A strong aura suddenly befell everyone and it was obvious who it was. It was already mysterious that the headmaster had not made an appearance in the beginning.
No one asked why he would miss such an important event and they just assumed ignorance. When the mayor felt the aura, he wore an ugly look as he went silent.
"Well said Mr. Mayor. It is very true that talent is what speaks in this academy of Vyl and you have actually produced another great talent for us two years later.
"Our academy has been magnanimous and allowed your son to join our academy and you dare insult us all. Have you not heard that you should not bite the hand that feeds you?"
The voice was familiar and no one knew where he came from and he was already standing behind Sera and Kaelen.
The mayor's clenched fist was shaking when he heard the voice and the direct threat thrown at him. He turned and looked at the headmaster who was smiling which made him even angrier.
"You… I see… So, this was your plan all along, right? It is exactly as you have been doing through out the years trying to drag me down from holding power of my own in this city!
"You are even daring to threaten not to accept my son. Okay. I want to see you do it. Are you not hungry for talent?
"Throw him away and see who is going to be joining your academy anymore in the future. If you can't accept the best talent there is, are you not even mediocre?"
The mayor asked. His words were heartfelt and his anger was reasonable. The academy could not let him undermine its authority but he had strived through adversary and managed to build an empire for himself.
He had also threatened the academy's prestige in his words by saying that if they could not accept the best student, it was their mediocrity and that the academy only accepted trash.
The headmaster's smile seemed to fade because it was true. If they rejected Alvin, they were accepting the fact that they were trash and if they accepted him, he was also right because they were accepting an insult because it was a talent.
The mayor was smug and he was very pleased with himself as the academy was unable to answer his question. That was complete control.
Beating them on their home ground.
The headmaster cleared his throat and he was ready to have his comeback. He could not let it slide but he also could not let Alvin go. Then his ears perked and so did those of several others.
"Young Master, stop dragging. The ceremony might be over and they do not allow late comers. Why did you have to sleep for this long?
"Everyone is allowed to arrive late once in a while but arriving this late is not acceptablen You ruin your image…" the voice was urgent, feminine and desperate but the reply was tired and dragged.
"What image do I have? I am not even a true young master… And could you stop dragging me faster? My legs can barely keep up."
"Young Master…"
The exchange was brief but somehow funny in tis own way. One could imagine the girl stomping her foot.
The mayor heard it too and he was shocked who those two were. He looked at the headmaster who was now grinning and a bad feeling crept on him.
The silence that came with the expected headmaster's response was the perfect set up for everyone to hear the last part of the argument and Sera clenched her fist as she wavered.
He was here but did he have to come this late? Did he take the ceremony to be a joke?
All eyes instantly turned towards the direction of the voice and after waiting for an eternity, the owners of the voices were visible.
It was a familiar couple to many students but what stood out was the girl dragging the boy who appeared half asleep and a sword on the other hand. He was dressed in blue robes and the girl dragging him wore a red dress.
Eyes popped out because this ought to be the most ridiculous sight one had seen in their lives and even the headmaster was shaking his head.
It was good to arrive even though late but arriving after the ceremony…
The girl made huge steps and she did not even seem to realize that they were already inside the amphitheater as the silence inside did not differ from that outside.
It was after three steps that she slowed down and felt the gaze9d on her and she stopped abruptly. The kid following behind him stumbling into her back.
"Ow. Don't you have warning signs when you stop. You gonna cause a huge accident in the future."
He said and straightened himself and yawned loudly and widely. She released his hand and he stretched himself as a comfortable smile came to his face after he felt cracks on his back.
"Why did you stop?"
There was an uproar!
There was no way the kid was being for real. Even a dumb person could tell when many eyes were staring at them let alone the thousands at the moment.
There was no way he could be this out of tune with his senses. Sera facepalmed and Kaelen felt his jaw drop. The mayor clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
The headmaster had an amused smile because this kid was even more interesting than he had thought.
Life was actually going to breathed into the academy and the uproar just now was a proof of the upcoming circus the academy was going to be. He watched the kid chew his mouth and lick his lips.
Lyren was caught off guard by the uproar but he was yet to register it as he licked his lips. Claire tugged at his sleeve as she walked to his side and hid behind him.
Lyren finally looked around and at first, he almost assumed all those blurry heads he was seeing before his brain actually registered that it was a crowd and somehow, he was at the edge of the platform with one foot raised on it.
On the platform were four people and two slightly older men past their prime. He could not recognize them but he could recognize Sera and Kaelen who were in the middle of it all.
He had a bad feeling and he could not have chosen a bad time to make and appearance.
"Oops." Was all he was able to say as saw Claire peek behind him.
"What is the meaning of this?" The mayor was quick to throw accusation at the academy. "Is this another of your antics to try and make me look like a fool? Was this what you were planning all along?"
"Do not misunderstand Mr. Mayor. We are as confused as you are. After all, it was you who told us that he was dead," the headmaster was witty in his reply and the mayor's face turned ugly.
He was the one who had leaked the information and it appeared he had landed a boulder on his own foot.
Lyren was shocked by this exchange. Who was supposed to be dead? When did that happen? He was more confused by this as his mind was forced into clarity. He looked around realized that the ceremony was already over and he was too late.
"Do not break your own rules. You cannot let anyone take the exams if they appear after their names have been called," the mayor said and the guest all nodded.
The academy could not break its own rules. Especially not in public…