Cadet Ranking

"Andres, since Lord Yasen had Abad step forward personally, you no longer need to worry about Patur dealing with you," Trevor said to Andres.

"Yes," Andres replied.

In truth, he did not care much about it. Relying on others was inferior to relying on oneself; he had always placed improving his strength first.

As long as he became a Saint Realm expert, even if Patur wanted to deal with him, he would not be able to.

Andres and the other two followed Trevor through the Holy Alliance. Before long, they left the Human Race residential area.

Along the way, more and more people of other races appeared.

Among them, the Elf Race was the most numerous.

Trevor led Andres and the other two to an ancient three-story building. Its surface was covered in vines and other plants, making it impossible to tell what material it was made of.

The building's doors stood open, with people of all races coming and going.

"The Holy Alliance was established by the Life Elf Race and is usually managed by them as well. This is where they work."

As Trevor introduced the place, he led Andres and the others through the doors.

Inside was a spacious hall. The moment they entered, they saw a long row of counters.

Many Elves sat behind the counters.

"Lord Trevor!"

Quite a few people in the hall recognized Trevor and respectfully saluted him.

Saint Realm experts held high status in every race.

Trevor walked to a counter and handled the procedures for Andres and the others to join the Holy Alliance.

With a Saint Realm expert like him present, everything went smoothly.

While the Elves behind the counter busied themselves with the paperwork, Andres curiously observed the hall.

A huge ranking board on one wall immediately drew his attention.

There were ten names on the board, each followed by the corresponding race.

"That is the Cadet Ranking."

Noticing Andres's gaze, Trevor smiled and explained.

"The Cadet Ranking?"

Not only Andres, but Inori and Teresa were also curious about the ranking and looked at Trevor.

Trevor explained, "The Cadet Ranking is compiled by the Holy Alliance. It is only for trainees, and only ten people can be listed."

"Those who make the ranking are all geniuses the Holy Alliance considers most likely to become Saint Realm experts. In other words, they are the ten most outstanding trainees."

"The Holy Alliance's finest geniuses?" Andres and the other two were immediately interested and carefully studied the ten names on the board.

"First: Annika, Life Elf Race."

"Second: Sibyl, Life Elf Race."

"Third: ..."

"Tenth: Yulian, Druid Elf Race."

Of the ten people on the list, most were from the Elf Race. There were also other races such as Dwarves, but not a single Human Race member.

"Previously, Patur was ranked third. After he became a Saint Realm expert, no one from the Human Race could make the ranking," Trevor said.

Then he looked at Andres and said excitedly, "Andres, with your strength, you can absolutely make the ranking. Once you reach the ninth rank, you may even be able to compete for first place."

"Lord Trevor, are there any benefits to making the ranking?" Andres asked.

If it was merely an empty honor, then it did not matter to him whether he made the ranking or not.

"Of course there are benefits!" Trevor said. "Trainees who make the ranking can receive guidance from a God-level expert once, and they will also be granted a Space Ring!"

"A Space Ring!" Inori and Teresa both cried out.

They held no low status in the Oga Kingdom and the Goblin Merchant Guild, so they had both heard of Space Rings.

"It seems you both know about them." Trevor smiled and held out his right hand, revealing the white ring on his index finger.

"A Space Ring is a treasure. Only God-level experts have a way to obtain one. This one of mine was bestowed by the Elf Race when I became a Saint Realm expert."

You can obtain a Space Ring? It seems I'll have to compete for a place on this Cadet Ranking. Andres made up his mind.

With a Space Ring, he could carry quite a few things with him. It would be very convenient.

Space Rings were nothing special in higher planes, but they were still very rare on the Material Plane.

"Lord Trevor, what do I need to do to make the Cadet Ranking?" Andres asked.

"It's simple. Show your strength. There are Saint Realm experts in the Holy Alliance specifically responsible for the Cadet Ranking. They decide who can be listed. All you need to do is demonstrate your strength to them. Whether you directly challenge someone on the ranking or use another method, as long as you are strong enough, they will place you on the list," Trevor said.

He paused, then added, "Actually, there is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your strength coming up soon: the Sacred Tree Fruit Contest."

"According to the agreement between the Elves and the Beastmen, only ten people can participate in the Sacred Tree Fruit Contest. Five will be from the Elves' side, and five from the Beastmen's side. We Humans belong to the Elves' side."

"Of the five slots, four have already been decided, and one remains vacant."

"That slot originally belonged to Patur, but after becoming a Saint Realm expert, he can no longer compete for the Sacred Tree Fruit. The final slot will be decided through competition."

Trevor looked solemnly at Andres. "Andres, your current weakness is Battle Qi, and the Sacred Tree Fruit can make up for that weakness. You can absolutely compete for the final slot."

Andres nodded. That had been his intention as well. Whether it was for the Sacred Tree Fruit or the Space Ring, he had to fight for this slot.

As they spoke, the staff member behind the counter had already finished the procedures.

She handed each of Andres and the other two a green badge and a parchment booklet.

"This is the badge representing your trainee status. Please keep it safe. This booklet contains matters trainees need to know. Please read it carefully as well."

Andres and the other two accepted the badges and parchment booklets.

"You are now official Holy Alliance Trainees, and my task is complete," Trevor said. "Everything Holy Alliance Trainees need to know is written in that booklet, so I will not waste words. It is time for me to leave as well."

"Lord Trevor, thank you for escorting us all this way and explaining everything. Why don't we find a restaurant so I can properly thank you?" Inori quickly said.

"Haha, there is no rush. There will be plenty of chances to eat together later. You should familiarize yourselves with the place first."

Trevor waved his hand, bid the three farewell, and left.

"Let's take a look at what is in these parchment booklets first," Andres suggested.

The other two thought the same.

The three found a place to sit in a corner of the hall and began reading the parchment booklets.

The booklets contained quite a lot, but the wording was concise and easy to understand. Before long, the three finished reading them one after another.

After Andres finished going through the booklet, his understanding of the Holy Alliance had deepened considerably.

Holy Alliance Trainees have quite a high degree of freedom.