Punishment

|Gary|

The tournament's semi-finalists were escorted back to the stage as the audience eagerly awaited the award ceremony. Director Cynthia beamed with excitement as she took to the podium.

"Without further ado, let's begin the award ceremony!" Cynthia announced, her voice echoing throughout the arena.

"Both Arthur Leywin and Lancelot Orbel made it to the semi-finals and secured third place. However, the judges have decided that Arthur's performance was superior, and he deserves third place. Congratulations, Arthur Leywin!" Cynthia announced, the audience erupting into applause.

As Arthur made his way to the stage to receive his bronze medal, I noticed Lancelot's disappointment, but he held his composure well.

"In second place, we have Alistair Eralith, who put on an amazing display of strength and skill. Well done, Alistair!" Cynthia said, handing him the silver medal.

"And now, the moment we've all been waiting for. The winner of the Xyrus Academy Magic Tournament is none other than Gary Whiteborn!" Cynthia exclaimed, the crowd's cheers reaching a fever pitch.

I felt a rush of excitement as I made my way up the steps to the podium. Cynthia draped the gold medal around my neck, and I basked in the warm glow of the crowd's cheers.

Standing on the podium, a rush of pride and satisfaction surged through me. The exhilarating feeling of winning was one that only those who have poured their hearts and souls into becoming strong can truly comprehend.

As the cheers of the crowd began to die down, Cynthia stepped forward to address the audience.

"Thus concludes the Xyrus Academy Tournament! I extend my gratitude to all who have traveled from far and wide to witness the brilliance of the next generation's prodigies!" she declared with a beaming smile.

As I watched the crowd disperse, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards my emotions. For so long, I had pushed them away, believing they were a weakness. But now, I saw the value in feeling, in experiencing the highs and lows that come with life.

Winning this tournament had been an incredible experience, one that had brought forth a range of emotions that I had never felt before. And as I stood there, taking in the moment, I knew that it was all worth it.

|Arthur|

As I scanned the crowd, I caught sight of my family and the Helsteas making their way towards me. A wave of joy washed over me as my father raised his hand in excitement to capture my attention.

Without hesitation, I ran towards them, enveloping them in a tight embrace as they showered me with congratulations.

"You fought with such tenacity, Arthur," my mother beamed with pride after we separated, "I couldn't be prouder."

Sylvie chirped on top of my head in agreement, adding to the chorus of support.

Ellie, on the other hand, couldn't resist teasing me, "I can't believe my lazy brother managed to win third place!" I retaliated with a playful punch to the head, earning laughter from the group.

As they took turns admiring my bronze medal, I couldn't help but feel grateful for their unwavering support. Their presence reminded me of the importance of family and how their love and encouragement can drive us to achieve great things.

With a final round of hugs and well-wishes, it was time for us to part ways.

As I made my way down the corridor, my spirits were lifted from my recent encounter with my family. Suddenly, Claire approached me, and we engaged in some friendly conversation before she finally got to the point.

"Vice Captain Arthur, could you train me in fire magic?" she asked hesitantly.

I was taken aback by her request. After all, Claire was older than me, and it must be embarrassing for her to ask me to teach her. But as she explained her situation, I could see the determination in her eyes, and I felt a sense of obligation to help her.

"I see," I said, considering her request. "Well, I'll do my best to help you. I may not be the most experienced, but I'll share what I know with you."

Claire's face lit up with excitement. "Thank you, Vice Captain Arthur! You're the strongest fire mage I know, and I've been stuck at a bottleneck with both fire magic and swordsmanship. I'm sure your guidance will be invaluable to me."

As she walked away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation at the prospect of teaching her. Despite my initial hesitation, I was eager to help her overcome her obstacles and grow as a mage.

As I walked down the hallway, I received the usual admiring looks from the students. However, my pleasant stroll was interrupted by the sight of the three girls I had been trying to avoid: Rachel, Kathyln, and Tessia.

Rachel's voice dripped with honeyed venom as she taunted me, "Looks like Mr. Third Place forgot about our little punishment."

I let out a groan and turned towards Tessia, who wore a sly smirk on her face. My eyes then met with Kathyln's icy gaze, which reminded me of Gary and sent a shiver down my spine.

"Did you honestly think we would forget about your punishment, Arthur Leywin?" Kathyln asked in a cold voice that made it clear she enjoyed seeing me squirm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to forget. I was just caught up with some other things," I said apologetically, hoping to get out of the situation.

"Too bad, forgetfulness has a price to pay," Rachel purred, stepping closer to me.

I took a step back, my heart racing. I knew I had to face the consequences of my forgetfulness. I just hoped they wouldn't be too extreme.

"So, what's the punishment?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"You have to wear a dress and sing a song in front of the entire academy," Tessia said with a wicked grin.

My eyes widened in horror. "What? No way! I can't do that!"

Kathlyn smirked. "Well, you shouldn't have snuck into our slumber party then, should you?"

Rachel added, "And if you refuse to do it, we'll make sure everyone knows what you did."

I knew they were serious. If I didn't go through with their punishment, they would spread rumours about me all over the academy. I sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll do it. But can't we make it a little less embarrassing?"

Tessia shook her head. "Nope, we've already decided. And don't worry, we'll make sure you look fabulous."

I groaned, knowing I had no choice. "When do I have to do this?"

"Tomorrow night during a meeting where all students of the school will be present," Kathlyn said with a smirk.

I felt a pit forming in my stomach as I imagined the humiliation I was about to face. But I knew I had to go through with it to save my reputation.

After the dangerous encounter was done, I felt to my dorm and fell asleep, dreading tomorrow.

I woke up earlier than usual, feeling a sense of excitement mixed with nervousness. Today was the day I was going to train Claire, and I didn't want to mess up. There was also the singing and the dress, but I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind for now. After a quick shower and getting dressed, I quietly left my room with Sylvie curled up on my shoulder. The halls were silent, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and serenity.

As I arrived at the DC training area, I saw Claire already there, her face flushed with sweat from her warm-up. Her fiery red hair was wild and her athletic form was clad in a sleeveless training top. Her DC uniform hung over her arm.

I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest as I gazed at her, but I quickly pushed it aside and composed myself. "Let's begin our training now," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Claire nodded, a determined glint in her eye. "Yes, Vice Captain. I'm ready to learn from the best fire mage in Xyrus Academy."

As Claire nodded her head excitedly, I led her to the training stage and our first session began.

I decided to start by helping her improve her control over her fire attribute. While her wind magic was already strong, her fire magic needed some work. Checking her core stage, I found it to be at a dark yellow, which was perfect for blue flames.

"Blue flames require denser mana," I began explaining, "and it's important to concentrate your mana to create the perfect mix of heat and magic."

After a moment, Claire looked slightly confused, so I decided to demonstrate for her. I focused my own mana and formed a small blue flame, holding it steady so that she could see how it was done.

Satisfied that she had a better understanding, I instructed her to try it herself. She concentrated her mana and formed her usual orange flames, before working to concentrate and strengthen the mana to make them blue. The flames flickered with a blue light for a moment, but then returned to orange.

Claire's imaginary cat ears drooped, but I encouraged her to keep trying. After several more attempts, I stopped her and said, "I think that's enough for now. Let's focus on your swordsmanship next."

Agreeing, we moved on to the next part of her training session.

_________________________________

|Arthur|

After lunch, I stood up from the table and declared that I had to leave. Lancelot and Alistair looked at me with confusion, while Gary had a knowing smile on his face. "I look forward to this, Arthur," he said, which only made me curse internally as I made my way towards the girl's dorms, specifically Rachel and Kathyln's room.

As I approached their room, Rachel flung the door open and greeted me with a wicked grin. "You're finally here!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside.

To my dismay, Kathyln and Tessia were also in the room, and as soon as I entered, they began laying out various dresses for me to try on.

"This is not going to be fun," I muttered under my breath, my eyes darting around the room for any chance of escape. But it was too late, I was already caught in their trap.

I let out a heavy sigh before starting to try on the dresses. The first one was a long pink gown with frills and laces. It was not exactly my style, but it fit me perfectly.

The girls giggled and clapped their hands as I stepped out of the room, feeling extremely self-conscious.

"Turn around, let us see how it looks from the back," Kathyln said, and I reluctantly did so.

After trying on several more dresses, including a tight red dress and a flowy blue one, I had almost given up hope of finding something suitable. However, I finally found one that wasn't too bad. It was a black gown with silver embroidery, and it actually looked quite nice on me.

"There, I hope that's good enough," I said with a small smile, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"No!" Rachel exclaimed, "You look too manly! Activate your beast will!"

I let out a long-suffering sigh before complying, activating my Realmheart at the lowest level. As my aether bent to my will, my facial features softened, my auburn hair turning into wheat blonde, and my azure eyes were replaced with golden irises. It was a strange sensation, but I couldn't deny that I looked more feminine.

Tessia's eyes gleamed as she quickly produced a golden dress with frills. I changed into it reluctantly, feeling like a walking fashion disaster.

"Perfect!" Kathyln exclaimed, nodding her head in approval. "Now you look like a proper lady."

"Now, it is time for the song!" Rachel declared melodiously, clapping her hands before the three of them escorted me to the auditorium.

I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious as we walked down the hallway in my frilly dress. "Did you really have Gary hold a briefing just for me to sing?" I asked Kathyln, feeling a mix of annoyance and amusement.

She simply smiled back at me, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

As we entered the auditorium, I could feel the weight of everyone's stares on me. I saw Gary on the stage alone, with the other DC and SC members sitting in the front row seats. He announced my arrival, and the room erupted into a mix of murmurs and whispers.

"Now we have a special event planned for everyone here," he started, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "We have the bronze medallist of the Xyrus Academy Tournament, the Vice Captain of the Disciplinary Committee, and one of the Paladins, Arthur Leywin singing a song for us in a female dress!"

I cringed at the mention of my attire and felt my face flush with embarrassment. I shot Gary a glare that he ignored before taking the stage. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and focus on the task at hand.

"Take the stage, my Lady," Gary said, gesturing towards the sound artifact that acted as microphone.

I took a step forward, feeling the fabric of the dress brush against my skin. I tried my best to ignore it and began to sing.

As I opened my mouth to sing, I realized that I was terribly off-key. My voice was shaky and I couldn't hit the high notes. I could see some of the audience members wince at the sound of my singing.

I tried my best to salvage the situation, but my voice only seemed to get worse. I could feel my face turning red with embarrassment and I could see some of the audience members whispering to each other.

I closed my eyes, hoping that it would somehow improve my singing, but it only made it worse. I could feel the sweat on my forehead and I knew that I was failing miserably.

'But my voice shouldn't be this bad,' I thought to myself. 'Sure, I'm not a gifted singer, but to be this terrible? Did Gary do something again?'

I glanced over at him and caught him smirking deviously. My suspicions were confirmed.

'I'll get you back for all your pranks soon enough, Gary Whiteborn,' I muttered under my breath, vowing to retaliate when the time was right.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the song ended. I bowed awkwardly and quickly made my way offstage, trying to ignore the laughter and whispers from the audience.

As I walked out of the auditorium, I made a mental note to never agree to a singing performance again, especially not with Gary nearby.