chapter eight—student council.

—The Crestwood Coliseum had a spacious amphitheater, designated for extracurricular activities, such as sports tournaments.

The first-years perched on the bleachers and were fixated on the arena below, anticipating Elodie's inevitable altercation on the battlefield against a member of the Royal-class.

Excitement and fear intermixed on the students' faces as the majority eagerly awaited Elodie's match. The other portion of the classes were worried about her.

However, Elodie couldn't help but to stare on in confusion at the unfolding scene. The Royal Houses were the top authority in Gaia. Prince Theodore, whom resided within the House of Light, the pinnacle of nobility, possessed a level of power that Elodie couldn't comprehend. She had always been taught to always respect nobility, but she was having difficulty with adhering to that standard.

"This is not what I wanted my first day to go..." Elodie bit her tongue as she accepted his challenge, unable to wriggle out of this situation. Fighting was never her forte, as she had never been given a chance to hone her combat abilities under her sisters. Elodie didn't seem to inherit this trait. Although she regretted her choice, there seemed to be no means of avoidance.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Sonus spoke with a hint of nervousness in his tone.

"Hmm? Do you require a visit to the infirmary, Sonus?" Simmons asked with a curious expression.

"It was a figure of speech, Paige. I feel the same way. Elodie will be challenging the Royals—the powerhouses of Crestwood," Felton noted with slight dread.

"It's up to the battle," Paige said to Elodie with an adventurous expression in her yellow eyes. Prince Theodore and the members of the Royal-class hovered above them near the VIP seating area where plenty of others sat. It was as though they were patron saints assembled to pass judgment. Elodie clenched her fists and held onto something no one else could see. She stared at them all with a calculating gaze. The Royals were staring upon her with stoic gazes.

"Elodie Charleston!" Theodore's voice boomed throughout the whole coliseum. "Your opponent has been chosen. You must overpower your opponent and have them forfeit the fight. Can you accept these conditions?"

Elodie's lips trembled as she hesitated before raising her hand, voicing her concerns aloud. "Your Majesty, could I refuse to duel?" she whispered with fear.

A collective gasp swept through the students in response, but their concerns were quickly quelled as Theodore's voice once more boomed across the room. "Then, if you choose not to fight, your rank as a Mage-class student will be stripped away, and you will be expelled from Crestwood."

Horror and disbelief spread among the onlookers as they registered the severity of the situation. "Is he serious? Can he really do that?" one voice questioned as the whispers and murmurs continued.

"She's from the Mage-class, the second strongest, yet she stands no chance against a Royal," one voice murmured, while another voiced their concerns, saying, "I fear for that girl. Her time at Crestwood may come to an end here."

The conversation continued, with the majority of the students expressing their opinion on the upcoming fight. Though, Sonus, Felton, and Paige felt a sense of unease, unable to ignore the tension that lingered in the air. With their thoughts weighed down, the trio remained silent, waiting with a touch of worry for the battle that was to come.

"Your opponent will be Duchess Eria Lanche." Theodore announced and the snow white-scarfed student glided towards the fighting arena. She possessed icy blue eyes and a winter-like aura that embodied the season.

"The Ice Duchess?!"

"No. Not her."

"That girl is done for!" The students gasped.

"Duchess Lanche." Paige muttered firmly. "A noble who belongs to the House of Water. She is a vell-versed Arcanist in Ice Magic. She is also proficient in a beta-Arcane type. Which is a huge advantage over Elodie."

Felton gulped, feeling anxious. "Oh man. Elodie will need all the blessing of the Dragon Gods for this match."

The Mage student gazed at the Duchess with amazement. She had snow-white hair that was mesmerizing in beauty. She was like an ice princess that was born to be a living lore piece. Her cold grimace stood out even more, especially with her icy hands that radiated her Quintessence.

"Hmph! Be fortuitous that I am your opponent, peon." Eria held up her hands, causing the cold air to fill with frosty haze. "I may not directly hail from the Royal Houses, but as a sect from the House of Water, my Ice Magic is unmatched."

The frost was forming from underneath Elodie's feet, snaking its way across the arena. It spread rapidly, and she was forced to leap backward to avoid the rising frost. She turned her gaze back towards Duchess Eria as the Royal-class student stepped onto the ice and began skating around.

"I've heard a lot about you. You can't fly or summon objects from thin air," Eria taunted with a mischievous smile. "A child has more magical talent than you."

Elodie remained silent and watched the Duchess perform graceful and elegant movements on the ice. As the royal skated, she raised her own Ice Magic and unleashed a volley of sharp shards. The blonde girl yelped, quickly moving out of harm's way to avoid the onslaught of ice bullets. Eria continued to fire ice shard after ice shard, forcing Elodie onto the slippery arena. The girl's footing slipped and she nearly fell, but she managed to quickly regain her balance and stand firm on the unstable ice.

The Duchess continued to attack aggressively, quickly skating around the arena and slinging ice blades Elodie's way. Despite her best effort to dodge, one of the shards of ice eventually found its mark, slicing into her arm and ripping through the fabric of her uniform.

"I need to act fast!" Elodie resolved herself, skating around and maneuvering away from her opponents relentless onslaught of attacks. The Duchess took to the air and unleashed another offensive barrage.

"Face my Wind Magic! Gust Punch!" Eria's hands conjured a furious gust of air that launched Elodie with great impact and force, knocking her down to the ice and jarring her senses.

"You're impressive for a commoner, but you won't last another minute against me!"

The Duchess then unleashed a barrage of crystal from her hands on Elodie's legs, immobilizing her with "Crystal Magic. Gem Statuette". At the sight, the coliseum spectators gasped in shock.

Eria coldly chuckled, "It's over."

"She can use Crystal Magic too?!" Felton gawked at Sonus from the bleachers. "I thought only Skymaids could use that! What the heck, Sonus?!"

"I didn't know that either!" Sonus gawked at the spectacle in front of him. "But...that was a Cadet level spell..."

"And Eria just put it on show," Paige muttered to herself.

"Elodie can't beat her..." Sonus' eyes glittered with determination as he glared at Duchess Eria, who continued to laugh in mockery at her defeated opponent. The girl remained trapped in place as the crystal formed around her, with nowhere to go.

Elodie felt a sense of hopelessness wash over her as she stared up at the laughing duchess. She could only watch as Eria made her final move and the crystal completely consumed her, leaving her trapped in a state of immobility. The spectators gasped and murmur in shock, unsure of what they had just witnessed.

Elodie struggled to escape her crystalline prison, finding that the crystal seemed to have a will of its own. As she attempted to break free, the crystal continued to spread, covering more of her body and trapping her in place. "I can't get out of this!" she grunted.

'And she used Skymaid-type Magic,' she muttered to herself. "That's three Arcane Magic types in total. Royals from the Houses are incredibly powerful..."

Duchess Eria seemed amused by Elodie's predicament. "Do yourself a favor and surrender, my dear. This is a blessing only you can receive. Don't prolong your embarrassment."

Despite her capture, Elodie kept her head held high. "I believe you're wrong, My Duchess," she said with a thin smile. "I will not succumb to your power. I will find a way to free myself from this trap."

Eria's cold expression softened. She couldn't help but admire Elodie's determination. "Very well," she said, taking a step back. "I will await your counterattack."

Elodie's eyes glowed with a swirling pool of vivid green energy as she raised her hands skyward. A blinding light flashed from her fingertips, engulfing the arena in a brilliant aura of verdant mana. With a powerful smash of her hands against the ground, Elodie unleashed a seismic pulse of magic, causing tremors to rock the very ground beneath the horrified spectators' feet.

The audience cried out in shock and disbelief at the sheer power of the girl's magical prowess. As the dust cleared, Elodie stood tall and proud, her hair and robes fluttering in the ensuing wind, a triumphant figure in the center of the arena.

"What was that power?"

"What did she just do?"

"What happened?"

“Oh, was that a bluff?” Eria mocked. Her cold blue eyes locked on Elodie, the duchess feeling frustrated. “That trick was clever—you could’ve done that the whole time?”

Elodie smiled and stood tall, her arms outstretched as she faced off against her opponent. Even her hair fluttered with the power of the elements within her, the wind rippling around her.

“It just takes the right situation for me to let loose,” Elodie said.

Her starry eyes were outshined by brilliant emerald flames as she raised her hands high, summoning forth an immense burst of mana that exploded beneath her feet. The magic rippled through the ground, shattering the ice and emerging from within in the form of a tangled web of vines and flowers. Duchess Eria, who had grown too overconfident in her own abilities, was caught up in the magical trap and dragged within its grasping grip.

"Viridian Cage..." Elodie whispered.

The Royals and the other students on the regular bleachers watched in hushed awe as the beanstalk towered into the air, dominating the entire arena. Felton was the first to find his voice, shouting in shock and confusion. "What even is this?!"

Sonus remained silent, utterly baffled by the display of magic before him. Even Prince Theo appeared momentarily taken aback, but he soon regained his composure and nodded in approval. "The match has been concluded! Elodie Charleston wins," Theo declared, his voice carrying across the stunned crowd.

"Woah!" The students cheered in merriment and applauded in amazement like the spectators they were. Elodie swirled around in triumph as the students cheered and applause in celebration of her victory. She turned back to the towering beanstalk she had created, unable to contain her pride and amazement.

Eria, however, was outraged and refused to accept her defeat. "This is unacceptable! I did not lose to some unentitled peon! I DID NOT!" Her face was the color of rage as her ice began to spread on the beanstalk, she attempted to break it through but the vines did not sear away from her Ice Magic. It only made her angrier.

"What?! It's not coming off?! What sort of Arcane is this?! I demand a rematch! No Royal loses to a lower rank! It's not fair!"

"Eria!" The Ice Duchess yelped and looked at the Prince's fierce gaze which made her go silent. But her cold brine eyes nastily glared at Elodie. Prince Theodore quickly diffused the situation, sternly reminding Eria of her place. He then made his way towards Elodie.

Elodie immediately perked up at the sight of the handsome prince, his striking white hair and shining eyes almost too beautiful to look at. "Congratulations."

His eyes were forever burning bright like two lively stars in the night sky. Elodie snapped herself out of her daze and curtsied in respect. "I thank you, Your Majesty."

"This indeed is quite an incredible display of magic." He looked over to the beanstalk on his right.

"Prince Theo! Prince Theo!?!" However, Eria was still stuck in her trap and crying out for help. "Please get me out of this ratchet weed, my dear sweet prince!"

"Oh...I don't really know how to undo all this." Elodie shyly answered.

"No matter," Theodore, seemingly unphased, raised his hand and with a gesture of his hand, the stem of the beanstalk began to glow with a brilliant light that quickly spread to the rest of the vines, until it all disintegrated into stardust, leaving the students in awe of the magnificent spectacle.

"Oh, Prince Theo! Thank you!" Eria rushed over after being free. Elodie was visibly tense as the Duchess embraced and pecked Theo on his cheek. She felt uneasy under Eria's piercing gaze and took a step back.

"That was an unfortunate loss, Duchess," Elodie said, trying to calm the situation. "But I'm willing to rematch anytime you want."

Eria's eyes narrowed, and she glared at Elodie, who puffed out her chest defiantly. "I will not let a loss go unchallenged," she declared before levitating away, her voice filled with brash hatred.

Prince Theodore, however, remained calm. He sighed and floated slightly above the ground, his eyes shining with a mischievous glint. "The Duchess seems to be quite agitated with you, Elodie," he said with a slight smirk. "Perhaps you shouldn't have won."

Elodie's lip trembled slightly, and she felt a pang of regret for her victory. "I-I don't think the Duchess is going to be able to accept defeat," she admitted.

Theodore shook his head. "Nonsense. She'll be fine. Come along, won't you?" He extended his hand to Elodie, offering her an escape from the tense situation. "I've something important to show you."

"Uhm. Of course, Your Highness." Just as Elodie followed the Prince out of the Coliseum, Principal Vox in his purple cat form, lazily roosted on top of the school's bell towers and witnessed the whole thing. His feline facial expression was drenched with a lack of worry as he found entertainment in that match. "Ms. Charmswell has grown quite strong.

But how much will she grow, I wonder?"

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Theodore led the blonde Mage student through the hallways of Crestwood, explaining that each floor was designated for a specific class faction.

As they made their way through the halls, the news of her match with the Ice Duchess spread quickly. Word of their epic battle had likely reached even the upperclassmen, the news had not tended to spread at such an extraordinary rate.

As they reached their last destination, a lavish lounge adorned with luxurious furniture and breathtaking views, Theodore opened the door to reveal a group of Royals unwinding on the sofas. Elodie was taken aback by the beauty of it all, her gaze drifting to the three Royals in the lounge's centre.

"Oh! There she is!" One of them was a red-skinned Olympian red giant, who sprang up to greet her with enthusiasm. His skin tone was an intense hue of red, along with fiery red hair and piercing black eyes with red pupils, emanating heat and passion from within. Elodie was taken aback by the intensity of his skin's color and the warmth that surrounded him.

"I am Prince Zaudan Olympia, from the House of Fire. It is my pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," he said, formally bowing before her.

"Princess Oceania Neptunia, from the House of Water," a blue-haired mermaid waved in acknowledgement, her eyes shimmering with a watery radiance that outshined even Elodie's own blue eyes. The two greeted each other with warmth, and Elodie couldn't help but feel humbled by the presence of these Royals.

"Princess Bexley Clockwork, from the House of Time," a purple-haired royal nodded silently for a moment before closing her eyes. Elodie couldn't help but wonder if the princess had some vision problems.

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Majest-..."

"Call us by our first names, you're welcome here from now on!" Zaudan interrupted before ruffiting her hair, leaving her with a warm smile. "We're the Crestwood Student Council for the entire first-years, and you...have just become our newest member!"

"Huh?!" Elodie stepped back in shock, unsure of her place in the council. "B-but...I'm a commoner. You're all Royals," she stammered.

Theo took a seat on a vintage chair and looked at her with an understanding smile. "We already know who you are. A Mage student who's been making quite a mark on campus with her skills."

"But...that's all I am. I'm not anything special."

Theodore hummed to her words but knew there was a hidden lie in them. "Do you see my eyes, Elodie?"

"Your eyes?" Elodie stared at his glimmering yellow eyes, that were burning light. She turned over and saw Zaudan's firey-red eyes burn as well as Oceania's ocean blue ones. All of which were constantly shining and burning.

"When Arcanists use beta-Arcane Magic, it only summons their intended elements and doesn't affect their bodies. But with alpha-Arcane Magic, our eyes glow a specific type of flame. Like ours." Elodie's eyes widened in fascination as the prince explained the different types of Arcane Magic and their physical effects.

"Apart from the Royal-class and the whole of Crestwood, only heirs of the 4 Royal Houses know of your true identity. Ms. Elodie Charleston..." Theo gleamed with a sly smile across his lips.

"...or should I say; Daughter of the famed Hero of Gaia—

—Ms. Elodie Charmswell."

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[ AUTHOR: heyo, hope you've enjoyed so far! Please vote and comment on what you think about it! It would mean so much if you supported this book! Ill try to update, about 5 chapters per month. I don't have much time because of college and other matters.

Also check me out on Instagram: @_lebzachannn. I'm also planning to draw my characters. But I hope you liked it. TSYM! ]