They were now in the elevator, going up extremely fast.
Caliste knew that the building was very tall and massive, but it seemed they were basically going to the skies. The slogan of the restaurant made a lot more sense now.
The woman with us stood straight and calm, patiently waiting to arrive at the very top.
"Is it your first time at Ciel?" she suddenly asked, looking in Caliste's direction.
Caliste nodded slowly.
"Ah, then I hope you have a great time. I'll try my best to make sure that your experience is unforgettable!"
Caliste just smiled, appreciating the words.
-Ding!
A bell rang, signaling that they had finally arrived at the top.
"Welcome to the real Ciel!" the woman said with a big grin.
The walls were completely made out of glass, giving a beautiful view of the woods and the city scattered down below. It looked absolutely majestic, causing Caliste's jaw to drop.
Ava smiled, looking at her son's surprise.
"What do you think? It's pretty, right?"
Caliste just nodded slowly as he continued to appreciate the scenery outside.
"Please follow us to your table."
The woman began walking forward with elegance and guided them to their table.
The top floor was completely empty, which was vastly different from the main floor, where it was bustling with people. Caliste could only guess that this floor was only for the most important customers.
They all sat, as usual; Caliste was in the middle, squeezed between Aleia and Ava.
"Here are your menus," the woman said as she began handing them out.
Then, the following minutes were simple. They chose what they wanted to eat. They talked, joked, and had a lot of fun together—that is, until there was yet again the noise of the bell from the elevator.
There was another group who had decided to dine at the highest floor of Ciel.
Immediately, Caliste noticed a frown on Ava's face.
She looked furious that there was someone eating on the same floor as us.
Caliste had no idea why it was such a big deal, but both his sister and mother seemed on the verge of a breakdown.
"Is something wrong?" Caliste asked, trying to make sense of the situation.
However, both Ava and Aleia's angry gazes completely disappeared once they turned in his direction.
"Ah... don't worry. I'm just surprised that there's someone else who could afford to come all the way here."
Caliste frowned slightly as he imagined that the cost for coming here was extremely high, much higher than he could ever imagine.
He looked toward the entrance of the top floor, wondering what those people would look like.
Whether they would be demons, elves, humans, or even something else.
Within seconds, they entered his field of vision.
All of them were dressed extremely nicely, having similar clothes but of different colors. Their clothes were of much lighter colors—green, white, and gold—which was completely different from the black and red that they were wearing.
Still, their clothes barely interested Caliste. He wanted to see what they looked like.
And immediately, he noticed a key detail: their pointy ears. It seemed that they were elves.
There were three people in total, just like them.
One man who looked a little older, a woman who still had a youthful appearance but carried herself with a certain maturity that was impossible to ignore, and there was someone much younger who seemed to be around the same age range as Caliste.
'Mhm... we're almost identical,' Caliste thought with a smirk.
The only difference was their race, pretty much.
'Maybe they are also here for a birthday, who knows?'
Surprisingly, their table was right next to ours.
After all, there were not a lot of options. On the highest floor, there were very few tables.
"Thank you for trusting us! And happy birthday to you again!" the same woman as before said with a beautiful grin before leaving.
Caliste shook his head. He couldn't believe just how similar their situations were.
"Hm, Alder. What are you doing here?"
Without wasting a single second, Ava's voice rang out. However, it didn't carry the usual gentleness; it was cold and harsh.
The elf turned around with a bright smile.
"We're having my youngest birthday party. What about you?"
"Mhm... how old is she?"
"It's her 18th birthday."
Ava gritted her teeth.
"So, she's going to the Demonic Academy tomorrow, isn't she?"
Alder, the elf, nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, she even passed the Entrance Test in flying colors, finishing 1st place out of everyone present."
Caliste noticed that Ava began clenching her fists. Still, the expression on her face was completely different.
Caliste had no idea how those two knew each other. However, it was clear that there was some tension on both sides. Still, Caliste stopped paying attention to them for a short moment, his gaze landing on the young elf sitting on the other side of the table.
She was frowning slightly while looking at her father.
'So, she's the top student?' Caliste thought as he tried to analyze her abilities from a distance. 'Mhm, she doesn't look that impressive. If we were to fight, I should easily win.'
Then, just as Caliste was about to look away, he felt her glare on him.
Her bright green eyes locking with his.
"Haha! That's cute. Passing the Entrance Test; Caliste here didn't even need to."
Suddenly, Caliste was dragged into their conversation. It seemed that his mother was doing her best to brag about his ability. However, that quickly backfired.
"Mhm... right, the direct family of the Demon King is given the right to study there regardless of their abilities. Congrats, young man. Impressive."
It was a subtle way of mocking him, but Caliste didn't miss it, causing him to frown along with his mother.
But just as Caliste was about to open his mouth, Aleia spoke up.
"Haha!" She laughed softly. "Why don't we dine together? After all, we are both here to celebrate their 18th birthdays. Isn't it perfect?"
No one said anything until Alder's wife spoke up.
"Mhm... that's a great idea! It would be great for Fleur to have a friend before entering the Demonic Academy!"