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2) Fish Eggs with a side of tournament?

As Aurelius walked out of the school, through the neodymium gates into the great streets of Parriar. As Aurelius walked out onto the street, he had put on a white robe that his fellow students had on with some sandals. 

The street was packed with people wearing different coloured robes. Hawkers and stalls were calling out to the students who just left the academy. Ornately decorated chariots with family crests were flying overhead with sea creatures like whales and seahorses leading them. Fish shaped balloons were either in the hands of children or floating through the sky. Fish floats were streaming through the streets with the townsfolk cheering them on. This was the 503rd Fish Egg Festival of Parriar.

As Remus recalled form one of his history lessons, the Fish Egg festival was held every year and is said to have started after Emperor Cassius The Holy had expanded the frontier of the Ethereal Empire. One of his soldiers had encountered a World Fish, a being that can only be created after having been in contact with a god. The World Fish had fallen to sleep, not acknowledging the surroundings and leaving it's pristine lapis jeweled egg unguarded. It is said that the solider had stolen the egg and offered it to the emperor, who in exchange for this gift had given him the title of lord and gave him the entire surrounding region of Parriar, naming it after him.

And so to this day the region will hold a 12-week long festival where everyone shall eat only fish and other sea creatures. Remus had grown used to this festival since he had been born and raised in Parriar for 16 years and it was the highlight of his year. Walking through the streets, he remembers the times when his father would buy him fish head rum when he was underage. A sorrowful expression flashed across Remus's face as he thinks this.

Aurelius continues remembering these times until he is interrupted when he feels a tight grasp n his shoulder.

"Aurelius, you cur! I thought you would be in a hole reading by now, but you're here here! In the festival!" said the ringleader, clasping Remus's shoulder so tight that an foreboding creak in the bones as Remus winced.

The group was made of boys and older women who had maid uniforms. Most of the boys were human except they had gills on the side of their necks and scales around their ears. Remus knew this group well as they tormented him and many other students for quite some time. These were the Town Minister's son's.

The Town Minister was the one who was assigned by the City Administrators to overlook the towns. Town Minister's were able to do almost anything in their towns depending on the Minister's power. In the region, he wasn't too powerful but in Parriar, he was the strongest force and so were his sons, especially the ringleader of this group, Vulcan.

"Hey, you hear me?" laughed out Vulcan as he hit Aurelius on the head.

The boys laughed at this, with many of the maids joining in though with fake loud laughs obviously made to satisfy. Aurelius groaned from the pain of the hit. He had met up with this group many times. Aurelius always wondered why him. He thought that they would be jealous of his academic intellect but they had a surefire path to success, he then thought that it was due to his social awkwardness that made him a target for bullying but there were some people who were even worse than him. No, Remus knew what the reason was but didn't want to accept it, he couldn't.

As they walked through the street, people made way for them and never bothered when they took food from stalls without paying. They walked through the town as Vulcan talked to the group of the tournament.

"I heard there's a new tournament occurring in 2 months" Vulcan said while munching on a deep-fried fish ball. The group listened attentively. One of them named Gram added, "I heard of that from father! He had sent a message to some official guests like Rumbridge the Martial Knight, Kingston of Red and even City Administrator Fargo!"

The group was shocked. These were the strongest warriors in the entire region with Rumbridge being several times stronger than most of the City Administrators. Well most of them, apart from City Administrator Fargo who had once even clashed with the Lord of the Region.

"The young lords are so knowledgeable!" said the maid with the most curvaceous figure. She had gotten close to Vulcan and held onto his arm tight. Aurelius looked with disgust at this obvious display of garnering favor.

Vulcan looked at the maid with lustful eyes and continued, "That's not all, it's said that the 14 year-old son of the Region Lord is participating trying to win the favor of the Regis Scholaris attending" 

Aurelius, who had been silent through the whole trip, suddenly tensed when he heard the name. Looking up for the first time at the group and holding Vulcan's collar with an iron grip and pulling him in close.

"Are you sure?! Is the Regis Scholaris really there!?"