Reborn as an SSS-Rank Guide in the Sentinel Academy [BL]

Nobody in that hall moved. Nobody even breathed too loud. The Crown Prince walked through that crowd like the crowd wasn’t even there, like people were just furniture he expected to get out of his way, and honestly, they did, scrambling back without even thinking twice about it.

’okay who is this now’ Julian thought, standing his ground on that cracked platform. ’so this is the prince everybody’s memories are so scared of’

[Crown Prince jayden Ashwood. SSS-Rank Sentinel. Second strongest recorded fighter in the Empire. Caution advised]

’second strongest huh. who’s first then’

[Unknown. Records are sealed]

’great. love that. love not knowing things around this world...’

Jayden stopped right in front of the platform, close enough that Julian had to actually tilt his head up a little to look at him properly. Sharp jaw, sharper eyes, the kind of face that looked like it got carved instead of born. He didn’t look angry exactly. He looked curious, in the way a predator looks curious right before it decides whether something’s worth chasing.

"say it again," jayden said, voice low, eyes locked right on Julian. "the rank. say it again let me hear it loud and clear."

The proctor at the front table nearly tripped over his own words trying to answer fast enough. "S-SSS-Rank, your highness. Confirmed just now. First one ever recorded in the Empire’s history."

Jayden didn’t even look at the proctor. He kept staring at Julian like he was trying to find the trick, the catch, the part where somebody jumps out and yells this was all some elaborate joke.

"You...," Jayden said, "the F-Class reject everybody’s been laughing about for weeks. that’s you right."

Julian shrugged. "yeah guess so."

’guess so? that’s it? come on Julian say something smarter’ he thought immediately after, but honestly nothing smarter was coming to him, his brain was still catching up with the fact that royalty was standing three feet away from him.

A few people in the crowd actually laughed at that, nervous little laughs, the kind that slip out when nobody knows if it’s safe to laugh yet.

Jayden’s mouth twitched, almost a smile, but it didn’t sit right on his face, like his face wasn’t used to doing that. "you’ve got some nerve, talking to me like that."

"you asked. I answered and now what." Julian said. "and I’m not really even seeing the nerve part."

Somewhere behind jayden, Logan had finally gotten up from his seat, walking down slow like his legs weren’t fully convinced they should be moving yet. His guide trailed close behind him, face pale, mouth shut tight for once.

"Julian," Logan said, and his voice came out different this time, not cold, not mocking, something Julian couldn’t quite name yet. "you’re really SSS-Rank."

"yep I mean duh."

"you were engaged to me. and you’re SSS-Rank."

"also yep but no more your fiancée or whatever you call it."

Logan’s jaw tightened, and Julian watched something shift behind his eyes, something that looked a whole lot like regret trying to claw its way up but not quite making it out yet.

’oh this is gonna be really fucking annoying’ Julian thought, watching Logan’s face do that thing.

[Host’s ex-fiance appears to be experiencing complicated emotions]

’no shit’

Jayden’s attention snapped back to Logan the second he heard that word, fiance, eyes narrowing sharp. "wait. this is the one you dumped this morning? in front of the entire academy how tragic?"

Logan didn’t answer right away, and that silence said plenty on its own.

Jayden turned back to Julian, and this time that almost-smile actually made it all the way onto his face, slow and sharp like he just found something worth keeping. "interesting," he said. "very interesting."

"what’s interesting about that," Julian asked, already not liking where this was headed.

"the Empire’s first SSS-Rank Guide," Jayden said, stepping even closer, close enough now that Julian had to actually resist the urge to step back, "just got thrown away by an SSS-Rank Sentinel who clearly didn’t know what he was holding right before him."

Logan’s face went red, and not from embarrassment this time.

"so," Jayden continued, ignoring him completely, eyes locked back onto Julian like he was the only person left in that entire hall, "since he doesn’t want you to be his guide or doesn’t want you anymore."

Julian felt something cold drop right into his stomach.

"I’ll take you instead to my guide. How about that huh."

The whole hall went dead silent again, and somewhere behind him Julian heard the proctor drop his clipboard for the second time that day, and before Julian could even open his mouth to say absolutely not, Jayden leaned down close to his ear and said, quiet, only for him to hear..."say no. I dare you."