Chapter 705: Lucy’s Potential Power up

The next day came as peacefully as it always did.

The morning routine had gone by without anything unusual.

Ezra had finished his usual preparations, and Lucy had done the same.

By the time they were ready to leave, the food ingredients for lunch had already been gathered and packed into the cool-box storage.

Lucy carried it outside and placed it in the boot of the Royal Phantom Rolls. She checked that it was secured before closing the compartment.

Thud.

The sound of the boot shutting echoed briefly through the quiet parking area.

Lucy turned around.

Her Master had already entered through the vehicle’s door.

"Wait."

A voice called out from behind them.

Cyrus Burnwick hurried towards the Royal Phantom Rolls, his footsteps growing louder as he approached. He had clearly been trying to catch up before they left.

"Good morning, Mr. Cyrus."

Lucy lowered her head in greeting before turning towards the driver’s seat.

"Hey, Miss Maid."

Cyrus greeted her calmly before entering the vehicle.

"And greetings to you, Ezra."

He looked towards Ezra with a bright smile.

"That’s weird, smiling at me like that."

Ezra looked at him plainly.

"Someone would think you have an ulterior motive against me."

He narrowed his plain black eyes slightly, studying Cyrus’s expression.

"What?"

Cyrus leaned back towards the door.

The smile on his face faltered as he tried to understand what Ezra was getting at.

"I can’t smile again?"

He asked, looking somewhat awkward.

"Smile normally."

Ezra replied flatly.

"Good morning, Cyrus."

He finally returned the greeting before turning towards the window beside his seat.

His right hand settled on the armrest, and his gaze shifted outside.

"Ahhh..."

Cyrus sighed helplessly.

He had only wanted to greet the two of them in a good mood. Somehow, Ezra had managed to make the exchange feel like an interrogation.

"Haha."

Lucy laughed lightly from the driver’s side.

She had heard the entire conversation. Although she didn’t turn around to look at them, the amusement in her voice was clear.

She settled into her seat and started the vehicle.

The steam engine hummed calmly.

A faint stream of steam escaped from the exhaust pipe.

The sound of the engine grew steadier as the mechanism engaged, and the wheels began turning against the road.

Lucy guided the Royal Phantom Rolls out of its parking position and onto the road within the Royal Academy.

Other Steam Vehicles were already moving along the route. Some were travelling at a steady pace, while others slowed down as they approached the intersections leading towards the different academy buildings.

Lucy kept her hands steady on the steering wheel.

She overtook several of them without much difficulty.

The Royal Phantom Rolls moved faster than the Royal Steam Carriages, Noble Steam Carriages, and even some of the other high-quality Steam Vehicles travelling along the same road.

Its engine maintained a smooth rhythm as it passed them.

Inside the Royal Phantom Rolls...

Lucy kept her eyes on the road, her attention fixed on the path ahead. However, her thoughts had returned to what her Master had shown her the previous night.

She could still remember opening the A2 paper.

The moment she had seen the two blades drawn on it, her attention had been drawn to their designs.

They were shaped like the weapons her Master had written down as Katanas.

She had never seen such weapons before.

According to the information written beside their designs, one of them was capable of generating heat, while the other could generate lightning.

Both were going to be made through Alchemy Systems.

Lucy remembered how excited she had felt when she realized what those two weapons could mean for her.

They weren’t ordinary additions to her equipment. They were designed to work alongside the abilities she had already developed as a Binder Alchemist.

Her Dual Stiletto Needles with Circuit Systems.

Her Dance Martial Art.

And her Black Magnetic gloves.

Together, those tools had already boosted her strength as a Steel Alchemist in the Binder Alchemist rank.

Now, there was the possibility of adding two more weapons to that combination.

Lucy couldn’t help thinking about it.

She wondered how the weapons would feel in her hands.

How their abilities would work alongside her existing techniques.

More importantly, she wanted to know how much stronger she could become once she had learned to use them properly.

She was excited for the day she would finally have the chance to put all her skills to use in a fight.

Not merely to test the weapons, but to show her Master how much she had grown.

She wanted him to see the results of her training.

A few minutes passed...

The group finally arrived at the First-Year Academy’s main building.

Lucy slowed the vehicle as she approached its usual parking space.

She brought the Royal Phantom Rolls to a smooth stop before switching off the engine.

Ezra immediately opened the door and stepped out.

Cyrus did the same, leaving the vehicle almost at the same time as him.

The two adjusted their space bags before walking towards the Academy building.

The morning was already lively.

Students moved through the entrance in small groups, while others stood around talking before heading inside. Their voices mixed with the occasional sound of footsteps crossing the paved path.

"Hi, Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke."

A few girls waved their hands as Ezra passed them.

Ezra returned the greeting with a simple wave.

"Good morning, Sir Cyrus Burnwick."

Another group of students greeted Cyrus.

He also waved back, returning their greetings with a simple smile.

However, after a moment, he noticed a gaze directed at him.

Cyrus turned his head.

Ezra was looking at him plainly.

"I do have some people who like me. Not that everyone in the Academy hates me or anything."

He said defensively.

"I see."

Ezra replied before turning his attention forward again.

"I’m serious."

Cyrus followed at Ezra’s side.

He seemed to feel the need to make that point clear, even though Ezra hadn’t said anything that suggested otherwise.

The two continued towards the Academy building.

And like that...

Classes commenced and ended as usual.

The day’s lessons proceeded without anything particularly unusual, and the students went about their schedules. However, outside the classrooms, the campaign activities had already begun to take shape.

The other factions had started selecting their First-Year Representatives.

The Iron Vanguard Faction, for instance, had been left with a choice between Fatima Drakes and Maxwell.

Their internal selection had finally come to an end, with Fatima Drakes securing a solid victory.

The Arcane Foundry Faction had also completed its selection.

Grace Evergrey, Dave Wakener, and Kane Casper had all competed for the position.

The voting was carried out exclusively among the First-Year members of the faction, and when the results were settled, Grace Evergrey came out as the winner.

Some might whisper that her position had been secured because her brother was the Head of the faction.

It was an easy assumption to make, especially for those who preferred to judge the outcome through family influence rather than ability.

However, no one could truly deny Grace’s skills.

Whatever advantages her family position might have given her, she had still emerged as the winner among the First Years who cast their votes.

With those selections concluded, the other factions now had their representatives.

The results had already begun circulating among the First Years. Students could be seen discussing the outcomes between classes, while others were already debating which candidates had the better chances of gaining support.

For the factions, however, the selection was only the beginning.

Each representative would need a campaign team, and the factions had to decide how best to approach the remaining students. Some would focus on spreading information about their candidates, while others would rely on their existing connections within the Academy.

The work would not be limited to the representatives alone.

Their supporters would also have to play their part in convincing others to cast their votes.

With the candidates now decided, the factions could finally turn their attention towards the next stage.

Establishing the foundation for their respective campaigns.

Long break period...

Ezra sat in the pavilion he had booked.

Lucy stood nearby, serving lunch.

The food had been prepared and arranged before their arrival, and she began distributing the plates to everyone seated at the table.

Cyrus was sitting with Ezra.

But he wasn’t the only one.

Veda Ashenlocke was also there, along with Nickolas Balor.

"This is a first."

Cyrus remarked as he collected the plate Lucy handed to him.

"Thank you."

He appreciated her calmly.

Lucy gave a small nod before moving to serve the others.

"It’s not the first time I have eaten with Ezra, though."

Veda Ashenlocke replied calmly.

"But it’s the first for me."

Nickolas Balor said calmly, looking at Ezra.

The arrangement was a little different from what Cyrus was used to.

He had eaten with Ezra before, and Veda had done so as well.

Nickolas, however, was the one making this particular gathering a first.

Ezra looked at him.

"Why aren’t you with your Lady today, Nickolas?"

He asked plainly.

"She’s working with the other girls during this break to spread some good words about Prince Charles Aethelmont."

Nickolas replied.

He picked up his cutlery and took a bite of the food on his plate.

He chewed for a moment before swallowing.

"Unlike someone who I heard wasn’t going to partake in our campaign period."

He added teasingly.

His eyes remained on Ezra for a moment, as though waiting to see whether the remark would earn him a response.

But Ezra didn’t react.

He continued with his meal as if the comment had passed over him without leaving an impression.

Cyrus glanced between them.

"But, even though you are all advocating for the Fourth Prince, would you even vote for him?"

He asked curiously.

His gaze settled on Veda.

"Of course."

Veda replied without hesitation.

"I know I would be going against Vera, but I do believe Prince Charles deserves a spot to show his brilliance."

He spoke with sure confidence.

There was no uncertainty in his answer.

He understood that supporting Prince Charles meant going against Vera, but that wasn’t enough to change his opinion.

He believed Charles deserved the opportunity.

"I follow who my Young Lord follows."

Nickolas said with a proud smile.

His answer came easily.

Ezra looked at Nickolas for a brief moment.

"You seemed to have changed a bit."

He said calmly.

"Ehn?"

Nickolas looked at Ezra in confusion.

He hadn’t expected that comment.

"Except for your constant need to get a reaction out of me, you somehow seem to have matured."

Ezra said calmly.

His attention had already returned to the food on his plate.

He prepared to take another bite, seemingly having said everything he wanted to say.

Once Lucy finished serving everyone, she moved behind her Master.

She stood there calmly, watching the gentlemen eat.

The pavilion remained peaceful, with the occasional sound of cutlery touching plates and the voices of students passing outside.

"Ugh, is that praise or an insult?"

Nickolas said, feeling attacked.

He looked as though he wasn’t sure whether he should accept the comment or complain about it.

"It’s actually true. He does feel like he’s different."

Veda said with an amused tone, looking at Nickolas.

Nickolas immediately felt awkward from the praise Veda was giving him.

He had been prepared to receive a teasing remark from Ezra. What he hadn’t expected was for Veda to agree with it.

For a moment, he didn’t seem to know what to say.

Ezra continued eating.