Later that afternoon, when classes finally concluded, Solomon made his way back to the royal dorms. Glancing out a hallway window, he noticed Hael once again, relentlessly training by his lonesome behind the building.
The moment Solomon stepped inside his own room, he collapsed onto his bed with a heavy sigh.
"No student studying under Ars is allowed to exercise authority outside of the merit and honor earned within the academy grounds."
He opened his academy booklet, tracing the printed rule that had been looping in his head all day.
"What a load of bullshit," he muttered, thinking back to his frustrating encounters with Apollo. It was only the second day of classes, yet he was already utterly exhausted. The subjects themselves were undeniably interesting—he would give them that—but the sheer amount of political headache that came with attending Ars was stifling.
Although he knew he needed to physically train his body, he currently lacked both the motivation and the energy. Instead, he decided to spend his free time doing something practical: mapping out Ars and scouting locations of interest he might need to utilize later.
Not long after, Solomon arrived at the academy's market center. True to its name, it was a sprawling, open-air promenade lined with vibrant stalls, high-end restaurants, and sleek boutiques on either side of the wide road. It offered all the basic necessities—along with every imaginable luxury a noble might desire in their daily life. However, simply glancing at the exorbitant price tags displayed in the shop windows told Solomon he was definitely not the target audience.
"Why is everything so damn expensive..." he murmured.
Thankfully, his basic needs were fully covered by the royal dormitory. It was one of the few things he was genuinely grateful for in this entire precarious situation.
As he navigated the bustling streets, Solomon caught a glimpse of something oddly familiar. A few meters away, a hooded figure was acting suspiciously, discreetly sneaking what appeared to be raw fish into a small bag. While Solomon usually couldn't care less about the bizarre antics of academy students, what made him pause was the distinct shock of blonde hair peeking out from beneath the hood.
Was it an Allflame?
Despite having encountered thousands of people with every hair color imaginable over the past two days, he hadn't seen a single natural blonde outside of the imperial family. As curiosity began to consume him, his focus was abruptly shattered by a greeting from behind.
"Oh, hey, Solomon! Fancy seeing you here."
Julius, accompanied by Michaela, tapped him on the shoulder. Startled, Solomon turned around to greet them. By the time he glanced back toward the fish stall, the hooded figure was completely gone.
"What are you doing out here?" Julius asked.
"Oh, just looking around," Solomon replied, shaking his head to clear his lingering thoughts.
"Is that so? Do you want to join us then?"
"Yeah, sure," Solomon smiled, feeling an unexpected sense of belonging despite having only met the twins at lunch.
"Great, that makes five of us then. I hope you don't mind, but we brought two others along," Julius explained.
"No, I don't mind at all," Solomon replied. He then turned to Michaela and greeted her with a polite nod, which she sleepily returned.
A moment later, the rest of their group caught up. A boy with medium-length green hair and a composed, unassuming posture stepped forward, offering a polite, quiet smile.
"Hello. I'm Allen Gonheart," he introduced himself, his voice even and relaxed. "The twins mentioned they bumped into you. I have to admit, I've been wanting to see the anomalous magician for myself."
"Oh. Yeah... nice to meet you. I'm Solomon," he replied, shaking the boy's hand.
Allen seemed perfectly pleasant, yet his grip was surprisingly firm. While his tone was friendly, his eyes lingered on Solomon with a quiet, analytical focus—like he was quietly measuring the exact weight of Solomon's worth. It was a subtle look, but it was enough to drag Solomon back to the stressful reality of the heavy expectations tied to his fake persona.
Catching the slight pause, Julius quickly intervened. "So, what exactly were you looking for, Solomon? Let's talk over here for a second." He subtly pulled Solomon a few steps to the side and lowered his voice. "Sorry if we crowded you. His family and ours are business partners, so my parents make us bring him along. He usually keeps to himself, but he was unusually eager to catch up with us the second he heard you were here," Julius explained with a slightly tired sigh.
"Ah, don't worry about it. I don't mind," Solomon reassured him. Although there was a bit of a lie mixed into that statement, it wasn't entirely untrue. Because right now, Allen wasn't his primary concern. It was the other person standing with them.
A boy wearing the exact same hood Solomon had spotted earlier was standing quietly behind Michaela and Allen. He kept entirely to himself, hovering on the edge of the group with clear hints of hesitation.
"So... how did you guys meet him?" Solomon's curiosity finally won out, and he discreetly nodded toward the hooded blonde.
"Who? Hael? Just this morning," Julius answered casually. "We were sitting next to each other in our first subject, and it turns out we're also classmates in the School of Arms."
"School of Arms? How come?" Solomon inquired.
"We're both Ki-based sorcerers. It's not widely known, but despite the Robtos being a low-ranking noble family, we actually descended from warriors who contributed greatly to the war twenty years ago," Julius explained with a hint of pride.
"Oh... is that so?" Solomon whispered under his breath. "What was his surname again?" he asked, just to absolutely confirm this was the Hael he knew.
Hael is a Ki-based sorcerer? Then what the hell was he doing in the mana collection class? Solomon thought, his mind racing.
After learning about the two primary energy types, Solomon had pegged Hael as someone who strictly utilized Ki. But after seeing him in Professor Oni's mana collection class, Solomon had revised his theory, assuming Hael trained his physical stamina for close-quarters sorcery while using mana to complement his strikes.
Now, however, the truth seemed much simpler. Hael was just like someone who didn't know what their own magical emblem did. He was blindly taking classes, desperately trying to figure out his own capabilities. It was a deeply uncertain struggle—one that felt painfully familiar to Solomon.
"Allflame. He's one of the imperial princes, from what I've heard," Julius replied with a casual shrug.
"Right..." Hearing how remarkably relaxed Julius was about hanging out with royalty, Solomon couldn't help but respect him. Julius was a noble who seemingly didn't care about titles, trusting only his own judgment of character.
Looking closely at him now, Hael didn't look anything like a proper prince. Not only was his oversized robe lined with matted fur, but he also carried the faint, unmistakable scent of raw ocean fish. If it weren't for his striking golden-blonde hair, Solomon would never have believed he was an Allflame. He didn't carry himself like a royal—hell, not even like the lowest of nobles. With his guarded posture and rough edges, Hael looked like someone straight out of the slums.
Staring at the back of the outcast prince, Solomon found himself completely rethinking his opinion of the boy.
As the evening progressed, the eclectic group explored the bustling district together. Solomon remained relatively quiet, happily participating and replying when spoken to, though he rarely initiated a conversation himself. Julius, on the other hand, was a massive chatterbox. Watching him effortlessly navigate conversations, Solomon finally understood how the boy had made so many acquaintances in just two days.
Caught up in the lively atmosphere, the night passed quickly.
Before long, the group found themselves standing just outside the entrance to the dormitory grounds. Since it was getting late, they prepared to separate and head their own ways.
"Alright, let's take a photo to commemorate our first hangout together," Michaela said, suddenly pulling out her sleek academy phone. She tapped the screen a few times, and a vivid, three-dimensional hologram instantly popped up from the device, perfectly mirroring the group's positioning.
Surprised by the advanced magic-tech, Solomon stared intently at the floating projection, genuinely curious about how this modern "photo" worked. Suddenly, a sharp click echoed from the device, and the live hologram froze, capturing a perfect, still reflection of the group exactly as they were in that fraction of a second.
"Alright, I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Slipping her phone back into her pocket, Michaela waved goodbye alongside her brother. Allen quickly scrambled after the twins, leaving only Hael and Solomon standing by the dorm gates.
They entered the royal dormitory grounds side by side. After a few minutes of agonizingly tense silence, Solomon finally decided to break the ice.
"Hey. We didn't get much of a chance to talk earlier, but it was nice hanging out with you tonight," he started, offering a simple greeting to try and loosen the awkward atmosphere.
However, Hael's guard was clearly raised all the way up. He flinched slightly at the sudden sound of Solomon's voice.
"Likewise," Hael replied, his tone clipped, awkward, and highly defensive.
Desperate to salvage the failing conversation, Solomon tried a different angle. "So, how did you actually meet the Robtos twins?"
"I was sitting next to them," Hael answered bluntly, offering zero elaboration.
As much as Solomon wanted to press him about the raw fish in the market, or his confusing class schedule, he knew he didn't have the right to ask. They weren't friends. Solomon was just a curious bystander prying into a prince's strange life.
After a few more painfully brief exchanges of small talk, they finally reached the main lobby of their building, preparing to split off toward their respective hallways.
But just as Solomon turned away, Hael called out to him. "Wait. Where is your room?"
Dumbfounded by the abrupt question, Solomon paused. "Huh? Why?"
"I'm just curious," Hael replied, letting out a stiff, nervous laugh.
"Uh... I'm down the right corridor over here," Solomon lied smoothly. Seeing that Hael was clearly heading toward the left, Solomon purposefully claimed the opposite direction to maintain his distance.
"I see... well, I'm off then." Hael gave a small, dismissive wave before turning his back and walking away down the hall.