All the applicants were gathered on the training grounds once they were done with the written exams. Rhys could tell that there were a lot of applicants missing. Those people who belonged to powerful and influential houses were exceptions who didn't have to take the physical exams.
But commoners like him had to go through each and every step of the exam and pass no matter what to enter the academy. All of them were instructed to be shirtless and just have shorts on. They were asked to leave aside any accessory or extra baggage they were carrying as the fitness test was soon to be conducted.
All the applicants present over there were fifteen years old, as that was the minimum age requirement. But there was one exception, Rhys. There were two reasons behind it, first, the letter of recommendation from Anna, and second, the army needed soldiers. Considering his grades and recommendation, he could be good cannon fodder for the army to fill the positions, and the academy was a perfect place to train commoners like him to become good soldiers for the higher-ranking noble officers. But whether he passed the entrance exam or not was another question.
"Hey, look at him."
"Ah...are we really going to compete with that guy?"
Some whispers were going on as people were boldly staring at Rhys's body. One could easily see his finely developed muscles and abs. Even his back and shoulders were in good form, not to mention the calf muscles popping as he was in shorts. His physique and fitness were like an athlete.
Some people even thought that he was a noble playing around to mock the commoners, given his good looks and fitness, but that wasn't the truth.
The process was simple, first, every applicant had to pass the medical checkup. Those who didn't meet the requirement criteria were directly disqualified and failed the entrance exam. Once the checkup was completed, the passing applicants had to run a 300m track carrying 10kg of weight, climb a rope, do 50 push-ups, perform a long jump - to test the leg strength.
By the end of the day, all the applicants were sweating hard; some quit halfway, while some were lying on the ground to catch a breath. It was tough, but for now, it was over.
.
.
Two days after,
At the recruitment committee board,
"Hah, no hopes this year too, huh. They are all trash."
One officer said while reviewing the applicant forms.
"Yeah, and talk about the nobles; all they want for their kids is to sit at some higher rank and order around. At this rate, the empire will be doomed sooner or later."
Another officer commented while having a cigar.
" Wanna hear something interesting, fellas - look what I got for you."
An officer barges in between and slams Rhys's application on the table. The other two officers glance at the application.
"This...??"
"Isn't that amazing? Talk about a perfect score, not just theory, but physical too. This guy has nailed it. And once the results fall out, he will be the talk of the town. No one in the school's history has gotten a perfect score in the entrance exam."
"Mhm...but he is a commoner. If the results fall out, the snobbish nobles will definitely raise an issue."
" So what?? Their rules aren't applicable within the school parameters. We can't be unjust just for some power-hungry and greedy people."
As the fellow said, the officer with the cigar deeply thinks this through in silence for a few minutes and then replies.
"Okay, let's call him for an interview tomorrow, and then we will decide how we will display the results."
As the officer orders, a letter is sent to Rhys, summoning him to the academy for an interview. Rhys kind of expected this, realising how things were going too smoothly for him, but he was prepared for what might come, so he wasn't that much bothered.
As he entered the room, he saw three officers in the Celestrian military uniform. The uniform was of dark charcoal green colour. All three were sitting next to each other right across the table, and there was a chair placed for Rhys opposite them.
As he sat, the officer in the middle glared at him, trying to intimidate Rhys. He was in his 30s. Properly combed, short side-parted black hair, brown iris, a tiny but visible old scar on his right eyebrow.
He looked through his file and then straight up at Rhys.
"Good morning, I am Officer Jason, the leading officer of this committee. I will be conducting your interview for admission to the military school of Celestria with my fellow officers, Joyce and William.
" So, shall we begin?"