"Alex..."

"Yes, Professor Gareth?"

"Your team members are all monsters."

Professor Gareth had no words to say. They had gathered the strongest students for their fighting division, yet Alex’s team decimated them all.

They won against the First Years up to the Third Years. However, they had yet to fight against the Fourth Years.

That was because Aeris was their team leader. Not to mention, Professor Gareth wouldn’t allow it. If Alex’s team also beat the Fourth Years, then the morale of the chosen candidates for the tournament might sink to the bottom.

There was one more person very surprised at the outcome of these battles.

It was none other than Chuck. He still couldn’t get over the fact that his performance had surpassed all expectations.

Even Nessia had to admit that Chuck’s control over the fire element greatly surpassed hers.

"That training in the dungeon you went to really helped a lot, huh?" Nessia frowned. "Why didn’t you invite me to join you, Alex? We could have also taken Charles along with us."

"Nessia, I don’t want to die, okay?" Alex replied.

"What do you mean?" Nessia blinked. "Who said anything about dying?"

Alex could only smile wryly in response and made a mental note to himself. He should talk to Charles later. Surely the young man also wished to tell his lover the truth but might be hesitating because he feared she would think differently of him.

"You better bring us to the next dungeon expedition, okay?" Nessia rested her hands on her hips. Clearly, she would not take no for an answer.

"O-Okay," Alex replied. "Next time, I’ll invite you and Charles."

There were a few hidden low-ranking dungeons scattered all around the Kingdom of Avalon, and Alex still remembered quite a few of them.

If they went there, even if it caused a stampede, they would be able to come out unscathed as long as they made preparations beforehand.

After a few more sparring matches, Professor Gareth thanked everyone for participating and left to report to the Headmaster.

Renard, Chuck, Nessia, and Fran returned to their classes. Alex didn’t come with them as he was invited by Prince Edward to one of the cafes in the academy for a private talk.

"Alex, do you really not want to join the fighting division?" Prince Edward asked in a serious tone.

"No, Your Highness," Alex replied without hesitation. "I believe you guys can make us proud."

In the game, Prince Edward’s team had a slim chance of winning, and it depended on how much growth Prince Edward would experience during the one-month training regimen.

With that in mind, Alex decided to just help them train until they developed their teamwork to the limit.

Alex and his dream team could join the tournament, but Alex feared the consequences of his actions, which might bite him back in the foreseeable future.

"I feel both disappointed... and relieved by your answer," Prince Edward admitted. "I feel disappointed because... if you and your team replaced us, I believe the academy is bound to secure gold in the tournament.

"But I’m also relieved because I still have a chance to show everyone what my team and I can do. So, please, keep sparring with us in the training grounds, okay?"

"It might be a bit difficult to do that since they’re busy..." Alex smiled apologetically.

"How about I hire them to train with us for a month?" Prince Edward asked. "I’m willing to give everyone 10,000 gold coins each if they agree."

Alex could already see the two commoners, Renard and Nessia, agree to the Prince’s offer without question.

Now that Chuck was probably no longer receiving additional allowance from his father, Chuck might also accept the deal.

As for Alex, having gold coins would definitely help his budget. However, instead of him participating, he thought that letting Charles substitute for him would be better.

According to the young man, the orphanage needed some renovations. With that said, they would need a lot of gold to have it done.

Since that was the case, Charles might as well fight in his stead. That way, he could earn funds to help his Aunt make the lives of the children, as well as his little sister, in the orphanage more comfortable.

"I will talk to them, but I won’t be joining future sparring matches, Your Highness," Alex replied after organizing his thoughts. "But do not worry. Someone equally powerful will take my place. In fact, you guys might end up having a harder time since my replacement is very strong."

If Renard, Charles, and Fran fought as the vanguards, the three of them could easily annihilate any teams, even without Chuck and Nessia’s support from behind.

Alex believed that if Prince Edward could find a way to last longer in their fights against them, they would be ready for whatever kind of tricks their rivals in the tournament could throw at them.

It was the compromise he came up with that could help promote the prince’s growth without affecting the storyline too much.

However, the Prince’s next question made Alex almost choke on the coffee that he was drinking.

"Alex, are you and Astrea close?" Prince Edward asked.

"... I guess we are close?" Alex replied. "We are both in the musical division, and the two of us often chat with each other whenever we meet."

"I see..." Prince Edward nodded in understanding. "You see, my father has shown me a few candidates to become my fiancee, and Astrea was one of them."

"I-Is that so?" Alex tried to remain calm. But if the King really decided to choose Astrea as Prince Edward’s fiance, then things would become quite complicated.

At that moment, Alex thought that it might be a good idea to let the prince interact with the elves, including Freyren, who was a fan favorite among the romantic leads available for Prince Edward.

But just as Alex was thinking about these things, the prince said something that caught him by surprise.

"Actually, I only see Astrea as a close friend," Prince Edward stated. "The Nocturne Family and the royal family are very close, so we have spent years together since we were children. Astrea is no different from a sister. I can’t see her as a romantic partner."

’That’s good,’ Alex thought as he patted his chest in relief.

"However, if my father wants us to marry, then I have no choice but to marry her," Prince Edward complained.

’That’s bad!’ Alex’s relief immediately disappeared because this was a serious matter.

"But I will resist it," Prince Edward stated.

’That’s good!’ Alex nodded.

"But if he gives a royal decree, then there’s no one who can stop it." Prince Edward sighed.

’That’s bad!’ At this point, Alex was wondering if the prince was messing with him or not by making him feel a roller coaster of emotions.

In the end, Alex decided to use his trump card, which was his knowledge in the game.

He would try to play matchmaker for Prince Edward!

’I’ll use the Elves as backup,’ Alex thought. ’Should I try to hook him up with Professor Arienna?’

Surprisingly, the Music Professor was also one of Prince Edward’s romantic leads. For the prince, age was just a number. As long as the feelings were true, he didn’t mind if his partner was older than him.

In fact, he preferred them older!

’But how can I do it without making it too obvious?’ Alex thought.

This was actually a very tricky question. Professor Arienna would feel like she was too old for the prince. And with his royal status, she would be too anxious to really consider dating him.

Although she didn’t look like it, Professor Arienna hated people gossiping about her. If she and the prince really became a thing, the entire kingdom would definitely talk behind her back, which was the biggest downside of this matchup.

’The Alchemy Professor, then?’ Alex crossed his arms before a frown appeared on his face. ’No good. I don’t have enough time to make it happen. That route is only available when the prince is in his Second Year.’

’I guess it’s time for Plan B,’ Alex narrowed his eyes, making Prince Edward look at him curiously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Prince Edward asked. "Is there something on my face?"

"Prince Edward, have you been to the pub before?" Alex asked.

"You mean that place where the common folk go after a long day of work to eat and drink?" Prince Edward asked. "I’ve always wanted to go, but guards always follow me around, so I don’t visit those kinds of places. I might disrupt their business."

"Well then. Are you free tomorrow?" Alex asked. "We will travel incognito."

The prince was surprised at first, but feeling a sense of thrill from doing something he shouldn’t be doing, he eventually decided to agree to Alex’s proposal.

With that, the two planned to meet in secret after classes ended the next day before heading to town together with Chuck.