[Lifespan Remaining: 21 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes.]
The Sylvaine Family, one of the Four Great Families of the Rexford Kingdom. Like the rest of the Families categorized here, each family was adept at raising extremely talented individuals that held respective classes.
The Arcadias were known for producing Mages. The Valiants were known for producing Swordsmen. And the Harks were known for producing Martial Artists.
As for House Sylvaine...their domain were the beasts, as they were known to produce the finest Beast Tamers in the continent, who are able to control beasts from mighty drakes to soaring wyverns.
Their territory was also home to the largest port trading hub in the world. Even a city like Altaire was just a small fish in comparison.
That was especially why Noct remembered that picking a fight with Sylvaine’s heir in the middle of the Academy’s entrance hall would be a terrible idea. Back in the Graveyard, Albert had been an Academy employee. Here, he was once again the personal servant of Tristan Sylvaine.
Accusing Albert now would give him a chance to hide behind the Sylvaine name. Worse, Tristan might decide that Noct was using the incident to cause trouble for his family.
The Arcadias already had enough of that after Altaire, and it wasn’t like the Four Families had a great relationship with each other or anything.
Aurora looked between them. "Tristan Sylvaine?"
"His servant."
"What about him?"
Noct watched Albert turn and follow Tristan toward the exit. "That’s part of the long story."
She folded her arms, unconvinced and prepared to drag the story out of his mouth if she had to. "You’re going to have to tell it eventually, you know..."
"After I’ve slept."
"...Fine. Are you heading to the Arcadia Estate in the capital?"
"That was the idea."
Noct adjusted the strap of his sling bag and started toward the main doors. A bath, a proper meal, and enough sleep to forget the entire fiasco that just happened.
But even so, the fact that Noct managed to snag a good amount of lifespan...was definitely enough to call this expedition a success. Well, it would’ve been a perfect one if he had prepared even more.
Noct turned toward Group Eleven, who finally had time to mourn the death of their childhood friend once they were safe. A white blank had been draped over Gareth’s entire body, and a mortician was nearby to confirm the death.
’Damn it...’
Yet just as he turned to take another step, an Academy worker approached from the side staircase, stopping him directly in his path. Noct was already in a bad mood, but this just made it even worse.
"What is it?"
"Headmistress Scarlett wants to speak with you."
"...Can it wait?"
"I was instructed to bring you to her office as soon as your treatment was finished."
Noct looked back toward the medical corridor. "Does she want everyone from Base Camp D? Something like reports of the incident?"
"No, Young Master," the knight shook his head. "She wants to speak with you. Specifically."
’...This can’t be good.’
***
Knock—! Knock—!
"Headmistress. I’ve brought Noct de Arcadia per your request."
"Send him in."
The doors opened, and Noct stepped inside.
Scarlett’s office occupied a circular room near the top of one of the Academy’s towers. Tall windows lined the far wall, overlooking the courtyard where candidates were still being directed toward the gates.
But what caught his attention the most was a stone altar that was connected to a skylight, shining down from above. Though the purpose had been clear enough—a Star Map.
Scarlett sat behind her desk with a pen in hand, expression more serious than what he saw at the presentation. Her pointed hat rested nearby, leaving her long ears completely exposed.
"Make yourself comfortable," she pointed at the chairs infront of him. "Would you like some tea?"
"I’d prefer to go home."
"Then I’ll try to keep this brief."
Scarlett set the pen down before leaning back in her chair, staring out at the window overlooking the Academy. "Do you remember what I said before the examination?"
"That whole thing about the stars?"
"Yeah..."
That ridiculous entrance of hers came back to him, along with the golden constellation she had formed above the hall.
"You said there were ten exceptional students. The Golden Class, or something like that...?"
"I lied."
"..."
"There were fifteen."
"I see."
"Do you?"
"Why am I here?" Noct cut to the chase. "Why have you called me, Headmistress?"
Scarlett let out a small chuckle before raising a finger toward the Star Map. The stars above them began to shift, with most fading until only a handful remained.
"Reading the stars is a little more complicated than counting whichever ones happen to shine the brightest," she explained.
"Their positions matter, so do their movements, and their relationship with the stars around them. And sometimes, what interests me most is what happens to a star that has almost gone out."
One of the lights dimmed, so much so that Noct could barely distinguish it against the dark ceiling. The Headmistress pointed to the one at the very center.
"This one had been dwindling for quite some time. It was quite bright when it first emerged," she said softly. "Every reading showed me the same outcome, and there was very little left for me to interpret."
"...What did you see?"
"That it would eventually die out."
"But..." she continued, and with a flick of her hand, the very same star brightened once more. "When it should’ve disappeared, it recovered. Enough that I initially wondered whether I had been following the wrong star."
’Is she...talking about me?’
He couldn’t be certain.
But a life that had been slowly approaching its end, only to suddenly recover when it should have been extinguished...There weren’t exactly many candidates that came to mind.
"Perhaps your first reading was wrong," he suggested.
"Perhaps."
She accepted the possibility far more easily than he expected. "But then something else happened."
A second star drifted closer to the first. Unlike the others, its light was beginning to flicker.
"This one still had time remaining. Not much, but enough for its path to cross with the star I had been observing."
A thin line suddenly appeared, connecting the two. Noct watched the second light weaken until it looked ready to disappear. But when it was...
FWOOOSH—!
Light shone brightly once more.
Noct recognized the implication instantly. ’Finn...another talent that should’ve died in the Graveyard.’
"Another reading that failed to come true," Scarlett murmured.
Knowing Astral Magic existed was one thing. But having someone describe his actions so perfectly, especially when those actions involved changing a story nobody else was supposed to know about...
"I’m afraid I don’t understand why you’re telling me all this."
"No?"
"I’ve never studied Astral Magic. If you need someone to explain why your readings were wrong, I doubt I’d be much help."
"Then perhaps I’ve judged too hastily?" the Headmistress leaned back in her chair, finally meeting his gaze. "But I know there’s more to you—"
"Then you thought wrong," Noct cut her off. "I’m just the terminally ill youngest son from Arcadia. I’ve come to attend Rexford Academy, that’s all."
"Are you...?"
Scarlett tilted her head, a hint of amusement appearing on her face. "Yes, you are that same Noct de Arcadia..."
"But according to my teacher, you’re also something else?"
’Don’t tell me...’
"What am I then?"
"The Fairy King."