Azel let out a sigh as he walked through the hallway.
"Should I skip classes tomorrow?" he wondered aloud, stroking his chin.
The thought sounded more and more comforting the longer he considered it.
"Seriously... how the hell did Mynes end up not only as the professor of runic magic but advanced enchantment too?"
It made no sense to him.
Weren’t there rules against this sort of thing? Even if rune magic and enchantments were linked, wasn’t it strange for one professor to double up?
And worse, she wasn’t even there in person... she had been teaching through a clone!
He dragged a hand through his hair and grumbled. "Is that even legal for professors?... Well, whatever. It’s cafeteria time."
No matter how he complained, if she was really who she said she was, then there was no need to bother wasting his time with the daughter of one of the most powerful mages in the world currently, even if she was a bit wack in the head.
Right now his focus was on food... especially fish...
Just thinking about it was enough to push the frustrations out of his head.
He shook off the thoughts as he walked down the hallway, though a new irritation came right after.
"If I’m unlucky, Mynes will still be the one serving the food."
The idea made him groan.
Still, it had been ages since he’d set foot in a cafeteria.
Was it high school? Maybe college? He couldn’t remember clearly anymore.
Either way, he was glad his academy-issued watch had a navigation function.
Without it, he’d probably still be wandering through the twisting halls of Astralis Academy, hopelessly lost.
When he finally reached the doors and pushed them open, his breath caught.
The sight that welcomed him was a vast, bustling cafeteria. Hundreds of students filled the space, the air was filled with chatter and the clinking of plates
The smell of fresh bread, roasted meat, and sweet pastries drifted out, making his stomach growl.
’It’s just like the cafeteria from my high school... if you ignore the mages, swordsmen, and warriors sitting everywhere.’
There was another major difference.
Some tables were floating above the ground, slowly drifting like islands in the air.
He knew from the game that once you sat down at one of those enchanted tables, it would rise and give you a floating dining experience.
A neat feature, though right now he didn’t feel like experimenting.
As he stepped forward, a group of uniformed maids were busy attending to students behind a counter.
The moment one of them spotted him, she gasped and hurried over.
"Afternoon, Class Representative Azel!" she greeted, bowing slightly.
Azel raised an eyebrow. "Afternoon... to you too, I guess."
She straightened quickly, smiling brightly.
"Because the academy has so many students, Class Representatives are expected to remain seated. We’ll bring the menus to you directly and attend to you immediately. So please, find a seat."
Azel nodded slowly.
’I see... it’s just like the game.’
For an academy that preached about equality, Astralis sure gave its Class Representatives a lot of privileges.
He began making his way toward the dining area, and just like in Professor Drake’s class, the reaction was immediate... only now, it was even louder.
"Class Rep! Here!"
"There’s a free seat right here, Class Rep!"
"Sit with us, Representative!"
Voices called out from every direction, students waving their hands wildly to get his attention.
Some even stood up, pointing to empty spots at their tables.
Azel gave them small nods but kept walking. He couldn’t afford to waste time, not when he had better opportunities to build connections with the heroines of this world.
’I need to think carefully. Time spent eating with the wrong people is time wasted.’
As he scanned the tables, his eyes caught sight of someone familiar.
Rain.
She was sitting a few tables away, surrounded by friends.
Azel almost stopped in his tracks. She was laughing softly, chatting with Lorraine and Nari.
He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.
’She’s... actually laughing with them?’
It was surprising. Just seeing the annoying Saintess having fun made him eager to have some fun too... Well once he got some friends like that.
He didn’t really want to interrupt her moment.
Besides, most of the seats near her were already taken anyway.
’That’s what I get for delaying.’
He sighed and kept moving.
Then, from the corner of his vision, a hand shot up.
"Over here!"
It was Sybil. She was patting the seat next to her, just like she had done in class earlier.
Her smile was smug, as if she had predicted this exact scenario.
Azel hesitated only a moment before heading her way.
Better her than sitting awkwardly somewhere else.
When he sat down, however, he noticed something unexpected.
Next to Sybil... sat Flare.
’Wait. What?’
Flare was munching on a doughnut, her expression was blank.
In one hand she held a pen, scribbling something down on a scrap of paper like she had in class, while the other hand absentmindedly lifted another bite of the sweet into her mouth.
"Hehe." Sybil grinned. "I saved a seat for you. You should say thanks."
Azel gave her a small nod. "Thank you."
Then he turned toward Flare. "Flare, I didn’t know you knew Sybil?"
Without missing a beat, both girls answered at the exact same time.
"We don’t know each other."
Azel blinked.
His eyes widened slightly as he glanced between them.
’Right. Perfectly synchronized denial. Totally believable. And they’re both from great clans too... perfect lie.’
He fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"Besides," Flare said suddenly after gulping down the rest of her doughnut with a sip of water, "how do you know her?"
Her amber eyes flicked up toward him.
"Are you her boyfriend or something?"
Azel froze.
That question came out of nowhere. Since when was Flare interested in his personal life?
He smirked. "And what if I am?"
The reaction was immediate between both girls.