SYSTEM ASCENSION

While Claude went over to meet Coco and Elias, Tyler took a random seat. He swung his leg like a little child, looking between each and every one of them.

The door behind opened and Tiana came in.

”Good morni...is that a child?!”

Kael turned around and pushed Mona to her. ”Here. Take it...him.”

”Wow,” she carefully took the baby from Kael’s arm. ”He looks like Elias.”

”What?!” It was a general chorus.

”He’s the opposite of Elias. They look nothing alike.” Kael immediately objected.

”No, they totally share a similar look,” she raised Mona into the light streaming from the window. ”Right Claude?”

All eyes moved to the trio having a conversation.

Claude also glanced at them, and they could see the gavel and scale in his eyes. The air immediately dropped.

”Is there a problem?” Fayera spoke first.

”...”

Coco gulped down.

Elias walked away from them first. Claude glanced at Coco a second before following. His eyes returned back to normal.

Coco heaved a sigh and followed behind.

All this while, Tyler was staring at some point between the wall, and when the members were finally settling down, he glanced at the short girl carrying a baby and walking past him.

His bored posture straightened up, and he stared at her with a new found curiosity.

”What’s his name?” She asked Elias.

”Mona.”

”Wowwww...” She kept the child on the table, and took a seat. During this period, she was beginning to notice the intense stare. At first, she chose to ignore it, but after she couldn’t shake it off.

”Who the hell is this hobo?!”

Tyler flinched.

”I...”

”Shut up! It’s rude to stare like that!”

He blinked. ”Is this your normal height?”

”Did I hide my legs?!”

He chuckled softly. ”I’m sorry. You just looked like my sister.”

”I feel like you’ve lying!”

”I’m serious.”

”The princess does not come to school, so you probably don’t know,” Claude said. ”But you do look like her.”

Tiana blinked. ”I look like her?”

Fayera nodded.

”She only showed up once.” Lane spoke. ”Rude little lad.”

The rest coughed, and glanced at Tyler.

”Language Lane.” Anya muttered.

Davon didn’t even say anything from the start. He just watched them.

”She is rude. We don’t get along.” Tyler smiled.

”Just the two of you and you have a problem with getting along?” Tiana scoffed. ”Father has twenty five of us, and we can’t even remember the last time we fought.”

”Father? Who? Sounds like uncle.”

This made Tiana remember that Ringoff are also royal. In a way, she was related to this careless boy sitting here.

He smiled at her and she cursed inward.

The council meeting began. Various matters popped up and they debated on it. Tyler blended in perfectly, like he was supposed to be here, and nobody complained either. As soon as the meeting got heated, both Mona and Elias fell asleep.

”Bird of the same feather I guess,” Anya smiled.

”Of the same soul, you mean,” Kael snorted.

They concluded the meeting after two hours of debating and finally, chairs shifted back. Elias opened his eyes.

”We have a new student. Started late, apparently,” Anya announced.

They all glanced at her.

”I saw him this morning. His energy is on another level. He’s probably an age.”

”S ranker?” Claude frowned. ”There are barely ten age in Salvador empire. How come we haven’t heard of him?”

She shrugged.

”He doesn’t seem to be from a leading family or close. He’s dressed like a rogue too. Students said he has a mean scar across his face, and that’s why he chose to cover his face all the time.”

”Hm. Diamond in the sand.” Tyler shrugged.

”I’ll check him.” Fayera’s eyes glowed. ”Ability activate. Information.”

She accessed all the information in the school, searching for any new students since there were not a lot of them.

Except for Elias and a few new students, she didn’t find new students that match the description.

”He’s not new. He’s probably like the princess and the prince. Non attendant.”

Tyler coughed slightly. ”Guilty as charged.”

”Can you search for him?” Davon asked.

”I’ll have to see him first.”

The wristwatch on Claude’s arm chimed. ”Time for a vital learning class. Let’s go.”

They all filed out of the student council room. Mona sat small and tiny on Elias’s head, making him look even more taller, while they rest walked in his front.

Tyler continued to stare at Tiana all through the way, and when they were finally getting close to the class.

”Tiana,”

She glanced at him.

”Yes?”

”I challenged you to a duel.”

Everyone stopped. The challenge came out of nowhere, putting both themselves and Tiana in a perplexed state.

”What?”

”A duel.” He repeated.

”No! Never!”

”What?”

”Why will you want to fight me?! What sort of a creep are you?!”

”I am not—”

”Fight him.”

The voice that had cut in, was none other than Elias. He stood, hands in pockets, staring at the two short people bickering at each other.

”...huh...” Tiana followed for a moment, before turning away. ”Fine! After a vital learning class.”

Tyler’s face lit up. ”Okay!”

They proceeded to the class and finally got there. Some students were going in, and one of them was someone Elias recognised.

”Mimi.”

She turned sharply, pigtails slapping against her face, before her eyes lit up. ”Elias!”

She ran to hug him, but as soon as she closed the gap, Tiana and Coco blocked the way.

”He’s mine!” Tiana declared.

Coco, however, couldn’t explain why she did that.

Mimi awkwardly stepped back and waved instead.

They entered the class. All eyes followed the black uniformed students. A few murmurs raised. As they sorted for their seats, Anya pointed across the room.

”That’s the new student.”

They turned.

The person was scribbling something into a jotter, a cloth draped around his face and head. He looked like a rogue, just like they had suspected.

”I’ll talk to him.” Coco voluntarily raised her hand, but before she could move, Elias was already walking to the new student.

”I guess he’s doing it.” Claude shrugged.

Elias walked up to the person and stopped before him.

The person quietly raised his head, and their eyes met.

”What’s up with the dress code?” Elias asked.

”Habits from traveling.” The young man replied.

A moment of silence followed.

”Why are you carrying a child on your head?” The young man vaguely gestured up.

”This is Mona.”

”Mona?” He frowned. ”The one inside you?”

”I took him out.”

”How is that possible?”

”A weird creature did it.”

Another moment of silence. This time, the young man stood up to match their height.

”I feel bad for mocking you, back in the days but, this is too much. How tall did you grow?”

Elias shrugged.

Claude had already gotten to them.

”Knew each other?”

Elias glanced at the president, and back at the young man pulling the cloth away from his face.

”This is Quil.”