"...that concludes the prophecy," the words hit me hard.

Had the prophecy changed?

Did Astina change her mind?

I didn't see this coming at all.

Serina and Astina were unrelated.

That's why Astina could name Serina in the prophecy without hesitation.

But why did she choose differently now?

I recalled the time they had lunch together.

Could that be the cause?

Was the simple act of sharing a meal an issue?

It seemed insignificant.

But seeing the consequences unfold, it was disturbing.

Could one meal have swayed Astina's choice?

However, this wasn't the worst-case scenario.

The change in the prophecy hadn't affected Evan.

He was likely alone, training by the Elementalist Department building.

That building wasn't for events; it was a quiet space, perfect for training.

Evan wasn't the festival type, nor did he have friends to celebrate with.

His usual companions in the original were Rie, Serina, and Yeniel.

With Luna's hidden route, she could've been among them as well, but I stepped in.

With the story of the midterm camp changed, Rie is excluded as well.

That meant Evan's companions were now only Serina and Yeniel.

"Will things go according to plan...?"

If these two were his only companions, Evan wouldn't be anywhere else.

Serina was probably off securing Priscilla, while Yeniel had other worries.

There was no reason for Evan's actions to differ.

For now, Serina should be carrying out her usual plan.

Priscilla was in the Elementalist Department building.

If Evan was training near there, he'd easily spot Serina entering. There shouldn't be any problems.

"Rudy, should we start leaving? I think we've seen everything," Luna suggested, looking my way.

Looking around, I saw others were leaving the auditorium too.

"Luna, I apologize, but could I meet Senior Astina for a moment?"

"Huh? Senior Astina? Sure, there's no hurry."

With Luna's consent, we headed straight to the back of the auditorium.

Meeting Astina was the top priority.

I needed to understand the situation and act quickly.

As we moved towards the back, the atmosphere became quiet, contrasting the bustling outside.

Not a single soul was around, I presume everyone had left already.

Entering the waiting room, I saw Astina, seated on a chair, deep in thought.

"Astina, senior."

"Hello!"

Luna and I greeted Astina with cheer and approached her.

"Um... Luna and... Rudy Astria."

Astina sounded subdued as she acknowledged us.

"Is something wrong?"

I asked, scrutinizing her demeanor.

She might be worried about Serina.

Her dull expression clearly indicated that something was off.

But it felt strange.

Astina wasn't the kind to let emotions overpower her.

She had even casually overthrown her own brother.

However, she was fond of those close to her.

Even then, the time she had spent with Serina was too short for them to be friends.

I was puzzled as to why she would make such a decision.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a bit tired."

Astina offered a weak smile in response.

She then stood up and started to tidy up what appeared to be student council items before addressing us.

"So, why did you two come here?"

"I came to see how you're doing. You didn't look well during the announcement."

This was true.

Knowing the prophecy from the game, Astina's expression visibly dimmed when she uttered those final words.

"Hmm, is that so? The workload has been making me feel exhausted lately. I didn't realize it showed."

Astina shrugged it off as trivial and continued packing.

She didn't seem eager to discuss the prophecy either.

Luckily, the prophecy didn't significantly alter this storyline.

After Evan defeats Serina, those who heard the prophecy start to gather at the site.

These people attempt to capture Serina, but Evan defends her.

As Evan blocks their way, the headmaster steps in and defuses the situation.

Even if this incident doesn't occur, it wouldn't cause major problems, so I was considering letting it go.

"Would you like some help since you're tired?"

Luna offered to help Astina, who was packing up.

"Um! Thank you, Luna."

I joined Luna in cleaning up the room.

As we were doing so, we heard approaching footsteps.

The clack of a man's dress shoes filled the air.

Both Luna and Astina sensed the unusual atmosphere.

"Is someone supposed to be here now?"

"I only know about the person responsible for the hall."

The sound grew louder.

I noticed the footsteps weren't alone.

It seemed like two people were approaching.

The footsteps stopped right outside the waiting room we were in.

Knock, knock.

"Is the student council president in?"

"Who's there? Please, come in."

The door swung open, revealing a man in a suit with a knight by his side.

"Uh..."

I was completely taken aback at the sight of the man.

There, standing before me, was my older brother, Ian Astria.

"Um...? Rudy?"

Luna looked at me as I recoiled in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have come to meet you."

"No, if I announced my arrival, it would have stirred unnecessary chaos."

Ian replied calmly, then shifted his gaze towards me in the back.

"I didn't anticipate Rudy being here. I was hoping to see you, even if just for a moment."

"Who is he?" Luna whispered to me.

I swallowed hard and replied quietly, "He's my older brother."

Luna looked surprised and glanced back and forth between me and Ian.

Before I could dwell on Luna's reaction, I had something important to decide.

How should I address my older brother?

In the game, there were very few scenes where Rudy Astria and Ian Astria interacted.

So, I was unsure about how I should treat or address my older brother.

Naturally, I knew that their relationship wasn't especially close.

However, I couldn't be disrespectful to my brother here.

First things first, I greeted him.

"It's been quite some time, brother."

I kept my tone courteous.

Rudy Astria was submissive towards the strong and domineering towards the weak.

Therefore, he wouldn't have been rude to his older brother.

Observing my behavior, Ian gave a slight smile.

"You seem to be doing better than I expected."

"Haha..."

Ian didn't react further and turned to Astina.

"Looking around, I can tell you've put in a lot of effort in your preparations."

"Thank you. We did our best to make a good impression on our guests."

"I can see that. I was once the student council president myself, so I understand."

Ian struck up conversation with Astina.

He asked her about her experiences as the student council president and even provided a few pieces of advice.

It was a somewhat unexpected development.

Would my presence here cause any issues?

Regardless, I decided to stay alert.

While talking, Ian gestured to the knight standing behind him.

"Oh, by the way, allow me to introduce someone."

"This is Thomas, the captain of the Astria family's knights."

"Pleasure to meet you," said the knight named Thomas, extending his hand for a handshake.

Astina reciprocated by reaching out and shaking his hand.

"Hmm?"

As Thomas and Astina shook hands, a subtle glow emitted from the glove he wore.

It was a faint shimmer, visible only from where I stood.

Raising my gaze to Ian, I was met with a small smile.

What was he planning?

Suddenly, a voice echoed within my mind.

-Stay quiet.

Ian's voice?

Heeding his directive, I stayed silent, my eyes fixed on him.

Then, Ian started speaking while looking at Astina.

"I believe it's time for me to depart. I've extended my greetings and seen my younger brother."

"Don't you want to greet the professors?"

"They wouldn't be comfortable with my presence, so it would only cause inconvenience. Well, I should be on my way. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Ian turned to leave.

"Ah."

He paused briefly to look back at Astina.

"By the way, I noticed a slight issue at the Elementalist Department building on my way here."

"Oh, I'll make sure to check on that."

"Good. Take care then."

Leaving those words behind, Ian exited the room.

The Elementalist Department building...

Evan was at the training ground by that building.

With the change in the announced prophecies, a complication has come up.

It's unlikely that everything would proceed smoothly.

Ian strolled towards the carriage, a smirk gracing his lips.

"What a serious young man," he murmured to himself.

His gaze drifted towards the Elementalist Department building.

"It's quite entertaining to watch siblings at odds..."

Upon his arrival, Ian had been watching Harpel for a while.

Exiting the carriage, Harpel made his way towards the Elementalist Department building with a knight in tow.

The only building excluded from the event.

Ian could already guess what they were up to.

This place was no different from Astina's stronghold.

Trying to gain political leverage here would be nothing short of suicidal.

There was only one other plausible reason.

Revenge.

"I had thought of Harpel as a reasonably good friend," Ian chuckled.

Given Astina's nature, she would personally look into any problems that came up.

That's why he hinted at the Elementalist Department building, where Harpel was headed.

Even if he hadn't mentioned it, Harpel would have found a way to draw Astina there.

He had merely guided Astina in that direction.

To set the stage for their clash.

And he had prepared a little gift for Harpel.

He had cast a spell on Astina, one that wouldn't leave a discernible trace.

Given Harpel's competence as a knight, he would be able to handle the situation well given the opportunity.

"It would be delightful if they each lost an arm in the fight."

And Ian had one more reason to be happy about.

Rudy Astria.

He had assumed Rudy to be a fool, but it seemed like he had been forming connections.

It felt as though a useful tool had been forged.

"It was a good idea to come here."

With a wicked smile, Ian stepped into the carriage.

***

2/4 Enjoy the chappy!