. How about a vote to decide the leader?" Zina suggested, stuttering slightly.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Edward and Maya both supported Zina's suggestion.
"Tsk. Whatever," Arthur muttered, stepping back.
This is what I liked about Arthur; he wasn't just a foolish villain relying on his family name. He only acknowledged strength. He respected those of equal or greater power and treated those weaker than him with disdain. This was why I opposed him—I knew he wouldn't use his family's influence to target me.
As for my desire for the leadership position, it was simple: the leader receives higher points during the instructors' evaluation. Although what just happened didn't change the fact that Arthur is stronger than me, I had simply used a trick based on my knowledge of the novel and a basic understanding of physics.
"I vote for Arthur."
"Me too."
"Same here."
The three of them spoke up at once. Well, I had expected that; they were clearly intimidated by him. I only wanted to try and, more importantly, establish an initial dynamic with Arthur. I didn't want him to view me as a mere subordinate.
"Alright then. What's the plan, Leader Arthur?" I tossed the watch toward him, asking with a hint of sarcasm.
"Hmph... a plan? We simply crush everyone who stands in our way," Arthur replied with a manic grin as he turned toward the forest.