The Sovereign System.

The first-year students were led by Master Gale out of the north gates of the Academy Estate. They traveled on foot through the streets of Clayton City, drawing the attention of the bustling populace.

At a glance, it was obvious that these students were from the Military Academy—not only because of their attire but also due to their leader. The old figure of Master Gale held great prestige and seemed to be both revered and feared by the commoners.

'No surprise there,' Luke thought. 'The way he treated me after finding out my status made it clear he's an elitist.'

The trek took them out of the city's northern gates, where they trudged for over two hours without rest. If this had been three months ago, Luke would have struggled to keep up.

Even now, he could feel sweat pooling in his sandals, likely adding to the myriad of unpleasant scents already embedded in the footwear.

They eventually deviated from the wide dirt road, descending a hill toward what Luke could only assume was the edge of Xia Forest. The trees were ancient, judging by their towering heights. Thanks to his rummaging in the library, he identified them as firs at a glance.

These firs had a variety of uses—often employed in building houses, bridges, and even coffins. Their wood was exceptionally sturdy and took significant effort to fell, which likely explained why the forest was still standing.

Without pause, the group ventured deeper into the woods. The path was narrow and poorly trodden, a sign that this forest was rarely visited.

Luke's eyes scanned the area, making mental notes. 'If we're going to have a mock battle here, it'll only help to familiarize myself with the layout.'

Some of the students behind him mirrored his actions, though Luke doubted their preparations would be as fruitful as his own. His Scholarly Pursuit skill gave him a significant edge.

Another hour passed before they finally reached their destination—a natural clearing that opened up to reveal a group of men clad in iron armor, garbed in the colors of the City Lord.

At a glance, there appeared to be about a hundred men gathered in clusters, their postures suggesting they had been waiting for some time.

"General," one of the men greeted.

The moment they spotted Master Gale, the soldiers stood to attention, a testament to the respect they held for the old man.

"Gentlemen, I am long retired," Master Gale replied, though his grin betrayed how much he enjoyed their courtesy.

"Captain Long, thank you for doing us this service," he added, turning to address a man holding a plumed helmet under his arm. The two began chatting and walked off, leaving the students and soldiers together.

An awkward silence fell over the clearing as the soldiers sized up the officers-in-training. Their battle-hardened gazes, paired with the gleam of their iron armor, were enough to intimidate the students.

Kayson stepped forward, approaching one of the nearby soldiers. "Vincent, it's good to see you," he said, holding out his hand in greeting.

"Young Master, I was instructed to keep my distance," Vincent replied with a sly grin. "We can't have people saying we were partial to you during the mock battle—it would only sully the Lord's name."

"Ah, very true…" Kayson muttered, nodding. He turned to glance at the group of students, only to notice dissatisfaction brewing within their ranks.

"Ahem. Perhaps I'll see you in the battle, then," he said curtly before returning to the group. A few of the soldiers who knew Kayson personally chuckled at his retreat.

Luke felt a wry smile tug at the corner of his lips. 'Of course,' he thought. Kayson had a massive advantage going into this mock battle—these men were his father's soldiers. For him, the first part of the test might as well be a free pass.

For someone like Luke, things would undoubtedly be much harder.

As if to confirm his suspicions, Luke felt a sharp gaze settle on him from the group of soldiers. When he turned his head, he spotted one of them whispering to another before subtly pointing in his direction.

The murmurs spread quickly, and soon, Luke found himself the subject of repeated scrutiny. Their expressions held an unmistakable disdain, as though they harbored some deep-seated grudge against him.

'Oh, fuck… Looks like the City Lord does hold a grudge,' Luke cursed inwardly. He had been right to decline all of Kayson's invitations to the City Lord's Estate. If he had gone, there was no guarantee he would have made it out in one piece.

This animosity didn't bode well for his chances in today's mock battle.

Luke exhaled in relief when Master Gale returned a few minutes later. Ignoring the soldiers' whispers and their pointed glares had been no small feat, but with the ex-General back, their gossiping finally ceased.

The Captain of the City Lord's men stepped forward, unfurling a large piece of cowhide onto the ground. He placed stones at each corner to keep it flat, then straightened and nodded to Master Gale.

The old instructor gestured for the students to gather around. "This is a map of the Xia Forest, plotted by Captain Long and his men this morning," he announced. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a few carved wooden markers and placed them on opposite sides of the hide.

"These will represent the starting points for you and your armies. Your objective is to maneuver your forces and capture the general, who will be holding one of these flags." He gestured to the red and blue flags leaning against a nearby tree.

"Keep in mind," he continued, "that generals will not be allowed to fight. This mock battle is a test of strategy and tactics. Should you be captured by opposing troops, you will have lost."

Master Gale's sharp gaze swept over the gathered students, his presence commanding silence. Satisfied, he returned his focus to the map.

Master Gale pulled out a few more wooden pieces and placed them in front of each general.

"You'll each be assigned 50 soldiers, divided into archers, spearmen, infantry, and cavalry. Cavalry are strong against infantry but weak to spearmen. Archers excel against spearmen but are vulnerable to infantry. If two opposing units meet head on, the weaker side will be eliminated entirely, except for spearmen against infantry, where a battle will determine the victor."

Luke committed the explanation to memory, his mind racing with strategies. A small grin tugged at his lips as he noticed something that others might have overlooked, but he remained silent.

"Any questions?" Master Gale asked, his gaze scanning the group.

No one responded. Even if someone didn't fully grasp the rules, admitting it now would only label them as incompetent. Master Gale's explanation had been concise, leaving little room for excuses.

"Good. Captain Long, please organize your troops."

The Captain gave a slight bow before turning to his men. "You heard the General. Separate into your groups and grab your flags."

Luke watched with appreciation as the City Lord's soldiers moved with practiced efficiency, quickly dividing into their assigned units. Each group had ten soldiers and a flagbearer to represent their troop type. The flags' colors—blue or red—indicated their team.

Master Gale nodded in approval at their swift organization. Turning to the students, he pulled out a piece of parchment.

"The first battle will be Kayson against Liu."

Kayson and Liu stepped forward. Luke recognized Liu immediately—he was the same burly student Luke had slammed headfirst into stone tiles during Master Boyd's unarmed combat training months ago. Though his nose was slightly crooked and a few teeth were missing, Liu had otherwise recovered well.

Liu's expression was grim, and Luke couldn't blame him. Facing Kayson, who already had rapport with the soldiers, put him at a significant disadvantage.

"Once you arrive at your starting points, you will have twenty minutes to secure victory. If neither of you are captured by the sound of the horn, the one with the most remaining troops will be declared the winner," Master Gale announced.

At his signal, Kayson and Liu departed with their respective troops. Out of the 100 City Lord's soldiers, 80 participated in the mock battle while the remaining 20 spread out through the forest, likely to officiate and oversee the event.

Five minutes passed before the sound of the horn echoed through the clearing. Silence followed as the students waited anxiously for the results of the battle.

'That Eagle Eye skill would be really handy right now,' Luke mused, his gaze wandering idly across the forest's edge.

He already had a plan forming for when his name was called, but a significant issue loomed—getting the soldiers to follow his orders.

While Kayson's advantage was clear, Luke was at the opposite end of the spectrum. Judging by the soldiers' earlier behavior, it was likely the City Lord had informed them about the incident during induction. Luke's use of underhanded tactics—and the fact that he had threatened the reproductive ability of the City Lord's youngest son—had clearly not been forgotten.

What father wouldn't hold a grudge?

'If I can't win them over, I'll just have to oppress them…' Luke thought, though he had no idea how he would achieve that. Still, he needed a plan. Losing the system was not an option—especially with the added pressure of Sebastian hunting him down.

'Damn system… Why is your punishment for failure always the same?' he lamented, the bite of anxiety gnawing at him again.

Time crawled by, the anticipation stretching every second. Eventually, the sharp blare of a horn shattered the silence, signaling the end of the first battle. By Luke's estimation, only about ten minutes had passed, meaning the fight had ended decisively.

Moments later, Kayson and Liu returned, flanked by several City Lord soldiers who appeared to serve as guides. Their expressions told the story—one was visibly triumphant, the other crestfallen.

"Kayson Diego is the victor," one of the soldiers announced curtly.

Master Gale nodded in acknowledgment and retrieved his parchment, calling out the next pair of names. Luke's name wasn't among them, causing another wave of anxiety to twist in his gut.

The next two students departed with their soldiers, leaving a single soldier behind. This man approached the cowhide map and began replaying the battle, using wooden pieces to illustrate the events on the battlefield.

Luke finally understood. He'd been wondering how Master Gale planned to assess the students while they were out of sight, but now it made sense.

Kayson sauntered over, a confident grin plastered on his handsome face. His victory clearly fueled his pride, his demeanor practically glowing.

"How did it go?" Luke asked, feigning casual curiosity while desperately wanting to know the tactics Kayson had employed. He considered moving closer to the map to eavesdrop but decided against it. The last thing he needed was a public scolding from Master Gale.

"I just outmaneuvered him. By the time I flanked his army, he was still in the same spot," Kayson said with a nonchalant shrug, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Luke wasn't convinced. It seemed more likely that Liu had failed because the City Lord's soldiers hadn't followed his orders. After all, earning the respect and obedience of the troops was part of the test.

The wait continued as Master Gale methodically announced more names. Each passing moment only added to Luke's restlessness, his nerves fraying with every delay.

Finally, Master Gale's voice rang out, snapping Luke from his anxious thoughts.

"The last battle will be… Mr. Drakon against Zack."

Luke clenched his fist, feeling his heartbeat thunder in his throat.

'Finally…'