The Reborn Magus and His Prince

Chapter 6.2: The Shameless

He didn't know why but Yulian took a peek at Alex's directions. But the guy had an indifferent look and had averted his gaze like anything that's happening here never got to do with him.

What does he expect? A help? Alex telling off his friend? Not going to happen. Everyone in this drasted school was the same. Alex was no exception.

"Your face is too close," he scooted away from the man in front of him. He had no better come back at him and just wanted to get away. Remembering Ignis' words to stay out of trouble.

The back of Leo straightened and as if something dawned on him. "Ah, the new students. Great for you to finally get out of that small town." His hand was about to touch his shoulders but Yulian purposely step back.

"I better go, we're still finding our way to the auditorium."

Outside he had a calm appearance but in actuality, he's fuming mad. What small town? The way he said those words imply that Ruke was a terrible town to live in. True, Ruke may be small but it's been kind to him and had offered the peacefulness that he likes. One McAlister was shameless and this one was conceited.

"Oh, okay but..." The hand on his side extended and snatched the map from Tim's hands. "Your map is upside down. The auditorium is on the other side."

Silence descended among the three midgets while Leo had to look down at them, amusement on his eyes. The other giants, one was impatient the other indifferent.

Like a slow-motion had been played, Yulian and Emilia turned their heads at the beet red Tim. With trembling hands, he flips the map. Dizziness came to him as he looked. He no longer recognizes where they were.

"Looks like your navigator is down, why don't you follow us? We're also heading to the auditorium."

The three stared at each other and knew they had no choice but to follow.

"If it isn't troubling then. Thank you," Yulian tried to appear composed even though just a minute ago, he's been cursing their savior minutes ago.

Leo gave them an indulging smile and made a fighting fist gesture at the three general directions like he was dealing with small children. And with not that, he turned back to his brother and Alex. The three continued their walk of power. Yulian internally scoffed at that thought but slapped his mouth. He chanted internally, 'savior savior'.

"I don't like that guy," Emilia whispered beside him. She's been silent all while spectating the episode. They began trailing at those backs, a few feet away from them.

"Uh-huh, and you don't like everyone, remember conceited as he may be, he helped us." Tim on the other hand regained his original composure from trying to be invincible. "And how do you know those giants?" He asked Yulian.

"I originally only know one of them," he answered but made no further comment. He thinks that those two McAlister probably been with Alex that night that's why they recognized him.

"Which one? The Leo guy?"

"Nope, the other guy."

"Which other guy? Like McAlister? No, we had met him and you didn't much have -" Tim gasped. They must have heard it from the front cause the twins looked back. He quickly diverted his gaze while Yulian gave a small laugh to tell them nothing was wrong.

"You mean Prince Alex?" Emilia whispered again, this time her voice so low to not disturb the giants again.

This time it was Yulian's turn to be surprised. "W-what prince?!"

"Oho! They're talking about you, Alex." Leo said in a loud voice, they definitely heard their conversation. Alex glanced at him and then it landed on Yulian. Tim and Emilia bowed low as a sign of respect while he stood frozen. A few seconds passed, Alex retracted his gaze at him and it must be Yulian's imagination but he saw a smile on the corner of his lips before he continued forward.

That pretty much confirmed that he is a prince. During his life back at Ruke, there's not much news about the Fritzburne, the monarch of Caereus, or anything related in the capital. Except for the occasional patrol knights passing through on their town. It's always the chief who would go for his report and affairs in the parliament. Rumors about the bloody battle of the siblings and the crowning of a new king were the only ones circulated in Ruke.

Alex Fritzburne, his real name. A needed disguised name when traveling outside of the palace, he much understands that.

"Alex may be like this but he is very kind. Just don't gossip where he can hear you, okay?" Leo again literally looked down with his annoying voice when talking to them.

'Ugh. Savior, savior'

With that exchange, the three were rendered speechless and maintained silence throughout the whole time, obediently following the three people in front until they had reached a door that had the sign of 'Auditorium'.

The two groups had parted without much words between them. The giants went straight ahead up to the front while they decided to be comfortable near the exit. Few students were already there but scattered and far from them. The space inside the auditorium was in an oval placement the chairs were arranged in descending order. So that everyone can see the large podium below.

"Prince Alex, the one in the middle, the one with silver hair. Was he really the one you're referring to?"

Once seated on their respected seats, Tim's courage to gossip about the prince grew big.

"Um, he is but I didn't know he's a prince."

Tim gave him an unbelieving look. "So how'd you meet? And where?"

If it were not for the uniform he's wearing, he might have mistaken Tim for a girl. All these bombarded questions about a guy only a girl had the ability, well based on his experience with girls. He should have swapped his body with Emilia who's sitting properly beside him.

"Long story short, he went to my town, accidentally met him and we met again here."

"What about the dance the guy had mention -"

With much restrain, he grabbed the talkative Tim by his shoulders with both hands. "It's the end of the story, okay? No more questions."

"O-ow..." he tightened his grip. "Okay."

Feeling satisfied, he finally loosened his fingers and released him. He didn't want to resort to violence but he did not want everyone to know he dances especially in this kind of school. He's praying that Leo would keep his mouth closed.

Soon after, the tide of students came simultaneously and fills the whole room. Loud chatters typical among teenagers flooded in every direction. No one notice the three as they picked the darker area and only their silhouettes can be seen.

Professors also came down at the podium, only Professor Orphys was the only one Yulian knew. There's no sign of Braun. But then he remembered that the professor would occasionally travel to different cities for academic purposes as was told by the chief.

And finally, the principal appeared. A man not even in his fifties had been introduced. His name's Benton Foy. He had perfectly comb black hair which he suspected was a wig, and bald at the center the way his airlines don't match. A voice unnaturally enthusiastic booming in every corner but was only responded by the bored looks of every student. They gaze at him like he was a clown.

But enough of that, Yulian eyed each professor, all we're young if not barely reached their fifties. Not one was familiar to him except the newly acquainted Orphys.

Surely, he didn't kill every single faculty of this academy during the war. There were few young ones left so loyal to Caereus when he died but why weren't they here? Did they change their profession? Impossible! Shameless as they were, they proved their loyalty to the academy. They were proud and so diehard fans of old traditions. They would not leave the academy just like that.

These thoughts swirled in Yulian's mind until the time they were allowed to go to their respective class. Emilia even had to nudge him to move. He had to abandon these concerns and focus on getting through with class today.

This time they did not have a difficult time getting to their classroom, they followed the line of students which had one direction. The three giants were nowhere to be found.

The class they were in, was located just one turn from their where they met the prince and the twins. And another turn of the hallway was the year three class. There were about only thirty students in each class and with his luck, the mohawk guy was in their class.

The rest of the seventeen students had already been seated at their seats. Only the three had been forced to stand in front of these curious eyes. Well, some were pure mockery and open dislikes.

Oh and the professor in charge of this class was the ever 'motivated' Professor Orphys. And at this time, she chooses to be a proper professor.

"Okay, as you all know. We have a newcomer with us. Three actually." She gave a sign for them to step forward.

"Please introduce yourselves and what can you do. Let's start with the lady."

Having heard the professor, Emilia steps forward. She kind of developed a fear for this woman after she has dropped her off at the girls' dormitory.

"My name is Emilia Frost. And ice elements had been in our family for generations." She raised her left hand and snowflakes began to appear. The crowd did not much have a reaction for the reason that they all have extraordinary abilities just like her.

Next was Tim. "Umm... My name is T-tim Dan... And I, um... I can-"

"You can what?!" Clayton finally could not restrain himself, he's seeing red whenever he sees these two pests, makes it three. "You can stutter?" He laughed loudly, followed by three to five people which were all his lackeys. The others maintained their passive attitude. They don't like these peasants but they also don't like Clayton.

"Alright, very funny," Orphys shushed her students. "You can what exactly? Hurry and speak." Though she quieted down Clayton, she also wanted this timid boy to finish his speech.

"I... I'm a water elementalist."

"Alright, that's it. Next, you" she pointed her long fingers at Yulian. "And make it fast."

When it's his turn, Clayton made a slow slashing motion over his neck with his thumb. He ignored that dumb mohawk.

"Yulian Albertine and fire," just like Emilia, he conjured one flame as proof.

Orphys clapped her hands once. "Okay, all procedures are done. You three whatever seats you find empty and that will be your permanent seats. Hurry up, times ticking!" With that, she turned her back on them and started writing on the board.

All three available seats were scattered with each other. One was in the middle front which Tim bravely claimed. The other one was a seat apart from him, Emilia claimed that one. Which left the seat at the very back. The end of the row is near the exit door of the room. He walked forward and plopped at his new home in the class. At the left side of him were two students who did not spare him a glance and beyond them was the loud group of mohawk. They kept on giving him fingers and all. So he sighed and decided to better cast his eyes to his right side where the window that faces the hallway was.