Before they could regain try to understand what was happening, the walls returned. The ceilings also returned to their proper place.
The sound of shoe heels hitting the ground echoed.
Freya looked towards the door.
A man walked into the room. He wore an unbuttoned black shirt and wrinkled black pants. His dark blue eyes were drooping, as though he would fall asleep at any second, and his jet black hair was tussled. He held a cigarette between his teeth and patted his body. Not finding what he was looking for, the man looked even into his socks.
The subtle scent of roses filled the room.
Freya shared a glance with Titus.
Titus frowned. "Excuse me. Are you here for the Meeting?"
The man paused, and looked up. "Yeah?"
"Are you here for the Meeting?"
The man pulled a thin envelope from his socks of all places. The man nodded. "Yeah."
Titus sighed. "I'm sorry to inform you sir, but the meeting is over already."
The man titled his head. "Over? Then why are you two here?"
"For the food," Freya said, pointing towards the buffet.
The man stared at her. "What is your name?"
Freya glanced at Titus for a moment. The blue haired boy looked at the man in suspicion.
"I am Titus, and this is Ms Freya."
The man looked sideways at him and then at Freya again.
There was silence amoung them.
Freya's thought raced. Did the man want her to introduce herself instead?
He kept staring at her.
Freya fidgeted. "I am Freya Wang."
The man nodded. His eyes fell towards her food that held a single pastry. "You should eat more, you are very thin."
Titus sweatdropped. Eat more? If she ate more, she would be finishing the entire table.
Freya beamed at him. "Okay!"
Freya started to fill her plate with two more pastries. Her eyes fell on the Storage ring that Titus gave. She could give her mother and brother better food this week!
She froze as she came to the realization that she ignored the weird thing that happened just a moment ago.
Titus started to fill his plate as well, as though he had forgotten that he had eaten before.
Freya grabbed his hand and stopped him.
Titus frowned. "What?"
Freya turned to the man in black instead of answering him. "Why are you using Mind Magic on us?"
Titus gasped and then looked at the ring in his pinky finger that was glowing green.
He glared at the man. "What are you trying to do?"
The man hummed and observed Freya. "Why were you not assigned to any classes?"
Freya took a deep breath. "I was the last one in line."
"Oh? What was your average score?"
"Why do you want to know?" Titus asked before Freya could try to answer.
The man shrugged. "Just curious."
Freya looked around her. "Just before you came in, the walls and the ceiling had disappeared. Do you know anything about it?"
"Yes."
The room fell into silence again.
Titus rolled his eyes. "Are you not going to explain yourself? Or are you trying to build up the suspense."
The man put out his cigarette and licked his lips. "Actually, I was waiting for you to ask me to explain it."
Titus raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then please explain it."
"I don't feel like it anymore."
"You!" Titus glared at the man, a glowing red circle appearing in his palm.
The wind picked up speed.
Freya gasped.
The man smirked. "Just as I thought. It really is the Prince of the Red Palace."
The wind died down.
Titus glared at the man in front of him with hatred.
The man leaned against the wall and looked at Titus through his eyelashes, his entire continence that of a lazy cat studying its prey.
He then looked at Freya. "Your friend here is the reason why the walls and the ceiling just disappeared."
Freya's eyes widened. She understood what he meant. "The Red Abolishment?"
The Red Abolishment was a targeted spell construction that could break through any construction lines that their target was hiding behind.
The man smiled. "Smart girl."
"I want to prove myself!" Titus said with a glare. "I want to show to my family, my father that I can reach heights by starting from the bottom too!"
Freya's lips pursed.
The man in black smirked. "I think that your friend has something to say about that."
Titus scowled and looked at Freya.
Freya sighed. "Prince Titus-"
"Don't call me Prince."
Freya nodded. "Titus, whether you want to accept it or not, you are royalty. While you might want to be 'normal', your family wouldn't allow that. I have read tales about your mother and especially your father and know that he takes your well-being too seriously. If you want to achieve something, your family will try their best to make the path easier for you."
Titus frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
Freya bowed her head, not daring to say anymore. Though they had established a comradery, she was still a slum dweller and he was the prince. She wouldn't dare to be even more insubordinate than she already was.
The man in black snorted. "It's obvious, isn't it? When you try to be a normal person, your family will do their best that you can have a smooth path even then. What little Freya is trying to tell you is that in your attempt to be 'normal', those normal people who would have gotten those good resources would be deprived of it. Their stream will be drained to fill your ocean."
Titus gritted his teeth.
"But, I can help you," the man said.
Titus and Freya blinked.
"What's the catch?" the two of them said together.
The man smirked. "You become my Substitutes."
The other two frowned.
"What?" Titus asked.
Freya's heart filled with hope. "Okay!"
The man raised an eyebrow. "You still don't know what you are substituting me for."
Freya shook her head. "It's okay! I want to anyway! You can just give me the details later!"
Titus sighed. He turned to Freya. "Are you stupid? He could be asking you to Substitute him in the punishment of a crime he committed or in a sacrificial ritual that the Dark Witches commit."
Freya gaped and then looked at the man in black. "It's not that right?"
The man gave her an indulgent smile. "It's not. All you have to do is teach."
Freya smiled. "I can do that!"
"Good! But this deal is only applicable if Titus joins you too!"
Freya looked at Titus and then slouched. There went another one of her chances.
Titus's eyebrow twitched. "Why are you looking so defeated? Did I reject his offer?"
The man clapped. "Great! Then let's go!"