"What were you thinking taking off your coat like that?!" Charles storms inside the apartment. "Now everyone will start questioning the reason you, the prince of Mystal, the heir of the throne, is hanging around two commoners in the midst of a crisis".
"I acted on instinct. Night walker doesn't want for her return to be revealed yet. So if that waiter were to see her face" Levianth defends his actions but is cut off by Charles' angry voice.
"You protected the girl that left you behind. The girl that refuses to share any information about the whereabouts of the white crystals. The girl who has been illegally using crystal manipulation" he yells pointing his index finger at the mentioned.
"Don't point your finger at her like that!" Levianth swats his hand away, "and she's a woman not a girl. I don't hold it against her that she left me behind".
"Enough with your blindness!" Charles shakes the prince by grabbing on his vest. "When will you see what she's become? She's not the same as before!"
Night walker watches silently as the two bicker and argue. The prince shakes Charles off of him looking him dead in the eye. Upon seeing his expression, both Charles and night walker feel as if time has stopped flowing. Levianth opens his mouth, "Regardless of what you think she's become, I see her with little difference than before. She still possesses a kind heart behind all the walls she's built to shield herself from vicious people that exist in this world. As I said earlier, I can't hold it against her that she left me behind" he says angrily but calms down as he progresses. "Why do you think she ran away in the first place? Isn't that what you should be investigating? Or did you forget the reason I hired you?" he looks Charles dead in the eyes. The latter is taken aback by the prince's outburst. He bows and apologizes.
"You owe her an apology as well," the prince politely gestures towards Night walker.
"No he doesn't," are the words that stop Charles in his tracks. "Why would he apologizes for speaking his mind? I mean it's not like everything he said is true. At the same time, it's not wrong either" she scratches her neck and lets out a shaky sigh. "I guess I owe you two an explanation. But first can I change? That idiot waiter dropped the platter and spilled tea on me" she takes off the prince's coat and hangs it on the coat hanger.
"Sure," Charles answers a bit weirded out by her willingness to share information. However, the prince sees it differently, "she's just trying to gain enough trust from you".
"Only me?" Charles removes his coat as well.
"Yes. She will never trust me again. That's certain" Levianth says sadly.
"Okay lover boy. Why don't you sit your pathetic sorry ass down and I pour us some liquor?"
The prince chuckles feeling less tense. "Nothing beats a good drink with a good friend" he says as the two men clink their glasses. They down their drink in one huge gulp.
"Don't get too drunk," Night walker walks in wearing a long nightgown and a scarf covering her neck and shoulders keeping her warm.
Levianth claps Charles' shoulder "The lady's right," and turns in his seat to face Night walker. The young investigator follows his friend's example.
"Alright now that I have your attention gentlemen. Let the story of how I was taught crystal manipulation begin!" Night walker fakes her excitement.
"Taught?" both ask simultaneously.
"Yes, taught. Now shush. I don't want to be interrupted or else I won't continue the story"
"You have our word"
"Now that it's settled" she takes a deep breath and makes herself more comfortable in her seat, "my master's name was Rose Vermillion. She was a hundred and three years old when we first met. And I was away from Mystal for only two months. You'd expect someone in that age to be bedridden or suffering from physical and health difficulties but she wasn't. Whenever I asked her about it, Master Rose would always tell me "My Mystal blood is too strong for mishaps like that" as she raises her fist in the air proudly. She offered me a home under the condition that I help her with the fields she and her late husband took care of. I agreed. At first it was tiresome and tedious, an eight year old body isn't that strong. Eventually, I got used to it. When the harvest season came and we sold a lot of goods, instead of payment, Master Rose told me that she'll teach me crystal manipulation. I was hesitant because not everyone's allowed to use this power randomly. To ease my unsureness, she showed me a certificate that said 'Rose Vermillion Graduate of the Xeris Academy'. Which, I presume you know, is popular for its highly skilled and talented healers. Her methods of teaching were weird, to say the least. Remembering what she would make me do daily for three months on end still scares the lights out of me. After these three months, she took me on a trip to the Western Helix gate. She made me sit and talk with some trainees there but I hated socializing so I would get into fights with elite soldiers in training and get out of the uncomfortable situation. Master Rose scolded me and told me that she wants me to make some friends for when the time comes, they would have my back. And who better than soon-to-be elite soldiers. I told her I don't want friends even if she thinks I need them. She laughed at my statement and patted me on the head telling me "I'll never make you uncomfortable again young one". We spent three days hanging around and watching how the best soldiers in Mystal are trained then Master Rose introduced me to a Lieutenant whom I forgot his name. But I remember that he was kind to me and offered to teach me swordsmanship. Of course I jumped at his offer, I always wanted to learn how to fight with a sword however Master Rose refused claiming it would be dangerous and unnecessary since she was teaching me crystal manipulation. It was hard to convince her otherwise since she was a stubborn old woman. But neither the Lieutenant nor I gave up. The next day, an idea came to me and I proposed it to both my master and the nice Lieutenant, "why doesn't the Lieutenant teach me swordsmanship and if I get hurt, Master Rose, I would have your teachings to heal myself or if I find myself up against a stronger opponent, I would use the things you taught me to enhance my skills and sword". Both were surprised and believed it to be a great idea. So I started learning how to handle a sword in parallel to taking my crystal manipulation to the next level. In three weeks, my swordsmanship skills were as sharp as the Lieutenant's. After celebrating this achievement, Master Rose decided it was time to get back home. So we departed. I remember the lieutenant crying a waterfall when we left saying that I was his best student. Master Rose continued guiding me for four years. By the time I was thirteen, she gave me a pendant and said "If anyone doubts your skills and power and decides to arrest you or harm you for being an unauthorized mage, show them this. It ought to shut them up"" Night walker finishes by summoning the pendant mentioned in her story.
"That pendant is something special. Do you know that?" Charles points out
"Yeah, it's the symbol of the great guardian of Mystal. She was a badass at that time. She told me all about her adventures!" night walker claims with honest excitement.
"What happened after that?" Levianth asks curiously.