After return home from the celebration party at the dojo, a snowstorm kicked up in Ozwarth overnight coating the ground in at least twenty centimeters of powder-white snow. The next day, Uncle Ryhard forced Drew and Elias to dig away the snow from the nonexistent driveway with the excuse that it helps to build character. 

“Damn! It’s the day after the party and we’re stuck shoveling snow!” Elias complained as he threw a mound of powder of his shoulder. 

Drew laughed. 

“You know, we could’ve used salt instead.” 

“Thanks, Captain Obvious. What do you think I was trying to look for this morning?! My dad hid all the salt! I swear that old man wants us to suffer.” 

“At least it’s not as bad as all the physical training we did over the past five months. Plus, we’re getting paid.” Drew mentioned shoveling aside another mound of snow.

“How can you adapt to this so quickly?” 

Drew chuckled digging his shovel into the snow, allowing it to stand up on its own. 

“I worked in a soup kitchen for some time. In comparison, this is nothing and we’ve only been doing this for ten minutes. Furthermore, we’re almost done so stop complaining.” 

“Alright,” Elias sighed in defeat, his breath visible in the cold air. “You win Drew, you win. Speaking of winning, have you placed your bets on who might win this War of Royals?” 

Drew placed a hand on his chin.

“It’s hard to say even though it’s the beginning. I would assume one of those higher ranked Princes of Princesses since they are able to garner the most support with their resources but shouldn’t we support our own District’s Princess?” 

“Fair point,” Elias said cocking his head. “I wonder if we should greet the Princess today, after all, she’s going to be in this rundown place with us for the next ten years. On top of that, she’s the same age as us and it’d be nice to have another person our age to talk to in this area.” 

“I’m not sure, I’m a bit reluctant since she’s a Royal. Do people like us deserve to be acquainted with her? “

Elias tossed his shovel into the ground.

“Your the social one here usually what’s going on? I mean, what harm is there for us to greet the Princess? She probably would like some people to interact with her during her time here. I mean, imagine if you were her, wouldn’t you feel lonely if you knew no one and you had to start from ground zero?” He ranted. 

“Of course. I was in her shoes five months ago!” 

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s finish this up, grab Wan, so we don’t look suspicious, and give her a nice housewarming.” 

“You make it seem like we are going to kidnap Wan.”

"That's your concern?!" 

Despite all their bickering, Drew and Elias managed to finish shoveling the snow and walked over to Wan's place. Wan lived in a room on the second floor of the inn her family owns. Knocking on the door a couple of times, Drew and Elias waited as Wan's footsteps could be heard behind the door. Wan had woken up late and was still half asleep as she opened the door in a slow, sleepy fashion. 

"Wha... do you guys want this early in the morning?" Wan yawned her hair sticking out in all directions as she rubbed her eyes. 

"Wan," Drew laughed, "it's ten. This ain't early." 

Elias lifted a finger and pointed in the direction of the station. "We were thinking of visiting the Princess today. Give her a nice housewarming since she just moved in." 

Instantly, Wan's sleepy eyes grew big, her aqua eyes sparkling with excitement. 

"Really! If that's the case give me five minutes to get ready then we can leave. Where does she live exactly?"

"On the only nice house on Glass Road," Drew replied following Elias's finger gesture. "It's towards the station." 

"How could I forget!" Wan groaned slapping herself on the forehead. "It's the same house used for every Princess selection during the War of Royals." 

>>> 

Because the War of Royals is funded by the government, every Prince and Princess selected receives their own residence during the occasion. For the Princess of Glass Road, the residence is the house right next to the air train station. It used to be a second-hand medicine shop like Uncle Ryhards but the government evicted the former owners from there and renovated it into a residence for the Princess. However, this residence wasn't as luxurious or big as the other residences since it's Glass Road but it was luxurious enough for a family of four to live rather comfortably.

>>>

A few minutes later, Wan came out of her room. She was still half asleep but at least her hair didn't look like a complete mess.

"Let's go." She yawned, her mouth open wide revealing her sharp canines as she shoved her hands into her pocket.

Leaving the inn, the trio trudged through the thick powder to the station to the Princess's residence, about a thirty-minute walk from the inn, twenty without snow. Approaching the three-story, marble, Victorian-style residence, Drew noticed that a large truck was parked in front of it. It seems like the Princess wasn't finished moving in yet as the movers were still there, carrying furniture and enormous cardboard boxes out of the truck one by one into the house. The wooden double doors to the residence were open, an ivory skinned girl with burning shoulder-length red hair that was pulled back by a thick black hairband, decorated with ribbons on the side, stood at the entrance with her arms folded together. She wore a large maroon parka with a fluffy white hood that protected her from the biting cold of the winter morning along with black thermals coupled with her black boots. From a distance, she looked like a fashion model who jumped out of a magazine, truly a Princess-like figure.

"That's her," Elias pointed to the figure. "Sylvia Burnstone. She doesn't seem like she came from a poverty-stricken area from the way she's dressed." 

Suddenly, the red-haired girl turned her head to the trio who was standing a slight distance away from the truck. Her eyes making direct contact with not Wan or Elias's, but Drew's. Looking at them, he saw small flames dancing in them like there was some sort of music playing, it was captivating, enchanting. Drew's heart started to beat faster as the dancing flames in her eyes etched a lasting memory in Drew him. The memory burned yet it didn't hurt as it carved its shape into Drew's mind. It was too beautiful to be described in words. Even the author of this novel couldn't figure out how to phrase it. 

"Did you see her eyes?" Wan said, her voice trembling. 

"Yeah," Elias nodded. "There were flames dancing in them. From the looks of it, she must be a Spirit. Most likely of Ifrit descent..."

>>>  

Spirits were another humanoid race like Avains and Sirens but similarly to Avains, their features are closer to Humans. They are born from the elements themselves and have a high affinity for whatever element they were born from. For instance, if a Spirit were born from lava, they would have a high affinity for the Otrio Attribute of Fire. 

>>>

"Hey," A voice came from the doorway. 

The trio simultaneously turned their heads in the direction of the door. It was the Princess. 

"What business do you have here?" She asked in a domineering tone as if the trio were wasting her time.

Frozen with a trace of fear Drew decided to answer her question in the trio's steed. 

"We were just here to give you a housewarming, Your Highness," Drew replied gulping down a mouthful of cold saliva.  

She tilted her head, looking at the green-haired teen with hint disbelief. 

"Oh, how do I not know you're lying? I hear Glass Road is filled with many notorious gangs. Not exactly the safest place for a Princess." 

"Correction," Wan stammered mustering up her courage. "There is only one 'gang' that you speak of and it's composed of three shady looking people who can't even steal a Kala. Stop listening to rumors and take a look for yourself." 

Elias elbowed Wan. "Did you just insult Price!" 

"Yes, I just did!" Wan retorted at Elias before the two broke out into a small quarrel. Sparks flew between the two.  

The Princess laughed watching the two bicker with each other like a married couple. 

"I assume you already know that I'm the Princess of this District for this War of Royals?" She said regaining her composure. 

"That is correct, Your Highness." Drew addressed in a formal manner bowing his head in respect. 

Suddenly, she turned her head towards the white powder, her expression slightly changing. 

"That means you also know my history...am I right?" 

Drew nodded, tipping his messenger hat down. 

"Yes."

"Alright," the Princess sighed. "I'll trust you three. You guys don't seem like the type of people who would do anything bad." 

Wan and Elias stopped fighting. 

"What did you just say?" They concurrently asked looking at her. 

"I said, come on inside." She said gesturing the trio to come inside the house. 

"Is that really okay?" Drew asked just for clarification. "I mean, you just met us now. How can you be completely sure?" 

"I don't trust you guys," She confirmed turning her back to the trio. "However, I don't sense any malicious intent from you guys but if I do, I won't hesitate to punish you." 

She opened her hand and a pillar of flame about a meter high erupted nearly burning the doorway. 

Drew retreated back a step. Even though she's the 39th Princess, her power shouldn't be underestimated. As of now, she was a whole Class higher than the trio so going against her wasn't an option as of now. 

Retracting the flame pillar, the Princess waved a hand signifying that the trio could enter. 

"Come in, that's an order." 

Following her instructions, the trio entered the house where they were greeted by a clear glass chandelier that hung on the ceiling by a chain and a spiral marble staircase that led up to the second and third floors. To the sides, wooden cabinets with porcelain vases lined the white walls while oil paintings and works of modern art added additional decoration, giving the entrance a nice finishing touch. To the left, there was a small closet for storage and on the right, was a path that leads to the kitchen, and up ahead, there was a marble path which led to a living/dinning room. For a 39th Princess's house, this could be considered rather luxurious. If this was the quality of residence for a 39th Princess, then what would the residence of the 1st Princess look like? 

The red-haired Princess led the trio to the living room where only a wooden coffee table, a three-person sofa, and a one-person sofa were set up. The rest of the furniture was still being moved into the house while some smaller items and personal belongings remained in boxes. Opening one box, the Princess pulls out four glazed clay mugs and a kettle, placing the kettle on a hot plate before filling it up with water and some tea leaves. As the water boiled, the faint aroma of the tea filled the room. Cinnamon. Mint. Jasmine. Some other herbs and spices that Drew could identify in the mix. It was pleasing.

"Ah, what a great smell," Wan commented indulging herself in the scent. 

"It truly is," Elias added. "I wonder what kind of tea it is." 

Drew knew what it was. 

"Asperian Jasmine." 

"Pardon." 

The Princess was stunned. How did the ordinary-looking green-haired guy know what the tea was just from its smell?  

"Asperian Jasmine." Drew repeated. "It's a tea that uses a combination of herbs from Kraus and Earth. The main herbs are Asperian and Jasmine hence the name. Asperian is a common herb grown on Kraus while Jasmine is a common herb grown on Earth. This tea is one of the most popular in the Orion Alliance, in the upper class,  and is often served with Frostberry Shortbread or Scones in tea parties."

The Princess's eyes grew wider, fixing themselves on the green-haired guy with curiosity. Just who was he? This wasn't something an ordinary person would know of unless they are from a Noble family, served as a servant as one, or served as a cook. 

Elias looked at Drew as if he were some sort of monster.

"Sometimes I'm even impressed by how you know this stuff."

"That's a former cook for you, I guess..." Wan said with a bit of annoyance. 

"You were a cook?" The Princess asked bringing over pipping hot cups of tea on a steel tray. 

"Yeah, but that was almost half a year ago," Drew replied. "Now, I'm just a student."   

"That explains it." The Princess mumbled placing the tray down on the coffee table. "You said that you are a student." 

"That's right," Elias responded. "All three of us are going to be students at Star Military Academy starting this Semester." 

"I see," The Princess said placing her hand under her chin as she took a seat down on her one-person sofa. "If that's the case that means you're first years like myself. What Class are you three in?"   

"We're in Winter Semester Low-Class A Room 589," Wan answered. 

"What a coincidence. I also happen to be in that Class." She smiled taking a sip of her tea. 

"That makes us classmates then, Princess." Drew said lifting up his cup of tea. 

"Princess is too formal," the Princess chuckled, "Call me, Sylvia. As for you three... how should I address you?" 

"I'll go first," Elias announced raising his hand as if he were in a classroom. "My name is Elias Ryhard, a European Human. I'm the son of a second-hand medicine shop owner here on Glass Road." 

Elias put his hand down and Wan went next. 

"Hello," she said timidly shrinking her small body into the sofa, "My name Wan Louis. I'm a Siren from Sierra and the daughter of an innkeeper. The inn itself is located here on Glass Road and is one of the main hangout spots here besides the dojo. Nice to meet you, Sylvia." 

"I'm last..." Drew sighed taking off his hat, his fluffy green-hair sticking out in all directions. "I'm Drew Li, an Avian of Nightengale descent. I'm an orphan who was taken under the wing of Elias's family. There isn't much else that's notable about me."  

"Interesting, how did you become an orphan?" Sylvia asked. 

"My parents died in a freak accident when I was an infant. I was placed in an orphanage until I was sixteen before my guardian took me under his care but half a year ago, he was assassinated and from there, I was adopted by Elias's family who knew my guardian personally. Now, I'm here." 

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine. That's all in the past." 

"Well then," Sylvia began, "I guess I'll reintroduce myself. I'm the 39th Princess Sylvia Burnstone, the Princess of Glass Road, and a Spirit of Ifrit descent. As you may have read in my bio, I'm an Exception to the Princess selections and you can also guess that my relationship with the other Royals isn't so great. Like the three of you, I'm an incoming first-year at Star Military Academy. I hope we can get along for the years to come." 

"Likewise." Drew nodded. 

"Sure thing," Elias smirked cocking a toothy grin. 

"Of course!" Wan smiled. "If you need any help adjusting, you can come to us." 

"That's nice. I won't hesitate to. As of now, I am curious as to how you three met." 

"The short version is, I met Drew when he first moved into my place but is more like he met me first. Wan, on the other hand, we met by coincidence. Honestly, if it weren't for Drew, we wouldn't have crossed paths with each other at all." 

"Intriguing, I have time so I won't mind listening to the long version," Sylvia said. 

"Should we?" Drew asked Wan and Elias for a confirmation. 

"I don't mind, it's not really a secret plus it'll come out one way or another," Elias said giving his approval. 

"Agreed," Wan replied giving Drew a thumbs up. 

"I guess I'll tell you the whole story." 

Drew told Sylvia about how he met Elias. Telling her that Elias was originally in a slump due to his friend's suicide half a year ago. At the time, Drew didn't know about it until Elias started running off into the distance on his second day on Glass Road when they were just talking. Drew and Elias continued to run until they stopped at an inn, the place where Elias's friend committed suicide, where they met Wan who took them inside after noticing that Elias was crying. There, they had a productive group therapy session and somehow became friends which later lead to them forming a Team for Star's Team Exam which they passed. This brings the trio to this moment as they are sitting in Sylvia's house, sipping tea, and telling her their stories. 

"That's the whole story," Drew concluded as the clock in the background struck noon. 

"I'm shocked," Sylvia clicked her tongue, placing down her cup of cold tea. "You three became friends due to pure chance." 

"If you want to put it that way..." Elias replied. 

"Now, it's only fair if I told you mine," Sylvia begins cutting off Elias. "I'm the only daughter of the Burnstone Family, a Family known for mining coal as a backup fuel source. It wasn't a very profitable business and my family only make enough the sustain an average family every year and the living conditions were much worse than Glass Road. In hopes of increasing our reputation, my older brother was selected to participate in the Prince selections during the last War of Royals but he came in last place and we became a joke within the Noble family rankings. Now, ten years later, I was selected for the Princess selections, not for anything in particular, but because I was the only person in my Family that could represent them in the War of Royals. That is why I'm an Exception. Unlike all the other Princess's I have no notable talents and I fall average in everything. The pillar of fire you saw was my Bloodline Ability, [Blaze], but it's only a D-Class Ability that has harsh conditions to activate but ignoring that, my family has placed all their hopes on me in order to revive our nonexistent reputation." 

"That's harsh." Drew commented, "shouldering your whole family on your own. That's not something I can imagine someone our age doing." 

"It's hard to take in," She exhaled, the stress written all over her face. "I'm not sure if I can do it. I'm no genius but how am I supposed to compete with all those other Princesses? I don't have anything!"

Drew went silent. He wanted to comfort her but he didn't know how. She was feeling pressured, one that no one could understand, even though the 'Race' had just begun. 'Race'? That's it! 

"Sylvia," Drew called to her as if he was pulling her out of a bottomless abyss of despair. "Have you heard of the story of the 'Tortoise and the Hare'?" 

"Yeah, everyone knows it." She answered. 

"Do you know the moral?" Drew asked brushing his hat with his hand. 

She nods. "Slow and steady wins the race. Even if others may have a headstart, you can still catch up in the end or even win..." 

Her voice trailed off and her face turned from one of distress to one of enlightenment. 

"Have you thought of something?" Elias asked looking at Sylvia who had suddenly shot straight up from her sofa. 

A moment of silence. 

"Um, Sylvia..." Wan called noticing that she had frozen in place. 

"That's it! I know what I can do!" She exclaimed causing the trio to jerk back into the sofa. "I'm going to need your guy's help though."

"Sure," Elias smiled thrusting her a thumbs up. "We are at your disposal for the duration of the War of Royals. Tell us your plan and we'll execute it." 

"That's a cheesy sales pitch, Elias." Drew laughed while Elias was starring daggers at him. He could feel a cold chill run down his spine. "Anyways, so what do you have in mind?" 

Sylvia glanced at the trio, ready to reveal her idea. 

"So here's the plan..."