Chapter 77: The Prince’s Attention

The conversations around them gradually resumed.

People returned to their drinks and their companions, though more than a few continued to glance in Caelus’s direction. The exchange had been enough to remind everyone present that the First Prince was not accustomed to being contradicted.

Elysia watched him disappear into the crowd before turning to Caelus with a small smile.

"You’ve just attracted the First Prince’s attention. Congratulations."

Caelus looked at her.

"Is that supposed to be good news?"

"Not particularly."

She lifted it and took a sip.

"If Adrian takes an interest in something, he expects it to be within his reach. If it isn’t, he tends to take that as a personal insult."

Caelus glanced toward the other side of the ballroom, where the prince was already being greeted by several nobles. They seemed eager to have his attention, each offering him the kind of deferential smile that suggested they had spent considerable time practicing it.

Caelus had written enough of Adrian’s story to understand what that meant. The prince had grown accustomed to a world in which people stepped aside before he had to ask. His authority was not merely something he possessed; it was something the people around him continually reinforced.

Caelus had just refused to participate.

He was beginning to suspect that Adrian would remember it.

Before he could comment, a woman’s voice rose above the remaining conversations.

"May I have everyone’s attention, please?"

Selene, his sister, stood near the center of the ballroom, holding a glass in one hand. Her voice carried easily through the room, and the conversations gradually quieted as people turned toward her, the Vice President of the Student Council.

"Before we continue with tonight’s celebration, I would like everyone to raise their glasses."

She turned toward the fourth-years, several of whom were gathered near the tables.

"For those of you who are graduating, tonight marks the end of your time at the Academy. Over the years, you’ve trained, competed, made friends, and undoubtedly made a few enemies along the way. Some of you arrived here with great expectations, while others had to fight for every opportunity you were given. Regardless of how you began, you’ve all reached this moment."

Her expression softened.

"Tomorrow, you’ll leave these walls behind and take your place in a world that won’t be nearly as forgiving as the one you’ve known here. I hope the years you’ve spent at this Academy have prepared you for what lies ahead."

She raised her glass.

"To the graduating class."

"To the graduating class!" the room answered.

The sound of raised glasses and cheerful voices filled the ballroom. Several fourth-years exchanged smiles, while others lifted their drinks toward friends and instructors scattered throughout the room.

The Vice President waited for the noise to settle before continuing.

"And to our new first-years, who have only just begun their journey here. May you find the strength to endure what awaits you, and perhaps, one day, stand where the graduating class stands tonight."

A few people laughed at that, particularly among the first-years who had already experienced the Academy’s infamous examination. Caelus raised his glass with the others, though he couldn’t help thinking that surviving the entrance exam had hardly prepared anyone for what the Academy might have in store.

He took a sip and lowered his glass.

His attention had already shifted toward the far side of the ballroom, where the fourth-year Apex was standing among a group of graduating students.

Garren.

Caelus had known his name long before entering the Academy. In the novel, Garren had been one of the Empire’s most promising young Awakened, a noble with close ties to House Vespera and a swordsman whose talent had earned him the title of Apex.

He had also been one of the few people Caelus had written as genuinely capable of helping the Hero grow stronger.

For a time, Garren had served as Lucian’s instructor, teaching him techniques and helping him overcome weaknesses that had once held him back. His death during the Corrupt War, however, had been a different matter.

Caelus had written it as a consequence of betrayal, but he had never bothered to develop the details. At the time, Garren’s death had been little more than a plot point, a convenient way to remove a powerful figure and make the war seem more costly.

Now the man was standing a short distance away, laughing with his fellow graduates.

Caelus found himself watching him for a moment longer than he intended.

Garren was alive. He was strong, confident, and apparently enjoying his last evening as a student.

And Caelus knew that, in the story he had written, none of that would be enough to save him.

He picked up a fresh glass from a passing servant’s tray and turned toward Elysia.

"Wait here. I have someone to speak with."

She followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"Garren?"

"You know him?"

"Not particularly well. But I know who he is."

Caelus gave her a brief nod and made his way across the ballroom.

It didn’t take long for people to notice where he was going. The first-year Apex had already attracted enough attention that his movements were difficult to ignore, and his destination made the matter considerably more interesting.

Garren was speaking with several fourth-years when he spotted Caelus approaching. His conversation came to a natural pause, and he excused himself from the group before walking over.

"Caelus Vespera," he greeted him, a confident smile appearing on his face. "I was wondering when you would come over."

Caelus returned the smile.

"Were you expecting me?"

"Not particularly. But it would have been disappointing if the new Apex had spent the entire evening hiding behind the Sylvaris heiress."

A few of the nearby students laughed. Caelus merely raised his glass.

"I didn’t realize you were keeping track of my movements."

"I keep track of anything that might become interesting."

Garren’s gaze briefly settled on Caelus’s sword before returning to his face.

"And you certainly managed to make yourself interesting during the examination. Congratulations on taking the title."

"Thank you. Though I imagine you know better than most that the title comes with its share of inconveniences."

Garren laughed.

"That’s one way of putting it. Still, you earned it. I watched the results being announced, and I can’t say I was surprised by your performance. You have a habit of making things difficult for people who underestimate you."

"It’s a useful habit."

"Provided you don’t make a habit of underestimating your opponents in return."

Caelus gave him a knowing look.

"Is that advice from experience?"

"From experience, and from watching people make the same mistake over and over again."

The two exchanged a brief smile. There was no awkward formality between them, but neither was there the familiarity of old friends.

Garren lifted his glass.

"Congratulations again, Caelus. I look forward to seeing what you do with the title."

"And congratulations on graduating. I imagine the Academy will be considerably less entertaining without you."

"I’m sure you’ll find someone else to keep you occupied."

"Perhaps."

Garren’s eyes dropped to the sword at Caelus’s side once more.

"I heard you chose the Mage path."

"I did."

"That’s a shame."

Caelus raised an eyebrow.

"Is it?"

"Only because I was hoping to see what you could do with that sword of yours. You have a decent foundation, and it would be a waste to let it go unused just because you’ve decided to become a mage."

Caelus glanced down at the weapon.

"I have no intention of abandoning it."

"Good." Garren nodded, looking satisfied. "A sword isn’t something you simply discard when you find another weapon. After enough years, it becomes part of you. You learn its weight, its balance, the way it moves in your hand. Even if you spend the rest of your life studying magic, that experience will still be yours."

He paused, then added with a faintly amused expression, "Besides, it would be rather embarrassing for the new Apex to forget how to use a sword."

Caelus chuckled.

"I’ll try not to disappoint you."

"I would appreciate that."

Garren took a sip, then looked at Caelus with the same confident expression he had worn throughout their conversation.

"You’ve got quite a reputation to live up to now. First place in the examination, a title that people will expect you to defend, and a family that probably won’t let you forget either achievement. I imagine your first year will be rather busy."

"I’m counting on it."

"Then make sure you survive it."

Caelus’s smile faded just a little, his eyes turning serious.

"Watch your back, Garren."

The older student blinked, then gave a short laugh.

"Is that a threat?"

"Take it however you like."

Garren studied him for a moment, apparently trying to decide whether Caelus was joking. Whatever he saw in his expression, it made him smile again.

"You’re an interesting one, Vespera. I’ll give you that."

"I’m told that often."

"Then I suppose I’ll have to take your warning seriously."

He said it lightly, clearly treating the remark as another exchange between two proud students rather than a genuine warning. Caelus didn’t correct him. There was little point in explaining something he couldn’t possibly understand, especially when Caelus himself wasn’t certain how much he could change.

He gave Garren a final nod and turned away.

The older student returned to his companions, already being drawn back into their conversation. Caelus glanced over his shoulder once, watching him for a moment before continuing toward Elysia.

He had done what he could.

For now, he would have to wait and see whether Garren remembered their conversation when it mattered.

By the time he reached Elysia, the ballroom had begun to change.

Near the far end of the room, the musicians were taking their places, adjusting their instruments as the servants cleared some of the space between the tables.

Caelus returned his glass to a passing tray and stopped beside Elysia.

"You’re back," she said.

"I said I would be."

"That’s a shame. I was hoping to see how many people you could offend before the evening ended."

Caelus gave her a sidelong glance.

"You seem unusually interested in my social life."

"I have to find some way to entertain myself."

Before he could reply, the musicians began to play. The first notes carried across the ballroom, gradually drawing the attention of the guests as conversations gave way to the familiar rhythm of the opening dance.

Elysia looked toward the musicians, then turned back to Caelus.

She extended her hand.

"Let’s dance."