I Am The Game's Villain

"Thanks for the help," I expressed my gratitude to Elizabeth as she assisted me in selecting clothes for my mother and sister, and then helped me stow the bags away in my bracelet.

"You're welcome," Elizabeth replied with a friendly smile. She glanced at her watch and seemed a bit hesitant. "Oh, it's about time."

"Time for what?" I asked, somewhat puzzled.

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before explaining, "Actually, I told Sephira and Sirius to come half an hour earlier."

"Huh? Half an hour earlier?" I inquired, still perplexed.

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded, her expression somewhat awkward. "You see, Sephira doesn't speak much when I am here and with anyone else, but with Sirius, she definitely feels more at ease. So, I wanted to give them some time alone in a place like this."

"Oh, I see," I said, understanding her intentions.

So she was simply trying to help Sephira feel more comfortable.

"Sorry for not telling you earlier, Amael," Elizabeth apologized with a smile.

I just shrugged in response. "You helped me pick out clothes; that's more than enough."

Elizabeth seemed appreciative of my understanding. "Let's go eat now. They're waiting for us."

…

…

"Here!" Sirius waved to us as we entered the restaurant, and he was already seated at a table with Sephira.

The restaurant was bustling with activity, completely packed with patrons, yet the staff managed to navigate the chaos with grace. The aroma of delectable food wafted through the air, instantly making my stomach growl. It was evident that this was a renowned establishment.

We were on the food floor of the mall, and despite the numerous dining options available, this particular restaurant was brimming with customers.

"Sorry for being late," Elizabeth apologized as she took her seat.

"Yeah, we're sorry too," I chimed in, adding to the pretense.

"Don't worry about it," Sirius reassured us with a wave of his hand. "We had some time to explore the area, right, Sephira?"

Sephira nodded, her smile radiating warmth. "Yes."

"I hope you didn't eat without us," Elizabeth playfully inquired.

"No, of course not," Sirius shook his head. "We planned to eat together, right?"

"Yes, please excuse us," Elizabeth responded, summoning a waiter who promptly arrived at our table.

The waiter appeared surprised as he glanced at each of us but quickly regained his composure and took out his notepad. "Yes?"

"I'll have the special risotto with a coke," Elizabeth ordered, glancing at the rest of us.

"I'll have the same," I said.

"Same here," Sephira chimed in.

"Yes, me too," Sirius added.

In the end, we all opted for Elizabeth's choice.

"You didn't have to order the same dish as me, you know," Elizabeth chuckled.

"I've never eaten here before, and the risotto sounded intriguing," Sephira explained, offering a smile.

"I was curious about the risotto as well," Sirius admitted.

"As for me, I was just too lazy to browse the menu, so I went with the same choice," I admitted, pouring myself a glass of water.

"You were lazy?" Sephira appeared surprised by my response, being the only one who did.

"You... you're really different from Connor and Christina," Sirius observed.

My brother and sister must have been quite famous at the Academy for everyone to recognize their names so readily.

"Well, of course. Amael is from another Kingdom, after all," Elizabeth explained, shedding light on the situation. "Oh, I will pay the bill since I'm the one who invited all of you." She said and went inside the restaurant to handle the payment.

As she stepped away, I turned to Sirius with a question on my mind. "Sirius, can I ask you something?"

"Huh? Yeah?" He replied, looking curious.

"Are you friends with Elizabeth?" I asked, maintaining a serious tone. I noticed Sephira's expression grow serious as well, but I didn't let it deter me. I wasn't trying to cause trouble, but I wanted to gather information.

"Huh... well, sort of, I guess," Sirius stammered, sending furtive glances toward Sephira. "I mean, I've known her since childhood, so..."

My curiosity didn't stop there. "What about the others? Cylien, Celeste, Selene, Roda?" I continued, inquiring about the other girls, particularly the ones who could potentially be the Prophetess.

"What...? I only really know Elizabeth and Celeste," Sirius quickly replied, looking perplexed by my question. "I've hardly spoken to Selene, Cylien, or Roda..."

I shifted my gaze toward Sephira, hoping she could provide more insight.

"It's complicated..." Sephira sighed but seemed willing to answer. "I have interacted with all of them, but I'm closer to Celeste and Cylien among the Great Nobles, if that's what you're asking..."

She had understood my intention well.

Turning my attention back to Sirius, I asked about his own family. "What about you, Sirius? You have two brothers and one sister, right?"

"My brothers..." Sirius's expression briefly turned strange. "Honestly, I don't interact much with Cyril. I do talk to Victor, but it's quite complicated..."

This reaction was unsurprising. Victor was his half-brother, and his indirect involvement in their mother's departure had strained their relationship.

"... and Alicia, I'm not a good brother... I'm not good with her. Cyril is the one handling with her," Sirius replied with a hint of awkwardness, the last words spoken rather meekly.

Cyril, being the heir of the Raven House and having the support of his grandfather, held immense authority within the House. Even James Raven, his father, couldn't fully control him due to this formidable backing.

"Cyril Raven, huh… your brother is really famous in the Academy…" I murmured while keeping an eye on Sirius's reaction.

"Yeah, but you know, until last year, Connor was the most popular guy in the Academy!" Sirius suddenly exclaimed.

"Huh, really?" I asked, genuinely surprised. I knew both Christina and Connor were popular, but I hadn't realized the extent of their fame.

"Really," Sirius nodded with a laugh. "It's embarrassing to admit, but he was like a role model for me. Everyone respected him, and no one, not even Sirius or Kendel, could quite match up to him."

"Except Aerin," Sephira chimed in suddenly, a hint of sulking in her tone.

"A-Ah, yes, of course!" I replied, trying to play along even though I had no idea who Aerin was.

Who is Aerin anyway?

"Really? He was that well-regarded? Like a champion of justice?" I asked with a laugh.

"No different than that, I swear, Amael!" Sirius grinned at my words. "You should have seen him face Alvara last year... It was like he was a hero to all the Halves and Humans. They loved him..."

Despite the smile, his expression darkened suddenly, and I could see a hint of sadness in his eyes.

But, despite that, I felt a swell of pride hearing all the praise for my older brother. I had admired him so much, and it was easy to understand why I had looked up to him.

"I'm glad to hear that," I replied.

Sirius sighed, his smile turning somber. "You know... when he was here, discrimination and the power of the Great Nobles weren't as prominent in the Academy. But this year, the void he left is painfully evident. Discrimination has only gotten worse, and the power within the Academy has become divided between Cyril and Kendel. The Raven, Teraquin, and Elaryon Houses are clearly the dominant forces here..." He added with a hint of annoyance.

Despite being a Raven himself, Sirius seemed discontented with the way Cyril had raised their House to prominence.

But what he was saying wasn't news to me. I was already aware of the influence these Houses held within the Academy.

In the Raven House, you had Cyril, Victor, Sirius, and Alicia, all of them prodigies in their own right.

The Teraquin House boasted Kendel Teraquin, who was largely responsible for the discrimination against Halves in the Academy, along with that twisted Alvara and Allen.

And as for the Elaryon House, they had their own share of influence, thanks to Dentiel, Cylien, and that bastard of Lykhor.

"The Elaryon House may have significant influence, but Dentiel can't quite replace the same impact that Connor and Christina had last year..." Sirius said bitterly. "Yeah... Cyril and Kendel clearly have the Academy under their control..."

"Oh, what about last year? Which Houses were at the top of the Academy?" I asked, curiosity bubbling within me.

Sephira's smile grew warmer as we delved into this conversation.

Sirius grinned and leaned in closer as if about to reveal a secret. "First, there was the Olphean House. Connor and Christina were both in their final year, and they were amazing. They were incredibly popular, both with boys and girls, and they had the support of nearly everyone."

I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride hearing about my older brother and sister's popularity.

"Then came the Raven House," Sirius continued, "with my older brother, Cyril, who was in his second year at that time. The Raven House had less influence compared to this year, mainly because Connor was always the primary figure in the Academy."

He then added with a hint of amusement, "Actually, did you know that the person Cyril despised the most among everyone else was Connor?"