"And there is one more reward," Princess Isolde continued and the remaining conversations stopped almost immediately. She paused for a second, letting her words sink in. After a couple of breaths she continued.
"The student who achieves first place in the examination will be granted one wish by the His Majesty himself."
"The request must fall within His Majesty the King’s authority, but the nature of the reward will depend on the winner’s request."
For a heartbeat, the classroom fell silent. The students exchanged astonished looks. Even those who had been trying to appear composed found it difficult to conceal their excitement. This was unheard of.
"A wish from His Majesty the King?" A boy whispered. "Do you understand what that could mean?"
"Imagine securing a Royal Guard position and receiving a wish from the Crown on top of that. Whoever wins first place will have the opportunity of a lifetime."
"An opportunity of a lifetime," another student repeated, "Provided we survive Graveveil Forest first."
Princess Isolde watched the students’ reactions without displaying much interest in their enthusiasm. Their ambition was understandable, but they had heard only the rewards. Whether they possessed the ability to earn them was something Graveveil Forest would soon reveal.
Meanwhile, Adrian leaned back slightly in his chair, a faint smile playing on his lips as he considered Princess Isolde’s announcement.
Graveveil Forest. Ten days from now.
For Adrian, it presented something considerably more interesting. An opportunity.
’Ten days should be enough to prepare, provided I use them wisely.’ Adrian tapped his fingers on the desk.
After all, he possessed something that none of the other students did not have, something that gave him an advantage they couldn’t possibly account for. Hopefully.
And that changed everything.
His true cultivation was already at the Early Iron Core stage, yet the System continued to conceal it, leaving everyone convinced that he was still the same Tier Zero cripple they had always looked down upon.
His Earth Elemental affinity gave him another advantage.
Then there was the necromancer card he had won from the lottery. Two undead might not be enough to overwhelm a powerful opponent, but they could distract a beast, scout a dangerous area, or give him a precious opportunity to escape when things went wrong.
Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to assume that a few advantages made him invincible.
’I still need to learn the limits of my abilities. Knowing I can manipulate the earth is one thing. Knowing exactly how much I can do before exhausting myself is another.’
He also needed to understand how the necromancer card worked in practice. Its forty-eight-hour duration was generous, but wasting it on an insignificant encounter would be pointless.
He wanted to know how intelligently the summoned undead could follow commands, how effectively they could fight, and whether they would be useful against the magical beasts inhabiting Graveveil Forest.
While he could not use the Necromancer Card. The system might help him out here to understand it better.
’And if I play my cards right, I might even finish in first place.’ The thought brought a wider smile to his face.
A wish granted by His Majesty the King was no small reward. Naturally, he couldn’t ask for something beyond the King’s authority, but that still left considerable room for possibilities. Wealth, resources, privileges, or something that could help him strengthen his position in the kingdom were all worth considering. And he could get out of the shadows of his father as well.
However, Adrian wasn’t in a hurry to decide what he wanted. First, he needed to understand what he could accomplish during the examination.
Then again, ten days was a reasonably generous amount of time.
His smile gradually took on a distinctly lecherous edge as several possibilities crossed his mind, ’Well, well. Ten whole days. Surely I can find the time to take care of a few personal matters before the examination.’
He suppressed a chuckle.
Preparation is important, after all. He just needs to find the suitable target.
Unfortunately, Adrian’s small smile did not go unnoticed.
Darius Ravencrest, who had been standing beside Princess Isolde, glanced across the classroom while the students gradually settled down. His eyes soon landed on Adrian, seated toward the back.
At first, Darius paid little attention to him. Then he noticed the smile on his younger brother’s face.
As far as Darius was concerned, Adrian had no reason to feel pleased with himself. He had no respectable strength to speak of, and was an embarrassment on House Ravencrest.
Now, with the final examination approaching, he was sitting in the classroom with an expression that almost suggested he had something to look forward to.
Darius found the sight irritating.
’Has the idiot finally lost his mind? Does he actually believe he has a chance of earning a place in the Royal Guard?’ Darius frowned, and the more he saw that pleased expression on his face the more unreasonable Adrian’s expression seemed.
Perhaps his younger brother had mistaken the opportunity for an invitation to participate on equal terms with the other students.
Or perhaps he was simply too ignorant to understand the danger awaiting him in Graveveil Forest.
Either way, Darius saw an opportunity. And his lips curled up in a cunning smile.
Princess Isolde had just announced an examination that would attract considerable attention throughout the academy.
If Adrian made a fool of himself in front of the entire class, Darius could remind everyone that House Ravencrest had no connection to this worthless piece of shit.
And if Adrian decided to withdraw, all the better. He would have to face the King himself and his father won’t save him either.
In his eyes, Adrian’s weakness was a stain on the family name, and humiliating him publicly was an easy way to reinforce the distinction between them.
He stepped forward, drawing the attention of the students who had been watching the princess.
"This examination is intended for warriors who can contribute to the kingdom, not for people who require others to carry them through every challenge."
His voice carried easily across the classroom, as his eyes landed on his brother.
Several students turned toward him, while others immediately followed his gaze toward the back row.
Darius allowed the attention to settle before continuing, "Adrian," he called, a faint smile forming on his face, "My dear brother!"
"You should consider withdrawing before you embarrass House Ravencrest any further."
"Graveveil Forest is dangerous even for trained mages, and an unawakened person like you will only become a burden to your fellow classmates."
"Think about it, little brother. This isn’t a training yard where an instructor can rush in to save you the moment you get into trouble."
"If a beast attacks you, your fellow classmates might have to choose between protecting themselves and wasting their time rescuing someone who can’t even defend himself."
He shook his head with exaggerated disappointment, "Imagine that."
"A promising student can lose their chance of becoming the Royal Guard because they had to drag a useless cri... I mean you to safety."
"I doubt His Majesty the King would be delighted by that outcome."
A few students snickered.
"He’s got a point. If Adrian joins us for the hunt, we will have to keep an eye on him instead of focusing on the examination."
"Keep your voice down. His brother is doing the mocking for us, why do you want to jump in?"
The boy’s words earned a few muffled laughs. Most of the class seemed to share the sentiment, although several were careful not to laugh too loudly while Adrian was looking in their direction.
Blood is thicker than water. And they knew it.
Darius noticed their reactions and was even more pleased with himself. There was something satisfying about reminding everyone exactly where Adrian stood.
"Honestly, I am giving you a chance to save yourself some embarrassment. Withdraw before the examination begins. Stay in the capital, find somewhere comfortable to sit, and let the people who can actually contribute to the kingdom handle the dangerous work."
More laughter rippled through the classroom. Some students covered their mouths, while others exchanged amused looks.
At the front of the classroom, Princess Isolde remained completely indifferent.
She had listened to Darius’s remarks without the slightest change in expression. Her attention had already begun to drift elsewhere, as though the argument between the brothers were nothing more than an unimportant distraction. Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
Whether Adrian participated or withdrew made little difference to her. If he was foolish enough to enter Graveveil Forest without the ability to survive, the consequences would be his own responsibility.
Darius, meanwhile, was not finished.
"In fact," he continued, his mocking smile widening, "If given the chance, I will save the princess’s precious little Griffin cub first."
"At least the cub has a better chance of becoming useful than you do, Adrian," Darius added. "It might even learn a few tricks."
"You, on the other hand," He shook his head in disapointment, "Not a chance..."
Adrian, however, barely seemed to be listening.
He rested his cheek against one hand and looked at Darius with the same detached expression he might have given an servant. If anything, he looked mildly annoyed.
’Good grief. Does this barking dog ever run out of breath?’ Adrian resisted the urge to sigh.
He had no intention of wasting his energy arguing with Darius. The man was desperate for a reaction, and giving him one would only reward his behavior.
’Keep barking, Darius. Ten days from now, let’s see how much that confidence helps you in Graveveil Forest.’
His lips curved into the faintest smile.
Darius noticed it and mistook it for an attempt to hide his humiliation. His own smile grew more contemptuous, convinced that he had successfully put Adrian in his place.
"Come on, Darius. Let him go," Julian finally decided to join in, leaning back in his chair with an amused expression, "Perhaps the beasts will be so disappointed when they see him that they will decide not to waste their energy eating him. That might be the first useful thing Adrian has ever accomplished."
The classroom erupted into laughter. Several students slapped their desks, while others leaned toward their friends, exchanging grins and whispered remarks.
A few tried to contain their amusement when they noticed Adrian sitting quietly at the back, but most seemed unable to resist.
With Darius doing most of the work for him, Julian hardly needed to put in any effort.
"Don’t worry. I have already explained it to him. Whether his tiny brain is capable of understanding is another matter entirely." Darius gave Julian a thumbs up and nodded.
Beside Julian, Lyra rested a hand on his thigh and leaned toward him with a smile, "He’s going to panic the moment he sees a real beast," she said. "I can already imagine him running around the forest, calling for his mother while everyone else tries to survive."
She giggled at her own remark, apparently pleased with the reaction it received.
Julian grinned and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Perhaps we should pack him a blanket and a pillow before we leave. That way, when he gets frightened in the forest, he can curl up somewhere and cry for his mommy until someone comes to rescue him."
"You are terrible," Lyra replied, laughing.
"Funny. You didn’t seem to think so last night." Julian winked at her before giving her butt a playful pinch.
Lyra let out a surprised squeak. "Julian! Don’t!"
He chuckled, looking thoroughly pleased with her reaction, "What? I thought you wanted more last night."
Adrian’s gaze passed over the pair for only a moment.
Lyra had once been his girlfriend, and her presence beside Julian would have been enough to provoke a reaction from the man Adrian had been before his transformation.
The sight still served as a reminder of how easily she dumped me.
But now there was little point in wasting his attention on a woman whose opinion had become irrelevant to his plans.
Unfortunately for him, Darius was still talking.
"Seriously, Adrian," his older brother continued, apparently encouraged by the laughter, "Think of the family. Think of our father. Think of..."
Adrian’s fingers tapped once against the side of his chair, and lifted his head to look at Darius. His expression remained calm, but the faint smile had disappeared.
"Are you done?"