"Your Highness!"
A bright, musical voice sliced through the noisy buzz of the Central Plaza. Approaching Team Crimson was an eye catching party of four young nobles, three girls and one boy, all walking with the effortless poise of high society.
Leading the group was a girl with flowing silver hair, piercing blue eyes, and an impeccably tailored uniform, Lyra of House Aethelgard, daughter of a Duke. Beside her walked a handsome young nobleman with a polished smile, followed by a quiet noble girl.
Walking just half a step behind Lyra was a girl with striking, familiar features, luminous golden hair and vivid amber eyes that perfectly mirrored Ansel’s own. This was Mina, the Imperial Princess and Ansel’s younger sister by a single year.
"Lyra. Mina," Ansel greeted, his face brightening into a relaxed smile as the group halted before them.
Lyra immediately offered a flawless, sweeping curtsy.
"Congratulations on securing first place, Your Highness! Your light magic at the final boss was nothing short of magnificent. Truly, no one in our year comes close to your brilliance!"
Ansel chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with a slight wave of his hand.
"Thank you, Lyra, but I certainly didn’t do it alone. You shouldn’t just praise me, give credit to my team as well. Without their support and quick execution, we wouldn’t have set that record."
Lyra paused, a light blush dusting her cheeks as she realized her slip. She quickly turned to Sitri, Aria, and Iver, dipping her head gracefully.
"Ah, forgive my oversight! Congratulations to all of you on an outstanding trial."
Sitri and Aria offered polite, practiced nods, while Iver simply kept his hands in his pockets, giving a subtle nod in return. ’I guess this this is what a noble looks like, even aria doesn’t come close’, he thought.
"Brother you fought well, and your team coordination was truly wonderful to watch from the stands," Mina chimed in with a sweet, gentle smile, bowing politely to Team Crimson.
"You’re too kind, Princess Mina," Aria replied with a soft smile.
Lyra turned back toward Ansel, letting out a small, dramatic sigh as she folded her arms. "I only regret that I wasn’t assigned to your team, Ansel. If I were by your side, I could have supported you directly!"
"We don’t need to be grouped together for every single trial just because we’re engaged, Lyra," Ansel said smoothly, exasperated laughter lacing his tone. "Different team compositions help us all grow."
"Still! It is my duty to always be around to serve and assist you," Lyra insisted with a soft pout, her bright blue eyes locked onto the Prince.
As Ansel and Lyra launched into their familiar, back and forth bickering, Iver stood quietly in the shadow of the group. His dark eyes subtly shifted away from Lyra and landed on the younger imperial princess Mina.
’Mina’... Iver thought silently, a distant memory stirring from the back of his mind.
He remembered a quiet, sunlit afternoon in the small, secluded house where he had spent his early years. His maid, the gentle caretaker who spent a decade patiently feeding him, clothing him, and teaching him to read, had been softly combing his hair. *and you killed her bro, like what* ’authors thought’
She had looked at the three year old Iver with that soft, affectionate warmth she always had, tenderly smoothing down his hair as she murmured to herself, believing he was too young to understand the grand weight of her words: Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
"You know, little one... before your sweet mother passed away giving birth to you, House Vorne and the Imperial Family had an arrangement. The firstborn son of Lady Vorne was pledged to marry Princess Mina... If things had been different, you would have grown up bound to the Imperial Crown..."
She had smiled warmly, gently patting his head before resuming her chores.
Iver’s gaze rested on Mina for a fraction of a second longer in the present plaza.
She was few months older than him, just as Ansel was older. Had his mother survived, and had he not been cast out, Mina would have been his fiancée.
’i really don’t care much but fuck! my mind just had to remind me of such memories, tsk!’, before he ponder anymore....
BZZZZZT!
A deep, echoing chime vibrated through the central plaza as the massive crystal display in the center flared with dark obsidian light, updating the live standings.
[RANK 2: TEAM OBSIDIAN....04:29]
The plaza erupted into instant chatter.
"Four minutes and twenty nine seconds?!" "Look at that time! They’re barely seventeen seconds behind the Prince’s team!" "Did you see their combat speed? What was that liquid black energy they were throwing around?!" "It looked like pure corrosion... It melted the dungeon monsters before they could even hit the ground!" "As expected from the Vorne siblings...."
Team Crimson turned toward the giant glowing leaderboard. Ansel squinted at the numbers, his eyes showing no surprise at all. "Four twenty nine... Impressive speed. House Vorne’s shadow magic is as vicious as ever."
Sitri watched the mirror replay with narrowed eyes, while Iver merely glanced at the numbers, coolly evaluating the result his biological siblings had displayed.
"A magnificent performance by Team Obsidian!" Vice Principal Weston’s magic amplified voice boomed from the high stone stage, silencing the murmurs across the courtyard. "Next up to enter the rift, Team Sapphire! Step forward!"
Lyra adjusted her uniform collar and turned back to Ansel, offering another elegant curtsy. "That is our cue. We shall take our leave now, Your highness."
"Good luck out there, Lyra," Ansel smiled, giving her group a supportive nod.
With a final nod from Mina and their two companions, Lyra’s team turned and headed toward the glowing portal archway.
The trial proceeded briskly over the next hour as the final groups cleared the controlled rift. As twilight began to paint the sky in deep shades of orange and purple, Vice Principal Weston stepped back to the center of the main platform, unrolling a large gold trimmed parchment.
"Attention, students!" Weston’s booming voice echoed across the crowded plaza. "The Controlled Dungeon Trial for the First Year Orientation has officially concluded! Give yourselves a round of applause for surviving and clearing the rift!"
A wave of cheers and tired sighs swept through the crowd. Weston raised a hand, gesturing toward the towering leaderboard floating above the plaza.
...
[TRIAL FINAL STANDINGS] Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Team Crimson....04:12
Team Obsidian....04:29
Team Zephra....04:51
Team Sapphire....05:08
Team Ignis....05:22
Team ...
"To our top ranked teams, exceptional work," Weston announced, his sharp eyes scanning the students.
"You have proven your physical capabilities and team synergy under pressure. However, do not rest on your laurels just yet. Today tested your blades and magic, tomorrow will test your minds! Head directly to your appointed dormitories, rest, and prepare for tomorrow’s written examination!"
"A written exam already?!" a student groaned dramatically nearby. "Are you kidding me? My brain is already fried from fighting!" "Man, this academy really doesn’t give us a single second to breathe..."
Amid the rising complaints and noisy chatter, Team Crimson gathered near the edge of the fountain.
"Well, that wraps up a long first day," Ansel said, stretching his arms high above his head with a satisfied sigh. "Great work today, everyone. We took first place!"
"It was an honor fighting alongside you, Your Highness," Aria bowed with a warm smile. "If you will excuse me, I’ll be heading to the dormitory now to rest."
"I’ll head back as well," Sitri said softly. Her dark eyes darted over to Iver for a brief second before she nodded to the group. "See you both tomorrow for the exam."
"See you," Iver replied smoothly.
Aria and Sitri turned and strolled off toward the western residential towers, blending into the crowd of female cadets.
Left standing under the evening sky, Ansel turned to Iver with an easygoing grin, gesturing toward the grand eastern towers. "Shall we head to the dormitory as well, ares?"
"Lead the way," Iver said, slipping his hands back into his coat pockets as he fell into step beside the Prince, walking off into the fading twilight.
...
Some power stones and if there are any errors be sure to send a message, or if you want anything improved..