12 The Royal Family

27th of Junas, the Year 1021, The day which was a turning point in the history of St Itreo's Academy and possibly of all mankind.

...

"Luna, today's the BIG day"

"I don't want to wake up," Luna said as she buried her head unto the pillows.

"Luna, Don't be nervous! You're gonna make me nervous too" Maria almost fell as she tried to sit on a chair.

This was the day that almost every student anticipated as the prizes for this year's Showcase and Beast Tournament were provided by the Royal Family as they celebrated the defeat of the demon lord 500 years ago.

The Royal Family was "generous" for giving the Champion of the two events; each was given the ranks of an "Earl" and an item from the treasury, of course, the pets have prizes too, a Level 3 Evolving Beast Pellet and a "special item". There were golds for the Champions worthing 2,000 Gold Coins, for the 2nd place a Level 2 Evolving Beast Pellet and 1 500 gold coins together with a rank "Viscount", although the numbers between a level 2 and 3 are just one step when it comes to alchemists it's a bottomless pit that one may never cross. And lastly the 3rd Place, a Level 2 Evolving Beast Pill and 1 000 Gold coins with the rank "Baron".

The Gymnasium which was often always dirtied with battle "scars" now looks like a noble women's skin, the grounds which were a mixture of soil and sand, is now a stone as smooth as a porcelain, the original plain wooden chairs were now a type of stone chairs that had no legs and only floated stably in the air.

There were various stalls set up on each side of the road, this was only one of the days that the gates of the academy were open to both nobles and commoners, although the only commoner which who were proud of their own standings in life only had the guts to come in.

Maria and Luna practiced their movements without magic and anybody who saw it was already amazed how wonderful it was they all thought "This was only the practice, what would happen if it was the real deal!" unknowingly the pair became a candidate who was likely to place within the top 5 on the showcase.

*The Pet Showcase's candidates please proceed to the backstage of the gymnasium.

"Maria! It's time!" Luna exclaimed as she looked into Maria's eyes and Maria too look into her eyes.

As if they were thinking the same thing, they both nodded showing how they've agreed on something.

...

In the backstage of the Stadium, hundreds of students lined up silently as they calmed their minds to prepare for the upcoming events. Although they were hundreds of them the backstage could easily store a thousand of people without much problem as the backstage was used as a temporary weaponry room which stored varying sizes of Battle Artifacts and Colossal Golems.

A man on his 30's walked in front as he faced the many students and said "I'm grateful to all of you not only for joining this event but because you are the batch of genius for this century and I'm hoping you would be prepared to face the "world" and handle the safety of humanity that rests on your shoulders, This event is a chance for all of you to show what you've learned and your talents to the whole academy, but when I was just a seedling like you this kind of event was a turning event for my "life" as this was the event that I showed off to the love of my life!" as he shouted those he left the backstage which was filled with the male student's "battle cry" yet unknown to anyone he murmured under his breath "I hate politics, I'm not really good at doing speeches. Sherley would nag at me again...What dean, I can't even control my wife" he sighed.

...

At the roof of some building in the academy, a group of cloaked unknown individuals was observing every move of all the people inside of the Gymnasium. A thin man suddenly appeared and spoke;

"Are. ..you... ..ready?!?!" the thin man giggles as he spoke

" Clown, your crappy face is pissing me off more and more as I see you" a burly cloaked figured appeared as it mocks the thin-man.

"Oh, Grump-Father you're eyes are just getting worste that's all" the "Clown" replied

"You!!!"

as a fight was about to break in a masked person appeared and stand between them and looked at "Clown" and said; "Although your face indeed changed, there's something which will never change...", "What?" the clown blankly said, "Your crappy face! hahaha", The burly man and the "clown" looked at each other and nodded as they both had the same thought "He still doesn't make any sense"

...

People's have started pouring in the gymnasium, in just a couple of minutes the "free" chairs were now occupied, there were a group of chairs at the forefront, no one dared to sat on it because that would just be plain stupid as that was the royal families spot, and you'll be offending them if you did.

"Please be seated, the showcase is now starting with the Royal Families entrance!"

Suddenly sounds of trumpeting resided inside the gymnasium as all the people toned down their voices. A carriage arrived in front of the gymnasium as the doors were opened by the coachman, a blond little girl came out smiling as she called out to someone inside "Hurry, brother, Older Sis is part of the event!", "She's for tomorrow at the Battle Tournament, not the Showcase" the voice replied sternly.

"I heard sis Maria is part of it too!" the girl said as she smiled mischievously towards the carriage

It was silent for a while but then the voice said "...It's nice to see Big Sister again, don't you think?" a red-haired youth came out as he looked at the girl as if nothing happened.

...

The little girl and the red-haired youth entered the gymnasium escorted with dozens of knights. They attracted all the attention as the pair was just too "perfect",

"It's the "Hot" Prince!" someone whispered to her seatmate

"He's so handsome!"

A middle-aged man wearing luxurious clothes approached the pair and bowed as he said "It's our pleasure to once again meet his highness, Prince Eirney, and her highness, Princess Sanna"

The pair bowed in response as they both said; "The pleasure is ours, Marquis Hieas" they looked at each other and smiled.

"Then let's guide the both you to your seats." Marquis Hieas said politely

"No need it's always in the middle anyway," Princess Sanna said with a blank face as she headed to the fancy chairs in the middle.

Sanna noticed that Eirney was absent-mindedly looking at the section of the participants. As she saw where her brother was looking at she thought "Oh, Brother is stealing glances from her again.