“Tina! You will be late for graduation if you keep it up any longer!”

“Just a moment, Mom! I’m sorry!”

“You’ve been preparing for an hour! What are you even still doing there?”

“Everything has to be perfect, Mom! It's graduation!”

“I don’t think it's the graduation you are so excited about.”

A visible blush surfaced on Tina’s cheeks. She could see the rosy shade while brushing her hair in front of a mirror. It was the sixth time since she had started taking care of it and there still were imperfections she couldn’t smooth out.

Today was an extremely important day. She would finally graduate from Rosewind's Summoning Academy and finish her education with more than just the usual honors accompanying the best students.

But, her mother wasn’t mistaken. Tina looked forward to what would happen after more than during the ceremony. She had waited a long time for this day to come. Finally, nothing would remain on her path of following Asterios and his companions. She had made a promise and she had kept it. Now, it was time for him to keep his word and listen to her wish.

Not completely satisfied with the result of her brushing, Tina huffed in annoyance and accepted the current outcome, far from what she felt was perfect. To be honest, she had already made herself as beautiful as possible without overdoing it.

She knew there was no point in prettying herself with so much makeup and other cosmetics like a lot of girls in the academy since Asterios wouldn’t pay even the slightest attention to it. At least, she knew she wouldn’t care how he looked as long as they could be there together and she was sure he was no different.

Yet, that didn’t mean the inner voice in her heart wasn’t fighting against her mind and trying to convince Tina otherwise. She knew it was stupid to listen to it but it was so hard not to. All she wanted was to make this day as perfect as possible.

Standing up from the mirror, she glanced at the small clock on her desk and paled a little. She had truly taken way too much time. If she delayed her departure any longer, she would risk having to rush to the academy’s grounds, definitely ruining all her preparations in the process.

Trotting to the chair by the same desk, she hastily picked up a thin black cape with a hood. All students were required to wear those ceremonial mantles over their usual uniforms for all important events, with graduation being most likely the most crucial.

She threw the additional piece onto her back and clasped the decorative brace under her neck. The cloak slowly fell onto her shoulders and finished her outfit. She had always liked wearing it. It partially made the girls look like witches, which was funny. Both men’s and women’s versions were short, ending around their waists and leaving most of the front open.

For the last time, she tried reaching out to Asterios through their faint connection but only silence answered her. It had been making her really anxious. She hadn’t heard anything from either him or the girls for over a week, since the moment they reached the city in the desert in the Demon Continent.

She sighed deeply and shook her head. They were all fine, for sure. She would definitely feel something if anything happened to Asterios. The connection was still there but suppressed to some extent, almost silenced.

He had promised to be there, and she trusted him, but she still couldn’t help but worry that Asterios would miss the graduation under some unforeseen circumstances. She had always known that could be a possibility. Life was very unpredictable. She would certainly not hold it against him even if it would make her a little sad.

“Alright. No use thinking about it.” Tina slapped her cheeks lightly. “There’s still a lot of time. He can miss a speech or two. Coming here is not a problem since he has Umbra. Get your mind together, girl.”

A small feeler poked her in the chin and Tina glanced down, spotting the blue appendage of pure water coming out of her collar. It was Hydran, the familiar she had been able to contract with Ast’s help, currently wrapped around her right forearm like a protective bracer. A moment later, Ori perched on her shoulder to the accompaniment of the rustle of his feathers.

“Thank you, guys. I’m great. Let’s do this. There’s a lot in front of us.”

The adorable Shearwater pushed its fluffy body into her neck, causing Tina to giggle a little, and she petted her loyal companion in response. He soon took off and flew into the azure gate of his master. Hydran hid back under Tina’s clothes too.

After taking one last look at her room, Tina rushed to the door and walked outside. She stopped in her tracks, finding her parents not that far from the door, just enough not to eavesdrop on her daughter. They had always respected her comfort and privacy.

Viscount Thomas glanced at her with one brow raised. “Really. What took you so long? You look no different than hours ago.”

Viscountess Luna chuckled softly and showed a smile to her daughter. “You wouldn’t understand.” She stepped closer and fixed Tina’s collar a little. “There. You look stunning, my dear. There’s no doubt they will be taken aback.”

“Mom, please.” Tina blushed, averting her gaze.

“Let’s go, you two. The carriage is waiting. You can chat on the way there.”

Both women nodded and quickly followed Thomas to the small plaza in front of their mansion. They entered a beautiful white carriage and departed immediately. Many other people traveled to the academy’s grounds in a similar way, with some still using their summons to cover the distance. It was mostly those with common backgrounds.

The graduation was a prestigious event so it was only natural for the noble families of the students to arrive with full decorum. While most took that chance to flaunt their wealth or status, the Nobelle family cared not for such pointless things and only followed the social norms out of respect. Tina really hated all those boastful houses.

During the short trip, Lady Luna kept bombarding her daughter with hidden smiles her husband couldn’t see, causing Tina to heat up inside the carriage. She had always been able to read her like an open book and all the little details betrayed how excited and hopeful Tina was at that moment.

Fortunately, Tina didn’t have to suffer in embarrassment for too long and they soon reached the academy’s gates. A queue of fancy carriages getting let in by the guards in their official uniforms was quite the sight. It took only two minutes for their turn to arrive and the driver brought them to the square where everyone was getting out.

The coachman helped Thomas step outside and they both assisted the ladies. He tipped his hat at them and took the carriage away to free the space for the next guests, heading to find a spot where he could wait for them.

“If it isn’t the Nobelle family. It’s good to see that you are still doing well, Thomas.”

A manly voice reached their ears and they turned around just to catch a man with short blond hair, a neatly trimmed beard of the same color, and wearing an official dark blue uniform with a stylish black shoulder cape, leaving another carriage. A beautiful, mature woman followed him, making space for their children next, a blond-haired boy in the academy’s outfit for men and a young girl in a simple uniform.

The guy winced a little when he noticed who his father was talking to but tried to hide it. It was impossible for Tina to miss it. She knew him too well, alongside his whole family.

The Richtensteins slowly walked up to them and the men exchanged handshakes.

“Wilhelm. I’m also glad that you seem fine. It wasn’t the easiest time for your family recently, from what I’ve heard,” Viscount Nobelle replied.

The other man chuckled and shook his head. “Ah, don’t even get me started. It’s a complete swamp. But, we didn’t come here today to poison our children’s grand day with politics and problems that aren’t their concern. You look dazzling Viscountess Luna, and you too Lady Tina.”

“Thank you, Marquess Wilhelm.” Tina curtsied respectfully, replying for them both. “Marchioness Helga and Lady Irelia look as beautiful as ever, if not even more.”

The mature woman mirrored her gesture while her daughter nodded politely. She wore a suit stylized to imitate those of trainee knights and couldn’t exactly curtsy with the dress she didn’t wear as the bottom part of her clothing consisted of pants instead.

Tina and Irelia locked eyes and smiled at each other. After the incident, the two had actually gotten pretty close. More on an accident rather than intentionally, but they had talked a bit and grew fond of each other. Tina was happy Irelia could follow her dream with no one making issues for her, and even with her parents supporting her much more after learning about her experiences.

“What do you say we attend this ceremony together, Thomas?” Marquess Richtenstein asked. “It shouldn’t be a problem to rearrange the seats a little bit. We don’t get to talk that much outside of all the social gatherings.”

Viscount Nobelle pondered for a second and glanced at his family. “I don’t see anything against it. Unless my dear wife and daughter would?”

Tina moved her gaze to Roz, whose eyes widened slightly from the sudden suggestion. She could tell how uncomfortable he already was and could imagine how much worse it could be if they followed with the Marquess’ offer.

For a brief moment, she considered not being vengeful and saving him from it at least during this very important day, but then, she remembered how much he had bullied not just her and the other girls but also Asterios specifically and that thought vanished in an instant.

She showed an icy smile to the young man and adorably shook her head at his father.

“I see nothing wrong in that, Marquess Wilhelm. On the contrary, I think it’s a wonderful idea. You may call me selfish but I wouldn’t say no to bringing my parents even closer to the front, hahaha.”

Following her seemingly embarrassed chuckle, Wilhelm let out a laugh too. “It looks like the future of your family is secured, Thomas. Spoken like a true noble. Grasping any chances for improvement is not selfish, my little lady. I commend your wits.”

Thomas rested his hand on Tina’s hair, gently, not to ruin it, and exchanged smiles with his daughter.

“It might be secured better than you think…” He chuckled knowingly, making Tina giggle a little.

They formed two groups, one for the parents and one for the children, and the two families walked together towards the main plaza in the very center of the academy’s grounds, where all the important celebrations happened. Roz kept some distance from the two girls, as much as he could without looking rude, while they chatted casually.

In just a moment, they reached their destination, following the crowd pouring in one direction. They walked into a spacious plaza in front of the main, oldest building, surrounded by two of its long and tall wings. A raised stage had been set right at the front and rows of chairs followed, with a decently wide path left empty in the middle, additionally adorned by a magnificent red carpet.

The parents bid farewell to their children and Marquess Richtenstein took them to his reserved spot just near the stage, leaving the women there to look for some professor with Thomas to ask about the change. Roz quickly escaped the moment he had been set free, without Tina even noticing him being already gone.

She used a different side path to arrive behind the scenes where plenty of teachers and professors dashed around while preparing and fixing things to the very last moment. She still had a few minutes before the planned start so she decided to look around a little.

“Ah!” Tina yelped in surprise as a puff of air suddenly hit the nape of her neck.

Turning around, she found a red-skinned demon woman in the robes of the Research and Development Department grinning at her.

“Professor Grea! That’s not nice! I’m very nervous here!” Tina complained with a pout.

Grea chuckled and shook her head. “What are you even worrying about, girl? No matter how hard you fuck up, it won’t change what’s already there between the two of you. Even more, knowing him, he would just rush ahead to save you, and you would very much like that, wouldn’t you?”

Tina blushed, imagining the scene in her mind for a brief moment, and then huffed at the rude professor while furrowing her brows.

“Please, don’t tease me, Professor Grea! It’s not fair to use Asterios! You know I can’t help it!”

Chuckling again, Grea reached out to her. Tina closed her eyes and quickly started waving her hands to stop the mischievous teacher before she ruined her hair. But, the expected sensation didn’t arrive and she lifted her eyelids again.

Instead of violently ruffling through her hair, Grea was brushing out her uniform and cape, getting rid of any dirt and wrinkles. Seeing Tina’s shocked gaze, she stopped and raised her brows at the much shorter student.

“What? Did you think I would destroy all the effort you put into making yourself look good for him? You look like you spent days prettying yourself up. I’m an ass but I’m not an idiot. This is your big day, in more than one way. As your mentor, it’s only natural for me to do whatever I can to make it go like a dream.”

“Professor…” Tina felt like some tears started gathering in the corners of her eyes.

“Oh, stop it with that soppy expression—umph! And now you ruined everything I did…”

Grea shook her head with a smile after getting slammed by Tina as the blue-haired girl hugged her tightly. She gently patted her student’s back.

“You will do great so stop getting nervous over nothing, or over things you have no influence on, got it?”

Tina nodded, knowing well Grea meant Asterios. “Yes…”

“Good. Now go and grab your seat. Almost everyone is there now. Just enjoy the show. Trust me, it will be a real something.”

Stepping back, she saw Grea grinning at her and Tina furrowed her brows. She knew about all the presentations and entertainment segments, just like all the other students, and nothing on the list seemed worthwhile, as usual. Unless the teachers had prepared something in secret this time, perhaps.

She didn’t get to ask any questions as Grea urged her away and pushed Tina out of the backstage, leaving the summoner girl slightly confused. There was nothing to be done about it so Tina followed her advice and took her spot in the section for the students, awaiting the ceremony.

The event soon began and Principal Teireshia walked onto the stage, beginning the opening speech, with the entire Council present behind the wise-looking woman. It wasn’t long and convoluted. The Principal hated wasting time on meaningless official formulas so she wrapped everything up in under ten minutes, still managing to talk about all the important things with grace.

Tina could swear that the Principal glanced at her and winked as she was finishing and asking the guests to enjoy the ceremony. It really made her think about Grea’s cryptic words and smile. She had a weird feeling about it.

Then, after a round of thunderous applause, the usual events followed. A few short shows took place, displaying various awe-inspiring summons and spells in the repertoire of Summoners, and entertaining the crowd with the more classical talent segments. There were a few short songs from both men and women too, performed by the vocally gifted students.

But, everyone who had come here, waited for one specific part, the presentation of diplomas.

Each graduate received proof of their achievements on the academy’s grounds, starting from those who barely graduated and finishing with the top students. It was a prestigious parade, showcasing the most talented Summoners to countless noble families, possibly a chance to form good connections with some.

One by one, the students walked over the magnificent carpet and arrived at the stage. The Principal listed their achievements if they had any significant ones and handed the diploma to the graduate, who then exchanged handshakes with her and everyone on the Council in the accompaniment of various nice words.

Not everyone could finish the academy so the number of people wasn’t extremely high. After thirty minutes, the handing ceremony reached half-point. The entire time, Tina kept growing more anxious, often looking around in hopes of finding Asterios somewhere amidst the attendees.

Each time she failed to do so, she grew even more nervous. Her turn would inevitably come and he still wasn’t here, neither could she reach him. She had graduated at the top of the entire year and would go there last so there still was time and hope, which gradually faded.

Finally, the top three of the best students received their diplomas with some gifts and it was her turn as the academy’s ace. She was called forth by the Principal and everyone turned to look at her as loud applause filled the air.

Making her way through the row, she still looked around, almost in desperation. The deafening thunder of people clapping and the fast thumping of her own heart merged into one grand noise and Tina almost stumbled on the last chair before stepping onto the carpet in the middle.

Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her saliva and sighed heavily, starting to head for the stage. Things had clearly gone not according to plan on Ast’s side. She knew he would never break his word if he wasn't forced to do it. Hopefully, he was safe. That was all that mattered.

Arriving in front of Principal Teireshia, Tina curtsied respectfully. The older woman smiled at her warmly and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Incredible work, Tina. I’m honestly at a loss for words with how talented and hardworking you are. With your accomplishments, you can clearly fit yourself amongst the top three of the greatest people this academy has ever seen. Some even say the best. It will be our honor to have your name engraved in the Obelisk of Wisdom.”

Tina bowed towards the Principal and then towards the audience. “Thank you for your kind words, Principal Teireshia. I couldn’t achieve anything without all the support from the academy. I’m extremely happy and proud to be here after everything.”

“You don’t look too happy to me,” Madam Teireshia chuckled softly and added in a hushed voice. “But, that won’t be for too long.”

Slightly confused, Tina was going to raise her gaze, but something stopped her. That something was a weird shadow that had suddenly passed over the ground in front of her eyes. A moment later, another one rushed after it, and another, and another.

“Look! In the sky! What’s that?” someone shouted from the audience.

Along with everyone else, Tina moved her eyes to the sky. Far in the distance, a bunch of shapes circled high above the academy, throwing shadows onto the crowd whenever they passed between the ground and the sun.

“Are those monsters?” another person asked.

“Stupid! This is definitely part of the ceremony!” their friend quickly admonished them.

“Are those Pegasi? Griffons? They have kinda similar figures,” one of the students pondered out loud.

Just as they finished speaking, the shapes dove towards the ground, decreasing their altitude while still circling in the sky. In just a few moments, everyone could see what the mysterious flying entities were and numerous waves of gasps and sighs of amazement filled the area.

“It’s the Royal Division!” an excited scream broke out from the crowd.

One by one, white, striped, winged tigers almost bigger than a common horse landed on the sides of the carpet. They all wore golden decorative pieces of armor with crimson cloth in between. A rider in a military-themed white uniform with golden details rode on top of each of them.

They hastily formed two rows with twelve beasts per side and the people on their backs rested their hands on the pommels of their ornamental weapons, all taking the same stance. The audience began murmuring between themselves while staring at the unmoving unexpected guests

“There’s one more!” Someone pointed out and everyone turned towards the sky again.

A slightly bigger beast descended towards the ground. Contrary to the previous ones, it was a magnificent winged white lion instead of a tiger. It landed gracefully on the far end of the carpet and released a booming roar while spreading its majestic wings to the sides. All the tigers joined it and their riders unsheathed their weapons, pointing their exquisite sabers towards the middle.

A person elegantly slid off the lion’s back and gently brushed its side. It was a beautiful young lady with dark scarlet hair, broken by orange inner threads peeking from behind the red ones. She also wore a white militaristic uniform but much grander and with crimson details.

The lion and the tigers kept roaring until she covered half of the distance to the stage and went silent as she continued. The men and women sitting on them still held their sabers above her head, making a bridge.

“It’s the Princess! Princess Silvia is here!” Some girl pointed out with an excited squeal.

“What is she doing here? Is the king coming too?” a male student asked, frantically looking around for more flying beasts.

As the audience grew louder and louder discussing the unforeseen visit of the princess, Silvia reached the stage and slowly climbed on top of it by the stairs on the side. She walked up to Tina and Principal Teireshia and smiled softly at the former.

“You are a really lucky girl.”

Before Tina could ask what was happening, Silvia raised her hand into the air and everyone went silent in an instant. She then summoned a magnificent scroll from her spatial storage and unrolled it in front of her.

“In the name of my father, King Welrond the Fifth, the current ruler of the Human Continent—may the Eternal Flame watch over him—I hereby invite Tina Nobelle, daughter of Viscount Thomas and Viscountess Luna Nobelle, to join the Twelfth Regiment of the Royal Division and serve the kingdom as one of its proud knights. We have heard of your grand achievements, vast knowledge, and plentiful experience, and would be honored to see you amongst its ranks.”

Silence still remained as everyone processed the princess’ words. Silvia used that moment to summon another thing, this time it was a fancy envelope with the seal of the royal family.

“This letter written personally by the king himself will serve as your proof if you decide to visit the royal castle and accept the invitation. Please, do not hurry and think about your decision deeply. It is a great honor but also a greater duty. We will respect whatever choice you make.”

After she finished for the second time, the audience erupted in cheers and applause. People kept shouting, whistling, and clapping as if their lives depended on it. The avenue was shaking from the noise.

Silvia then turned to Tina and held the letter towards her in two hands.

“Take it. It’s what you’ve always dreamed of, isn’t it?” she asked after seeing her still awestruck and uncertain expression.

Tina slowly grabbed the envelope and gently pulled it back, staring at the piece of neatly folded paper like it was something priceless and invaluable. She still had a hard time piecing her mind around Silvia’s words and the meaning of everything that had just transpired in front of her.

Again, just the moment she opened her mouth, a shadow dropped on the ground. This time though, it didn’t just fly by, followed by numerous others. The entire area suddenly turned dark as something loomed over the academy’s grounds.

Tina raised her gaze to the sky and her eyes widened to the brim. A gigantic, shadowy shape blocked the sun, releasing ominous, black, mist-like smoke with each flap of its wide wings. It was at least ten times bigger than the tigers, if not more. She and everyone else knew exactly what it resembled.

A True Dragon.