During the break, Arthur leaves the classroom and walks down the corridor. He hadn't paid much attention before, but the corridor is entirely white and impeccably clean. The only thing that breaks the monotony of the white walls is a series of interconnected waves that adorn them, stretching from the floor to halfway up the wall. These waves impart a sense of softness to this otherwise "empty" space.
Arthur passes by other students, contemplating the waves. The other students avoid him and wear white clothes, unlike Arthur's black attire and those of his classmates. The reason they avoid Arthur is clear: fear of being drawn into the inheritance dispute. If seen interacting with Arthur or anyone from his class, these individuals could be seen as supporters of him. In the heart of the current emperor, anyone who had even the slightest interaction with his siblings was executed. This makes the competition highly feared, and those chosen to stay in the class with one of the princes are considered underdogs.
Approaching the line to get food, as expected, all the students make way when they see him. Besides his physical characteristics, such as white hair and purple eyes, being widely known, the heirs wear white coats. Passing through the line, he picks up his food. It's a premium meal, with high-quality chicken and vegetables, and a silver fork and knife are handed to him by the server.
The cafeteria was white as well, it seemed like whoever built the school was obsessed with white. The chairs and tables, everything was pristine white. Arthur approached a table, the tables and chairs were large rectangles that could fit about 20 students on each side. As soon as Arthur sat down in the chair and placed his plate on the table, there were 5 people sitting at this table, but as soon as Arthur arrived, these people got up and left.
Arthur stretched his back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He felt relieved, enjoying the satisfying cracks in his back. He did this for a while until he slowly opened his eyes and corrected his sitting posture. Lately, he had become too reliant on magic; perhaps it would be good to have some physical training later. He looked at his food and smelled its aroma. The smell was delightful, and the dish was expertly prepared. First, he speared a piece of chicken with his fork and skillfully cut it with the knife. Then, he brought it to his lips and chewed, savoring the tenderness. The meat was excellent, melting in his mouth like butter.
At that moment, Arthur felt an impact on his back, causing him to swallow his food in one gulp out of shock, almost choking. He coughed a few times and looked at the culprit with a furrowed brow: Sophie, who had a silly smile on her face, apologizing. Beside her was Jhon, who had an expression of "I tried to stop her."
"Sorry, Arthur, it was just a joke, don't be mad," Sophie said, smiling apologetically.
"Sophie, I told you not to do that," Jhon quickly reprimanded her.
Both of them held plates of food and utensils identical to Arthur's.
Arthur smiles. "It's okay, I know Sophie didn't mean any harm."
"See, Jhon? Arthur is understanding," Sophie says confidently.
To which Jhon responds with a simple sigh.
They sit on Arthur's left side and begin to eat. Shortly after, Nicolas sits next to them, and Jhon strikes up a conversation.
"Do you know about the magical system used in the academy arenas?" Jhon asks, taking a bite of chicken thigh, holding it with his hand.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Nicolas frowns at the way he eats, and responds, "From what I've heard, it was created by the founder of the academy. It seems his magic gave him the ability to create a space around him where he could shape reality to some extent. He was able to implant part of his magic into the academy's system, but it seems it doesn't even come close to the level it was when the founder used it." After saying this, Nicolas carefully cuts his piece of chicken and spears it with his fork along with some vegetables, putting them into his mouth, chewing, and swallowing. His movements are refined, like someone of nobility.
"Incredible, are you telling me that the forest the arena turned into during our fight against the first prince is nothing compared to the founder's abilities?" Sophie interjects into the conversation with an excited look. Her mouth is dirty, and there's no more chicken left on her plate, although all the vegetables are still there. The disappearance of the chicken seemed like a mystery.
Arthur loses focus on the conversation at that point. He wasn't interested in hearing about someone who was no longer alive and couldn't be part of his plans. He began to look around, searching for Selene. Observing her while eating might reveal something about how to approach her. Looking around, he found her sitting at a table alone not far from his. She ate her food with clear calmness and organization, undoubtedly as efficient as Nicolas.
At that moment, a small fight broke out between two students. One, seemingly stronger, rubbed his plate of food into the face of the other student, saying, "Eat it with gusto, idiot." Nobody intervened as it wasn't their concern. The serving staff simply ignored it and continued with their work. In this academy, each student could be a noble from the upper class, and getting involved with them could potentially ruin someone's life forever.
Sophie frowned at the situation and was about to stand up to help, but Jhon placed a hand on her shoulder and emphasized that she shouldn't intervene.
"We shouldn't involve ourselves in anything that unnecessarily draws attention. The fact that the student is in that situation is due to his own incompetence. He must strive to become stronger to avoid such situations. Otherwise, there will never be a place for him in this academy. Helping him now could only make things worse for him," Nicolas said, emphasizing the final part.
Looking at this situation, Arthur thinks about what the hero from the book would do if he were in his place. Undoubtedly, he would stand up and prevent this injustice, and Arthur had the power to do so. However, he couldn't, not because of Nicolas's logic or fear of getting involved in any situation. It wasn't a matter of being different or simple. The person being bullied wasn't useful to him, so there was no need for him to intervene.
"Get out of my way." A cold voice echoes through the room, Selene stands in front of the student who was bullying, she looks at the student who is coughing on the ground from the food and speaks coldly, "Servants, remove this student from here." The servants approach and pick up the student from the ground, supporting him. One of the servants is about to clean the floor, but Selene signals for her not to do so, so she just walks away.
"Relax, little girl, it was just a joke," the aggressor student says with a somewhat anxious and concerned expression, glancing at the color of Selene's uniform.
"I don't care what it was about, but you were in my way," Selene points to the table where Arthur and the others are sitting.
The aggressor student smiles peacefully. "In that case, I'll move out of your way."
Selene looks him straight in the eyes and says, "No, lie down on the ground now. I'll step on you as a punishment for making me witness the unpleasant sight of a student coughing on the floor here. Furthermore, make sure to clean the dirty floor with your tongue." Her voice cuts through his ears like a sword, leaving no room for him to escape this situation unscathed.
"I'm sorry, even if you're from the room of an imperial heir, I can't do that," the aggressive student responds with a serious expression, ready to retaliate no matter the situation.
As soon as he finishes speaking, he feels gravity pulling him much harder to the ground. He hits his face and chest on the floor with a strong impact, the pain causing him to writhe as he is forcefully pressed against the ground. His face is rubbed in the remains of food spat out by the student he was bullying earlier.
Soon Selene walks over him, stepping calmly starting with his head. After she passes over him, the gravity on his body returns to normal, but he was already unconscious.
Selene sits across from Arthur and his group, and eats as if nothing had happened.
Smiling slightly, Arthur thinks, 'Found her.'