The World Is Mine For The Taking

Turning around, I spotted Mr. Leon making his way toward us. Clad in the same white military uniform as mine, his slightly longer hair gave him a disheveled appearance, and he seemed a tad sleepy, even yawning as he approached.

"It\'s a pleasure to see you again, Leon," Princess Myrcella greeted, though her curtsey seemed a bit awkward compared to before. Or perhaps it was just my imagination.

"The pleasure is mine, Princess Myrcella," Mr. Leon responded, executing a fluid bow that contrasted sharply with my own stiff attempt. It was hard to believe that, like me, he had also dozed off during etiquette classes.

Mr. Leon\'s gaze swept across the area. "Seems like Hereon\'s a no-show," he observed.

"He mentioned he\'d mull it over," I responded. "But there\'s a chance he might not be on board at all."

"Well, we\'ve got time. Let\'s hold out for him," Mr. Johanne proposed.

"Alright, let\'s give him a chance," I agreed.

"Before he arrives, let\'s get acquainted and share our skills, if any. I\'m Johanne Whitlock. Despite my noble lineage, in this endeavor, we stand as equals. My forte lies in swordsmanship, but I\'m lacking in magic. My skill is known as Limit Break. It grants me the power to surpass my limitations, though it comes with its risks if overused.

I trust you all can compensate for my shortcomings, just as I\'ll do for yours," Mr. Johanne elaborated, his tone resonating with determination.

"I\'ll follow Johanne\'s lead in the introduction. I am Myrcella Odette Milham. You\'re welcome to just call me Myrcella. No need for titles here, as Johanne rightly said, we\'re all equals in this endeavor. I excel in arcane magic, and I\'m also quite skilled in swordsmanship and archery. The one thing I struggle with is cooking.

My skill is Holy Barrier. It allows me to block anything and everything, and within its confines, I can also provide healing," Princess Myrcella declared.

The two turned their attention towards me. I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "I am Shredica Princifilia. My strengths lie in marksmanship and swordsmanship. I\'m proficient in various combat styles, whether arcane or martial arts. The only area where I falter is academics.

I don\'t possess any specific skills to share, as I am skillless," I said.

I heard a disapproving click of a tongue. I ignored it.

Mr. Leon followed suit with his introduction, "I\'m Leon. I\'m pretty average in every aspect, and as you all probably know by now, I\'m skillless."

Another click of the tongue echoed in the room.

"Tch! Two bronze skillless? Am I supposed to believe I\'m teaming up with a bunch of no-talents? This is ridiculous."

The speaker was a man, judging by his uniform, also a student from the academy.

Mr. Johanne fixed his gaze on the man. "Mr. Harold, I\'d appreciate it if you refrain from looking down on Mr. Leon and Miss Shredica. They\'re both valuable members of our team.

Princess Myrcella and I wish to avoid any unnecessary tension, so please keep your comments to yourself. Now, if you\'d be so kind, please proceed with your introduction so we can learn about your strengths."

The man clicked his tongue once more in annoyance. "Tch! Harold Bladibre. I hail from the lineage of a marquis. Unlike Johanne here, who pretends to be on equal footing with you two, low-born and skillless individuals, you should show me the utmost respect. Not only do I hold a higher status, but I\'m also your senior.

Show me the respect I deserve. However, don\'t expect the same treatment in return. I have no weaknesses to speak of. I excel in swordsmanship and arcane arts. My skill is Landscaping."

The way he said that made it clear he couldn\'t be bothered with introductions, but since Mr. Johanne insisted, he reluctantly obliged. Mr. Johanne seemed satisfied with his introduction, so I kept that observation to myself.

"Well, then..." Johanne started, glancing at the only person who hadn\'t introduced herself. She had been engrossed in her smartphone the whole time, not even bothering to look up at us. "Um, Miss Hertrude?"

The woman didn\'t even bother to look up from her smartphone and simply said, "Wait a sec," as she continued typing.

We waited patiently for her to finish whatever she was doing. After a while, she finally looked up from her phone. "What was it you wanted me to do again?" she asked, sounding somewhat distracted.

"I want you to introduce yourself and your strengths and weaknesses," he requested.

"Introduce, huh?" she replied with a sigh. "Well, I\'m Hertrude Getrada, daughter of Baron Getrada. I excel in magic, that\'s my forte. I have this skill called Clairvoyance. It allows me to glimpse events from my own perspective in the future. They\'ve always been accurate, but they\'re often blurry and confusing.

Plus, my ability kicks in randomly. I can\'t control it or change the outcome of what I see. And... that\'s it, I guess," she finished.

With that, the woman returned to her typing.

"This bunch is a tough crowd to crack," I thought to myself.

***

We waited for an hour for Mr. Hereon to show up, but alas, he was nowhere to be seen.

"It seems he\'s a no-show, after all," Mr. Leon remarked, his disappointment evident in his voice.

"I believe it\'s time we boarded a boat to reach the island. We only have an hour left before the King\'s Game begins," Princess Myrcella suggested.

"Very well. Everyone, let\'s head to the docks for a boat ride," Mr. Johanne announced, taking charge of the situation.

However, as we turned around, a voice called out to us.

"Hey! You\'re not leaving without me, are you? That\'s just plain rude," a man\'s voice exclaimed.

Turning back, we saw Mr. Hereon strolling towards us, hands in his pockets. He sported a military uniform matching mine and Mr. Leon\'s.

And with that, our team was finally complete.

***

??? POV

I was currently at one of the estates owned by an administrator of the Academy of Milham, situated in Knowledge City near the port where contestants would gather for the King\'s Game. I had already instructed Prince Julius to head there, while I planned to watch over him from a distance, like a father overseeing his son playing in the park.

Accompanying me was the administrator himself, Gaspard Cordelius Argus.

"You seem to have bounced back from your injuries. Last time I saw you, you were on death\'s doorstep," remarked Argus.

"Well, I have access to someone who can heal and even regrow limbs for me," I replied. "Anyway, this year\'s King\'s Game promises to be quite intriguing, wouldn\'t you agree? Not only is it happening amidst martial law, but a Prince is also entering the competition with the intention of overthrowing the King. I must say, I haven\'t felt this excited in a long time."

"Well, it\'s an event I\'d like to witness before I kick the bucket," remarked Gaspard. "Honestly, I never thought you\'d manage to turn Prince Julius into your puppet. Quite surprising."

"I just did a bit of manipulation," I shrugged. "Even someone like you could pull it off."

"Goodness, me? I\'m far too old for such games now," Gaspard chuckled. "Honestly, I envy you a bit. If the previous King had been as weak and cowardly as the current one when I was in my prime, I might have accomplished what you\'re doing now."

"Well, things aren\'t going entirely according to plan," I admitted. "I narrowly escaped death at the hands of someone very powerful, after all."

"The man with many faces, huh?"

". . . . ."

"I haven\'t encountered him myself, so I\'m quite skeptical. I\'d like to know more about him. Can you enlighten me?" Gaspard inquired.

"Well, I haven\'t quite figured him out myself," I admitted.

"That powerful, huh?" Gaspard raised an eyebrow.

"It was the first time my ego took such a hit," I confessed.

"I\'m sure this isn\'t a conversation you\'d prefer to dwell on, so let\'s change the subject," Gaspard suggested.

"Agreed," I nodded.

"I\'ll get straight to the point why I called you here. I need your help to eliminate some individuals," he stated.

"Eliminate people?"

"Two of them," he confirmed. "They\'re slated to participate in the King\'s Game. This presents a perfect opportunity to finally be rid of them. I want you to take them out and make it look like their deaths were natural, as if they were casualties of the game."

"You seem quite determined to remove these individuals. It appears you harbor... hatred towards them. So, who exactly are these two?"

I could already guess who he meant, even without asking. This man harbored prejudice against those lacking in skill. I had heard that among the students from the academy participating in the King\'s Game, there were two without any skill.

"Two students from the academy," he confirmed, aligning with my suspicions. "Two without any skill."