Sue seemed to have brought the entire contents of her pantry, and then some. The man’s world had drying agents and oxygen absorbers; this one didn’t, and snack foods didn’t last as long. She would never have set out so much food if she wasn’t confident that none would be wasted.
“I just wish we had something sweeter,” she said.
“Eh, I’m not a fan of candy myself,” Arcus remarked.
“I’m not surprised! I’ve stopped liking it too, and it’s all your fault! You’ve defiled my body, and—”
“Stop right there! Are you sure you want to put the entire noble world up in arms with your careless remarks? Never mind my reputation!”
“Then bring us some good snacks next time! And don’t skimp on the puddings!”
“Oh, I would love to sample some pudding,” Charlotte said.
“What is ‘pudding’?” Lecia asked. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“I’ll make some later, and then you can all have some!” Arcus cried before the pair of them could resent him for leaving them out. And if he was making some for them, he’d eventually have to include Deet too...
A bright smile sprang to Sue’s lips. “Oh! You should bring that refudgerator or whatever you’ve got at home too! Not just for the pudding, but so we can have some cold drinks too!”
“Sorry, was this your study room or your clubhouse?”
“You can’t study if you’re not comfortable. You know that, Arcus.”
“I do...”
Charlotte looked at him. “Oh yes?”
“Huh? Well, I mean, yeah.”
“We always studied together in cafés,” Sue explained. “Or we’d grab something from one of the stalls downtown!”
“Oh. I see.” Charlotte suddenly looked quite uncomfortable.
The duke’s daughter grinned at her. “Wait, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me you and Arcus have never studied together!”
“Nothing is wrong. We shall surely have plenty of opportunities for study sessions going forward.”
The girls giggled.
“Stop being weird,” Arcus muttered again.
It wasn’t like they disliked each other, so maybe it was some strange inside joke. Whatever it was, it piqued Setsura’s curiosity enough to get her leaning forward.
“You know, at this rate I bet this pudding is gonna come out really tasty.”
“You stay outta this.”
“No fair!”
“I think I get why you wanted me to stay now, Arcus,” said Rusiel.
“Right? My organs are this close to their limit.”
“That doesn’t mean you can use mine as a shield though.”
“Guh...”
“Oh dear!” Lecia giggled.
“I guess you’re all I’ve got now, Lecia...”
What was once meant to be a strategy meeting had descended into a discussion about how the group would use the room from now on. On his way out, Arcus spotted Sue and Charlotte talking with each other.
“Lady Susia, why did you not object to Lady Claudia’s challenge?”
“I didn’t think I needed to. It’s not like Arcus is gonna lose.”
“Then what was the purpose of this meeting?”
“Because half the confidence I have in him is genuine, and the other half is just what I want to happen. I guess I don’t want this to drag him down too much either, ’cause I doubt it’s the last time he’ll face something like this. What it boils down to is that I didn’t object because I’m being selfish.”
“What if Arcus does lose?”
“I’ll pull some strings, get His Majesty involved.”
“Would His Majesty intervene?”
“Of course he would. Arcus needs to cement his social standing, and he has the support of the royal family, even if it is covert. Graduating from the Institute is part of that. To deny Arcus that would be to go against the crown, and it doesn’t matter if Claudia is aware of that or not.”
“I understand.”
“Mm hmm. That’s why I’m getting involved like this too. I need to be on hand to step in if things go too far.”
“Lady Susia...”
“I know we’re on the same side, Charlotte, but I’m ruthless when it comes to my enemies. It wouldn’t hurt to keep that in mind.”
The girls spoke too quietly for Arcus to make anything out.
It had been a few days since Arcus had received his letter of challenge, and his duel with Claudia was to take place today. They were to face off on the Institute’s training grounds; she had booked a slot between all the scheduled lectures. The stage was set.
It was a clear day. Clouds drifted across the sky, and the sun was keeping her light gentle. The training grounds were kept immaculately trim and even, without so much as a stray pebble. Presently, it was teeming with students that had come to watch the spectacle. Their ages spanned the Institute’s entire range, and there were even pupils standing at the windows of the nearby buildings.
It was as Charlotte had said: these duels were famous. No doubt many of the students saw them as some sort of custom. If someone had been making the rounds selling refreshments here, they could probably have made a decent buck.
At length, Claudia Saifice arrived with her followers in tow. The way the spring sun hit her chignon made it look like her blonde hair was spun from gold thread. Her slender nose was accompanied by two eyes of sapphire. The lines of her face were drawn with perfect symmetry, complementing her already pretty features. She wore a well-tailored cardigan over her uniform, and spoke with just as much grace as one would expect. It was typical for these types of girls to come equipped with a loud, pretentious laugh, but Claudia’s confidence was a much calmer affair. It kept her from becoming overbearing. She had earned her reputation as empress of the Institute on precisely these terms.
She came to stand in front of Arcus and smiled at him, fully confident in her success. “That you have decided to show your face is most commendable.”
“Thank you, My Lady,” he replied flatly.
“Why, you don’t sound the least bit grateful. You ought to work on your inflection.”
“I am being as sincere as I can. I apologize if that has displeased you.” He maintained a smile as he lied to her face, scowling inwardly.
In all honesty, he was pretty pissed. He had passed the exam fairly, but now he had to overcome this extra trial so that he wouldn’t be kicked out, all because of the whims of a single person. It was beyond absurd.
“I heard that Lady Amy asked around to see if I would be willing to negotiate,” Claudia said suddenly.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Yes, I did think that you might have been unaware.”
If Arcus had wanted to enter into peace talks, he would have gone about it a different way. He didn’t know anyone close enough to Claudia to arrange such a thing.
Amy was currently clinging to Kane in the front row of spectators. Realizing both Claudia and Arcus were looking at her, she responded hesitantly, “Um, that’s right. Kane asked me to.”
“I thank you for your efforts,” Arcus said, before turning to her fiancé. “Is that true, Kane?”
“I thought it might be worth a try.” He shrugged, not looking Arcus in the eye.
The young magician was reminded of the “advice” Kane had given him shortly after the letter’s arrival. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
“It was a whim, really. Lady Amy was just kind enough to indulge me.”
So Kane hadn’t meant much by his actions—and no matter how many times Arcus pressed him on it later, he’d look embarrassed and get strangely defensive. He had been very straightforward in his warnings in the classroom, but had still gone out of his way to help when Arcus didn’t back down. He really was one of the good guys. Arcus might have recognized it sooner if Kane didn’t act so awkwardly around him. Rusiel was probably right. If Kane didn’t see Arcus as a rival, they could have had a more honest friendship. The thought almost annoyed him.
“Arcus.”
“Hi, Rusiel. Here to cheer me on?”
“Uh, not exactly...”
“It’s fine. Let’s pretend I didn’t ask.”
“Sorry.” Rusiel looked away awkwardly.