The cafeteria buzzed with excitement as students chattered about the upcoming tournament. The air was thick with speculation, bets, and predictions about who would come out on top. Amid the noise, Ludwig, Hoyo, and Kassandra sat at a relatively quiet table, more focused on the high-quality food Ludwig was paying for than the surrounding hype.
They ate and drank, enjoying the meal and each other’s company. Ludwig, ever the pragmatist, decided to steer the conversation toward the tournament. “So, tell me,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, “who do you think has the best chance to win?”
Hoyo’s eyes lit up at the question. “Why? You planning on joining the bets?” he asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
“There’s betting?” Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course,” Hoyo said, leaning forward. “You can get your hands on some decent stuff. Anyways, I believe Haku’s team is the one that’ll win.”
“You know him?” Ludwig asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Who doesn’t know him?” Hoyo replied. “He’s the one who almost beat Ravi Vondel last year—as a freshman. From rumors, it’s said that he’s already strong enough to go head-to-head against the current Ravi Vondel, but we have yet to see that rumor proven,” he added with a shrug.
“What about Kaela?” Ludwig asked, recalling the small but terrifying axe-wielder.
“Oh, she’s strong. Incredibly so. Maybe even stronger than Haku,” Hoyo admitted.
“Then why didn’t you say she’d be the one to win?” Ludwig asked, puzzled.
“Her teammates will be dragging her down,” Hoyo explained. “The guy, Esteban, seems decent, but he hasn’t shown anything to be a person to remember.”
“I don’t know about that,” Kassandra interjected, finally joining the conversation.
“What, you got some intel?” Hoyo asked, his interest immediately reignited.
“Yes,” Kassandra said, lowering her voice slightly. “Apparently, Esteban comes from a Sylphborn family. He’s pretty good with elemental magic. Though he should have been going to the Gray Tower, he ended up causing some trouble, so he got sent here.”
Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. “Man, this makes the academy sound more like a punishment camp than an actual magic study academy.” After all, everyone here seemed to have either a screw loose or a history of causing problems.
Hoyo leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I don’t know, man. It’s pretty good living here. Still, I don’t think that’s enough for her team to win.”
“Why not?” Ludwig asked.
“The third-year with Kaela is someone she isn’t fond of,” Hoyo explained. “They had a falling out last year that had the teachers intervene to resolve. Sabrina Valtan, a powerful sorceress from what the teachers presume. She was born with incredible magical prowess and doesn’t actually need to study magic to learn it.”
“People like that exist?” Ludwig asked, his tone a mix of awe and disbelief.
“Yes,” Hoyo said, nodding. “We call them sorceresses. Unlike us, who have to learn magic, sorceresses are born with it. All they need to do to become stronger is live longer. The longer they live, the more magic they’ll be able to unlock. It’s like breathing for them. Unlike the overly extroverted Kaela, Sabrina is the complete opposite. She’s lazy, a shut-in, and rarely ever goes out in public. I think her teacher forced her to join this year’s tournament.”
“I see,” Ludwig said, absorbing the information. “What about Haku’s team?”
“Well, that’s a monstrous lineup,” Hoyo said, his tone tinged with admiration. “Apparently, he’ll have Bron with him and Thalia Breacher. You already know Bron—he’s not the brightest tool in the shed, but the Steelheart swordsmanship is pretty good. Haku is basically a monster in human form. He’s really good with heavy swords and is thought to be the next guy who’ll achieve sword aura at a young age. He’s already shown signs of understanding the sword and might break the Urbaf record. As for Thalia, she’s a support-oriented magician, specializing in debilitating debuffs and status ailments. Some say she caused a few students to go crazy,” Hoyo added, shuddering slightly. “But I’d rather not talk about her. She scares me.”
The trio continued eating and discussing the rest of the competitors, the conversation flowing easily between them. Time ticked by until they finally decided to part ways.
“I’ll head out soon. See you at ten, Ludwig,” Hoyo said, standing up first.
“Already?” Ludwig asked, surprised.
“Yep,” Hoyo replied. “Need to get some money for the betting pool. I have a few things I can sell.”
“I can give you money if you need,” Ludwig offered.
“Nah, there’s no need. I wouldn’t want to owe you if I got shafted. I’m also not exactly super broke,” Hoyo said with a grin.
“Then why are you always latching onto Ludwig’s food expenses?” Kassandra teased.
“You’re not one to speak. Wipe your mouth; you still have some grease on it,” Hoyo shot back, snickering. “Also, it’s always tastier when someone else is paying. See you later,” he said, leaving the table with a hum and a satisfied pat on his belly.
“Right, I’ll also head out,” Kassandra said, standing up. “The dorms have been stricter with curfews, so I need to be there faster.”
“Right, I’ll head back too,” Ludwig said. He wanted to practice more of the Tyrant Blade. So far, his proficiency in the Imperial Style had grown a bit, but the Tyrant Blade hadn’t budged since he started learning it. Ludwig had yet to understand why, so he wanted to do more practice and see if he could ask his professor for guidance.
When he headed toward the arena to train, a couple of students wearing Student Council armbands stopped him.
“What is it?” Ludwig asked.
“We’re not allowing anyone to enter the arena,” one of them explained. “There were cases some years ago of people planting traps in the arena before the tournament.”
“I see,” Ludwig said, nodding.
“He’s one of us,” a familiar voice called out.
Turning, Ludwig saw Mina approaching. “Mina,” he greeted with a nod.
“Ludwig,” she replied, returning the nod. “What brings you here? Today isn’t your turn to do the rounds.”
“I was planning on doing some training,” Ludwig explained. “But I guess the arena is reserved for tomorrow.”
“You can go to the training hall inside the academy,” Mina said. “Student Council members have the exclusive right to train there.”
“Oh, that’s a bonus I didn’t know about,” Ludwig said, his tone appreciative.
“We’ll be keeping our eyes out for the perpetrator. Take some rest; you’ve been working hard lately,” Mina said, offering him a warm smile.
Ludwig nodded and left the area, heading back inside the academy. Hours passed as he trained in the hall, his movements precise but his progress frustratingly slow. Just as he was about to give up and return to his dorm to practice more magic, the door to the training hall opened.
“He’s still here,” Mina’s voice echoed through the room.
Turning, Ludwig saw Mina and Kaela walking in. Kaela’s usual chaotic energy was replaced by a rare seriousness, her expression tense.
“What’s with that look in your eyes?” Ludwig asked, his tone cautious.
“Esteban is missing,” Kaela said, her voice low and urgent.