Following a large corridor, Mael and Ramia walked side by side. Nobles at their sight, stood aside and respectfully greeted them.

Today, they were both wearing a very different uniform from the one they were usually wearing. Usually they wear the Leading faction version of the Academia Aurora Academia’s uniform, a white uniform stripped with gold. Today, the two of them were wearing a black uniform stripped with silver and red.

Adorned on their chest was a medaillon that had been bestowed upon them for the act of bravery of stranding against the water calamity, three months ago. Though all they did was stop the water serpent from penetrating through the city, in a matter of weeks, their fame skyrocketed beyond what they could’ve ever imagined.

Spreading like a wildfire, it didn’t take long for Mael and Ramia’s story, the story of two nobles having stood proudly against one of the seven great calamities that had banned the entire continent, to spread across every corner of the continent.

With stories of that kind being relayed mouth to mouth, details about the confrontation were bound to grow more exaggerated than they truly were.

Silver and Red.

The Red Princess and the Silver Prince

Those were the surnames they went through with lately.

Mael did think that all of this was very exaggerated. All he did was to reach the wall way before anyone else. Besides that, anyone could have done what he did. He just happened to be the lucky one with the right object with him. But even then, he knew that if that water serpent wanted it, the puny barrier they used wouldn’t have held long. That day, more than on that day when he was once, as a child, taken hostage by that person he hated so much, was the first time he ever felt so frightened.

It was a different kind of fright than the one he felt back then; in this one, he felt no resentment for making you feel that way; in fact, Mael felt grateful for having been spared, which he and Ramia both knew was the case.

If the dragon they met that day were to be the light calamity or the lightning calamity, then he was sure that the outcome would’ve been much more disastrous.

In short, Mael believed he was lucky. He had full-intentions of taking full advantage of this chance that had been provided to him.

The events of the Seven Great Calamities had direct and indirect consequences for those on the continent as well as Academia students.

Though the deluge that giant serpent deluge didn’t make it past the city wall, its consequences were no less disastrous for the academy. Many of the students present in the academy have temporarily dropped out for personal reasons, some due to the loss of their parents, others due to financial or social uncertainty, and some were simply summoned back by their parents, as was mostly the case.

As a result of the calamities, a large number of young nobles from across the continent dropped out of the academy. Though the dropout rate didn’t go beyond the 20% bar, it was, in the grand scheme of things and compared to everything that has been seen in the past, still a disaster.

Both reached what seemed to be a long waiting room, where they were greeted by three people wearing the same outfits as them. Within the room were a boy and a girl, both of around the same age as Mael and Ramia. Along with them was a third person, a girl, who looked slightly older than the four others, who were all fifteen, soon to be sixteen.

"Here they are," the boy said.

"Good morning, you three."

"Good morning, Ramia. Good morning Mael.'' The three of them greeted.

"How has the night been?"

"I admit, I couldn't close my eyes," said the girl.

"So did I," the boy added.

"Well, to be fair, I can understand, but I just hope that you won’t fall asleep in the middle of the ceremony. That would tarnish the name of the faction for years to come." the older young lady said.

"Of course, we won’t."

On the other side of the room, beyond the curtain, the echoing sound of a rassemblement and a speech could be heard.

"How about Lady Ramia, how was the night?"

Going for the nearby seat, Ramia said with a sigh, "I admit, this, what we’re about to do, is far from being my kind of thing, yet I feel excited about this, so much that I couldn’t close my eyes last night."

None of them commented because they all understood her.

"And you, Mael?"

"Would you believe me if I were to say that, unlike you all, I too could sleep at all."

"Of course we would-"

Before Ramia could finish, a round of applause rippled loudly from the other side of the room.

"I think this is it." Mael said, to Ramia’s and everyone’s attention.

With a deep breath, Ramia and the others lined up with her in the middle, and together they traversed the curtain that led to the other room where the clatter came from.

As they walked past the room they were in, they emerged in a circular room, on top of a podium, overlooking several hundred young nobles, all dressed in the academy uniform and the colors of each of the four great factions, while some were wearing colors similar to Ramia’s and Mael’s.

A powerful deluge of applause flooded the room at their arrival.

Ramia, Mael, and their friends were now standing atop one of the five podiums diagonally posted across the circular room.

Each podium was arboring the color of one of the four great factions and had several nobles standing on it, with each numbering more than ten people, indicating that the one Mael and the other were clearly outnumbered.

Once the round of applause calmed down, which took about one minute straight, someone from one of the balconies belonging to the leading faction made a speech.

"Attention, young nobles of the Aurora Academia."

"I wish to inform you, young nobles from every corner of the Human Continent, of the new policies that have been settled upon. As per result of the decision our faction has convened upon, we, the leading faction, will encourage the formation of a new great faction in the name of the Ascending Nobility Faction, led first by Lady Ramia of House Aubrecht of Beaumont Duchy, seconded by Lord Mael of House Edouard of the same Duchy, co-seconded by Lady Ana of House Constance of Felicité, and chaperoned by Grand-Duchess Adrianna of House Meillen of the Imperial family and Lord Frédéric, Prince of the Royal house of Altaira."

"I, Raoul Stedall, representative of the noble faction, express my support for the elevation of the Ascending Nobility Faction to the Rank of Great Faction."

"We, of the Cleric Faction, express our support for the ascension of the Ascending Nobility to the rank of Great Faction."

A silence engulfed the room as people were waiting for the last great faction to voice its decisions. It was only a few seconds later that an answer was voiced, by someone of the remaining Great faction.

"I, Raphael of the Ezekiel of the Seven Great Noble Families, by the power that I represeent, voice my support for the ascension of the faction led by Lady Ramia of the Aubrecht family to the rank of Great Faction."

Total support.

The Ascending faction, founded by two alleged heroes of the holy capital, and backed up by three representatives of the two other great factions of the academy, had risen to the rank of great faction only three months after its inception.

Even Mael, who was the one who worked the most for it to happen, couldn’t quite believe it. He glanced at Ramia, who he could see was nervous, and knew he wasn’t alone in that regard.

Mael, with a stealthy pat on the back, causing her to look back at him, both looked each other in the eyes, and they cheered for one another.

She took a step forward to make herself more visible, then sheathed one of the two swords she wore around her waist and held it out horizontally to the audience, saying, "I don't intend to make it long, so hear me clearly. With the tragedy that humanity has been through three months ago, I'm not sure what future Heavens has in store for us; it could be grim or bright. We don't know for sure, but if I had to imagine one, it would be one of us nobles from every corner of this continent standing together against whatever the future may hold for us, whatever it may be. My comrades, I and now our colleagues from the Nobles Faction, Leading Faction, Cleric Faction, and even the Seven Great Families Faction have joined together to give life to this new faction, this new vision, for it is clear that time has come for change, evolution! "

"That is why, proud nobles, we who stood together against tyranny, will be the winds of change." Pointing her sword upward, she declared with a strong voice, "For a better future!"

"For a better future!" Voices below roared.

This powerful reaction made Ramia look back toward Mael, and with a nod, he praised her ovation.

She did well. In fact, he thought she performed far better than he could have. His heart sighed slightly at this sight. He knew it was ultimately Ramia's decision to be put in this position, but having grown up alongside her, he knew it was far from what she had hoped for.

Ramia was the only one who could've allowed this faction's ascension to become a reality; she was the only one who could've been the best fit for the title of faction leader, the worst position Mael's opinion would've liked to give her.

Instead, Mael wished he had taken that role, but with the involvement and indirect backing of the faction that had agreed to this project of theirs to create a grand faction of their own, they had no choice but to appoint Ramia, who happened to be the one with greater upbringing and background.

Ramia was born with the right bloodline. A combination of someone born from one of the seven great families, a Holy Paladin Great-Granddaughter no less, and a noble from one of the Altaira Kingdom's highest-ranking lineages. Added with this already impressive background, the name she made for herself with the event Ramia and Mael were involved in three months prior, there was no better candidate than her.

Mael knew very well that by taking this path, he had robbed Ramia of the choice, but he also knew that this time, this short timeframe they were in, was the best and the only opportunity for a Great Faction like the one they founded to emerge, and that the creation of this faction with Ramia at its top was a big step forward with his ultimate goal.

He'd personally apologized to Ramia for it and was determined to make the whole thing worthwhile by assisting Ramia to the best of his ability.

For the time being, the faction didn't have many members, nor did it wield particularly great power; in fact, it felt like a great faction only in name. However, this was only the beginning, and as long as he dedicated himself to the end, time would eventually overthrow the one that needed to be overthrown. That is something Mael thoroughly promised himself.