The Burning Flowers

Chapter V

Abi continued down the hall alongside Fayela Rio, who was walking with a confidence that only increased the respect that Abi was already beginning to have for her. While Faye certainly seemed intrigued by the unique and unprecedented circumstances that brought Abi to the Academy, she still hadn’t shown any signs of distrusting her or even disliking her, and after helping her with the lift, it was clear to Abi that her sixth sense wasn’t mistaken. Therefore, in the brief amount of time they had before they arrived at their rooms, she decided it would be best to try and pick the young woman’s brain. After all, it was possible she wouldn’t come across somebody so willing to interact with her a second time, so this was an opportunity she didn’t want to miss. Grunly had already given her a basic rundown of how the Academy operated, but Abi was curious to speak with a fellow student on the matter.

“So, Faye,” Abi began hesitantly. “About orientation tomorrow…. Master Grunly already explained a little bit to me, but I was wondering how it works, exactly? How do we pick our teams and…well, how do I prepare for it?”

Faye chuckled softly to herself, seemingly still thrown off by the situation, before responding. “Well, from what I know, you’ll have until tomorrow to meet with your roommate and seek out another duo to join up with. Once you’ve all agreed on a group, you’ll go to the desk down in the lobby and report your team. The signup takes place right after the opening ceremony tomorrow.”

Abi nodded her understanding. “And these teams…? We’ll be working with them all year?”

“All four years,” Faye quickly corrected. “Whoever you wind up with today will be at your side for the rest of your time at this academy, assuming, that is, that none of them die or either drop out or get kicked out. That’s why your decision is so important. It’ll make or break your future here.”

Abi felt her stomach churn a bit, though it wasn’t at the daunting thought of determining her future with one simple decision. Instead, her mind locked on to what Faye said about her partners potentially dying. Grunly had already warned her, but the Academy of Erika wasn’t a traditional school. It was constructed to groom and educate the best of the best when it came to magecraft, and almost every single Master of Ijirian history had attended the school. So naturally, they altered their curriculum in order to ensure that their graduates could meet such high expectations. That was why Abi would not only be attending class there in the Academy, but would also be given assignments both within the city of Erika, as well as in other regions of the Empire. Alongside her team, their instructors would instruct her to deal with various issues ranging from handling bandits along the main highways to helping the guards investigate crimes in the cities. Normally, they would have an instructor or somebody of significance at their side, but even then, it wasn’t unheard of for students to die on those missions.

And when they do, all the teachers conclude is that the fallen individual wasn’t cut out for the Academy. If I die here, nobody is going to care. However, though Abi internally grimaced at the school’s harsh philosophy, she couldn’t help but quickly correct that internal conclusion. Well, I suppose Master Grunly would be upset.

“So I need to be smart about my team then,” Abi stated, more to herself than to Fayela. “And orientation? Grunly said it’s a fight at the stadium but he didn’t elaborate much on that. What exactly are we doing tomorrow?”

Faye glanced down at her, considering her question before casually shrugging. “It’s nothing to stress over, really. You and your team will be randomly assigned to face off with another group of freshmen. It’s a match to show the instructors and the headmaster not only what skills you currently possess, but how well you can work alongside your teammates—people you’ve never worked with before. In addition, it's not uncommon for Masters to come down and watch, so if you really were recommended by Master Grunly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he came to observe the matches.”

“So…it's just a placement test?” she inquired, to which Faye gave a quick thumbs up.

“Yup! More or less. But I wouldn’t stress too much. All it really determines is whether your team will be first rank or second rank.”

At those unfamiliar terms, Abi furrowed her brow in confusion and glanced up at Faye, and noticing her confused expression, the young woman slowed to halt to regard Abi.

“Do you…know what I mean by that?” she asked.

But Abi just shook her head and grimaced. “I guess…Master Grunly didn’t explain as much as I’d thought.”

“Well, in that case…” Faye folded her arms across her chest and once again seemed to think about how to go about explaining. “The ranks pretty much determine the type of work you're given. First ranks go on more dangerous missions than second ranks, and the ranks are determined based on performance. The teams who win their match become first rank and the ones that lose become second.”

“Oh…” Abi felt a pang of anxiety at the realization that her entire rank depended on the match. “But…you said it wasn’t that important! That sounds important to me!”

“Oh, it’s not really,” Faye quickly assured her. “The ranks are fluid. Even if you lose, as long as you show improvement in your classes and competence on your missions, you can easily be promoted. Though, on the flip side, messing up can demote you. The orientation just determines where you start.”

With that, Abi let out a breath of relief. Well that’s good, at least. I mean, I know how to defend myself, but who knows how my skills will match up with the other students here. It's not like I’ve ever had any formal training. All I know is from books.

“Okay, thank you, Faye,” she said after a moment, returning the young woman’s smile with one of her own. “That helps a lot. I guess from here, everything just rides on my roommate and my team.”

“That it does,” Faye replied, then gave her a quick pat on the shoulder. “And hey, if our roommates aren’t opposed to it, look for me later, okay? Not only do I really want to hear more about you, but I think we could work well together.”

“I will,” Abi confirmed then, glancing past Faye’s shoulder, she realized that they had stopped just in front of her designated dorm, Room Sixteen. “And I guess this one is me, so I’ll have to get going.”

Faye glanced back and chuckled. “Alright then. I’m Room Twenty-Three, just down the hall, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, okay?”

“Of course. Thank you again.”

With that, Fayela gave her a brief wave before continuing on her way down the dormitory corridor, leaving Abi to stand alone just in front of the room that would be her home for the next year. Taking a deep breath, she produced the dorm key, knowing that if her roommate was already inside then she was just on the edge of meeting the individual she would be fighting with for what could potentially be the next four years of her life.

And there’s no guarantee she’s going to be as welcoming as Faye. For all I know, I’m about to be stuck with some pretentious noblewoman.

The thought of sharing her space with one of Erika’s nobility caused her to cringe with disgust, but regardless of how long she spent standing on her doorstep, the person inside wasn’t going to change. Her fate was already sealed, so all she could do was put on as pleasant of a smile as she could muster and pray that the girl inside was at least tolerable.

Alright…here we go!

Her resolve gathered, Abi inserted the key into the lock then pulled the door open and stepped inside. When she first thought of a dorm room, the image that came to mind was of the single rooms that were common among the inns of the Ijirian north. All they consisted of was a bed or two, a window, and if she was lucky, maybe there would be a desk for her to work at. But otherwise, they were rather small. This, however, was far bigger than she imagined. The front door opened up into a living room consisting of a few plush chairs off to the right surrounding a glass coffee table, and on the left was a small dining table with one chair on either side. Just ahead of that table was the entrance to a hallway that probably led to the bedroom, and directly in front of her was an open window. Yet, as surprising as the size of the dorm was, Abi's attention was quickly shifted to the young woman sitting just beside the window, her elbows resting on the sill and her head turned back to stare over her shoulder at Abi’s arrival.

For a moment, the two of them just looked at each other. Her roommate was slightly smaller than the average Ijirian, probably a few inches shorter than she was. Her brown hair was neatly combed and fell freely down to her back, and her eyes were a stunning blue that made Abi wonder if she was descended from the northern regions of the continent. She was already dressed in the green and gold-trimmed blazer, slacks, and tie that was the uniform, and with just her quick survey, Abi concluded that if there was a single word to describe her, it would be “delicate”. Her features were soft and the way she looked at Abi seemed to border on timid, but to her relief, her sense registered this individual as trustworthy. So, hoping this meant there was potential for them to get along, Abi put on a smile and greeted her.

“Uh, hello,” she said, pulling the door closed behind her. “I’m, uh, Abigail. It’s nice to meet you.”

She wasn’t really sure what to say, and her attire had clearly drawn the woman’s attention already, so she hoped that acting pleasant could get them off on the right foot.

“Um, yeah, nice to meet you, too,” her roommate replied, slowly standing up from the chair she had placed before the window. She seemed conflicted on how to react, though it appeared more based around shyness than any sort of discomfort at Abi’s appearance. “Er, Abigail, you said? Abigail, what?”

Yeah, here we go again.

Bracing herself for a potential rejection, Abi answered honestly. “Nothing. I don’t have a family name. I’m just Abi.”

“No…family name?” the girl parroted. “But then…huh? How did you get into the school then?”

It was exactly as Faye had reacted, though this woman seemed far more concerned about it than Faye had been.

And can I really blame her? I mean, her whole future rides on my abilities and I just basically admitted I’m a commoner. I’m sure she’s just had her whole day absolutely ruined.

“Long story, really,” Abi replied with a casual wave of her hand. “And I can tell you all about it later. But anyway, what’s your name? From the sound of it, I guess you and I are gonna be partners for the next four years so it’s probably best to get to know one another.”

She knew it was an obvious attempt to divert the conversation elsewhere, but thankfully, the woman either didn’t notice or didn’t care, for she timidly glanced away and answered in a rather soft voice.

“I’m…Album Luz,” she introduced simply, then went silent.

Abi frowned, feeling like she had definitely heard the surname “Luz” once or twice before, but given the stress of her current situation, her mind was drawing a blank. After all, she rarely ever came down to the south, and she’d heard so many noble names during her life that they all started blending together after a while. But, deciding that it would be rude to ask her where she was from, Abi instead just smiled.

“Well, nice to meet you, Album. Hopefully we’ve got a fun few years ahead of us.”

However, Album just gaped back at her in a stunned silence, leading Abi to wonder if she should have had a larger reaction to the girl’s surname. She quickly searched her memory once more, but again, the name Luz just stayed somewhere deep in the back of her mind, and she came up with nothing. Therefore, she decided she would pretend to ignore the awkwardness as she began scanning the room once again.

“It’s a really nice place,” she mused. “I was expecting something smaller, so I’m pleasantly surprised.”

Then again, maybe I shouldn’t say something that makes me sound so obviously poor…though it probably doesn’t matter at this point. She’s probably so disappointed in her luck, but maybe I can prove myself at orientation tomorrow. Who cares where I came from if I can help get us to first rank.

“So, uh, where are you from, Abigail?” Album hesitantly inquired, as if unsure of how to even talk to her.

“I’m not really from anywhere in particular,” Abi answered. “I’m more of a wanderer, so if I had to pick anywhere, I’d just say I’m from the north in general.”

“W-wait…” Album frowned, her features tensing as if having just realized something. “You’re a wanderer from the north without a last name…and would you happen to be a healer?”

Startled that Album already knew details about her, Abi turned away from her survey of the room and stared back at her roommate. “Uh, yeah, I’m of the nature affinity. How did you…know that?”

“So you’re…the one Master Grunly was watching,” Album murmured, though it seemed to be more to herself than to Abi.

“Woah, wait a second!” Abi exclaimed, having not been prepared for the woman to see through her so fast. “I mean, yes, Master Grunly did write my letter of recommendation, but who told you that? I was under the impression that he kept it mostly to himself. Just who…are you?”

Suddenly realizing that perhaps Luz was more significant than she thought, she regarded Album with uncertainty, and her question only seemed to make the other girl confused as well.

“You don’t know?” she asked softly, and when Abi shook her head, Album just appeared to grow more thrown off. “I’m Album Luz. My father is the Master of Light in the Citadel so…of course I’ve heard about what Master Grunly’s been up to. It’s not everyday that a Master just leaves Erika for months on end to follow around a commoner.”

With that answer, Abi frantically and silently cursed herself, realizing just how much of a fool she had been for forgetting a name as significant as Luz. The Luz family made up the Ijirian Masters of Light and presided over the great city of Noctalus further south. Abi had never seen the ancient Nocta capital in person, but one couldn’t live in Ijiria without knowing of the Noctis and Luz families.

And this girl, my roommate, is from that family?! Abi clenched her teeth as she now saw Album in a completely different way. She’s even more than just a noblewoman. Oh no… This is going to be even more tricky than I was prepared for…

***

As the carriage drew to a stop just at the front gates of the great tower that was the Ijirian Citadel, Nigreos Noctis turned his sleep-deprived eyes through the liquet window and toward the handful of guards that were already approaching them. They had been on the road for the better part of a week, and since the trip from Noctalus to Erika was an exhausting one, he was quite happy that he wouldn’t have to make it again for a few months. He always struggled to sleep in the wild, and with orientation just the following morning, he feared that he wouldn’t get much sleep that night either. Eko, on the other hand, looked as cheerful and alert as he always did as he carefully combed his fingers through his brown hair, clearly wanting to make himself look as presentable as he could. Nigreos briefly considered doing the same, but after glancing at his reflection in the window, he determined that he was fine as is. He then straightened up as the carriage door was pulled open to reveal a pair of armored guards, who immediately bowed their heads before them.

“Good afternoon, my lords,” they both greeted in unison, and when they rose back up, it was the man on the left who added, “I hope your trip was a pleasant one?”

“As pleasant as five days on the road can be, I suppose,” Nigreos remarked with a sigh, moving to step out of the carriage at the guard’s beckoning.

“Well I enjoyed myself,” Eko added as he followed in Nigreos’s footsteps. “I always enjoy seeing nature. I love the cities plenty, but there’s just something serene about the country that can never be replicated in a place as bustling as this.”

Once they had exited, the two thanked the driver and watched as he flicked the reins and took off back down the road, probably to go find an inn where he could stay the night before making his return trip to Noctalus. Nigreos then briefly glanced at his surroundings. The front gates of the Citadel were among the higher-end neighborhoods of Erika, with mostly the mansions of nobles and prestigious individuals surrounding them. He knew that most of them served as second homes for those that lived in the Citadel, and he could think of a few members of the council, and even a handful of Masters, that often departed the tower to relax in their own personal space.

“Well, your fathers have been expecting you,” one of the guards said, bringing Nigreos’s attention back to them. “So if you’ll please come with us.”

With that, the guards turned and began to lead them through the wide open gates of the Citadel’s outer wall, which stretched so far into the sky that Nigreos could hardly make out the top from his position at the base. He and Eko briefly exchanged looks of apprehension, then followed the two armored men. The space between the walls and the entrance to the tower was made up of colorful gardens, with flora from all around the continent planted and cared for by the Citadel groundskeepers. It was a place that was often open to the public, and Nigreos knew it was a common spot for important ceremonies like weddings and holidays. At the moment, however, there were only a handful of people walking around and observing the flowers. Some looked Nigreos’s way, and knowing that it was right to be polite, he nodded toward them and continued on toward the front doors.

He and Eko stepped up to the entrance of the Citadel itself and waited as the two guards pushed the giant doors open with a soft incantation before beckoning them to follow. The last time Nigreos had been in the Citadel was roughly three years prior during a family visit to the capital and it was just as he remembered it. The halls were a beautiful silver and white, with large windows allowing the sunlight to bathe the corridors. There were torches affixed to the walls between the windows, but at the moment, not a single one was lit. The halls themselves were bustling with individuals that Nigreos knew ranged from magical researchers to legislators, and all were rushing off to get to wherever they needed to go.

These lower levels are always so chaotic, he thought to himself.

The guards took them down the halls, barking orders at anybody who got in their way, before they arrived at one of the Citadel’s many lifts—a circular shaft with a silver disk that could take them to the higher floors with a little bit of wind magic. The two guards motioned for Nigreos and Eko to step on, then followed suit, the man on the left quickly uttering, “Ortumo” to begin raising them into the air. They stayed silent as they moved past the various floors, going all the way to one of the highest levels before the guards stepped off with the noblemen right behind them. This corridor was far more devoid of life, with only the occasional person walking past them, though they moved far slower, without the impatient rush of the bottom. Finally, the guards stopped just outside a door that Nigreos knew was his father’s office.

“We will wait for you out here,” one of them said, then stepped back to allow them to take the lead.

Eko was quick to rap his knuckles against the door, and once they heard the call from inside to enter, the eldest child of Luz pulled it open and went inside with Nigreos on his heels. Much like the rest of the building, the personal office of the Master of Darkness was just as Nigreos remembered, with the walls painted all black and dark grays in resemblance to the halls of their home palace. Banners displaying both the horned helm of Noctis and the black claw that was the symbol of dark magic hung from the ceiling. There were bookcases filled with writings on both the right and left, and directly ahead was a black oak desk settled just in front of a window whose dark red curtains were pulled shut, leaving the room’s only light to come from the handful of fire lamps hanging from the ceiling. And upon entering the room, both he and Eko bent their backs in a bow to both the man sitting at the desk and the man standing just to the right.

Viiro Noctis and Acostav Luz were the current Masters of Darkness and Light, as well as the fathers of Nigreos and Eko. Viiro was a rather large man with broad shoulders and well-kept thick black hair. He had a beard of the same color, and his skin was just as black as the room, a result of the Noctis ritual that was conducted on every individual who became Master. In addition, his eyes were pure white and he wore a black suit that highly resembled the style of the Academy uniforms.

Beside him, Acostav was his complete antithesis. His skin was a pure white and his eyes were fully black, a result of the Luz ritual. His short hair and thick mustache were both as white as his skin, and unlike the well-built Viiro, Acostav was a much smaller and lankier man. He, too, wore an Academy style suit, and true to his nature, it was white.

“It is great to see you again, Father,” Eko greeted with a smile, and as they rose, Nigreos echoed a similar sentiment.

“Yes, it’s been too long,” he added. “I hope you have both been well?”

Viiro snorted, his voice a deep rumble as he responded. “As well as you can be with such important events just on the horizon. Tell me, Nigreos, are you prepared for orientation tomorrow?”

“Yes, I believe so,” he answered with as much confidence as he could muster. “Of course, there’s a lot riding on my roommate, but there’s nothing I can do about that. I’ll simply let the chips fall where they may and work from there.”

“Good answer,” Viiro grunted. “Yes, I suppose much of it comes down to luck now. Truly, I hate the Academy’s traditions, but we’ll make do. We always have, after all. Eko managed to get through it without much of an issue, and you’ve got the added…let’s be generous and call it a benefit of having Album in the same year as you. You’ll just have to put up with your partners and carry their dead weight if they make you.”

Nigreos couldn’t help but notice Eko’s features twitch ever so slightly at Viiro’s casual dismissal of his little sister, but as always, he knew the young man wasn’t going to speak up in her defense, for there was very little to speak up for. As much as he loved Album as a person, she was far from a talented mage, and her anxiety and lack of confidence only hindered what talent she did have. In some ways, it was possible that teaming up with Album really could harm his performance in the orientation match, but he had promised Lady Clara that he would watch out for her, and he fully intended to do so.

“Have either of you spoken with the girl in the last few weeks?” Acostav inquired softly as he regarded the two of them.

This time, Eko was the first to respond. “No, Father, not for a while. She kept to herself quite a bit before she left, and as I’m sure you already know, Album departed a week earlier than we had planned to. I imagine she’s getting worked up over orientation.”

“Worked up is an understatement,” Acostav snapped bitterly. “When she arrived at the Academy earlier than I anticipated, I had her brought up here so I could speak with her, and as much as she tried to hide it, I could tell she was panicking. Truly, I need this nonsense to end and soon.” With a click of his tongue, the Master of Light turned to pace around, his features contorting in unrestrained frustration.

“Father…” Eko began cautiously. “With all due respect, Album is trying her best. You know full well that her condition is not her fault, and I do believe that with time, she will improve.”

“Ha! With time, you say?” Acostav scoffed. “No, Eko, we’ve been saying that for years, and here we are on the eve of her orientation and the girl can still hardly manage anything more than a damned bolt of light. Time is up.” He turned and regarded his son with his beady eyes and twisted his lips. “You are going to be my successor as Master of Light, Eko, and by law, that means you cannot be an eraser. Album is my only other child and thus, your mother and I have no choice but to pass the knowledge onto her. Now, would you trust your failure of a sister with something as potentially realm-shattering as erasure magic?”

Eko winced at the sharpness of his father’s tone, and once again, despite a clear desire to defend Album, the young man went silent and shook his head.

“I thought not,” Acostav growled. “Which is why I’m hoping that the Academy will snap her into shape, and unfortunately, depending on her teammates, it may fall to you, Nigreos, to ensure that my pathetic daughter actually makes something of herself.”

Nigreos bowed his head, knowing that helping Album improve would be just as beneficial to him as it would be to her. “I promised Lady Clara and I will promise you,” he said. “Do not worry about Album, Master Acostav. I will do my best to help her, and with Eko nearby, she’ll have all the support she’ll need.”

Eko nodded his agreement. “Yes, of course. By the end of the year, she will be ready to begin harnessing the erasure magic. I have not given up on her.”

“That’s all well and good, but the year’s end is not the only thing I’m worried about,” Acostav stated. “The situation has changed and now, Album’s performance in tomorrow's orientation has far more riding on it than whether your team is first or second rank.”

Nigreos furrowed his brow, having heard nothing about orientation potentially changing, and when he looked to Eko, the older boy only stared back with a similar expression of confusion.

“Meaning?” Nigreos pressed, turning his eyes back to the Masters. “Has Headmaster Tykon changed the rules or…?”

Acostav shook his head, then glanced down at Viiro with a grimace. “You tell them. You’re the one Markreas spoke to, after all.”

Markreas? This has to do with King Markreas?!

Nigreos felt his body go cold, having already been more than stressed about his roommate, so he certainly didn’t want something else thrown into his mix of worries.

“This has nothing to do with Tykon or the school,” Viiro muttered, folding his hands on the table and leaning onto his elbows. “As I’m sure you both know, just this past summer, Princess Ilirianna has turned twenty, and it seems as if King Markreas and Queen Toranei have decided that the time has come for her to begin managing a team of her own. As is tradition, she will be choosing that team from among the first years and basing her decision off of performances in orientation.”

Nigreos listened attentively as his father laid everything out before him, and with each word Viiro spoke, the sickening feeling forming in his gut grew worse.

The Princess’s team? She’s choosing that this year?!

It was Ijirian royal tradition that as the heir to the throne, the eldest Iiji child would attend the Academy’s orientation and choose one of the school’s teams to take as their own. The idea was that having the Empire’s future leader take charge over a handful of students would not only give the heir some real-world experience in leadership, but that it could also help them form alliances and relationships with people that could potentially be useful during their future reign. Normally, the heir would begin leading their team somewhere in their late teens to early twenties, and it seemed that the King and Queen had decided that Ilirianna was ready.

And it couldn’t be a more perfect time! With Album and I as first years, we have a chance to follow her lead and form a genuine relationship with our future queen!

He couldn’t ask for a more ideal scenario, but the problem was that he didn’t even know for certain whether he could score a first rank, let alone stand out enough to impress Ilirianna. Album was far from an ideal teammate, and he still didn’t even know who the other two members of his team would be. The luck of the draw could very well make or break his future.

“So then if Nigreos and Album don’t do well in the match,” Eko muttered. “Then they’re missing a chance of a lifetime…”

Viiro nodded solemnly. “Precisely. That being said, King Markreas and I have already spoken, and according to him, he and the Queen both desire for Nigreos and Album to be selected. After all, Nigreos will one day serve as Master of Darkness under her, and Album will be, for better or for worse, the eraser of Noctalus. Those are two very important roles in this country, and as far as Markreas was concerned, he doesn’t care who the two of you wind up with as teammates so long as Ilirianna selects you.”

“But then…” Eko stuttered, the weight of this reveal clearly weighing down on him as well. “If the King wants it, then does it matter how they perform?”

“Unfortunately, it does,” Acostav interrupted. “The princess is a damn stubborn girl, and she’s already expressed a desire to do as she likes. Thus far, she has shown little interest in picking based on political gain, and would instead like to choose on personal skill and merit. Which means…”

“Regardless of what the king and queen want, Princess Ilirianna might ignore them,” Nigreos finished with a sigh. “Which means that Album and I have to prove ourselves if we want this position.”

“Yes.” Viiro shook his head, displaying his clear disapproval of the princess’s attitude. “Markreas and Toranei will continue to urge their daughter to be smart, but for the moment, we can’t rely on the princess making the right choice. That is what has us worried. If Album weighs you down and you lose the match…”

“Understood,” Nigreos replied firmly. “Then I have to win somehow, and it has to be impressive.”

“I’m just hoping your roommates are competent to some extent,” Acostav added. “Perhaps if the three of you are good enough then it won’t matter how Album performs. But I wish you luck, Nigreos. Take this position. Impress the princess, at all costs.”

Impress Princess Ilirianna…

He didn’t even have the first clue what he could do to accomplish that aside from winning his match, so for the moment, that was what he would shoot for. He wanted to make his father proud and if he could start a relationship with Ilirianna then he was one step closer to making his mark in Erika.

But that means… Nigreos internally cringed. I need a reliable partner even more than I did before!

***

When the conversation with the Masters ended, Nigreos and Eko made their way through the Citadel and back down to the road where a new carriage was waiting to take them to the Academy. The ride was a silent one and Nigreos knew that, even though he wasn’t participating, Eko was just as stressed and concerned as he was. Everything had suddenly gotten worse, and if Nigreos’s chance of sleeping was low before then he was now certain he wouldn’t get even a second of sleep now. All he could think about was how to approach the battle, but not only was the rest of his team up to luck, but their opponents would be, too, so there was very little to plan for. By the time the carriage pulled up to the Academy, he still hadn’t reached a conclusion, and he realized that he was mostly on autopilot as he went to the admissions building to check in. Before long, he and Eko had arrived at the courtyard in the center of the dormitories.

“Good luck, Nigreos. Whatever happens, I’ll be rooting for you.”

Those were Eko’s parting words before he headed off in the direction of the third years’ tower. Nigreos watched him go, silently promising to make the families proud, then walked toward the doors of the first years’ tower. He kept his head low as he made his way through the lobby, not wanting to be stopped by anybody that recognized the eldest son of Noctis, and was happy when he made it to the lifts without incident. His room was on the fourth floor and was number five, so he stepped onto the lift and rose up toward his destination. All the while, he took deep breaths to steady his pounding heart, and silently prayed that his roommate would be somebody he could easily work with.

Soon enough, he found himself walking down the fourth floor corridors before coming to Room Five. Failing to slow his beating heart, Nigreos smoothed out his clothes, then produced the key and unlocked the door.

Please let it be some son of a high-end mage or perhaps even some aspiring Korrei-Tarr…

With that internal plea, he pushed the door open and stepped into the dormitory, only to find both what he hoped and feared—his roommate was already present. The young man was lounging casually on the couch, his shoes kicked off beside him and his feet up on the coffee table while his hands were clasped behind his head. Right away, Nigreos recognized that he was of Sukonese descent with his narrower brown eyes and jet black hair that looked as if it had been sloppily brushed just that morning. He was slim, with a clean-shaven face, and when he grinned, it was a sly and mischievous one that quickly told Nigreos that this was somebody who enjoyed his fair share of mischief. In addition, he wasn’t yet wearing the uniform, rather he was dressed in a traditional Sukonese red and orange gown that had a large sash tied around his waist.

Wait, is this guy not Ijirian? Is he actually from Sukon?

The thought caused a feeling of dread to wash through him. While it was uncommon, it wasn’t unheard of for foreigners to be accepted to the Academy if they could prove themselves and earn a letter, so the young man before him could have easily been from Sukon rather than simply of Sukonese descent.

But that means he’s not a noble or even Ijirian to begin with! Would the Princess even consider choosing a foreigner for her team?!

“Ah, it seems my roommate has finally arrived!” the man cheered enthusiastically, removing his feet from the table before jumping up. “And here I thought you were never going to show up.”

With a boisterous and borderline annoying laugh, the man stepped forward and stuck out his hand.

“My name is Ryokumo Caeli and my affinity is wind,” he greeted. “Good to meet you, my friend!”