Two days later, Ard went to the academy arena, gathering with all the participants in the middle of the area, both nobles and commoners. In front of him stood a black menhir-like stone placed on a central podium. Several academy instructors stood around the stone holding clipboards and began to record the participants, most of whom were still 15 years old.
As he stood there, suddenly "thud," someone intentionally slammed into Ard from behind, nearly causing him to fall forward. He turned to see Brylee smiling smugly, having deliberately bumped him as he passed.
"Don't stand in the middle of the road, you villager! Yesterday you got lucky because of Princess Eva, but today you won't be so lucky," Brylee said arrogantly.
Ard said nothing. He just looked at Brylee, dusted off his clothes, and looked back toward the front. "Tap," Brylee grabbed Ard's shoulder and brought his face close to Ard's ear from the side.
"You better watch your back after this, because I promise you won't see the sunrise again," Brylee whispered.
After that, Brylee walked past Ard toward the front. Ard watched the large-bodied Brylee push people aside to get through.
"Spoiled noble brat," Ard muttered with a faint smile, completely unfazed by Brylee's threat.
Ard looked up at the arena's second floor. He saw the Academy Head, the Deputy Head, and Princess Eva seated on the special terrace for academy officials and the royal family. Eva, feeling Ard's gaze, looked back at him, causing Ard to quickly turn his face away, with a gaze as cold as ice.
"Phew... close call," Ard muttered to himself, looking straight ahead again.
After the recording was finished, before the test began, participants whose numbers were called walked forward, climbed onto the podium, and touched the large black menhir stone. The purpose was to determine the magic potential and capacity within the participants, which would be assigned a Rank. This Rank would determine the appropriate test and their eventual class upon graduation.
A participant walked forward after her number was called. She climbed onto the podium and touched the stone with her palm. Immediately, a yellow light traveled, forming writing inside the stone. Seeing the first participant, a beautiful girl from a noble family with long blonde hair braided into pigtails, walk toward the stone on the podium, Ard's eyes widened because he recognized who the girl was.
"Alicia Herlena Einhard... the daughter of Marquis Einhard from Fredonia... my fiancée... how can she be here? Oh, that's right... she did go to the academy when she was 15," Ard muttered to himself.
The writing appeared. Alicia's status was clearly displayed on the stone with a large Rank S written at the top to determine her class at the academy. After taking notes, the instructor ordered Alicia to step down from the podium. As she walked, she briefly glanced at Ard, who was lined up at the very back and tried to avoid her gaze. Alicia looked confused, but then gracefully walked off without looking back.
"Phew," Ard felt a slight relief because Alicia didn't seem to recognize him. Suddenly, "tap," his shoulder was held by someone from behind. Ard turned and "blugh," he immediately fell down, then "slide," he crawled backward. It turned out to be a beautiful girl with snow-white skin and blue hair who had a sexy figure standing behind him, panting. She seemed to be late and had run to the academy. Ard pointed at the girl.
"Mi... Milia?" Ard asked.
"Huh... you know me? Sorry if I startled you... I was late and didn't realize I was leaning on you... have we met before?" Milia asked.
"Oh... s-sorry, I think I got the wrong person... we... we've never met... my name is Ard," Ard replied to Milia. "Hah... why is she here too? Milia Gladis Orlaf, daughter of Baron Orlaf from the Durnhill Kingdom... my lover whom I almost married in my third life... she's also at the academy? Oh, that's right... she did say she was at the academy for a year before her family was framed by the kingdom and executed," Ard thought in his head.
"Oh, I see... come on, stand up, let me help you. Oh yeah... my name is Milia, nice to meet you," Milia said, extending her hand to Ard with a smile.
"Th-thank you, Milia," Ard replied, who immediately jumped up without taking Milia's hand and dusted off his clothes.
"It will be our turn soon, huh... I'm getting nervous," Milia replied.
"Y-yeah, me too," Ard replied. "Ugh... Milia is so young... she is the same age as me... aaah... this is really bothering my mind," Ard muttered to himself.
The line moved forward. Ard watched Brylee step up. Arrogantly, he touched the stone, and the result, of course, was that he was admitted to Class A. He walked down the podium proudly with his head slightly raised. After that, several participants from commoner backgrounds received Class C and D, with the highest being B. Most of the nobles got Class A, and two other participants besides Alicia—one from the nobility and one a commoner—received Class S, the special Hero Class.
After many participants, it was finally Ard and Milia's turn. Ard intentionally stepped aside, wanting to be last, and offered Milia to go first.
"Eh... is that okay?" Milia asked.
"It's fine, go ahead," Ard replied, smiling. "I already know my result," Ard muttered to himself.
"Thank you, I'm going up," Milia said, taking a deep breath and letting it out.
Milia climbed onto the podium. She held the stone, and the stone immediately glowed brightly, then displayed her status. It turned out Milia was admitted to Class S, the Hero Class, because of her high, above-average status. She turned to look at Ard happily and relieved. Ard just smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.
After Milia stepped down, "clap," Ard slapped both his cheeks, then sighed. With steady steps, he climbed up and touched the stone. "Shriiiiing," the stone immediately emitted a blinding gray light. Everyone instantly covered their eyes because of the intense glare.
"Crack... crack... grok," a sound of cracking was heard within the light, and the sound of the stone shattering into pieces. When the light disappeared, "gasp," the instructors, officials, participants, and the group of academy heads watching from the second floor gasped. The large menhir stone was shattered into pieces, but a glowing text hovered in the air, displaying its contents.
Strength : 00
Agility : 00
Magic : 00
Power Rank : 00
"Huh," everyone was immediately shocked reading the text because Ard's power rating was "00." Ard looked completely calm because he had undergone this strength test since childhood, and the result was always the same. Shortly after, the glowing text in the air faded and finally disappeared. The atmosphere became silent because no one said a word. The instructors were stunned and confused about which class to put Ard in.
"Hah... his status is 00? He really is trash, hahahaha," Brylee shouted loudly.
"Yeah, absolute trash,"
All the participants began to jeer and mock Ard, who looked calm and was already used to his nickname. Ard turned to look at the participants below the podium. He saw Alicia gasp, covering her mouth, and Milia looked pitifully at him.
"Hehe... this is why they called me the Trash Prince, right... even as a commoner, that title still sticks... damn it," Ard muttered to himself.
Ard looked up at Eva, who was sitting on the second-floor terrace. He was shocked to see Eva standing with a tense face, staring at him. Her blue eyes looked wide, and her mouth was agape.
"Wh-why is she looking at me like that... it looks like I won't be accepted into the academy with status like this... my plan... failed," Ard thought to himself, turning around and walking down from the podium.