"So, what do we do now?" Vladimir asked innocently the young man that was currently walking ahead of the three boys. Reys turned behind to look at the silver-haired monster that caused the disaster in the test area half an hour ago. Because of him and his brother, the teachers fought against the examinees like they were their mortal enemies that killed their mothers. When the test was finally over, the place looked like a battlefield, making the light magicians that came to heal the injuries of the applicants think that demons intruded the academy. It was the first time in the history of the empire that among the people that had recommendations, only three managed to pass. Shaking his head to forget what happened some minutes ago, he opened his mouth.

"We will first go and take your uniforms. You have to wear them compulsorily until you graduate, whenever you are in public. "

"Why?" John asked with doubt.

"It's the proof of identity that you are now soldiers of the Empire, even if you are students. The principal will explain to all the freshmen in detail when the examination will be over, so be patient."

None of the boys said anything more, as they were ready to follow the instructions of their guide when a young voice suddenly interrupted them.

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"John... Vladimir... Were you perhaps with the Order of the Red Rose when the incident happened?" Gregory suddenly asked out of nowhere. The group became silent until the brown-haired boy decided to move his lips.

"Jason was your brother, right? I am sorry for your loss. He helped us a lot when we traveled together. He was a brave and capable man that fought like a hero. We wanted to attend the funeral, but we were questioned about the incident by the investigators sent by the capital."

"I see..." Gregory answered as he nodded. He thought for a little before he opened his mouth again.

"Did you happen to see his last moments?"

"We didn't, but I can assure you that he fought undoubtedly until the very end..." the one who replied was Vladimir with a quiet voice. His head was lowered, preventing anyone from seeing his expression.

Reys was a little surprised upon hearing the content of their conversation, but he decided not to ask for details. He decisively interjected without a second thought.

"Alright, you can always discuss later. Let's finish our business first."

*******

At the same time, in a spacious room in the central tower, several teachers had been gathered, sitting around a wooden table. If the two boys were there, they would immediately recognize them as the examiners of the first test. The only difference was that there was an extra person who wasn't present in what happened during the assessment of the applicants. He was one of the greatest magicians of the Empire, as well as the principal of the academy, Tudor de Logan.

"So, what happened? It's unusual to hold a conference before the examination is over..." the white-haired man asked with doubt.

"It is alright since we are not in charge of the second batch. More importantly, things went awry during the test..." Lloyd said with an embarrassed smile. He couldn't help than recall of what transpired previously, feeling ashamed of his incapability to control the situation. He then proceeded to describe the occurrences of the test, as well as its conclusion, making Tudor dumbfounded.

"You are telling me that only three people passed among those who received a recommendation?"

The principal shouted instinctively with the surprise written in all his face.

'If even the nobles who had received education for years and could already use magic failed, then how could the commoners have a possibility to be accepted in the academy? These idiots went all out against youths who don't have even half of their age...'

"This won't do. The Houses will accuse us of trying to make things difficult for them on purpose. After the examination is over, I want you to retest them seriously this time..." he said sternly.

"Yes, sir!" The teachers replied all simultaneously. It was unprecedented to give a second chance to the people who failed, but since they were the reason for this change, nobody dared to refute.

"So? What are your opinions about the boys who passed?" Tudor asked with a smile as he adjusted his glasses. He already had an idea about the capability of the two boys thanks to Adriana, but he never expected that they could defeat their examiners and with ease additionally.

"That boy with the name of the legendary pirate was amazing. He could use magic and martial arts at the same time, as well as two elements. I had never thought that a prodigy equal with the third prince would appear in the same era. The heroes truly come from the young..." one of the teachers said with a sigh. The others also couldn't help than agree, showering them with praises.

"My favorite is Gregory. With his quick wits and determination, he will catch up to them sooner or later..." the teacher who fought against the young archer said with confidence. He had many expectations for the little brother of his deceased friend, as he witnessed his potential personally.

"What about the boy with the dark magic?" Tudor asked with puzzlement. He was surprised when he saw that nobody mentioned that peculiar youth who managed to injure an examiner.

"This..." Lloyd tried to answer, but he couldn't find the right words.

"Allow me..." Daniela suddenly said coldly. She looked around carefully, and only when she had the attention of everyone in the room did she continue.

"His original magic is extraordinary, but it depends on the element of surprise. In the beginning, I thought that he could teleport, but I realized later that his magic should be something that interferes with the visual field of his opponents. If he could teleport, he would attack me when I lost control of my magic, but instead of that, he was about to block my attack. My conjecture may be wrong, but if I am right, it's too easy to counter his magic. Honestly, I can't imagine him neither as a mage knight nor as a magician..." she concluded as she tried to make her opinion as unbiased as she could. She didn't believe that the brown-haired youth didn't have potential, but his fighting style was suited for one versus one battles, something that contradicted the role of the magician in the army. His mysterious techniques might be surprising, but they also lacked the might of the mage knights...

"I see..." Tudor muttered with a thoughtful expression.

"What do you think, Amos?" He asked a fat middle-aged man who was silent until now. He had a piggy face and small stature, making him look like a caricature. Nobody expected that the principal would ask the opinion of that disgrace of the Academy. Daniela frowned upon hearing what her superior said, making her to hurriedly interrupt.

"Principal, don't tell me that you plan to move that boy to the Rat-class! If he starts to use the orthodox way, he has the talent to become a capable magician!"

It was natural for no one to look favorably upon that kind of decision. After all, John was an individual that could already use magic and could defeat a teacher despite his means. Calling him an elite wouldn't be wrong.

"Amos?" Tudor insisted, pretending not to hear anything.

A wide smile formed on the fat man's smile, as he voiced his opinion.

"Give him to me. That boy can bloom only in my hands. He is a diamond in rough that can offer a lot of contributions for the Empire."

"You? Don't make me laugh!" Daniela remarked mockingly.

"Enough!" the white-haired man shouted. He turned his head toward one of the teachers, as he slowly opened his mouth.

"Lloyd, I'll leave the decision to you as the head of the tower of war. What do you think?"

"I'll trust Amos in this case..." the man replied decisively, surprising everyone in the room. Voices of doubt started to rise from the others, but the decision had already been made. No one could change it with no valid reason.

"Alright! You can all leave. We will hold another conference at the end of the examination." Tudor declared and stood up to go to his office.

"Yes, principal!" the remaining teachers answered politely and proceeded to return to the test area.

*******

Time passed and the sun had already started to set. A crowd of youth had been gathered in front of the tower of war, waiting anxiously for what would happen next.

"Vladimir!" a melodious voice suddenly sounded among the noise that had been created by the people who had been talking to each other.

The silver-haired boy whose appearance had already attracted the attention of the female students around him turned behind to see who called him only to freeze from the spectacle in front of his eyes. A girl with orange hair arranged in pigtails was staring him with her two expressive blue eyes. The youth felt the time to stop, as he was mesmerized by the girl, making him unable to voice any words. He walked slowly toward her and suddenly hugged her. His unexpected actions made Helena confused, as well as embarrassed. She wanted to escape, but she felt that the boy that she met one month ago was a little different from what remembered. He was a shy, innocent youth, similar to her, never that brave, taking the initiative to touch her.

"Vladimir?" she asked with a quiet voice, but he didn't seem to hear her. His mind was already at the small port-town where he met her. The boy was not the same anymore after the Forest of the Lost Memories. The massacre that was orchestrated by his brother made him to become fearful, although he tried not to show it. He had made a few friends in the Order of the Red Rose, only to see them die with ease, without being able to do anything to prevent it. He was feeling powerless to protect the people who were dear to him, so when he saw again the girl that he fell in love at first sight, he held her instinctively in his arms, refusing to let her go, afraid that she would suddenly disappear.

Sigh...

John approached them with a regretful expression as he whispered to the speechless girl.

"Let him be for a little. He faced a lot of hardships this month. Seeing a familiar face made him to become emotional. He will return to his senses soon."

Indeed, it only took a few seconds for Vladimir to realize what he was doing. With a flushed face, he let her go, though not willingly. Wanting to clear his embarrassment, he started talking with stutter.

"H-Helena, we meet again! How are you? Was the journey difficult? Did you face any difficulties in the test?"

The orange-haired girl smiled cutely, as she opened her mouth.

"I am alright, mister silver knight!"

"Silver knight?" Vladimir asked with puzzlement.

"That's what the other girls call you!" she answered as her smile became brighter, but both John and Vladimir felt that the temperature dropped abruptly.

"I am sorry, but I have to go. I think that Gregory called me. Let's talk again later..." the brown-haired boy said as he proceeded to leave, but a loud voice made him halt his steps...