Imperial Banquet (2)
The flickering lights from the ceiling. The opulent interior. The banquet hall was beautiful. Beneath it, the hall brimmed with people. They seemed to be enjoying the festivities at a glance, but their attention was fixed on the entrance where students were arriving.
Tianis Academy was a gathering place for the continent's geniuses. And every student attending the banquet was among the top of their year. In other words, they were all destined to make their mark on the world in some way. It was impossible not to pay attention.
Some looked ready to approach at any moment. That was precisely why they'd gathered the students at the student council hall and brought them here together. Entering separately would steal all the spotlight from the other attendees.
But after Cloi and I appeared, a hush fell over the banquet hall for a moment. The atmosphere quickly returned to normal, but the gathered gazes didn't scatter easily. They lingered even as we moved to a suitable spot.
"Senpai's pretty popular, huh?"
"What part of this looks like popularity to you?"
I replied indifferently.
Even from just the snippets of conversation, their words were cautious. Even when the topic turned to me, they quickly shifted to something else. All to avoid offending me.
Rumors of the academy thug changing his ways might circulate in high society or other gatherings, but those were just hearsay. No one knew the truth, so they treaded carefully.
"And it's not just you. They're talking about you even more."
Cloi was someone even I found hard to handle sometimes. What about everyone else? Already, more than half the conversations revolved around her.
"Who knows~ I don't need attention from people like that."
Boredom filled Cloi's eyes. They only sparkled when she looked at me.
I ignored Cloi no matter her mood. Instead, I picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, and surveyed the banquet hall.
True to its reputation as a gathering of the empire's diverse elites, there were plenty of notable figures. For instance, that disheveled-looking old man was the head of the Golden Merchant Guild, and the wild, feral beauty over there was a renowned adventurer.
Evan's enemies from the future are here too.
There were a few villains who'd clash with the protagonist down the line. Besides them, nobles clustered by faction chatted away, while others seized the opportunity to network aggressively. Of course, some stood alone.
Still, as expected, the protagonist Evan drew attention from all three types. On his way over, people had approached him multiple times. His talent to reach top rank as a commoner, his genius rivaling Veil and me, and—though I hated admitting it as a guy—his surprisingly cute looks for a man. It was enough to attract everyone, regardless of gender.
Anyway, Evan arrived at our spot with Rana.
"Hey, hyungnim."
"Hi, Kyle!"
"You're here."
They greeted me first.
"Oh, Cloi, long time no see."
"Hey, Evan~"
"Cloi, me too!"
"Of course you're welcome too, sis!"
They greeted Cloi as well. And Rana hugged her like they hadn't seen each other in years. I might not like it, but the two were still close.
"But why the long face?"
"Ugh, don't even ask..."
Evan sighed and leaned in to whisper.
"Everyone's so pushy. Some won't take no for an answer... If it weren't for Senior Rana, I'd be in real trouble."
"Get used to it. It'll be the same next year."
"Ugh, that's..."
Evan grimaced. For someone who loved chatting like him, it must've been rough in such a short time.
"Maybe I should flunk the exams on purpose? Ah, but these dishes are too good to give up..."
Evan mumbled around a bite of food.
"Cut the nonsense. Anyway..."
I shared some useful tips with Evan—info worth knowing, that sort of thing. With so many big names here, building connections now would pay off later.
That was when it happened.
—The Second Prince, Rayan Tianis, has arrived!!
The amplified voice echoed through the banquet hall. In an instant, all eyes turned to the entrance, soon filled with loud laughter.
"Hahaha! Am I first for this banquet?"
A voice utterly lacking imperial dignity. Even at an official event, the second prince showed no restraint in his actions or words.
"Oh! If it isn't Lady Ailin!"
While the second prince was distracted, I spoke up.
"Evan, go somewhere else."
"Got it, hyungnim."
He left without protest.
"Senpai, senpai. What about me?"
"...You too. Go away for a bit."
"Okaay~."
With her around, things would definitely escalate, so I sent her far off.
"Rana, you know what to do, right?"
"Yeah. I'll stick close and stay quiet."
Rana pressed right up against me. She winced slightly, as if she could already smell the second prince's stench from here. No magic could fix that, so I couldn't help.
Rayan Tianis didn't head straight our way. As a prince, he at least greeted the prominent figures. Once done,
"Rana! There you are!"
He ignored everyone else and beelined for us. Just as he opened his mouth to her, I cut in.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
The second prince paused. Even he couldn't ignore me, the eldest son of Arden. That was the dynamic between the imperial family and Arden.
"Kyle Arden! Who would've thought I'd run into you here. Good to see you!"
"The honor is mine, Your Highness."
"You always know how to make people happy. I've heard the rumors about your recent exploits. As expected of an Arden."
"Just the fruits of my efforts."
"And those efforts paid off because you didn't give up."
The second prince, Rayan Tianis, flashed a friendly smile. But it didn't last.
"Anyway, why don't you step aside? I have business with Rana."
His casual suggestion carried an obvious subtext—one I wasn't too dense to catch. We're done here, so scram.
Naturally, I didn't budge.
"I'm sorry, but Rana isn't feeling well. She's still in pain, so I'd appreciate Your Highness's understanding."
"If she's sick, she should rest. I'll tell her attendant, so leave her to me and go."
As Rana had said, the second prince was persistent.
"Kyle..."
Her voice was a tiny whisper, just for me. I felt her trembling against my back. If this continued, he'd hover around her for sure. I needed a way to shake him off.
"Your Highness. I did say Rana is ill."
I dropped the polite tone, lowering my voice menacingly. He sensed the shift in mood.
But he was a thug too. Not one to back down.
"That's why I'll take care of her."
"I'm saying there's no need for that right now."
The atmosphere turned hostile. The air in the banquet hall grew heavy.
Then Rayan Tianis spoke with an incredulous look.
"The Kyle I know was famous for not giving a damn about others. What the hell is Rana to you that you're going this far?"
"Someone I like. Satisfied?"
The onlookers watched with intrigue or gasped in shock. Ignoring them, I continued.
"Rayan Tianis. Last warning. Stay away from Rana and get lost."
I already had a history of clashing with Ariel Tianis as a thug. My reputation couldn't sink lower. Cursing royalty here wouldn't make it worse. Besides, the imperial family couldn't punish Arden over something like insulting a prince.
"You dare speak to me like...!"
Just as the pride-wounded prince started yelling,
"Rayan!"
A familiar voice rang in my ear. Its owner: the fourth princess, Ariel Tianis. She appeared before us, no one knew when she'd arrived.
"Little sis, when did you get here?"
The prince, who'd been about to erupt, smiled and asked.
But Ariel ignored him. Instead, she replied with the same venom she'd unleashed on me at our first meeting.
"I warned you. No funny business with the students. No words, no interest, no glances. Nothing at the banquet."
"Seems there's a misunderstanding, sis. I was just..."
"Rayan Tianis!"
Older and higher in rank, yet Ariel didn't care. She raged even more fiercely than she'd ever done at me.
"Don't lie to my face. It's disgusting."
Ariel glared daggers at the second prince. Only then did he back off.
"...Looks like it's not my day. I'll be going."
He slunk away as quickly as he'd appeared.
Once he was gone, the princess sighed at the floor before looking up.
"Rana. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Princess."
"Phew, I should've come sooner. Got held up preparing. Sorry."
The princess apologized to Rana again. Thanks to her, things hadn't escalated further. If pushed, it might've turned into a fight.
"And you too..."
But the princess trailed off. With Arden and royalty clashing, plus infighting among royals... Everyone in the hall was staring.
"You should go now. You seem to have rushed over."
From the looks of it, she'd come straight here without greeting anyone.
"Got it. Later, then..."
"Understood."
I bowed slightly. Rana waved beside me.
"Bye, Princess~!"
"I'll come back, Rana."
With the fourth princess's arrival, the situation calmed. As she left, the stares eased a bit.
And Rana said,
"Kyle, thank you..."
"No need. The princess did most of it."
Rana shook her head.
"No. You held him off first. Without that, I couldn't have lasted till she came."
"Fine, fine. Let's move spots first."
Because of what I'd said, people were watching closely. It felt burdensome, like it had for the princess.
I took Rana upstairs to a quieter area. Evan and Cloi, who'd kept their distance, followed.
"Hyungnim! That was awesome!"
And the first thing he said was that.
"Shut up."
"Haha, thought you lacked confidence for a sec, but nope. Hyungnim's a real man after a—Ow!!"
I punched him, and he rolled on the floor. Cloi watched me with a strange expression.
"Why the weird look?"
"Hmm... Just curious?"
"..."
After that, we hung out on the second floor before heading back down. We saw other royals, and even the emperor made a brief appearance.
Afterward, figuring the others could handle the networking, I killed time on the balcony.
Then an attendant approached cautiously.
"Lord Rayan Tianis requests your presence."
"Lead the way."
If it was for venting anger, I wouldn't dodge. Let's see what nonsense he'd spout.