Jamie snickered. "You have to joking, Mr. Garret. What's there to be proud of? I know my daughter, and she's going to be disqualified in the preliminaries. How am I supposed to feel proud about that?"Garret shook his head. "We should all feel proud of her regardless of whether she passed or not. The fact that she's brave enough to try proves that she's a cut above many people in this world. Jamie, Dahlia, the selection will be starting soon. How do you expect her to give it her all if you two don’t support her?"Dahlia sighed. "She's grown distant from us ever since she entered Southeast University. Other girls her age are already married, yet she hasn't even got a partner to speak of. Everyone in the village laughs at her.”"You two are being old-fashioned." Garret raised a finger and continued, "Why are you still living in the past? Why should girls get married so young anymore? On top of that, this is the best time for Sage to build up her career. Take a step back and think. Wou

“Give it your all and get into Wyvern Peak!”“Sage the fearless! She is the pride of Slip County!”Both sides of the road were filled with volunteers from Slip County's high school and university societies. There were also teachers, doctors, and firemen waving at Sage. "You're the best, Sage! We know you can do this!" "Do your best and not disappoint your village!""Good luck, Sage! Be fearless and brave, okay?""We'll all be waiting for you to come home!" They were all there to send Sage off, whose vision blurred with tears upon hearing their words of encouragement. She clenched her fists and put on a determined expression. "Don't worry, everyone. I'll make you all proud and perform well in the selection. I'll make sure everyone hears the name ‘Slip County!’" Thus, Sage left with the hopes of the people of her hometown as she strove toward her dreams. She remembered how her teachers told her to aim for the stars.***Sage was not the only one departing. The same scene wa

"I'm Juno Byrd." The young girl shook their hands and said, "Hey, everyone. My name's Sage Hall. It's a pleasure to meet you all.""Sage?""Are you here to participate in the rally too?" Elize asked.Sage nodded and realized their boat had already reached the center of the lake. "I've also signed up for the selection. I only just arrived since I live quite far away. Would you guys like to be friends?"Felicia said, "Of course! Which school are you from? We're all from Azure Creek. We've never seen you before.""I'm from Southeastrive. I'm the only one of my year, so I don't have anyone here," Sage replied. "I see." Penny then asked, "You seem quite strong. Are you aiming to become the legate?""I thought about that, but there are so many other strong candidates this year. Still, I’ll do my best.""Wow! That's a huge ambition!” Elize exclaimed. The candidates present were not there to become legate. They knew they were not strong enough to take up the role. They simply wa

The emcee stood on the podium and said, "Dear candidates, you have all come from various corners of the country to embark on your dream. To find a place you can spread your wings and fly up high. War Legate Draco is currently backstage, preparing himself as we speak. In the meantime, I shall brief you on today's schedule. “First, War Legate Draco will give his speech, where we’ll learn more about Wyvern Peak's history. This will build up its heroic image in our hearts. The second part will be a Q&A session. You will have two hours to ask whatever you’d like to ask, and they’ll all be answered by War Legate Draco. Thirdly, War Legate Draco will be personally handing out badges of honor. Keep it close as you’ll be needing it later."After the emcee was done with the briefing, she announced, "War Legate Draco has arranged a performance for you before the speech takes place. With that, I'd like to invite Wyvern Peak's ten battle warriors on stage for their spectacular performance!"The

The candidates were shocked. The atmosphere was originally cold and chilling, but it now took a huge turn. None of them expected Adrian to interact with them like this. After Reina sat down, another young man stood up and asked, "What about me, sir?""Linden Nox, nineteen, correct? Your parents passed away when you were little, leaving your elder sister, Diana, to raise you. Your greatest dream is to give your sister a good life, which is why your instructor gave you the codename Skywing, correct? You hope to spread your wings and soar through the sky."Linden nodded.Adrian was now two for two. He smiled and gestured for Linden to sit. "Each and every one of you has your own story and life experiences. After reading your profiles, I thought about how you're all here with your own dreams. You wish to live extraordinary lives and vanquish evil. You have a fire inside of you that makes you mature sooner than others. I'm glad to see that.” Everyone listened quietly as War Legate Dr