Chapter 153 - Elara, the Princess of the Pink Flame

Elara Asalon:

We were in the student council room, discussing the new students after the ceremony. During the event, I had spotted my half-sister, Melina, among the audience in the auditorium. It had been some time since I last saw her. Melina had always been reserved, and with my duties at the academy and my role as an ambassador, we rarely had the chance to catch up.

Leading my special troop of Asalon Knights, I carried the responsibility of representing our family's military side. This trust partly stemmed from my unique pink flame—a rare power in our lineage. Unlike regular fire, my pink flame not only burns with an unusual intensity but also has minor healing properties. Though the healing is limited and works only on myself, it’s a valuable ability in combat. I can heal as I destroy, making the pink flame an ideal asset for a Combat Mage.

Within my family, there have been debates about my future path. Some believe I should become an Inquisitor—a position shrouded in secrecy where identities are concealed. Others feel I should remain in the army as a public military leader, bringing direct glory to our family's name. Becoming an Inquisitor would mean wielding power in the shadows, while a military role would put me in the spotlight.

I sighed inwardly at the weight of these responsibilities, and I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for my younger sister, Melina. She’s always been the only one I truly cared about, and though I’m not a direct heir, she has always treated me with affection. Part of me is conflicted about her awakening to the rare colored flame talent. I know now that our stepmother, Queen Agnes, will place great expectations on her. Our generation of princes and princesses has been incredibly gifted, with rare abilities. Even my half-brother, Duncan, is one of the few mages in the world who can wield three elements. Queen Agnes is adamant that our generation will be the one to restore the Founding Empire.

Yet, I worry she might truly be planning something reckless. After all, I’m the one who attends meetings with leaders outside the three kingdoms, striving to maintain stability. Fortunately, I’ve formed a close bond with Rose, who helps me subtly and without bias during tricky negotiations.

Queen Agnes has tasked me with keeping an eye on any ‘useful assets’ among the academy students, especially since this year's intake included some rare creatures. And when I graduate, this responsibility will fall to Melina. I still cringe remembering the time I had to offer money to a student to acquire an animal that Agnes deemed useful for the army. It was embarrassing, and I get annoyed just thinking about it. Thanks to Sebastian and the other knights here, I’ve delegated that task to them—it’s certainly not suited to me.

“What do you think of this year's students?” Marco asked as we reviewed their files in the council room. The black-and-white photos were somewhat blurry, which didn’t help much.

“It’s a shame the images are like this. It’s hard to make accurate assessments,” Sebastian commented, shaking his head in disapproval.

“No point in asking again,” I said. “I’ve spoken with my family about releasing color photo technology, at least to the academy, but they insist on keeping it exclusive.”

Marco looked puzzled. “I don’t understand... We already have colored images in books, showing landscapes and other settings. Why not allow it for photos as well?”

"Well, it’s a bit different,” Sebastian began to explain. “The images in books are reproductions of paintings, done manually and then replicated using a magical device for mass printing. But the photo mirror captures the image perfectly, and it’s printed directly. Color photos are a more precise technology and exclusive to the royal family.”

I nodded, adding, “I could make a painting of you, Marco, but color photos have a level of detail and fidelity that only the royal family has access to. And they prefer to keep it that way.”

In the corner, seated in an armchair and ignoring all the commotion, was Tiffania, as usual. To the public, she was the personification of kindness, amiable and welcoming. But to us, who knew her better, she was quite unfiltered.

“That was such a waste of time… did you see their ridiculous smiles? They looked like they were staring at the most precious thing in the world,” my silver-haired friend complained, visibly irritated.

Tiffania, a high elf blessed with powerful healing abilities in her realm, always showed her impatience, especially with humans. In truth, she didn’t seem to have much patience for anyone.

“Blame it on your race for having that mystical aura,” Rose teased, laughing at Tiffania’s attitude.

She kept grumbling, and we just sighed, accustomed to her behavior by now. It was better to just ignore it.

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“I’ve marked a few interesting names here, but it’s hard to tell much beyond their elemental affinity and mana category,” Rose said, focusing on the files.

We were reviewing the talents of the first-year students, and this year seemed particularly interesting, with several high-ranking nobles. Eventually, we’d need to invite some of them to join the student council.

“Can we start without you, Tiffania?” Rose asked, trying to stay on track.

Tiffania merely waved her hand dismissively. “Since when do I bother with this? Why would I stare at faces on a piece of paper? I already had the displeasure of seeing them on stage,” she said, lying back in the armchair, clearly disinterested.

“You’d better go ahead, Rose,” Sebastian suggested, flipping through a few more files.

As we reviewed the new students' talents and skills, part of me was already assessing them as potential soldiers, even the high-ranking nobles. After all, it would be a while before they took on their political roles. In the meantime, they might as well enlist in the army, where they’d be valuable assets.

“I’ve found some interesting figures among the high-ranking nobles here,” Sebastian noted. “When they join the student council, they’ll have to start training with us. I might even invite a few to the army.”

“I thought I was the only one with military ambitions,” I said, letting out a small laugh.

I picked up the files in front of me. Each of us had received a copy of the new students' information.

“There are a few promising ones here,” Marco said.

Nathan Evenhart:

I was resting my head on the cafeteria table, reflecting on the first day of class.

"That class was exhausting; my mind is aching," Thyra complained.

"I agree, mine too... it gave me quite a bit of mental stress," I added.

Syvis approached and sat down across from us.

"Oh, come on, it was actually quite enjoyable, especially the part about culture and history. I liked how they went over the history of our trees and the structures that still stand there today," the elf said as she ate calmly.

I'm like this for a completely different reason than Thyra... The wolf girl just seems to hate studying.

I looked down at my plate and took half of the fish, tossing it on the floor for the little cat at my feet, who was desperately pawing at my leg and begging for food.

"It wasn't that bad..." Chloe said, placing a comforting hand on my back.

Now everyone’s unconsciously more alert, trying to identify a High Elf... It was pretty bad, actually.

We were in the academy cafeteria, which brought together all the students. The place was massive, bustling with people, and had a variety of food options, almost like several restaurants combined, catering to everyone's cultural tastes. We could either choose the daily special, which was free, or buy other dishes from the menu.

Chloe and I each received a monthly allowance of 5 gold coins—a staggering amount. To put it in perspective, an average worker's family would need months to save up a single gold coin without spending a cent. The currency system revolved around silver and copper, and gold was so valuable that most people had never even held a gold coin in their lives. With my allowance, I could afford to hire five mage builders for an entire month, which still seemed surreal. They wouldn't be Apsalon-trained mages, of course, but even so, the cost was impressive. I still remembered the shock when I first learned how much I’d be receiving each month.

Today, I ordered an extra fish dish, which cost me 2 silver coins, though I didn’t have to pay immediately; everything was billed to my academy account for my family to cover later. Looking down, I saw the little moon panther devouring half of my fish.

This kitty already ate her own dish and now wants mine...

Chloe had bought extra dessert, while Thyra was gnawing on a massive slab of meat with enthusiasm. When I asked how she managed to eat so much, she replied that wolves needed to stay well-fed to fight better.

This girl is nuts...

I thought of the little golden fox girl I knew and glanced over at the wolf girl beside me.

Kinue isn’t this wild... Thyra must be quite different due to her tribe or maybe it’s just her personality. Although her aunt is pretty rough too, so maybe that’s where she gets it.

I watched Thyra gnaw on the bones and laugh, entirely unbothered.

“What?” she asked, noticing my gaze.

“Nothing...” I replied, going back to my meal.

I looked over at Syvis's plate; she was eating delicately and gracefully, a complete contrast to the wolf girl’s wild approach.

Well, she is a princess, so it makes sense.

“Nate, would you like to share dessert with me? I’m not that hungry...” Chloe asked, blushing slightly.

“But there’s only one spoon,” I observed.

“I don’t mind...” she replied, still blushing.

“If he doesn’t want it, I do!” Thyra jumped in, full of enthusiasm.

I smiled at Chloe. “Alright, let’s share,” I agreed, accepting the shared spoon.

I ate half of the dessert Chloe left and we prepared for our next class. We had a basic introduction to mana categories and their functions. From what I gathered, we're starting from scratch to make sure everyone has the same foundation, and only then will they delve into more advanced content.

After class, we were given some free time and the students headed to their dorms. As a High Noble, I had a separate dormitory and was waiting for the other students so that an attendant could show us the way.

While I was standing in the hallway admiring the academy's architecture, Chloe approached, suddenly took my hand, and with a determined expression, said:

"Just know… that I… will always like you, even if your hair is a different color or even if you have no hair at all. So, don’t even think about finding someone else!” She leaned in, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and then ran off immediately after.

WHAT!?

I stood there, frozen, watching as she disappeared around the corner. My heart was racing.

Calm down, general... calm down... It was just a kiss on the cheek. But why did it make me so happy?

These emotions are powerful, and I can hardly believe what just happened.

Chloe kissed me on the cheek... She’s clearly expecting some kind of response to her feelings, but I don’t know if I’m ready to reciprocate.

“Hmph...” I heard the little cat huff and turn her head to the side, feigning indifference.

“Hey, don’t even think about complaining,” I said to her, trying to keep my composure. “I let you kiss me on the cheek once too, and back then, you could’ve swallowed me whole.”