'Good Change; Bad Change'

'This is fine. This should be fine.' Azrael thought in mild panic. 'A lot of transmigrators in novels make this mistake, it's bound to happen anyways. My goal is literally to change the ending.'

Azrael ran a frustrated hand through his hair, feeling a heavy weight settle in his chest as Headmaster Emeric's announcement continued to echo through the hall. It felt like the world around him was spiraling out of control, and he was powerless to stop it.

As the room erupted in murmurs and excitement over the upcoming Olympiad, Azrael couldn't help but brood over the implications of Caelum's machinations.

Suddenly, a warm hand was placed on Azrael's back, drawing his attention. It was Caspian, looking at him with concern. "Prince Azrael...you seem off. Did something happen?" Caspian asked softly, puzzled by Azrael's obvious distress.

"I'm fine," Azrael grumbled, his voice tinged with frustration. He knew he wasn't convincing anyone, least of all Caspian, but he couldn't find it in himself to open up about the tangled mess of emotions churning inside him.

"Oh...okay," Caspian replied, clearly uncertain but unwilling to push further. Slowly, he withdrew his hand and offered Azrael an assuring smile. "Alright, Prince Azrael. If you need anything, just tell me."

Azrael managed a nod of acknowledgment before turning his attention back to the headmaster, who had summoned a document with a snap of his fingers. The young prince forced himself to focus as Headmaster Emeric began explaining the details of the upcoming Olympiad.

"I know most of you are already aware of what the Academic Olympiads are," the headmaster began, addressing the assembled students. "The Academic Olympiad is a prestigious event that brings together the three major academies in Celestria—Luminara Academy, Divine Sanctum Academy, and Sylvanum Sorority. Students from these academies are grouped into six teams..."

"During the Academic Olympiad, these teams participate in a variety of contests that test their skills in both magical and physical disciplines. The contests are designed to challenge students and showcase their abilities in different areas of study, ranging from academic subjects to practical magical applications."

'I can't believe it's really happening today. It's way too early, and I haven't been able to prepare Eirian for this yet.'

"To ensure each team's success, a leader is appointed for each team. These leaders are selected through a process involving the three headmasters of the academies, the board of directors of Luminara Academy, and the academy's prefects."

'More like handpicked by Caelum,' Azrael thought bitterly, clenching his fists in frustration.

"The selection of leaders is a significant honor and responsibility, as they play a crucial role in guiding and leading their respective teams throughout the Academic Olympiad."

"This is exciting!"

"I'm sure Prince Caelum will be one of the leaders..."

"I want to be in the Crown Prince's team!"

Azrael's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but he remained fixated on the imminent announcement of the team leaders. He knew that Caelum's influence would likely shape the leadership decisions, despite the facade of fairness.

"Now, as I mentioned, there will be six teams," Headmaster Emeric announced, gesturing towards a group of professors behind him. "The red team, blue team, green team, orange team, white team, and yellow team."

With a flourish of magic, the professors displayed the colors of the teams, eliciting enthusiastic applause from the students.

"We know what team we're aiming for," Azrael overheard Oceanus whisper to Marinus, his twin brother. Azrael couldn't help but roll his eyes at their predictability. 'You two can aim for the blue team, but Caelum made sure he's the leader of that team,' Azrael thought to himself, a bitter edge to his internal commentary.

"Now, without further ado, let me announce the leaders of each team," Headmaster Emeric declared, his voice commanding attention once more. Azrael's gaze flickered towards Eirian, but he still couldn't discern the expression on the cursed prince's face.

"Here we go," Azrael muttered under his breath, bracing himself for what was to come. The anticipation in the hall was palpable as the headmaster prepared to reveal the appointed leaders.

"Leading the red team..."

'Valerian.'

"Is none other than the crown prince of Celestria, his highness, Valerian Celestria."

The whole crowd erupted in cheers as soon as Valerian's name was announced. Of course, Valerian was not surprised. However, he did seem to abruptly stop his conversation with Caelum to stand from his seat as Headmaster Emeric beckoned him to stand in front beside him. 

"Woo! Prince Valerian!"

"We know who this year's winning team will be!"

Valerian calmly walked to the front, occasionally looking at the students cheering for him and giving them a small wave. 'If I don't know what I currently know about him, I'd think he was charming for someone so nonchalant.'

Like how he was in the novel, but unfortunately, the Valerian from the novel was a fraud who emotionally abused his little brother for no reason. 

"Settle down, students." The headmaster gestured for the students to keep silent then looked at the paper he was holding again. "Now, for the blue team's leader."

"Fuck, yes. This should be one of us." Oceanus whispered, excitedly jumping on his seat. This time, this was to Caspian's dismay. 

"My brothers have been aiming to become the blue team's leader for years...it's because our father used to be the blue team's leader but his team unfortunately came second to the red team, which was the emperor's team when they were academy students." Caspian whispered the context to Azrael. 

"So are they hoping to win against Valerian? Let alone Caelum's team?" Azrael could not help but whisper back mockingly as he despised the twins as much as he despised Valerian and Caelum. "They'll be third place at best."

Which happened in the novel.

"Prince Azrael." Caspian gasps a bit, shocked that Azrael said something like that. The young prince blinks, almost regretting what he said due to his emotions overflowing again, but as he turned to look at his light blue-haired friend, it did not seem like he was offended for his brothers.

If anything, Caspian seemed amused. So, Azrael shrugs with a small smile. "They were mean to us first." Was his only explanation for what he said.

Caspian chuckled softly at Azrael's remark, sharing in the amusement of their private conversation amidst the lively atmosphere of the hall. They both turned their attention back to Headmaster Emeric as he prepared to announce the leader of the blue team.

"The leader of the blue team is none other than the light of the empire, Caelum Eversly," the headmaster declared, his voice carrying over the murmurs of the crowd.

"What?!" Oceanus exclaimed, his expressions a mix of shock and disbelief as he turned to look at Caelum, who smiled kindly in return—a smile that grated on Azrael's nerves.

"Apologies to you both, but the council agreed that I would do better with the blue team, and the color matches my eyes," Caelum remarked casually as he ran a hand through his long, white hair. With graceful confidence, he rose from his seat and walked to join Valerian at the front, acknowledging the cheers from the crowd with a wave and a charming smile.

'Show off,' Azrael thought sourly, glancing at the Aquarise twins, who were visibly seething with rage but unable to retaliate in the face of Caelum's calculated moves.

To add insult to injury, Caelum raised his hands, and a dazzling blue light enveloped the surroundings, eliciting awed cheers from everyone except Azrael, Eirian, and the Aquarise twins. "I accept this role graciously," Caelum announced with a smile, basking in the adulation of the audience.

"How ostentatious," Valerian remarked, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable.

"You wound me, Your Highness," Caelum replied with a playful smirk, clearly unfazed by Valerian's demeanor.

Headmaster Emeric, thoroughly amused by the spectacle, regained control of the room. "What a wonderful entrance indeed. Now, for leading the green team, we have one of the powerful students from the Aquarise kingdom."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Oceanus muttered under his breath, his frustration palpable.

"Oh...don't tell me it's..." Caspian whispered, his eyes widening in anticipation.

"Marinus Aquarise!" the headmaster announced, and all eyes turned to Marinus, who had been unusually quiet throughout the proceedings.

Marinus stood up, a mixture of surprise and dismay in his expression. He exchanged a brief glance with his brother Oceanus before making his way forward, facing the expectant crowd. Despite the disappointment of his brother's dashed hopes, Marinus stood tall, ready to take on the responsibility bestowed upon him.

"It's unusual." Caspian rests his chin on top of his hand, his face serious as he watches his older half-brother stand beside Caelum. 

"What's unusual?"

"Marinus is unusually quiet. Though, he is the calmer one between him and Oceanus...He still speaks his mind. Especially when he's upset."

'That's true. The novel described the Aquarise twins as two peas in a pod, not just because they are twins, but because they also mimic each other's movements.'

Marinus stood beside Caelum, his eyes visibly glowing with anger. "Mhm?" Azrael hummed as he tilted his head to the side. "I think we spoke too soon, Caspian."

Caspian observed his brother with a frown. "I know that look..." He trailed off, and on cue, Marinus's body became surrounded by water, creating a swirling whirlpool that earned gasps from students and even some professors.

"Marinus Aquarise, what are you—" Magus, the Mage Anatomy professor, began, but Marinus held out a hand to stop him as the whirlpool surged upward and exploded, water shooting towards Caelum and Valerian. Caelum swiftly employed his 'light' magic to shield himself, while Valerian utilized his Celestial magic for protection.

"My team will definitely win," Marinus declared with determination, his voice cutting through the stunned silence in Lunar Hall. Azrael raised an eyebrow, taken aback by Marinus's bold assertion.

"Seriously?" Azrael couldn't help but remark, but again, no one dared to speak out. A few coughs and the shuffling of feet broke the silence until Oceanus began clapping enthusiastically.

"Hell, yeah!" Oceanus exclaimed proudly, clapping his hands, earning bewildered stares from the other princes and the surrounding audience. After a moment of Oceanus's solitary clapping, Headmistress Elena, who appeared to pity the twins, encouraged others to join in.

"What a bold statement. I look forward to seeing that," Lady Elena remarked as she began to clap slowly, prompting other students to follow suit.

"I am starting to question why I let them bully me for so long," Caspian whispered behind Azrael, causing the young prince to snort slightly as they both joined in the clapping, albeit with less enthusiasm.

"You're welcome." Azrael joked a bit, despite his nerves because he was somewhat glad that Caspian was starting to get more confident and comfortable with him. 'That's a change from the novel that I'm glad about.'

Headmaster Emeric cleared his throat to regain control of the situation. "Alright then. Well, it is time to announce the leader for the orange team—"

BOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the princes' table, causing it to shake violently. Azrael and Caspian both jumped in shock, their attention drawn to the source of the uproarious laughter that followed.

"What the hell?" Azrael breathes out, eyeing the individual responsible for the disturbance.

"Agni Emberfall! Why on earth are you disrupting the announcement?" Headmaster Emeric scolded, pointing an accusing finger at a student with vibrant orange hair.

Azrael composed himself as he recognized the culprit. "It's the crown prince of the Emberfall kingdom," he muttered under his breath.

"My apologies, Headmaster. I just thought I should make my dramatic entrance sooner, seeing as dear saint Caelum and young Prince Marinus already surprised everyone," Agni replied, his hands shoved casually in his pockets as he walked confidently to the front.

"But I have not announced the leader yet! This is insolent behavior!" Headmaster Emeric admonished.

"Still, I am confident that the leader of the orange team is none other than me. I mean..." Agni paused, stopping in front of the headmaster, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Am I wrong?"

The unexpected interruption left the room abuzz with excitement and confusion, overshadowing the impending announcement of the orange team's leader. Azrael exchanged a bemused glance with Caspian, unsure of what to make of the unexpected turn of events.

"I—" The headmaster seemed to be at a loss of words, his face red with anger as he covered his forehead. Other professors, who handle the third year students, also seemed to be embarrassed and appalled by Agni's behavior.

However, Lady Elena was, yet again, saved the mood by laughing as she said, "How clever, Prince Agni! I can see where Princess Irie got her spark." 

"Hmph. Of course, my lady! She is my sister, after all." 

'Princess Irie!' Azrael's eyes widened a bit. 'She's one of the princesses that will fall madly in love with Eirian, the first female lead that will be introduced to the story besides Lila. I totally forgot that Prince Agni was Irie's sister.'

Despite 'Destiny Awaits You' not being a romance novel, Eirian saved quite a few female characters that will fall in love with him but there are four prominent women that Azrael considered as Eirian's female lead. 

Two out of four will be introduced during the Academy Olympiad: Irie Emberfall, the first daughter of the king and queen of Emberfall. 

And Lila Eversprings, a shy daughter of a duke. 

"Ugh." Headmaster Emeric, though hesitant, started speaking again seeing as Lady Elena was trying to lighten the mood. 'When the novel described the headmaster as someone who followed the headmistress of Sylvanum Sorority as if she's an angel who walked on earth...I didn't think it was this bad.'

The headmaster was whipped. 

"Since young prince Agni already announced himself, I will now announce the leader of the white team which..." The headmaster looks over to the headmaster of the Divine Sanctum Academy who gave him a nod in return. "...is not here at the moment due to the student not being available."

"Not available? Is he not from Luminara?" A student behind Azrael asked whoever was beside him. 

"Possibly...but this is unheard of."

"I know most of you are confused, but upon our meeting we have decided that one of the most qualified leaders is a student from the Divine Sanctum Academy. He is the best student, and a candidate as the future prophet." Headmaster Emeric clasped his hands together with a small smile. "He is called Hiero, and you all shall meet him soon."

After the headmaster spoke, the Divine Sanctum headmaster, whom Azrael had forgotten the name of, stood up. "As much as he wanted to attend here, he was called by the high priest and the current prophet to a spiritual retreat. Rest assured, he will be in attendance when it is time to sort each student into a team."

Everyone clapped, then the Divine Sanctum headmaster bowed while smiling, then sat down again.

"Thank you, Headmaster Isaac. I'm sure our students are ecstatic to meet him," Headmaster Emeric said. Azrael caught the mood dampening, not only within himself but with every administrator, staff member, and even Lady Elena, who looked frightened and upset.

And it did not take long for Azrael to realize why. It was time to announce the leader of the yellow team.

It was time to announce Eirian.

"It's time for the yellow team leader. I wonder who it will be? Seeing as they let a student from Divine Sanctum become a leader, it could be someone from Sylvanum Sorority," Caspian noted in anticipation.

But this time, Azrael did not respond or acknowledge his words. All Azrael could do was stare at Eirian, who had his head down, most likely waiting for his name to be called.

"And lastly, the leader of the yellow team," Headmaster Emeric said with a serious tone. Azrael could feel his heart beat loudly inside his chest.

'This is it.'

"The...he's...." The headmaster seemed to be getting tongue-tied; he did not know how to introduce Eirian, which was the exact same thing that happened in the novel.

'Let me do it for you, headmaster, Caelum says proudly.' Azrael quoted inside his mind, and at the same time, Caelum spoke.

"Let me do it for you, headmaster."

Azrael bit his bottom lip, still staring at Eirian. "I would like to announce that our kind headmaster and administrators decided to give a certain someone a chance to showcase his skills, which I believe is such a noble gesture."

'It's the same damn fake speech.'

"And of course, that person is none other than our very own—" Caelum pointed his hand towards Eirian's direction, making everyone gasp in fear. "Eirian Wycliffe!"

"...."

"...."

"...."

Silence.

There was only silence. 

The same exact damn silence he read in the novel. 

Azrael did not know what to do, he wasn't sure if he was allowed to do anything at this point yet. This was the most helpless he felt, especially since he thought he finally managed to bond with Eirian a bit today by helping him. 

Now, he could not help him. 

He was starting to wish they were back at Fraus' domain thing, destroying creatures and risking their lives because that seemed less nerve-wracking. 

'In the novel, Eirian does not stand up. He just sat until everyone just moved on from the announcement because no one wanted to acknowledge him.' Azrael bows his head in sadness. 'And I won't be able to do anythi—'

creak.

A sound of a chair scraping on the ground from being moved hit Azrael's ear, and as soon as he heard that he looked up and his heart skipped a bit when he did. 

'He...'

Azrael's eyes widened, his eyes shining in awe. '...stood up!'

Eirian stood up from his seat. Though his posture showed that he was doubtful and unconfident, he managed to take a step towards the front, despite the fact that no one, not even any of his professors, spoke nor clapped. 

And from where Azrael was sitting, he saw Eirian play with his ring, the ring that they got from completing Fraus' task, the one that looked similar to Azrael's bracelet. 

That's when Azrael also realized that the early announcement of leaders was not the only thing that he changed. 

No.

He had managed to change something in Eirian as well. 

It was a small change, but it was enough to ignite hope inside Azrael's heart once more. 

As Eirian stood alongside the other announced team leaders, the atmosphere in the hall was tense and uneasy. Azrael's heart swelled with a mix of excitement and concern as he watched his friend, defying the expectations set by the crowd. Despite the lack of applause and the obvious discomfort around him, Eirian held his ground, playing with the ring that symbolized their shared trials.

Azrael couldn't contain his smile. He longed to stand and cheer for Eirian, to show his support openly, but the air of apprehension stifled any outward celebration. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Eirian, silently wishing him strength and resolve.

Valerian's disinterested demeanor contrasted sharply with Marinus and Agni's shocked expressions. Caelum's smile had vanished, replaced by a thinly veiled irritation that didn't escape Azrael's notice. He was obviously displeased, and Azrael relished the hint of disruption that Eirian's unexpected actions caused.

The headmaster's voice, though hesitant, continued, "Now, they are complete. These five young men shall be the leaders who will guide each student to victory. I know it might be tough, especially since the stakes are higher now, but rest assured, I believe in each and every one of you."

Slow claps echoed through the hall, a stark contrast to the earlier enthusiastic applause. Whispers and murmurs filled the space, laden with apprehension and doubt. Caspian's concerned voice cut through the uneasy silence, "How frightening it would be to be on the same team as...him."

'You may be scared now Caspian but soon enough you'll want to help Eirian as—wait a minute.'

Azrael felt a pang of realization. Caspian's loyalty to Eirian in the novel stemmed from Eirian's intervention against his older brothers' bullying, a gesture that formed Caspian's trust and understanding that Eirian was not a bad person.

But now, with Caspian no longer a victim, Azrael wondered how this changed dynamic would affect their relationship.

"It's one problem after another," Azrael muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his voice as he leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair.

'How frustrating.'

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Team Leaders' Concept Photos.