As everyone slept, a shadowy figure approached Ric and Yota's beds, muttering, "Hehe, now you won't be able to get up tomorrow." The figure placed something near Ric and Yota's pillows and left stealthily. Unbeknownst to the intruder, Ric had been awake the whole time.

The next day, all the students woke up early and began to freshen up, except for Ric and Yota. Suddenly, an announcement blared through the speakers, "Attention! All students gather at the training grounds in 15 minutes! Those who don’t will be sent back to their homes!" The dorm emptied as students rushed to the training grounds, leaving only Ric and Yota behind. Ric finally opened his eyes and saw the dorm empty.

"Hmm… 15 minutes is quite a long time. I don't think that thing is still here, but let's check it out just in case," Ric muttered to himself.

Ric checked beside his pillow and said, "As expected, it is not here. Well, let's wake up the sleepyhead and head over to the training grounds." He got out of bed, went to the bathroom, fetched a mug of water, and returned to throw it on Yota's face.

"Bargh! *Cough* *Cough* " Yota woke up in surprise.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty, or do you want me to kick you in the face?" Ric teased Yota.

"Huh? Why Did yOu wAke me up liKe that?" Yota asked groggily.

Ric glanced at the wall clock and said, "There's still 10 minutes left."

Yota yawned sleepily as he rubbed his eyes, still feeling groggy from just waking up. Ric took Yota's hand and told him, "Get up and come with me." He dragged the drowsy and sluggish Yota to the bathroom.

"W-wHaT aRe we DoiNg heRe~?" Yota asked in a drowsy manner.

They stood in front of a bucket full of water. Ric grabbed Yota's head and forcefully pushed it into the water. "Gurgh!" Yota was taken aback and, struggling to breathe, he started to drown. He flailed his hands everywhere and managed to push the bucket away, gasping for air.

"What the **** was that?" Yota asked angrily.

"We have 5 minutes left to reach the training grounds, otherwise, we will be expelled," Ric said, ignoring Yota's anger.

"W-what?!" Yota asked in confusion.

"You wanna argue until we run out of time? Or you wanna go?" Ric asked him nonchalantly and started to head for the door of the dorm.

"Huh? Hey! Wait for me!" Yota ran towards Ric and asked, "What happened? Why did you wake me up like that?" to which Ric exclaimed, "You were drugged." Yota replied, "Oh, okay then…" but soon realized and screamed, "Wait… What?!"

"Don’t overreact; it's normal for one or two to die in a competition like this. You're quite lucky," Ric answered calmly.

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"What?! When did it become normal for people to die?!" Yota asked anxiously.

"The moment you stepped into this academy, it did. I'm surprised you slept with enemies all around," Ric replied indifferently and kept walking.

"Wha-" Yota stopped speaking and thought, "Yes, he is right! I need to calm myself down." He composed himself and asked, "Do you know who did it?"

"Who knows~ they can be anyone from our dorm," Ric replied in a laid-back manner.

"No, the one who did it must be a bad guy, an outsider! And I don't think anyone from our dorm would do that," Yota said in a serious tone.

"Tch!" Ric exclaimed infuriatingly.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Yota asked in curiosity.

"Nope, look, we have arrived." Ric replied, calming himself. A crowd of students stood on the training grounds, as soon as Ric and Yota joined the crowd of students, Reinhardt commanded, "Magicians, be ready to activate the barrier!" Four magicians positioned at a distance from the crowd began chanting. Reinhardt looked at the students and ordered, "There are fifteen seconds left; when I signal, all the students will count down to zero from 10." Reinhardt signaled them with his hand, and the students started counting.

"Ten!" Their voices resounded everywhere, and even the people outside could hear the voices.

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

The students left in their dorms woke up and heard the voices. They ran towards the training grounds. Melvin was also one of them who arrived just in the nick of time.

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!!"

The countdown ended, and the mages erected a barrier large enough to confine all the students inside and prevent others from invading. However, some students arrived late and got stuck outside the barrier. They requested to be let inside and join the exam, but the council members refused. Then, a finely dressed boy with an air of superiority arrogantly stepped forward and said, "Do you even know who I am?! I am from the-"

"Silence!" Reinhardt interjected in a firm and unwavering voice. He continued, "I don't care about your family background or status. This academy is a place of equality and growth for every student. Here, you are all equal, and your worth is determined by your actions, not your lineage. Respect for time and discipline is fundamental. Those who disregard these values are not welcome here. Council members, kindly escort them out of the training grounds, and if necessary, use appropriate measures."

The council members took the expelled students away. Ric, who had been observing everything, smirked and thought, "Not bad~. Every year, Most of the students drug each other with the 'drunken petal,' although it's harmless, it makes the people who smell it sleepy and in a drunken state. It's a drug which is cheap and can be easily purchased from the streets. It is small, so it fades away quickly, and it's hard to stay awake if you smell it unless you receive some kind of shock or pain. That's why he told the students to scream, so that other students who were left out would wake up from the shock if they had been drugged. And it's impossible to sleep after such a large crowd is making noise simultaneously. The students who arrived earlier were determined, so they ran here without wasting time, but those who came late were careless; they did not prioritize the academy and exam, and are now expelled."

Reinhardt turned to the other students, his expression softened, but his resolve was clear. "Let this be a lesson for everyone. Each of you has the potential to become great, but it is your character, dedication, and hard work that will define your path here. Together, we create an environment of respect, humility, and growth. Remember that, And now, Let's start the test for the second day!"