While Ares was nning with Livia, A was already plotting her next action.


    ***


    "We have to revise our ns, Brother," A told Lucas.


    "Huh? Is this because of Ares?" Lucas stated, his face contorted.


    "Yeah, he would have been a tough opponent on his own, but now that Livia has joined him, there is nothing stopping him," A replied, pounding her nails.


    "But Livia has already dered that she will not be participating in this tournament, correct?" Lucas inquired.


    "She did say that before, but Ares wasn''t interested in the tournament at the time,"


    "I''m not sure what changed Ares'' mind so abruptly to dere that he will participate in this tournament as soon as he returns from his absence," A muttered to herself.


    "Well, I guess I just have to deal with him; I already had some scores to settle with him and was waiting for an opportunity," Lucas eximed, his eyes sparkling with delight.


    After hearing Lucas, A shook her head repeatedly before speaking.


    "Brother, I don''t doubt your strength, but dealing with both Ares and Livia together will be difficult even for you," A told Lucas.


    ''I''m sorry to disappoint you brother, but I don''t think you can even deal with Ares on your own; in fact, I don''t think any first-year student can ovee him; there was one, but she joined him as well.'' A reflected to herself biting her nails.


    "Tsk, So, what do you think we should do?" Lucas clicked his tongue before inquiring A.


    "Let''s contact the other first-year faction leaders, ude and Diana," A said, staring at Lucas.


    "Don''t tell me you want to form an alliance with them to deal with Ares," Lucas queried, his face dissatisfied.


    "...Yeah, we should coborate with them to bring Ares down," A agreed with Lucas.


    *Sigh


    "Do you believe they will readily ept this alliance? Because I doubt they would," Lucas sighed and stated.


    "Yeah, I know they won''t ept it easily...but we should at least try, right?" A said.


    ''To be honest, I am almost certain that ude will join us because he, too, has a resentment against Ares.


    Seeing his contorted look when Livia hugged Ares, I believe he has affection for Livia, which we can utilize to convince him to join the alliance.


    But I have my doubts about that Narcissistic Diana, and I don''t think she''ll easily ept my suggestion,'' A was pondering to herself when she was interrupted by Lucas''s words.


    "Alright, if you say so, you might have already thought it through, right sister?" Lucas asked, his gaze fixed on A.


    "Yeah," she answered, smiling.


    ***


    Meanwhile, ude who was seated in one of the ssrooms, surrounded by his faction members, had just received a Message.


    ...


    "Prince ude, this is what the text we received from Lucas'' faction indicated," After reading the text aloud he had received, one of the guys standing behind ude stated.


    "So they want to join forces, huh? What are your ns for this, ude?" Kevin, who was sitting across from ude, inquired.


    "...."


    "It''s true, that bastard needs to be taught a lesson," ude said angrily, mming his hand into the bench.


    ''Oh, he''s taking him seriously now after seeing the earlier scene, which works for me as well.'' ''I, too, want to make him pay for what he''s done to me all along,'' Kevin thought to himself with a smile of amusement on his face.


    "Are you going to ept their offer and join the alliance?" Kevin asked ude a question.


    "Yeah, we''ll join them, at least for now," ude remarked, an evil smirk on his lips.


    "Do you intend to betray them when the timees?" Kevin inquired after noticing ude''s devious smile.


    "Isn''t this self-evident? We''re allpeting here, and there is no alliance thatcanst long. They might be thinking the same thing; once Ares is out of the picture, they''lle after us" ude stated.


    "You''re right, we can''t trust Lucas either," Kevin nodded and agreed with ude.


    "But you''re only saying this because he''s good friends with Ziona, right? I''m not sure what you saw in that insane Beastwoman," One of the men standing behind udemented.


    "...."


    Kevin just stared at the person who made thement for a moment before speaking.


    "It''s the same as what ude saw in that crazy woman Livia," Kevin remarked.


    When they heard Kevin, everyone fell silent and turned their attention to him.


    "Huh?" ude eximed.


    "...."


    ***


    Diana stood in the archery range, aiming her bow at an apple that was perched atop a person''s head.


    —Swish!


    She shot an arrow and watched as it struck the apple in the middle,


    —Thud!


    Allowing the person who was holding the apple over his head to breathe in relief.


    "So they intend to form an Alliance to oppose Ares?... and they want me to be a part of it too?" Diana questioned.


    "Y-Yes, Princess, that was what indicated in the message we received from the Lucas faction, and ude appears to have consented to join him as well,"


    The professor of the Archery course, atop whom Diana had ced the apple, answered Diana while wiping away his sweat.


    The Archery course instructor was an elf with yellow hair and pointed ears who had previously worked for Diana''s father before being chosen to be a professor at the Soreh Academy.


    He had no power in front of Diana, the princess and the next candidate for Empress of an Elven Kingdom, even if he is the professor who is supposed to instruct her.


    The Academy would not appreciate this, but the professor can do nothing because the Elven Kingdom is his home, and he had to return there in the end to meet his wife.


    If he does not behave appropriately in front of Diana the future Empress, his wife, and his life in the Elven Kingdom will turn pretty horrible.


    "She''s treating the professor like a servant," Diana''s female bodyguard says awkwardly.


    "But isn''t he really her servant? I expect nothing less from our future Empress," ording to the male bodyguard.


    "...."


    Hearing him, the female bodyguard simply sighed and turned to face Diana.


    "Do they truly believe I''ll join their alliance? I know Ares is powerful, but I have my own ways of dealing with him; I will not lower my standards by ganging up on him when he is standing alone," Diana remarked.


    "They believe Livia will also be joining his faction," the female bodyguard added.


    "...."


    "Hmm, it isn''t a bad idea to see what they have nned in this alliance; maybe I should pay them a visit as well," Diana mused.


    "...."


    "But we should keep our guard up because I don''t believe that sly A," Diana said.


    "Roger!" Both bodyguards responded in unison.


    ***


    As Ares finished exining his ns to Livia, he received a notification on his phone, and as he read its contents, a wide grin emerged on his face.


    "I guess peace was never an option," Ares mumbled.


    "Hmm, who sent you a text just now, and what was the content that caused you to make that expression?" Livia inquired after observing Ares'' expression.


    "It seems A has already made her move; I knew she would react quickly, but I never expected her to form an alliance with other faction leaders to deal with me," Ares exined.


    "How idiotic are they? They''re forming an alliance to deal with you, so why can''t they do the same to win that so-called tournament?" Irethiel remarked telepathically.


    "...."


    ***