While the various families had different ideas with similar intentions in mind, the test went on.
Each round was supposed to last thirty minutes and only half of that had gone by. Asher, who finished twelve minutes ago, was now down at the foot of the mountain with the others. Just like his fellow competitors, he was staring at the crystal display board that floated in mid-air. While the others did so to gauge the strength of their competitors and who to look out for in the main tournament, Asher's reason for watching the battles was quite different.
Although it was true that he also wanted to gauge the strength of his competitors, Asher did so for a different reason. Just like the various big figures in the VIP section, he was interested in the talents of the two academies and wanted to bring some under his wing.
'Eventually, I'll leave this place and explore this world. But before I do that, I have to strengthen my family to the best I can. However, the forces we have right now possess limited potential. If I want to set a firm foundation to last, I have to bring in proper pillars.'
As was previously mentioned, unlike most families, the Arnhaunt family prioritized loyalty over potential and so, did their recruitment from the pool of denizens in Red Maple province. This meant, however, that they wouldn't have so many talented individuals in their forces, after all, their recruitment pool was small and lower in quality compared to the other families. Although the Arnhaunts eventually trained tough mages who were more experienced than their counterparts, in terms of potential, they were weaker.
Asher now wanted to change this. He hoped to recruit more talented individuals to take charge, but he had no intention of throwing aside the mages in his family. Instead, Asher wanted younglings who would protect the family even after the current generation of protectors had passed away.
'The students in the First Dawn Academy are pretty much out of the picture. Although there are a few of them without allegiances, the majority come from different families and clans. Bringing them to our side would inevitably force us to have some ties with their families. That's not much of a problem, but if I recruit too much, it definitely would be.' Asher thought.
'But if I still aim to choose from a pool of talented individuals, there's only one organization that I could go to for that; the Second Dawn Academy. Compared to the former, the latter has more 'regulars' [1] and since it prioritizes talent as well, every one of them is a viable candidate for a pillar. I was originally planning to do this during my fourth year, but with an opportunity before me, why miss it?' Asher thought.
In the Great Dawn Kingdom and similar kingdoms, 'Pillars' was a title used to refer to someone who would support a faction in its stability and growth. They could either be a powerful mage or an extremely efficient official; both important characters needed for growth and development. When used for mages, using the average kingdom's standard, it meant someone who was of at least the count rank; that is at the sixth stage of the Guardian realm.
"When are you up?" Asher suddenly communicated with someone using a mental technique.
"At the third round, young master." A voice replied in Asher's head.
"Alright. Give me a breakdown of the situation in Second Dawn Academy as well as any notable figures." Asher said.
The person Asher was communicating with was his second follower assigned to him by his father, Raven. Unlike Isabella who stayed in the province and handled administration duties for Asher, Raven was sent to the Second Dawn Academy for infiltration purposes. Asher wanted him to relate with the students in the Second Dawn Academy and get a detailed report on their strength, potential, and those who would suit the Arnhaunt family.
Although it seemed unfair that Raven was sent to a 'second-rate' academy whereas Isabella had the opportunity to train directly under Asher, the young lord made sure that his loyal follower wasn't left behind. Asher ensured this by sending letters to Raven, explaining various spells and manuals to him. While this wasn't as effective as one-on-one live training, it was better than nothing.
Apart from this, just like the First Dawn Academy, the Second Dawn Academy gave breaks to its student at the end of each semester. As such, Raven still managed to get experience a physical training session with Asher.
"Alright, young master." Raven responded.
Raven went on to explain the situation at the Second Dawn Academy. Asher was already aware of the general information of the academy so Raven spoke about the current situation. He went on to mention the important characters from the academy who stood a chance to change the current list of students in the First Dawn Academy.
"... The most notable individual is Hanru, a non-elemental mage and the indisputable number one of the academy. He has only lost to the top two of the fourth-year division and it was admitted by the two as well as the academy's protector mages that the reason for his loss was the large gap in the mana realm and not strength. In the same realm, he is said to be undefeatable, and to be honest, I doubt I could beat him." Raven said.
As he was on an undercover mission, Raven didn't reveal his strength to the public and made it appear as if he was just above average in terms of potential, but nothing special. However, the opposite was true. Thanks to Asher's training, Raven was so strong that he could solidly contend with some of the top ten in the First Dawn Academy, and yet he admitted that he was not Hanru's match. Asher couldn't help but be surprised by this and even more interested in the Hanru.
'If I recall correctly, he should be the sword-wielding kid from before.' Asher recalled seeing Hanru approach the mountain at the starting phase of the qualifiers.
"His strength might be plain but his background is a bit off. From what I know, Hanru is the son of an influential count. Normally, he should have been admitted into the First Dawn Academy on his background alone, much less with such a terrifying talent, but he was instead sent to the Second Dawn Academy. I did a bit of digging and it turns out that Hanru isn't of a direct lineage but a bastard son; a result of a one-time reckless act by the count. I'm guessing for that reason, he's seen as a stain and is kept by the side or something."
"Interesting." Asher stroked his chin and he maintained his gaze on the display screen.
Just then, someone approached him from behind.