The time was 12:30 PM, half an hour away from the start of the second stage. The participants were advised to stay in the Participant Hall in order to prepare themselves better.
Well, except for three.
Veritas, Alice, and Mercury were inside a VIP room that had the best view of Knights City stadium.
The three of them stood firmly, each beside an exceptional figure. Veritas was beside the King and Queen, Alice was beside her mother, Duchess Dragonia, and Mercury was standing beside his father, Duke Wilden.
In the left corner of the room was the son of Duke Palliz, and on the side with them was Duke Alfar and his daughter.
Veritas was not familiar with him but it seemed that he was at least 5 years older than Veritas and the others.
"Another day of the Tournament has come! Dear Dukes and Duchesses of my kingdom, I welcome you.."
With the King's lively remark, the Dukes and their children bowed to show their respects.
The first one to reply was Duke Dragonia, who was wearing a regal and gothic black dress. She seemed extravagant yet her face was full of liveliness and expression, contrary to that of her daughter.
The black dress encapsulated her body, showing her bulky stature through it. She still seemed feminine but her muscles outshined it!
With her ccurly blonde hair and fierce red eyes, paired along with her pale white skin, she spoke:
"It is a shame that we weren't able to meet yesterday at the first stage! But its alright, it was only a preliminary stage after all. I've heard that your son performed well, placing 1st in the competition!"
Her loud voice echoed in the room and everyone's ears rang. It was as if her words were a dragon's breath itself!
Then, The King stared at Veritas, his white hair similar to that of his son.
Veritas took notice of this and stepped forward.
"I am gratified by your praises, Duchess Ranna.." Veritas bowed and placed his hand on his left chest
Suddenly, she laughed!
"Hahaha! Your boy is quite polite, Julius! I shall make a proposition!"
She then pointed directly at Veritas.
"Marry my daughter! I think both of you are suited well for each other!"
Veritas eyes widened.
Alice, who was still emotionless, shifted her head slowly to her mother and tugged at her dress as if she was saying to stop her proposition immediately..
"I jest, I jest! But if you consider it though, don't hesitate to talk to me..."
She laughed once more, now louder than before.
Sick of her loud voice, a man with light blonde hair stepped forward and reprimanded her.
He wore a blue royal suit which was layered with white edges and buttons. His pants were also the same color of his royal suit, seeming to absorb light as if it were engraved on the suit itself. Both of them were made out of the finest silk so naturally, it looked high-quality.
There were intricate patterns on his suit that made his stature very unique.
'That must be Mercury's father, Duke Jupiter Wilden.' Veritas thought.
The man with his lightning blue eyes, blinked and then he spoke:
"Duke Dragonia.. we are not kids anymore, there is no time for jokes."
Duchess Dragonia then replied in a lively manner, "Still as cold as ever, Zeus. Liven up a little!"
He clicked his tongue and glared at the Duchess.
"And you're still so childish.."
"I thank you for the compliment.."
"It's not a compliment though."
Seeing a quarrel begin to start, the dark-skinned Duke Palliz began to intervene.
He straightened his formal green suit, fixing his white inner shirt and dusting off his green silk trousers. Then, he cleared his throat before speaking up, closing his viridian green eye. His rough and curly hair, styled into dreads, looked great and fresh.
With that, he intervened with the two's banter.
"Have some courtesy, you two.. His royalty, the King, is here."
Both of them faced towards Duke Palliz and then at the King.
Realizing their mistakes, the two apologized.
"I apologize, your majesty.
"My bad.."
That said, Duke Alfar was merely watching from the shadows.
He wore the usual butler-like attire, donning a plain black suit and black tie which was paired along with mundane black slacks along with shiny black shoes.
He looked as tired as ever, as if he was an overworked businessman.
"Now that everyone has finally settled down, I believe that we can watch the second stage in peace.."
In the window behind the King, a large stadium that could house a few kilometers of distance was located. It could house hundreds upon thousands of people as an audience and below.. was a landscape that resembled that of a forest.
And not just any type of forest with normal trees! But rather, it consisted of Hyperion trees, a tree that stretched up the clouds.
As for how they fit all of these inside the Knights Academy, that would have to be kept confidential.
Veritas only knew that it was due to the help of Duke Palliz and his father's Guidance.
The King then spoke up:
"Tense up no longer, everyone. Be comfortable and let us enjoy this event all together!"
With that, all of them dispersed and made their way to their corresponding seats. Some seats were left empty due Veritas, Alice, and Mercury's status.
They were getting prepared for the second stage.
As if they needed preparation though, their Souls were already of the highest tier. No further focus was needed.
Still, they needed to be vigilant.
Veritas walked around and acquainted himself with Alice and Mercury. Then, after speaking briefly with them, they were then approached by the son of Duke Palliz.
"You three seem acquainted already?"
His dark-skin along with his brown outfit which consisted of a brown formal suit and polor shirt, inside was a black tie and his pants were amber brown, suddenly showed up beside Veritas.
"Oh yeah, the three of us are in the same class. Lord...?" Veritas answered and asked.
"William... My name is William Palliz."
"Lord William then, pleasure to be acquainted with you.."
Veritas reached forward to form a handshake with the man.
Upon doing so, they shook hands and smiled with each other.
'Seems like a kindly man, his tone is soft and his body language seemes pure.'
Then, a little girl dressed in brightly colored clothes came forward and interjected with their conversation. She wore weird-shaped glasses that almost looked like a heart. Her pink blazer screamed loudly as if it were telling them to notice her. It was paired along with light blue jeans and a brown belt. Then her shoes were wooden brown and looked quite peculiar.
Veritas realized that she dressed like Bello in the past but much more refined.
"Yo, everyone.. Nice to meet you all"
Her pink and shiny lips formed into an O as she raised her palms to reet the four of them.
Veritas was appalled by her sudden appearance.
'Where the hell did this child appear from?'
"Don't ignore me! By the way, my name's Isabella Alfar! Call me Ella though, it sounds better."
She then stared at Alice and raised her weird-looking glasses.
"Nice fit you got there sis! I like it alot!"
Then, she shifted her head towards Mercury, scanning his navy-blue suit that looked the same as his Fathers.
"Oooh, clean and nice. Neat."
Now, she looked over to William.
"Formal attire is very cool. You caught the aesthetic of our meeting very well huh? Totes fabulous."
And then finally, she stared at Veritas and scouted his attire, judging it from top to bottom.
"You... look befitting of a Prince, well done. I like the combination between white and gold, the rims look nice too and shiny!"
Veritas smiled warmly, feeling an inner peace within his heart.
He thought, 'What a kind little girl..' and laughed peacefully.
But Veritas was struck back to reality.
'When did this become a fashion show?!' He suddenly complained, "I mean, who even is she?! And why is she the exact opposite as her Father!"
If her Father was bland and mundane, the little girl in front of Veritas was too extravagant and appealing!
"How old are you, Lady Ella?" Veritas asked.
The little girl stared at him with her luscious eyes which immediately blinded Veritas with its radiance. Then, she said:
"I'm 23."
"Gah!"
Veritas was shocked, paling as if he were a ghost!
'She's 23?! I've disrespected a senior...' He bowed immediately and apologized profusely.
'Wait, why should I apologize?! I'm the Prince, is she purposefully riling us up?'
Normally, Veritas would've acted calm at such a formal meeting but something reached deep within his feelings that made it seem like his emotions were aggravated.
But a sudden realization washed over him!
His eyes turned from an embarrassed look to that of an empty void. Then, he leaned down to face the little girl and looked straight at her eyes.
"Can you manipulate emotions?"
The girl was startled and panic formed on her face.
It was suspicious of course, Veritas had just experienced the pinnacle of controlled emotions and feelings! Additionally, the Seraphim's Soul had just been stolen, it was quite a coincidence for a Pathbearer attuned to emotions to suddenly appear now.
Cold sweat formed on the girl's forehead, clearly disturbed by Veritas' sudden change in attitude.
"U-uh, I-"
"Answer."
"I have an affinity for it!"
Veritas aimed to ask another question but he was stopped by none other than Duke Alfar himself.
He raised his hands to split the two of them apart and then said, "It's not her, your majesty.. I assure you."
Seeing that her father stepped in to stop his advance, Veritas gradually calmed down.
He held a deep respect for the Duke because he took care of Veritas when he hunted the Gargoyle Knight of the South.
"Phew.." He breathed out and added, "If it's you that says it Lord Alfar, then I guess that I have to halt. I apologize for that, Lady Ella."
"I-it's fine.."
Veritas regained his composure and calmed down his nerves.
'I almost lost my cool. Not good.'
He stared at the other people in the room and saw their gazes. Alice stared emotionlessly, Mercury stared calmly, and William was judging the situation on his head.
Veritas sighed.
So, he walked away and headed towards his Father and Mother.
Upon arriving, he gently whispered to his Father, Julius' ears.
"I thought brother was supposed to be here? Where is he? The second stage is about to start.."
Julius stared at Veritas with confirmation in his eyes, "He just arrived.."
Suddenly, the door to the VIP room opened and behind it was a figure dressed in casual clothing and a smoothie on his mouth.
He wore a casual oversized gray shirt, and a black jogger pants. He walked with his stylish sneakers, and entered the room confidently. A golden-rimmed glasses were on his eyes and his long black hair lengthened down to his neck.
It was messy, but it also gave emphasis on his fair face.
He took a sip of his chocolate smoothie and raised his other hand.
"Hey everyone, the smartest person in the world just arrived!"
The Dukes and their children collectively stared at him, shocked but also quite used to his attitude.