In the middle of everyone's shock, John left the arena. Aldric which froze in place couldn't believe what he just heard.
Aldric: wait what's the meaning of this?
Those words stopped John, so he answered without turning back to aldric.
John: that means you win and I lose, nothing more, nothing less.
John left the fighting hall, while students surrounded Aldric to congratulate him on his victory, aldric keeps staring at the black hair and red eyed guy, while leaving the fighting hall, John picks up elesa and put her on his shoulder, elesa started to grumble about John's last move while they're in the hallway.
Elesa: just when things started to get excited you pulled that insulting move.
John: you're the one who said that you'd rather sleep than watch the fights, so why are you complaining about it?
Elesa: because I'm your summon, don't you Care about what other people will think about me after hearing that my master surrendered in a friendly battle?
John: yeah I don't really care about how others will see you, and besides If that fight had gone on much longer, it would have drawn unnecessary attention, and besides, it was a waste of time that we need to go to check something.
In the fighting hall, aldric Sat in a quiet place on the stands, thinking about what happened between him and John.
Aldric:(if he has the power to win in the fight, why did he choose to surrender? No, the right question is if he has the power, why did he choose to hide it? John, you really are a mysterious person).
in that moment Lona, Arnold, and cohly sat beside aldric.
Lona: wow, it's your first day as number 10 of the high ranking students and you already seem in trouble.
Aldric: oh, it's you guys, what are you doing here? Don't you guys have paperwork that needs to be done?
Arnold: yes but we already finished it, so we decided to come and see how the friendly fight between the new students, did something happen before we came?
Aldric: nothing that serious, I just entered the arena with a guy, his name is John shon, when we were there he threw his wooden sword and surrendered, but I have a feeling that if he wanted, he could've won, but I really don't understand why he chose to hide it.
Cohly: you mean the guy with black hair and red eyes? He's actually in the same class as you, but you weren't there.
Aldric: wait really?
Lona: yes, you were busy with some of the high ranking students, New members stuff, so I guess you couldn't get in your class.
Cohly: I really wanted to play with the cat that's on his shoulder, but everytime I look at him, I get scared by his Sharp red eyes, so I look away from him.
Lona: if he's really hiding his power, there must be a reason for that.
Aldric: I think so.
in the fighting arena, a girl with long Silver hair, and dead golden eyes entered the fighting ring.
Arnold: guys look I think we're not too late to see a genius.
Aldric: what do you mean? And who's that girl?
Lona: wait you really don't know her? I'm sure you've heard about The Fallen Marvel of the coldear family, anexa coldear.
Aldric: coldear?! You mean the strongest family in the South?
Lona: that's right, anexa is the youngest kid of Hugo coldear, the head of the coldear family, a few months after her birth, anexa was able to use mana, when she was six years old she Mastered All types of magic, but this power comes in the price of that she's able to use every type of magic except her family's specialty: the time magic, when anexa turned nine, Her family abandoned her and treated her like a parasite of outside the family, from that time on, nobody knows what was happening with her, Baumas say that she still live with the coldear family, But she does not receive the same treatment as her siblings.
Aldric: so that's why they call her the fallen marvel.
In the fighting ring, When the starting bell rang anexa opened nine different magic circles and achieved an easy victory, in the Terraces, aldric remains silence from the shock, while the others seemed to expect that.
Aldric:(nine magic circles? And all of them are different types, is she really that strong why would her family abandon her?).
Arnold: normally, a mage can only make three magic circles, five if they're a genius, but for her, making nine magic circles is nothing.
Cohly: for her, this fight is not different from a child's play.
Lona: before we chose you to be number 10 of the high ranking students, That position was planned for her, but she refused saying that she doesn't care about the student rank.
Aldric:(John shon, anexa coldear, they are just first year students like me, but I feel like there's a lot of things about them From what the eyes see).
Outside, in front of the Old and dilapidated student dormitory, a look on his face that says he knew this was the Grant students dormitory.
Elesa: damn is this place really a student dormitory? How can anything live there?
John: I had feeling that the Grant student housing would look like this, at least we now know Why the Grant expenses are too cheap.
After that magalie came from afar with A sly smile on her face.
Magalie: I thought you weren't interested in the Grant, but I see you here in front of their dorms, I don't think it's a coincidence.
John, remaining calm, knew that magalie just wanted to tease him.
John: well as a new student I was just walking to know the academy buildings and I ended up here in the same time you're in, you're free to think about it as a coincidence, I really don't care.
John Walked away from magalie, she doesn't understand what's wrong with this guy.
Magalie:(what is wrong with him? Even in class, he doesn't talk to anyone, but I love when prey fights back fiercely).
In the night at his room, John started gathering his thoughts.
John:(there isn't much info to use right now, Investigating in public is very dangerous, especially because of magalie, from now on I need to watch my back and move carefully, and I think I know how I can do that).
John looked at elesa who was laying on the bed comfortably.
John: elesa I need you to get some information about the Grant.
Elesa: huh, why me?
John: I need someone who can move in the academy shadows without letting anyone notice, and also you'll be going for some time and if I do it, it'll be suspicious.
Elesa: wait, when you say "some time" how long that will be?
John: probably a week.
Elesa: WHAT?! you can't be serious, I won't spend a whole week from my life just to watch some humans.
John: who said anything about watching? I need you to be everywhere, you can start from principal Throne's office.
Elesa: AAARRRGGHH, fine I'll do it but when I get back you better not wake me up.
Elesa turned to a shadow and left the room from under the door, while John started to prepare for the next day.
John:(now until elesa returns, I need know about my new enemy, magalie lithblom).
In the next day in the classroom, John was sitting on his desk watching magalie with the corner of his eyes.
John:(hmmm, she doesn't show anything strange, she's popular between girls and guys, she seems to be smart, but how did she get suspicious about the Grant? And more importantly, how did she get the idea of me being interested in knowing about the Grant?).
In that moment aldric came to John's desk with a serious look on his face, the students attention quickly turned on the number 10 of the high ranking students and the strange student.
Aldric: I want to know why?
John: why what exactly?
Aldric: don't play dumb, you know what I mean, why did you surrendered in our fight?
John: I think I already told you, you won and I lost, nothing more, nothing less, so get any other ideas out of your head.
Aldric:(he's hiding it but Why? Is it something that's important for him?)
John: I think you're crossing the line with your questions.
Aldric took a moment to realize what he was doing, With a hint of regret on his face, aldric decided to apologize.
Aldric:( what in the world am I doing? He didn't do anything wrong and here I am rushing to him like that and asking him for answers) John, I'm sor...
John: it's okay I understand (if it was any other student I probably won't let them go that easily, but aldric is different from those people).
Aldric shocked, by John's words.
Aldric: thank you I really don't deserve your forgiveness, I hope we can start again as friends.
He said that while extends his hand, John respondes with agreement and handshakes Aldric.
John: it will be my pleasure to be a friends with you.
Aldric: same thing here.
Magalie didn't seem happy about these two being friends.
After the class in the hallway, John was thinking about something.
John:(I must stay alert about what's happening around me, I don't want eyes to be on me).
Suddenly magalie stands in John's Way.
Magalie: it's seems like you have a good relation with the number 10 of the high ranking students, so John what was aldric talking about?
John stares at her with a Cold face, her words dosen't have any effect on him.
John: it's none of your business, bedsides Why do you want to know?
Magalie: no reason I just want to satisfy my curiosity.
John:(I need to stop her from chasing me if I want to move freely in the academy).
John stepped closer to magalie, his Red eyes glowing with a dark Aura and his Cold voice sending shivers down her spine.
John: l will only say that one time, don't ever come in my way or I'll deal with you, understand?
Magalie looked down at the ground out of fear, while answering with a scared voice.
Magalie: ye.. yes.. I understand.
John: good, If I saw you again there will be consciousnesses.
John continued his way, leaving magalie To catch her breath as the weather became lighter when he left, magalie started thinking about the trouble she got herself in.
Magalie:(what the hell was that? Is this really a first year student aura? I need to stay away from him if I want to live).
In principal Thorne's office, elesa was sitting on a bookcase, she saw principal Thorne's secret safe.
Elesa:(so that's where you're hiding All your stuff, I need to take what's inside)
[After a week]
In the night while John was working on his desk, suddenly he hears knocking on the window, when he opens it he found elesa in her cat form and she has some papers floating beside her, she put it on his desk and head to the bed.
John: these papers have some kind of contract with the academy, it'll take some time to check it all.
In that moment John's eyes spot something unusual, a novel between the papers, With a look of question and surprised on his face.
John: what is this? "The cold duke who fell in love with his poor maid" you're not planning to read this right?
Elesa: hey, This is pure art I don't expect someone like you to understand it, the poor girl agreed to work in the castle for the coldest person in the Kingdom, and then we have the duke who's looking for a wife but All the noble women are the same for him, one day the duke see the poor maid and Falls in love with her because she's different.
John: this sounds tacky, anyways, I need to check on every paper here.
John spend all night reading the papers, he discovered many things, but most importantly is that he now knows what the Grant all about, when the sunrose he now has All the information he needs.
John:(after reading All those papers, I can say that I know what's happening with the Grant, the first thing is Victoria academy was originally built for the noble family's children, making this grant is like changing the foundations on which this academy was built, the second thing is the cheap of the Grant is because the students dormitory grant is almost unsuitable for human use, but even after knowing that the students still want to continue their study because it's a life chance to get into Victoria academy, right? Wrong, and here comes the third thing it's that principal Thorne has been signing some weird contract with some noble families to sell the Grant students for them as servants or guards, the whole thing about this grant is selling Slaves for noble families, principal Thorne, I already knew that you were a bastard, but now, selling people's life's, "heh" I already have a plan to take you down, just wait and you'll see).
Elesa woke up and found out that John is still awake.
Elesa:"Yawning" ohh, you're still awake?
John: stay alert, anytime for the next few days we'll start moving.
He said that with glowing red eyes, And a confident smile on his face.
[Few days later]
John was in his class and elesa was sitting on his shoulder as usual, in a sudden moment The ground began to shake, everyone thought that it's just an earthquake but when everyone felt the dark mana all students and teachers started to panic, aldric calmed them down and told them to go to a safe place.
Aldric: everyone, don't be scared, the high ranking students will take care of everything just go and stay in a safe place.
Aldric left in a hurry and it seems like he's heading to the library, In the meantime students start running to the student dormitory, but John already expected this to happen, so while the hallways are empty he asked elesa to go to her position.
John: great, now you know what your part is, right?
Elesa: I already know, I must keep the student dormitory grant safe.
Elesa left John's shoulder and started heading to the student dormitory grant, John started to run in the hallway but he doesn't want to go to the library, first he need to see someone.
John:(I hope he doesn't get out before I reach him).
[In the meantime]
Principal Thorne was in his office getting all he can from the papers in his bag, feeling scared from the demonic power that's coming out of the library, he decided to save his own life.
Principal Thorne:(what in the world is happening here? I didn't agree to be the principal to stand against a demon lord, I'm just here for the money and the Reputation and fame, if I can get these contracts out of here with me I can start again).
Principal Thorne opened his door office and started running in the hallway but not for long, because principal Thorne found a black hair guy with Sharp red eyes looking at him,He grabbed him by the neck and pushed him against the wall forcefully.
With an evil smile and eyes glowing with a dark Aura, his voice send a shivers down to principal Thorne's spine.
John: principal Thorne, you're the man I was looking for.
Principal Thorne: what... what the hell?!! What's the meaning of this?
John: oh this? It's a little something to assure you'll listen to me.
Principal Thorne: what do you want? If it's money I can give you a lot of it.
John: hahahaha, no no no no, I don't want your money, I want to make a deal with you.
Principal Thorne: a..a deal?! What kind of deal?
John: a deal with the devil.