Ric and Yota prepared themselves for the upcoming exam. They changed their clothes, had lunch, and freshened up, maintaining silence throughout the entire time as the exam drew near. Suddenly, an announcement from the alchemy speakers, which were attached to the ceiling, signaled the departure of all the participants from the dormitory. However, as Ric was about to leave the dorm for the exam, Yota approached him and said, "Hey, Ric!"

Ric turned around and answered, "Hmm? What do you want, Yota?" Yota remained silent and didn't say anything.

"If you don't have anything to say, then I am leaving," Ric said as he turned away and started to walk. "I have been thinking about what you said all this time," Yota said with determination. Ric stopped, and Yota mustered up his courage and continued, "But… a dream that is achieved by trampling on others is not worth achieving!" A silence swept through the air, and Ric broke the silence by saying, "That's naive."

"Even though it's naive, that will be the path I will follow!" Yota answered in a determined manner.

"Sigh… You're contradicting yourself now," Ric replied.

"W-what?" Yota replied in confusion.

"The mere fact that you are standing here contradicts what you are saying," Ric said with a serious face.

"Huh?" Yota got flustered.

"This dormitory is only for ten people, as there are only five bunk beds. The fact that you are standing here means that you have stolen the position of someone who could have arrived after you. If you hadn't come when you did, then maybe someone else would have been here."

"Huh? That-" Yota said in confusion.

Ric advanced towards Yota and continued in a serious manner, "We were the last to arrive in the dorm. I was 9th, and you were 10th. That means you just trampled on someone's dream to join the academy in order to achieve yours. Don't you think that goes against the path you need to follow?"

Ric stopped in front of Yota, who was doubting himself and couldn't utter a word. Ric placed his hands on Yota's shoulders and said calmly, "Listen here, Yota. I know you're optimistic and want to help everyone. But this is not some fantasy; this is a world where the weak get trampled and the strong get praised. The academy is a small reflection of this world. In order to achieve your dream, you need to struggle more than anyone and seize it by force! Otherwise, others will take it from you. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"Y-yes," Yota replied in a depressed manner.

As Ric saw Yota becoming depressed, he thought, "Did I say too much? But he needs to overcome his naive personality; otherwise, he won't survive in the academy. Hmm… Maybe it's too soon for him."

"But… a hero doesn't do what everyone does, right?" Ric asked with a bright smile on his face.

"W-what?" replied Yota.

"Don't you want to become a hero?" Ric questioned.

"Yes, I do, but…" Yota said in bewilderment.

"Well, I think that it's necessary to trample on someone to achieve greatness," Ric said calmly as Yota remained silent. Ric noticed that and continued, "The hero also trampled on bad people continuously until he reached the most evil creature known to us. You know who that is, right?"

"Huh? T-The Demon King!" Yota replied as he slowly started to understand.

"Yup! So you just have to follow in his footsteps and become the next hero!" Ric said cheerfully.

"Yeah! Why didn't you explain it like this before?" Yota said with excitement.

"Pfft~ Because you're dumb!" Ric teased Yota and ran out of the dorm.

"Hey! Get back here!" Yota screamed and ran towards Ric.

After that, all the students gathered on the ground, with four examiners, a podium, and the student council already present. One of the examiners stepped forward, stood on the podium in front of an alchemical mic, and said, "Welcome, students! I am Reinhardt Ross." The crowd of students was astonished upon hearing the name and started murmuring among themselves. "Hey, isn't that the name of the demon slayer?" Another one said, "Is he the one who slayed more than a hundred demons by himself in a day?"

The crowd continued murmuring, but Reinhardt ignored that and continued, "This is the Kyrus Academy, where we don't care about your bloodline, origin, status, or achievements! There is only one thing that matters here, and that is skill! If you have the skills, then anyone, no matter who you are, can achieve greatness! Now, answer me! Are you ready?" The students, filled with newfound determination and morale, screamed and answered, "YES!" Their voices echoed and could be heard from outside. Reinhardt said, "Now then, I will start explaining about the exam. The exam is divided into four tests taken over the span of three days. The 400 of you who are present here have passed the first test, which is 'Time Management.' Time is of utmost importance in the academy, and you are the ones who have passed this hurdle. The second test is 'Academics,' which will be held today. You will be given three hours to answer the questions given in the question paper. The minimum passing mark out of 100 is 35. The details of the remaining exams will be revealed later. If you pass any three tests out of the four mentioned, then you will be admitted into the academy. That is all, best of luck, students!"

Reinhardt stepped down from the podium, and the teachers distributed the question papers to the students with the help of magic, signalling the start of the exam.