It was April 30th. 

Monthly exams had just ended and there were two days of relaxation before classes started up again. 

The flowers native to Kraus had come into full bloom as the warm morning sun touched their petals. 

On the JumboTron playing right outside the student center was the daily news. 

Drew and the gang were sitting at one of the tables situated under the shade of one of the adjacent trees. In addition to the usual group of six, Jay decided to join the party, sitting alone on one of the four benches surrounding the table. 

After his mother had been cured of her illness, Jay finally had time to socialize with others. He awkwardly admitted the night before that he didn't have any friends on campus so he decided to ask the members of room 505 if he could join them. No one had an issue with that and they welcomed him with open arms. 

"Breaking News!" The reporter announced in a clear voice. "Axel Snow, who has shown no activity in the past few months has once again shocked all of Ozwarth with his groundbreaking Blood Otrio Regiment. Despite the success rate being only 20%, he has proven himself worthy of threatening Heartman's position in the Alchemy Circle. Now, let's take it over to our market analyst-" 

Drew glanced up at the screen, he smiled.

"Thank you, Renee." The analyst gave a light chuckle that seemed to ease the environment. "From what we are witnessing, it appears that both Snow and Heartman are withholding their regiments. We can predict that they will roll out Blood Poisoning regiments with higher success rates over the course of the next few months once they receive approval from the Ozwarth Medical Center. However, the pressure from Snow might force Heartman to release his regiments earlier than I anticipated. This hasty behavior could potentially cause a shock in the market if he decided to release them consecutively. Judging Heartman's prior behavior, he tends to dominate his opponents with groundbreaking formulas over a short period of time-" 

The conversation between the reporter and the analyst continued. 

Everything was going as Drew had planned. 

>>>

Similar to the auction, Drew intended to put pressure on Heartman to reveal his other regiments. It was a well-known fact that Heartman would do anything to solidify his number one ranking in the Alchemy Circle even if it meant making rash decisions. However, an unknown variable known as Axel Snow had to come in and introduce himself into the picture. Axel Snow's appearance in the Alchemy Circle was the only thing in Heartman's glorious career that could threaten him. And that is where Heartman's weakness lies. As talented as Heartman was in terms of Alchemy, he wasn't as strong when it came to the business world. Heartman had always dominated the Alchemy field with 'his' innovative regiments, causing other competing Alchemists to falter under the pressure to keep up and resulting in them dropping out before the battle has even begun. Because of this very fact, Heartman has hardly been faced with any opposition. However, with a little bit of courage, even a half-decent Alchemist can cause Heartman's confidence to waver. To defeat the feared Heartman, one must be fearless. 

Any person with a brain could assume that Heartman will try to make Drew surrender by mass releasing his higher success rate regiments early. Of course, Drew was betting on the chance that Heartman hadn't figured out the recipe for a perfect success rate but it was a possibility that he has. Heartman, like many Alchemists, is still too constrained by the traditional Alchemist thinking that it clouds his insight. If he doesn't throw out his current thinking, he will get close to perfection but will miss that last step necessary to achieve that perfection. Hence, he will always be second but depending on the effects of competition, an act of desperation might result in his breakthrough but Drew intended to prevent this. 

>>>

"Eh, this will be fun-" Elias smirked. "We're going to witness another battle between Snow and Heartman. Who do you think will come out victorious?" 

Sylvia gently placed her water bottle on the table, tapping her middle finger as it made contact with the cool metal. 

"It's too early to say anything. I don't think Snow would be the kind of person to lose his marbles easily to Heartman's demonstration of power. From the clip back in January, it appears he's cool-headed in the face of the former Third Prince. My guess is that this might go out longer than what the analyst claims." Sylvia turned to Drew, his messenger cap covering his eyes. "What do you have to say, Drew?" 

"Got any inside info for us?" Wan asked excitedly. 

Brix nodded her head furiously in agreement. 

"Come to think of it, you are Snow's assistant." 

Drew snickered. 

"Sorry, everyone. That's a trade secret. You'll see what he had in mind on the news."

"What's this about?" Jay asked feigning ignorance, already aware of what was going on. 

"Ah, I guess you don't know!" Elias exclaimed patting Jay on his shoulder before thrusting his other hand out at Drew's face. "Mr. Green-Haired Avain here was recruited by Snow to be his assistant!" 

Jay’s ears twitched. 

"Really? What's it like working for him?"  

Despite Jay already knowing that Drew was Snow himself, he decided to keep the conversation going. 

Drew laughed. Of course Jay knew the answer to his question but Dre replied anyway. 

"Nothing much. I'm just an errand boy for him. If anything, I'm more curious about you, Jay? Do you mind reintroducing yourself?" 

"Sure," Jay replied flatly forcing a grin. "I know everyone already knows who I am but I'll say it once again. The name is Jason Crossford but everyone calls me Jay. I'm a mixed-race Feline of Shadow Panther and Golden Lion descent. To simplify it, I'm a Shadow Lion. My birthday is January 9th so it passed a while back. If you have any other questions about me, I'll do my best to answer them. It's nice to meet you all." 

Clapping arose from the group. 

"Wonderful! Thank you for the introduction now it's time for the interrogation session!" 

"I'll go first," Rider put his hand up. Rider wasn't very assertive so this was the first time anyone has seen him take the lead on anything. "I've heard rumors circulating that you're from a well-off family that conducts business in Yerburn. Is that true?" 

"Ah, a hard question. Yes, what the rumors have said is true. My family does indeed own a business in Yerburn." 

"What kind?"

"A hotel." Jay shrugged. Technically he wasn't lying. "There's nothing really special about it." 

Wan's eyes grew wide. 

"Ooh, so your family owns a hotel! Mine owns an inn so I guess that makes us hoteleys!"

"But why in Yerburn out of all places?" Elias asked. 

"Cheap startup location. It's easy to purchase property there because the government regulations there aren't as stringent compared to other places in  Ozwarth." 

"I understand that pain-" Brix chuckled. "My family owns a dojo near the city center and they always get a handful with their property due to the regulations. They keep changing every year." 

"That's unfortunate." Drew sighed. He understood the struggles of running a business. After all, he was technically running one himself. 

"Anyhow, considering that you claimed the rumors were true, it seems the hotel is doing very well." Sylvia pointed out. " If I may inquire, which hotel does your family-run?" 

"I'm sorry, Princess. I cannot disclose that to you." 

Sylvia threw her hands up in defeat. She knew if she kept on asking, it would only be a losing battle for her. 

"Alright, I understand." 

"Hey, JJ," Wan smiled. "Do you have any siblings?" 

Jay nodded. 

"I do. I have an older sister. She's a professional detailer for all those expensive cars you see rolling around in the city. Have you heard of Black Moon Works?" 

Drew tilted his head. Jay's family background keeps getting more and more impressive the more he hears about it.

"Isn't that a detailing service restricted to those in the upper class? Where all the big shots go?" 

Jay gave Elias a thumbs up. 

"My sister is the co-Founder of the place. If you want, I can ask her for a tour." 

"That'd be great" Elias shouted with complete awe. As a car aficionado himself, he wouldn't turn down the opportunity to see some of the most expensive vehicles owned in all of Ozwarth. 

Brix grinned. 

"I'd be down for that."

"Didn't realize the girls were into cars," Drew remarked. 

Sylvia propped her elbows up on the table. "Hey, a girl loves a sweet ride. It's the dream to be taken on a romantic ride along the ocean coast." 

"Whoa, the Princess is romantic? I thought you weren't into that kind of thing." 

Sylvia laughed shaking her head. 

"I'm not, but we live inland so it would be nice to see the coast at least once in the future." 

"But out of curiosity, aren't Ifrits weak to water?" Wan asked. 

"That's an old wives tale. I'm a tenth-generation Ifrit. Any Ifrit that is fifth-generation or later isn't weak to regular old water nor holy water like in those fairy tales. It's similar to Vampires on Earth. Vampires from the later generations are immune to sunlight, silver, and garlic and no longer need blood to live. In essence, the later generations are just humans with extended base lifespans." 

"Hoho, interesting!" Rider said with a stern expression on his face. "So while the myths regarding races related to certain legends may have held true in the past, it's less likely today due to evolution." 

"Bingo!" 

The chatter between the group lasted for a while. To Drew, it was nice to have peaceful moments like this without worrying about the future has to come. He finally felt like a normal student after all the things he had to deal with over the past few months. Definitely a change of pace. However, in the midst of the conversations, Rider had the sudden idea of making everyone participate in a finger-standing contest to which no one had any qualms. 

“Okay guys,” Rider said tapping on the timer application on his wristband. “It’s already known that everyone here can beat me at a finger standing so I’ll be the judge of today's event! Whoever lasts the longest will be able to give one dare to each of the losers.” 

“Sounds fun,” Drew smirked placing his messenger hat on the ground. 

“Aww,” Wan pouted. “I already know I’m going to lose.” 

Sylvia laughed. 

“Don’t worry Wan, I don’t think anyone here will make you do anything stupid.” 

“You’re too cute to punish,” Elias muttered under his breath causing Drew’s ears to perk up. 

A mischievous expression curled onto Drew’s face. 

“Ehh-, what did you say, Elias,” 

“I’m pretty sure he said something about Wan being-ummmfff!” 

“Don’t stay anything, Brix” Elias threatened, covering Brix’s mouth from saying anything else. 

“Everyone, get ready….3,2,1 and start!” 

And so the finger-standing contest began. No one was allowed to use Otrio and if Rider and his ultra-high Otrio sensitivity caught anyone doing so, they would be eliminated. 

Drew lifted himself effortlessly off the ground, making sure to support himself on his finger without breaking it. If it weren’t for Gerald forcing him to balance on needles as a warm-up, he probably would’ve broken his finger by now. Since there was more surface area on the ground compared to a needle, this made life much easier for Drew.  

Drew used his peripheral vision to see how the others were fairing. Elias was no surprise as he has to deal with the recoil from his guns all the time so he had to build up exceptional physical strength to reduce the damage dealt from it. His balance was steady almost like a tree. Compared to him, Drew was swaying a bit from side to side but managed to regain his balance shortly after. 

Then there was Wan. Wan who was a Caster had surprising physical strength herself. Definitely more than your average Caster as she did claim she learned some martial arts for self-defense from her parents. She was wobbling here and there so she’ll probably drop out first knowing that Casters typically didn't have high physical strength.

Brix whose Position Drew did not know was right within Drew's expectations. Brix never revealed her Position to anyone in the group now that Drew thought about it. However, she didn’t seem like a Caster like Wan considering her physical abilities were much higher. From her slender physique and her racial traits, she was most likely another Scout or an Assassin. 

Besides Brix was Sylvia who Drew was even more shocked about. Sylvia did mention she was a close-combat Position but claimed she never had a specialty. However, she had a surprising affinity for martial arts that was even higher than Brix who was trained in a dojo. She even bragged to the group that she had mastered over 50 styles but it made sense because Sylvia had access to more resources than anyone in the group being a Princess nurtured by her family. Hence her control over her body could be the best in the group she wasn’t even breaking a sweat!

Finally, there was Jason who was holding up just as well as Sylvia. Since he was personally trained by Neilson who was a Mid A-Rank warrior and Lilith, a former Guardian, it's no surprise that his abilities were exceptional. 

Three minutes had passed and as everyone had expected, Wan dropped out. Her feet slammed onto the concrete causing her to fumble back a little. 

On her face was a giant derpy pout. 

“Aw, this is unfair. I’m a wimpy ass Caster competing against you guys who are actual combatants. I don’t got the same physics capabilities as y'all.” 

Wan: 6th Place 

No one dropped out for a while until the nine-minute mark.

Brix collapsed, her arm had turned completely red from holding on as long as possible.

“Haha,” she chuckled before waddling over the Wan. “It took some time for anyone to drop out but I guess I can’t compete. My legs are much stronger than my arms.” 

Brix: 5th Place 

The time kept going and now it was the twelve-minute mark. Drew felt his body sway. Even though he trained with Gerald his body wasn’t tempered to the level of Elias, Sylvia, or Jason who had received more formal training when they were younger. 

The timer had hit thirteen minutes and Drew was out of running. 

“Ahh,” Drew exhaled. His face was all red from the blood rushing to his face. “That’s the end of the line for me. Damn, I thought I wasn’t half bad myself.” 

Drew: 4th Place 

All things considered, he did last thirteen minutes. The average male finger-standing time at Star for Scouts was ten minutes with the record being seventeen for first-years. Hence, Drew's time was above average. However, similar to Brix, Drew’s legs were much stronger comparison. 

Scouts were built for speed hence their legs were much stronger than Positions like Gunners or Brawlers. At the same time, their arm strength paled in comparison but every Position has its ups and downs there are bound to be aspects one Position is better at than the other. 

Beep. 

It was now the fifteen-minute mark and Elias had fallen flat on his face. His nose bleeding from hitting the warm concrete that had basked in the sun all morning. 

“Fifteen minutes!” Elias roared as blood trickled from his right nostril. “That’s a new record!” 

Note, that Elias’s average was around fourteen minutes. 

"Hey, dude, your nose is bleeding." 

Elias: 3rd Place

“At least someone is optimistic.” Wan chuckled. 

Another five minutes passed and it seemed like Sylvia and Jay were about to give out at any moment. Their faces flushed red as they continued holding their balance. 

“Come on Jay you can do it!” The guys shouted. 

“Princess you got this!” 

It had now been twenty-two minutes and the victor had been decided. Jay fell to the ground, his feet hitting the ground with a loud thud, with Sylvia emerging victorious, fist-pumping up into the air as she recovered her balance, her body swaying a bit from side to side. 

Jay: 2nd Place

“And the winner is the Princess!” 

Sylvia: 1st Place

“I humbly accept my defeat.” Jay bowed in disappointment. He was rather confident he could win but it just ended up in a loss.

“I was about to give up then. You’re a tough opponent” Sylvia chuckled, outstretching her hand to Jay to which he accepted with a firm clasp. “Welcome to our group.” 

“I’ll be in everyone’s care.” 

“Okay!" Rider announced ruining the happy moment. "Now as per the rules, the losers have to comply with one of the winner’s demands." 

“I’ll start with Wan." Sylvia snickered. "Wan, you have to sing Guppy, Guppy, Minoutar in a high-pitched voice.” 

“That’s so mean~” Wan complained pulling up the lyrics to Guppy, Guppy, Minotaur. 

Guppy, Guppy, Minotaur was a stupid one-minute children's song about a Guppy who encounters a Minotaur and eventually befriends it. Every child on Ozwarth grew up listening to it. 

“Guppy, Guppy oh how small. 

Swimming in the pond without a care in the world.

Then one day a Minotaur came. 

He scooped out the Guppy where it swam. “

.

.

. 

“Brix, you have to pull both your socks off with your teeth.” 

“That’s not a dare that easy. You're lucky I just washed these." 

And so Brix was now sitting on the ground taking off her socks with ease. They even had little birds embroidered on them. 

“Drew, call the library to see if they have a dictionary that can translate Kraun to Lacit.” 

“Aren't those the same thing?” 

Kraun was the main language spoken in Kraus but it was also called Lacit in other regions of Kraus. Essentially, they’re the same thing. 

“Fine, I’m gonna look like a moron for this.” Drew sighed dialing the library. "Yeah, hello~. I'm looking to see if you have a dictionary that can translate Kraun to Lacit?...Wait wut?! You actually do? Forget about the dare, can I place that on hold?" 

“Elias here has to run around the entire courtyard while screaming 'holy shit there’s a chicken'.” 

“I’m gonna look like an even bigger idiot than Drew.” Elias cried as he started his jog around the courtyard screaming at the top of his lungs. 

“For Jay, you're going to have to have to take a selfie with the toilet and post it online." 

“Shit.” Jay cursed bitterly. 

"Of course," Sylvia chuckled evilly. "Rider you're not getting out of this either." 

Rider rolled his eyes. 

"Great." 

“Rider, you’re going to have everyone in this group go through your search history for the past week.” 

“Ah-" 

And so everyone completed their respected dares feeling absolutely humiliated but to everyone's surprise, Wan actually did a really good cover of Guppy Guppy Minotaur in a high-pitched voice. As embarrassing as it was, Wan did it again but everyone joined in.  Before they knew it, they were all singing Guppy Guppy Minotaur with everyone else hanging out in the courtyard staring at them weirdly. 

"There is definitely something wrong with the 39th Princess's group." 

"Tell me that again," Another bystander chuckled. "They must all have a screw loose to be singing that children's song."  

Yet, as stupid as they looked for singing that song, at least they were having fun. A happy memory that would suppress the ones that desired to be forgotten. Unfortunately, that suppression would only hold out so long before the reality would shatter those newly formed memories. A reality crafted from the past that would once again emerge in the near future.