“THE GRAND FESTIVAL IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!” Professor Ferdinand announced, his voice resonating with authority and excitement.
Inside the S Class classroom, the top students-now perhaps the top eight, as the twins were still considered missing-stood a few feet apart from one another.
The room’s setup was unusual, designed for a larger number of students, making the
gathering feel even more intimate and intense.
Professor Ferdinand, a senior professor and the head of the night department, stood before them. He stroked his freshly groomed beard, a smile playing on his lips.
His assistant, Professor Yuki, stood beside him, her gaze sharp and assessing as she looked over the students.
Crossing his arms, Professor Ferdinand had a proud look on his face. It was not unlike that of a proud father, or perhaps more fittingly, a proud grandfather who had become teary-eyed watching his grandchildren inherit a small part of his strength.
‘Are all old people in this world this dramatic?’ I couldn’t help but think, noting the emotional display.
His demeanor totally reminds me of gramps who would always cry whenever I do something amazing in front of his eyes.
“HAHAHAHA, IT SEEMS YOU LOT HAVE GOTTEN A TEENY BIT STRONGER SINCE THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU! WERE THE PROFESSORS THAT GOOD OF TEACHERS, OR WERE YOU GUYS JUST THAT TALENTED? HAHAHA, WHATEVER IT IS, I’M PROUD OF YOU LOT FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR!”
As usual… ‘He was as loud as ever’
I’m, glad that I had anticipated his booming voice and had lightly coated my ears with mana for protection.
“I’M SURE ALL OF YOU ARE EXCITED FOR THE GRAND FESTIVAL RIGHT NOW, AND SOME ARE PROBABLY NERVOUS, BUT BE AT EASE! YOU LOT ARE CLASS S! NOBODY IN THIS DAMNED DEPARTMENT IS STRONGER THAN YOU IN YOUR RESPECTIVE YEARS. WIN OR
LOSE, YOUR TITLE AS THE STRONGEST OF THE LOT REMAINS TRUE!”
Professor Ferdinand’s voice echoed through the room, full of pride and encouragement. His enthusiasm was contagious, and despite the nerves that some of us felt, his words bolstered our confidence.
“WHILE THERE ARE SOME SMALL COMPLICATIONS REGARDING THIS YEAR’S GRAND FESTIVAL, DON’T MIND IT AND JUST FOCUS ON YOUR OWN FIGHTS.”
His words were a reminder that, despite the challenges and uncertainties, our primary goal was to give our best performance.
“Professor Ferdinand, could you elaborate on these complications?” Theo asked, voicing the curiosity that many of the class felt.
“AH, NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT TOO MUCH,” he replied, waving a dismissive hand. “JUST SOME ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES AND SECURITY MEASURES. NOTHING THAT SHOULD AFFECT YOUR PERFORMANCE.”
Professor Yuki stepped forward, adding in her calm and composed manner, “Your focus should remain on your preparation and performance. Trust in your training and your abilities. You’ve all worked hard to reach this point.”
“THAT’S RIGHT! AS YOU ALL KNOW BY NOW, THE GRAND FESTIVAL LASTS FOR 3 DAYS STRAIGHT! IT’S A GRAND CELEBRATION FOR THE ACADEMY TO SHOWCASE YOUR SKILLS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD. MANY VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE CONTINENT HAVE COME TO SEE THE SPECTACLES YOU BRING FORTH. TODAY, YOU LOT ARE CONSIDERED THE TOP OF THE TOP AND THE BEST AMONG THE BEST! I TRUST THAT ALL OF YOU WILL ACHIEVE THE BEST OUTCOME IN ALL OF YOUR FIGHTS!”
Professor Ferdinand’s booming voice filled the room, his enthusiasm unwavering as he addressed us. His words were like a rallying cry, igniting a spark of excitement and determination within each of us.
“P.S. THIS ISN’T PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE RIGHT NOW, BUT IT SEEMS THE DUKE OF HEAVENS, THE GRAND DUKE HIMSELF, HAS PERSONALLY GRACED US WITH HIS PRESENCE TODAY. SO IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP, GO ALL OUT UNDER HIS WATCHFUL GAZE! НАНАНА!”
Although this old man was quite loud, he really knew how to hype his students up.
Just a few moments ago, Theo and Susan looked a bit down, but now they appeared energetic and ready.
Did his words have some magical charm in them?
As the energy in the room shifted, I glanced around and saw the change in my classmates.
Faces that had been tense and uncertain now bore expressions of determination and eagerness.
Even those who had been nervous seemed more focused and ready to face the challenges ahead.
Professor Yuki stepped forward, her serene presence adding a sense of calm to the charged atmosphere.
“Remember, this festival is not just about winning,” she began, her voice steady and reassuring. “It’s also about the evaluation of your skills. Your performance today will reflect your overall positions and rankings in the upcoming second semester, so it would be best if all of you truly tried your best, even if it’s a losing battle.”
Everyone nodded at Professor Yuki’s words, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Even though our current positions as the highly prestigious S class students gave us a certain status, it could change at any time in the next semester.
With two slots now open, those power-hungry A class students eager to make it to Class S would be fighting tooth and nail. The benefits of being in Class S were too significant to
ignore.
It was a bit weird that it wasn’t our adviser telling us all of this, but I guess a form of encouragement from Professor Yuki is probably better.
She had a way of instilling calm and focus, qualities we would need in the coming days.
Looking around at the faces of my classmates, I noticed something surprising.
I had thought the Duke being here would add more pressure for everyone, but it seemed they were all excited.
It made sense for Lucas, the knight enthusiast, to be thrilled; the Duke wasn’t just the pinnacle of swordsmanship but also the strongest knight in the empire.
Seeing him eager was no surprise.
But Kagami, Theo, and Seo being excited? That was a bit unexpected. Kagami, usually stoic
and reserved, had a determined glint in his eye.
Theo, who often approached things with a laid-back attitude, was practically bouncing on his
toes.
And Seo, normally calm and collected, had a fierce intensity about her.
It was clear that the Duke’s presence was having a galvanizing effect on them. With the Grand Festival in play, all the top students from each department and each year would participate, battling it out against their respective seniors who are also at the top of
their respective departments.
First years would face off against second years, and third years against fourth years.
There were certain exceptions to the setup, like my fight with Lucas, but overall, that was how the battle schedule was structured for the rest of the students.
The first day would showcase the all-out brawls between the first years and the second years. The second day would feature the third years versus the fourth years.
Finally, the last day was reserved for individual duel battles for students who were not part of the top 10 but wanted to showcase their strengths in front of the crowd, hoping that some top guild or knightly order might notice their unbloomed talent.
Everyone expected this year’s Grand Festival to be just as grand, if not grander, than last
year’s batch.
After all, our time today was considered another golden age for the academy.
Our first-year knight department alone had top contenders they truly had to watch out for,
like Seo, Janica, and Lucas.
And with the remaining first-year students from other departments, I’m sure much of the audience would be captivated once they see them fight. Though I feel slightly bad for the
senior facing Seo.
In the game, the fight with that guy ended in just a mere 0.2 seconds, highlighting Seo’s overall power and skill among the people of the world, making her even more world-famous
than she already was.
Professor Ferdinand, with his wide grin, had a look of great expectations, fully expecting us
to wreck the not-so-famous generation of the second years.
But even still, can he not be so blatant?
Professor Yuki then spoke out as she readjusted her glasses.
“As a reminder for all of you, please don’t be late once your respective names are called. You
are expected to arrive at the battle stage with haste, so it would be best advised to stay in the grand coliseum’s halls to prepare yourselves.”
“Training equipment and all your preferred weapons have already been delivered to your private dorms yesterday, so I trust that none of you will make an excuse regarding your own
weapons.”
Her words carried a weight of authority and urgency, and everyone nodded in understanding.
There was no room for error, no margin for complacency.
‘I guess the start of Act 1 chapter 5 is about to begin’
As wrecked of an act as it was it was still an integral part of Lucas’s story and progress in life.
It doesn’t matter if I win or not.
‘Show me what you’ve got dear protagonist of mine’
This was Lucas’s story, but it was also mine.
Our fates were intertwined, our destinies forcefully aligned.
Whether you’ll remain as my hope for the future, will be evident after the end of this fight.
…
In the Class S classroom of the magic department, Professor Louise stood alongside her assistant, Professor Lia.
They were tasked with encouraging the top first-year students of the magic department, as
well as informing and advising them about the rules and ordeals of the upcoming exams.
The advice given was pretty standard and not far off from what the knight department professors were saying to their students.
It was all helpful, but for the top students themselves, all of their words passed like mere air. None of them seemed to listen.
“So, that is all. Remember to not be late, okay?” Professor Louise said nervously, noticing the
grand silence of the room.
Even though she spoke louder than usual to gather the attention of the ten students, none of
them seemed to care.
Well, some did attentively listen, but the cream of the crop, the ones called the golden pride
of the academy, didn’t. Among the students, there was an air of indifference and impatience.
They were the elite, the top of their class, and they had little interest in being reminded of rules they already knew or hearing encouragement they didn’t feel they needed.
Their minds were elsewhere, focused on their own preparations and strategies for the Grand
Festival.
Mages were known to be quite eccentric and selfish about their own desires, so this much was to be expected. But even still, wasn’t it disrespectful to not look at their professors like this?
The top-ranked student, Snow Luvenitia White Germonia Leven, also known as Princess
Snow, had a distant look on her face as she kept staring at the windows.
The second-ranked student, hailed as the genius of the century, Rose Brilliance, the future
Archon, had a relatively distant look on her face as well, her eyes locked onto her wand.
A creepy feeling emanated from her darkened golden eyes. “Uh-Uhm…. So does anyone have any questions so far?” Professor Louise asked, her voice
tinged with nervousness.
Professor Louise was too nervous to call them out. After all, not only were they technically
some of the highest-class nobles, but one of them was of royal blood as well.
Not to mention, they were powerful enough to overwhelm her in a magic fight.
These two girls were literal monsters in the flesh.
‘Did something happen?’ Professor Louise felt like crying.
Now she could see why Professor Frost begged her to attend to this class today. She really
hoped that no problems would arise from this.
‘What should I do……’
‘So, your father-in-law is here Riley….’
Meanwhile, in the same room, Snow and Rose were preoccupied with thoughts far removed
from the mundane concerns of their professors.
Their minds were focused on one young man-Riley Hell.
The presence of the Duke and the upcoming Grand Festival had stirred feelings and thoughts
within them that were more personal than academic.