Zoe ignored Felix's question and commanded crisply, "Take out your ribbons."

The students followed her order, each pulling a blue ribbon from their pockets or wherever they had hidden them. As they did so, Zoe flicked her wrist, bringing the ribbons to life. They began to sway in the air, slithering like snakes before coiling around the students' wrists.

Most of the students gasped at the display, though a few appeared unfazed.

Once the ribbons were securely fastened on their wrists, Zoe opened her palm to reveal a crown-shaped purple object, the size of a thumb, resting there. "This Sovereign Emblem will choose the king on its own."

As the students watched intently, the Sovereign Emblem began to drift through the air, its glow shifting from purple to blue, casting a mystical light. It hovered near Violet, who frowned and dismissively waved her hand, saying in an annoyed tone, "Go away." She shooed it like a bothersome fly.

The emblem followed her command, leaving her to seek its next target. The students let out a sigh of relief, knowing Violet’s prowess would be wasted in this expedition if she were to assume the role of King—after all, she was considered the strongest among her classmates.

The emblem then floated towards Elara, whose eyes sparkled momentarily before it darted away and began circling Felix.

A smug expression spread across Felix's face, thinking he was about to secure his well deserved destined role. He extended his left hand, inviting the Sovereign Emblem to choose him. But just as it neared, it abruptly flew off, this time gravitating towards someone they all secretly hoped it would choose.

The emblem began to orbit Theo, who stood calmly at the center of attention, his expression unreadable. The surrounding students fell silent, watching as the emblem showed no sign of leaving. As the minutes passed, murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.

"It would be perfect if that guy is chosen as the King."

"Would you really prefer someone else to take the role?"

"Yes, if it's him, he won’t lose his mana capabilities, since he doesn't have any."

“Oh, then we have better chances of winning since we will have one more person who could help us earn the expedition points. After all, this guy would be burdened with the Sovereign Emblem.”

Elara overheard Felix and the others discussing as she frowned, pondering to herself, ‘It’s rare for someone to have no mana. After that merchant who disappeared with my beloved sister, this guy is the second one I’ve encountered with no mana. But how did he manage to get into the academy if he lacks mana?’ She was intrigued by the rarity of meeting not just one, but two people devoid of mana, and puzzled over how Theo could be in the same class as her.

Zoe, too, had caught snippets of the conversation among the students. She was equally puzzled. Although she had not sensed any mana from Theo either, his records told a different story—Theo was currently the student with the highest number of silver points.

As the Sovereign Emblem completed its assessment of Theo, finding no trace of mana, it seemed to sink into a low mood, its brightness dimming and its movement slowing. Yet, as it moved past Theo, its speed unexpectedly increased, and it began to glow more brightly. The light intensified until it momentarily blinded everyone present.

When the light finally dimmed, a familiar voice declared, "Lorian has been chosen as the king."

When the light finally dimmed, Zoe declared, "Lorian has been chosen as the king."

Theo turned to look at Lorian’s wrist where the crown-shaped purple emblem now sat comfortably on his blue ribbon. Lorian, however, wore a sour expression, clearly displeased with the outcome.

Seeing his displeasure, Zoe said, "If you want to transfer the Sovereign Emblem to someone else, you may. However, it can only be done once and at your discretion. So, I would advise not doing it unless you're in danger of losing it."

Lorian, slightly relieved by her clarification, scanned the crowd and asked, "Does anyone else wish to take it?"

His offer was met with silence as no one wanted to take on the burden. The class gave him looks of sympathy, treating him as if he were the most unlucky person there, even Violet and Garrick shared glances of empathy, as if they could feel his pain.

As the Sovereign Emblem selected its owner, Zoe began to further elaborate on the rules. "As you gather more expedition points for your class, and if you secure another Sovereign Emblem, your emblem will grow in size and can absorb points from other sections' emblems. The section with the largest Sovereign Emblem at the end of the competition will be declared the winner. However, remember, this is a friendly competition focused on survivability and teamwork. Deadly attacks on others are strictly prohibited and the supervisors will closely monitor the expedition to prevent any mishaps."

With the final guidelines laid out and the king's role assigned, Zoe activated a portal using a blue stone. She stepped through it, disappearing from sight, leaving the students to prepare for their adventure.

Above them, the sun shone brightly as the students started to regroup with their respective teams. Elara gathered her group of elven girls, quickly taking charge and beginning to instruct them on their strategy. Meanwhile, Violet ventured off to survey the area, her curiosity leading her toward the forest.

Theo and Lorian decided to follow Violet's lead into the forest. However, before they could get far, a familiar voice halted them. "You shouldn’t go into the forest."

Turning around, Theo and Lorian met Elara's concerned gaze. Her warning was directed at Lorian, her green eyes locking with his.

Theo was not particularly worried about Elara recognizing Lorian by name, as 'Lorian' was a common name among elves. Additionally, his appearance had slightly changed due to the illusionist ring. He was no longer a cold youth who once faced royalty unflinchingly and held them in low regard.

However, one aspect of him remained unchanged: he continued to refer to Theo as ‘Brother.’ Fortunately for them, Elara was unaware that this ‘Brother' was the same merchant who had disturbed her peaceful life and ruined her plan, so she had not connected the dots yet.

With a flat tone, Lorian responded, "It's still daylight, and we have only just arrived." His reply was dismissive, almost as if questioning Elara's intelligence.

Seemingly understanding his perspective, Elara chose not to press further.

Lorian and Theo then proceeded into the forest to familiarize themselves with their new environment.

After about half an hour, they returned to the campsite, where they found Violet already back and surrounded by other students. The group was eagerly waiting for her to begin, likely waiting for insights from her exploration.

As Theo and Lorian neared the gathering, Felix called out to them, "The leader's calling you two for the meeting."

Upon their arrival, Violet gave Theo and Lorian a stern look, clearly annoyed at their tardiness as most of the students had already gathered around her.

Without directly addressing their late arrival, Violet shifted her attention to Elara, who took on the role of outlining their strategy. "For the next thirty days, we need to survive here," Elara began. "If we aim to win this expedition against the other sections, it’s crucial that we stay alert and cooperate as a unified team. Teacher Zoe has briefed us on the rules, and thankfully, the academy has provided us with some basic amenities, like a makeshift toilet." She mentioned the last part with a trace of bitterness.

She paused for a moment before continuing, "For food, we’ll likely need to hunt or gather edible items. Water will also need to be sourced by us. Furthermore, the other sections might start making their moves as early as tonight. According to the rules, they are allowed to enter our home territory after sunset. Therefore, we must adjust our schedule— we will rest during the day and stay alert at night to fend off any potential attacks."

Theo quietly admired Elara's strategic mind, thinking to himself, 'As expected from this vixen, she's adept at crafting plans against adversaries... Resting by day and staying alert by night...' Her ability to devise a strong plan in such a short time was truly impressive.

With Elara’s explanation concluded, Violet took charge. "Given what we know now, we need to form two teams," she declared. "One will protect our King, and the second will focus on gathering resources and accumulating expedition points for Class 1-A."

The group listened attentively as she laid out the roles. "I will naturally stay by the King’s side to protect him. Losing the Sovereign Emblem would mean elimination for us." She then nodded towards Elara. "She will lead the resource-gathering team and be responsible for earning expedition points for us."

"I will join her Highness's team," Felix announced, raising his hand swiftly before anyone else could volunteer.

Garrick quickly followed, choosing the same team as Felix. Soon, several more students opted to join Elara's team, drawn perhaps by her beauty.

Violet's frustration was visible by her sour expression on her face as she watched the majority of students choose Elara's team.

‘Why is everyone flocking to the other team?’ she grumbled under her breath. It seemed illogical to her; staying in their home territory to protect the king should have been the easier and more appealing option.

Theo, observing the scene, understood their motive. Most of the boys were drawn to Elara, not only because of her leadership qualities but also due to her beauty and the fact that she was surrounded by other elven beauties. For them, It was more appealing to be by her side rather than with someone like Violet, who was known for her grumpy demeanor. The girls' choices were limited; besides the four elven beauties, there was only Violet herself in the class 1-A.

“This won't work. You will stay on the guardian team since you’re stronger than others,” Violet asserted, directing her gaze at Felix.

Felix, feeling honor and obligation, responded, "If you say so… I’ll join." He was flattered by Violet's acknowledgment of his strength and felt somewhat special that she had singled him out. Besides, he was wary of defying her directive, unsure of how she might react if he declined.

Just then, an elven girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail stepped forward. "I will also join since we need more strength on this side." She cast a brief glance at Theo and Lorian before focusing on Violet.

In response, Violet quickly directed three more boys to join their ranks. Now, the guardian team, including Lorian, numbered seven, while Elara's team had twelve members.

Theo remained calm and unbothered as no one asked which team he would join. Lorian also noticed this but chose not to comment—not out of a desire to spare Theo any embarrassment, but because he knew his brother was like a one-man army and didn't need a team. Lorian had too much faith in him.

With the teams finalized, Violet conferred briefly with Elara before issuing orders for the next steps. "Let’s start gathering branches, vines, and leaves," she instructed, pointing towards the surrounding woods. "We need to build makeshift tents for shelter as soon as possible."

Once the other students dispersed to gather materials, including Lorian and Elara, Violet turned to Theo. Her tone was serious, yet there was a softness in her eyes as she addressed him, "I don't know who you are, what you can do, or what you're capable of, but I don't believe you're in Class 1-A of Phoenixwing Academy just because you're the Headmistress's nephew. It’s best if you stay with our team to protect your friend. I have a feeling you'll be more at ease here."

Theo simply nodded, somewhat surprised to find that Violet, whom he had least expected to comprehend his quiet nature, seemed to grasp it the best. It was true he had connections with the headmistress, but he was at the academy on his own merit, having passed the entrance exam like everyone else.

Noticing his agreement, Violet probed a little further, "What should I call you?"

"Leywin," Theo responded, choosing to keep his first name undisclosed.

Violet repeated the name thoughtfully before heading off to assist the others. Theo joined her, lending a hand to Lorian and the rest of their team.

***

Meanwhile, at another corner of the island, a group of students from a rival section were huddled together, scheming.

An elven boy, eyes gleaming with mischief, reported, "I've spotted some of the students about two kilometers from here."

"Did you find their king?" A young man queried eagerly.

The elven boy replied, "Yes, I did."

A sly grin spread across the boy's face. "Let's give them a surprise. They won't expect an attack on the very first day of the expedition."

Laughter erupted among the group as they began to plot their surprise attack.