The normal students breathing slowly stabilized while they were resting, but they continued to lay flat in the field without movements. Their body felt as dead as a log. The awakened students were better off as their body had better recovery and able to sit up.
"Everyone has exceeded my expectation in both good and bad ways, but at least you all managed to complete the exercise-"
"Did you mean you weren't expecting all of us to complete the exercise?" An awakened student interrupted Eugene.
Eugene eyebrows creased a bit. He was already displeased with the behavior of the awakened students during the first half of the exercise. "We were evaluating your characters and capabilities. There's no way to keep track of whether all of you actually did 40 laps."
The students were surprised. What the instructor made sense. There are so many of them. Unless they were single-handedly targeted, there was no way of keeping track of who did how many laps. Some students had done more than just 40 laps to help the struggling ones make it through. They don't know whether to be happy or not at the sudden revelation.
"You are all the future elites of the kingdom and what we are training are capable soldiers, not puppets. Following orders is good but following blindly is not. You need to think carefully about orders given. Even your superiors could make mistakes. Mistakes are a part of what makes us humans. We make mistakes, learn from them and grow. But do remember that a price is paid for mistakes made on the battlefield. Let that be the first lesson."
Students of Crawford University naturally enjoy better privileges but also burdened with an equal responsibility compared to other schools. The new recruits from the other schools only had a day of mental preparation before they were sent to the training camp near the wall. They did not get to stay back in the Capital.
"Overall, you all did a great job. If this was the battlefield, those who leave their comrades behind to die are worse than animals. At least animals know the meaning of loyalty."
"But those animals are all savage beasts now, would they still understand the meaning of loyalty?"
"But this is not battlefield."
Eugene was bombarded with a few questions and retorts.
"Time's changed. The beasts of today are not the same as the beasts of 500 years ago. They have grown intelligent. Underestimate them and you will pay dearly. Did you think also think that if it was the battlefield then you would do things differently? Wrong! Your actions reflect your true selves. Egocentric!
In the face of life and death, you would be the first to run without a care for your fellow comrades! Feeling wronged? Judged unfairly? The reason I didn't mention that you were all being tested was to evaluate your behaviors. I'm not interested in watching your hypocritical acts of concern for others." Eugene didn't give them any face at all and criticized them harshly. He changed his mind about giving them special treatments.
"Edric, Cayden, Adrian..." Eugene started calling names and a bunch of others. "You are all the strongest, the offspring of high-ranking nobles and should be the natural leaders of the group but what were you all doing? Showing off your capabilities? Not only did you not help the others, you made it inconvenient for them as well.
Those who charge ahead in the enemy lines alone are usually the first to die. What are you feeling proud and arrogant for? Wipe those things off your faces for me. Take away your family backing and what are you? A nobody! The beasts would not care what family is backing you and would slaughter you all the same."
Those that had their names called all had ugly faces for being criticized by the instructor. They felt like they were being humiliated by the commander who was a commoner. Leon watched the whole situation unfold and shook his head. The instructor was trying to instill important life lessons and wake them up with the hopes it would save their lives when they are thrown onto the battlefield. The front-line wasn't a playground and needed to be treated seriously. He didn't want them to become complacent during training, only to forfeit their lives later.
Pity the instructor's words was just going through one ear and out the other. They were unconvinced. Towards these noble scions, Leon though that they wouldn't be convinced until they see the coffin. The instructor was wasting his breath.
"Who the hell are you calling a nobody?!" One of them couldn't handle the criticism and blew his top.
"10 spanks." Towards this student, the instructor did not replied and just signaled for one of the soldiers to take him out to be punished with 10 hard spanks. The soldiers under the instructor were all 3rd step awakeners, the same as the student being punished. However, their physical prowess was on a whole different level during to their rigorous military training. The student couldn't even resist as he was dragged out of the crowd to be spanked.
"Anyone else?"
Those that originally planning to join suddenly cowered. They didn't want to be punished as well. Leon silently laughed. He thought the scene was like killing the chicken as an example to scare the rest.
"No one? Good." The instructor was silent for a moment before continuing. "I guess it is my fault for not teaching you about military discipline and regulations first. You all must address me as sir from now on, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" The majority answered in unison.
"Good."
Commander Eugene wasn't sure why he was chosen to train the Crawford University students. There were better candidates for the job. He was practical person and wasn't good with teaching, but the general marquis chose him, so he had to complete it to the best of his abilities.
"We will focus theory tomorrow. There will be no physical activities." Eugene was aware that the normal students would require more time to recover. But he wouldn't give them too much time to recover as he plans to continuous push their body's limits. Even if they weren't awakened yet, their body could still improve through physical training.
"Leon Bradford."
Just when Leon thought the instructor going to finish his talk and dismiss everyone, his name was called. He became stunned. Why was his name called? He had a bad feeling.
"Despite being the strongest of the group, you did not rush for first place and decided to stay at the back line straight from the start instead. You did not leave anyone behind and was the first to gather helpers for the normal students. Excellent character, strength and foresight, a natural born leader. I allow you to be the representative of this group, do you accept?" Eugene did not care how Leon felt and just read out the evaluation he had noted down of Leon. Leon wanted to cry for being put in the limelight. He just wanted to slowly gather power in the dark.
Being a very experienced 4th step awakener, Eugene's eyesight was much keener than the students and was able to tell that Leon was at least at the same level at him, if not stronger. It was an amazing feat to reach the 4th step before the age of 20. Eugene labelled him as a genius. It did not cross his mind that Leon was stronger than the 4th step. He would be shocked if he knew. Even the Queen, who was the most talented awakener in the last 100 years still reached the 5th step at the age of 22. If the kingdom knew it only took Leon a few days to possess his current strength, they would be shocked to death.
"I accept." Leon had no choice but to accept as he did not want to get on the instructor's bad side.
The entire group of students were stunned silent by what the instructor said. Only at this moment did they broke out into an uproar.
"What!? Leon is the strongest of us all!?"
"Wasn't he a commoner?"
"Which noble family is he actually from?"
"Impossible!!" Edric was the most triggered and stood up abruptly at the news. How can Leon be stronger than him!? He was just a commoner! He couldn't accept the fact that someone he had been looking down upon was suddenly stronger than him.
"Silence!!!" The instructor roared. He frowned at the exaggerated reaction of the students, unaware of the rumors revolving around Leon.
Edric was scared silly by the instructor's powerful roar and was simultaneously pulled back down by Adrian and Cayden. They gave him the grave expression of 'We need to talk later'. The two started fearing Leon, thinking that Leon had hid himself too well.
Although they were also from marquis families, they didn't have a territory like Edric's family. Since the centralization of the kingdom, territories and lands given to the various nobles to manage were reclaimed.. There weren't many lords left who still had their territory.