The proctor remained silent the whole time. This fight was naught but a waste of time for him. These two were clearly not focused on winning or losing; they had discarded their weapons and fought without Ein.

Any further, and he may disqualify the two of them. The battle before him was naught but an insult to the Grand Gathering.

On the platform, Oscar's hand was stretched out, waiting, hoping for Frederick to grasp it. His obsidian eyes looked on pleadingly at his friend.

'Take it. Take my hand.'

Frederick gazed at the open hand. His eyes flashed with a small glimmer. He slowly moved his hand up, inching closer to Oscar.

Oscar's heart began to beat faster, even without the overuse of Reis.

'Closer. Please.'

However, Frederick bit his lip as the glimmer faded into indifference. He leaped off the floor and closed his hand into a fist, slamming it into Oscar's face.

This time, Oscar had disabled his Prinstyct, thinking Frederick was giving in, so he was wholly unprepared for this, leading to more pain than usual. Slight tears dripped down his face, not from the pain but from the sadness and shock.

"Bastard Fred." Oscar regained his balance and put another fist into Frederick's stomach. He was about to speak more when the proctor stepped in between them.

His pressure as a Knight Exalt forced Oscar and Frederick to the floor without a struggle. He glared from Oscar to Frederick. "You're both disqualified. This is the Grand Gathering, not a squabble."

"I don't care about that. I need an answer from him. Tell me, Fred, are you so certain about this?" Oscar forcibly turned his head to face Frederick.

"Enough! The quarrel between you two is not related to this Grand Gathering. Settle it in your own time. You may leave first." The proctor released the pressure on Frederick and allowed him to leave first. He wanted to avoid them causing more trouble during the Grand Gathering.

Frederick got up and retrieved his two swords. He stepped off the platform but not before turning back and giving Oscar one last look.

Oscar ground his teeth in anger, staring at the proctor with a struggle. The proctor did not move at all, unaffected by the gaze of a mere Apprentice Exalt. Thus, Oscar could only helplessly watch as his friend disappeared in the distance.

Who knows when he will have this chance again?

…….

Oscar sat near the place he and Emily designated to meet up after a fight. He did not go to the medical station, so his face was still bruised. Some people nearby took strange glances at him like an animal in a zoo.

He ignored the weird stares but his brows furrowed. Did he fail? Was Frederick meant to be alone and continue to sink into the swamp of misery?

"Oscar." Emily finished her fight and saw Oscar waiting. "What happened to you? Go to the medical station."

Indeed, it was logical to get healed, but Oscar softly brushed off Emily's hand and abruptly said, "I fought Fred."

"You fought him?" Emily's shoulders trembled but quickly stopped. She was about to lose control but managed to calm herself down. Shouting now was not productive. "Tell me."

Oscar explained everything that happened, from the words he said to the brawl that occurred. All the while, Emily listened carefully with a passive look. It was unknown what she felt inside.

"He was about to take your hand, but something stopped him."

"That's what I thought. For a moment, I saw Fred waver before he suddenly shifted."

The pair of orange and black sat down with her faces hung down. Emily kicked the floor tiredly.

"If I knew, I would have forfeited my match and headed straight there. That big dolt….why does he have to make it so hard on us?"

"...." Oscar did not respond. Frederick was giving them fewer and fewer chances each moment. He feared that the next time he saw Frederick would be a corpse at Gilbert's feet.

"Good luck with the rest of your matches. We cannot let this bring down our other priorities. Get stronger, and we can do more for Fred."

Emily nodded and stood up. "Go back and get some rest."

Oscar staggered his way back to the dorms; his feet were unsteady, nearly tripping. He dropped to his bed in exhaustion. Although he did not exert himself, he felt drained from today's affairs.

…….

The Grand Gathering ended without much issue. Emily was one of the tenured Greater Apprentice Exalts and got into the top eight. But again, she did not feel any thrill in the reward.

She stared into the vast crowds where she saw Erik cheering, George giving a thumbs up, and others.

Those two were missing.

"I wish all of us were here." Emily whispered in her heart. But her wishes were unanswered. With a forced smile, she waved to the others and went off to the dorms.

Later in the night, Oscar strolled through the bright Azure City with all its celebrations and fanfare for the year's end and the Grand Gathering. Cheers and festivities were going on. But neither drew Oscar's interest.

Like last year, Oscar did not partake or enjoy the time. Year's end seemed cursed for him. Instead, he came to the Archives to read. Today was not the day he set with Celestina, but he wanted to read away his sorrows.

Book after book, he read. He read the heroic tales of history, the fictional tall tales of imagination, and the memoirs of those who came before him. He hummed while reading about these individuals and how they overcame their problems.

Slowly, his vision began to dim and blur from drowsiness. He continued to read because he didn't want to leave this place.

Oscar dropped to the table, snoring softly.

Hours later, Celestina came into the Archives to find Oscar sleeping. She got an early look into the results of the Grand Gathering and saw that Oscar was disqualified. His opponent was his friend, Frederick.

So, Celestina thought Oscar might come here to read. She understood that Oscar often retreated into books when he was sad or weary. She suspected this case would be no different.

"You like to make people worry." Celestina reached into her space pocket and pulled out a blanket. She draped it on top of Oscar and piled up his books, returning them to the shelves with great care. "Have a good night."

The next morning, Oscar woke up feeling much more refreshed than usual. His body felt lighter and relaxed.

"What is this blanket?" He noticed the blanket with a confused look and saw the books were cleared from his table. Did a librarian do this? Why didn't they wake him up?

He decided to leave the blanket at the Archives counter and made his way out. A new day had dawned to welcome the new year. Oscar felt the cool air with satisfaction.

"Hello, Elder Saul, How are you on this new year's day?" Oscar ran into Elder Saul on the way back.

"Another year of tending to the gardens and grass while ungrateful students trample all over them." Elder Saul scoffed as he joked a little. His eyes looked over Oscar. "It must have been an eventful day yesterday."

"It was. Some unexpected things happened." Oscar did not look as sad or depressed as earlier. It was a more tame and neutral expression.

"Do you consider that a blessing or misfortune?" Elder Saul asked with a hint of interest.

It was by his designs that Oscar clashed against Frederick, so like a gardener, he wanted to see whether it had born good fruit.

"Depends on what the outcome is. For me, I will ensure it was a blessing." Oscar uttered softly.

"I won't keep you any longer then. Keep trying, and perhaps you will achieve it." Elder Saul went back to his usual gardening with a small grin. Oscar smiled thankfully to the elder with a bow.

The time continued to pass as Oscar continued his training like a machine running endlessly, only stopping to sleep, eat or talk to Emily or Celestina. He drank the elixirs he had been stockpiling, except for the Ein Burst Elixir. However, the path to Elite Exalt was tough.

…….

Three months have passed since the Grand Gathering. Oscar woke up from his dorm and opened the door from the constant knocking.

"Ms. Klein?" Oscar was shocked to find Ivanka Klein waiting for him outside. As a Judge, she should never be here unless on official business. Her cheeks were sunken in with reddened eyes. Her usual elegant appearance was gone.

"Oscar….Save Frederick!"