"Eric… what exactly are you doing in the low ranker's dorm? Given your ties to the Emperor, you should be a high ranker."
The blue-haired young man walked toward the table directly opposite the bunks and sat on it, looking down at the young man named Eric.
This bastard is definitely here to watch me.
"I don't know what you're trying to imply, but this is purely coincidence," Eric said, his grin still in place, his gaze never leaving the other young man's face.
[One of your old friends?]
No. An old enemy.
"So you weren't sent here to monitor me?" the blue-haired young man muttered, his ash-colored eyes flat with disinterest as he turned to where his belongings were packed and began looking for a change of clothes.
"You overestimate your value. Do you really think the Emperor would be bothered with the likes of you?"
"I see. But that still doesn't explain why you're here. Son of Archduke Orton, given your father's connections, you being here should be impossible unless…" He trailed off and walked into the bathroom in the adjoining room.
"Why are you here, El?"
"Don't call me that."
"Fine. Why are you here, Lorelle?" he asked again, his expression serious this time.
"I don't go by that name anymore, and to answer your question, the academy has no direct ties to Yuphenia, so why should I tell you anything?" the blue-haired young man replied, his voice half-covered by the sound of running water as he bathed.
[Well, he wouldn't believe it even if you told him. After all, I still can't fathom your stupidity.]
Can you not distract me right now?
"So you've disowned your own name too. Surely you know what that means," Eric said, his eyes narrowing even as his voice carried a note of amusement.
"Why wouldn't I? I have no ties to the empire, and I have no plans of ever having any."
"I see," he muttered, then grinned.
Great. I never liked this bastard from the start.
"Do you remember Eloisa?" the blond-haired young man asked, and the other went still.
Silence.
"She got engaged to Prince Allen, your brother," he continued, his tone light with amusement. He couldn't see Lorelle's face, but he could easily imagine what those words were doing to him.
[Anger? To think a single name can bring you this much.]
Lorelle gritted his teeth, trying to keep himself steady as he felt something dark rising in his chest, a pain he refused to name. The harder he pushed it down, the sharper it got.
"But I guess that doesn't really bother you. After all, it was what you did to her that made her the cold-hearted person she is today," Eric chuckled.
Lorelle closed his eyes and focused on bringing his breathing under control.
[…]
"So you're only here to find out if I have control of my blessing, is that it?" Lorelle asked, once he felt steady enough to speak.
Eric said nothing, his gaze fixed on the door across the room.
"Or to find out if I've aligned myself with another empire?" Lorelle pressed, and this time something shifted in Eric's face, a cold, calculated look settling over his features.
"Where did you go after escaping house arrest? How did you even manage that in the first place?" Eric asked. It was one of the things that still hadn't made sense to him, even after three years.
"Maybe I had help. Maybe I didn't," Lorelle replied, stepping out of the bathroom and starting to get dressed.
"What level are you at?" Eric asked, hopping down from the bunk bed. He caught a glimpse of Lorelle's Meta-watch, and a grin spread across his face.
"One?!" he exclaimed.
Lorelle didn't respond, just kept pulling on his clothes, a black and white tracksuit.
"Seems like you're still the same. For a moment I thought you might actually be a threat now," Eric laughed, heading for the door.
Annoying bastard. I hate him, but he's stronger than me, Lorelle thought, frustrated by the fact that there was nothing he could do about it.
"So you're not a low ranker," Lorelle said evenly, still not looking up. He'd already figured as much. There were no belongings of Eric's anywhere in the room, and there was no way someone as spoiled as Eric would willingly live in a place like this.
"Of course not," Eric laughed, grabbing the door handle. He twisted it, then paused and tilted his head slightly. "I'll give you one piece of advice. Stay away from those friends of yours."
"Why?"
"Because they could get you killed," he chuckled, and then he was gone, leaving Lorelle alone with his thoughts.
[Just merge with it already. You know you want to.]
"Shut it."