[Raul's PoV]
The next day, we arrived at a fortress city called Fort Raidel.
This city was originally just a marketplace where caravans stopped to rest and trade after exhausting journeys across the dry desert. Over time, however, the resting spot became more crowded, and many merchants even built settlements here. But with so many desert monsters roaming the area, the threat of attacks increased with the growing number of people.
That's why the Empire established a garrison and a fort here, to protect the residents and traders at Fort Raidel.
This territory didn't originally belong to the Aragon Empire. We acquired it after a civil war in the Kingdom of Kuwalid, which led to the fall of its previous rulers, the El-Arami dynasty.
The clan leaders rebelled against the Sultan, accusing his rule of being tyrannical. Seven clans rose in rebellion to overthrow his government. However, their forces were no match for the El-Arami dynasty's army.
The rebels then sought help from the Empire, offering several territories as compensation if they managed to overthrow their enemies.
The Empire agreed to the deal. They trained and provided the rebels with magical artifacts, enabling them to fight the El-Arami forces. Eventually, the rebels emerged victorious.
The entire El-Arami dynasty was executed for their crimes.
Afterward, Kuwalid implemented a rotating government system, where each clan leader could serve as Sultan for five years to ensure a fairer and more balanced rule.
But as the developer of this game, I know the conspiracy behind the rebellion. In truth, the Empire had set up one of the El-Arami dynasty's families to be hated by the people of Kuwalid.
The mastermind of this conspiracy was none other than my father—Duke Alvaro de Garcia. Thanks to his accomplishments, he was appointed Head of Imperial Intelligence by the previous Emperor, Victor de Aragon.
Upon entering Fort Raidel, we stopped at a square not far from the barracks where the soldiers stationed here live.
Instructor Torun stepped forward, likely to explain the rules and details of the second phase of the survival exam.
"We will now begin the second phase of the survival exam," the Instructor announced loudly. "You will be divided into teams of two. Your task is to survive and cross the desert without either of you perishing."
He went on to explain the exam rules in more detail.
The exam has a time limit of five days. If the students haven't reached the eastern edge of the desert by the end of the time limit, they will be disqualified.
Unlike the first phase, there is no limit on how many participants can fail this time. Participants are also allowed to attack each other. However, since the main focus of this phase is survival and reaching the finish line as quickly as possible, I doubt the battles between participants will be as intense as during the first phase.
Only those who reach the eastern edge will be eligible to move on to the third phase.
"Those are the official rules for the second phase," the Instructor concluded. "Any questions?"
A blonde-haired woman raised her hand.
"Can we form alliances?" Elena asked.
An alliance, huh? I don't think that's a good idea. Forming an alliance would only slow us down, and we'd have to share our supplies. Speed and food-and-water supplies are crucial in this second phase.
"You can," the Instructor replied. "This time, you are allowed to bring your own weapons. There are quite a few monsters in this desert. But don't worry, most of the monsters in this area are between levels 0 and 3. Only a few are higher than that."
The Instructor was right. In this desert, the most commonly encountered monsters are those below level 3.
Academy students can only defeat monsters from levels 0 to 3. Anything above that would be very difficult for them to handle. Monsters at level 5 or higher could easily kill them.
"But don't worry, if you're unlucky enough to encounter high-level monsters, the Limiter artifact will activate, teleporting you to safety once your body reaches its limit."
At first glance, this artifact seems very useful. However, its ring will break if hit by mid-level or higher magic. That's why this artifact is only used for student training and not for real combat.
"Any other questions?"
This time, a short man raised his hand.
"Can we bring food and water supplies from here?"
"You can bring as much as you want, as long as you don't carry any Pocket Dimension artifacts," the Instructor replied.
As I mentioned earlier, carrying too many items will only slow you down on the journey and make you a target for other teams in need of food and water supplies.
The journey from the western edge of the desert to the eastern edge is about 200 kilometers. This means the students will have to cover around 40 kilometers each day.
If everything goes smoothly, that distance might seem manageable. But monsters and the scorching heat will make the journey difficult.
"Any other questions?"
Hearing the Instructor's words, the students remained silent, signaling that they understood the rules of the second phase.
"Alright then, you can shop for supplies after drawing numbers from this box to determine your partner," the Instructor said, pointing to a box beside him.
"First student, step forward and draw your number!"
---
[Valeria's PoV]
Ugh... The weather here is so hot that I had to take off my academy uniform.
After drawing our numbers as instructed by Instructor Torun, the students began shopping for supplies to prepare for the second phase of the exam.
I, too, was wandering the market, looking at the stores selling camping gear for my upcoming journey.
But I was in a foul mood.
That's because a black-haired man was following me around while I shopped.
"Why do I have to be teamed up with a pervert like you?"
I turned around, glaring at him. His expressionless face, showing no interest in anything, somehow irritated me even more.
"Hey, it's not my fault you picked the same number as me," he replied casually.
Yeah… I must be unlucky today.
I stopped at a camping gear store, eyeing several tents made from high-quality material that could shelter me from the desert storms.
"How much for these, sir?" I asked the store owner.
"Ah, an excellent choice, young lady. This is the best camping gear available," the man said proudly. "It's one Gulden and 60 Silver."
I took out my wallet and handed him two gold coins. The vendor then packed the camping gear into a backpack for me.
After leaving the store, I continued walking through the market, searching for other items.
"Aren't you going to buy gear like mine?" I asked the black-haired man walking beside me.
"Carrying that much will only slow me down," he answered flatly. "I'll just find a place to rest and take shelter from the storms."
I glanced at him, noticing he was looking at me with a pitying expression. What's going through this pervert's mind?
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
He turned his gaze back ahead.
"Have you never shopped before?" he asked me.
He was right. I had never shopped alone in my life. All my needs were always taken care of by the servants working for my father. I'd never even left the academy unless there was an important event.
"You know, that vendor scammed you," the black-haired man said. "That gear doesn't cost more than 80 Silver."
I froze in my tracks upon hearing his words. "Why didn't you tell me!? Now I look like an idiot for being swindled by that scumbag!"
"Hey, what difference does it make? Whether it's 80 Silver or one and a half Gulden, that amount of money is nothing to nobles like us."
Ugh... I hate this guy.
Why does he always irritate me? Does he hold a personal grudge against me?
Well… now that I think about it, I've slapped him several times when we crossed paths. That's because seeing his face reminded me of an embarrassing incident during a magic lesson.
"Ugh… whatever!"
After buying the necessary supplies for the journey, we moved on to purchasing food for the trip. I noticed the pervert only bought a few bottles of water and carried a small amount of food.
"Don't expect me to share my food and water once the exam starts," I warned him.
If he struggled later, it'd be his own fault for not preparing properly. You always need to be ready for the worst-case scenario.
"I bet you'll lose all your supplies and gear within a day," he replied confidently.
Tch, he's underestimating me.
I really don't understand what goes on in his head.
"Are you all ready?" Instructor Torun asked.
After preparing everything for the journey, the students returned to the field to begin the second phase of the survival exam.
"Alright! Teams 1-20 will leave through the south gate! Teams 21-40 through the north gate! Teams 41-60 through the west gate! And finally, teams 61-70 through the east gate! Got it?" the Instructor directed all the groups.
I and this pervert were on Team 35, which meant we would start the exam by leaving through the north gate.
"Understood, Instructor!" all the students responded in unison.
"Alright! The second phase of the exam begins now!"
All the teams then began heading towards their respective exit gates.
This time, I won't lose.
I'll be the first to reach the finish line—with or without this pervert.