Right after Vice chancellor Reeves gave out all the tokens to Kaelen and the rest, he first took in a deep breath before he suddenly spoke up.
"Now then, I want you all to listen very attentively to what am about to say"
Vice Chancellor Reeves paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle over the room as he explained, "The Battle Convention, as you may know, is held in the Capital Valoria kingdom at the human territory of Aetheris—a land where only the finest from all academies and factions come together. It is not merely a test of strength but a demonstration of character, strategy, and teamwork. It is a measure of who among you is prepared to rise beyond your training."
He cast his gaze over Kaelen, Lila, Guinevere, Morris, and the others, his expression one of solemn pride. "The convention is broken into three stages, each testing a unique aspect of what it means to be a warrior and a leader."
"First," he began, "is the Class Brawl. Each of you will face challengers of your own class. Swordsmen against swordsmen, mages against mages, and so forth. The purpose? To identify the best among each specialization and to test how well you fare against those who know your strengths—and your weaknesses."
A flicker of intensity crossed his face as he continued. "Next is the Group Battle. Here, you will fight alongside your fellow students as representatives of our academy. It is not enough to be strong individually; in this round, your coordination and ability to act as one unit will be the deciding factors."
Finally, Reeves leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly. "And then, the most prestigious event of all: the Race for the Battle King Crown. Only those who succeed in the previous rounds will have a chance at this title. It is the ultimate challenge, one that combines all skills and tests every ounce of your endurance, skill, and resilience. This is where legends are made, and only one will emerge victorious."
The students exchanged determined looks, feeling the magnitude of what lay ahead. Reeves concluded with a steady gaze, "Prepare yourselves. Each of you holds potential beyond measure. But it will be up to you to realize it."
'Seems like the battle convention will be more grand than I expected' Kaelen thought with an anticipated feeling welling up within him.
"And now, let me give you guys a grim information regarding this battle convention" Vice chancellor Reeves suddenly continued as his expression suddenly became even more solemn. His reaction sparked Kaelen and the others to discard whatever thoughts they were having and paid attention to Reeves again.
After noticing that their full attention is now on him, he began to talk. "As Number 1 and 2 strongest students may have already know due to participating in this battle convention last time, dieing in the battle convention is completely normal and is even regarded in a positive way there"
"Death is acceptable there!?"
"Why didn't we get this information sooner!!?"
As soon as they heard what Reeves said, an uproar erupted amongst them as Kaelen kept a grim face while he asked. "You should have told us that even before the tryouts"
"Why we didn't tell you guys that is because it was relevant for you guys to know then" General Cao suddenly commented as he stepped forward. But his reply made them even more dissatisfied by the matter.
"What do you mean it was not relevant? Do you consider us as your play things for you guys to mess with us?" Charlotte suddenly asked with a displeased look on her face. But Carmilia stepped forward this time as she answered to Charlotte question. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel~fire~net
"Calm down young lady. Why we felt it wasn't relevant then was because if we had told you guys what was up concerning the battle convention, some of you guys who have the talent to be in that stage but have weak minds will not be able to overcome the information mentally which will be detrimental for both you and the Academy. And before you ask why we are telling you guys now then, it's because at this stage, there is no turning back for you guys so now that you have gotten this information, you will have no choice but to overcome this information before the event begins."
Right after Carmilia spoke, there was a short term silence in the office as Kaelen and the others absorbed what Carmilia said and seems to be calming down.
'Well said, Carmilia' Vice chancellor Reeves thought with an approved look on his face before he suddenly spoke up."We will depart for the Valoria Kingdom in two days. That gives each of you time to make your final preparations and say goodbye to those who matter most. The convention can stretch on for weeks, and once it begins, there's no telling when you will return."
Kaelen and his companions exchanged glances, a mix of excitement and tension shared in their expressions as they prepared to exit the office. Just as they turned to leave, a figure stepped forward—The Mysterious Swordsman. His piercing gaze moved across each of them, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight. "Your potential is vast, but potential is a mere shadow until forged in fire. Do not disappoint the paths you've walked thus far. The journey ahead will not only test your strength but your very soul. Stand firm, or fall unnoticed."
And with that, as suddenly as he'd spoken, he vanished, leaving a faint whisper of air in his wake.
A dry chuckle echoed in the silence that followed as the Dark Prince stepped forward. His eyes glinted with a faint, mocking amusement as he looked at Kaelen and the others. "Such lofty words," he drawled. "Let's hope you all can live up to the hype. After all, what good are aspirations if you're too weak to fulfill them?"
With a smug smile, he too disappeared, leaving Kaelen and the rest with simmering feelings—some of irritation, some of renewed determination. The room felt colder and heavier in the absence of some of them, and as those whose master wasn't in that office finally exited, each step felt charged with an unspoken promise to prove both men wrong.