Path of the Extra

She'd accepted the dare, and then agreed to Azriel's game. Now, she had no choice but to face the consequences.

After what felt like an eternity, her eyes finally met his, the intensity of his gaze urging her to answer.

Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath and looked down.

"...I think I was wrong about you."

"Wrong about me?"

Azriel's curiosity was evident, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

She nodded meekly.

"Mm. Y-You see... like the others, I thought the children of the great clans were on a completely different level. I believed the rumors, that you were... you know. But after seeing you all today..."

Her voice trailed off as she glanced over at Jasmine and Celestina, who were chatting with the other cadets.

Azriel followed her gaze and smiled faintly.

"You realized we're not that different from the rest of you, in the end."

Kanae quickly snapped her head back toward him, nodding vigorously.

"Y-Yes, that's right... though I still feel nervous."

The last part was barely a whisper, not meant for him to hear, but it did.

Azriel's smile turned wry.

'I'm still a prince in her eyes, after all...'

The gap in status was still there, unshakable.

It was almost amusing—back in his previous world, royalty had been more ceremonial, with no real power.

Yet here, humanity seemed to be moving backward, returning to the days when kings ruled with authority.

Azriel sighed, leaning back against the wall, his eyes meeting Kanae's as she fidgeted nervously in front of him.

"You don't have to stay here any longer, you know?" he said with a slight smirk. "You've completed the dare. Your friends are probably waiting for you—or worried I might've done something to you."

"Ah... r-right, I should go back," she replied, but the dejection in her voice and the brief flicker of regret in her eyes didn't escape his notice.

Azriel's grin widened.

"What is it? Do you secretly enjoy spending time with me?"

"Eh!? No! No way!"

Kanae blurted out in a flustered panic, her cheeks flushing red.

Azriel narrowed his eyes playfully.

"Oh? So now you dislike talking to me? Is that it?"

Her face paled as she waved her hands frantically in front of him, eyes wide with panic.

"No! I didn't mean it like that! I-I—"

Azriel laughed, cutting her off.

"Pfft! Relax, Cadet Kanae. I'm just messing with you."

Kanae froze, her cheeks growing even redder as she stared at him in embarrassment.

"Azriel, what are you doing here...?"

Azriel's head snapped up at the voice behind Kanae, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

Kanae spun around as well, letting out a startled yelp, her face turning even paler.

"Sister... it seems you two have been enjoying yourselves."

Azriel said, his tone light as he eyed Jasmine and Celestina standing behind them, both looking confused.

He gave a wry smile.

'Looks like I've been caught...'

Shaking his head, Azriel parted his lips to explain.

"I couldn't sleep in the tents, so I came here to relax. Cadet Kanae was just keeping me company."

"Cadet Kanae, huh?" Jasmine said, narrowing her eyes.

"A classmate of ours."

Celestina added.

"Ranked 101."

Kanae, wide-eyed, stood frozen under their gazes.

"P-princess Jasmine... Princess C-Celestina..."

'Poor girl...'

The dare was only supposed to involve approaching him, but now she found herself surrounded by a prince and two princesses.

He felt pity for her—though he wasn't in any position to help.

Without warning, both Celestina and Jasmine sat down beside Kanae, leaving her sandwiched between them as she hugged her knees, clearly overwhelmed.

Azriel couldn't help but find the situation amusing.

All he had wanted was to watch from afar, and now here he was, surrounded by three beautiful girls.

Thankfully, no one else had noticed yet.

"You could've joined us, you know."

Jasmine said, glancing at him.

"Or you could've asked me to come. I would've kept you company."

Celestina nodded, agreeing with Jasmine's words.

Azriel smiled faintly, appreciating their concern.

"Thanks, but it's fine. I was enjoying watching you all have fun."

Jasmine pursed her lips before turning to the still-frightened Kanae.

"My name is Jasmine Crimson. Cadet Kanae, thank you for taking care of this idiot little brother of mine."

"Who are you calling an idiot...?"

Azriel muttered, though he was ignored.

Kanae, flustered, quickly shook her head.

"No, I don't deserve such praise... Besides, Prince Azriel was very... kind."

It wasn't like she could confess that she was there because of a dare.

She didn't want to die!

Admitting that to Jasmine, his overprotective sister, and Celestina, one of his few friends, would be a death sentence in Kanae's mind.

Azriel shifted his attention to Celestina, who was staring at him intently, making him frown.

"Is something wrong, Celestina?"

She shook her head.

"No... It's nothing. By the way, thank you for convincing Vergil to help us. Though I would've preferred it if you joined us as well."

"It's fine. No need to thank me."

Azriel replied with a soft laugh, intentionally ignoring the last part of her comment.

Celestina pursed her lips but said nothing more.

Jasmine, however, wasn't done.

"You two are friends, right? How did that happen?"

She asked, curiosity lacing her voice as she glanced between them.

Even Kanae seemed more at ease, watching the exchange closely.

Jasmine's curiosity made sense.

She had never seen Celestina and Azriel together before.

They'd barely interacted, not even enough to be called acquaintances.

Azriel glanced at Celestina, his grin widening as mischief sparked in his eyes.

She narrowed hers in suspicion, sensing trouble.

"It's a funny story, actually, dear sister." Azriel began.

Both Jasmine and Kanae leaned in slightly, their interest piqued, urging him to continue.

"You see, if you want to know how this all started, we'd have to go back to the Christmas banquet... Back then, I actually propos—"

"You idiot! Don't tell her about that!"

Celestina's voice cut him off abruptly as she slapped her hands over his mouth, her face inches from his, glaring at him with bright red cheeks.

Azriel blinked in surprise, his words muffled by her soft hands.

"That banquet is a dark history! Don't tell anyone about that day!"

Celestina demanded, her face flushed with embarrassment.

He could only nod, still wide-eyed, as the others stared at the scene in stunned silence.

Satisfied, Celestina pulled her hands away and coughed awkwardly, avoiding their gazes.

'...Soft,'

Her hands were incredibly soft, like she had never wielded a weapon, though he knew that wasn't true.

The air grew tense as Celestina's embarrassment deepened.

She had just created another "dark history" for herself, though Azriel was smart enough not to point that out.

"Well... it's good to see that the two of you are friends, at least. I'm glad."

Jasmine said, offering a faint smile.

Kanae, however, looked visibly uncomfortable, clearly feeling out of place.

No one could blame her—being surrounded by a prince and two princesses was hardly a typical situation.

Jasmine's expression softened briefly, but her eyes narrowed as she glanced at Azriel.

The silent exchange between them went unnoticed by the other two.

'You're telling me everything later.'

'Don't wanna.'

'Then I'm telling Mom about you getting drunk on your first day here.'

Azriel's lips tightened at the threat.

They had grown skilled at communicating without words, but now it seemed his sister was blackmailing him over Celestina.

'How about I take you shopping instead?'

Azriel offered, attempting to strike a deal.

Jasmine's face twisted into a mix of contemplation and frustration before she glared at him in resignation.

'Still no. I know it's about that engagement you had with her at the banquet. You're telling me everything later.'

'You knew?'

Azriel's eyes widened slightly.

'I thought Mom and Dad kept it a secret from everyone... even you.'

'Of course I knew. I'm your sister.'

Jasmine's expression carried a mix of pride and teasing.

She wasn't just anyone—she was Jasmine Crimson.

'Fine... I'll tell you after everyone goes to sleep.'

'Good.'

While the siblings exchanged this wordless conversation, Celestina and Kanae remained lost in their own thoughts, oblivious to the silent tug-of-war happening right in front of them.

After that, the atmosphere gradually returned to normal.

The tension eased as everyone began chatting casually.

Kanae, however, made her exit soon after, as if she had just escaped from the gates of hell.

The three of them exchanged amused glances at her hurried departure.

For the next hour, Azriel, Jasmine, and Celestina kept their conversation light, discussing trivial things and avoiding any serious topics.

Eventually, Celestina excused herself, heading to her tent to rest for the night.

Tomorrow was an important day—they would face the first floor's boss and prepare to descend to the second floor.