"Come on, it's already started!"
Fredrik grinned broadly, but Croy just stared at him blankly... and slowly closed the door.
Quick-witted, Fredrik slipped his hand between the door and the frame, trying to pull it open again.
"It's Thursday night!" Croy hissed, his voice muted so as not to wake the neighbors.
"I'm not going to a party!"
Fredrik pressed harder against the door, whispering earnestly.
"Thursday is friday for students!"
"I'm a soldier!"
"No, you're a killjoy!" Fredrik retorted with a cheeky grin as they wrestled with the door - Fredrik trying to open it, Croy trying to keep it closed.
Fredrik gradually wedged his head and one shoulder through the gap, and soon they were at a stalemate.
Well, not entirely, because every second Croy couldn't sleep felt like a defeat.
"You have a date with Princess Lyn! How dare you think about going to parties?" Croy suddenly accused, but Fredrik wouldn't back down.
His voice sounded uncertain, but he held his ground.
"I know! The date is this weekend, and to be honest... I'm really nervous. I just realized today that it's actually happening... and I just want to have some fun before..."
Croy regarded him silently for a moment, raising an eyebrow.
"You poor thing," he finally said with a deadpan expression, but he pushed the door even more firmly, bracing his whole body against it.
Unfortunately, Fredrik had already managed to get halfway into the room.
"Alright, alright! Please, ow, Croy, stop, you're going to split me in half!"
"Then go away and leave me alone with your fake sympathy," Croy grumbled.
"I swear, I won't hit on any girls! I just want to have fun! It's a student party at the Imperial Academy - you have to experience it!"
"And why do I have to come along?" Croy snapped back.
"Because you owe me!"
Croy's eyes widened.
"What? When was I ever in your debt..." A look of horror crossed his face.
"No! You don't mean... the thing with the bathroom!"
Fredrik nodded with a grin.
"Oh yes. I rushed headfirst into the ladies' room and risked everything!"
"That's nonsense! I had to go in at the end too."
"But I went in first and even checked the stalls for the ghost dog!"
Their squabbling seemed endless. No matter how much Croy tried to get rid of his persistent friend, Fredrik remained as stubborn as a rock. With a deep sigh and a throbbing head, Croy gradually loosened his grip on the door until Fredrik finally managed to push it open triumphantly.
"Then we're even after this," Croy said with a stern expression.
Fredrik nodded contentedly and patted him on the shoulder.
"Come on, get dressed."
Croy rolled his eyes, went back into his room, and reluctantly put on something simple. When he reappeared wearing jeans and a plain shirt, Fredrik turned away dramatically, covering his face with one hand.
"That's it? You call that casual wear?" Fredrik asked, flabbergasted.
"Come on, I know you're used to uniforms in the military, but here you need to make a bit of an impression!"
"Do you want me to come along or have a fashion show?" Croy grumbled.
Fredrik sighed deeply, eyeing Croy with a mix of disappointment and resignation.
"Don't you have a polo shirt or something?"
"No."
"Anything else?"
"A sweater. And the uniform-"
"No uniform. Unwritten rule and all." Fredrik let his shoulders slump but then waved it off.
"Fine. Let's just go."
Croy threw his arms up.
"If you don't feel like it, we don't have to go."
"Who says I don't feel like it?" Fredrik retorted indignantly.
Croy opened his mouth, closed it again, and shook his head.
'Oh God, we really are arguing like a couple,' he thought, finally gesturing for Fredrik to lead the way.
The campus was absolutely quiet at night. No students were out - except for them. Croy yawned loudly, feeling fatigue almost overtake him as they walked.
"By the way, the date with Princess Lyn," Croy began to stay awake, "what did you suggest to her?"
Fredrik gave a wry smile, and Croy finally recognized his friend's genuine nervousness. The thought of taking the princess out would make anyone anxious.
"We're going to the dog park this weekend. Then we'll feed the ducks at the pond. Maybe afterwards we'll go to a café."
Croy stopped abruptly, staring at Fredrik as if he'd just heard the most ridiculous thing ever spoken.
"What? You're taking the Imperial Princess... to feed ducks?"
Fredrik glared at him.
"You just don't get it! Precisely because she's the Imperial Princess, she'll like it!"
"But..." Croy began, shaking his head in disbelief. "She's probably used to being showered with gifts and courted by princes..."
His voice trailed off as he slowly grasped the thought behind Fredrik's plan.
A genuine smile spread across his face as he saw the anger fade from Fredrik's eyes.
"That... could actually work." Croy chuckled softly and patted him appreciatively on the shoulder.
"Man, you're not as awful as I thought."
Fredrik grinned with satisfaction.
"See? I told you I'd treat her respectfully. I bet she'll enjoy just walking a dog and feeding some ducks - away from all those pompous obligations. Besides, those are probably the only ducks in this metropolis. So it's still kind of... exclusive."
Croy couldn't help but be a bit impressed.
"And what did the princess say?" he asked curiously.
"She was surprised at first - at least, that's what I read on her face. Hard to tell. But she agreed. Probably couldn't quite imagine it."
'That's kind of sad.'
He placed a hand on Fredrik's shoulder and smirked.
"One could almost say you're a good man... if you weren't dragging me to a party in the middle of the night."
Fredrik grinned broadly.
"A little fun is still allowed."
Eventually, Fredrik led him to a building on the edge of the campus. Croy immediately recognized where they were - the student club buildings.
"Whose building is this?" he asked curiously.
"It belongs to one of the three biggest student clubs at the academy - the Fire Pillars."
"That name sounds ridiculous," Croy noted.
Fredrik laughed in agreement.
"It is. The club mainly consists of aristocrats who want to make a name for themselves and see the whole thing as a networking event... but for the real big shots, it's kind of silly."
Fredrik shook his head before continuing, "But every year they throw a big party in the first week - officially to welcome new students. Unofficially, to throw a huge bash."
Croy shrugged. It didn't really matter to him. He just hoped he wouldn't have to talk to some snobby aristocrat.
"Then why are we here?"
"Everyone's invited to the first party. And I know from a reliable source that many from our year are here."
"What if you run into the Imperial Twins?" Croy asked with a smirk.
Fredrik sighed dramatically.
"Then I might shed a little tear."
"Double standards," Croy laughed, and Fredrik joined in before they approached the building.
In front of the entrance stood a single student, clearly older than them, leaning casually against the wall with arms crossed.
'How dark and mysterious,' thought Croy amusedly.
As they got closer, the upperclassman eyed them attentively.
"Hello, we'd like to join the party," Fredrik began.
The guy looked at them skeptically. His style was probably fashionable but not formal - still, he exuded a noble aura that was hard to miss.
"First years?" he asked.
Croy frowned. Was he going to give them trouble? After all, they were uninvited, right? Maybe they were the troublemakers. But Fredrik remained confident and nodded.
"This is Croy, and I'm Fredrik," he introduced.
"Croy... Fredrik... Ah!" The guy straightened up and grinned.
"Yeah, people inside have been talking about you!"
"Hopefully only good things-" Fredrik began, but Croy quickly elbowed him in the side. Surely, they only had one kind of reputation at this academy.
"Let's just go back," Croy whispered, but Fredrik was persistent.
"So, does that mean we can go in?" he asked cheekily.
The guy laughed loudly.
"Sure, sure, things will definitely get interesting with you guys. Go on in."
Before Croy could protest, Fredrik pulled him past the laughing student and through the door. A long corridor stretched out before them, and soon they heard muffled music and exuberant laughter. After turning one last corner, they faced a large door - behind it, the party was in full swing.
A strange feeling rose in Croy. He had never participated in something like this. The biggest celebrations he knew were small gatherings with his team after a successful mission - he had never found himself in such a large and lively atmosphere.
Croy and Fredrik opened the door and found themselves in a loud, dancing hall. The room felt like a nightclub - at least, that's how Croy imagined one.
The space was packed with students. Along the walls stood tables and improvised bars where people chatted and laughed, while in the center stood a large elevated DJ booth. In front of it, students danced and jumped wildly to the music.
Croy's eyes widened.
'That's supposed to be dancing?'
It looked more like the human equivalent of a mating ritual. Fredrik seemed to read his thoughts.
"You just haven't had a sip of the good stuff yet!" he grinned.
"We're sixteen," Croy countered, crossing his arms.
"Which means beer and wine are allowed!" Fredrik winked and pulled him toward the bar. That was true, but who drinks wine at a party like this?
At eighteen, you could drink hard liquor; at sixteen, driving and beer were allowed; and at fourteen... you could go to war.
The bartender, a girl in an off-the-shoulder top, smiled at them as they approached.
"What can I get for the handsome gentlemen?"
Croy's gaze immediately shot to Fredrik, but he kept his word and refrained from making any stupid remarks... good, or Croy might have had to deal with him.
"Two bottles of Imperial Beer!" Fredrik called out without hesitation.
"Coming right up," she said, turning around and soon placing two bottles on the counter. Fredrik reached for one, but the bartender held out her hand.
"That'll be ten credits."
Fredrik tapped his smartwatch against hers, and the amount was deducted. Then he handed Croy the second bottle.
"I'm not paying you back," Croy muttered, taking a big gulp as Fredrik rolled his eyes.
A quick shake of his head followed.
"This stuff is terrible..."
But before he could say more, he saw Fredrik downing the entire bottle in one go. Before he knew it, Fredrik's bottle was empty. His friend placed it on the counter and grinned broadly.
"See you on the dance floor!" Fredrik called and disappeared into the dancing crowd.
Croy stood there, bewildered.
'I know this guy did not just abandon me like some puppy...'
For a moment, he considered just leaving. He had never felt the urge to attend a party, and maybe that was due to the war. But even now, everything else at the academy seemed more appealing than this.
Even Professor Burton's lectures were better in his eyes.
Croy was about to head back to the door - Fredrik could amuse himself here anyway - when he spotted two familiar faces nearby.
Princess Kadutor and the girl with the demonic mana. They were chatting at the bar with two handsome guys who seemed to be trying hard to impress the two ladies.
The golden-haired girl looked uncomfortable and held back. She had always been quite shy. Princess Kadutor... Croy frowned.
The princess was wearing the plain academy uniform. And if looks could kill, those two guys would probably be dead by now.
One of the guys, a tall fellow with a smug smile, leaned close to Princess Kadutor, letting his arm glide casually past her shoulder and propping himself against the bar behind her as he leaned in closer.
"You're first years, right?"
The guy grinned a bit too broadly for Croy's liking. Princess Kadutor didn't show the slightest reaction - not even disgust or disdain - just pure indifference. The golden-haired girl nodded hesitantly without saying anything.
The other guy laughed loudly.
"I heard you have some real terrible boys there. But of course, they're all just kids."
'They're talking about me, aren't they? They're definitely talking about me,' thought Croy, a dark expression crossing his face.
He saw the blonde girl lower her gaze, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. Princess Kadutor seemed to completely ignore the two boys and instead turned to her companion.
"Seen enough?" she asked, sounding bored, as if she just wanted to close this chapter.
Croy couldn't hear the girl's response, but the disappointed look on the princess's face said it all.
The guy took the opportunity to lean in even closer.
"What's your names, anyway?" he asked with a grin.
Princess Kadutor glanced aside and answered without hesitation for both of them.
"I'm Bob, and that's Peter," giving the guy a deliberately blank smile that left him momentarily confused.
But suddenly, the princess shifted her gaze to Croy. A hint of a smile appeared on her face as she casually spoke.
"Oh, and that's the terrible boy you were just talking about. Yeah, real terrible, you know?"
Croy felt his face flush as the two guys now looked at him curiously and slightly amused.
'These damn sensors! Deal with your own problems!'
Princess Kadutor was throwing him under the bus.