THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"You are still going to see the headmaster?"

"Yes, Farner. I need to ask him something." I want to know what he got from the knights we captured and also if he can help me with Anriette's case.

"It's nothing dangerous, right?"

"Nope, I don't think so."

"Farner, does this guy even know the meaning of danger?"

"Ahahaha! You are right there."

"Hm…" Well at least, they are laughing now. When I saw Farner cry earlier, I felt bad, like, really bad.

"Okay, see you later then.." Lanuvel pinches my cheek then leaves, followed by Farner who looks at me one last time. I am not going anywhere dangerous, don't worry.

"Yeah, see you later."

I get out of the forest as well and to the headmaster's office. While taking the stairs, I notice that everything is so enlightened you wouldn't believe it is dark outside. Why do they have to put so many lights here?

As I reach the headmaster's office, the four knights as here as usual. But they don't open the doors.

"I would like to see the headmaster."

"He isn't here at the moment."

"Really?" Frankher isn't here? I am surprised. When he calls us here, it is generally in the middle of the night but he is still there nonetheless.

"Yes. Did you have something urgent?"

"You could say that." The knights all look at each other then move to the side and two of them open the gate. "Then you can deliver it to the secretary. She will relay the message to him."

"Okay, thanks."

As the doors open, the face of the secretary, stern and unexpressive appears. I enter and hand me a sheet of paper and a feather pen.

"Please write down what you want to tell him."

"You were listening?"

"Yes. Why? is that a problem?"

"Not at all." I write down everything I want to ask him and give the paper back to the secretary.

"Okay. I will leave it on his desk. Please wait a moment."

She stands up and touches an orb on her desk then disappears into a blinding light. She comes back a few seconds later.

"He will certainly call you once he reads it."

"Thank you, madam."

"Madam?"

"Yeah?"

"I am not married yet."

"Oh…Sorry." She looks old though.

"That's rude, you know?"

"Eh?"

"You just thought I look old, right?"

"N-no."

"Sigh…Good night."

"Yes, you too, ma…miss."

"Right."

***

When I reach our dorm, the lights are still on in the hall and the door is still broken. As I enter, Judy is there, sitting on a couch, alone.

"You are still up?" Is she worried about being attacked or something? "No one will enter, don't worry."

"Sigh…Just go please. I have other problems more important to deal with."

"Even if the heroes helped you, do you really think your people would have supported you?"

"What?" I read her thoughts and it seems this girl hoped for the church's support to regain her position and even rise to the throne. Thankfully, the heroes have refused in the end.

"Velvet told me that you were sick since your childhood. So nobody knows you in your kingdom. And yet you think you can become a queen? Isn't that too much?"

"That girl and her stupid mouth. Why do you know so many things about me, though?"

"Your eyes are talking a lot." And your mind as well.

"I see. But even so…"

"Moreover, even those you know plan on betraying you."

"What?!!" She stands up straight and walks to with three big steps then grabs me by the collar.

"Velvet came to me saying that once I decided to sell you back to your country, I should give her a percentage so that she will bring you wherever I want."

"I can't believe it." She releases me and falls on her knees. "So it was really that stupid, huh…Ahah…Ahahaha." She starts laughing but as I go back a little and look at her face, tears are flowing down as well.

"What are you going to do? Will you give up?"

"What other choice do I have?"

"To live, obviously."

"What for? To be persecuted and hunted down like a vulgar rabbit. As soon as I will step out of here, only death awaits me!"

"And throw it away. Everything that represents your past. Throw it away and start anew. Become stronger, so strong that once you will meet those who have pushed you on the edge of despair will only step away, fearing for their life."

"You speak like it is easy!" She stands back up and slaps me. "What could somebody like you know?!! I am weak! Even if my Angas is superior to other people, since I got poisoned, I could never reach the same height as others. How could I make them step away?!!!"

"Haven't you accomplished the first step already?"

"What? What nonsense are you-" Her whole body is shaking.

"Haven't you stand back up? That's the hardest step of it all. Now, all you have to do is to walk forward, always. The name I have now isn't my real name, at least not the one from my parents."

"And why did you change it?"

"Because I chose my own path. And even if I am too much of a coward to bear the full consequences of my choices now, I will have to once the time is right. Nevertheless, the fact is that," I release my aura, not at full power but enough for her to realize, to realize that kneeling and crying won't ever help, "I can say now that I am strong."

"And you think I can become like this as well?"

"You can try at least. There is nothing that can prevent you from that, right?"

"…Right."

Judy turns around while smiling. Her body is still shaking but still, she walks to the stairs and stop as she places her foot on the first one.

"Thank you. Dragonroad."

"You are welcome."

***

The next day, Frankher sends somebody to call us all. It shouldn't be about the things I asked. We go to his office and find other students there as well. Keltia is there with Lanuvel, Germinia, and two other students of the gamma class. They are the two guys who were in Keltia's team during the tournament. There are four students from the alpha and beta class as well.

We all enter and teleport to Frankher's office. When I arrive, he is sitting on a sofa, with a sheet of paper in his hand.

"Good morning, everyone."

"GOOD MORNING HEADMASTER!" Everyone answers like a single person. It almost made my heart jump.

"I hope you all slept well. I have called you all here, as I believe some of you can guess, about the school tournament that is organized every three years between the schools of the different kingdoms."

"We were aware of it, yes." Not we, Cordel, you. It's just you. I never knew there was such a tournament.

A tournament between schools, eh? That might be interesting. I will be able to see the level of other people and evaluate myself compared to them. The heroes are my standard to judge my strength but I should have an idea of how strong I am compared to normal people as well.

"Sir, can I ask a question?" Germinia has become quite docile. Or is it just because it is the headmaster? She didn't even look at me when we arrive earlier. I hope she has learned her lesson.

"Well, I would have preferred that you all wait until I explained everything to you but go ahead. That will the only question I allow you to ask, though."

"Thank you, headmaster. Is it true that the eternal academy has been using its influence to win the tournament for the past five years?"

I take back what I said. Germinia hasn't changed at all. Everybody looks at her with owl's eyes while Frankher just closes his eyes and smile. It is not an angry smile, though. Was he waiting for that question?

"Miss Highlander, I presume."

"Yes, Headmaster."

"You are just like your father, it seems."

"I do not think so, Sir. My father is stronger than me by thousand folds."

"Yes, like I said, you are just like your father."

"Have you met him before?"

"Yes, when I was a student here. We also fought during a tournament and he lost."

"My father said he never lost a fight when he was alone."

"Yeah, I believe he would say that. My team vanquishes his quite easily."

"But you didn't fight him personally. Or else you would surely have lost."

"Sorry to contradict you but I sure did and won. Though, indeed since it was a team battle, we could say that he was not alone and therefore distracted."

"I see." Germinia's face distorted slightly in anger and disappointment. She must have had a very high esteem of her father.

"Anyway, to answer your question, we don't cheat. And since you will have a chance to participate in the tournament, I am sure you will witness it with your own eyes."

"I certainly hope so, Sir."