"It's good."
She dipped her toe in the water to check the temperature. After confirming it was to her liking she went in.
The bathroom was attached to her room. The bathroom was quite spacious and comfortable.
There was a changing area in the northern part of the bathroom. There were brick walls and polished tiles and on high on the brick wall was a double outlet faucet shaped after the Kingdom's emblem, the double-headed eagle.
Immediately after getting into the bath, she felt refreshed and relaxed. The water splashed and a contented sigh escaped from her mouth.
She had slipped her entire body under the water giving into the warmth.
After a long and satisfying bath, she got out of the bath. Wet silvery locks clung to her bare skin which was as white as virgin snow.
She wrapped a white towel around her body. Under the towel, her white thighs were peeking out.
After drying herself, she made her way to her living room.
Lifting her suitcase, she placed it on her bed.
She opened the suitcase and started rummaging through her dresses. She had to choose a dress to wear for the party.
After taking out and checking the dresses in the mirror, she finally settled on one and wore it.
*
"Hey, aren't you coming to the party, Aesc?"
He turned around to face the owner of the voice.
Clad in a white dress that shimmered in the moonlight, the Supreme Commander of the Valscian Military, Vladlina Olivia. Her blue hair was done up behind her head. While he knew that she wasn't much older than him, she was without a doubt a real beauty.
"No, I'm not coming. And not to mention I don't have anyone under....."
.....under me for me to come to the party as a Captain, is what he was about to say but suddenly remembered that it wasn't the case this time.
Every year, when he was called to the party, he had used that as an excuse. But it wasn't going to fly this time around.
This time he had a disciple. And not to mention she was the top-ranked student in this year's entrance examination. And in the party, it was customary for the Captains to be present along with their disciples.
"Oh my. That's not going to work this year, Aesc!"
She flashed a mischievous grin and started tugging at his sleeves.
"Let's go, let's go."
Heaving a sigh he tagged along with her.
When he reached the hall for the party, many guests had already arrived. A number of tables had been set up and each sported an assortment of alcholoic drinks. Aescwine personally thought that alcohol shouldn't have been allowed, especially when a lot of them present today were just students. But he wasn't going to say it aloud to anyone. At one corner of the hall, a great many cooks were all hard at work preparing extravagant dishes.
The students along with other students were enjoying the food prepared by the first-class chefs. There was grilled, honeyed fawn meat, goose stuffed with leafy greens, a whole leg of mutton sprinkled with spices and condiments, star snapper stew seasoned with salt and fragrant herbs, a mountain of freshly baked buns, and a large selection of fruits and ice-cream for dessert.
There were all sorts of dishes available and the students were enjoying the event.
When people caught sight of Lina, they all rushed towards her.
Manly, few rich aristocratic nobles approached her, with their sons in tow. They all were introducing their sons to her, to establish a relationship with her. Such was the power and fame that she held.
All of the Captains were also there enjoying.
Captain Raidan was busy showing off and bluffing to his to-be disciples. Captain Kiya was chatting happily with her to-be disciples and it seemed that they were opening up to her. Just what would one expect from Captain Kiya, who was considered a figure of benevolence in the Military.
There was quite a huge crowd at the central table. It was because of Princess Evana. She was wearing a black gown, with frilly designs that looked beautiful. That's why boys were swarming around her.
Aescwine looked around and tried to find something for him to drink. He liked tea and drank about two or three cups on a regular basis. But he wasn't going to find tea here at this party, so instead, he settled for a glass of red wine.
Carrying his wine in his hand, he made his way to the window side and settled himself there. That was when he saw everyone fix their gaze at the entrance to the hall.
"Wow."
"She's.....beautiful!"
Everyone, boys and girls alike looked at the person who had just entered in admiration.
The one who had entered was Seaxburh Essex, which meant, Aescwine's to-be disciple.
She was wearing a dress with a sheer outer fabric embroidered together in an elegant fashion, boasting long, extravagant flowing hems. The silver transparent gauze beautifully complimented the lapis-lazuli lining beneath it. The dress's cleavage and long sleeves were dotted with crystalline beads in the pattern of peafowl's tail and sparkled with every step she took.
Seeing her in this beautiful attire made him think something for the first time in his life; she doesn't belong to a battlefield.
She attracted quite a lot of attraction but no one dared to approach her. One of the reasons might be that she was the top-ranked student with otherworldly beauty and the other might be what she had done during today's ceremony. She had chosen Aescwine as her Captain, which made everyone doubt her, whether she was in her right state of mind or not.
She looked around and her eyes landed on Aescwine and the glass he was holding in his hand.
She went to the central table and brought two glasses of red wine with her.
"Here."
She presented one of the glasses to Aescwine and that was when he realized that his glass was empty. He accepted the glass of wine from her hand.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome."
She flashed a smile so beautiful that for a moment Aescwine was taken aback.
She sided along with him and started drinking her glass of wine. Her every movement seemed so refined and no matter what she did she looked elegant and flawless.
"You don't need to stick around with me you know. You should go and enjoy yourself."
Aescwine said that to the silver-haired beauty. The students mostly stuck to their respective Captains during the welcoming program to get to know them better and grow familiar. It wasn't customary or anything. And he thought that she should enjoy herself a bit rather than staying together with him.
"I am fine, Captain Aescwine. I am quite enjoying myself here."
She smiled at him and said.
He said nothing. Silence pervaded. Both of them just sat there sipping their drinks. The wind occasionally carried her scent to him.
"Can I ask you something?"
Aescwine said, breaking the silence.
"What might it be?"
"Why did you choose me?"
She didn't reply immediately.
Aescwine was famous for being a worthless Captain. He had achieved nothing to date as a Captain and even normal people were said to have more magical power than him. So, he couldn't find any reason why someone like her would choose him as her Captain.
She must have some reason why she had chosen him despite knowing him. Did she know, what others didn't, about him?
He didn't think she knows, but he couldn't rule out that possibility.
"Captain Aescwine, everyone has their reasons for whom they choose as their Captain. Some choose them for fame, power, and authority. Some people choose according to the similarity in their magical field with their Captains. For example, the second-ranked student, chose Princess Evana because she was also a water mage like her."
She continued in her bell-like voice.
Aescwine knew about them very well. But none of the things she had said till now matched with why she would choose him. Being with him, would not ensure her fane and since he was called 'magicless', she definitely didn't choose him because of the compatibility between their magic. So, why did she choose him?
"As for me, I have my own reasons."
What reasons?
He was about to ask that but stopped when he sensed someone approaching him.
Captain Raidan, the blonde-haired aristocrat was approaching him with a glass in his hands and quite a few girls following behind him.
"Good day to you, Ms. Seaxburh."
He greeted the girl, not even sparing a glance to Aescwine but he wasn't affected in the slightest. He just continued to sip his drink.
He scowled. That confirmed that Captain Raidan had done that deliberately, but his plan backfired.
"It's an honor for Captain Raidan to come to greet me himself."
Seaxburh replied.
"Ms. Seaxburh. I don't know why you have chosen someone like 'him' as your Captain. I think you have been a bit careless while judging people of high caliber. But don't worry. I am sure that you'll come to realize that you had done a mistake by choosing him. And if, at that time you want, you can join me anytime. I would welcome you with open arms."
Saying that he spread his arms as if welcoming her.
She was about to say something but a curt and commanding voice beat her to the punch.
"Captain Raidan!"
When he heard the voice, he immediately went upright.
"Supreme Commander Vladlina Olivia!"
He immediately bowed towards the person who had just called his name.
"What do you think you are doing, Captain Raidan?"
She asked him approaching him.
"W-What might be you talking about, Supreme Commander?"
He stammered.
"Every student here has the right to choose their Captains freely and however they want. I think it goes against the principle of student autonomy when someone tries to get the students of other teams offering sweet talk like these, doesn't it, Captain Raidan?"
"I-I was just offering a helping hand. I was just talking about the hypothetical situation where if Ms. Seaxburh, ever wanted to leave Captain Aescwine's captainship and wanted to join some other squad, I would be willing to let her join mine. And that is for Ms. Seaxburh to decide and I don't think I'm trying to coax her or something."
"Yeah. I know well that it's something for Ms. Seaxburh to decide. But I hope you would refrain from doing such a thing again, Captain Raidan."
"Y-yes."
"King Charles XXI has made his arrival!"
Just then a loud voice rang, signaling the arrival of the King.
Everyone fixed their attention to the center and awaited the king's arrival.
They didn't wait for long as the King slowly made his way.
Taking small and dignified steps he made his way to the center and turned around to face the students and the other guests.
All of them immediately bowed towards him, and Aescwine was no exception.
"Raise your heads."
Following that, everyone raised their heads and looked at the King.
He was wearing a long royal overcoat adorned with golden embroidering. A crown sat atop his head, made up of nothing but pure gold and there was also the two-headed eagle engraved at the middle with a pair of sparkling diamonds. He had whitening reddish-brown hair and amethyst eyes. His authoritative tone rolled like thunder, deep and grave, lending credence to his title as the King.
"To all who are present here, I hope you are all enjoying. To the students who have made it to this academy through countless hard examinations, I congratulate you all. And I also wish for your future as a talented and powerful military officer of the Kingdom of Valscia."
"With that, let's us enjoy today to the fullest!"
Just as the King said that everyone raised the glasses that they had been holding and "Cheers!"
Cheers resounded all over the hall.
The King stepped down and soon he started having a conversation with the Supreme Commander, the Captains, and other prominent figures who were present there.
On the other hand, Aescwine finished his drink and made his way out of the hall leaving Seaxburh.
But before leaving he felt like Seaxburh was staring at him.