The five best first-year students from each academy would participate in a qualifying round to determine the representatives of their respective continents. Originally, there would have been thirty students in total, but with other territories joining the competition, the format had been adjusted to make the contest more balanced.
Since King Alaric was negotiating alliances with other continents, it was decided that fifteen spots would be reserved for the best students from the main continent, while the other fifteen would be filled by students from outside. However, since this would be the first time the other continents participated, the organizers chose to maintain the original number of five representatives from each academy during the initial stage of the competition.
That year's battle between the academies would be held in Vesparello.
Three continents would participate in total, each sending their best students. Once everyone had been selected, each representative could choose four companions to form their team. This would result in thirty teams of five members, totaling one hundred and fifty participants in the trials and tournaments that would take place at the end of the year.
"Huff... This really is incredible, Enrico! So, you're going to participate in the qualifiers as the fifth-ranked student, right?"
Seraphina was training on the field, doing push-ups while Enrico rested one hand on her back and performed the same exercise with his feet raised. Despite the difficulty, he followed her pace effortlessly, as if it were hardly a challenge.
"Yes, exactly. But I'll need to compete against the other students from this continent if I want to be among the fifteen selected to participate in the battle between the academies."
"I'm sure you'll make it!"
Seraphina sounded confident, although she was getting increasingly tired.
She hadn't shown up the previous day because she had been granted permission to rest after an accident during her training when her magic went out of control. Since she belonged to Class S, she had obtained permission without much difficulty, but now she was determined to resume her training.
"Huff... Huff... Huff..."
Enrico noticed that his companion was reaching her limit and decided to stop the exercise.
"You seem tired. You can stop and rest for twenty minutes. This is enough for now."
He removed his hand from her back and stepped away. Completely exhausted, Seraphina simply let herself fall sideways and lay down on the training field.
Around them, some students running across the field slowed down to watch the scene. The two had been training for quite some time, but Enrico remained calm, showing no significant signs of fatigue. Seraphina, on the other hand, seemed incapable of lifting a finger.
"What a monster!"
"That guy has an absurd physique to endure all of that!"
"I wouldn't expect anything less from Rank 5."
Enrico heard the comments but didn't pay much attention to them. Instead, he looked at Seraphina, who was still breathing heavily.
He wasn't particularly surprised by the difference between them. In his original world, performing such an intense sequence of exercises would have been practically impossible, especially after spending so much time training. In that world, however, magic strengthened the body, and people possessed physical capabilities superior to those of humans in his former reality.
Even so, Enrico knew he shouldn't become complacent.
'Now that I think about it... System, have you managed to discover anything about my original world yet?'
[No. As I said, the information remains blocked. That's why I don't believe your world is as simple as you imagine. If I manage to discover anything, I'll let you know.]
'How unsettling... Knowing that my own world might be hiding some secret is quite strange.'
He remained silent for a few moments before thinking of another question.
'And speaking of unsettling things, did the original Enrico really have to die for me to occupy his body?'
[Yes. What is it? Do you feel sorry for him?]
It wasn't exactly pity. Enrico felt something more difficult to explain, a kind of discomfort at knowing that his existence in that world was connected to another person's death.
The original Enrico had certainly been an idiot in many ways, but in the end, he was still someone who had lived his own life. Knowing that he had to die for Enrico to take over his body was something Enrico couldn't completely ignore.
Perhaps the problem was that, as time passed, he had begun to consider that body entirely his own.
'What a pain.'
Enrico pushed those thoughts aside and turned his attention back to Seraphina, who finally seemed to have recovered some of her strength.
"Seraphina, I need to meet up with Elian and the others, so I'll have to go. Would you like me to take you to your room?"
She raised her head and smiled.
"Yes, let's go!"
Enrico bent down and offered his back so she could climb on. Seraphina readily accepted, wrapping her arms around him to keep herself steady as he carried her back to the dormitory.
Along the way, she seemed so happy that she began humming softly.
[Why you?]
'Maybe it's my charm.'
[Impossible.]
Enrico ignored the System's response and continued walking.
When he arrived at Seraphina's room, he carefully placed her on the bed and said goodbye. After making sure she was comfortable, he left the dormitory and began organizing the preparations for what he intended to do that night.
When the sun began disappearing over the horizon, Enrico gathered some of his friends on the training field. Liam, Elian, Caelan, and Sylvia showed up, believing they had been called to participate in a training session.
As soon as everyone arrived, Enrico crossed his arms and presented his proposal.
"Next Saturday, we're going on an adventure. Would you like to come with me?"
"... YES!"
All four answered almost simultaneously.
Their excitement was evident on their faces. Although they studied at an academy where combat and training were commonplace, they were still young and wanted to experience extraordinary things.
They had missed the opportunity to participate in the aquatic dungeon adventure and could only listen to the accounts of their classmates who had been there. The only similar experience they had was the terrible zombie dungeon, but no one considered that occasion a pleasant adventure.
For that reason, Enrico's proposal immediately piqued everyone's interest.
"Where will it be?"
Elian asked, moving closer.
"No, Elian! The first question should be what we need to bring, right, Enrico?"
Caelan interrupted excitedly.
Liam, meanwhile, began thinking about the preparations for the trip.
"Will it be dangerous? If so, I'll need to prepare my spear properly."
Sylvia also seemed excited, already thinking about new possibilities for her abilities.
"I need to prepare a new, fast spell for this mission!"
Elian tried to approach again, wanting more details, but Caelan stepped in front of him, still insisting on finding out what they should bring.
Enrico raised one hand to calm the group.
"I know you're excited, but I'll keep the details secret until the day of the adventure. For now, keep training and don't tell anyone else. I want this to stay between us until we return."
"Wait, what do you mean?!"
The four stared at him, surprised by the lack of information. However, before they could ask any more questions, Enrico had already disappeared.
Their curiosity only grew.
Enrico, on the other hand, considered their reaction a good sign. If his friends were that excited about the idea, perhaps they would work even harder during their training over the next few days.
[Why keep everything a secret?]
'Because if I reveal the details, others will want to participate. I don't want too many people on this mission.'
As he walked away from the field, Enrico felt that someone was watching him.
He immediately stopped and turned toward a large shadow nearby.
The person following him seemed not to have noticed a rather obvious detail: they were hiding behind an object in a spot where the moonlight illuminated the ground. As a result, their shadow was perfectly visible.
Enrico almost sighed at such a lack of caution.
He concentrated magic in his legs and disappeared from the spot. The next instant, he appeared directly behind the observer.
"Grakka?"
The girl was so startled that she nearly jumped.
"Damn it, Enrico! Why are you so fast?!"
She turned to face him but soon regained her determined expression.
"Well, that doesn't matter! I knew you were planning a mission, so take me with you!"
Enrico watched her for a few moments.
"All right."
"I know I'm very persistent, but you need to understand that..."
She stopped talking and blinked several times, as if trying to comprehend the answer she had just received.
"Wait, you accepted?!"
"Yes. Any questions? If not, I need to go prepare."
Grakka quickly shook her head, denying it.
Enrico smiled faintly and disappeared again, leaving the girl alone in the spot.
For a few seconds, she remained motionless. Then, unable to contain her excitement, she let out such a loud cry of happiness that she startled several students who were training nearby.