Synopsis

The chapter reveals the protagonist's plan to attend the academy, disguising his strength to appear as a mid-tier student while secretly working towards a larger goal of infiltrating the Steelguard family. He faces initial evaluations which purposefully underrepresent his potential, creating a facade of mediocrity. Upon the start of the academy term, he is immediately thrust into a class-wide sparring tournament, where his rank will be determined by his performance in the initial matches. This structure and immediate pressure are to set up a hierarchy in the class and is the catalyst for the rest of the story.