"What is evil?… Everything that stems from weakness." — Friedrich Nietzsche
My name is Dan Reith, and I am thirteen years old. I am an ordinary boy—without supernatural powers, without a unique talent, and without exceptional intelligence. I was born into a poor family of four, living in a modest government housing complex in Northern Norasa, within the borders of the Kingdom of Hinar. I always felt that the poor belong in the shadows, and that the world has been harsh to the weak since birth.
My parents work at a small fast-food restaurant, while my only sister pretends to work at a major company but in reality, she does nothing but meet a wealthy young man who showers her with gifts, while we live a simple life barely above mere necessity.
I was an ordinary student, blending into the background like a ghost so as not to attract the attention of the bullies at Tuliz Middle School, a school filled with brutes and tyrants. My school life was dull and monotonous… until the day I made the biggest mistake of my life—the day I broke the one rule I had always lived by: being a ghost… being nothing more than a shadow of myself.
During one gym class, I approached Minai, the most popular and beautiful girl in the school, perhaps in the entire city. Her hair was long, silky, and blonde, her eyes emerald blue, her skin white as snow, and her lips red as cherries. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and every boy in town dreamed of being with her.
I confessed my love to her, admiring her beauty and perfection in every way. I thought she would reciprocate just like in movies, comics, or anime: a beautiful, famous girl falling for a poor, lonely boy, beginning a legendary romance.
But reality was far from that. She rejected me harshly, her words piercing my small pride like arrows. I felt as if the ground had swallowed me, and everything around me turned dark.
"You… I could never like you! There's no way I could ever date someone like you. I dream of standing beside a man worthy of me… a man from the Academy of Kings and Queens, wealthy, famous… strong enough to secure my future. But you… you are none of that. Do you understand?"
Her words were like knives—painful, yet honest. She didn't intend to hurt me; she only wanted to secure her own future in this harsh world, where there is no place for the weak, and every moment of weakness is measured in pain and suffering.
After classes ended, walking home with heavy steps, five upperclassmen lunged at me like hungry wolves. Kicks and punches rained down from all sides. Pain shot through every part of my body, each blow feeling as if it was dragging me back into my cruel reality. My heart raced wildly, air burning in my lungs, until everything around me blurred and their screams filled the air:
"How dare a lowlife like you approach her?!"
"Standing next to her is a crime that must be punished!"
"We will make you an example for every worthless wretch who dares to come near Minai!"
"You must be reborn to even think of standing beside her."
I was sure my end had come; my face bled, my ribs ached, and darkness began to consume my vision… when suddenly, Touma appeared.
A man in his early forties, tall, athletic, with a muscular frame, broad shoulders, piercing blue eyes, and neatly styled dark brown hair. His features were sharp, his face carrying a quiet boldness, and his smile vanishing when seriousness appeared.
He moved with incredible speed, knocking the assailants to the ground like they were puppets. He carried me on his back to his small shop and carefully tended to my wounds.
He smiled and said:
"You can call me Touma… but tell me, why did you provoke their anger?"
I explained everything from the beginning. He shook his head seriously and said:
"Falling in love is not a mistake… but you are weak. How about I train you daily? I'll make you strong and clever enough to enter the Academy of Kings and Queens."
I laughed bitterly through the pain in my chest, knowing how much of a failure I was, and said:
"Me? The Kings' Academy? Are you joking? I have no strength or intelligence… that school is for nobles and the wealthy."
Touma laughed, patting my head, and said:
"It's just an ordinary academy, believe me… and I'll prove it to you."
Year One: Fear and Patience
During the first year, Touma introduced me to fear and patience:
1. Daily Mental Training: Watching dozens of horror movies daily, each testing my nerves, each scream or bloody scene gradually strengthening my psychological resilience.
2. Daily Physical Training: Running 10 kilometers daily, push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and rope exercises with Touma. Every day, my body screamed, every muscle burned, yet something grew inside me: endurance, resilience, and fortitude in the face of fear.
3. Weekly Encounters with Bullies: Touma took me to different schools to face the strongest bullies. Every encounter was hell: I got beaten severely, sometimes losing consciousness, feeling my body on the verge of collapse.
But this hell was nothing compared to my mother's anger when I returned home, bruised and battered:
"Dan! What have you done to yourself? Are you insane?!"
I stood silently, feeling guilty and afraid, yet there was a strange feeling… a sense of strength and maturity forming inside me, despite the pain.
Year Two: Mind and Body
At fourteen, Touma introduced a new phase: alongside daily physical training, I was forced to read a massive array of books:
1-History and politics of the kingdom and the world.
2-Mathematics and physics.
3-Religion and philosophy.
4-War strategies and psychology.
He set strict deadlines for completing the readings, and any delay or failure was punished with additional exercises, sometimes with severe beatings until I lost consciousness.
Despite the harshness, I knew Touma was shaping me into a mature and strong person, so I never hated him. Even when I outperformed him in mental tasks, I felt gratitude for his effort in shaping my character.
Finally, on a clear day by the sea, Touma handed me a card bearing the emblem of the Academy of Kings and Queens.
"Dear Dan… your training is complete. This card grants you admission to the next grade. A great future awaits you… but heed these pieces of advice—they are your only path to success in the academy and in life:
1. Always keep your mouth shut.
2. Never reveal your plans until they are accomplished.
3. Never expect to receive what you give.
4. Remember your goal every day when you wake up.
5. Sometimes what you cling to is the very thing you must let go of.
6. To control someone, first control their fear.
7. God places people in your life for a reason.
8. People will always resent you when you do what's best for you.
9. Use everything available to achieve your goal.
10. What makes a man a king isn't his crown… but his soldiers."
Tears streamed down my face as I hugged him tightly. I promised to remember his advice for life and become the best at that academy, no matter the cost in pain or effort.
The Beginning of the Path: TheAcademy
I arrived at the Royal Academy of Kings and Queens, and it was far larger than anything I had imagined.
A colossal building shaped like a palace—its walls engraved with golden patterns, its vast windows reflecting the sunlight, and its main gate towering high, forged from pure gold.
Endless gardens filled with strange trees and shimmering flowers, marble-paved walkways, massive pools, sports fields, activity centers—every corner radiated luxury. It felt as if the academy itself was watching those who entered.
I stood there stunned by the sheer beauty and grandeur of the place. Lost in thought as I walked, I accidentally bumped into a cold, beautiful girl passing beside me. Her hair was a vivid, fiery red, her eyes burning like embers, her gaze sharp enough to pierce the air. Her presence alone commanded the space around her.
I apologized and tried to leave, but the girl walking beside her grabbed my shirt and snapped sharply:
"You filthy commoner! How dare you approach Lady Lila De Stefano, daughter of the Governor of the South?!"
"I'm sorry," I replied, "I didn't mean to."
But Marlene insisted I kneel. I quietly refused:
"That's not going to happen."
Lila smiled with a strange expression, but Marlene exploded with insults, then turned to Lila and said:
"Let's go, my lady. We won't waste our time with this trash."
They left without another word, the echo of her insults lingering in my ears… and a rising spark of rebellion stirring within me—against injustice and the weakness I used to carry.
I sat on a bench, watching the beauty of the students—girls chatting, forming friendships, interacting confidently with one another and with the boys.
As I observed, a voice echoed through the speakers:
"Attention, new students. Please proceed to the Assembly Hall immediately… I repeat, proceed to the Assembly Hall immediately."
After some searching, I found the hall. It was enormous, its floor polished wood, its walls lined with historical paintings. Around 300 students filled the room. Every corner had five surveillance cameras aimed directly at us.
Suddenly, a woman appeared at the center of the hall. Emerald-green eyes, glossy black hair, a luxurious black suit. She stepped onto a podium made of ivory and rare redwood and spoke with a clear, commanding voice:
"Welcome to the Academy that forges kings and queens.I am Headmistress Anastasia, granddaughter of the former King Ivan…Among you, a future King or Queen of this kingdom will be born—one who will lead our great nation toward a brighter future.But only one of you will reach this glory."
She then handed the microphone to a teacher, who stood before us with unsettling firmness. Opening a black folder, he spoke in a cold, dry tone:
"These are the laws of the Academy of Kings and Queens…Laws that cannot be disobeyed, questioned, or broken without punishment."
1-Violence is forbidden within the academy.
"Not for your sake… but for the sake of order."Any student who lays a hand— even a single touch— on another will immediately lose points and be forced before the Disciplinary Committee. Their rulings are final.
Every move is watched. Every mistake recorded.
2- Points are the measure of progress… and dignity.
Points are not numbers.They are your life here.
Without points, you cannot attend classes, eat, participate in challenges, or receive a royal recommendation.
Reach zero points, and you are expelled under heavy guard.
Points can be purchased—five million duca per point.
3-Cheating is a capital crime.
Intelligence is respected.Dirty deception is not.
If you cheat and get caught—stealing grades, spying, or tampering with exams—you will be dragged to the Room of Silence for 24 hours.
No one knows what happens inside.But no one comes out the same.
4- Absen is cean unforgiving penalty.
-Being late one minute: –0.5
-Points Missing one class: –5
-Points Missing half a day: –20
-Points a full day: loss of eligibility for the annual exam—your only chance to stay in the academy.
5- Damage to property is a major crime.
Every brick, every statue, every tree—sacred.
Break anything—even a chair—and you'll face a heavy fine, a week of service under guard, and possibly imprisonment in the academy's cells.
6- Constant surveillance. No exceptions.
More than 500 cameras across the building.No blind spots.Even whispers are recorded and stored.
7- Romantic relationships are monitored and restricted.
Love is considered weakness.Harmless relationships are tolerated… until they interfere with performance. Then they are forcibly ended.
8- The Smartwatch… your life.
No student is given an ID or title.Only a watch.
A watch that carries your points… your future… your existence.
It records every minute, every absence, every mistake.
Tamper with it—hack it, remove it, alter it—and you are taken to the Hall of Identity Stripping.
Your final point is drained.Your name erased.Your inheritance voided.Your ties cut.
You become "Identity-less."
Expelled the same night, doomed to live with the shame.
The rules were brutal—crafted to crush any rebellious spirit.Every breath measured.Every word a weapon against you.And every mistake… a sentence that could end your future.
As the teacher lectured, the hall fell into a tomb-like silence.
Then—A faint tap broke the stillness.
A piece of gum, still fresh, had fallen to the floor.
The teacher froze.No one breathed.
He closed his folder, walked down the stage with thunderous steps, eyes locked on a student in the third row.
He stopped before him, stared for a long moment, then whispered coldly:
"Law number five…"
He leaned closer, their faces nearly touching.
"Property damage is a major crime."
He lifted the gum with his gloved fingers and declared:
"Every wall, every hall, every corner is sacred.Even… a dirty piece of gum."
Then, with terrifying calm, he grabbed the boy's shirt and lifted him off his seat.
"You… will serve a full week in maintenance duty."
He shoved him down, the student's back slamming against the chair.
"You will collect every piece of trash in this academy…carry it to the incinerator yourself…and ensure nothing remains.Not a paper.Not a crumb.Not a single gum."
Silence swallowed the hall.
Then he turned to all of us:
"Any mistake here… ANY mistake… costs you a week in hell."
He returned to the podium, opened his folder, and continued as if nothing had happened.
The student sat frozen, pale, trembling.
I remained quiet, fear pressing against my chest. My heartbeat raced faster than ever in this suffocating place.
But remembering my mentor Toma—and the promise I made him—I gathered myself. I forced my mind to accept this intimidating world and prepared for the challenge ahead…
The beginning of my path toward strength and glory.
Amid that heavy silence and iron discipline, I lifted my head for the first time in years.
It felt as if the entire world was testing me.
I was no longer the boy who got kicked around and ran away.
From this moment on…
the War of Kings begins.