The first class on Monday arrived. Catrina herself, even though it was not her scheduled time, was there, standing behind the professor's lectern, waiting for us to finish arriving and take our seats.

Darius, who sits next to me, nudges me and says excitedly:

"This wasn't supposed to be a combat class, right?"

"No," I answer him.

And please, let it not be. It's way too early to start exercising.

From the whispers I hear, we are not the only ones wondering what's going on.

"The trials," I see Theodore mouthing more than actually hearing him, three rows ahead.

The boy has turned around to tell us, sticking his head through a gap between the neatly arranged columns of desks.

"Of course!" Darius exclaims, and I see the professor frown at him.

He quickly raises a hand to the back of his neck, an unconscious gesture, while giving the professor a sheepish smile.

I hold back the urge to laugh. Catrina gestures as if to tell him it's fine and shifts her gaze toward the students who are just now entering the classroom. With how bad-tempered Catrina is and how well Darius handles her... Maybe it's because they're both equally rough with the sword, or perhaps she recognizes a student with qualities similar to her own.

When the bell marking the start of class rings, everyone is seated and silent.

Of course. It's Catrina.

No one wants to be barked at and forced to do a hundred push-ups for speaking without permission in her class.

"Good morning, students," she says, projecting her voice across the entire room with sheer lung power. "I imagine you're wondering why I'm here." Yes, we are, but none of us dare to say anything. "The thing is, I've been asked to give you the rules and instructions for the trials."

"Yes, I knew it!" a dark-haired boy blurts out.

Immediately, Catrina gives him a sharp look, reprimands him verbally, and orders him to do a hundred push-ups in front of the blackboard.

As I said, the only thing this teacher is missing is a whip. I watch the boy as he hurriedly obeys her. Poor thing.

"As I was saying before I was rudely and inappropriately interrupted, classes are suspended this week and next because your task is to complete the trials. These trials consist of various requests from the citizens. For example, a mayor might need mana potions and pelts for their village. So, they send us a note requesting potions and another one for pelts. We group those notes with other similar requests and create a recurring mission or trial. These missions appear as several scrolls on the board. If you accept a mission, you take one of the scrolls and go gather the materials."

She pauses briefly, making sure we are all listening attentively.

"If you're wondering why we don't just put up a single note and let you read it without taking one, the reason is simple. First, when you take a note, you must go to a designated counter where a couple of assistant professors will record your names and the details of the trial. Second, even if it's a recurring mission with no limit on the number of materials you can bring, imagine that it involves a flower that only grows in a specific forest. If too many groups went there at once, they'd interfere with each other's mission. That's why we provide a limited number of scrolls per trial—to control how many groups can undertake it at the same time. If it's something common, like hunting boars, there will be many scrolls for that mission. If it's an ingredient that only drops from a specific dungeon boss, there will be only one scroll, even if it's a recurring mission. Is everything clear so far?"

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She pauses again and scans the room. We all nod, except for the boy still doing push-ups.

"Good. Now, let's go over an example to explain how your rewards work. You are rewarded with points. So, for instance, you might earn 2 points per pelt and 7 points per healing potion. Medicinal herbs are usually worth 1 point each. Don't worry about bringing too many, as these materials are requested from various parts of the kingdom, so a large supply is usually needed. If you happen to bring more than required, we will still accept them, and the academy will handle the surplus. Is that clear?" she asks again, raising her voice slightly.

Her eyes, as always when explaining something, scan the classroom.

"Yes, professor," a student in the front row hurriedly responds, while I and several others nod.

"Good. So those are the recurring missions. There are also special assignments, where only one specific material is needed, and a single note is created for that request. The note will indicate that it is a special request. Naturally, the group that takes it keeps it. Let's say a family wants a Lottre chicken to celebrate their eldest son's birthday. They place the request, and you accept it. The group that takes the mission takes the note and heads to Lottre's dungeon, famous for its giant killer chickens. Upon bringing back one of those chickens in good condition, they will earn 8 points. And since it is a special request, we only need one chicken. If you bring two, you will not receive additional points."

She pauses briefly once more.

"Or, for example, two citizens want a rhinoceros horn from Magascal, which is an alchemical ingredient with special properties. These are two different citizens, two separate requests. We create two identical notes with the special assignment seal, and you can take one or both. If you take one, you bring back a single horn; if you take both, then two. In this case, each mission is worth 5 points because the rhinoceroses are in the first level of Magascal's dungeon, making them less challenging to obtain than the chicken. If a group takes on a special mission but fails to complete it, they must report it and return the scroll, which we will put back on the board."

She stops, scanning our faces one by one, observing our reactions to ensure we understand.

"Is everything clear so far?"

"Yes, professor," a girl answers this time.

"Good. Now, let's talk about groups, points, and the ranking."

I notice some students shifting in their seats with anticipation. The ranking… Since the water dungeon, we haven't done anything to change it. Darius was in first place, I was second, and Ronan was third. Interestingly, the theoretical exam scores from the past few days haven't been factored in. I suspect it's because this ranking is tied to the selection of students for the games at the end of our third year, and they care more about choosing students capable of winning a competition that involves battles and practical trials.

"Groups can be of any size you wish. From a single member to both first-year classes of twenty students each, combined. Notice that I said first-year. Second- and third-year students also participate in the trials. In fact, the board is shared among all, though the easier missions are placed on one side and the harder ones on the other. Obviously, you cannot form a party with someone from another year. Well, what can I say?"

She crosses her arms and looks at some of us—specifically at me, Darius, Alistair, the prince, and the rest of the seven students who make up her Wednesday group. There's a gleam in her eyes, both amused and challenging.

"Those of you who are bold enough, do not limit yourselves to the missions meant for first-years. I cannot speak for your magical abilities, but I can for your combat skills, and I know I have students capable of handling missions designed for second-years."

Her gaze slides over Darius, me, and Ronan. Yes, Ronan as well. She knows he trains with me in the forest and that he raises the dead.

"Or… even third-years."

I can practically feel the urge to speak bubbling up in some of the students sitting nearby, but no one says a word.

The poor guy doing push-ups finally finishes and returns to his seat.

Catrina continues.

"The points earned are divided among all group members. So, if you earn 5 points and there are four of you, that means 1 point per person. There is no rounding up—meaning, if you earn 3 points and there are four of you, that's 0 points for each group member. Is that clear?"

"Yes, professor."

"Good."

She nods in satisfaction. I get the feeling this woman loves to talk and hold our attention. But I also know she enjoys wielding a weapon even more—and, of course, attempting to take revenge on her former love even more than that.

"These points serve two purposes. First, they will be divided by ten and added to the ranking, meaning we will have new scores. The male and female students with the highest scores will be crowned King and Queen of the end-of-term ball and, as is tradition, will open the dance together with a waltz."

What? I think. I didn't know that.

So far, Darius and I are leading, though that doesn't necessarily mean we'll stay on top after the trials.

Well, being crowned alongside Darius wouldn't be the worst thing. He's not interested in me—he only thinks about training and improving his swordsmanship—so it would be like being with an older brother. The only thing I'm not sure about is whether he'd step on my feet while dancing.

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