Slatemark Academy's Pride

After finding Rose near the edge of the hall, I gave her a small smile, hoping to ease any tension.

"Hey, Rose," I greeted her.

She looked up, a little startled, but then her expression softened, and she returned the smile. "Arthur. I was wondering when you'd finally come over."

I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, it's been a bit hectic. I figured we should join the others, if you're up for it."

Rose nodded, her eyes brightening slightly. "I'd like that."

With Rose by my side, I made my way towards the Class A group. As we got closer, the sound of familiar laughter reached my ears, and I saw Lucifer, Rachel, Jin, Ian, Seraphina, and Luke standing near one of the long tables. Luke was the first to notice me, his face lighting up as he waved us over.

"Arthur! And Rose! Took you long enough," he called out, grinning widely.

"Hey, everyone," I greeted, smiling as I approached with Rose. "Thought I'd bring Rose along. It's been a while since we've all been together."

Rachel looked at us with a warm smile. "I'm glad you did. Rose, it's good to see you."

Rose smiled back, her posture relaxing as she nodded. "It's good to see you all too. It's been quite the evening."

Lucifer gave me a knowing look, his lips curving into a faint smirk. "Survived the Imperial greetings, did you? Not an easy feat."

"Survived is the right word," I replied with a small laugh. "Honestly, I think I'd rather go another round in the tournament than deal with all those formalities."

"Come on, Arthur," Ian said, his tone teasing, "you've got to get used to this kind of stuff eventually. It's all part of being in the spotlight, you know?"

"True enough," I admitted. "But still, I'd take physical training over this any day."

"That's because you're a fighter, Arthur," Jin chimed in, raising his glass. "We all are. But learning how to navigate these gatherings is just another type of battle."

"Enough of that," Rachel said, her smile gentle as she looked between all of us. "Tonight is supposed to be a celebration. Let's enjoy ourselves while we can."

"Agreed," Lucifer said, his usual serious demeanor softening just slightly. "We could all use a break."

We all nodded in agreement, and the mood around us lightened. I felt Rose relax beside me, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. It had been awkward between us after her confession, but I wanted to show her that I still valued her as a friend—that nothing had changed in that regard.

"So, Arthur," Luke began with a mischievous glint in his eye, "you seemed pretty popular up there. I mean, even the Martial King was interested in you. What did you do to get his attention?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "I have no idea, honestly. I wish I knew."

Rachel looked at me, her gaze more serious. "Just be cautious, Arthur. Magnus Draykar doesn't involve himself without a reason."

"I know," I said. "Trust me, I'm not taking it lightly. But for now, let's just try to enjoy the night."

"Cheers to that," Ian said, lifting his glass, and the rest of us followed suit.

We clinked our glasses together, the sound of crystal ringing softly above the hum of conversation. For a moment, I allowed myself to relax, surrounded by my friends. The music, the laughter, and the company of those closest to me—all of it made the weight on my shoulders feel just a bit lighter.

As the conversation flowed, I noticed Rose smiling more, joining in with the banter. It was a small victory, but it was enough for now.

Even so, I couldn't shake the feeling of a gaze on me—sharp, focused. I knew it was Cecilia, her eyes watching from across the hall. A part of me wondered what she was thinking, why she seemed so intent on me tonight.

As I stood with my friends, laughing and joking, I noticed Rachel's expression change. She lifted a hand to wave at someone approaching, and I followed her gaze. My eyes widened slightly as I saw Cecilia making her way toward us.

The princess moved gracefully, her gown flowing elegantly behind her, and the nobles around us parted instinctively, bowing as she passed. Even with the presence of the most powerful people in the room, it was hard not to notice Cecilia—her presence commanded attention.

"Look who decided to join us," Rachel said with a smile, drawing our attention back.

Lucifer, Jin, Ian, and the others turned toward Cecilia, and as she neared, we all gave her a respectful nod. I stood a little straighter, catching her gaze as she came closer.

"Your Highness," Lucifer said lightly, though there was still an edge of formality to his voice. "It's an honor to have you join us."

Cecilia gave us all a warm smile, one that seemed to soften her usual composed demeanor. "Please, there's no need for such formality. Tonight, I'm just Cecilia." Her eyes shifted towards me for a moment, her smile lingering, and I couldn't help but return it. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Not at all," I said, nodding politely. "We're glad to have you here."

Cecilia's gaze moved to Rose, and for a moment, I felt a small pang of awkwardness. I glanced at Rose, who gave a slight smile in return.

"It's good to see you, Rose," Cecilia said gently. "I don't think we've had the chance to speak tonight."

Rose seemed a bit unsure, but she nodded, managing to smile. "It's good to see you too, Your—Cecilia."

Cecilia's smile widened, and it felt like the tension in the group eased a bit. Ian decided to lighten the mood even further. "Well, now that we're all here, I think we can finally relax," he said with amusement. "We've got the princess herself joining our group."

Ren grinned, chiming in, "This feels like an exclusive party now."

Rachel rolled her eyes at that, but her tone was playful. "Don't be ridiculous. We were already the best group in the hall."

"Agreed," Seraphina added with a soft smile directed at Cecilia. "It's nice to have you with us. How are you enjoying the festivities?"

Cecilia shrugged slightly. "It's a lot of work, as you can imagine, but I'm happy to see everyone enjoying themselves. Especially since it's rare for us all to gather like this without the stress of training or the tournament."

I nodded in agreement, giving her a small smile. "You deserve to enjoy the night too."

For a brief moment, her gaze met mine, and I thought I saw a flicker of something more behind her eyes. Then she looked away, her gaze moving across the group. "I was just hoping to catch up with you all. It's been a while since we had a chance to just talk."

"Well, you're more than welcome," Lucifer said, his normally stern expression softening. "Though, Arthur here was just telling us about how much he enjoyed the greetings with the Imperial Family."

I sighed dramatically, shaking my head. "I think I've had enough formalities to last me for the rest of the year."

Cecilia let out a light laugh, and there was something genuine about the sound. "I can relate," she said, her eyes briefly finding mine again. "Formalities can be exhausting. But I'm glad you came."

The atmosphere around us lightened as we fell back into easy conversation, the kind that only came when you were with people you were comfortable with. Cecilia joined in naturally, and I couldn't help but notice how much more relaxed she seemed when she was just herself, away from the pressures of being the princess.

We were still gathered, exchanging jokes and laughing, when I noticed a group approaching us from the corner of my eye. It was the Slatemark Academy students—the other elite group from the empire. They carried themselves with an air of quiet determination, as if they were out to prove something. Leading them was none other than Jack Blazespout, his raven black hair and intense gaze making him impossible to miss.

Beside him were Liora Arundel, her icy blue eyes as cool as her demeanour, Tobias Grimfeld, who looked at us with a calculating expression, and Naomi Draven, her sharp eyes observing everyone with interest. Elara Astoria followed a step behind, her demeanour gentler, almost as though she preferred to stay in the background.