START OF TOURNAMENT

***

EVELYN went to her class after the talk with her aide, Gab.

She quietly opened the back door of the Magic Class that Mrs. Senny was teaching.

The magic professor is known to prioritize punctuality and hates tardiness. She cursed under her breath for being late on the first week.

-creak...

'Damnit!' 

"Who is that? Who has the guts to be late to my class?!" Mrs. Senny called out.

The woman was glaring at the slightly opened back door with her circular glasses ala-harry Potter. She looked like a powerful magician with her baton in her hand.

Evelyn gave up the idea of silently entering like a ninja.

"It's because of this goddamn door!" She mumbled, blaming the door that made the sound and gained the attention of the woman.

She entered the class with grace and also gracefully asked for forgiveness by giving a little curtsy to the professor.

"I apologize for being late Mrs. Senny. I was called to the headmaster's office for some urgent matter."

"What's your name?" She inquired.

"I'm from the house of Emsworth-" She said before Mrs. Senny cut her off.

"So you're Lady Evelyn?"

"Yes, Madame."

"Go to your seat. This is the only time I can forgive such tardiness as you were summoned by the headmaster."

Evelyn offered her thanks and made her way to where she was seated next to Silvester before she got called.

"Did you take notes?" She quietly asked him.

"I took them here..." He handed his notebook to her.

He looked at her face to see if she's in a foul mood and after he saw that her face was back to being neutral, he decided to bring up a question. 

"So, what happened? Is everything alright now?" He asked in a whisper.

"Yes. Everything's fine now." She replied before a brilliant idea came to her mind.

"Oh right, Sil. You ranked number 1 in sword fighting when you had your entrance exam right?" She asked.

His brows jerked upward in surprise. "I didn't know that you are interested in me," he teased.

"Stop your act, Sil. I really need someone to train me for the upcoming tournament." She said after she glared at him.

"Oh. So that's what happened." He moved his hand to his lips to stop the laughter that wanted to bubble out. "I get it... but you have your aide and escort with you. What's his name again?... Ahh! Gab! What about him?" He asked before he collected his notebook from her and continued to take notes.

"Don't get me wrong... I'll train you if you want. I just wanted to ask that." He belatedly explained to her.

Evelyn also started to take notes in her notebook and whispered back her reply. "There's no reason. I just need someone new who will teach me and besides, Gab and I already know our weaknesses in sword fighting. And he has classes, I can't burden him anymore."

Silvester raised his brow and glanced at her. "So you don't want to burden him but you want to burden me?" He asked as he was amused with her.

"You said you want to be friends? Then act like one," she boldly said before she turned her head to face him and smirked.

"I guess I don't have a choice then..." He said, amused by her response.

"Yup. You really don't!" 

***

All the students in the St. Prisch Academy gathered at the stadium where the yearly event for getting a seat on the Elite force will commence.

"This is a big crowd..." Evelyn said as she watched the students take their seats one by one in the 'Arena of Heroes', where the event will take place.

"It's because it will become a good track record for those people who will win in this tournament," a man stated as he took steps to where she was seated, and eventually he sat in the seat next to her.

"What are you doing?!" She asked as she was confused by his action.

"Taking a seat... can't you see?" He stifled a laugh before he stared at her.

"I'm not blind, chalk-head! What I'm asking is... Why choose this place to sit in when there are tons of empty seats in the stadium?!" Evelyn questioned as she looked at him.

"Chalk head?! When will you stop saying that, bean sprout?!" Cabel replied to her taunts.

"Bean sprout?! And why am I a bean sprout? Huh? Chalk head?!"

"Because you're pale and your head is as small as a bean?" Cabel replied as he watched her reaction.

'Is that a compliment or what?! But coming from this man, I'm sure he is mocking me,' her face scrunched up in annoyance and she punched him in the gut.

"Ugh! What was that for?!" He said as he groaned and held his stomach.

"That's for annoying me, Chalk-head!"

Evelyn glanced back again to the stage located at the upper part of the stadium where 12 seats could be seen. They were divided into two sides. The ornamented chair was decorated with gold and gems, each represented their element in magic and a number placed atop of the head. It was splendid and a luxury that only the Elite Force have as students who came on top. 

The center seat where the headmaster will watch the tournament from was decorated in pure gold. It could be said that it was a display of power and wealth as it is known that the Royal Family don't have that much influence when it comes to the teaching and methods used in the St. Prisch Academy.

Most of the Elite force came one by one and Cabel also stood up from where he was seated.

"Where are you going?" she asked and he smirked before he replied to her question.

"What? You'll miss me?" he teased.

"Miss my foot!" 

He chuckled before leaving a baffled Evelyn. Soon, Gab and Silvester came by and both of them took their place on either side of Evelyn. She was confused as Gab was staring at Silvester like an angry dog while Silvester was smirking to his heart's content.

"What is with you two? Stop acting childish already!" she lightly scolded the two.

"But Eve, how come this dude is still here although your training with him is already done?!" Gab asked as he stared at Silvester who was still smirking.

"Will you stop that!" Evelyn lightly smacked Silvester's shoulder.

Two weeks of spending time with Silvester made it clear to Evelyn that the guy was an easy-going prince. And because he doesn't want anyone to know that he was a prince from the other country, he mostly acted carefree around people. That was also the reason why Evelyn accepted his friend request. Although she still put some distance between them, she acted like how a friend should.

"Stop smirking, Sil. Stop teasing Gab!" she scolded the black-haired guy. 

"You don't need to hurt me, Eve. It also breaks my heart to see that you always take Gab's side." He complained as he wiped away his non-existent tears.

"Do you want me to punch you in the gut?!" Evelyn warned and Silvester stopped his acts as he face the stage.

He knew how hard she could hit someone. He had once received a hit from her when they were sparring together. He almost lost consciousness because he acted cheekily in front of Evelyn. So, he knows best when to stop.

"Yes ma'am, I'll stop!" he replied like a war soldier.

Evelyn tried to act nonchalant but she was biting her lips to keep from laughing before she faced Gab.

"And Gab, stop being hostile to Sil! He's a friend." She reprimanded both men's childish acts. Gab only clicked his tongue and he folded his arms against his chest.

"Stop pouting you two! Or I will leave and find another seat to sit in!"

She sighed when she saw that the two calmed down after she said that before she smiled and looked down at the center stage. 

The host will start the tournament at any moment.

***

"Greetings to everyone!"

The man wearing ebony pants and garb fancy clothes, his gold thread of hair shone like the morning sun and he spoke with a loud voice. A magic voice enhancer was equipped for the whole stadium to hear him.

"I'm pleased that a lot of the students participate in this tournament. Competing with each other is a way for this academy to showcase the potentials of its students as well as give way to the new seedlings that will sprout and bloom as part of the pillars of the St. Prisch Academy," the crowd went silent as Carsillion gave his opening speech.

"... To spice things up! The four winners will have a chance to fight with the Elite Force and take their badge and they will fall out of ranks."

Everyone gasped in shock including Evelyn and the Elite force. The badge is the symbol of the academy where you can have the power to utilize the magicians of the Academy as well as the knights. It symbolized the sovereignty within the Five Kingdoms. That is also the reason why people covet and envy the strength of the Elite force. All of them become a distinguished figure when they graduate from the academy.

"Now... Shall we start?" Carsillion announced as he turned his head to where Evelyn was seated.