Elias didn't show any sign of shock, as if he wasn't surprised at her sudden behavioral switch.

He had initially suspected that her soft and delicate persona was a front, almost as if she was concealing her true self behind a facade.

He had more or less confirmed it now and was seemingly amused to see the real side of her.

Yves also appeared quite unbothered, hinting at the possibility that she was already aware of her friend's double-layered personality.

Aamiya gazed at him with her lake-blue eyes, almost as if she could see through his outward appearance and was directly peering at his heart.

She chuckled in amusement, before asking a sudden question.

"When did you find out? During the ball?"

Elias calmly nodded, not planning to deny it. It was truly at that point that his suspicions were confirmed, as Aamiya's prophesy seemed too detailed and exact for someone who was just barely a Disciple.

The event was almost a one-to-one match to her revelation, meaning that unless she was secretly a high-ranking Apostle of Possibilities, there should be no logical way it would be that exact.

Aamiya twirled a loose strand of her unique pink hair around her fingers, all the while maintaining a playful smile.

"Sigh, I'm not surprised. I did suspect that it would expose me, but I couldn't just watch innocent people die just like that. Well ask what you want to know, and I will gladly comply."

Aamiya's presence seemed as lofty as one of the academy professors, looking like nothing that should be displayed by a mere teenage girl. Her entire person radiated grandeur, and being under her gaze made one seem small and unclothed as if there were no details she could not discern.

'How are these the eyes of an eighteen-year-old? I feel like I'm being watched by the stern gaze of Sister Marie.'

The pressure from her gaze even affected Elias a little bit, as he had to expend a little bit of effort to organize his thoughts before he spoke.

"How were you able to predict the attack."

Aamiya smiled gently, before walking out of the shade of the cafeteria and into the morning sun. She bent down to admire one of the flowers growing around the estate, inhaling to enjoy the fresh elements of nature.

"Eli, do you know why I'm called the Silver Swan of Loral Lake? Actually, there is no physical characteristic about me that points to the element of silver, yet I'm being referred to by such a unique name. Have you ever wondered why?"

Elias sank into contemplation, noticing an underlying meaning within her words.

He hadn't thought about it previously but now it seemed to stick out to him. Why was she referred to as a Silver Swan? Her hair was a unique shade of pink and her eyes lake blue. Even her aesthetic choices were focused on much more vibrant colour palettes and only her accessories worn could be noted as silver.

This unique detail wasn't really of use to him so he didn't pay it any attention but now he suddenly felt like it tied into her entire unique identity.

Seeing Elias deep in thought made Aamiya seem quite satisfied, as she stood up and moved back towards her two friends before handing them both one lily each.

"You don't need to think too much about it, as it wouldn't be much of a secret if it was so easily discernable from such vague clues. You are aware that my father is the Minister of Finance right?"

Elias nodded while Yves stared at the pink lily, confused as to why Aamiya had handed it over to her.

"Well, we weren't always this successful. We used to be a simple family of farmers, rich enough to get by but not to live as lavishly as we are now. I used to love tending to the gardens when I was a child together with my mother, while my father would either leave to make deals with passing merchants or go out fishing.

"Our main source of income was the wild apples that grew around our farms, a vital ingredient in the preparation of apple cider which was very popular around us at the time. We lived on the outskirts of Daubernon as we couldn't quite afford housing within the main city.

"Even with that, I was very happy, as I had my mother and father with me who loved me a lot. That all changed one night when I was eight, and would mark the start of a change in my otherwise stable life."

She looked down at the pink lily in her, a trace of melancholy hidden within her eyes.

"You see my mother was always a bit weak and frail, causing her to frequently fall sick during the winter season. The extreme temperatures were too much for her body to handle, so me and my father always made sure she was warm and indoors while it was snowing. That winter should have been no different, if not for my childish recklessness."

Aamiya went on to share how she had met Yves around that period, explaining how both of them had formed an instant friendship since they were both of the same age and without friends.

Both girls enjoyed a happy moment in the snow, causing them to stay out well into the evening. Aamiya's mother was worried since her husband hadn't arrived from the city and her daughter was running late, especially since it was approaching nighttime.

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She had then ventured outside to look for the young Aamiya, trying her best to thread the intense cold solely because of her motherly love. She managed to make it to the massive lake dividing the Daubernon city region from the kingdom's capital, popularly known as The Loral Lake.

It was assumed that her mother fell into it for some unknown reason, as a passing woodcutter claimed to have seen her heading towards the lake before she mysteriously disappeared.

She was never seen again after that day and her body was also never found, prompting everyone to assume that she must have drifted downstream after drowning in the lake.

Elias noticed Aamiya pale with sadness, while Yves closed her eyes with an expression of obvious guilt.

It didn't take long for her to regain her composure though, as she gently stroked the petals of the lily as if it was her most prized possession.

"Anyway, it was from that moment on that I developed a unique ability of foresight, as I noticed I was able to somewhat predict the future in certain scenarios. From then on I would be blessed with random revelations, an ability which my father presumed meant that I had been blessed by the goddess of the Providence Church, The Everchanging Tide.

"This ability enabled me to assist my father in making a name for himself in the financial sector, as I was then able to predict positive returns from some business dealings he had with the merchants. We rose from a commoner family to that of a Baron because of that, and I was then nicknamed the Silver Swan of Loral Lake by my father as a memento to my late mother, as he saw me as a gift given to him by the lake for taking her away from us."

Aamiya concluded her explanation, before letting the lily gently drift away in the wind.

Elias thought up a question, before deciding to ask it.

"Why did he go with Silver Swan though? Surely there must have been other options."

This time it was Yves that spoke up, her voice low but discernable.

"It was mainly because she blessed their family with a lot of money, hence the silver part. As for the latter, it's because the lake is famous for housing swans around the winter period, while also referencing how precious she was in her father's eyes."

Aamiya smiled serenely, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Yes, that is true. Even if it is a bit embarrassing for me to say this myself, my dad always likened me to a swan while I was growing up. My nickname was Little Swan when I was a toddler because my parents claimed to see no difference in my appearance and that of an elegant swan. I accepted the nickname without any complaint, as I felt like I had no reason to do so."

Elias nodded, understanding the entire picture. He felt sorry for making Aamiya rehash such a tragic past, especially because he understood just how painful it felt.

"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this, and I'm sorry for making you talk about such a painful memory."

Aamiya maintained her signature smile, no longer looking bleak and pale.

"It's fine. I would prefer it if you did not pity me, as I don't need it. It's a part of my life that's responsible for pushing me to become who I am today, and I will never see the memory of my mother as something painful but will instead make sure it remains a guiding light in my heart. She wouldn't be happy if I wallowed in the sadness of her death anyway, so what's the point?"

Elias gazed at the young lady before him, feeling like he had gained a new perspective of her character and personality. She was a lot more strong-willed and composed than she appeared to be, even possessing maturity that rivaled that of Elias himself.

He would never be able to view her as a soft and delicate girl again, as he was now aware of the hidden facets beneath her pretty face.

The three of them concluded their talks and slowly made their way back to the lecture hall, as it would soon be time for the next class to commence.

On their way back Elias posed a question, feeling like it needed to be addressed.

"I do feel like we need to let Damien and Ne'em in on everything, as we can only be a properly functional group if we are aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses. It was okay during the banquet as I and Damien believed you Aamy, but if it was anybody else they might have decided to verify the information first which would have led to a lot of wasted time."

Aamiya was still holding onto Elias's arm as they walked, a gesture which confused him but seemed to please the young lady.

"Well, I don't have a problem with that. How about you, Yves?"

Yves nodded nonchalantly, prepared to go along with her friend's decision.

"But how would you make them notice you Yves? Didn't you say it would only work if they had known you for a long time prior to you wearing the necklace?"

Yves regarded Elias's question with a conflicted expression, before ultimately deciding to respond.

"Well, there is.. another way. I just didn't bring it up because I find it too disgusting to talk about."

Elias looked curious while Aamiya was struggling to hold in a laugh.

"How so?"

It took a lot of inner struggle before Yves gave in to the question, as she closed her eyes and responded as indifferently as she could.

"They have to... drink my blood."

She walked off immediately after she spoke, leaving behind a shocked Elias to contemplate the notion of what she had said.

...

It was the lunch period and Elias could be seen making his way to Professor Windsor's office after a long and exhausting class on formal ethics and manners.

He didn't know why he always felt so tired after that class, as his etiquette professor was always making them do weird gestures meant for formal settings.

He would berate a student for something as simple as wrong hand placement during class, almost as if their form had to be always perfect while he was there.

Today had been especially exhausting as the class was related to ball dancing and choreography, so Elias was made to start afresh from the basics since he didn't have any prior experience with formal dances.

He eventually got to Professor Windsor's office after more or less dragging his tired body through the entire way, knocking and getting permission to enter.

Professor Windsor's office was modest, with the most minimal decoration and aesthetic choices. Elias also noted how the professor preferred a lot of darker colors, an observation that fits with his overall taciturn personality.

Professor Windsor gestured for Elias to approach his desk, before handing him his commission assignment grade.

Elias flipped through it, glancing through their scores in the highlighted sections.

Composure : 98%

Active Reactions : 100%

Passive Reactions : 90%

Environmental Awareness : 90%

Group Synergy : 97%

Caution : 70%

Satisfaction : 100%

Task Completion : 200% ( +100% for ensuring the safety of Baron Cohen's life which wasn't specified in the task. )

Total : 106% - Exceptional Grade.

Elias observed the grades, their low score in caution standing out to him.

'We were indeed too risky. For third-year Apprentices to face off against heretics slightly stronger than Apostolic Deacons says it all. I heard Yves faced off against two of them at the same time as well, which could be viewed as a very daring move on her part.

'It did work out well in the end though. I'm sure our risk-taking contributed to our high score in active reactions since we were somewhat able to stand our ground for around four minutes or more.’

Elias noticed the score of 106%, surprised at how they had passed the 100% basic threshold.

Professor Windsor smiled, saying they deserved it for their exceptional performance.

Elias decided not to question it any longer, bowing to the professor before leaving to announce and share in the success with his group members.