The second day of the command trial dawned beneath a sky painted in crimson and gold.
A cool breeze swept across the battlefield.
The fog had disappeared.
For the remaining recruits...
There would be nowhere left to hide.
Atop the observation tower, Kael overlooked the battlefield.
More than half the participating squads had already been eliminated.
Colored flags flew from makeshift forts.
Smoke rose from abandoned camps.
Wooden arrows littered the ground.
The battlefield looked less like a training exercise...
And more like the aftermath of a real war.
Edwin stepped beside Kael.
He held another report.
"Seven hundred and twelve recruits remain."
Walter whistled.
"That's less than half."
Darius nodded.
"And today's trial will cut that number even further."
Kael looked toward the battlefield.
"They're adapting."
"They're thinking."
"They're relying on each other."
The old general smiled.
"Exactly."
"They've stopped acting like individuals."
"They're becoming units."
The Final Objective
The great bronze bell echoed once more.
BOOOOOOOONG!
Every remaining recruit stopped what they were doing.
Edwin climbed onto a wooden platform overlooking the battlefield.
"The final phase of the Command Trial begins now."
Everyone listened.
"There are no more teams."
Confused murmurs spread instantly.
"No teams?"
"What does that mean?"
Walter grinned.
"It means..."
"You've all become enemies."
The valley erupted with surprise.
Edwin continued.
"Each participant will now receive a wooden medallion."
"If someone defeats you..."
"They take your medallion."
"If you lose your medallion..."
"Your trial ends."
The assistants quickly began handing out carved wooden dragon tokens.
Every recruit received one.
Darius stepped forward.
"You may form alliances."
"You may betray alliances."
"You may fight."
"You may negotiate."
"You may surrender."
"But remember one thing."
He paused.
"The Black Dragon Banner..."
"...does not reward the strongest."
"It rewards the most complete."
Kael watched their expressions carefully.
Some smiled.
Others frowned.
Many immediately began searching for allies.
The Opportunists
Within minutes...
Small alliances began forming.
Victor Ravenshade gathered nearly thirty recruits around him.
"We have the numbers."
"We overwhelm everyone."
Several nodded eagerly.
It sounded like a good plan.
Elsewhere...
Leon Ashford refused every invitation.
Marcus frowned.
"We're going to be outnumbered."
Leon shook his head.
"Large groups attract attention."
Nearby...
Iris Hollow quietly disappeared into the forest.
She intended to survive by never being found.
Elias Thorn sat beneath a tree eating dried meat.
Someone laughed.
"You're not even looking for enemies?"
Elias smiled.
"No."
"I'm waiting."
The System
The familiar blue screen appeared before Kael.
"Hidden Evaluation Active"
Leadership is no longer the primary assessment.
Current Traits Being Measured:
✔ Judgment
✔ Integrity
✔ Adaptability
✔ Ambition
✔ Greed
✔ Compassion
Hidden candidates may emerge.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Hidden candidates?"
The Ambush
Around midday...
Victor's alliance finally found Leon.
Thirty against four.
Victor smiled confidently.
"It's over."
Leon slowly looked around.
"It should be."
Victor frowned.
"What?"
Leon smiled.
"You brought too many people."
Suddenly—
A loud horn echoed through the valley.
From three different directions...
Other groups emerged.
Not to help Leon.
To attack Victor.
His massive alliance had become impossible to hide.
Within seconds...
Chaos erupted.
Wooden swords clashed.
Paint arrows flew through the air.
Shields collided.
Victor shouted orders.
No one could hear them.
Leon quietly turned toward Marcus.
"We're leaving."
Marcus blinked.
"We're not fighting?"
Leon shook his head.
"The smartest victory..."
"...is the one someone else wins for you."
The two disappeared into the woods while dozens of recruits fought behind them.
Above...
Walter laughed so hard he nearly dropped his drink.
"He used Victor as bait!"
Darius smiled proudly.
"He understands momentum."
The Stranger
Hours later...
As Leon crossed a narrow creek...
He noticed someone sitting peacefully beside the water.
An older man.
Simple gray clothes.
No armor.
No weapon.
Fishing.
Leon frowned.
"Weren't you part of the trial?"
The man smiled.
"I was."
"So why aren't you competing?"
The old man shrugged.
"I've already learned what I came here to learn."
Leon stared.
"What?"
The old man looked toward Blackwood Manor in the distance.
"That there really is a prince worth following."
Leon stood silently.
Then bowed respectfully.
Without another word...
He walked away.
Hidden in the trees...
Kael watched everything.
The system activated.
"Candidate Identified"
Name:
Osric Hale
Age:
58
Former Occupation:
Captain of the Imperial Border Army
Retired.
Combat Talent:
B+
Leadership:
S+
Military Logistics:
S
Recommendation:
Recruit Immediately.
Kael smiled.
"So this is what you meant..."
"Hidden candidates."
The trials weren't only attracting young warriors.
They were attracting veterans.
Men the Empire had forgotten.
Sunset
The final bell echoed through the valley.
BOOOOOONG!
Every remaining participant froze.
The trial...
Had ended.
Exhausted recruits slowly returned toward Blackwood Manor.
Covered in mud.
Sweat.
Paint.
Bruises.
Some walked proudly.
Others limped.
Several carried teammates on their backs.
The observation platform remained silent.
Kael looked across the returning crowd.
He no longer saw eighteen hundred strangers.
He saw future captains.
Future generals.
Future builders.
Future legends.
Tomorrow...
The names of the first fifty Black Dragons would be announced.
Some dreams would begin.
Others would end.
And the entire Empire...
Would soon hear that the forgotten Tenth Prince had accomplished something no one thought possible.
He had built hope.
Far away...
The Black Serpent spy sealed his final report.
He whispered into the crimson crystal.
"The trials are over."
"He's chosen loyalty over talent."
"That makes him far more dangerous than we anticipated."
The crystal glowed.
The report raced toward Marcus Vayne.
The next move...
It would belong to the capital.
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