In Saint Cadets Academy, classes are continuing as usual.

During this period, the number of challengers for Kairos had met with a sharp decrease, although his friends are still steadily clearing their duels. With their popularity, the four of them are consistently duelling. Only Kairos had been avoided, forcing him to send out challenges to meet his quota for the week.

When he sent out his first challenge to a student from the 14-year-old class, he instantly received a victory. His opponent’s swift forfeit caused Kairos to be so surprised that he was in a state that he could neither laugh nor frown.

He had little idea that the world outside of Saint Cadets Academy had gone to hell after his recent 'achievement'. The past few days of turmoil had hardly reached him, proving that the Snowdrifts sorely lacked an information network.

At least, under the protection of the academy, he is spared from being questioned incessantly about how he had subdued the flames. However, on the other end, Principal Gai had been receiving countless requests to meet with Kairos.

The overworked, pudgy, man, gave an exasperated sigh, then discarded those letters that had been piling on his desk without even reading them.

“Looks like nearly half of the empire’s nobles have sent a request. Boy… you’re lucky I have not yet washed my hands of you,” he mumbled to himself, unable to suppress another sigh from escaping his throat.

As long as Kairos had not decided to join a faction, Gai could only continue to act in his favour, hoping that the boy would one day reciprocate his deliberations. After all, these children are well-known as the champions of the commoners. Surely, Kairos, as their leader, would feel obligated towards the benefits he already received?

There is no proof that things would surely turn out the way Gai hoped, but nevertheless, he was rather certain. After all, all the principal's infrequent gifts that were sent to the Astroire manor had all been accepted by the boy's father, and it became an encouragement to his belief.

He stared disdainfully at his trash bin that had filled to the brim with unwanted letters, then mumbled to himself, "With his resourcefulness, he will certainly notice what I am doing for him now. Perhaps, it is once again time to invite him and come under the banner of the Fifth Prince.”

Principal Gai’s initial offer to Kairos had never been rejected, but, since then, a lapse of more than half a year had gone by.

In fact, he isn’t someone who is empathic enough towards Kairos’ inability to give an answer, just because the boy had been away in another empire for most of the holidays. It is only because the boy’s achievements continued to accumulate at an incredulous pace that Gai had given such special treatment towards him.

There's no doubt that thanks to his efforts, Kairos went to class without any harassments. The other students who had heard of gossips about him stared in disbelief at how detached he seemed when he walked through the academy. As though the previous incident where the class almost blew up was a negligible matter, and him turning the ‘Unknown Flame Sovereign’ into his Alchemic Flame, only an ordinary thing.

Going to his next period, the Beast Taming Class, he made his way towards an open-air auditorium where the students are supposed to gather.

He quickly spotted three familiar faces, Relestia, Edward, and Tommy. The girl had a delightful expression on her, bubbling excitedly, with a smile like the sunrise and his friends were openly laughing. The wondrous expression on her face made him curious what the conversation was about.

Unlike himself, he had to stifle an attempt to eavesdrop, reluctantly waving at the group from a distance to indicate his presence. When they saw him, they did not stop their conversation but instead called him over.

“Ho Kairos! We were just telling Relestia here about you. She said she is a big fan of yours,” Edward spoke with a devilish smirk.

“I am!” the girl bobbed her head and replied sweetly, “they were telling me your adventures in the Silent Lambs Empire. You really are incredible!”

The little girl looked completely spellbound with whatever the two had told her. There was not a shred of doubt in her eyes and Kairos secretly worried for her. But he could not deny that he enjoyed seeing her this way, and it was something that had never happened before.

Kairos shook his head with a smile, “We were only forced by the situation, doing whatever we could to survive.”

“Yeah… It was kind of do or die you know?” Tommy said, then flashed the girl a ferocious grin and added, “But I can’t say that it wasn’t fun.”

Seeing how brave he is, Relestia playfully teased, “Snow is a fortunate girl. She must feel very secure around you, Tommy.”

Even though she is only ten, girls mature faster in certain aspects, and her envious tone made the muscular Tommy who is almost as tall as most adults to start fidgeting.

“W..who told you...? ... Wait... Was... was I this obvious?"

His expressions flustered by a single sentence, causing the rest to laugh aloud.

Time passed quickly when accompanied by conversation. The rest of the team, Jim, the late candy-chewer, and Alan, the ditzy, arrived a short moment later as the rest of the class poured in.

They also picked out quite a few familiar faces from the crowd, Alucard, George, Luciette, and even Calculus have all joined the class.

Together with them are Lux and Von from the upper classes who are now doing their best avoiding them.

Humiliating rumours of how the Steel Rose boys were punished by their Patriarch has already spread throughout the campus. Not only are the two given twice the amount of training, but they are also ordered to avoid inconveniencing Kairos again.

When they tried to protest, they were both beaten to a pulp by Floretinus Cixton.

The instructor came precisely on time. A surprisingly young man with a smile that nearly reaches his eyebrows.

He wore the basic instructor’s robes, but on his clothes, there is a rare emblem of a crescent moon over a symbol of the sun.

“The Sun and Moon Clan?” Luciette suddenly exclaimed. The second-year students had all gathered together, including Calculus. Relestia, of course, had made herself comfortable by sitting beside Kairos.

“One of the Three Great Noble houses?”

“Yes, and I think I recognise our instructor. He should be the genius Beast Whisperer, Lalhal Restrio.”

Seeing their blank look, Calculus snickered, but he immediately noticed Relestia and turned quiet like a crackling candle being snuffed out.

It is impossible for him to not know her true identity as their princess by now.

Of course, Calculus wasn’t the only person who noticed their blank looks, and Luciette quickly realised, with great incredulity, that this bunch of guys have actually never heard of one of the Three Great Nobles.

She explained with a serious look on her face, “The Sun and Moon Clan is made up of two great factions within. Lalhal is in the Sun’s faction formed up by Beast Masters. The Moon faction, is far more mysterious, using special techniques to bend living plants to their will.

By uniting the unique properties, these two factions had, their clan emerged over the years as one of the Three Great Nobles.”

“The animals-loving and tree-loving people have formed one family?” Jim asked, causing the princess to giggle.

Their conversation was cut short when their instructor introduced himself, “For today’s class, we will be travelling to the Beast Sanctuary Mountain. Collect your pass and go to the gateway at the second floor of the teleportation tower. I have some last minute preparations to make, so I’ll see you there.”

Except the five who had skipped classes, the other students were unsurprised at the announcement. They obediently traversed a good part of the school, till they reached a tall tower. While their steps were leisurely, they moved at a fast pace befitting cultivators. Each student then went to the administrator on the ground floor, without so much as a delay to register their name. After they received their token, they gathered at the second floor one by one while awaiting Lalhal.

By the time Kairos and his friends entered the second floor, there were already many others present and in conversations of their own. They turned to take a look at him with great curiosity upon noticing him. News of the Unknown Flame Sovereign had already spread throughout the academy, and many could recognise Kairos with a glance, but when they saw him at the auditorium, they dared not openly talk about him. However, the moment the subject of their interest wasn't there, they couldn't help whisper amongst themselves.

Especially when the more informed students realised that there are some who didn't really caught up with the news. Now, even when Kairos is nearby, they couldn't stop.

“Hey… isn’t he the one who caused the tattered trend last year?”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot he did that too. Did you guys hear that our principal was called Beggar Gai by the other schools? HAHA!”

“Serves that bootlicker right. I’ve worn those patchwork clothes home during my break and was immediately grounded by my dad for a whole week. Unbefitting of a high-noble he says... It. Was. Awesome!”

“Hah, I can imagine. I introduced it to my cousins, and they are still competing for whose seams fray better. It seems that this trend is also spreading to other the schools that hate their principals. But, I have to wonder why does it even catch on?”

"Well, it does have a certain charm to it. Sometimes, don’t you just wish to break loose and wear something else than prim and proper, fit-for-nobility, clothing?”

“You guys are behind times; there are already new brands like Rebel-X that are selling these clothes, and it's highly popular as a new fashion statement. Just between us, I’ve heard that the Snowdrifts enterprise first started it.”

“Ah, no wonder the Blue Bloods marketing campaign died down that quickly, I've not seen one of those 'Blue Blood, True Blood' T-shirts for a while, and it explains the Snowdrifts' influx of members recently.”

Their instructor who finally entered the room caused the whispers that were flying around to stop by clearing his throat. Kairos, who had been shyly silent about all the attention, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thanking whoever caused this peace.

Lalhal gestured at the gateway behind them in a no-nonsense manner, and immediately began, “Once through this portal, you will arrive at Beast Sanctuary Mountain. The moment you climb up, you will enter a complete wilderness. A place prowling with dangerous beasts in their most natural environment.

Be careful that the higher up the mountain, the more powerful the beasts you will meet, and many are hostile. You are to tame the rarest and strongest one that you can and return to here. This mountain had been sealed by our ancestors. Without a human to bring it out, the beasts on it could never leave the place. You can use this to your leverage.

For this task, you will be given a pack filled with irreplaceable life-saving tools. It's important, so do not misplace it.”

He threw a bunch of medical bags out of his Time-space ring and indicated the students to pick one up.

Taking advantage of this pause, a second-year student raised his hand for a question. Lalhal nodded and gestured for the person to speak up.

“Sir, since there are dangers, will we be given protection runes for this exercise?”

“A good question. The answer is, yes. Not every creature would want to leave their home, and may easily turn violent at those who stepped into their territory. Once you cross over the gateway, the staffs at the other end will enchant your robes for you. Similar to the ones you received during the first years’ Mock Battlefield Examination.

However, its protection is only effective against beasts that live within a hundred meters from the ground up, any higher and you will be responsible for the risk you take.”

During the first years’ final test, the Mock Battlefield Examination, students have to submit the robes they want to wear for protection runes to be added. After enhancement, it will protect them against a certain level of elemental energy and are only given to students when undertaking activities that might be dangerous.

However, because there are only a little over eighty students are in this class, the runes can be quickly cast on the spot.

The class set out at once, stepping onto a raised platform that quickly became filled. They waited for the formation under their feet to be powered by spirit stones. After just a moment, the ground glowed, and a powerful wave of transference struck them as the scenery changed rapidly. The group was mercilessly thrown from a dark room out into a large open field with a glaring noon sun. Everyone was instantly blinded without exception, eliciting quite a few gasps from the students.

Unlike the overcast sky hanging above the academy, the Beast Sanctuary Mountain appeared nearly cloudless making it safe to presume that it is located rather far from their capital.

Kairos scanned the horizon for landmarks and decidedly rejected the notion that they are in any part of Saint Empire that he had been to before.

A team of their academy’s staff started going to each student and fashioned the runic protection onto their clothes. They took a large rectangular seal, dipped it in beast blood, and stamped it onto their backs. The robes immediately gained a beautiful talisman, and along with it the rudimentary elemental protection it granted. Then, as though fully absorbed by the cloth, the runes of blood disappeared.

It is a simple concealment technique that is frequently come with using protective runes on clothes. In fact, it is generally considered a requirement to have because it prevented would-be attackers from knowing what kind of runes a cultivator is wearing on his robes.

Additionally, after taking too much damage, the runes will fade away once the energy stored in the beast blood had been exhausted. To conceal them will also erase the tell-tale signs of how much protection is left.

While everyone was busy, Alan approached the instructor from the side. As the vice-captain of the group and the second-in-command of the Snowdrifts, the boy had taken on himself to assist Kairos to the best of his abilities and he noticed a problem that had not yet been put forth by the group. A brilliant question that the rest had missed.

“Instructor Lalhal, what happens if we already have a Contract Beast? How are we to tame another?”

The class that was rowdy before, instantly quieten down.

Someone couldn’t help but whisper, “Just who is this bumpkin?”

“Exactly, this is the most ‘informed’ question I have ever heard,” another laughed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Alan, on the other hand, appeared wholly unconcerned that he was treated as the butt of the jokes.

*Cough*

Lalhal choked on his saliva as he tried not to laugh. Then, realisation dawned on him. He had not noticed before but isn't this student part of a rather famous group?

Lalhal took a quick look around, confirming his suspicions

Indeed, the five of them are all present. No wonder,” he thought with a curious smile on his face.

The instructor nodded to Alan, knowing that these five surely needed more attention than the others, however, if the other instructors were correct, then they will certainly be special. He patiently explained, “The beasts on this mountain is considered the best in all of Gaia. Passed down from our ancestors, there are many species within that cannot be found elsewhere.

Though weakened due to the weak Heavenly Energies in our land, they are all powerful beasts descended from the Immortal Realms.

It is our academy’s advice to discard your current contract, if you have any, and form a new one here.”

“But, I can’t do that. My Contract Beast is my friend,” Alan immediately protested. His black turtle might be small, and unable to fight on its own, but he had grown fond of the tiny thing.

“In that case,” Lalhal suddenly snapped, “go register your Contract Beast over there.”

Repulsed by Alan for his response, he angrily pointed to the only building in the area and no longer continued his explanation. The basic question on how to tame another contract beast if one already has one remained unanswered.

“A sentimental person. He shouldn’t have come to learn beast taming. If he wants a pet, he should go to a pet store and Not My Class.”

The slight change in the instructor’s body language did not escape the notice of the other boys, and they guessed the reason rather quickly.

But, there was one who was still completely oblivious. As the instructor was about to turn away, Alan chased after the man and added, “Sir, how do we tame a beast?”

His question was posed for the sake of Kairos who was the only in their group to not have a contract yet. But Lahal almost fainted from hearing it.

“Coming to a taming class without even knowing the basics!? As I thought, these five are here to fool around!”