"I challenge you to a duel," someone said, making it the umpteenth time.

 

Akira replied, "I reject," with obvious frustration in his voice.

 

Other students might enjoy and even crave these challenges because of the euphoria and adrenaline it provided to their bodies and minds, but he wasn't a fan of being forced to fight without a just cause.

 

And hadn't he already beaten him twice, well, three times if you count previous Akira's beating, but he still couldn't figure out what was wrong with him? It was as if his brain had only this one function of nagging him.

 

"Umm, why aren't you accepting his challenge?" Albert, who sat beside him, inquired.

 

And he wasn't the only one who wanted to know the answer; more than half of the people in the training room wanted to know it because rejecting the duel was an option, but it was rarely practised.

 

It all started the next day after his "little outing" with Evelyn, because while they were having fun, everyone else back at the academy was in a frenzy. 

 

While the absence of the student council president was understandable and unquestioned, the absence of a first-year student from school while classes were in session was enormous.

 

It was an unprecedented occurrence, a provocation to the academy, an embarrassing event for the security team, and many other things. 

 

When the two returned, Evelyn quickly explained the reason for the situation, and everything returned to normal. Everything but a fanclub, Evelyn’s fanclub interpreted this situation as a rookie trying to swindle their goddess.

 

And how could they, as her fanclub's devoted members, let him go? But since most of them were in their third and second years, they couldn't do anything directly to him, so they enlisted the help of their first-year junior to challenge him to a duel and make him understand his position.

 

Since then everyday during the training period, guy after guy from different sections would come forward and challenge him and he would reject.

 

“Why should I?” He asked him back.

 

"Uhh, because it will help you gain fighting experience and improve your technique,increase your strength and isn't that why we joined the academy in the first place, to become stronger?" Albert carefully formed his answer.

 

“You are talking a lot.” That was Akira’s first response.

 

“I am?”

 

"Yes, but since you said all of that and it is a good way to hone my techniques, perhaps I should accept some of them," he reasoned.

 

“Hey, are you still up?” Akira asked the boy from the C section who had challenged him.

 

“Huh? Oh so you finally have some guts to accept my challenge.” He was the second son of one of the lesser nobles from the border area and had joined both Richard’s faction and Evelyn’s fanclub.

 

“Sure, when do we start?” 

 

At this time a trainer who was earlier confused by Akira’s rejection of duel but thought that it was due to the fact that he was scared of getting hurt. But when he accepted, the trainer quickly came up and asked, “Are you guys ready?”

 

This caught the attention of other members of fanclub who had challenged him earlier and slowly a small group had gathered around both of them.

 

“Yes I am ready.”

 

“Ready.” 

 

"Then begin," the trainer said as he stepped back.

 

"Since you're from E section, I won't use my full strength," the guy said arrogantly as he charged in.

 

Akira was prepared for his attack, and now that his opponent had underestimated him, it was far too easy to thwart the impending assault.

 

SMACK

 

The fanboy's straight punch was met by Akira's palm, and he was pushed back.

 

"Not bad, you do have some strength," the fanboy said after being pushed back.

 

“Now I will show you my secret technique.”

 

He then took an unusual stance and prepared for the next attack and suddenly disappeared from his place. The surrounding fanboys cheered after seeing such a move and were sure that Akira could not handle it.

 

But at the next moment his hoarse sound came from behind.

 

“Aarghh… le-let me go.” The baron’s son's cry got everyone’s attention.

 

His face was pressed on the ground and both of his hands were intertwined making them unable to move.

 

‘Sigh’

 

“Your secret technique is indeed awesome but you need more practice.” Akira said as he did a karate chop at the back of his neck.

 

“Akira wins.” The trainer announced.

 

“Tch, just some good luck.”

 

“Yeah you are right, that guy was just weak.”

 

“Let me try, I will beat him.”

 

Many others approached him and challenged him to another fight, but he simply refused all of them and continued with his training. It wasn't that he couldn't go on another round, but the unexpected discovery of the baron son's innate skill had put his mood off.

 

"Improving the bloodline is my top priority, but I must first exhaust the current potential of my existing bloodline." He muttered to himself.

 

The physical classes ended after a few more hours, and everyone was allowed to rest. The students were starving at this point, so they went to the cafeteria, which had become the most popular spot among first-year students by this point.

 

Akira went there as well and sat with Albert, who had brought his own lunch. The other students were also seated in groups and conversing about the usual topics. 

 

"Hey, have you heard what's going on in the Romanov empire?" one of the boys inquired.

 

"Yeah, my uncle, who is a travelling merchant, said things aren't looking good for the current emperor," his tablemate responded.

 

"Well, it's all because he's a total moron and a tyrant." 

 

"Uhh, hey, would you mind filling me in on what's going on?" asked a girl from the B section.

 

"Huh? How come you don't know when it's practically all over town?" the boy inquired.

 

“I live in the academy quarters.” The girl said with a frown.

 

“Oh that’s why.” He nodded.

 

“Yeah so can you tell me what’s going on there?”

 

"Apparently, the current emperor had imprisoned the prince after he decided to defy his orders on the battlefield, resulting in a rebellion." The boy replied truthfully.

 

“What? A rebellion in the Romanov empire?” The girl blurted out.

 

“Hey can you keep it down, the others are looking at us.” The tablemates said.

 

“So-sorry I was just excited. But what really happened back there?” 

 

"Uh, only bits and pieces of news are coming out because the Emperor has ordered a total ban on such activities."

 

"Oh, and the latest news is that the rebels are about to free the prince from the imperial prison," the boy said.

 

“That’s bad.” 

 

“Yup it’s awful.” 

 

“Let’s not talk about that anymore, have you guys tried the new appa pies?” The boy asked and the conversation steered another way.

 

Nobody thought much of the girl who had approached the group and inquired about the situation in the Romanov empire, as this was nothing suspicious. 

 

Nobody but the main cast's tables and Akira. Richard and his friends were from royal families, and it was only natural that they were aware of the current conditions of the nearby empires.

 

These things were extremely important to them because one day they would be the rulers of an empire, and the Romanov empire had tumultuous relations with its neighbours.

 

They had strained relations with the Von Astrom, and minor skirmishes were common, all because of the massive importance of the border town.

 

The Beastkin empire had slightly better relations because the previous Romanov emperors issued a royal decree to end the discrimination against the beaskins; the decree was not particularly effective on the ground, but they were the first to do so.

 

Finally, because of the friendship between the God of Light and their mother goddess, the Romanovs had the best relations with the Fiora kingdom. They also shared a large boundary and were quite dependent on each other for certain items.

 

The frontier kingdoms and other smaller ones had little to do with them and were mostly neutral.

 

“So what do you guys think?” Richard asked with a serious voice.

 

“It’s interesting in the least.” Drake replied.

 

“An empire is on the verge of collapse and you find it ‘interesting’?” He asked with a frown on his face.

 

“What else do you expect? It’s not like I have any control over what’s going on there.” Drake shrugged it off.

 

And he had a point as the situation in the Romanov empire was getting out of control with the rebels gathering their power and the nobility being divided on whom to support.

 

“What's Von Astrom's take on it?” Aurora asked after a while.

 

This question was posed to Richard as the heir to the empire, rather than as an individual.

 

“Wait and watch.” He replied.

 

“Me too.” Drake joined him.

 

"Do you have any new information about the prince and the rebels?" she inquired.

 

"Just the fact that they intend to break him out of the imperial prison, every other thing is sealed off," Drake replied casually.

 

‘Sigh’

 

Aurora appeared stressed, and it wasn't because of the Romanov rebellion, but because of someone who would be entangled in it regardless of their choice. 

 

Princess Kiara Romanov was someone with whom she shared a special bond with, it was back in her childhood when she met her the first time and they just clicked. Kiara treated her like a younger sister and Aurora, who didn’t had much sibling love was hooked with her.

 

Their bond had grown stronger over the years, so when she learned that Kiara had been attacked and injured by cultists, she immediately went to see her and even helped in looking after her. Kiara recovered and was back to her usual playful self.

 

But a few days later, when the news of the imprisonment of Igor and the rebellion in the Romanov empire came in her ears she hurriedly decided to go back home. 

 

This startled Aurora who didn’t wanted her to take any risks but before she could do anything Kei or for her elder sister Kiara had already left the empire with her two friends leaving the academy administration in a mess.

 

"Don't tell me you're doing something stupid," Richard said as he looked at her.

 

"Idiot, do you think she's like you?" Drake retorted.

 

"I'm leaving," Aurora said as she walked away from the cafeteria with a perplexed Richard and Drake.

 

"Um, she's not going to do anything stupid, right?" Drake inquired of Samantha.

 

“I have to go.” she replied.

 

Back at Akira’s table a lot of crowd had gathered due to the fact that Evelyn, the student council president, was present. She was eating the appa pies which were  introduced by her after her outing with him.

 

When the crowd saw her smiling and talking with Akira about their last 'outing,' they were envious.

 

“I am sorry but no.” He said.

 

“Why not? It isn’t like you are busy or something.” She pouted.

 

“Prez we can’t go out like that and yes I am a very busy guy.” 

 

“Okay then tell me what you are doing?”

 

“I-uh am going to the dungeon.” 

 

“Very well I will go with you.” She said, gaining confused looks from the onlookers.

 

Akira sighed and cursed himself, if he hadn’t gone out with her on that day it would have never come to this.

 

‘No wait, is there any way I can use this situation to my advantage?’ 

 

He didn't have to wait long because the other members of the student council, as well as the vice president, had arrived in the cafeteria. They rushed to his table, scattering the crowd that had gathered.

 

Ichinose put her arms on the table and glared at him which was quite intimidating to be honest.

 

Gulp

 

“Umm hi?” he awkwardly asked.

 

“What did you do?” She asked, her voice ice cold.

 

“Nothing I guess?”

 

“Stop lying!” She smacked the shit out of the table.

 

‘These sisters are going to be the end of me.’

 

"What did you guys do on that day?" she asked, her gaze drawn to Evelyn, who had ducked behind him by this point.

 

RING RING

 

The bell came as an angel for Akira who was looking for a way out of that situation.

 

"Onee-san, we're leaving, and you don't think this is the end of this," she said as she walked away with Evelyn.

 

“Phew.”

“That was intense.” Albert said from the back.

 

“Wait, you are still here?”

“All the time.”

 

"All right, let's just go to class."

 

After the classes ended and everyone was leaving, the academy's principal made an announcement.

 

"Hello students, due to unforeseen events, the academy has decided to suspend first-year classes for the next three days."

“Perfect.”