After finalizing my deal with Alexia, we parted ways. She wanted to continue strolling around the city for a bit longer, while I had to head back to the party.
My job was to welcome the late-entry Cadets — the high-nobles and legacies. I hadn’t done so yet, having shown up late myself.
But now that the party was nearing its end, I realized I couldn’t put it off any longer. Like it or not, I had to go over there and socialize.
It wasn’t something I was particularly looking forward to, but it was unavoidable.
As the Ace of the first years, it was my responsibility to keep the peace among the Cadets in my batch.
Basically, I needed to keep everyone in check.
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
Nobles and commoners rarely saw eye to eye.
It didn’t take much for tensions to flare between them, sometimes escalating into outright hostility.
This was especially true at the Academy, where noble Cadets couldn’t use their families’ influence to oppress commoners.
Here on the Ascent Isles, what mattered most wasn’t the status of one’s birth but their rank within the Academy.
Naturally, this environment bred conflict.
And as the Ace, I was expected to keep those conflicts from spiraling out of control.
I knew how important that role was, because in the game, Michael was the one who claimed the title of Ace.
And out of jealousy and his desire for revenge, Samael challenged Michael to a duel during the freshman party in several story routes.
To no one’s surprise, Samael lost.
But that duel kicked off a chain of events that escalated into a full-blown feud between nobles and commoners.
I had no interest in that kind of nonsense. So, my plan was to avoid that scenario altogether.
Oh, that reminded me — I was going to have to deal with Michael very soon.
As I’d once mentioned before, Michael and Alexia didn’t interact at all in the game until they were put on the same team.
But Michael had his eyes set on her long before that — since the Award Ceremony.
Well, not on her specifically, but on an item that she received during the ceremony — the «Visual Link» Card.
But since they didn’t know each other back then, Michael had to wait until she was familiar enough with him for a conversation.
In this reality, though, things were different.
They already knew each other, which encouraged Michael to go after her all evening at the party.
But sadly for him, I managed to strike a deal with Alexia before he could do it.
And now, the Card that he so desperately wanted was in my possession.
“Heh,” I smirked to myself. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
Oh, I absolutely was going to enjoy it.
Whistling a carefree tune to appreciate my unusually good mood, I made my way back to Dining Hall 12B.
The crisp night air felt refreshing.
It took me a few minutes to reach the Hall building, but just as I was about to step inside, a silhouette snagged my attention from the corner of my eye.
Turning my head to the side, I spotted a tall young woman leaning casually against the wall.
Her long hair, darker against the darkness, fell to her slender waist in gentle waves, and a lit cigarette rested between her fingers.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes burned a vivid gold — like twin suns blazing in the night sky.
When she focused her gaze on me, I felt its searing intensity.
Her striking red lips curved up into a smirk as she parted them to utter two simple words:
“Hello, brother.”
The silence that followed was heavy, pressing against my chest like a vice. But heavier still was the thrum of my heart.
I made a show of keeping my expression flat and detached, and my gaze neutral. I didn’t return her greeting.
Thalia arched an eyebrow, a spark of amusement dancing in her bright golden eyes.
Beneath the glow of the city lights and the silvery radiance of the moon, she looked every bit as elegant as she was beautiful.
But even her refined elegance couldn’t hide the resentment simmering in her eyes as she looked at me — or perhaps she didn’t bother to hide it at all.
Either way, one thing was clear.
She hated me with every ounce of her being.
“You know,” she began, flicking the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under her heel, “I saw your Rite of Valor with Father. Watching you finally stand up to him… I can’t tell you how happy I was to see my brother finally grow a pair. It was about time!”
Her words were full of sarcasm, yet she spoke them with such calm grace that the venom in her tone was barely noticeable.
She pushed off the wall and sauntered toward me, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.
“And even though you lost — which was inevitable, let’s be honest — maybe you’re not quite the disgrace we all thought you were.” She clasped her hands together with a mocking smile.
I didn’t flinch. Not at her words or at her smirk.
Years of enduring her barbs had turned them into little more than background noise.
Instead, I tilted my head, studying her with the detached curiosity of someone observing a mildly interesting insect.
“Finished?” I asked with a calm, almost bored, tone.
Thalia’s smirk widened, and her eyes narrowed slightly in challenge.
“Not quite,” her voice took on a saccharine sweetness, like honey masking something far more bitter beneath. “After all, it’s not every day I get to congratulate my dear brother. How often do you rise above mediocre?”
I crossed my arms, leaning back slightly as if preparing for a show. “If you’re here to waste my time with insults, don’t bother. I’ve heard all your classics.”
“Oh my! You’re talking back to me now?” she laughed, though there was no real joy in it. “You really have grown a pair! But no, dear brother, I’m not here to insult you. I’m here to warn you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “A warning? From you? I should feel honored.”
Her smirk faltered for just a heartbeat before she recovered and stepped closer. When she spoke again, her voice dropped to a low whisper.
“You should feel honored,” she murmured. “You see, while I couldn’t be happier for you, Father is not so pleased with your little display of defiance. He has given me the task of dethroning you as Ace.”
“Really?” I said dryly, turning away from her. “Then you’re going to disappoint him. I’m finally happy in my life and I’ll be damned if I let you rip it away like you usually do.”
For the briefest moment, her eyes flickered and a crack appeared in her polished façade.
There was something dark in her gaze. Anger? Hurt? I couldn’t have known. It was gone before I could make sense of it.
Not that I cared.
I was already heading for the Hall, done with her games, when her voice reached me — light and amused and impossible to ignore.
“Oh, right! Your friend caused quite the scene inside. It was hilarious. Thank him for livening up that boring party for me, will you?”
Huh? My friend?
Wait — did she mean…
Jake?!
I’d asked Jake to stall Michael, to keep him away while I spoke with Alexia…
Oh no. No, no, no.
Cursing under my breath, I rushed inside, hoping that idiot hadn’t created a mess.
