A new day has arrived, and Ari is already prepared along with dozens of men and women, standing in neat rows in front of Sir Edmund, who is serving as the supervisor for the day.

"Welcome, new knight candidates.

Starting today and until you graduate from the Knight Academy, you will all be referred to as cadets without exception.

I don't care if you are descendants of gods or lowly goblin offspring, in this training, you are all cadets and will remain as such as long as you are under my guidance."

Sir Edmund observes all the cadets standing in formation, glancing at each other, hoping for one or two foolish individuals to protest his decision.

"Thank you for being wise enough not to protest.

Now, run around the perimeter of the city and stop when I say stop.

Start running! Now!"

Sir Edmund commands sternly, and all the cadets, including Ari, begin to run. Some intentionally run faster than others, trying to secure the first position. Ari also doesn't want to fall behind but realizes that this is a test. It's not as simple as just running around the city once.

Ego and determination battle in Ari's mind until he finally makes a decision. Ari runs a bit faster, taking the lead ahead of most other cadets and maintaining that position. He chooses this position because he believes it will benefit him. He doesn't run too far ahead to exhaust his stamina and risk failure, nor does he lag too far behind and risk being judged poorly for finishing last.

All the cadets ran from the north gate to the east gate. So far, Ari hasn't seen any signs of fatigue from the other cadets. Meanwhile, some cadets who ran further ahead are starting to disappear from sight; they might have already reached the south gate by now.

Upon arriving at the southern gate, most of the cadets were beginning to show signs of fatigue, although they could still push forward. Ari was among the few who had not yet displayed any signs of exhaustion. Meanwhile, Ari could now see some cadets who had previously run faster at the start. They appeared tired but still had enough energy to continue.

Shortly after, the cadets reached the western gate, and most of them were starting to feel weary, including Ari. Ari could only hope that they would only need to run for one lap, but deep down, he knew that the test wouldn't be that easy. Ari could now see all the cadets who had started running earlier, they were all tired, and some had even stopped running, only able to walk unsteadily.

As most of the cadets arrived at the northern gate, they looked puzzled. Sir Edmund was nowhere to be found where he was previously stationed. Some cadets began to stop running and tried to search for Sir Edmund around the northern gate, while the majority who persisted continued running, albeit panting and covered in sweat. Ari's body was drenched in sweat, yet he kept pushing himself to continue running.

Ari tried to control his breathing, hoping to run further with better breath control. Unfortunately, his body was so exhausted that even trying to breathe properly did not help Ari.

Moving slowly and almost collapsing from exhaustion, the remaining cadets managed to reach the eastern gate. Sir Edmund was still nowhere in sight, and the cadets seemed ready to give up on running. Only a few, including Ari, were still making an effort to move forward, albeit stumbling and faltering.

Ari tried to ignite his own spirit, recalling why he had journeyed to the city of Mountframe to become a knight.

'I will not fail the first test!'

Finally, on the outskirts of the city between the eastern gate and the southern gate, Sir Edmund was seen sitting calmly, sipping a cup of warm tea accompanied by a neatly dressed servant. Ari and nine others walked unsteadily towards Sir Edmund, who looked surprised to see the ten cadets approaching him wearily.

One cadet, too eager, tried to walk faster than the others to reach Sir Edmund, who gazed at the cadet with admiration and interest. At this point, Ari and the other eight cadets realized that their test was not over. Sir Edmund had not asked them to stop, which meant they still had to keep moving.

"Sir Edmund! Sir! I arrived earlier than the others!"

"Good job, cadet."

That was all Sir Edmund said before his expression turned flat, and he calmly resumed enjoying his tea. Sir Edmund even took a piece of cake and indulged in it excessively.

"Mmm, this cake is delicious!

Oh, where have I been all this time!"

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Ari paid no attention to the cake or tea enjoyed by Sir Edmund. What he wanted now was for Sir Edmund to ask them to stop, which didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.

Ari and five other cadets managed to reach the southern gate. One way or another that they couldn't understand, Sir Edmund was already sitting calmly in a lounge chair with a large umbrella shielding him from the hot morning sun.

Seeing Ari and the five other cadets continue walking without stopping at all, Sir Edmund showed his appreciation with applause and congratulations.

"Incredible! You are truly incredible!

You have fought incredibly and deserve a good rest."

Two cadets immediately fell face down and laughed happily, forgetting that Sir Edmund had not given the order to stop, which meant they were still in the midst of the test. Ari and three other cadets continued past Sir Edmund, who gazed at them with a puzzled look.

Ten minutes later, Sir Edmund clapped his hands and called out to the four cadets loudly.

"You are extraordinary cadets!

You may stop now!"

Upon hearing the word "stop," all four of them immediately collapsed in their respective places. Their feet were sore, and the lower parts of their bodies felt numb from exhaustion. They heard Sir Edmund's footsteps, which somehow sounded very clear as if intentionally made audible, approaching and stopping right in front of the four of them.

"Thank you, young cadets, for listening carefully to the orders I gave.

You can rest for a while and recover; the healers will assist you.

We will meet again this afternoon with the other cadets inside the classroom."

Ari doesn't remember much about what happened next. All he knew was that he felt some people lifting his body and laying him on a flat surface. Ari closed his eyes at that moment, trying to rest and relax with a little nap. When Ari opened his eyes, he was already in a room he recognized as one of the rooms at Mountframe Hospital.

On Ari's right and left were other cadets who had managed to make it through to the end with him. One of them seemed to be receiving serious treatment, while the other two had already woken up, just like Ari.

"What's wrong with that cadet?"

"I don't know, it seems like he had health issues before taking the exam."

Ari tried to peek at the cadet surrounded by healers from his bed, but unfortunately, he couldn't find a gap and eventually gave up. Ari lay back down and relaxed his body. Running around the city was truly an excessive morning exercise.

*****

That afternoon, Ari and the other cadets had gathered in a hall inside the Knight Academy headquarters. The hall appeared quite empty compared to the Front Hall of the Knight Headquarters where Ari had registered at the reception desk. There were no decorations on the walls or any other ornaments. At the front of the hall, there was a stage with ten neatly arranged chairs and a podium. The ten chairs were meant for the academy leaders while the podium would be used by the Trainer Representatives when they spoke.

Currently, Ari and the cadets stood in rows in front of the stage in an orderly manner. No one was chatting among the cadets; they were either too disappointed or too tired to engage with each other.

Shortly after, the instructors entered the hall through a hidden door behind the stage. The door blended so perfectly with the wall that no one would notice it was there unless they already knew about it.

The instructors took their respective places. The academy leaders sat in the provided chairs while the instructors stood behind them. Then, Sir Edmund walked to the podium and began speaking calmly.

"Welcome back, new cadets.

I would like to congratulate you and thank you for completing the first test held this morning outside the north gate.

I will now announce the names of the cadets who will proceed to the next stage. Those whose names are not called, please leave the Knight Academy and be proud that you have passed the first test even though the outcome was a failure."

Sir Edmund then started announcing the names of the cadets who had successfully passed the first test. Ari's name was called in the list of those who passed the first test as he had anticipated. Meanwhile, the cadets who had failed began to show their true colors.

"You dare to reject me!

Do you know who I am? I am the second son of a nobleman..."

"You insolent fool! You're just a teacher! What rights do you have to determine my success!

I demand the head of the academy to be present!"

Some of those who failed seemed to be descendants of nobility or other important people. Their attitude appeared more arrogant than ordinary people. Sir Edmund seemed unaffected by the failed cadets' threats and let them deliver their best threats.

After a full ten minutes of threats and crude insults, Sir Edmund finally raised his hand and signaled for all failed cadets to calm down.

"You've had your time to speak and you've wasted it with insults and threats.

Thank you for your words, now you have three choices.

First, you will be executed on the spot for offending a knight.

Second, apologize, go home, and never return.

Lastly, go home immediately and prepare to be removed from the country's list of names.

Please make your choice within one minute."

The faces of all failed cadets suddenly turned pale while the new cadets looked shocked at how the situation was unfolding. To be killed for insults? To be removed from the country's list of names? Apologizing seems like the best option. Unfortunately, not everyone can think logically, even at a basic level.

"Do you think this is a joke, Edmund!

You cannot kil- hoekk!"

The head of the recently failed cadet suddenly flew off, detached from his body without warning or any sign. Several robbed individuals quickly moved from their hiding spots, isolating the detached body and head in less than a second within a magical bubble, then reuniting them without leaving a trace on the failed cadet.

"Thank you, healer friends. I apologize for inconveniencing you like this.

So, has anyone not made a choice yet?

Do you all understand the consequences of your choices?"

Almost all the failed cadets immediately lowered their heads and apologised to Sir Edmund in unison. Somehow they could speak the same words simultaneously without any prior training, Ari couldn't understand it at all.

There was one cadet who seemed unable to swallow his pride and left the hall without apologizing to Sir Edmund. The academy's officials seemed to whisper to each other as they watched the failed cadet, but there was no action from them other than small discussions among themselves.

After the failed cadets left the hall, Sir Edmund once again took his place at the podium and spoke calmly.

"Thank you for waiting.

Now, let's continue with your second entrance exam."