Chapter 68: Sugarcoated
Amphere Harrison
"I-I was just joking!" Exceria immediately added. "T-There's no way that I'll be that old! Ahahahaha."
Exceria stick out her tongue and knocked her forehead as if she's just a clutz. Airi and I made an eye contact as if we have the same idea in our minds. Exceria got her tongue slipped. Considering that H.G. is a thousand year old granny who can advertise cosmetics, it is possible for Exceria to have the same age. She's dubbed as the strongest dragonoid after all.
After the date, we went back to the academy to check our compatibility rate once again. The results are so astonishing that almost make me wonder my existence. From zero to ninety-four percent compatibility rate! I tried synchronizing my heartbeats to the beautiful woman. I touched my chest, and she touched hers. Surprisingly, both of our chest glowed with blue light. So the date really worked!
"I-It's getting dark already…" Airi groaned as she stared angrily at Exceria. "You need to go home now. Also, don't expect another date from my Amphy! TOTALLY!!!"
"Y-Yes…" Exceria backed down, being scared by the scarlet woman.
"I'll escort you." I said. Upon looking at me, Exceria blushed.
"NO! TOTALLY!!!" Airi got some smoke out from her brain! "Any more time spend together will result you two to raise compatibility rates! I just let it slide for now just because it's 94%. A raise of one percent will mean that this woman has feelings for you! That is why I prohibit you two from meeting each other without my permission! Totally!"
"T-That's totally unnecessary." I tried to calm Airi down. "We don't have that kind of relationship, right?" I turned to Exceria, which she immediately agreed with a nod.
Airi puffed her cheeks and turned her look away from me as she cross her arms. "Anyway, just use Vesryn Pulse on me so that I can fly Exceria back to the cathedral."
I did what she asked me to do. Exceria sat on Airi's Chimeratech Dragon form's head comfortably as they took flight. Since Airi is the fastest flyer in the Dragon Knight's Academy, It wouldn't take that long for her to escort Exceria. It would take thirty minutes tops, back and forth.
I went back to my dormitory room and stared at the compatibility rate results. I forgot to test out the Vesryn Pulse on Exceria. I even forgot to ask what type of dragon she is. I'm sure she will be beautiful and cool in that form, maybe even cooler than Airi. What a waste of opportunity.
Suddenly, there was three knocks on my door. I was about to open it but then the wooden door blasted off! The culprit? It's Rudolf. No, he's not in the wheelchair anymore. He's now standing thanks to the mechanical legs. His right arm is now cybernetically enhanced, so he must've lost control of it and savaged on my door instead.
"I'm sorry; I'm still trying to learn how to knock." Rudolf scratched his head while giving an oblivious smile.
"Pay for that door later." I said coldly. I was about to ask his purpose here but he was with two odd people.
One is a red-haired man wearing a white Dragon Knight Academy Uniform. No matter how I look at him, he's still an arrogant plebeian. He's my next and final opponent in the finals. Cleru Neos. The other person has a golden blonde hair on a pretty face. She's wearing a golden tiara that affirms her majesty. It was the Princess Serenity Elkyria herself.
"Sir Amphere Harrison…" the princess tightened her gaze at me. "I need a word with you."
I let Cleru and the Princess inside my room while Rudolf the honorable Pentagram Knight, stood beside the door on guard duty. I was about to prepare them some tea but the Princess insisted. "We won't take long." She said.
There was an awkward three second silence from the three of us until we get started. The princess opened her mouth. "I know that I'm repetitive. But I will say it again. Please lose the tournament."
I switched my look at Cleru, who is lowering his gaze as he clenches his fist. I'm no psychic, but I sense some intimacy between these two. There are a lot of gossips about the Princess favoring this plebeian to be her personal Royal Knight. Also, everytime Cleru gets hurt; the Princess would stand in awe and scream his name. And then Cleru gets up, and wins the fight. Like those clichés on movies. The two certainly have a backstory that got them so close to each other.
"I have seen a glimpse of everything." I said. Then I genuflected. "Fine. I'll take your command, my princess. But I do require one condition."
There was a slight smile on the Princess's face. "What condition would that be?"
"I need the Dragonoid Rights Bill to be passed." I went straightforward. "Take it, or leave it."
"B-But that-!!!" Cleru intervened on our discussion, but he was immediately cut by the princess.
"Fine." The Princess made a bright smile that revealed the full extent of her beauty.
"B-But Seris-!!!" Cleru protested, but the princess cut him again.
"This is the only way, Cleru. We'll deal with the other threats later."
Cleru slowly stood up and walked until he's a meter in front of me. He glared at me with a blazing fiery eyes and released these words from his mouth.
"I completely don't trust you, 'Hero of Twilight City'. I've heard rumors that you betrayed your mentor Estoff Wraith, and killed him in your own hands. You killed someone dear to you just for the sake of glory and fake honor. You have a blood of a traitor. I'm pretty sure that you just joined the Dragon Knights Tournament to bring brilliance to your own name. You're just a normal noble, with a mentality of a noble. You really think that we'll fall for your trap? The Dragonoid Rights Bill is just an excuse for you to let my guard down. You'll betray the princess, and fight for real in our battle. I'm just gonna let you know that I will destroy your hideous ways to simulated uprightness."
You don't know what I've been through, street boy! I wanted to say that, at least. But I'll let him talk his heart for now. Even though Cleru grabbed my collar and he bumped foreheads with me. Man, he stinks! This idiot is clearly picking a brawl with me.
The princess shouted Cleru's name, trying to extinguish the tension between us. But there's nothing she could do. Cletru here is being so hotheaded and hardheaded that his ears are completely disabled.
"I will defeat you, Amphere Harrison." He said, as he pushed me back and let me go. "Let's go, your highness."
The princess bowed, apologizing for what that idiot have done to me and then left my quarters. Rudolf purposely left behind the door. He was checking some wires in his robot arms as he tried to tease me.
"Looks like the negotiation failed, Sugarcoated Hero."
"Don't talk as if you didn't sell out your own general." I sighed.
Rudolf gave an obnoxious laugh and made another cheeky reply.
"What will be your next move now, traitor?"
"There's something those two won't tell me. That is why I'm going to be the Princess's Knight, and have that arrogant peasant beg on his knees for me to resign my position."