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Chapter 140: I Fought For Love

The entirety of the First Year students lined up inside the Hall of the Martial Class Division. Since they were outsiders, the students of the Magic and Spirit Division classes stayed outside the premises and watched the viewing crystals in front of them

They were waiting for William's first speech as the Head Prefect of the Solaris Dormitory.

Soon, a handsome Half-Elf with hair as bright as flames walked towards the podium. His light-green eyes were clear and bright as he faced the hundreds of students who were looking at him with serious expressions.

"Good day to all of you. My name is William, William Von Ainsworth," William started his speech. "I am a shepherd that hails from the countryside of Lont."

The buzzing sound of murmurs spread across the hall when William gave his introductions. Even those who were watching him from outside were surprised when he said that he was a shepherd from the countryside.

"I came here today, to tell all of you why I joined the competition for the position of Head Prefect," William continued his explanation. He then looked at the entrance of the hall and made a gesture. "Mama, please, join me."

The door of the great hall opened and a white and fluffy goat, that was only a meter tall, walked forward with confident steps. The students watched her go up onto the stage and stand by William's side.

William lovingly placed his hand over Ella's back and faced everyone in the room with a smile.

"Mama, please greet everyone."

"Meeeeeeeh!"

The students looked at William and the goat with weird expressions, but the red-headed boy paid them no mind. Instead, he raised his chin in an arrogant manner and stated his reason.

"Yes. The reason why I joined the competition was to ensure that my Mama Ella would be able to stay by my side during my stay here at the Royal Academy," William said firmly. "Perhaps, some of you think that this is a very absurd reason. Others, may think that it was a stupid one. However, I beg to disagree. My Mama Ella is no ordinary goat. She was the one that raised me since I was a baby."

William's declaration brought another round of murmurs and even the instructors glanced at the goat with curious expressions.

"All of us have important people in our lives. People we care for, people we want to protect, and people we want to love," William was unfazed by the murmurs and continued his speech. "They could be our parents, our brothers, sisters, grandparents, neighbors, friends, lovers, and acquaintances.

"But, let me ask all of you, is your love greater than mine? Is the love you have for your lover greater than my love for my Mama Ella?"

When William asked this question, many people wanted to answer, but William didn't give them a chance to do that.

"The answer is simple, love cannot be measured," William said tenderly. "I will not tell you that the love you feel for your loved ones is less than mine, because like I said, love cannot be measured. Yes, the reason why I fought in the competition was for love!

"I didn't know how strong my opponents were, how cunning they were, and how determined they were to win. Because, in my eyes, these factors were not important. As members of the Martial Classes, there will come a time when we have to face opponents that are stronger than us, opponents that are way out of our league…

"When that time comes, our only choice is either to fight or to flee. I chose to fight, because my reason for fighting is for the one I love. Regardless of the consequences, no matter the price, I must win! And win, I did."

The girls who had become William's fans felt their heart flutter. The way he declared that he had fought the competition for love was so suave that they couldn't keep themselves from imagining that the person he fought for was not the goat, but them.

Kenneth, who was watching William from below the podium, looked at him with tender eyes. He had already known how much William cared for Ella, but he didn't know the extent of how much the red-headed boy loved his second mother.

Even Est had to admire that William's speech moved him. Ian and Isaac felt the same. They too had people they cared for and wanted to protect. William was right, love was something that could not be measured.

The great hall descended into silence, as the students unconsciously clenched their hands. They could feel that their blood was boiling because of William's reason for fighting. They had imagined themselves fighting against a foe that they couldn't defeat. The majority of them thought of only one thing and that was to run and escape with their lives.

Somehow, they felt ashamed and inferior to William. They could feel his strong determination to win. Even those who initially held grudges towards him, found themselves unable to hate him. Those of the Martial Classes respect the strong, even if they couldn't accept the outcome of the competition, they had to admit that they couldn't achieve what William had done inside the Enchanted Forest.

"Of course, I know that some of you are dissatisfied with me." William smiled and casually flipped his hair. "But, what of it? I admit that some of you may be stronger than me, but physical strength alone doesn't win battles. The fact that the one standing here is me and not you means that my determination to win is stronger than yours.

"If you feel that I'm not worthy of my position then feel free to challenge me…," William declared. "But, only after you have defeated all of the candidates that participated in the competition. This is only right and proper, no?"

Excuse me? Do you think you can challenge the final boss without fighting the underlings first? Sorry, not happening!

Est, Ian, and Isaac smirked when they heard William's shameless words. He allowed the students to challenge him, but they had to fight everyone before they earned the right to challenge William.

William was not a fool. If they wanted to fight him then he would definitely make them suffer first. However, to ensure that they wouldn't do the shameful act of "not fighting against the challengers" the red-headed boy decided to throw in some insurance.

"We are martial students. If we don't even dare to accept challenges then we should just pack up and leave the academy," William said in a righteous manner. "As the Head Prefect of the Solaris Dormitory, I will expel any student who doesn't fight in a serious manner! Now, who wants to challenge me? Raise your hands!"

Drake and Spencer resolutely raised their hands. They were still unresigned by what had happened in the competition. Both of them knew that none of the First Years were their match, so they were not afraid of one-on-one battles.

William sneered internally as he gave the two boys a refreshing smile. "Since the two of you are bold enough to challenge me then I will grant you a battle you will never forget.

"I, William Von Ainsworth, hereby order that all the members of the Solaris Dormitory will fight these two brave souls at the same time. Yes it will be the Solaris Team vs Drake and Spencer! Anyone who performs exceptionally will be given the position of Vice-Prefect!"

All the students gasped in surprise. Vice-Prefect? Isn't that almost the same as becoming the Head Prefect? Under one person, but above hundreds of students, this was a position that could be considered as the next best thing!

Priscilla had agreed to become William's Vice Prefect in the Enchanted Forest, but she felt that she was undeserving of the role. This was also the reason why she talked to William to have their contract revoked. The red-headed boy admired the black haired beauty's resolution so he agreed to her request.

William felt that if he forced Priscilla to become his Vice-Prefect using the contract, it would just make things awkward for the both of them. Since that was the case, he planned to award the position of Vice-Prefect as a prize to the person who would perform exceptionally in this scheme that he had concocted.

All the First Years stared at Drake and Spencer as if they were the most delicious food that they had seen in their lives. Some of them were already itching to start the battle and become the Vice-Prefect of the Solaris Dormitory.

"Shameless!" Ian almost spat on the ground. "This fool really knows how to take advantage of his position."

All the admiration he had for the boy earlier had evaporated into thin air.

Chapter 141: The Fight For The Position Of Vice-Prefect

William was praising himself for thinking of such an amazing strategy in order to deal with the bastards who dared to challenge his authority.

'Hmp! Since you dare to fight then you should be prepared for the consequences!' William laughed inside his heart as he watched Drake's and Spencer's faces turn red from anger.

"Honored instructors, I know that this might be sudden, but can you allow this fight to happen?" William asked. "I need to fill up the other positions so that the management of the First Years will go smoothly."

"… I will allow it," Grent said with amusement. "Let's go to the coliseum. Since it is another battle royale, it will be the best place to hold the competition."

Drake and Spencer were cursing William internally. If not for the presence of the instructors, they might have already given him the middle finger.

They were already regretting the fact that they had dared to challenge such a shameless person. Even so, since they had already made a declaration they had to go along with it even though they were bound to lose.

"This William is very sly," Andy muttered. "With this, no one will dare to challenge his authority in the future."

The instructors, who heard him, nodded their heads in agreement. This was the first time they had seen such a character appear in the Martial Classes and it gave them a very refreshing feeling.

The students of the Magic and Spirit Divisions noted this strategy in their hearts. If they were to become the Head Prefects of their own Dormitories then imitating William's approach would ensure that their position would remain safe and secure.

"William has grown a lot since the last time we saw him," a beautiful young lady with midnight blue hair said as he held her lover's hand.

"My cousin usually likes to act in a low-key manner, but since he was forced to be in the spotlight, he is milking it to the fullest." The handsome young man with short red-hair nodded his head in agreement. "I never thought that he'd become the Head Prefect as soon as he entered the Royal Academy. I'm very impressed."

"So you say, but were you not also the Head Prefect during your First Year?"

"Ah, it's because there weren't any strong individuals back then."

"It's not because there was a lack of strong individuals," the beautiful lady said as she leaned her head on his chest. "You're just too strong."

"Perhaps." the handsome red-head replied as he kissed his lover's forehead. "We will visit him after the selection for the Head Prefect of our year is over. Make sure not to tease him too much when we meet up with him, okay?"

"I understand. Don't worry, I will support you this year as well."

"Thank you."

-

Inside the coliseum, Drake and Spencer stood with their heads held high. The other students, on the other hand, were gripping their weapons in anticipation. If they could kill even one of these boys then the chance to become the Vice Prefect is assured!

The coliseum had an enchantment placed on it, similar to the Enchanted Forest. Anyone who died would automatically be ejected off of the battleground and taken to a safe location.

"Let the battle, begin!" William raised his fist and announced the start of the competition.

The students roared as they rushed toward the two boys with blood-shot eyes.

Drake and Spencer held their ground and unleashed their full power. Since they were about to die anyway, why not take as many of these bastards as they could with them?

The battle didn't become as one-sided as William initially guessed. Sure, Drake and Spencer were disadvantaged, but they were two of the strongest students among the First Years in the Martial Division.

Both of them went all out and wore their enchanted armors, accessories, and weapons. It made them more formidable and more deadly.

Spencer danced across the battlefield using his superior mobility in order to dodge and attack his pursuers. Everytime he thrust his spear, a pain-filled scream would follow. Drake on the other hand, was like an immovable mountain. The pressure he gave off was not something that a regular student could hope to attain.

Even so, he received several injuries from the united attacks that were coming his way.

"Not bad," William muttered as he observed the battle. "The two of them are quite capable. Don't you think so, too, Mama?"

"Meeeeeeh." Ella nodded in agreement. Although the two boys were weaker than her in her War Ibex Form, she had to agree that they were very competent fighters.

For a moment, those who were spectating thought that a miracle would happen. However, all of these expectations disappeared when a soft buzz reached Drake's ears.

"Sh*t!" Drake cursed when he realized that the one who had killed him inside the Enchanted Forest had struck during a critical time. He was currently fending off four attackers, and the archer chose to attack just as he unleashed his attack.

It was impossible to dodge, so all he could do was endure. He hoped that his armor would be strong enough to block the arrow from the hateful black-haired-girl who had backstabbed him for the second time!

The arrow hit its target, and Drake's body stiffened before turning into particles of light.

"Adamantium arrow?" William raised an eyebrow. "This girl really is scary. She still has trump cards up her sleeve."

After killing Drake, Priscilla raised her head to look at William for a brief moment before aiming at Spencer in the distance. She fired four arrows consecutively forming beautiful arcs in the air.

When the arrows neared Spencer, they all detonated and gave a blinding flash of light. All the students, including Spencer, were momentarily blinded by the attack.

Priscilla nocked another adamantium arrow on her bow and took aim. The moment she released the arrow, a gust of wind followed suit. Her black hair danced as she narrowed her eyes to look at her target.

Spencer's head was blown apart like a watermelon before turning into particles of light.

"So decisive," William commented. "Not bad."

Andy rubbed his chin with a smile as he looked at Priscilla. He had already intended to make her and William his apprentices during their stay at the Royal Academy. He was very satisfied with their performance and he hoped that they would continue to grow to become experts in the field of archery.

"The students this year are quite competent," One of the martial instructors commented with a grin. "Looks like, this year, we will have a chance to teach those arrogant magicians a thing or two."

The other instructors nodded their heads in agreement. They had long accepted that they would remain in the lowest ranked position again this year, but the appearance of William, Priscilla, Drake, and Spencer brought them hope.

Priscilla tucked her hair behind her ear as she gazed at the boy that had beaten her during the competition. Unlike Drake and Spencer, she experienced first-hand how strong William was. She would definitely not underestimate him ever again.

Seeing the beautiful girl's passionate gaze, William casually flipped his hair and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"From this moment onwards, I declare Priscilla Nerelle Grandfall, the new Vice-Prefect of the Solaris Dormitory," William announced.

"Also, I will be selecting a few more students to become the officers under my management. Even though the position of the Vice-Prefect is already taken, there are still other slots to fill! So, everyone, do your best. Those who perform well after a month's time will become the next batch of officers for the First Years!"

The students cheered in unison. They were quite happy that they would be given a fair chance to show off their abilities and win an official position instead of having to use bribes, or lower themselves to become William's lackeys in order to raise their ranks in the Solaris Dormitory.