It’s early in the morning and I am getting ready for the academy. I work as a teacher there now. It’s been almost a week since I have joined the academy as a teacher.

There is a festival that’s coming up at the end of the next month and the academic fest is going to have a battle royale tournament as the big event.

A team of four has to be formed before the end of this month, meaning this week. A single class can send out a minimum of 1 team and a maximum of 5. I already have readied teams based on everyone’s skills and the trees they are using. The only thing they will need to work on is coordination.

I walk through the same path that I always go through, surprisingly enough, the shops today aren’t closed.

“Sir Dan!”

Apparently, Horrell and Izumi both walk down this path. Even though Izumi stays at the King’s palace, she walks around it and takes a long way here. I think that it’s because Horrell walks down this path too...

I look at both Horrell and Izumi giving each other an angry glance.

I think that’s friendship too...Or maybe a rivalry...Or maybe I am just overthinking...

XXXXXXXX

There is another thing that concerns me...The Dark Guild Necro, I wonder if they are going to attack Izumi again and if they do, Izumi doesn’t have a bodyguard. That will be really bad.

“Sir Dan, I have learned to control my fire better.” Izumi says with a smile as she shows me a glance of blue flames on her first finger.

“And I have learned a buff spell, it gives you enhanced armor.” Horrell says with a smirk. That smirk was directed to Izumi.

I am basically looking at a support mage and a fighting mage...I don’t even know how this rivalry came to be...

Other things concern me too. First is about the Little Princess and the second is about Luke and his bullying.

Plus, the other day, I sensed something...That was Luke’s brother...There was something strange about him. The aura that covered him was...Pretty strange.

“Sir Dan, what are you going to teach us today? Most of us have completed our first task.” Horrell asks me.

“I have the same question.” Izumi says.

“Well...I am going to start team training starting today.” I say.

“What?!” Both Horrell and Izumi seem to be confused.

“The battle royale coming at the end of the next month, we need to be prepared for it and I don’t want anyone to be lacking behind. So I have created teams and I want you guys to co-operate with each other. This will be a good time to show off your skills.” I say with a smile.

“I see...So, is everyone participating?” Horrell asks me.

I nod, “Pretty much everyone is participating because I said so.” I say with a smile.

“I don’t think that’s how it works.” Horrell and Izumi both say in sync.

Those two really seem similar to me...

XXXXXXXX

We reach the academy, “You guys go ahead, I need to go speak with the headmaster.” I say.

Horrell and Izumi both nod their heads.

That old man called for me to his office and I have no idea what he has in his mind.

I walk to his office and open the door, “Yo old man, what is it that you want from me?” I ask as I enter.

I see that the old man isn’t alone in the office. There seems to be a man in purple robe right in front of me. Now that I think about it...Didn’t big brother say that three men in a purple robe chased Izumi?

The man turns around, why do I feel like I have seen this man somewhere? He seems to be in his mid 40’s. I can see wrinkles on his forehead. His hairs are also turning to turn grey but they haven’t totally turned grey. The man is holding a book but the most distinct feature that was noticeable about this man was his smile. It was calm yet menacing. It’s almost as if I have walked into a lion’s den.

“You must Dan ThunderField.” The man says to me. I look away ignorantly, “I am. What about it?” I ask.

“Thank you for taking care of my class but I think it’s time that I return to my students and take care of them.” The man smiles and says to me.

“Take care of your class? Excuse me? I am not taking care of anyone’s class, those are my own students that I am taking care of. Plus who in the world are you to take care of my students?” I question the man. I have a bad gut feeling about this...

“My name is Tarand Rover. I used to be the teacher of the class you are managing right now.”

I knew it...This man...I knew that there was something strange about him.

“I am sorry but I am not handing over my students to you.” I say.

“Now, now, why are both of you fighting?” The old man questions us.

“I am not fighting headmaster, it’s this youngling who is making a ruckus. I mean it’s just a class. We can assign you to some other class you kno-“

This man just pissed me off, “It’s just a class? Are you fucking serious?! That class is my class the moment you left it!” I say in an angry tone.

“If you want it, you will have to take it from it because, from the moment I stepped foot into that class, those were my students and only my students to take care of.” I say as I give an angry glance to that man.

“I have a plan.” That old man...I don’t that smug on his face.

“The festival is at the end of the next month and the battle royale is the main event. Let’s make some rule changes, even teachers will be participating in that battle royale with their class.” This old man...

“Tarand, go to Dan’s class and ask the students who would like to participate with you and the remaining participants will participate with Dan.” The old man says with a smile.

“As you wish, headmaster, but, what will this accomplish?” Tarand asks the old man.

“Whoever gets knocked out first will be shifted to another class and whoever wins will remain as the teacher of the same class.” The old man says with a smug.

“Isn’t that interesting?” The old man asks us.

“I accept this challenge!” I say with a straight face.

“Indeed, I shall do the same.” Tarand says.

“Now go both of you and let’s see who has the better team.” The old man smirks.

XXXXXXXX

We walk in the corridor, “Unfortunately, you won’t have a team.” Tarand says to me. Is he mocking me?

I sigh, “You think that I won’t have a team but...I definitely will...” I say with a smile.

“We shall see about that.” Tarand says with a smile.

That smile...It gives me chills.

XXXXXXXX

We get inside the classroom the whole classroom seems to be surprised.

“Sir Tarand...Is back...” The Princess seems to be in joy and surprise as well.

I enter the class as well.

Tarand is standing in the center of the bench, his hogging everyone’s attention.

“There is an announcement to make.” Tarand says to everyone.

“First of all, I am back.” Tarand says with a smile.

“Secondly, I want to be everyone’s class teacher again.”

Tsch! This guy is annoying me now.

“Third, this new class teacher is persistent and won’t give up his position because he doesn’t want to leave this class.” Tarand continues.

“Got a problem with that?” I question.

Tarand looks at me with a smile and then his glance goes back to his students.

“Now to the main topic, the festival at the end of the next month is going to have teachers participating in the battle royale as well.” Tarand says.

“WHAT?! That means we are about to have the teachers who we have to fight too?!” Elena seems to be overreacting.

“That’s right Elena but, that’s not the main topic here. The main topic is, I and this man Dan ThunderField will be going to head to head in this battle royale and we will need a team. So whoever wants to join my team, my doors are open and whoever wants to join Dan ThunderField’s team can join him.”

Sasha gets up and begins walking towards Tarand, “I am going to join with Sir Tarand, I don’t like Sir Dan and the tree he has given me. I preferred it when I was learning something I can fight with. After all, I am no support!” Sasha says.

“Same here, I think my brain can be used somewhere else plus I want to be strong enough to protect people not be protected and stay on the backline.” Sven says as he leaves too.

“Me too!”

“Yeah, Sir Tarand is much better.”

“Does Sir Dan even know how to teach?”

“Yeah, he just slacks off and gives us tasks.”

I guess...Everyone is going to be siding with Tarand.

“I will...Side with Sir Tarand too...” The little Princess too huh? She seems to be quite happy too.

It seems...No one-

Suddenly someone holds my hand, “I AM SIDING WITH SIR DAN!”

“Izumi?!” I look at Izumi holding my hand and smiling.

“Of course, Sir Dan has helped me a lot, so I am siding with him too!” Horrell says.

“You have your trustworthy student Luke here, buddy!” Luke says with a smile.

“I am joining forces with this handsome guy too!” Elena says.

“Elena?! You too?!” I am confused. Why is she joining me? I don’t think I have done anything special for her.

“Is there a spot for another guy too?” That’s...The punk Jack...Jack Jilheard...That dragon tattoo kid.

“Jack...You want to join too?” Even Luke seems to be surprised.

“Yeah, it just seems that if I stick with this teach over here interesting things might happen rather than sticking with the boring old guy over there.” Jack says as he rubs his hair from behind as he looks away.

“Five students over fifteen students, it seems, you have already lost.” Tarand says to me with a smile.

I smile, “I haven’t lost yet because these five students are all I need to win.” I say as I look at Tarand with a smile.

I am still disappointed, the little Princess sided with Tarand...Tsch!

“Sir Dan?” Izumi looks at me.

“We are winning this.” I say with a smile.

Everyone nods.

XXXXXXXX

I am sitting on the academies rooftop on the top of tank thinking,

The teams are formed, my five student team against Tarand’s 15 student team. I do have to question this though...Why hasn’t anyone questioned Tarand’s return? I mean...He was away for almost a month now through what I know...Plus the little Princess why did she...? Even though he left her all alone...She...

“You must be thinking why did the little Princess leave you and go with Tarand?” A familiar voice questions me.

I look to below me near the rooftop door, that’s the first Princess, Flesty, “What are you doing here?” I ask.

“I thought you would be with your Sir Tarand, so why is it that you are here?” I question.

I am still pissed off at her for trying to frame me.

“I do want to go to Sir Tarand but I also want to answer you since I think you deserve the truth.” Flesty says.

“My sister is in love with Sir Tarand, I think that should be good enough of an explanation as to why she did it.” Flesty continues.

I sigh, “I see...” The way she talked about him, I should have known.

“I will be going now.” Flesty says.

“You are in love with him too, right?” I ask Flesty.

“What if I am? I will get him anyways. So let my sister have fun for as long as she is alive.” Flesty says as she leaves the rooftop.

That bitch actually doesn’t give a shit about her sister.

XXXXXXXX

“Sir Dan, when are we training?” Luke comes to the rooftop to ask me.

“Starting tomorrow, everybody gathers at my place. We will be training, at a place I know we can.” I say as I walk off.

“I see...”

Right now, the only thing I want to focus is on getting back my lost students. Which is gonna be kinda tough...

I sigh.