"What kind of doctrine is this? A queen being treated like a god—are you all insane?!"
It couldn't be denied that Queen Caterine II had become a flawless figure in the eyes of her people—so flawless that she was worshipped as a god, especially among city dwellers and nobles. They idolized her, to the point where they were willing to do anything just to be near her.
The book also explained that Queen Caterine II was indeed seen as a divine entity in the Luzia Kingdom. She controlled everything—who deserved honor and who ought to be oppressed and killed. This was seen as a balance because this world must merge sanctity and blood. Light and darkness must coexist, whether people liked it or not—that was the reality.
Queen Caterine II was also regarded as the mother of magic. It was through her that magic could awaken in every human. All must submit to her, ready to serve and lay down their lives. Her power had to expand, no matter the cost—even if it meant killing children or the elderly.
Booza was speechless after reading just a few pages of the book. He leaned back against his chair and looked up at the library's ceiling.
Queen Caterine II harbored many mysteries—about her magical powers, and about why she became a divine entity. Booza's mind kept spinning, questioning it all: what was the reason behind her cruelty, especially when her ancestors were so kind and averse to conflict?
Out of the corner of his eye, Booza glanced at the orange-haired woman sitting across from him. She stood up and walked over to the librarian's desk. Then, she left.
"Hey, young man! The library's closing—get out quickly. It'll be dark soon,"
The librarian shouted at Booza from her desk. Startled, Booza sat up straight. He glanced at the clock above the door—five in the evening already. It was getting dark outside. He hadn't realized he'd spent so much time in the library.
He walked over to the librarian's desk.
"What is it? You looked shocked while reading that book," the elderly woman asked as Booza approached.
Even though Booza could read her thoughts, the question still caught him off guard.
"You must be disgusted by the fact that the queen is considered a god here?"
"Yes!" Booza replied, handing the book back.
"You're from the outskirts, aren't you?" she said as she took the book. Then she snapped her fingers—and moments later, the book floated back to its shelf. Both her question and the magical display stunned Booza so much that his eyes didn't blink.
"Don't be surprised. I wasn't assigned here without reason. I have the power to control books. That's why the queen asked me to work here."
"But how did you know I'm from the outskirts?"
"Everyone else is either amazed or overjoyed when they read that book—except for outcasts like you. In this kingdom, the queen is everything, especially to the nobles. They've already been handed paradise. But to you people from the outskirts… the queen is no different from a devil."
"What's your name?"
"Me? I'm Booza."
"I'll remember you."
---
The day passed quickly, giving way to a cool and calming night. A breeze was so refreshing that it felt like wounds healed faster, bodies recovered more easily, and everyone was ready to greet tomorrow with a burning spirit.
Booza had woken up from his sleep. As he slowly opened his eyes, a cyan transparent screen appeared before him.
[Loading system]
Daily Mission:
100 pushups
100 sit-ups
100 pull-ups
10 km run
100 kicks
100 punches
It was Booza's third day at the Luzia Royal Palace grounds. Today, as expected, was a combat training day with Elsie. Booza and his friends quickly got ready and headed to the training ground.
When they arrived, Elsie was already waiting, casually lounging on a sofa. She yawned wide when Booza and the others showed up.
"You guys took forever!"
"From my observation, none of you has any agility in battle. So today, we're going to focus on that. But first, finish your daily missions."
They followed her orders immediately. Just like the previous days, Booza trained hard to complete the daily mission quickly. But the hardest part for him was the 10-kilometer run—utter torture. The muscles in his legs felt like they were going to explode as he forced his body to keep running.
After a while...
[Congratulations! You have completed your daily mission]
Strength: 30 → 40+
Stamina: 27 → 37+
Agility: 24 → 29+
Endurance: 22 → 27+
Intelligence: 510 → 515+
Booza was completely exhausted when the daily mission was finally done. But when the cyan screen popped up and his attribute points increased, it was as if his strength returned.
"You took your sweet time!"
Elsie scolded Booza for being the last to finish. His friends were all done and were now just watching him catch his breath.
"Well done, buddy! We're both from the outskirts—we have to support each other."
A man shouted encouragingly. Booza knew exactly who he was—Grimaldo, the guy Booza often trained with and saw daily.
Booza didn't know many of the other outskirt kids. Only a few: Grimaldo, Alen, Rocky, and Stone. He knew them because they usually trained near the tree Booza liked to nap under.
Then Elsie gave the order for all students to line up.
"Next, we're going to train agility through sparring. You'll be paired up—one attacks, the other dodges or blocks. Then switch. Over and over, until evening. Any questions?"
Booza raised his hand to ask, "Why are we sparring right away? Shouldn't we learn the basic theory first?"
"In theory, yes. But if I did that, I guarantee you'll all be dead in a week during the battle event. We don't have much time."
"You," Elsie pointed her finger at Booza, "you'll be my partner for this training."
Booza could only swallow hard. It was a shocking decision. Now every student had their own partner—and Booza was already facing Elsie.
"Why me?"
"Your mind-reading ability would just give your friends a hard time. They wouldn't be able to land a hit on you—they're too slow. That power of yours is useless if your opponent is lightning-fast. And I'm the only one here who is."
Booza wasn't ready. But Elsie launched at him with terrifying speed. Booza couldn't keep up—he got hit and kicked over and over again.
"Hey! I'm your student—you could kill me with that speed!"
Elsie laughed at Booza's complaints. But she showed no mercy. She attacked again with the same overwhelming speed.
"This is the only way I can keep you alive… and accelerate your evolution."