"Finally! The cafeteria's breakfast is good for once!," Thomas beamed with excitement in his eyes as he chomped down on his breakfast.
"Well that's a first," Cecily noted as she looked up from her studying book.
"If Tom says the food is good, it must be good," Allen concluded as he went for a bite of his own breakfast food. He and Tom had both ordered the same thing.
"Is it good? Is it good?," Thomas repeatedly asked as he waited for Allen to finish eating his bite.
"It's good!," Allen agreed as he and Thomas went down to scarf down the rest of their food.
"You two eat like animals," Cecily rolled her eyes as she casually took a bite of her own food while reading.
"Lily, we were born to eat! We eat to live, and live to eat!," Thomas pointed at her as he finished the last of his food.
"And this is part of the reason why you can't get a girl interested in you," she giggled.
"What? That can't be a reason, can it?," Thomas exclaimed as he threw his hands into the air.
"Tom, I am sure if you asked a certain girl you know out she would probably say yes," Allen grinned.
"Who?," Thomas cluelessly asked as Cecily began to blush.
"You're hopeless," Allen laid his head down in his arms in defeat.
The three of them were once again in the cafeteria eating breakfast. However, instead of going to class right after as usual, all students were told to report to the auditorium.
Stephen had informed them yesterday that he heard from William that the academy was holding an assembly in the auditorium today, and he was right. They figured it had to do with the new transfer student. But why introduce the transfer student that way?
How important is this new student? Not to mention how Stephen mentioned that the transfer student must be connected to Mr. Garet somehow. The thought of him just left a bad taste in Allen's mouth. Regardless, the three of them alongside the rest of the academy will be finding out very soon.
"It looks like we will need to head to the auditorium now," Cecily noted as she closed her book and got out of her chair.
"Alright, let's head there together," Allen said as he got out of his seat too.
"Wait! But I want to get seconds!," Thomas said as he tried to get more food.
"Nope, you're coming with us," Cecily argued as she began to drag him out of the Cafeteria, with Allen walking alongside her.
"No! Lily, please!," Thomas exclaimed as Cecily continued to drag him out of the cafeteria.
Once Thomas had stopped trying to free himself from Cecily to go back to the cafeteria, the three of them walked towards the auditorium together. They had to stick close to each other, as the hallways were crowded with other students also heading over.
"Hey watch it!," Thomas yelled at the students as he was constantly getting hit by people pushing through.
"We'll get there eventually," Allen shrugged as he tried to make his way through. Allen was just glad it was crowded, as it was harder for people to realize he was there.
Ever since the duel between Nathaniel and then Stephen, people keep stopping to look at him anytime they notice him. A crowded hallway was an easy way for him to lay low.
After enough maneuvering between the other students, the three of them made their way inside. Just like the opening ceremony, there were students from the student council directing everyone where to go. Of course, the three of them knew exactly where they had to be - in the back where the other F ranks are.
"I hate being all the way back here. It's hard to see or hear anything up on the stage," Thomas complained as they took their seats.
"You just love to complain, don't you?," Cecily sighed.
"I think he just loves talking," Allen laughed.
"That, you are right about," Cecily giggled.
"Hey! I don't talk that much!," Thomas argued.
"Yes you do," Allen and Cecily said at the same time.
"Whatever," Thomas rolled his eyes as he turned his attention to the stage.
Allen laughed again at Thomas' response. Cecily then went to read the book she took with her as she waited for the announcement to begin.
Before Allen turned his attention elsewhere, he thought he saw the female F ranked student (one of the other two students in the F ranked class), staring at him again. But before he could confirm, her attention was elsewhere. Allen still didn't know why she seemed to stare at him a lot, but he just decided to brush it off.
Before he could turn his attention to the stage to see what was currently going on, he heard someone walking closer to them.
"Hey guys," a familiar voice came from Allen's side.
"Stephen?," Thomas said in surprise. Even Cecily looked up from her book.
"What are you doing here?," Allen asked. "Aren't you supposed to be with the other A ranked students?"
"Yeah, but that would be boring," he shrugged as he took a seat next to Allen.
"But I thought you aren't allowed to sit wherever you want," Thomas looked at him in confusion.
"Yeah you can't, but no one cares where I sit," Stephen shrugged again. "Everyone knows I am an A rank, as well as the head director's son, so frankly no one will bother me"
"Must be nice being that important," Thomas said with a disgruntled face.
"Sure. Just swap positions with me," Stephen grinned. "You'll find being important is quite annoying"
More like being the center of attention is annoying, Allen thought.
"Really? Can I?," Thomas asked excitedly, as if they could really do that.
"You two need to shut up. They are starting soon," Cecily pointed in the direction of the stage.
"Oh, right…," Thomas rapidly blinked as he realized everyone was starting to become quiet in the room.
As the four of them all turned their attention to the stage up in the front, it was evident that the announcement was about to begin.
They all were waiting to find out if it really was about the transfer student, and if so why take all these lengths just to introduce one new student when they were already almost halfway into the academy year. But before they could keep asking questions in their head, they were about to be answered.
Someone appeared to be walking up onto the stage. They had long, black hair, and if Allen wasn't mistaken, purple eyes. Although, it was hard to tell from his distance away from the stage. However, Allen was almost certain they had purple eyes, as they seemed to shine all the way up to where Allen was.
For a moment, Allen wondered if the person was the same person he thought he saw last night. He was almost certain.
"Is it-"
"The transfer student?"
Both Stephen and Thomas stared all the way down at the stage, very interested. They both had big grins on their faces.
It wasn't just Stephen and Thomas. Most, if not all of the boys in the room all seemed to be staring directly at this new person in front of them. Perhaps this person was really the cute transfer student they were talking about before. However, something about them threw Allen a bit off. A gut feeling.
"It's her, it's the transfer student we were talking about!," Thomas started to get all giddy.
"I knew it! She looks as hot as we thought she was," Stephen had a big smirk on his face.
"What are the chances I could ask her out?," Thomas grinned, but was quickly stopped by an elbow from Cecily.
"You don't have a chance," Stephen laughed. "Wait…"
"What?," Allen and Thomas asked at the same time.
"Something about her… something's off…," he seemed to mutter to himself as the person up on stage was preparing for their speech. The student council members slowly began to disperse away from the stage, allowing this new person to have the floor all to themselves.
"Off?," Thomas asked.
But before they could all inquire further, their confusion was quickly answered.
"Greetings everyone, I am your new transfer student," the person up on stage began to speak.
"Did I just hear what I think I did?," Stephen fell in his chair.
"Yeah, I heard it too," Thomas also fell in his chair.
It turns out, as Allen was starting to think, that the person in question is not a she, but a he.
"You two are hopeless," Cecily giggled.
"Lily, you haven't experienced true pain like this," Thomas stared at her, his eyes looking dead.
"Thomas couldn't have said it better than myself," Stephen also looked like he died inside.
"It's not that bad, is it?," Allen asked.
"Yes it is!," the two of them exclaimed.
It wasn't just Stephen and Thomas throwing a fuss over the new student actually being a male. The rest of the boys in the room seemed to also fall into their own pits of despair. It was now the girls fawning over the new student.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself," the transfer student cleared his throat and began to speak again after the fuss in the room settled a bit down. "I am known as the First Prince of England, Prince August Lionheart"
Wait, Allen suddenly thought. Prince?!
Suddenly, the whole auditorium began to make a ruckus; it wasn't unexpected. After all, someone claiming to be the first prince of the country was no small matter.
"You're… you're joking…," Thomas could only stare at the transfer student. First finding out she was actually a he, and then him being a prince.
"He isn't joking. I am ninety percent certain that is the actual prince," Stephen leaned forward, looking at the floor.
"However," the transfer student continued. "All of you can call me August while I attend this academy!"
As the transfer student, August, smiled at the crowd, almost all the girls went wild as the guys seemed to all fall into pits of despair.
"Just what we need… a girlish boy that all the girls can fawn over…," Stephen seemed to fall forward even more.
"How are we supposed to get a girlfriend now?," Thomas was leaning forward like Stephen as well.
"You both are so stupid," Cecily sighed as she went back to reading her book. Looks like she was no longer interested in what was happening upstage.
"All of you may be confused as to why a prince is attending the academy, so allow me to clear your confusions," August continued. "I apparently possess the ability to use earth magic. After some clearance with the directors of the academy, alongside my family - the royal family, they allowed me to attend the academy. After some assessment of my magical abilities, alongside my current age, I will be a first year and C ranked"
And just like that, almost all of the first year girls began to go wild. Allen was sure the C ranked ones were the loudest, which makes sense since he would be attending the same class as them.
"Also, I hear that there are two other students who attend the academy that use a sword like myself," he studied the crowd, as if he was looking for these two individuals.
Allen could already tell he was talking about himself and Rose, unless there were other sword users he was unaware of.
August had turned a little bit to the side, which was then that his words made sense. Allen finally noticed a sword sheathed to his hip.
Another magic user who uses a sword. This will be interesting, he thought to himself. But just how good is he with the sword?
"Rose Marion, a third year, an A rank, and most importantly the Student Council President, who uses her family's rapier. And then we have Allen Fleming, a first year, an F rank, and classified as the Weakest Mage. The rest of this academy year will definitely be interesting," he spoke out loud while continuously studying the crowd.
Oh no, Allen thought. Please not again.
Just then, August's eyes seem to land on Allen's for a moment. He smiled a little, and then continued to look throughout the crowd.
Yep, Allen thought again. He definitely saw me. This is just like what happened with the opening ceremony with Stephen.
While August was studying the crowd, the crowd began to look around for the people in question. Allen assumed Rose was somewhere in the room, but maybe not necessarily in the crowd. She is involved with the student council, and the student council is helping out with the assembly after all.
Of course, almost everyone managed to spot Allen in the crowd all the way in the back.
"Not again," Allen muttered as he sank down in his chair.
"This reminds me of the beginning of the year," Stephen hysterically laughed while slapping his knee in the process.
"Allen you seem to have a knack for getting unwanted attention," Thomas laughed alongside Stephen.
Please end me now, Allen thought as he fell deeper into his chair.
Just then everyone seemed to notice another figure appearing onstage - Mr. Garet, the Earth Vice Director.
"Quiet!," he yelled as everyone was looking around the room and muttering to themselves.
Everyone began to quiet down just as fast as Mr. Garet appeared onstage. August also looked over at Mr. Garet, although he didn't seem too surprised by his sudden appearance.
"As he explained before, Prince August will be attending this academy alongside the rest of you. He will indeed be a first year, and will be a C rank"
Everyone began to mutter again, but due to the intense glare Mr. Garet gave, they all quieted down again.
"Just to clear up any complications before they arise, no, Prince August here will not be allowed to participate in the Annual Magical Knights Tournament near the end of the academy year. This is due to the nature of the circumstances involving his sudden transfer at this established academy"
"He will be attending classes alongside the rest of you so I demand all of you provide him with the same respect as the rest of your peers, if not more. That is all"
Just as the students began muttering to themselves again, Mr. Garet promptly left the stage.
"Well just as our Vice Director said, I will not be allowed to participate in the Magical Knights Tournament," August began to speak again, resulting in the audience turning their attention back to him.
He seems to have a knack for gaining attention, although in this case it's whenever he wants it, Allen sighed to himself.
"I wish you all best of luck in your studies, and wish we may all get along for the remainder of the academy year," August smiled as he waved at everyone in the crowd.
Suddenly, the whole crowd began a round of applause. August then began to bow to each side of the room.
"Are we… are we supposed to clap?," Thomas asked, awkwardly clapping.
"I don't know, but I am just going to do it anyway," Stephen shrugged as he was clapping too.
Just before the Prince left the stage, his attention seemed to go back over to Allen, who was all the way in the back of the crowd. This had to be a coincidence, right?
August smiled once more while looking over in Allen's direction, and then promptly made his way off stage.
Just what I need, another thing to make my life at this academy far from normal, Allen sighed to himself again.
"Well, that was certainly something I wasn't expecting," Stephen said out loud as he was smirking. "This year just keeps getting more and more interesting"
"I'm still annoyed at the fact that this dude looks so feminine, yet is a dude. Why does the world have to do this to us?!," Thomas exclaimed as he looked and threw his hands up into the air in frustration.
"Well, I am already over that. Now I am interested in this prince fellow. I had a suspicion he was more to the eye than he appeared to be," he smirked.
"Liar. You thought he was a girl like I did," Thomas glared at him.
"Well… yeah, at first. But then I realized-"
"Shut up, you're being such a Steph again!," Thomas stuck his tongue out at him.
"Steph?! Not that again!"
"Yes, you are Steph," Cecily giggled, finally looking up from her book.
So now she talks after looking at her book the whole time, Allen thought.
"Well anyways, I look forward to meeting this prince fellow," he said as he got out of the chair, stretching. "Well, I'm tired. I'll see you all later after class"
"Wait, we still have class today?!," Thomas exclaimed as Stephen already began to walk out of the auditorium alongside everyone else leaving.
"Of course we have class today. You think one announcement is enough to cancel class for the rest of the day?," Cecily stared at him.
"Well, I was hoping that we wouldn't-"
Thomas suddenly decided to not finish his sentence after he noticed Cecily glaring at him.
Perhaps the sudden appearance of the Prince is a good thing, Allen thought. Knowing my luck though, I am bound to run into him. I suppose only time will tell.
After a bit of fuss from Thomas, the three of them finally began to make their way to their class, where another day of studying awaited them.