"Well now," William chuckled. "Wasn't that the interesting display we had there".

Allen sat there for a moment processing what had just happened between William, Rose and him. After Rose left, the air in the room seemed to calm down a little, as if when Rose is in the room, things begin to shake up a little bit.

"I suppose you could call it that," Allen finally spoke.

"So, what did you think of her?," William asked him, the curiosity easily seen on his face.

"Oh, what do I think of  Rose? She seems interesting enough," Allen responded.

William seemed to sit and ponder for a moment, then spoke again. "Anything else at all? Anything you notice about her?," he asked.

"No, not really," Allen responded. "I suppose I would say she seemed a bit stressed and out of place than what she appears to be".

"Is that so? Nothing at all seems familiar about her? Anything at all?," he asked as he leaned forward.

Allen thought it was strange that William asked him that question. After all, this was the first time he's ever met Rose if you don't count the opening ceremony. Unless he's met her before?

"Not that I can think of. I suppose a little bit, but I mean this is the first time I've met her, so I am not sure," Allen told him.

"I see," William spoke while staring into space. "So, how is your class going so far? I know we're only a few weeks in, but are you making any progress in your class?".

"Yeah a bit," Allen responded. "Although all the stuff we're learning is stuff I already know or it's just self study".

William let out a little laugh. "Well, that is F rank class. Though I suspect you won't be in there for long. Just continue your studies and training and you'll be out of there soon enough".

"Well eventually I think I will, but it's a matter of C rank I have to worry about," Allen said, giving William a slight glare.

"Ah yes, that. As you remember, you wouldn't have been able to attend if I didn't give you those conditions. But don't worry, you can easily increase your rank in your participation in the tournament. If you do well, your rank can be increased," William explained.

"And that's if I even have a chance in the tournament," Allen laughed.

"Oh don't worry Allen. Long as you keep training, I'm sure you will do well in the tournament," William encouraged him with a smile.

"Well, training every day is pretty much the plan already," Allen shrugged.

"Aside from your class, made any new friends?," William asked.

"Oh yeah, I have. Tom and Lily from my class," Allen responded.

"Oh, you mean Thomas Terrastone and Cecily Rivertide? Rather interesting," he smiled.

"Wait, do you know them William?," Allen asked, curious.

"Of course I know them," William explained. "I am a Windblade, after all. Of course I would know members of the other great families".

"Ah that's right," Allen said as he remembered about William being in the Windblade family.

"So, I presume you've been training with them, yes? What do you think of them?," William asked, leaning forward.

"They both are good with fighting for the most part. We've all been training together for the past week or so each day. I think each of them are doing really well," Allen explained.

"While all 3 of you are F ranks, that doesn't necessarily match your skill in battle. Each of you possess battle talent, it is only a matter of working hard to make talent into experience and becoming an expert," William explained.

"Yeah I think both of them have a lot of potential with their magic even though they are only F ranks. I feel like they can both get out of F rank rather quick if we just keep training with them," Allen responded.

"Thomas has a unique earth magic hardening ability he can use, which is why he is an exception. Despite this unique ability, his overall magic reserves are still low which is why he is an F rank. If Thomas trains enough he can sure become a strong magical knight," William explained.

"Yeah I saw Thomas use it firsthand. He explained it a bit to me," Allen said.

"And then of course there's Cecily," William continued to explain. "She has her own ways she can improve like...".

"Like what?," Allen asked after William sat there for a few moments thinking.

"Hmmm… nevermind. That is for her to discover. Anyways-,"

"Wait, what are you talking about William?," Allen asked, interrupting before William could change the subject.

"Ah, that is something I cannot, or should I say do not, want to tell you. She will figure it out for herself the more she trains," William explained.

Allen wasn't sure what William could be talking about. As far as he was aware, Cecily didn't possess any sort of ability like Thomas did. He thought hard for a moment, but couldn't come up with anything.

"I'm not sure what you could mean, but if you say she has something then she must have some sort of ability," Allen commented.

"It is simply something that she will one day discover for herself. She has talent, she just needs to find it," William explained.

"Well all of us will continue training so she will find it eventually then. We will continue to train to become stronger," Allen said enthusiastically.

"Good, that is what you should be doing right now. Keep training to get better, and you will all get promoted to D rank very soon", William said with a smile.

"I hope so and that is what I am aiming for," Allen spoke confidently. "My goal to become a strong magical knight has not changed".

"Well good, stick with your goal. But I believe it's time for you to leave. I'm sure you'll want to have time to train, and unfortunately I have a lot of paperwork still to do," William sighed as he notioned to the stacks of paper on his desk, most of them still not filled out.

"Well I suppose that is what happens when you are a director of a prestigious academy William," Allen laughed.

"Ah oh well, I'll get this all done eventually. Even if it costs me my entire day that is," William sighed again.

"Don't worry William, you can get it done," Allen said enthusiastically as he got out of his chair.

"Oh and don't worry about Rose," William said as Allen was about to leave. "She hasn't had the best past when it comes to fire magic, so just give her some time to think about it".

"Alright sounds good William. I will see you later then," Allen said as he walked out of William's office.

William waved him goodbye and then reluctantly got back to his paperwork.

After Allen left William's office, he went to the training grounds in which he trained for the rest of the day until he had to head back to his dorm and fell asleep since he had class the next day.

Once Allen woke from his slumber, he got up and began to get ready to go to class. He got his uniform on, strapped his sword to his waist, and put his singular glove on - the one he always wears on his right hand.

This time Allen, Thomas, and Cecily agreed to meet up to class today. Thomas had said they had some business to take care of before class, so he told Allen that they would meet him at class - on time of course, or at least that's what he said.

Allen walked into the familiar scene he sees everyday when he goes to class - Ms. Florence at her desk reading her book, and the other two students already there in the back of the room. Both of them never talk or converse with anyone.

One of them always wears a hoodie over their head, so up to this day no one has ever seen that person's face before. Although, the student had a feminine figure, so the student most likely was female. Seriously, Allen thought. Do they ever talk at all? Or will this be how the rest of their time in the F ranked class will go?

He took his regular seat he sits in everyday and waited for Thomas and Cecily to arrive to class. Just 2 minutes before class started, he could hear their voices down the hall getting louder and louder as they approached.

"-ou that we would be here on time! We're almost there!," a voice that was definitely Thomas' could be heard inching closer.

There was a moment of silence for maybe less than a second before he could hear Thomas go "Ouch, that hurt Lily! You don't have to-... ok ok I'll stop it with the late talk, alright? We're almost there".

Just then Allen saw them both walk in. Cecily was glaring at Thomas, which he assumed was because of what Thomas was saying earlier.

They both looked up to see Allen sitting at his seat and said hello to him as they sat down.

Thomas looked over at Allen with a smirk. He's going to ask me about yesterday, Allen thought.

"So Allen, care to explain why the student council president out of all people came to personally get you?", he said as he looked at him very curiously, almost without blinking.

"Well, it's a rather long story," Allen tried to avoid the topic a little.

"Oh c'mon Al! You can tell your buddy Tom here all the details why a cutie like the student council pres-", he began to say, but was unable to finish as he turned around to find Lily staring at him intensely.

"Wait Lily, I meant it as a joke! I swear-", Thomas put his hands up in an attempt to calm down the deadly Lily in action.

"Alright everyone, time for your lesson of the day," Ms. Florence had made her way up to the front of the room to begin her lesson.

Absolutely grateful that Ms. Florence saved his hide, Thomas put his undivided attention to the front of the room in order to try to subdue the deadly Lily with an excuse. Allen tried to hide back his absolute laughter trying to escape his lungs.

Ms. Florence's lesson didn't last too long. They paid attention the entire time, and even Lily stopped giving Tom the death glares after some time. After her lesson, the 3 regrouped to talk after class.

"So Allen, mind telling us the story of how such a cu-", Thomas had started to say, but then quickly remembered what would happen if he were to finish that as he started to feel Cecily's glare already. "Er, I mean the story why the student council president got you herself?"

"Right, yesterday when she appeared out of nowhere in class, right?," Allen asked, recalling the events of the day before.

"Yeah, that. Why would the student council president come get you herself? Al do you know her too?," Thomas laughed.

"Actually, I don't know her. Yesterday was my first time I can recall ever talking to her," Allen responded.

"So then why would she personally ask for you? I wanna know ALL the details," Thomas' eyes screamed the word curiosity.

"Well, she took me to William's office, where William talked to both of us," Allen responded.

"About?," Thomas stared him down, waiting for a response.

Allen had to take a moment to think. He couldn't tell Thomas about the entire meeting. He obviously can't tell him he is a fire mage. He decided to just tell him a small part of it.

"Well, William thought it would be a good idea if Rose and I were to train together…," Allen said awkwardly.

Thomas just stared at him for what seemed like forever. His curiosity turned into disbelief and shock.

"Wait, you aren't serious, right? William, the director… wanted you… and Rose… to train together?!?," Thomas finally spoke, the shock in his words prevalent.

"Well, that was the plan William had anyways. Rose declined for now," Allen shrugged.

"N-no way. Not only you know the director, but now you are getting closer to the student council president? I'm getting jealous Allen," Thomas jokingly sobbed.

"Hold on, I just know William from when I was younger! Also it's not like I got closer to Rose or anything, she declined as I said!," Allen tried to explain to Thomas. Allen could also hear Cecily in the background giggling.

Thomas stopped his sobbing (even if it was a joke and fake). "Well if you end up training with Rose, what about the training with Lily and I? You're just gonna leave us for some hot upperclassman now?," He laughed.

"I- no. I would still train with you guys. That's assuming I end up training with her. I don't really see completely why William would want me to train with her. Isn't she an A rank or something?," Allen asked.

"She is an A rank, correct," Cecily spoke up out of nowhere and caught Allen and Thomas off guard. "Maybe it's because she also fights with a sword too?"

"Hey that's right! She fights with a rapier!," Thomas said as he recalled.

"I believe it is her family's sword. The Marion families' sword passed down generation after generation,'' Cecily commented.

"Hm, maybe that makes sense. There aren't that many mages that fight with a weapon, right?," Allen asked.

"As far as I can tell, only you and the student council president use weapons at all here at the academy. So yeah, that makes you stick out like a sore thumb," Thomas laughed.

"I guess it does," Allen shrugged. "I'm also an F rank too so…".

"Well we're all F ranks so I suppose we all stand out anyways. Just, not in the good way," Thomas laughed.

"Well, are you ready for our daily training then? Now that I told you what you wanted to know?," Allen asked.

"Sure, let's head out. Lily, are you ready?," Thomas said as both Allen and him were getting out of their seats. Lily nodded and followed.

(Continued in Part 2 of Chapter 9 due to 15,000 Character Limit on Chapters!)