On Top of the Hill

Chapter 1

1.0

How does one identify a "mastermind"? Is it by an individual's performance? Or by their ability to solve a difficult problem? Or is it by how one executes its strategies? If it's any of these three, then you can define a number of individuals as masterminds.

Let's say you put together a number of so-called 'masterminds' in one room and get them to compete with each other, does that make the winner a mastermind of masterminds?

In order to answer this question, the government started a special project. They started gathering students from private and prestigious schools all around the city. As well as some students from universities that are being funded by the government.
They started investigating each school to choose which students are worthy of participating in the project.
They did choose quite an interesting lot...

1.1

For some reason, I was chosen to partake in the government's special project. I am by no means special in any way. My grades are average, I'm neither handsome nor ugly, and I don't have any special talent... at least none that I'm aware of.

Three students from my school have been chosen, Amber Nasa, Mora Cruz, and Karl Schmidt (me).

Amber and Mora are elite students. They are considered geniuses. The school even acknowledges them as masterminds. I on the other hand isn't even part of the leaderboard. I can be considered as a mob or a background character, but for some reason, the government included me in this project.

Come to think of it, none of the government representatives ever mentioned what the project was all about, let alone the criteria and the requirement of such participants.

Me, Amber, and Mora waited patiently in a facility along with over twenty-five or more students. We were required to wear our uniforms, so the first thing I noticed was there were no more than three students with the same uniform.

"What do you think the project is about?" Mora asked Amber.
"I'm not sure... but from what I can see is that most students here are top students... even elite ones. For example, Hades University's top student, Piccasso is here." Amber replied. The student named Piccasso was a mysterious one. His real name was hidden by Hades University's authorities. It was a request approved by government officials too. Rumors has it that he's a child of the senate.

"If this project's objective is to gather elite students, then why is he here?" Mora was referring to me. I can see why she'd ask though, even I thought it was strange.

"That made me wonder too... you can't count Karl as an elite student no matter how you look at it, and I don't remember seeing his name in the top 50 at least once." Said Amber.
I, on the other hand, remained silent. Even if I wanted to talk back I couldn't since what they're saying is all true.

I'm not elite, I don't like attention onto me, I don't like overworking myself, I don't even like studying and I have average grades, so why was I chosen?

I remained silent whilst waiting for more information about this project.

1.2

After waiting for over 20 minutes, a man who looked slightly familiar stood in front of everyone whilst holding a microphone on his right hand.

Everyone behaved themselves after seeing the man.

I tapped Amber's shoulder and whispered: "Who is he?"

"He's this city's mayor... come to think of it, how do you not know that?"

"I'm not really interested in this city's internal affairs. Whether who's the leader or not, as long as it doesn't involve me, it's not something I should care about."