Caelus hesitated to answer. He recalled his first encounter with Taylor just moments before the orientation, and it wasn't pleasant to say the least. By every right, he didn't need to give him an answer, but he found himself doing so anyway.
"I'm looking for Professor Archeota," Caelus replied. "Is he not here today?"
For some reason, Taylor's scowl worsened.
"The professor? He stepped out momentarily to run a small errand. What business do you have with him?"
"With all due respect, that's none of your business. I guess I'll just wait around."
Caelus made his way to the front row of seats. All the while, his every move was being carefully watched. At first, he tried to ignore it by looking elsewhere. The apparatuses on the shelves, outside the window, and even the ceiling.
Finally, he let out a long sigh.
"Till how long are you gonna keep stabbing me with your eyes?"
"I'm doing no such thing," Taylor said so matter-of-factly.
"Bull shit. Even with my eyes closed, I can tell I'm being watched, and no one else is in the room besides you."
"I suppose your senses are rather dull."
"I wonder how much of your own words you really believe."
"Enough to know what is and isn't real. By all accounts, Caelus de Luvelaine, you shouldn't even exist. Yet, here you are."
Seeing no end to his useless drivel, Caelus decided to keep his mouth shut. Arguing with the likes of him was like arguing with a wall — A very dry, extremely dull, and utterly insufferable wall.
Just when it seemed like he's forgotten all about Taylor, something piqued his interest.
"I didn't take you to be a pianist," Caelus said.
"With all due respect, that's none of your business," he replied flatly, yet his tone was laced with mockery.
"Hah. Fine."
As Caelus leaned back on his seat with his arms crossed, Taylor rested his fingers on the keys of the grand piano, brushing it as one would a pet. He shut his eyes, and just for a second, his residual resentment faltered.
"If you must know..." he said, "I simply enjoy playing the piano. That's all."
Surprised at the sudden admission, Caelus turned his attention to him. But Taylor didn't make eye contact, almost like he refused to.
"Do you also consider it useless theatrics?" Taylor asked. "A childish desire? Or perhaps... it makes me cowardly. It's fine if you do, for you wouldn't be the first."
His tone sounded strange, unlike the usual scorn from the average noble looking to drag Caelus's name through the mud. Instead, there was a melancholic hint to it, but a guess couldn't be drawn as to why. At least, not a reasonable one.
Just as Caelus was about to speak, the door clicked open. A pair of students casually entered the lecture hall, and following behind them was Professor Archeota.
"...That sounds a bit... extravagant," came a young man's voice.
"Eh?! I'm telling you!" a young lady exclaimed. "The formula makes sense, doesn't it? And if we're able to apply it to Rune Implementation, then this could be a massive breakthrough in the world of magic!"
"I think you're riding your high horse a little too much there."
"Tch..."
She was averagely tall for a fair lady, her head reaching just a little above the guy's shoulder. Her long, puffy hair was a light shade of beige and tied into a wavy ponytail. Those expressive eyes glowed a hue of spring green, equal parts elegant and relaxed.
Suddenly, she turned and saw Taylor sitting by himself at the grand piano.
"Taylor~!" she beamed, rushing over to throw her arms around him. "How have you been? It feels like forever since I last saw you."
While she aggressively rubbed her cheek against her victim's, Caelus sat in awe, wondering who these two were. He'd never seen them around the campus before. What's more, they weren't wearing the standardized college uniform, which was mandatory for all first-year students.
"Senior Alicia..." Taylor muttered. "Let go of me, please. People are going to misunderstand."
"Eh? But no one is around—"
The second those words left her mouth, her eyes locked onto the guy sitting just at the front row of the cascading aisle seats. It took her a second to process that he was even there, and he could literally see the gears turning behind those wide eyes.
"EEK!" she squirmed.
Professor Archeota, who had just settled in his seat, jumped. And somewhere during that brief yet seemingly long moment, his teacup was knocked over.
Everyone turned to see his hand hovering over the spill. At first, he had no visible reaction. But then... that menacing, coldhearted, and dangerously calm scowl lifted and struck fear into all who saw it.
"AHH!" Alicia screamed before she fell on both her knees, continuously throwing her head up and down so far that she may as well have been smacking it against the ground. "I'm sorry, Professor! I'm really, very, truly sorry!"
The professor sighed, waving his finger in a circle. A small rune circle formed on his desk. The spilled tea whisked through the air like an ocean current, then fell gracefully back into the teacup.
However, instead of drinking it, he flicked his finger, causing the teacup to slide toward the far side of the desk.
"What a waste," he sighed, turning back to Alicia. "Be more careful next time, child. I didn't make a long trip to the lounge just to have my tea spilled due to an accident.
"Y-yes, Professor..." she whimpered. "That's my bad."
The other guy, who'd been standing aside the whole time, chuckled as he approached Caelus. His hair, a light shade of black, fell straight and neatly on his head. The white glow of his sharp eyes was rather intimidating, but the gentle air around him offset the pressure.
"Hello there," he said with a smile. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Shion de Mara, a third year here at Rhodeia."
He extended his hand, to which Caelus hesitantly took it.
"Third year?" he repeated.
Before Shion could answer, Alicia suddenly appeared next to him, throwing her arms around his neck with a bright smile.
"Yeah! Kinda cool, eh?" she beamed. "Shion here is one of the only ninety students in the third year! Across the entirety of Rhodeia College, by the way!"
"N-ninety...?" Caelus mumbled. "Why are there so few?"
"Cuz Rhodeia College ain't called the most brutal and totally relentless institution in the Vectis Empire for nothing. You have to really know your stuff if you wanna make it to graduation. Like me!"
"Is... that so? In any case, my name is Caelus de Luvelaine, a first-year student."
Alicia let out the most exaggerated gasp. She then lunged forward, snatching Caelus's hands with an equally exaggerated grin.
"No way!" she exclaimed. "You're him!"
"...Huh?" Caelus gulped.
Shion lifted a brow.
"Do you know him, Alicia?"
"Eh?! Who doesn't know him is the real question! His name's been flying around the whole second-year campus! Caelus de Luvelaine, the heir of the fallen House Luvelaine, returned after five years of being presumed dead!"
"Ah... So you're that fallen noble," Shion scoffed.
Caelus immediately pulled his guard up. His name had only ever been the subject of disgust, so he figured these two would parrot the masses.
However, without warning, Alicia threw her whole body onto the desk, leaning in far too close for comfort. Her big eyes studied everything about him, from his hair to his face to his chest.
"Huh... You don't look like an asshole, much less a freaky chimera."
Caelus flinched, still trying his best to keep his distance.
"F-freaky chimera...?"
"Yeah. Don't you know?" she asked. "That's what the rumors say about you. Arrogant and ugly. At least, that's how it went around the second-year campus."
"I... see."
"But!"
Alicia pulled herself further in, seemingly unbothered by how close she was.
"Seeing you now, you don't seem arrogant. And as far as being ugly..."—she stretched a finger across her chin—"I don't see it at all. On the contrary, you have a cute face. Really cute."
"W-wha..."
"Just stay next to me, Sir Caelus! Your senior will keep you safe! Cuz that's what seniors do! Actually, no! Screw all the other seniors. It's what Alicia Valentine does! That's me, by the way— Uck!"
Her declaration was cut short when Shion snatched her away by the collar of her jacket.
"Give Sir Caelus some space, Alicia," he said, deadpan.
"Ah! Oopsies~"
With a twirl that could have powered a small windmill, Alicia spun away, plopping into a chair beside Archeota's desk. She tilted her head, spotted him as if for the first time, and gasped.
"Oh, hey~! What's up, Professor?"
Archeota's eyes narrowed, the faintest tic in his jaw betraying his irritation. But then his shoulders slumped in surrender, for no one ever truly won against this hurricane of a student.
"Hello, Alicia," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Anyway, Caelus."
"Yes, Professor?" he replied as he stood.
"What brings you to my lecture hall? Classes have already ended for the day, so shouldn't you be off doing what other students your age are doing?"
"Oh, right. I had a question regarding—"
Suddenly, Alicia slammed her hands on the table, pushing herself up with eyes as wide as the twin moons upon a clear night.
"A hundred percent, yes! Your application to join our club is accepted!" she proclaimed.
Yet, all that followed was absolute silence. From Taylor, from Shion, from the ever stoic professor himself, and especially from Caelus.
"...Huh?"