"good evening i''m matilda santiago from lower class!"

    for some reason, a voice not belonging to a lady echoes across the event ground; however, that is not the only reason why everyone is surprised.

    "did she just say, matilda?"

    "yeah that''s impossible right because the archduke''s daughter also has that name"

    "it''s against the imperial law to have the same name as those who have a noble bloodline especially those with the highest rank in the empire"

    "then just how did she have that name?"

    "wait, didn''t you hear her last name?"

    "what? what name?"

    "come on, we learned it in history. there is an exception to that rule, remember!"

    the crowd was stirred with debate until an old rule from the past surfaced.

    "under the imperial law, no commoner shall take the same name of those from the noble bloodline, low ranking aristocrats can''t also take names that have already been used by those who are above them.."

    "..but there is one family who wasn''t included in such rule...the ruling family who resides at the edge of the empire. protecting hundreds of islands and coasts in evaristo. the holder of the black fort the santiagos"

    it only means even if they use the names of previous emperors no one can hold them accountable.

    silently, the group of upper-year students gulped as they realized a member of such a family still existed.

    "i thought that family went extinct when the breakout happened on one of the coasts?"

    "well we now know that it is not true"

    the islands surrounding the edge of the empire had always produced the most ferocious demonic breakout; however, despite all the issues, the black fort still stood. their courage was well admired by the emperor, and they were rewarded with different kinds of immunities from the imperial law; one of them was a law about names. as long as the name santiago is placed right after your name, an invisible protection from the imperial rules comes after.

    however, though it might seem having such a name is great, it also brings heavy responsibility, just like what happened to matilda''s and casper''s loved ones. the name santiago bears the responsibility of being a shield to ward off the magical beast that turns into demons. they need to destroy them before a breakout can even occur. you also have to earn it and have the skill to back it up, and that is why strength is associated with the santiago.

    "just how the hell did such a person enter the lower class?"

    "did some kind of mismatch happen?"

    the seniors now became interested at the lower class while some have another heated debate.

    "see i told you it wasn''t an error in the ranking board, see there is really someone named matilda"

    "yeah yeah you don''t have to say that"

    "if i am not mistaken the last names of the lower class were really strange have you not noticed it"

    "she''s really owning it," apollo muttered, impressed, while his hand continued clapping.

    alicia, seated beside him, smirked. "what did you expect? matilda practiced so hard for this performance. unlike someone i know who almost tripped in heels."

    "hey, i didn''t fall," apollo retorted, though the memory still made his ears burn.

    the atmosphere was light and carefree, a rare reprieve from the tense situation that often ran through their lives. for once, apollo allowed himself to relax. watching matilda and the others perform, he felt a strange sense of freedom and joy, something he hadn''t experienced in a long time

    at the end of the event, matilda was hailed as the winner and once again the crown fell into the lower class.

    "let''s go back to the booth!" apollo declared excitedly, and under the light of the lamps, multiple silhouettes danced across the night.

    "enjoying yourself, apollo?" alya asked as she approached; her event was long ended, so she was with matilda the whole time in the dressing room.

    "for once, yes," he admitted, a smile plaster across his face.

    .

    .

    .

    "hey, they are back!" aaron immediately noticed and immediately prepared drinks for everyone.

    "so was it fun?" vesta immediately asked while on her hand plates and cakes were served.

    the tower mages immediately sat down. isabella was no exception; she, too, began to like the warm atmosphere of the class.

    "it was amazing, but i almost tripped while walking on the stage," apollo admitted, then immediately took a sip of the hot chocolate she handed him. the sweet, rich taste melted away the lingering tension and embarrassment from earlier.

    "we should do this more often," matilda quipped, leaning against the counter. "what i mean is the relax. smile. maybe even have a fun moment." she clarifies since the boys are looking at her suspiciously.

    apollo chuckled. "maybe i will. just for the festival."

    the night of the first day ended with a blast for everyone. soon enough, it was time to clean up and return to the dorm.

    "come on, guys we prepared a cozy place to sleep in!" mckenzie excitedly said while the others just quietly followed. the tower mages were also having fun; for a while, they put aside their research and tasks at the tower just to come, but they didn''t regret anything since everything looked fun.

    "hey wanna hear a story!" braiden was about to brag about how apollo almost dived while walking but alicia told him they still needed to prepare for tomorrow and that they had a new set of schedules. reluctantly, although they still had a lot of energy, they decided to sleep. the entire living room was replaced with futons and quilts. the mages from the tower and the students from the lower class peacefully sleep there until dawn finally arrives.

    the second day of the festival dawned bright and chilly, the excitement from the previous day still lingering in the air. unlike the first day, where events were separated by year level, today''s activities were a mix of all classes. duo and group events took center stage, designed to make everything more fun and collaborative.

    or so it was intended.

    apollo noticed it during the first event of the day: a team relay race that pitted groups from different years against one another. the older students, particularly the seniors, were intensely competitive. their focus was not on enjoying the festival but on crushing their opponents, even if it meant pushing the younger students to their limits.

    "this doesn''t look right." they are causing trouble, and the entirety of the first years didn''t like what they were trying to brew.