Zeke returned to the Lion's Den in silence. He was in no mood to talk. Despite having put on a casual front earlier, he wasn't feeling too good about what happened in the arena. The others seemed to sense his somber mood and stayed away on their own. Even Ripper and Rohan, who surely wanted to ask him many questions, restrained themselves. However, there was somebody who didn't show as much restraint.
"Quit your moping, whelp. It is souring my mood," the Dragon said.
Zeke sighed. "I am not moping, It's just… I find it distasteful to kill people for sport. You could have let him live if you wanted to."
The Dragon snorted. "But I didn't. Also, you are dishonoring that warrior with your pity."
Zeke bristled. "Warrior? He was a slave. He most likely didn't have a choice but to fight."
"So?" The Dragon questioned. "Weaklings don't have the option to choose their destiny. Or do you think the adults in your hometown dreamt of being farmers growing up? Just because they were forced into their profession doesn't mean they don't have pride in it. You should know this well."
Zeke remained silent for a moment. He could see where the Dragon was going with this, but he disagreed. "The people in my hometown weren't slaves. They could choose any work they wanted."
The Dragon chuckled. "Keep telling yourself that, whelp. But one day, you will learn that there is no freedom for the weak. The best they can hope for is a benevolent master."
Zeke wanted to retort, but the words died in his mouth. He thought about the many secrets he had to hide because he didn't have the strength to protect them. On top of that, he didn't even dare to tell people his real name for fear of being hunted down.
Could this really be called freedom? The Dragon didn't say anything else, leaving Zeke to ponder many things as they made their way back to the Lion's Den.
Having the most fighters, their group was the last one to return. When they stepped through the gate, he noticed that something was off. The place was too quiet. Unlike any other day, he couldn't hear the typical noises of clashing weapons or any other indication that people were sparring.
He turned to Rohan with a questioning look, but the old man merely smirked. "You'll see."
It wasn't only him, but most of his companions seemed to know what was going on. Zeke decided not to dwell on it too much. Maybe it was some kind of holiday? He mindlessly followed his group into the big training hall. But he was immediately shocked by what awaited him inside.
All the windows had been blocked, leaving the large hall in darkness. The only light came from the candles held by the many figures standing all around. Zeke walked forward but soon noticed that the number of people in front was decreasing as many of his companions joined the crowd on either side, forming a passage. Neither Ripper nor Rohan were anywhere to be found anymore.
Moments later, only Zeke and four others were left. When he tried to join the crowd, somebody pushed him back. The person wasn't aggressive but gently redirected his path. It was then that Zeke noticed who else had remained with him and understood what was going on. They were the other Rana Samrat who made their debut today. Understanding what was happening, he followed the passage toward the center of the hall. Behind him, the crowd closed their ranks, completely encircling him.
Zeke soon found himself standing in front of a small stage. Upon it stood a figure cloaked in a dark hood, with their silhouette illuminated by the bright, flickering light of two braziers. Zeke couldn't discern their face, but even without the aid of his sphere of awareness, he had a good idea of the figure's identity. The potent Mana currents left no doubt that this individual was an Arch Mage, and in this school, there was only one such person – Ravi Desai, the master. Despite knowing this, Zeke had no intention of dispelling the aura of mystery and instead chose to play along.
The hooded figure scrutinized the five recruits in turn, lingering just a bit longer on Zeke before speaking up. "Brave Lions, today, we have witnessed the prowess of these warriors. They have spilled blood for the first time, their own or their enemies, bringing honor to our school."
"Honor! Honor! Honor!" The crowd cheered thrice in unison before the hooded figure continued.
"The first to prove themselves was Oxtail!" he said, pointing at the warrior to Zeke's left. "He fought a more experienced fighter to a standstill and eventually won through endurance and sheer grit."
The crowd cheered loudly, and even Zeke chimed in. He had seen the fight and was particularly impressed. Oxtail was the name of the first fighter he had defeated during his training. At the time, he had deemed him to be the weakest in his group. However, through sheer willpower, the man managed to keep fighting until his opponent was exhausted, landing a decisive blow in the end. That was a level of determination he had seldom seen.
The hooded figure raised both arms, demanding silence. "Who has a problem with Oxtail joining our ranks? Speak now or remain silent forevermore."
Zeke noticed the burly fighter to his left stiffen. But his posture relaxed when, even after a long time, nobody spoke up.
"Congratulations, Oxtail. You have officially joined our Ranks. I hope that you will make us proud."
The audience cheered for their new brother, making Zeke smile unconsciously. The atmosphere was truly electrifying. Zeke didn't actually want to become a Rana Samrat, but even he felt his heart swell with feelings of brotherhood and camaraderie. He was excited, so much so that all the earlier melancholy was washed from his mind.
"Next, we have Tangletooth…" The figure continued. Then, one after the other, he introduced the other fighters and their exploits. None of them got as much applause as Oxtail, but the members were nonetheless enthusiastic in their welcome. But eventually, there was nobody left besides Zeke, and all eyes turned toward him.
"…And then, we have Blood Dragon. He fought a champion of our most hated enemy — the Firebrand school."
There were hoots and curses from all around. It seemed the people here truly hated the Firebrand school. How had their rivalry gotten to such a point? It was a good thing the Dragon hadn't spared the man, or Zeke would never hear the end of it.
The figure raised its arms once more. "Not only has he won his fight, but Blood Dragon has done so smoothly. He killed the hated Ironclad and humiliated our enemies publicly. It is a great day for the Lion's Den."
"Blood Dragon! Blood Dragon! Blood Dragon!"
The hooded man hadn't even posed the question, but the crowd was already cheering his name. Zeke couldn't help but smile, and his chest swelled in pride. It had been too long since he heard people cheering for him. It was a feeling he liked very much.
Naturally, there was somebody who had to ruin the mood. "What are you smiling for, whelp? Aren't they cheering my name?" the Dragon asked.
Now, it was Zeke's turn to snort disdainfully. "They might. If you weren't too arrogant to even give it."
Instead of getting angry or arguing, the Dragon merely laughed and fell silent. If Zeke didn't know any better, he would think it had tried to cheer him up just now. But something like that was clearly impossible for the arrogant reptile. Surely, he had to be mistaken.
"Now, who has a problem with Blood Dragon joining our ranks? Speak now or remain silent forevermore."
There was a long silence, and just as the figure wanted to congratulate Zeke, somebody spoke up. "I have a problem with it."
Everybody turned in the direction of the voice. But even before seeing him, Zeke knew who had spoken. He had immediately recognized Ishaan's voice. The barbaric instructor would naturally not be happy with Zeke. However, he had no idea what the man would say to justify his complaint. He had performed spectacularly, after all.
"Ishaan?" the hooded figure exclaimed in surprise. "What is your grievance?"
"He is a dishonest wretch; that's my grievance," Ishaan proclaimed. "During all the time I have trained him, he never once displayed his Magic. I do not know the reason for this deception, but I feel that all the time I spent on him was completely wasted. I don't think such a person is a good addition to our numbers."
A quiet murmur swept through the crowd, and Ishaan grinned as he saw the dubious looks many directed at Zeke. On the contrary, there wasn't even the slightest ripple on Zeke's face. How laughable. So, that was how he was going to play it. It wasn't a bad attempt, but if he thought that was enough to stump him, then he was being naive.
The hooded figure turned to him. "What do you have to say for yourself, Blood Dragon?"
Zeke remained silent for a moment as he swept his gaze over the crowd. "I can naturally explain my behavior, but I would like to ask a question first if I am allowed?"
The figure nodded. "What is your question?"
Zeke turned toward Ishaan with a serious expression. "If you had no idea of my capabilities, why did you agree to the fight with Ironclad? This would have been a death sentence for anybody else."
Ishaan was stunned. He had not expected that his earlier words would come back to bite him right away. Having already admitted to his ignorance, he could not claim to have known about Zeke's true power anymore. He had left himself no way out.
"Ishaan?" The hooded figure prompted. It was clear that he also wanted to hear his reasoning.
Ishaan's throat turned dry as the surrounding eyes became suspicious. Even the other instructors had doubtful expressions — especially Rohan. The old man had already suspected something to be off about Zeke's pairing. In this atmosphere, if he didn't come up with something fast, Ishaan would be found guilty by default.
The man cleared his throat. "Naturally, I had my suspicions about your power… You could say that today's match was a test. And as you can all see, I was proven right."
Zeke's expression didn't change, but his eyes turned even more mocking. "You never asked me, Ishaan. Not even once. But we both know that you would rather send people to their deaths instead of talking to them, isn't that right? You think us all beneath you."
"Enough!" Ishaan bellowed. "I will not be questioned by the likes of you. How about you explain why you have been hiding your powers in the first place?"
The crowd's attention returned to Zeke, but he didn't mind. After all, he had no problem answering. "I don't know what you are talking about. I never had any intention of hiding my powers."
"Laughable!" Ishaan exclaimed. "You fought all week with nothing but your hands and feet. Tell me, why didn't you use your companion if you had no intention of hiding your powers?"
"Because my partner doesn't need the practice," Zeke said. "You clearly don't know much about summoning Magic, but most contracted spirits are ancient monsters. A few days of training won't benefit them. Especially not on this level."
"T-That…" Ishaan stammered, but Zeke wasn't done.
"I figured that the most effective way for me to get stronger was to improve my martial prowess. After all, everybody knows that the best way to defeat a summons is to take out the Mage behind it." Many nodded at this. It was common knowledge to be pointless to fight a spirit. After all, it could just be summoned again for as long as the Mage had Mana.
Seeing the anger on Ishaan's face, Zeke didn't miss this chance for one last barb. "You would know all this, Ishaan, if you had used your mouth instead of your whip even once."
As expected, that last comment was enough to send Ishaan over the edge. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU—"
"That's enough!" the hooded figure said. His voice wasn't loud, but there was a power behind it that demanded obedience. "Ishaan, even if you truly intended for today's match to be a test, you still went too far. You not only risked a promising recruit but our very reputation. I would not have expected you to act so carelessly. Quite frankly, I am very disappointed."
There was absolute silence as everybody waited in stunned silence for Ishaan's reply. "I… I am sorry."
The hooded figure nodded slowly. "Very well, but if something like this happens again, you won't get away with a simple warning." He then swept his gaze over the crowd and made a proclamation. "All of you, forget about Ishaan's words. Let me ask one more time: Who has a problem with Blood Dragon joining our ranks?"
This time, there were no complaints. "Congratulations, Blood Dragon. You have officially joined our Ranks, and I am certain that you will continue to make us proud."
To the thundering applause of the crowd, Zeke inclined his head respectfully. It took a long while until the hooded figure was able to continue. Only when the last of the cheering had died down did he speak again. "Five Lions have joined us today. Let us celebrate!"