C-032: One Year Later and New Event on the Horizon

Arriving at the front of a room within one of the academy's facilities, a girl knocked on the door lightly and awaited permission to enter.

"Come on in," a young man's confident and authoritative voice resonated from within.

Her seemingly young yet graceful figure walking with noble dignity and a captivating presence, the girl, her long and wavy brown hair complementing her amber golden eyes which shimmered with a gentle allure that could momentarily steal a person's breath away, entered the expansive room which was filled with crushed training dummies.

The young man inside the room, holding a wooden sword and his form seemingly the same as that of a young adult, emanated an imposing aura which was complemented with sharp blue eyes, well-trimmed short brown hair, and a well-balanced muscular body which was drenched in sweat.

With a warm and welcoming expression which accentuated his handsome smirk as he wiped the sweat off his face, the young man expressed himself. "And to what do I owe the visit of my dear younger sister today?"

Hearing the young man's inquiry and taking a seat on a nearby bench, she answered the question with a soft, melodious voice. "I wanted to talk about the upcoming competition, and I think it'd better for you to sit down first. I'm sure you, the great Arnold von Riese Enfilia, will find it quite interesting."

Arnold's curiosity piqued as he saw his sister's smiling expression. As he settled onto the bench beside her, "Stephany, Stephany, just what kind of scheme are you preparing this time?" he prompted.

"Brother, please don't make me out to be some kind of evil and manipulating woman," Stephany's shoulders drooped down as she pouted slightly.

"Okay, okay. So, what is it?" he asked, his curiosity at its peak.

"Do you know about the Special Admission student that came during last year's second term?" Stephany asked, Arnold's curiosity piqued even more.

"Yes," Arnold answered, his voice leaving no room for further doubt as the corners of his lips started twitching. "But why bring them up now?"

Stephany observed her brother with a beautiful yet knowing smile which hid a bit of amusement and mischief before giving him a reply. "Well, I just thought that you would be interested in him. I heard rumors that he was quite strong. Even the Argos' Fire Princess was no match for him in the praxis."

"She really knows me well, huh?" Arnold thought, realizing that there was nothing he could hide from his younger sister as he then sighed.

"Oh, brother. You might try to hide it but I know full well that you're looking forward to it. Guess this year's 5 Star Competition will be quite interesting." Stephany thought, still observing her brother as she also looked forward to the event.

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Several months had passed since Ace's first year in the academy. Though he had started later than the others, he had successfully gotten promoted in his second year. He had grown a bit taller and was considered quite attractive for someone who was supposedly 14 years old.

As always, Ace found solace in the tranquil embrace of the academy's library, still nurturing his mind with magical theory even though he himself didn't possess mana. Amidst the serene and silent atmosphere of the library, a sudden interruption came from Frank who finally found him. "You know, you really aren't an easy guy to get a hold of."

"Damn it," Ace's brows furrowed in annoyance as his eyes left his book to shift onto Frank who had also had a growth spurt over the year.

"A normal might start to think that you're an assassin or something," Frank said, his voice low enough to not cause any disturbance within the library's halls.

"What do you want?"

"Came to remind you that it's already lunch time. The girls are waiting for us in the cafeteria."

"Is that all?" Ace replied, completely uninterested. "I'll take lunch after I'm finished with this one."

"Come on man. Every time you say that, there's a huge stack of books by your side later. Even now, let's see…" Frank's gaze shifted to the stacks of thick books that were by Ace's side.

"Six. You've already read 6 of them. With that one, that'll be 7. Just take a break already."

"Tsk."

"Same as always, he won't leave me alone until I yield. How obstinate," thought Ace as he then released a sigh.

"Dude. Did you just click you're tongue at me?"

"You're simply imagining it."

"This guy…" Frank held back his anger. "Anyway, let's go."

"Sure."

Several moments later, as Ace and Frank entered the cafeteria, Ace could feel the buzzing anticipation of the other students that was in the air.

"Hey guys! We're here!" Mira waved at them from their table.

"Oh!" exclaimed Frank. "Nice. They still aren't done yet."

"You get excited for the weirdest things," said Ace, his aloofness still making him impermeable to people's humor.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Ace… you really don't get it, do you?" said Frank, seemingly trying to impart Ace with wisdom. "Puberty and youth is the peak of our lives. How many guys do you think wouldn't want to sit down and eat with sweet, sweet Emilia or try to make a connection with the Argos through Mira? You should really try to read the room a little more. Truly the young ones know nothing."

Ace, plagued by his own thoughts, absorbed and listened to everything Frank said while following behind him with a dead pan look in his eyes. "For someone whose written scores are among the highest in our year, I can't tell if he's really smart or just plain stupid. Well, let's just forget all of it and not ask ourselves useless questions."

Arriving at the table, "Hey Frank?" Mira began, noticing Ace's weird expression.

"What?" Frank inquired as he and Ace put down their plates while they sat at the table.

"What did you do to poor Ace for him to have such a dead expression on his face?" asked Mira, her tone teasing as they ate.

"What do you mean? That's his usual face!" Frank retorted strongly.

"Oh, come on." Mira's eyes rolled back as she shrugged off Frank's comment. "Even if that's true, we all know that you must have said something stupid for him to end up like that."

"Hehehe," Frank chuckled sinisterly.

"Why are you acting all creepy?" Mira had an unsettled expression on her face.

"I was simply guiding him towards the truth with my magnificent insight," Frank replied with a confident expression as if trying to act like a professional.

"Insight my ass."

"What was that!?"

While they continued to bicker away, Ace continued to eat his lunch in silence while Emilia tried to calm them down, occasionally stealing glances at Ace with a look that seemed to ask for help.

Ace, noticing her gaze, continued to eat until his plate was empty.

"Mind taking your little lovers' quarrel somewhere else? You're just disturbing the others with your endless bickering," Ace said, dropping in like a bomb.

"Huh!?" both Mira and Frank reacted, falling silent as Emilia also froze in place.

"Considering what kind of person he is, I guess it's not that surprising," Emilia thought with a dumbfounded expression.

"And also, don't involve me in your little act." Ace said, taking his plate and slowly leaving the table. "What happens between you two should only stay between you two."

Exchanging glances at each other with sheepish looks, they both started chasing after him who then sighed heavily with an indifferent expression while ignoring them.

"They're such a pain. In any case, I wonder what kind of event this competition is. Guess I'll find out soon enough."