A few days after the recruitment, I began assigning tasks based on each member's expertise. I started with roughly five thousand Gulden—my initial capital to build this organization.
In the world of Path of Destiny, the currency is split into three denominations: Gulden, gold coins where one piece equals 100 Silver; and Silver, where one piece equals 100 Kufer, the common copper coin.
I allocated the largest share of funds to the Merchant Guild led by Joff Bozes. The balding man had already begun drafting plans to establish several trading posts across the Aragon Empire.
The second priority was an intelligence hub. For this, I tasked Mai Khalisa, an experienced former courtesan, with opening a brothel in the entertainment district. The establishment would serve as a front, its true purpose is to gather intelligence information.
Mai would be assisted by Karl Johnson, who acted as the head of security. His job was to plant agents in key regions and deliver up-to-date reports on the state of the Empire's various territories.
Third was the Armory, led by Olen Mask. This department was responsible for forging weapons and equipment to ensure that the operations of my disciplinary committee team ran flawlessly.
Once a month, I planned to meet them to evaluate the progress of the organization.
"Attention!" Instructor Torun bellowed.
The second-year students were gathered at the academy grounds to receive instructions regarding the survival exam starting today.
"Starting today, you will undergo a three-stage survival exam," the instructor explained. "You will compete for points. The bottom twenty students will fail immediately and be barred from the subsequent stages."
Grunbelt Academy was merciless. Those who failed the first stage were almost guaranteed to fail the entire year, as they wouldn't be able to recoup the necessary points by year's end. Furthermore, these annual exams always claimed lives. It wasn't that the academy desired student deaths; rather, the difficulty level was simply that punishing.
If students lacked confidence, they could withdraw. However, most succumbed to pride, overestimating their limits and paying with their lives. It was a grim lesson in self-awareness and calculating one's own strength.
Following the briefing, we moved to the academy gates where a long line of carriages awaited.
"Board the prepared carriages! Each carriage holds only five people!" Torun shouted.
We were heading to the city of Murcia, roughly 100 kilometers away—a two-day journey by carriage. I searched for a spot, but every carriage I approached seemed packed to the brim.
Do I really have to charter my own transport just to get to the exam site?
"Hey, Raul."
I turned at the sound of my name.
"Join us."
The convoy had already left the capital. We were now traveling along the Imperial Highway, a specialized road network designed to expedite domestic transport. Unlike standard roads, these were wide and paved, significantly cutting down travel time.
Inside my carriage, however, the atmosphere was suffocatingly awkward.
Three people sat across from me, their hair colors a vibrant contrast. I glanced sideways, shooting a sharp look at the woman responsible for this arrangement.
"President, why did you invite them into this carriage?" I asked, my voice laced with irritation.
Sitting directly across from me was the woman who had slapped and humiliated me in front of the entire student body. Beside her was the man who had defeated me in a public duel, and next to him was the girl who had rejected the previous owner of this body.
"Every student is welcome in these carriages, Raul," Elena replied, a playful smirk dancing on her lips as she watched me squirm. "Besides, isn't this a great chance for you all to get closer? Classmates should be harmonious."
This woman... she knew exactly what she was doing.
I glanced at Valeria. Her green eyes simmered with pure loathing. If we weren't in a confined space with witnesses, she likely would have slapped me again.
"Keep your filthy eyes off me, you rotten noble," Valeria spat.
I shifted my gaze to the man next to her. Brian wore a smug expression. It was predictable; he had recently "proven" his strength by defeating me in front of the woman he loved. He was too dim-witted to realize I had lost to him on purpose.
Finally, there was Ariel. She sat there fidgeting with her hair, clearly unsure of how to navigate the tension.
After several hours, the convoy stopped near a lake to rest and water the horses. I hopped down immediately, seeking a quiet spot to finalize my plans for Murcia.
In the original "Survival Exam" event, chaos was inevitable. It would peak during the third stage, where the assassins the original Raul had hired to kill Brian would instead begin a massacre of any student they encountered in the Monster Forest.
"I have to stop them," I muttered. "The students are no match for professional killers."
***
[3rd PoV]
Inside a cave in the Empire's western region, a dozen shadowed figures gathered. They were the mercenary group Raul had previously contracted.
"The time is near," a masked man stated. "The boss wants the blond brat dead."
"A thousand Gulden just to kill an academy student?" a woman asked, sharpening a dagger. "What did the poor kid do to that noble brat to deserve professional executioners?"
"Motivation isn't our business," the masked man countered. "But security during the exam will be tight. Foxy, you'll distract the instructors. The rest of us will find the target and finish it."
Foxy grinned. "Playing cat-and-mouse with academy instructors? Sounds fun. Let's see how strong they really are."
The countdown to the bloody confrontation between the Academy and the assassins had begun.