Will of the Battlefield

Away from the worried children’s world, another silent battle of intense stares was ongoing without a pause.

At the center of the hall, Hayden remained standing wordlessly, not answering Thomas until this moment.

The principal of Black Pearl Academy needed a moment, but finally, he regained his composure.

His surprised eyes and messed expression gradually disappeared, replaced by the one he once had until Thomas came.

A calm and cold face. He inclined his head toward Thomas. "Count Ironforge."

Thomas snorted. "Principal Hayden," he answered casually, with an evidently dismissive attitude while looking down on the man.

Hayden spoke with nerves of steel. "I shall overlook your son’s conduct out of respect for your service to the kingdom," he declared.

Thomas crossed his arms. "How generous." He leaned forward slightly.

Hayden ignored the sarcasm. "Take him home," he said flatly, raising his eyes to meet Thomas’s.

Murmurs spread throughout the hall.

Displeased and irritated, Thomas opened his mouth to respond, but...

"Home? I already chose my academy, though," he said.

Thomas ignored Hayden. "You did?" he asked Thane.

Thane nodded. "Blue Leaf Academy."

Thomas nodded. "Good."

Then he looked at Hayden. "My son shall attend Blue Leaf Academy."

Hayden’s eyes narrowed. "That is not your decision."

"It is his."

"It is not."

A dangerous silence settled over the hall.

Thomas smiled. A terrible smile. "My son has chosen."

Hayden folded his hands behind his back. "And your son has made unreasonable demands."

Thomas took a step forward. "He wishes his companions to accompany him."

"Indeed."

"What’s unreasonable?"

Hayden looked almost offended. "The image of the academy."

Thomas barked a laugh. "Image? I thought academies possess standards."

"They do," Hayden answered.

"Then maintain them," Thomas shrugged. "The boy who won your tournament asks for companions. Grant it."

Hayden’s voice hardened. "Champion? He won only one of three trials," he retorted.

Before Thomas could say another word, he added, "Overall, he failed qualification."

Thomas remained silent, his eyes looking down the same.

Hayden continued. "He failed the Third Trial entirely. He is no overall champion. He is merely exceptional."

Thomas chuckled. "Merely exceptional."

At the back, even Athenok coughed hard, attempting to hold back his laughter.

Thomas made eye contact briefly with Athenok. "Anyway, I don’t remember your academy being where he desired to go either," he said dismissively.

Hayden pressed on. "The selection process is collective. No principal may act independently without substantial justification."

Thomas nodded readily. "Fair."

The Count looked toward Athenok. "Principal Athenok, you still want my boy?"

Athenok smiled. "More than ever," he declared with absolute certainty.

Thomas nodded and looked back at Hayden. "There’s your justification."

Hayden’s expression darkened. "No."

The word echoed through the chamber. For several moments, silence reigned.

Then Thomas laughed, not politely or pleasantly.

He laughed as though someone had told an amusing joke.

When he finally stopped, his eyes had gone cold. "Very well."

He looked around the hall. "Since the kingdom apparently has no place for my son..."

A chill swept through the room. "...Borderstone County shall withdraw from Bentram."

Silence, utter silence.

Hayden stared; several principals shot to their feet.

Thomas continued casually. "It was never truly Bentram to begin with."

Murmurs erupted. Thomas’s gaze fell down again on Hayden. "You can keep playing house, recruiting foreign nobles and their servants to the academy without any qualifications."

With these words, he threw a bomb on the academy and its privileges. He knew, like everyone else, how the system of the academies favors some over others. How it gave unreasonable privileges, and how this time exceptionally it was so for his son.

He knew everything, but on the other hand...

Everyone present in this hall knew history.

Centuries ago, Borderstone had been an independent mountain kingdom.

The Ironforge king had willingly joined Bentram through a treaty rather than conquest.

Their autonomy had remained largely intact ever since.

Thomas spread his arms. "If my son cannot enter an academy because city folk dislike his friends, then Borderstone shall once again become the Ironforge Kingdom." His voice echoed beyond the academy walls.

Chaos exploded; not just the aspirants, but the audience and every single teacher or principal couldn’t hold themselves in their seats anymore.

"You cannot be serious!"

"Count Ironforge!"

"Have you lost your mind?!"

"That’s blasphemy!"

"Please, take back those revolting comments."

Thomas ignored them. "Send word to His Majesty."

His voice fell like thunder, assaulting their ears without mercy.

"You soft-handed city nobles know nothing of us.

We survived harsh winters that would erase history and nations.

We fought cursed beasts before your grandfathers learned to shave.

We’ll survive without your academies. But... would you survive without our craftsmanship?"

Thomas wasn’t done. "Would you survive cursed beasts’ assaults without us defending?"

Hayden’s composure finally cracked. His eyes widened.

For the first time since entering the hall, genuine alarm appeared on his face.

Borderstone leaving the kingdom would be catastrophic.

Militarily, economically, and politically.

And the King would undoubtedly blame everyone present. He knew too well the King would take this out on him personally if this came to be.

Thomas looked entirely unconcerned. Instead, he turned toward his son and waved his hand. The terrifying warlord vanished. In his place stood only an average father. "Come on, Thanny."

Thane blinked. "We’re leaving?"

"Looks that way," Thomas spoke with his hands open helplessly.

The Count grabbed his son’s arm. "Gods above, boy."

Leaving behind everyone and everything, Thomas had just gotten back his son, and his daughter was nearby; they would soon reunite with her.

Hayden, the academies, Bentram, and everything else didn’t mean a thing to him right now.

He looked genuinely depressed. "You look weak," he worriedly said to his son.

Thane looked offended. "I’m not weak," he retorted.

"When did you last eat?"

"This morning."

Thomas snorted. "Clearly not enough."

The Count looked toward the exit. "Your mother packed food."

Thane’s eyes widened. "Really?"

"A great deal of it," Thomas winked.

The giant immediately brightened. "Then let’s go!"

The entire hall watched in stunned silence as one of the kingdom’s most important nobles prepared to walk out over academy admissions.

A father who openly declared war over a trivial matter of his son.