Will of the Battlefield

Eudora finally stopped tormenting her younger brother.

For a moment, the teasing smile disappeared from her face, replaced by a rare expression of sincerity.

She looked first at Thane, then at Max.

The bustling registration hall continued roaring around them, but neither boy interrupted her.

"Jokes aside," Eudora said, crossing her arms. "This academy isn’t some playground."

Her gaze sharpened. "People outside Bentram, like Krynova and Drevlorn, are here as well. Many of them have trained since childhood for this opportunity."

Max nodded and Thane simply listened.

"You two have talent," Eudora continued. "Don’t waste it."

The giant teenager blinked. Was she... actually encouraging him?

A suspicious feeling immediately appeared in his chest.

And soon after, Eudora smiled. "If either of you scores badly..."

Both boys felt a chill.

"I’ll kill you," she said.

Silence sealed their lips.

Max laughed awkwardly. "Haha... you’re joking, right?"

Eudora stared at him. Max’s smile slowly vanished. "...Right?"

The woman turned around and began walking away. "Good luck."

She waved without looking back. "And don’t embarrass me."

Thane watched her disappear into the crowd before releasing a sigh of relief so powerful it almost sounded like a battle cry.

"Finally..."

Max glanced at him. "You fear her more than any opponent."

"Because opponents stop attacking when the fight ends." Thane gave a suitable answer, and Max couldn’t argue with that.

---

The registration venue stretched across an enormous complex built specifically for the Aspirant Entry Examination.

After passing through the main hall, candidates entered a vast circular plaza where dozens of officials directed applicants toward different sections.

Large banners hung from stone pillars.

MARTIAL DIVISION

MIND DIVISION

The two words dominated the area. The academy understood a simple truth: not every talent was born equal.

Some individuals possessed overwhelming physical gifts.

Others possessed minds capable of changing kingdoms.

Thus, the entrance examination had been separated into two primary paths.

The Martial Division was for warriors, fighters, blessed combatants, and those whose strengths lay in physical excellence.

The Mind Division was for strategists, scholars, tacticians, inventors, and intellectual talents.

Neither path was considered superior.

The academy valued both.

After all, an army needed strategists just as much as it needed generals.

The plaza buzzed with excitement. Thousands of young aspirants moved between the registration areas.

Some wore expensive noble attire, others looked like commoners who had spent years saving money for this chance.

The atmosphere felt chilling. Every person present understood the importance of this day.

A successful examination could alter the course of their lives forever.

Max studied the signs overhead. "I suppose this is where we split up."

Thane nodded. The giant teenager had absolutely no business entering the Mind Division.

Even he knew that. The recollection of the fact that he had once gotten lost inside his own house remained a painful memory.

Max smiled. "Try not to break anything."

"I won’t," Thane retorted.

Max didn’t stop. "Try not to get lost."

Thane waved his fist with a frown. "You are begging for a punch." He looked offended.

Max laughed. "See you later."

The giant finally nodded. "Bye, dumbass."

The two friends separated. One headed toward the Martial Division, the other toward the Mind Division.

Thane quickly became the center of attention again.

It was difficult not to notice him. His enormous frame towered above most candidates.

Even many adults looked small standing beside him.

Whispers followed wherever he walked.

"Look at that guy."

"Is he really our age?"

"That’s not a teenager."

"How the fuck is he here? Only seventeen-year-olds are allowed."

Thane ignored them.

Max taught him that reacting only made things worse. By now, he knew his size was only common when he was inside his home.

Eventually, he reached the registration desk for the Martial Division.

A middle-aged official sat behind a large wooden counter.

Without looking up, the man spoke. "Name."

"Thane."

The official began writing. "Family name?"

Thane paused, memories surfaced.

The two old men in robes he met forbad him to reveal his identity.

Max’s words also came to his mind, those he said while they were in the carriage. "Your achievements should belong to you before they belong to your family."

Thane had never fully understood what that meant.

But he remembered it and, more importantly, using his family name would attract attention.

A lot of attention. The kind of attention he didn’t want.

So he answered simply. "Just Thane."

The official finally looked up. "Just Thane?"

"Yes."

The man raised an eyebrow.

Most applicants proudly displayed their family names, especially nobles and influential families. Yet this giant simply offered a single name.

"Interesting." The official shrugged.

He had seen stranger things. His pen moved across the registration form.

Name: Thane

No surname.

No clan.

No house.

Just Thane.

The giant felt strangely relieved.

The official continued. "Age?"

"Sixteen. No... Seventeen, today is my birthday," Thane said.

The man looked at him. "You were born on New Year’s Day! Surprise me more."

He turned his sight back to continue writing. "Origin?"

"Bentram Kingdom."

The official finished writing before sliding a small metal token across the desk.

The token bore a number: 774.

"Keep this," the official said. "You’ll need it for the examination."

Thane accepted it carefully. The metal looked surprisingly sturdy.

"Where do I go now?" Thane asked.

The official pointed toward a massive arena-like structure visible beyond the registration grounds. "The waiting area."

Thane nodded. "Thank you."

The giant turned and walked away. The official watched him leave.

Something about that boy felt unusual, not because of his size.

The academy had seen gifted physiques before.

It was the lack of concern. Most candidates arrived nervous and excited.

Some were arrogant, others very fearful.

Thane seemed like none of those things.

He looked like someone who had simply shown up because someone told him to.

The official shook his head. "Whatever."

The examination would reveal everything soon enough.

Elsewhere, Max entered the registration area of the Mind Division.

Rows of desks filled a grand hall packed with aspiring scholars and strategists.

Compared to the Martial Division, the atmosphere felt calmer, and evidently more focused.

Many candidates carried books rather than weapons.

Others discussed politics, economics, and military history.

Max smiled. This was the environment he belonged to.

As he stepped toward the registration counter, he wondered how Thane was doing.

Then he remembered Eudora’s threat. A small shiver ran down his spine.

For perhaps the first time in his life, Max became genuinely motivated to pass an examination.

Because failing might result in something worse than expulsion.

It might result in Eudora finding him.