"What do you think, Thomas? Loid?"
His two friends reacted differently.
"About what?" The dark-green-haired youth, Loid Stormdila asked, leaning back with a bored expression.
"You know exactly what he's asking, Loid," the third member of the trio said with a sigh. Thomas Greenvern gave Loid an exasperated look.
"About the other classes?" Loid shrugged, picking at a loose thread on his uniform. "There's nothing to worry about, is there? We've got the strongest lineup right here."
Loid clearly didn't give a damn about the inter-class competition. In his mind, the Dragon Class was already the winner by default because he was in it.
"Sigh… Alfred," Thomas said, ignoring Loid's arrogance. "I think we should keep an eye on your sister first."
"Hm."
Alfred nodded.
He knew Aurora better than anyone. She was, without a doubt, the strongest girl in their entire year. Maybe even stronger than him in raw mana output.
"Next would be Layla, your soon-to-be fiancée," Thomas added, a hint of teasing in his voice.
"Layla, huh."
Alfred's expression didn't change, but a faint twitch in his brow betrayed him.
Nothing official had been announced yet, but everyone in high society knew that an agreement between Duke Tarmias and the King was all but signed.
"Then there are Elona Falkrona and Lyra Kertalir," Thomas continued, listing off the threats. "Both dangerous. Both talented. We can't underestimate them."
Alfred nodded again.
"Finally," Thomas said, lowering his voice slightly, "the girl rumored to have inherited Raphiel's bloodline."
"The commoner?" Loid piped up, finally showing interest.
"Yeah. Milleia Sophren," Thomas confirmed. "She was discovered by a teacher in some godforsaken town in the sticks. Fortunately, we found her before any enemy factions or rival academies did."
"She isn't aware of her bloodline yet," Alfred stated.
"Correct. Only a few people know, including us. If that secret gets out, her life is in danger."
"She's a commoner," Loid scoffed. "She can't be that strong. Bloodline or not, she lacks training."
"Loid," Thomas called, glaring at him. "I just said she inherited the bloodline of a supreme Archangel guarding Eden. Do you understand what that means?"
"Calm down, both of you," Alfred intervened, raising a hand. "Thomas, what about the men?"
"Right," Thomas said, composing himself. "The most dangerous man for us has to be John."
"Layla's brother?" Loid made a face. "That guy creeps me out. Last time I barely brushed Layla's arm, he gave me a glare that felt like he was planning where to bury my body."
"He's always like that. It's nothing new," Alfred said.
Though internally, Alfred agreed. He'd been threatened by John more times than he could count concerning Layla. John was the one person in the academy Alfred genuinely feared, not just because of his political power, but because of his unpredictable, overwhelming strength.
"Then there's Eric Scarlett, David Seaven, Simon Falkrona… you already know them," Thomas continued. "And the two commoners."
"Commoners again?" Loid muttered.
"Jayden Rayena and Tyler Sawyer. Both have strong blessings or Legacies, if you prefer."
"Tch."
Loid looked disgusted. Hearing commoner names listed alongside nobles clearly rubbed him the wrong way.
"I see. Is that all?" Alfred asked.
"Of course that's all. I can beat all of them if I want to, anyway," Loid said, smacking his fist into his palm with a grin.
"You're too arrogant," Alfred said, shaking his head. "One day, that pride is going to bite you in the back."
"Guys," Thomas interrupted, looking between them. "Are we seriously going to ignore Edward's case?"
Alfred and Loid blinked.
"What's with that punk?" Loid asked, sneering. "He just lost some weight. Big deal."
"Don't talk to me about that weakling," Alfred said coldly, dismissing the topic entirely.
"He's still a Falkrona," Thomas argued. "And something is different about him. The way he walked in today... it wasn't the Edward we know."
Just as Thomas was about to press the issue, a commotion erupted near the classroom door.
The crowd of students surrounding them suddenly turned, whispering excitedly.
"Look! It's her!"
"Damn, she's so hot!"
"Shut up, idiot! She's the Prince's fiancée! Do you want to die?!"
"Not yet, man. I still have time to sedu—"
"It's good to have dreams, but give up or kill yourself now."
The crowd parted like the Red Sea.
And walking through the gap was a girl who looked like she'd stepped out of a high-fashion magazine.
Layla Adriana Tarmias.
She had black, slightly wavy hair tied back in a neat, high ponytail. Her dark red eyes glowed with a mischievous light, and they were fixed solely on the golden-haired prince.
A playful smile danced on her red lips.
Every guy in the room gulped. She was only sixteen, but she exuded a level of confidence and sex appeal that was almost intimidating.
"Your Highness, Alfred."
She stopped in front of him, pinched the hem of her skirt, and curtsied perfectly. Her etiquette was flawless, textbook Duke's daughter behavior.
Everything else about her, however, was rebellion.
She was the only high-ranking noble lady in the entire academy wearing the 'commoner' style uniform, the tight white blouse and the short blue skirt that showed off her long, flawless legs. The blazer was draped casually over her shoulders.
It was flashy.
It was bold.
And on her, it was devastating.
"Layla," Alfred sighed, massaging his temples. "What are you doing here? You're in the Pegasus Class."
He should have seen this coming.
"What am I doing?"
Layla tapped a finger against her lips, pretending to think.
"I am here to greet my future husband, of course," she purred, flashing a mischievous grin.
She was clearly flirting and aggressively.
Even Loid and Thomas felt their hearts skip a beat.
Alfred, however, was used to this.
"Layla, you should leave before you're late," he said.
Layla's smile didn't waver. If anything, his resistance just motivated her more.
"Layla?"
A new voice cut in.
Layla turned around. Her expression immediately shifted from playful to awkward.
Standing there was a brown-haired youth with hazel eyes and a wide, hopeful smile.
"Oh? Isn't that Ronald?" She raised a brow.
"What are you doing here, Layla?" Ronald asked, puffing out his chest. "Could it be… you came for me?"
He grinned, genuinely believing it.
"Ahahaha, I can't believe this guy!"
Loid burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
Ronald's smile vanished. He glared at Loid.
"Loid, do you want to die?"
"Sorry, man," Loid gasped, wiping a tear from his eye. "I mean—you really thought Layla came for you? Ahahaha! There's no way! Talk about height of delusion!"
Ronald gritted his teeth, mana flaring around him.
"Wait, calm down, both of you," Thomas intervened quickly, stepping between them. "We're in the same class. We shouldn't be fighting."
The Dragon Class was a powder keg. Alfred, Loid, Thomas, and Ronald, all together.
But there was a clear separation.
Ronald hated Loid. He resented Alfred because Layla chased him. And he disliked Thomas by association. To make matters worse, Ronald, who desperately wanted to be in Layla's class had ended up stuck here with his rivals.
"We might be in the same class, Thomas, but you don't have the right to order me around," Ronald spat. "The same goes for you, Alfred. Your status as Prince means nothing to me."
Bold words.
But Ronald could back them up. His father was the Chancellor, the King's right-hand man. His sister, Louisa Trueheart, was the Student Council President. He had influence to burn.
"Ronald," Alfred spoke calmly. "I don't care about your feelings. But you are in my class now. I will not accept anyone hindering our success. I am aware of my status, but have I ever used it against you?"
The atmosphere in the room tensed.
The guys watched, hungry for a fight. The girls blushed, thrilling at the drama of two handsome, powerful men clashing over a girl.
Layla smiled to herself. If Ronald's jealousy could spark a reaction from Alfred, maybe he was useful after all…
"Ronald, I was just greeting the Prince," Layla said, placing her hands on her hips and pouting cutely. "Come on, don't be like that."
"I-I know," Ronald stuttered, instantly deflating under her gaze. "Just be careful with those guys."
"Don't you think that's enough, Layla?"
Another voice echoed from the crowd.
A flaxen-haired girl stepped forward. She was beautiful, and radiated the same aristocratic arrogance as Layla.
Carla. Another Duke's daughter. Another heavyweight in the Dragon Class.
"Oh~ Carla? It's been a while," Layla said, turning with a sugary smile.
"Not really, Layla," Clara replied, smiling back with equal fake sweetness. "We met a week ago. Did you already forget?"
"Oh my, I can't believe I forgot," Layla gasped, covering her mouth in mock horror.
"You must be suffering from a terrible sickness, dear Layla," Clara said, tilting her head concernedly. "Do you want me to call the best healer in the Kingdom for you?"
Sparks almost flew between them.
"Man, look at Ronald," Loid whispered loudly to Thomas. "Isn't he pathetic when it comes to Layla?"
Ronald snapped.
"Loid, you bitch," he growled. "Do you think I won't hurt you just because your father is a Monarch?"
Mana began to leak from Ronald's body, visibly distorting the air.
Alfred started to step in to stop them.
But...
"Excuse me…"
A hand landed on Ronald's shoulder.
It wasn't aggressive. Just… firm.
Ronald turned, eyes blazing with anger at the interruption.
Standing there was a handsome black-haired youth with blue eyes, looking completely unbothered by the heavy atmosphere. Beside him stood a blue-haired girl whose beauty rivaled even Layla and Clara's.
"..."
Ronald's expression darkened.
Who the hell dares to touch him right now?