"Thanks for stepping in, Erik," I said with a nod of gratitude.
Erik smiled, his eyes brightening with camaraderie. "No worries at all. You know I've got your back. Besides, it seems like the dorm master was in a good mood yesterday. Lucky you. Can't say the same for Lars, though."
I nodded knowingly, my face contorting slightly in annoyance. "Yeah, Lars has been on my case since I got back. Always throwing sarcastic remarks. It's getting really annoying. Almost punched him..."
Erik chuckled. "Compared to yesterday? I actually see you doing it."
I couldn't help but smirk in response. "That must have been a real treat."
"He's quite a character," Erik admitted.
"I guess so," I replied.
But our moment of tranquility was interrupted as I heard someone calling my name from a distance. My ears perked up, and I couldn't help but feel a mixture of fatigue and annoyance. There she was, Lady Arya, with her shimmering white hair and boundless enthusiasm. She was a whirlwind of energy, and her enthusiasm was both contagious and overwhelming—to some, to say the least.
"Cl...! Cla...! Clau...! Claude! My vassal!" she called out enthusiastically.
Both Erik and I turned our attention toward the source of the voice. "Ugh, it's the battle maniac," I muttered under my breath.
Arya, the dragon princess with cascading white hair, approached us with unstoppable energy.
"Greetings, Your Highness, Princess of the Dragons, Lady Arya," Erik addressed her with a respectful bow.
Arya didn't seem to care about formalities and beamed at me. "Claude, my trusted vassal, are you ready for another epic quest? Awaits our challenge!"
She wrapped her arm around my shoulder as if we were old friends, not even bothering about personal space or decorum. "My vassal, shall we conquer the 'seats'?"
"Seats? What are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely curious but also a little bewildered.
'Holy fuck! I can literally feel it! Oh, lord—What the fuck are you doing man? Get a grip. This is a demon clinging to you.'
"The rankings, Claude! The pillars of power and control in this academy. I, Arya, daughter of King Bahamut the Third, shall lead the way, and you, as my entrusted vassal, will follow me to victory!"
"Ah, I see," I said, starting to grasp what she meant. 'Another nonsense.'
"I expect nothing but greatness from you!" Arya proclaimed, playfully slapping my back, which felt more like a warning than encouragement.
Before I could fully process what I had gotten myself into, Lily, my savior, appeared on the scene. "Arya, can you stop talking about your conquests for a moment? Don't drag people into your adventures."
"Aww, you're such a downer," Arya pouted.
Lily's timely intervention gave me a brief respite from Arya's overwhelming enthusiasm. As I looked around, I realized we had reached our destination—the main entrance of the "Crow Gate" facility, responsible for transporting us to different dimensions and dungeons, and simply one of many gates that exist here.
Up ahead, I noticed Stephanie's group eagerly awaiting us. Adelle stood out with her hakama clothing and steel plate armor, exuding a sense of dignity. Her hand rested gently on the pommel of her katana.
Once Adelle spotted me, she gave a small smile, seemingly aware of the chaos that usually accompanied Arya's quests.
"All right, everyone, gather around!" Arya called out, summoning us into a circle.
As we all huddled together, Arya couldn't contain her excitement and began explaining the plan in great detail, with occasional interjections from Lily and Stephanie to keep things organized. Adelle, on the other hand, maintained her calm composure, occasionally nodding in agreement or offering valuable insights. As for the rest... No one could really say anything.
"That's not a strategy! There's no such thing as 'Beat everything you see!' you idiot!" Lily exclaimed, her frustration evident in her voice.
"Are you even listening?" Arya retorted, looking a bit offended.
"I-I agree with Lily. It's not exactly an ideal strategy for the rest of us," Stephanie chimed in, trying to mediate.
"Your supposedly 'great' and 'detailed' plan is literally just what I said!" Lily's frustration escalated, her voice now bordering on a scream.
"We scatter, annihilate everything we see. Zoom past everything, use magic, use punches, and kick. Boom! We win! Enemies or foes! Annihilate! Kill them!" Arya mimicked her own words; and at the end, dramatically put her hands on her waist and pumped her chest, emphasizing her abnormally large chest while flaring her nose.
I couldn't help it; the absurdity of Arya's declaration and her gestures were too much—she's like a child. Laughter bubbled up inside me, and I burst out into uncontrollable laughter. "Buahahaha!" I clutched my stomach, feeling the ache from laughing so hard, but I couldn't stop myself.
Lily glared at me, her cheeks flushed with anger. "Claude, this isn't funny! She's being completely reckless!"
Wiping tears of laughter from my eyes, I managed to regain some composure. "I-I'm sorry," I said between giggles, "What are you even expecting? I just recently met her, and I already expected it from the beginning."
Arya seemed to take my laughter as validation, and a smug grin crossed her face. "See, Claude gets it! It's the perfect plan!"
"Perfect plan? More like a recipe for disaster," Lily muttered, still not amused.
Stephanie tried to lighten the mood. "Well, let's at least consider some more strategic options, shall we?"
"March! Forward! Follow me, your liege!" Arya pointed toward the gate.
As we continued to follow Arya, Lily couldn't help but vent her frustration at her. She kept bickering and grumbling, but Arya seemed to completely ignore it all, the complaints passing through one ear and out the other. Lily's irritation was palpable, but it didn't seem to bother Arya in the slightest.
In the midst of the chaotic heat exchange, something unexpected happened—Adelle tossed her katana toward me. I was taken aback and fumbled a bit, trying to catch it with a surprised expression.
"Use it."
"Ah... Oh, yeah..." I stammered, not knowing what to say. We hadn't really spoken since waking up, and the awkwardness between us made it difficult to act normal. Meanwhile, Adelle was the epitome of composure, handling the situation with ease.
"I told you, no need for this," I said, holding the katana in my hands.
I pulled the katana out of its scabbard and examined the blade. It was made of high-quality steel, just like the one Adelle was using, and was said to be durable enough to cut through magic. While I appreciated the gesture, I wasn't a katana user myself. I always found katanas too light and thin for my liking.
"I know that you have your own concerns. Rather than wasting your energy, it would be beneficial for you to carry one," Adelle insisted.
"Don't blame me if this breaks," I replied, half-jokingly.
"I have more spares," she reassured me.
With a deep breath, I focused my quintessence on the blade, coating it carefully. I stopped when I noticed the blade vibrating uncontrollably, on the verge of breaking into pieces. Deciding not to overdo it, I concluded that I'd use it normally and just hope I wouldn't accidentally break it. The sound it produced during the process attracted the attention of the people around me, leaving them completely confused.
"Yeah, this looks okay, Adelle," I said, glancing at her.
Adelle stared at my face with an unreadable expression, making me feel a bit uneasy.
"What's the problem?" I asked, perplexed by her sudden change of demeanor.
"I-I'll see you l-later. Take care," she said, her voice slightly shaky, and she seemed flustered.
I was taken aback. I stood there frozen, completely shocked by the unexpected encounter. Before I could fully process what had just happened, they were already quite far ahead. Without thinking, I quickly gathered myself and started running to catch up with them.
"Wait!" I called out, trying to bridge the gap between us.
Arya sprinted toward the opposite side of the group, while the others turned back to look at me, puzzled by my sudden sprint. Lily, who had been incessantly bickering earlier, seemed equally surprised by my behavior.
"What's going on, Claude?" Lily asked, her earlier frustration momentarily forgotten as she noticed my peculiar behavior.
I slowed down my pace as I approached the group, trying to collect my thoughts. "Ah, nothing..."
They all looked at me with puzzled expressions.
"State your visit!" a guard suddenly shouted, interrupting our conversation as we entered the facility.
"To conquer and show the pride of my kin!" Arya screamed back at the guard, causing him to take a few steps back, clearly taken aback by her boldness. It also almost tore everyone's eardrum—a dragon's roar is truly terrifying.
Lily immediately went into action, swiftly stepping in front of Arya and defusing the tense situation. "Apologies for her enthusiasm. We're here as students on an official mission. No need to worry."
The guard seemed to relax a bit, nodding in acknowledgment. "Carry on then, but keep in line."
We continued walking through the heavily guarded facility, and as we moved, all eyes were on our group. It was no doubt because of the eye-catching women accompanying me. Adelle's calm and imposing presence, Lily's elegance, Stephanie's fiery aura, and Arya's exuberant energy—all of them drew attention wherever they went, and of course, their otherworldly appearance.
[Intriguing. Something's buried in here.] Diana's voice echoed in my mind once more, her words piquing my curiosity even further.
As we went deeper into the facility, the tension and mystery increased. The corridors were decorated with ancient symbols and intricate designs, hinting at its rich history and strange purpose. Mana crackled through the halls. Heavily armed guards patrolled everywhere, adding to the secrecy and importance of the place. Whatever was hidden here, it was well-protected. I wondered what Diana meant about something being buried here. As I explored further, I found curious artifacts and mysterious mechanisms that fascinated me. The relics seemed to tell forgotten stories, and the walls held untold secrets.
Lily looked at me, slowing down to walk beside me. Concern filled her eyes. "Hey, tell me," she said.
"About what?" I asked.
Looking at her, I could tell that her keen elven senses detected my distress. With a scrutinizing look, she pressed further, "Come now, don't try to deceive me. I sense a weight on your heart. Was it from earlier?"
I yawned and mumbled, "Yeah? It's so early... Don't wake me up, I'm so tired. Give me a few minutes... No, a few days..."
As I blinked my eyes open, I was greeted by a familiar pair of eyes. I squinted to get a clearer view and realized it was Lily, the beautiful princess from the kingdom of Askar. Confused, I asked why she was in my bed. "What are you doing in my bed?"
"Eh?" I glanced down and saw Adelle sleeping on my chest. "Oh, I fell asleep in Adelle's room."
Lily sighed in frustration and crouched beside me. "For an entire day."
"I missed the meeting," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose in irritation.
"Stephanie knew the situation, so don't bother."
"Greatly appreciated."
Lily quietly studied my face.
"What?" I asked.
"Must be refreshing," she said, her lips slightly turning up.
"Oh, the sleep? Yeah."
Somehow, her smirk bothered me, but I ignored it and answered her question. "Perfect. Refreshed. Back in shape as if nothing happened. The medicine worked like wonders, as expected of Her Highness. Thanks as always."
"The least I can do to help."
"You did much more." I briefly glanced at Adelle, chuckling to myself, before gently lifting her in my arms. "How did the briefing go?"
No reply came.
"Lily?" I glanced at her nervously.
Her intense stare made me feel like I was facing death itself. I tried to figure out what I might have done, but nothing seemed to connect.
"Lily?" I called out nervously.
Lily continued to gaze at me with her unsettling stare, devoid of any emotion or message.
After a few blinks, she gave me a beautiful smile that contradicted her previous expression. "What?"
"What's wrong?"
"Hm? Nothing," Lily replied, acting innocent.
Then it dawned on me. "Oh!"
I grinned stupidly.
"What?"
"Jealous? Just say so." I winked and blew her a kiss.
—Swooosh!
The room's temperature dropped dramatically as Lily's magic enveloped the space, freezing everything around us. Pillars of ice formed around my feet, dangerously close to my skin—No, to my neck.
'Winter arrived sooner than expected. How lovely,' I thought to myself.
I sighed in exasperation as the ice melted.
"Show that stupid smile of yours again, and we'll see who's stronger now. Let's settle this once and for all," Lily said with fury in her voice.
"Whoa, whoa, relax. You'll wake up Adelle."
As soon as I said that, Adelle snuggled deeper into my chest, murmuring in her sleep. "Mhmm~."
"She must be really tired. She's not usually such a heavy sleeper."
I heard Lily mumble something, and I shook my head wearily.
To appease Lily, I smiled warmly and patted my thigh, suggesting she sit there. "Here, here."
Lily responded with a cold stare and raised her middle finger at me.
"Okay... Let's ease up on the profanity," I said with a grin.
'Sometimes, I forget that she's royalty.'
Lily sat gracefully on a chair, crossing her legs with poise. "Why should I?"
"Alright, princess, I'll stop," I replied, scratching my head.
"No, go on."
"Lily..."
She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a breath, before asking, "So, how's everything?"
I responded with a meaningful smile.
According to certain rumors, Elves possess an extraordinary gift: a unique ability to perceive the innermost emotions of individuals, as if they can hear their hearts speaking. I must admit, I initially had doubts and dismissed this notion as a mere hoax or a whimsical tale crafted to deceive. However, at this moment, I find myself wondering if that ability played a role in her departure yesterday. While I have yet to confirm it, I've always attributed her ability to read me to her intelligence.
What a frightening ability.