The royal court meeting concluded, and everyone dispersed.
Regarding the vacant position of the Golden Dawn's captain, the Wizard King decided to have Yuno temporarily serve as acting captain.
If his performance during this probationary period was satisfactory, he would be officially appointed.
Ethan had no objections to this arrangement.
Whether Yuno succeeded or failed was his own business.
As for Ethan, he had his own plans to focus on.
"Hel, is everyone assembled?"
At the headquarters of the 10th squad, Dawn's Light.
Ethan stood proudly in a sharply tailored uniform, adorned with a luxurious cape and the gleaming insignia of his squad.
He looked both commanding and strikingly handsome, carrying an air of maturity and authority.
Before him were about a hundred recruits, all commoners, lined up in ten neat rows.
Each row had ten people.
For many of them, this was the first time they were seeing Ethan Hayes—the living legend—up close.
Yes, a legend!
A man who, despite being born a commoner, had carved a path through the nobles' and royals' monopoly on power.
Now, he stood proudly as a squad captain.
The recent tumultuous events in the Clover Kingdom's capital had all been tied to him.
To these recruits, he was not just a role model but an ideal to aspire to.
Clearing his throat...
After a moment's thought, Ethan addressed the crowd:
"Welcome to Dawn's Light.
Here, there are no biased eyes, no discrimination.
The only thing that matters is whether you work hard—or watch others succeed because they did.
Like every other squad, we have ranks: regular members, elite members, and squad leaders.
From this moment on, you all start at the same point.
If you wish to rise, to stand out, show results.
I will observe each of you for one month and assign roles accordingly.
Hel, explain the details to them."
Hel nodded and stepped forward to outline the rules and expectations.
Meanwhile, Ethan clasped his hands behind his back and paced among the recruits, surveying them like a true leader.
Among them were young teens and sturdy young men, but none older than thirty—a condition Ethan had personally set.
Older age meant less potential.
Dawn's Light was a brand-new squad; it needed youthful vigor, not stale lethargy.
Especially this first batch—their quality would decide the squad's future.
A path forward—veterans guiding the newcomers, laying a solid foundation for the squad to thrive.
About ten minutes later, after Hel finished speaking, Ethan returned to the front.
"Who among you has a spatial attribute?"
Immediately, four people raised their hands.
Spatial magic wasn't exceedingly rare in the Clover Kingdom, but it was still considered special.
Having four spatial mages out of a hundred was an excellent ratio.
"You four, step forward.
Everyone else, return to your dormitories, tidy up, and gather here again at the same time tomorrow."
The remaining recruits shot the four spatial mages envious and jealous looks.
It was obvious the captain had something important for them—a rare chance to impress right at the start.
Ethan scanned the list and nodded approvingly.
"All from the Eighth Tier. Good, very good."
The reason he called for spatial mages was simple: their value far exceeded that of others—at least in his eyes.
In Ethan's opinion, spatial magic in this world had been heavily restricted compared to its potential.
But no matter how weakened, its core functions remained intact.
For instance—long-distance teleportation.
Much better than flying around using wind magic himself.
He was a squad captain now, a figure of prestige and authority.
It would be unfitting for him to lack a "luxury ride," so to speak.
"Listen closely," Ethan continued.
"Among the four of you, I will choose one to serve as my personal guard.
But who earns that spot depends entirely on your own abilities."
Personal guard?
Hearing that, all four faces lit up with excitement.
It might not be a formal military rank, but being constantly by the captain's side had obvious advantages.
Even squad leaders would have to show them respect.
"You're all from the border villages, so you should be familiar with the Black Bulls' headquarters, right?
Each of you will now open a spatial gate to that location.
Whoever completes it the fastest, with the most stable portal and minimal deviation, will be selected.
Begin!"
Ethan pulled out a pocket watch and started timing.
He had calculated it beforehand—
The straight-line distance from Dawn's Light's headquarters to the Black Bulls' base was about 26 kilometers.
A typical Eighth Tier spatial mage could manage about 5 kilometers per gate.
Meaning each candidate would need to open at least five gates to reach the target.
The four mages immediately sprang into action.
Their grimoires floated beside them as magic gathered.
In the blink of an eye, the first spatial tunnel formed.
Ethan didn't rush into it—he turned calmly to observe the others.
About three seconds later, the other three finished creating their portals.
But their faces betrayed their disappointment:
All three had been slower than the first one—Arlo.
"Since Arlo was first, let's test his portal first," Ethan said calmly.
He stepped into the shimmering gate.
Arlo shot a triumphant grin at the others and followed.
As the portal vanished, the remaining three looked frustrated.
"What now? The captain's obviously going to pick him..."
"What can we do? We were slower."
"Damn it, such a golden opportunity... tch."
They grumbled among themselves.
Roughly five minutes later, the portal reappeared.
Ethan stepped out, his expression calm.
Arlo's portal construction speed was impressive—barely a second for each jump.
But his accuracy was terrible.
The fifth and final gate was off by three kilometers from the Black Bulls' base!
And the stability of the spatial tunnel was poor—a small spell could have easily collapsed it.
Way too risky—not acceptable.
Next, Ethan tested the second and third candidates.
But again, he wasn't satisfied.
Either the distance between gates was too short, or the construction time and accuracy were unacceptable.
Very dissatisfied.
Finally, he walked into the fourth candidate's portal.
He expected it to be just as disappointing.
But when he stepped out on the other side—
Ethan froze.
His eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively swallowed hard...
-------------------------
To Access 30+ Advance chapters head over to Patreon:
patreon .com / Samorash
~~Do leave a comment!