The King's Banquet

"The King's Banquet?"

Ace scoffed, pondering if he should rip the paper apart.

In his previous life, the King's Banquet was the initiation of countless problems throughout the school.

The Kings eventually reigned over the first years, even going as far as to challenge the teachers and winning.

Back then, Leo had annihilated Mr. Alkolada, the Mana Theory teacher in a fight because the latter gave the former a detention slip.

Mr. Alkolada was fired due to inadequate strength while Leo received a slap on the wrist for 'behavior' issues.

"They even got the punctuation wrong. It's supposed to be the Kings' Banquet."

Ace remarked. He didn't want to go because of the trouble it would cause… but then again, if he went, he could prevent a lot of trouble from occurring.

After Akash tormented him, Ace had gained a tremendous amount of strength. He could hold his own against a D- Rank individual even though he was only at the E- Rank.

It was a great rank difference.

If he could suppress the other Kings, the problem would be solved before it even begins.

'I don't wanna go alone, though. Let's ask Leo.'

Even though Leo initiated all the trouble in his previous life, he had lost his extremely high self-esteem now.

Now, Ace could somewhat control Leo's actions because of having defeated him in multiple duels.

The only problem was Sebastian Dunford, the King of Flames.

However, he could be suppressed easily, even without Ace's help.

Lily and Melissa preferred not revealing their true abilities, but their reputation had solidified.

Carl Andersons was a complete mystery, but his reputation had also become solid enough so that no one would compete for his position.

Leo's act of bravery showed everyone that it would be unethical to steal his position.

Now, since Ace had been controlling people through fear, his position was unstable because the students weren't loyal to him.

"Even though regular students won't be at the King's Banquet, the information and gossip will still spread like wildfire."

That's why Ace had to be careful when revealing his strength. If he did it too early or too late, consequences would await him in the forms of delay of his goals, the safety of his parents, and his stunted growth.

He had enough strength to defeat Lily now, but it wouldn't be the correct move to reveal it too early.

If he could wait until he could hold his own against some of the second years or until the initiation of the Dungeon Assignment, it would be for the best.

Ace soon decided to head to the Public Training Room, where sure enough, he spotted the lanky-armed individual practicing his martial-arts.

'How does he train that much? Is it because of his inferiority complex towards me?'

Waving his hand towards the lanky-armed individual, Ace was met by a sneer and a forced wave.

"What are you doing here?"

Leo asked, perplexed. He thought Ace had moved into Dormitory A, so he should have no intention of coming to the Public Training Room.

"Wait a second. What are 'you' doing here?"

Leo had also moved into Dormitory A, so he could train inside of his own Training Room.

"Well, they call me the King of Bravery, so how could I train all alone in my luxurious suite when the peasants are training here?"

Hearing this response, Ace couldn't help but facepalm. He remembered Leo being the crazy kind, but this was too much.

"Do you have some kind of mental disorder?"

"Shut up."

Leo replied with a gruff voice, turning his head and continuing his training.

"Why is it so difficult to talk to you?"

"If it's difficult, then don't."

Ace sighed, contemplating where he should endure his current state of misery.

"Would you like to go to the King's Banquet with me?"

Ace kneeled, holding out his hand for Leo to accept his proposal.

If someone saw them, they would think Ace was asking Leo if he wanted to marry him.

BL in real life.

'If you wanna talk to someone crazy, act crazier.'

Watching this, Leo slapped his hand away and tried to kick Ace, only to meet with the latter's tip of his blade nearing his neck and frightening speeds.

Ace's blade stood right before it pierced Leo's neck, causing the latter to shiver in fright.

"Were you about to kick me? I just thought acting crazy would help me talk to you better."

"F–First, g–get that blade off my neck…"

Leo stuttered, failing to keep his composure.

Thankfully, no one else was inside the Public Training Room, because Leo would have instantly lost his reputation as the King of Bravery if there was.

Ace retracted his blade, sheathing it carefully.

"Now, you wanna go to the King's Banquet with me?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Leo asked, regaining his composure.

Ace gritted his teeth.

'I should have kept my crazy act going.'

"No, I am asking my very humble friend to escort me to the King's Banquet. Y'know, like a chauffeur."

"No, I'm not going to be your chauffeur!"

Leo retorted, returning to his training.

"Ugh, fine. Will you go to the King's Banquet with me? Not as dates, but as… classmates, or Kingmates."

Hearing this, Leo's expression stayed indifferent, and with a raspy tone, he replied.

"Sure, but we can go as friends."

As he uttered the last word, his cheeks turned crimson, and Ace smiled mockingly.

"Right, friends."

Leo violently shook his head, and then asked.

"When is it?"

"Tonight. I'm thinking of wearing a simple T-Shirt with jeans, what'd you think?"

"First of all, I don't know why you're talking to me about your fashion choices. Secondly, who the hell wears that to a Banquet!?"

"What do you suggest I should wear, former Mr. King of Idiocy?"

"I'll help you pick out clothes."

"No thanks. You don't have to enter the closet for me."

Ace let out a toothy grin, much to Leo's dismay.

"Never mind. Anyway, don't use that [Indifference] skill while you're at the Banquet."

"Why?"

"You look like a donkey who ate something wrong when you smile using that skill."

"Overly specific, but how am I supposed to maintain my image, then?"

"I don't know… but try not to use that skill when you're at a public gathering or when you meet new people."

"Don't know why I'm taking advice from the King of Idiocy."

"The 'former' King of Idiocy."

"Whatever."

"Well, what're you waiting for?"

Hearing this, Ace tilted his head a little to show confusion.

"Leave."

Leo blurted out, leaving Ace petrified. He channeled his mana towards his eyes to make them look red and to reveal his tears.

As a tear dropped down Ace's cheek, Leo's expression distorted.

He didn't know how to react to a situation where an 'acquaintance' starts crying because of something he said.

He was a nutjob but he wasn't the devil.

"Wha–"

Watching his reaction carefully, Ace retracted his mana as his face became normal once again.

"As I said, King of Idiocy."

*

*

*

As Ace snooped around his closet, he found nothing of interest.

To his confusion, he found no clothes fancy enough to wear at a Banquet.

"I don't have a suit…"

He was perplexed, considering he had been a bit of a snob back when he was a Conscientious Ranker.

'That was just a phase…'

Searching his closet once again, all he found were a couple T-Shirts, shorts, jeans, and beanies.

Underwear too.

"Do I really have to go shopping? I don't even have any money!"

He had regression novels before, and knew the protagonists took advantage of the market. However, Ace had no such benefit because he never invested in stocks before. All of his income came from bounty hunting.

With the meager amount of strength currently possessed, he wouldn't even be able to successfully hunt a D Rank individual.

'Should I challenge Leo to a duel, defeat him, and then take some money as my reward?'

Unfortunately, Leo's self-esteem had taken a large hit ever since Ace defeated him, so the former wouldn't accept a duel in general, let alone with a wager.

'Would my parents agree to lend me some money?'

He hoped they would and grabbed his phone. He dialed his mother's phone number and put the phone up to his ear.

Beep!

As the call connected, he heard the gentle and soothing sound of his mother.

-Ace?

"Ah, hello, mother."

-Hello. Are you doing well?

"Of course. Um, I wanted to ask you something…"

-Go ahead.

"Could I borrow some money to buy a suit for the King's Banquet?"

-The King's Banquet? You're going!?

"Of course. I'm the #2 Ranked King.

-Right. Sure, I'll send you some money.

"Thank you!"

-No problem.

As he hung up the call, Ace received a notification on his phone.

[Amanda Ambrosia has sent you C4000]

'4000 Clo, huh?'

A bright smile appeared on his face as he exited his room. Greeting the receptionist, he exited Dormitory A while heading to the nearest clothing store.

Entering the store, his senses were bombarded with flashiness.

Firstly, the scent was overbearing as it gave Ace a headache.

Secondly, the lights shone brighter than the sun.

And finally, there was pin-drop silence inside the store.

'Now I see why I never came to such a fancy clothing store in my previous life. That, and the fact I didn't have enough money to senselessly spend it on fancy clothes.'

Somehow enduring his headache, he looked throughout the store and finally found himself a comfortable and flashy suit.

Although it wasn't as fancy as some of the others, comfort was all that mattered to Ace.

'A fight might break out, so I have to wear appropriate clothing.'

A black suit jacket, a white dress shirt, black trousers, and a black tie.

He grabbed the items and paid for them at the register. Then, he exited the clothing store with 0 Clo in his bank account.

'I really need a source of money.'

*

*

*

As the night fell, the stars gleamed over the campus of Academy 07.

Two figures could be seen stepping into a luxurious car simultaneously.

Both wore a suit and had indifferent expressions while getting into a black limousine.

They were Ace and Leo.

Ace had short black, wavy hair; while Leo had smooth blonde hair that was brushed back.

Both looked like princes in their own right and attracted the attention of several female students who fawned over them.

"Why did that idiot King of Flames host the Banquet outside of campus?"

Leo clicked his tongue as he slammed the car door shut while rolling up the windows so that no eyes could peer at them.

"Probably because he wanted to piss off the great King of Idiocy."

Ace replied with a leisurely smile as he refused to roll up the windows, letting the others look at him with two kinds of expressions; glittery eyes, and glares.

He had turned off [Indifference] for this specific moment so that he could attract the attention of several people.

Ace wanted to expand his influence higher than Lily, Melissa, Carl, and Leo. They were the real competition, since they were in the top five rankings of Kings.

He had already confirmed that Lily, Melissa, and Carl won't be at the banquet.

They believed that the Banquet was just a waste of time, but Ace thought otherwise.

The Banquet was the greatest way of building influence by showing your worth to the other Kings, while also letting the teachers know that you were talented.

"Can you stop with the lame comments?"

"Oh, my! Is someone angy~?"

"You realize that this is my car, right?"

"Of course I do. Does that stop me from stating facts?"

Leo violently turned his head away.

'He always pisses me off.'

He thought as he supported his chin using his hand.

'Well, he's better than my family. That's for sure. Plus, he's the only one I can consider a friend. I don't know if he considers me one, though.'

He slowly turned his head to look at Ace, who was busy waving at his fans.

'Such a snob.'

"Shall we set off, sirs?"

A voice came from the front of the limo.

"Ah, yes, Alfred."

Hearing Leo's response, Alfred quickly started the car and began driving.

The King's Banquet was being hosted by Sebastian Dunford, the King of Flames at the Plaza of Glory, which was near the downtown area of the city of Bryxton.

When Earth had been infested with mana, the continents had also joined together, forming the Pangea once again.

Since then, Earth consisted of 10 cities, in which five belonged to the Conscientious side, while the other five belonged to the Iniquitous side.

As Alfred drove, the silence descended upon the car as the atmosphere soon became awkward.

"So, what do you think is going to happen at the King's Banquet? I heard the second, third, and fourth years were banned from entering since it was hosted by a first year. The teachers are going to be at the one hosted by Sebastian, while the second, third, and fourth year Banquets are not going to be guided by any staff member."

"That's correct. Personally, I think Sebastian's going to pick a fight with one of the top five Kings to try to take over their position."

Ace shared his opinion, as Leo fell into deep thought.

"The only one whose reputation is controlled by fear is you. So, prepare for a fight, I guess."

"I mean, if even you can defeat him, he stands no chance against me."

"Don't say it like I'm a threshold. A very low one at that."

"Oh, really? Aren't you, though?"

"Damned hitchhiker."

"Just say it if you're broke."

*

*

*

As they exited the luxurious limo, Ace and Leo immediately became the center of attention, as countless students and reporters lurked around, trying to get a picture.

Since Academy 07 was where the most trillionaires and quadrillionaires sent their kids, it was naturally considered very prestigious.

With the funding they received from the head of the Yearning Family, it was considered the best school in the Conscientious faction; half the world.

Ace and Leo were protected from the cameras by their chauffeur, Alfred. He used barrier magic to cast a barrier around the entrance, so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Thank you, Alfred."

Ace said, much to the displeasure of Leo.

"My pleasure, sir."

Leaving behind the chauffeur, Ace and Leo entered the gigantic hall which made the Burj Khalifa look like a midget.

Immediately, Ace gasped at the luxurious atmosphere.

"Country bumpkin."

Leo whispered before walking forward, not bothering to greet the other Kings.

Ace quickly caught up to him before whispering…

"I saw that sneer on your face when I thanked your chauffeur. Are you jealous~?"

"Not nearly as jealous as you are to my wealth."

"I would be if you had any."

"Right."

The others witnessed their chatter and were perplexed. The Kings usually had salty relationships with each other and competed for higher rankings.

Watching their easy-going chatter was confusing, to say the least.

"Welcome, King of Indifference, King of Bravery."

A man with thick, crimson hair greeted the newcomers as he slightly bowed.

Ace and Leo bowed as well, as they greeted the host of the part, Sebastian Dunford.

"My pleasure, King of Flames."

"My pleasure, King of Flames."

Ace looked around and saw the 25 Kings of the first year as well as the teachers. Also, he watched as the principal Felix Edwards scrutinized the room like a predator.

'Is he up to something?'

Ace wondered as he picked a spot to stand on with Leo.

They greeted the other Kings, but none were as notable as the people who were absent, such as Lily, Melissa, and Carl.

"I came here because of you. What're we supposed to do here?"

Leo whispered, which caused a smug smile to emerge from Ace's face.

"Just wait and watch. Conflict will reveal itself to you."

"Ah, so you're here to witness the conflict."

"No, I'm here to fan the flames on the fire magic of the King of Flames."

Leo chuckled as Ace brushed his hair back.

They chatted for a while until the host of the Banquet, Sebastian, came up on the stage.

"Welcome, Kings of Academy 07 along with all the teachers who have graced us with their presence."

Hearing this Leo let out a chuckle while Ace smiled bitterly.

"We shall celebrate this fine day of the Kings by offering a toast to our principal, Mr. Edwards, since he allowed the party to be secluded from all the other Kings from different years."

As Sebastian turned to glance at Felix, he was met by the calm gaze of a slightly older male with black hair.

Unlike Sebastian, Felix didn't need a microphone. Also, despite being a principal, he didn't want to entertain the King of Flames too much.

"Ah, thank you."

Seemingly stunned by the unusually short answer, Sebastian lost composure. However, he soon regained it as he spoke.

"A man of few words, I see. Now, I shall leave you to enjoy the night with your fellow teachers or Kings. Thank you."

Stepping down from the stage, he joined the crowd as they chatted with their acquaintances.

"He's good."

Ace praised, much to Leo's confusion.

"What? All he did was give a speech."

"Our principal acted cold towards Sebastian, which means he did something that the principal didn't like. In this case, it's most likely the fact that the second, third, and fourth years were banned from joining the central Banquet not because of the principal's consent, but because of Sebastian's negotiation skills, or a mystery he's hiding from us."

"So you're saying he has a trump card he used on Felix to convince him to ban the second, third, and fourth year students?"

"Exactly. It's most likely a connection he has with a S Rank individual, because it's quite difficult to make the principal of the most prestigious academy bend to someone's will so easily."

"Has someone ever told you that you act like a nerd?"

"Has anyone told you that's most likely the reason you lost to me? Twice."

As they chatted, a certain individual scrutinized them, waiting for a chance to pounce on the only two High-Kings who attended the Banquet.

High-Kings were the top five Kings in the rankings, such as Lily, Ace, Melissa, Carl, and Leo.

They were not only the most respected, but also the ones who were idolized the most.

However, some students didn't like that; especially the student who was ranked sixth in the rankings, Sebastian Dunford.

"We meet again, King of Indifference, King of Bravery."

Sebastian greeted as he approached the two Kings with a gentle and playful expression. However, that expression soon turned sour as a smug grin emerged from his face.

"I'm sure you've heard that challenging one of the Kings to a duel is permitted in Banquets?"

Ace and Leo glanced at each other with knowing looks, then nodded.

"I wish to challenge one of you for the chance to enter the ranks of the High-Kings. May one of you please entertain me?"

Before Ace could agree to their duel, he heard a snobbish voice enter his ears.

"I would love to take you on, King of Flames."

Leo said in a voice that sounded extremely pleasing to the ears.

"Again.."

He added, much to Sebastian's disapproval. He knew he couldn't win against Leo, who had trained for an innumerable amount of time after the Dormitory War.

"What rank are you at?"

Ace whispered into Leo's ear, and he was quickly met with an answer.

"I just rose to E Rank yesterday."

Ace was pleasantly surprised, but Sebastian, who had heard their chatter, was grimacing at this very moment.

Having lost to Leo when he was at E- Rank, he had absolutely no confidence in defeating the current him.

"Now, shall we begin the duel, King of Flames? Or are you too afra–"

Before Leo could finish his sentence, he was stopped by the crimson-haired boy who quickly formed a small flame at the center of his palm.

"Yes. Yes, we shall."

"Very well."