Two months later, the golden gates of an immense and beautiful place opened for the first time. The Academy seemed more like a city than a school.

Other than the school building which stood in the middle of the Academy as a giant structure marked by its brick red color, there were giant gardens similar to the plains of the East, spaces for sports of any kind, isolated buildings to use as dormitories, structures for after school activities and so on.

The only price to pay was that nobody could go out, except during the holidays. It wasn’t an uncommon characteristic; this was how most noble schools worked. The gates only opened three times a year, including the first day of school.

To compensate, though, the dormitories here made even the richest of all feel at home.

After the building was finished, the time for invites arrived. The school year was about to start and the best professors from both Empires were chosen.

Afterwards, letters were sent to the youth of the most important members of the diplomacy, military and nobility worlds.

It seemed to many who had celebrated prior that the space for the commoners lacked. So, the nobles with the least power campaigned so that there would be tests that allowed the best commoners to join the school as well.

Meanwhile, while the gates finally crowded and the Academy started to seem natural with more than five thousand people in its womb, a person in particular was about to enter.

It was Prince Kaios from Qeo. His blonde hair were slightly moved by the strong wind, as if even the latter was scared of doing him wrong.

His expression was a contained but stern one, but who knew him realized that his mind was just lost in the clouds. Or, most probably, in observation.

This Prince was a very logical and smart man, so that he excelled in maths more than anyone who had ever been in his previous school.

Behind him but not far, as if they weren’t walking together, there was somebody else.

That figure was hidden by the power and beauty of the Prince, who had no reason to hide in plain sight.

But nor did that person, really, because he had his own identity now. 

Marquis Alas Henklemann.

That surname still stunned him. He didn’t like it at all, because it was long and the consonants sounded weird together in his mind. And he also had to write it…

“Do you like it?” Asked Kaios to no one nearby, as the crowd cheered his arrival as if they had never seen him before. 

Months had passed since the people of Qeo, even the most noble, had started waiting for this precise moment.

Aware of the small crowd on his side, the Prince accepted hugs and familiar greetings with friends and unknown nobles alike.

After all, nothing bad could happen. There was someone watching, who had answered a small “yes”. 

“His Majesty,” said with a deep tone of voice someone that Kaios could not recognize at first sight.

Then, he saw a man with long blonde hair, an aloof and gentle look, with swamp green eyes and a faintly noble aura.

“Duke Iltmark?” Asked Kaios with a feeble voice, as if he had waited long to meet him. The Duke naturally bowed, showing with a smile his familiarity with the Prince.

“Time has surely passed.” Said the boy with blonde hair, before continuing: “You can be informal when talking to me. The fact we’re in public changes nothing.”

Alas, meanwhile, was ignored by everyone. That, though, was something positive. Despite his title being somewhat high, even if still lower than that of a Duke, nobody could have recognized him through his face.

Exactly because nobody knew him, he didn’t even have to hide his face. So, he had his face uncovered, with no kind of makeup or mask.

The wind was lenient with him as well, touching gently his face as he looked at those seventeen or eighteen year old kids acting like they were adults.

He was younger, but that still made him laugh and smile.

It was a fun sight.

“I can’t believe that I’ll be here for five years…” Alas thought to himself. “That’s a long time.”

But he couldn’t keep staying isolated as soon enough there arrived the first danger to the safety of the Prince.

Ten or twenty people, dressed in a way that was less prestigious or elegant than Kaios or Iltmark or any high-standing noble, arrived with an imposing step. They came from the gardens of the Academy.

Before being able to see the building itself, the Prince was forced to compete with the populists, the group of small nobles who campaigned for meritocracy inside the Academy, with entrance tests for commoners.

The group, which was made up of more than three hundred nobles, could be distinguished thanks to the brooch that had the form of a small man. 

Those people weren’t the entire group, just its most important members. 

There was one in the middle, who was made recognizable by the grin of superiority and his rare red hair as he passed through the shadowy trees under a sky empty of clouds.

“Alas…” called out the Prince. Immediately, as the crowd of people who were talking to Kaios stood still, the agent had reached his figure, still unnoticed by most.

“Don’t worry, nothing will happen.” Said calmly the boy next to Kaios with such a low voice that nobody could hear.

“Are you sure?” Asked the blonde haired man with no apparent expression on his face. “They don’t seem too happy.”

“They are extremely recognizable. If they wanted to kill you, they’d do better than this. Talk freely to them.”

Kaios nodded, then he took a step forward. As if a God had stepped forward, that choice full of resolve moved the souls of the nobles behind the Prince, who loudly clapped. Only Duke Iltmark was more interested in watching Alas.

“Have you come here to talk to me?” Asked Kaios.

They bowed. Then, that boy with red hair that everyone knew spoke first.

“Yes. We were waiting for your opinion, His Majesty, towards our proposals.” Said with a calm tone that was betrayed by his previous behavior.

It didn’t take long for the Prince to understand the logic of the actions that this man did; he wanted to either persuade a member of the Royal family to look at his proposals, or, had he refused, diminish the appreciation the nobles had towards him by doing so in a public way.

“I think it’s too early to tell, Marquis Alabard. I’ll let my father, the King, choose. He knows what’s wisest.” Said simply Kaios without thinking twice. An answer he had already planned.

“But the school year’s about to begin—“

“What’s all this chaos?” Asked a suave voice that came from the gates of the Academy.

Immediately she bowed showing profound respect, then she smiled.

Her face was as white as a corpse with cerulean eyes in the middle, which stood out in her countenance. Her body was tall and thin but, despite her skin looking pale, she seemed as strong physically as any male.

This mysterious figure was Princess Sofia. 

Everybody, even those who had not seen her, understood such a thing.

At that point Alas saw, as he was still not receiving any attention, his Prince blush on the spot. That made him smile.

“Is this the love they talk about in the books?” Agent 1 asked himself, making up his mind and choosing to avoid an answer before he could truly understand it. He was curious.

It seemed like Sofia and Kaios were courteous, though. That was definitely reassuring, since it meant that there was no need to handle the secret police of another nation.

“I hope that the Prince keeps his calm and doesn’t ever make her angry. I don’t know why but she seems like the person that would kill over that.” Concluded Alas.

He was looking intently at the face of the girl that was still gazing with an ill-concealed smile at the Prince who was fully embarrassed.

Then, her gaze changed focus. She saw Alas.

It was the first time that day, but he understood he had to bow down or at least watch someone else, yet before he could do any of those things her eyes were already elsewhere.

“She’s also looking for us. There’s excellence in such a move.” 

Simply thought Alas. It was obvious that she was looking for people that might look threatening, to understand how protected the Prince was.

Luckily, it’d be hard to accuse someone of being a secret agent with this kind of proof, especially one like Agent 1, who didn’t seem like the sort of person to be one. A few people had ever doubted his identity during all of his career, admittedly a small one.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Prince.” Sofia spoke first.

“I-I am as well. I didn’t think I c-could have met you so early.” Kaios tried to answer, but he revealed his nervousness, he was far too nervous.

“It’s normal behaviour, but it can be interpreted as fear.” Alas thought.

“You all.” She spoke to both the commoners, who had halted their conversation in respect to a royal they really feared, and the crowd of people near the Prince. “I think you can leave.”

Even Marquis Alabard, known for his wit and for how much he talked, did not reply. He chose to take his leave.

“But, Marquis Alabard, you can bring up those plans to me if needed.” She concluded, earning a bow from the redhead.

In reality, everyone had understood what she meant with those words said with such a tone. Something like: “speak about your useless proposals and be punished.”

And, in fact, Alabard would not be blamed if he chose not to reach out to her again.

Then, Sofia changed her entire attitude, from slightly angry back to perfect, innocent and normal schoolgirl. Even Alas had to recognize her ability to control her emotions.

“Would you mind if we have breakfast together before the lesson begins? There’s something that I must tell you about.” The Princess asked, showing her most innocent look to the Prince who had already been hit hard by her extreme beauty.

“Now I can see why they call her an angel.” Kaios understood. But, as he tried to bring his thoughts to words, he failed miserably.

“I-I wouldn’t m-mind at all.” He said, then gave her his hand, being soon accepted.

So, the two walked away from the crowd and from the Duke Iltmark, who had observed them for the entirety of their conversation.

“I can’t really follow them so soon. It’d seem like I’m chasing them if Sofia was to see me again. Although, I wonder what they have to talk about. And what that guy is thinking.” Thought Alas, pointing at the Duke in his mind.

“My greetings, Marquis. I have heard good things about you from the Prince.” The agent’s thoughts were stopped in their tracks as a man who he didn’t know well, Iltmark himself, spoke to him.

“I wonder if he knows about my secret identity and that’s the meaning of his words. But I doubt it.” Alas thought beyond his initial surprise, so he decided to reply.

“My greetings, Duke Iltmark.” He bowed. “I’m pleased to know I’ll be sharing the Academy with someone like you.” 

“You’re too gentle.” The Duke laughed. 

“I was wondering, though. Do you hold sympathy for the populists and their regard towards commoners? You don’t seem like someone who has been born as a noble.” He continued.

“I have.” Immediately answered the agent. “Still, these things surprise me. I often ask myself why those commoners must not receive better treatment if they are good at what they do.” He sincerely answered.

Still, Alas thought that it was not the case. He knew there were ways in which commoners could become very important for the Empire. Still, he didn’t understand why, unlike most noble schools, this school refused to hold entrance tests.

“It’s a matter of safety, of course. You can trust a low-ranking noble more than you can trust a commoner, it doesn’t matter what their skill is.” Iltmark responded wisely.

“Plus,” he continued, “that man Alabard and his followers do not really desire commoners to join. Their main objective is to have them be included so that they won’t be the lowest class in the Academy anymore. They’re low-ranking nobles, after all.” Explained the long-haired noble.

“That’s why I hate them! And you should too!” He concluded with a much more informal ending, which amused Alas. What he had said was probably true and it made sense.

“You look like you’d like to prove me wrong, but you won’t. I’ll be waiting for you when you have an argument! Now, if you excuse me, I’ll leave.” 

And there he went, following the Prince and Princess like a maniacal fan.

Still, he had hit right in the mark. There were countless ways to prove that this system had its flaws, but he was part of it. Just like the Duke, he couldn’t criticize what gave him importance.

“I guess they’ll kill the Duke and not me for espionage, now that I think about it.” Laughed to himself the brown-haired agent as he realized there was nobody there anymore. He could go.

His objective was finding a place where he could spectate the discussion between the Prince and the Princess without his influence being too overbearing, or his surveillance too eye-catching.

“Are you going towards the bar as well?” Asked Iltmark to Alas who was again lost in his thoughts, as both were heading to the door of the school building, which also included a cafeteria.

“You seem interested in the lives of royals. I’ll confess that I am as well. So, shall we go?” The Duke said, offering a hand just like Sofia had to Kaios.

As Alas quickly realized what was going on, he was amused. “He thinks I am a populist who wants to attempt something violent, doesn’t he?”

Still, if he had a companion his arrival would seem more natural.

“Let me tell you, I have always wanted to live like a Prince as well. Let’s go then, I’m glad I’ve found a person like you in this Academy.” He had lied, of course, about everything. But by then he was already quite skillful at it.

“I can see you as one, you know? I think there’s a chance you’ll become a royal in the future.” The Duke nonchalantly answered before both of them entered the beautiful building.

Looking from a small table near the kitchen of the cafeteria, Iltmark and Alas could hear very little of what was being said, but there seemed to be no controversy. Still, the agent didn’t understand how they had become so comfortable so fast, as the Prince didn’t seem nervous anymore.

“Still five minutes until I can get closer.” Alas immediately thought, scared of his face not being forgettable enough for the girl.

Meanwhile, he was also amused by the unscrupulous nature and the odd personality of the person sitting next to him, able to spy over two people and their encounter as if it was gossip, for no bigger reason. Despite the initial attention Iltmark had towards Alas, he was now blatantly ignoring him.

“I wonder if he is really interested or if he’s staying here to watch over me. But it’s a good thing that he has forgotten about me. I hope the Princess has done so too.”

Then, he snapped his fingers to call the Duke.

“We can get closer. They won’t understand that we’ve already been here for ten minutes.” Alas said with certainty, receiving assent from Iltmark.

“Of course, I was thinking of it as well. It seems you’re good at projects, even more than a marquis.” The Duke finished his empty compliments with an ambiguous phrase that he soon tried to rectify, but that had warned the brown-haired boy.

“That’s why I wish you a happy future.”

To these reassuring words Alas could only laugh to himself, moving as close as a table away from the Prince and Princess and now being able to hear.

But, just as he did that, he noticed them leaving. For a second the Prince seemed to have looked behind him and noticed him, but no words came from Kaios. 

“That’s unlucky. It’s easy to get to know what they said, though.” Agent 1 thought to himself.

Alas soon left the Duke, after wishing him a pleasurable first day, and went to his class, the same one as the Prince.