The Crown Prince Thinks I'm a Guy

The Test of Waning: The Imbrium

'What was that?' I thought, as goosebumps trailed up my back.

The moment we realized it wasn't either of us who had spoken, we both flailed around in surprise. Telken, however, was very much calm as he looked down at us from a slightly higher branch.

"Tell me, oddly strong Sinus Fidei, what made you come here in such a hurry?" he asked, his smile the same one as before our escape. He didn't wait for a reply. "You surely can't have a goal now, do you? But you run around like you do have a purpose, with you hopping around the treetops like tiny monkeys..."

Then, the older boy's smile grew wider, and then he looked down at us with squinted eyes. "Unless, of course, and I do feel bad about saying such dishonorable things about you, but... I suppose this can all make sense... if you both lied.

"One. You lied about being left behind by your teammates. With the capability and smarts you both just showed off, I doubt even the high ranked Frigoris would simply throw you off, even as mere Sinus Fidei. No, lads like you with great potential won't ever find themselves without a team. Yes, so that means you went up here in a hurry to find your teammates... And do what, exactly?"

Albert and I stayed completely still, him in fright, and me in contemplation. The noble didn't look that hostile. In fact, he almost had his guard down, but I knew he was stronger than he looked, especially after having caught up to us this fast after dealing with that monster.

He rubbed at his bare chin before continuing his soliloquy. "If you were going about your test as we were, then you should have immediately said yes to our proposal of teaming up, or at least simply consider it. But you vehemently, and quite rudely, refused. There's always a possibility of you already teaming up with another group, but that's unlikely given the amount of time we had since the start of the test. So the evidence could only suggest that you are both without a second team, and without the drive to accept our invitation. Although it does hurt my feelings, I do see something more important in this set of events."

Then, he finally showed a bout of aggression when he leaned over us, his teenage build towering over us completely. "Tell me, then. What were the instructions that you received?"

"... Why would you ask that?" I asked quietly.

He laughed shortly, before staring down at my eyes. "Don't kid with me, kid. What were your instructions?"

"W-We told you," Albert exclaimed in a panic, his lips trembling, but his eyes unshifting. "We didn't read it."

"Couldn't," Telken muttered, his eyes facing upwards towards the sky as he thought. "I believe it should be, 'We couldn't read it'."

"... Y-Yes, that's what I meant! The seniors took off before we could even read it!" he answered back, this time more confident.

"Hm." The noble leaned his shoulder against the tree trunk, looking as though he was in perfect peace. He tutted, "Now that wouldn't make sense at all."

This time, I decided to talk. "Where's your team?"

His brows went up, probably surprised at my daring. "I left them behind to deal with the monster."

'So that's how he caught up to us so quickly...' I thought, and allowed myself a small sigh. At least he came here alone.

"Why did you follow us?" I asked. "If you're looking for more teammates, then shouldn't you be looking for stronger students? Besides, I don't think the both of us are much of an addition to your team. We're not worth it."

He shrugged. "That might be true, but if I followed the instructions we received, it would be quite boring, yes? I'd rather go around and look for trouble. And besides, dear boy, I'm quite curious myself. You see, I'm older than you both, and I've taken far more tests than all you ever did combined. And there's always something different in every cycle's test. In the years I've taken and retaken them, I was only ever sure of one thing."