Once Kaze settled in a room of his choice and unpacked his stuff, he went back down to help with dinner preparation.
The reason that Rena and Lunaria decided to move right now was because it would be easier on them when they had to prepare food worthy of 10 people. Everyone aside, they had also invited Albert over for the party even though he wouldn't be living with them. All things considered, Kaze knew that renting a house with enough rooms for 9 people must have been expensive and hard to find.
Furthermore, Yuuji forgotten to mention that Mitsui would be staying with them too. Being one of the only 3 boys available within the house, Kaze knew that this was a good chance to get along with Chris and Albert too, even if Albert was his competitor. It was plain obvious by now that Kaze had little to no friends, if not having only female friends as the majority, at this point. Lunaria and Yuuji both showed concern for his current state, prompting Kaze to try to meet more people.
Plus, the bond that the few of them shared from that one incident gave them the boost they needed to strengthen their relationships. While people like Albert and Mitsui were not so familiar with everyone yet, it was a good chance to do so through this party celebration. Best of all, they didn't have to worry about the other students prying around since they were in their separate housing area.
"This place is big huh?" Kaze asked Yuuji, who was giving him a quick tour of the house they were in.
"Yeah. I was surprised when Lunaria so easily agreed to this, because I was sure she would want to see the other few options available," Yuuji agreed with a grin. "It seemed like she knew the type of house we would live in after a quick glance, so I trust her opinion on that."
"Still, this is probably the first time I have lived in a place like this," Kaze looked up at the ceiling to admire the simple yet appealing design. "I wonder what will come of us living together?"
"I'm excited for that too, honestly," Yuuji nodded. "While it isn't like the palace life, it certainly is a fresh change of environment. Father was quite worried when I decided to move in too, but he seemed okay with it for now."
"Hmm, are you sure he won't intervene?"
"I hope not. It will be quite embarrassing, but at the same time, I can see his concern. We have two royalties living in the same place which is not under protection. However, at the same time, one of those royals is a very strong person and only an idiot would attempt to do anything funny."
Chuckling at Yuuji's reply, the two headed back downstairs where the main event would start soon.
"I'm going to shower first," Yuuji gave Kaze a light pat before disappearing back to his room to get a fresh pair of clothing.
Kaze headed on to the kitchen to see if any help was needed. When he entered, he was greeted with the sight of Lunaria dressed in comfy attire and an apron wrapped around her front as she cooked, making it a very different gap moe from her usual self. In school, Lunaria wore the appeal of a dignified princess who was leagues above everyone in terms of her capabilities and talent, making her someone unapproachable on normal terms. But right now, Lunaria looked just like a normal person, revealing her true nature of being a friendly, kind and polite girl.
"Oh, Kaze," Lunaria noticed him standing by the entrance to the kitchen. "Are you looking for something?"
"U-Um, no, I wanted to see if you need help with anything," Kaze mumbled, looking a little bashful by how she looked. "Also, uhh, you look really cute… with your apron and ponytail…"
"Hehe, thank you," Lunaria giggled with a slight blush on her cheeks. "It is easier to cook with my hair tied after all, but usually I would make the braids you can see that hangs behind and locks my hair… Anyway, you want to help? Sure, we could use a few helping hands."
"Where is everyone else?" Kaze asked as he wore an apron passed to him by Lunaria. "I thought Sera and Rena were helping?"
"Yeah. They left to the market to get some extra ingredients needed for cooking," Lunaria sighed. "I didn't know how long it was going to take for them to get back. Shoko had an errand to do and I'm unsure about the rest."
"Do you think Chris and Irene are flirting in their room?" Kaze made a cheeky grin at the thought of the two. "It is certainly going to be interesting to have a couple staying with us."
"I don't know, but if they are we will have to respect that," Lunaria shrugged, skilfully slicing the potatoes into thin slices. "They have their rights as much as we do, but we will have to warn them to be mindful if they get too… disturbing."
"Of course. I'm not saying I disagree, but it was just a question," Kaze agreed with what Lunaria said. "I still can't believe we are living together under the same roof now."
"I really have to thank mother for granting me the permission and helping me with the persuasion of the King and the school," Lunaria muttered, showing a grateful smile. "Without mother, I don't think this will be achievable…"
"I have to thank her too, for helping me pay for my rent," Kaze nodded. "And everyone else, for being willing to accommodate me."
"Hey, it has nothing to do with you alright?" Lunaria placed down her knife and looked at him earnestly. "We all agreed on this together."
The two stared at each other in silent for a little longer, both unsure of what else to say to the other person.
They only knew each other for such a short time, but both had compelling yet complex emotions mixed within them. What Lunaria had done for Kaze and vice versa was not ordinary, but it was not too far-fetched either. Lunaria just treated Kaze like a normal human irrespective of who he was and Kaze did the same to her too, both from different standings becoming friends.
A human and a dragonkin, two separate species so similar in appearance yet so different.
Now that Kaze was able to stare right at Lunaria's face without any other interaction, he found himself concentrating on her facial features. He was aware that Lunaria was someone whose attractiveness was through the roof, but he hadn't pondered so much about what it was that drew people in to her.
Was it her sharp red iris, the colour akin to a drop of fresh blood, that made it as though her gaze was enough to draw one's soul out of them?
Was it her beautiful, long hair, the colour being a mix of grey and white, yet somewhat silver, that made her so captivating every time she walked?
Was it her slender cheekbone that traced all the way up to her rare pointed ears, that was similar to elves, that gave off the aura of someone in command along with a hint of mysterious charm in it?
Was it her sharp gaze, focused on the view ahead as she continuously planned for the future?
Was it her attitude, one that was made clear to everyone since the start of the school term?
Or… was it simply because Kaze felt attracted to her as a member of the opposite gender?
A number of reasons popped into Kaze's head, but none of them felt right. The answer must be something simple, but not too complex at the same time. It wasn't like he liked her as someone whom he would want to date, but he liked her as a close friend. At the same time, Lunaria was emitting the aura of a girl whose presence was so overwhelming in the face of someone in the same or opposite gender, so much so that it made Kaze stagger a little. The surge of wanting to cuddle her tightly due to her cuteness surfaced from his heart, but Kaze pushed it down desperately to hold back the unexpected beast that was forming within him.
Lunaria was someone whom he treasured. The number of people who acted the same way as she did towards him was so few that it was countable with his fingers. Kaze didn't want something as minor as a simple urge to destroy the friendship he had with her, not when they were starting to become closer.
Similarly, Lunaria was unable to escape the grasp of staring right into Kaze's face.
The scene of him jumping out in front of her flashed across her mind once again. Even with his tattered body and exhausted state, he was able to push back against the Tauzenpod. It was something extremely commendable, even heroic. In the face of danger, not many would be able to say that they were able to move before they could think. Allowing the fear of getting hurt or dying overwhelm them first, it was normal for it to be difficult to make sacrifices. How many people would be willing to give up their lives to save another? Did that mean that your life was not as valuable? What exactly determines how valuable one was if they showed the will to sacrifice themselves?
Lunaria's heart rate rose steadily as she focused on him. His back that faced her that day, it was suddenly so big and reliable. The feeling of wanting to hold on to it and entrust herself entirely to that back emerge from within. Lunaria realized that her palms were starting to sweat and her breathing came to a halt. As if trying to distract herself from all the unnecessary thoughts, she focused on his face instead.
Kaze was someone decent-looking. He wasn't close to the top, nor was he at the bottom of the list. When it came to male appearance preference, Lunaria didn't have a specific type. It would be a lie to say that she preferred only the personality because body features played a role in determining how she felt about someone too, it was the same for everyone.
Even though his hair was slightly dishevelled from the lack of self-maintenance knowledge, it gave off a different vibe compared to the rest of the people. It didn't make him stand out, but showed off Kaze's uniqueness. His eyes complemented his hair colour, both of them being black with a very small mix of brown in them. Height aside, Kaze gave off a very normal aura that said: 'there is nothing special about me, you don't need to bother with me'. His presence in class defined this properly, seeing that no one would pick on him particularly just because he was a commoner.
As a dragonkin with a very complicated past, Lunaria understood that she was harsh on herself all the time. Placing higher standards than everyone did on her even as a princess, working harder and pushing herself. Kaze knew that about her from the start, especially when it showed during his tutorial sessions with him.
However, why was it that when she was close to him that she was able to relax?
"L-Lunaria," Kaze widened his eyes when he felt her gently clutching the corner of his sleeve. "We…"
"Don't…" Lunaria stopped him with a silent whisper. "Don't talk…"
Gently leaning forward, a sharp gasp could be heard from Kaze when Lunaria leaned her head onto his chest. His heart rate instantly increased, with him starting to feel nervous about what she was doing now. The monster inside of him was screaming, tearing at his chest and forcing his mind to comply to his instincts as a man.
To make matters worse, Lunaria stepped forward once and embraced him gently. Kaze broke into a bundle of sweat the moment her warmth was transmitted to him. He wasn't sure what Lunaria was doing, nor did he know what he was supposed to do at this moment. Was he supposed to return the hug? What would happen if his feelings were wrongly interpreted? How did he exactly feel about Lunaria right now?
"Lunaria…" Kaze forced himself to utter her name once more.
In response to him, Lunaria shifted her gaze upwards, finally showing her face to him after being blocked by her pressing it against his chest. What that Kaze saw only caused his blood pressure to further rise.
Lunaria's cheeks were now dyed crimson red, a colour that reflected an entirely different emotion than the colour of her eyes. Her usual calm and composed look had melted away, replaced with one that perfectly represented the term of 'feminine'. It was clear that she was both captivated and embarrassed at the same time by her own sudden actions, now evidenced by her tightly clinging to his sleeve. With her uneven breathing causing her chest to rise and fall, the two soft and big moulds that were pressed against him becoming even more transparent to him.
It was then that Kaze couldn't control the inner beast anymore. His sense of reasoning was about to snap if Lunaria continued to show him that look on her face.
He brought his hand upwards, gently cupping one side of her face. Lunaria's body physically shuddered when he did that. Her cheeks felt super warm, as though she had a fever. Kaze allowed his body to determine the next action he should take.
And then…
"We are back~!"
The sudden announcement that came from the front of the house brought the two of them back to reality.
Both of them began to panic as they didn't know how they were supposed to react. In the heat of the moment, they were caught up in their own fantasies that they forgot how to act like normal people.
"K-Kaze, I'm sorry!!" Lunaria squeaked an apology beforehand and did what she must.
As a result, both Rena and Sera came into the kitchen to find a bowl of mashed potatoes somehow slam-dunked onto Kaze's head and his pants pulled down to the ground. Slowly turning to Lunaria, the two found her cooking at light speed, irrelevant of what happened to Kaze. The very confounding view left many questions in their heads, especially why the bowl of mashed potatoes would end up smashed on Kaze. Obviously, something had happened when they were gone and no one was watching that would cause one to question what exactly happened.
"Kaze… did you try to assault Lunaria?" That was the only thing Sera could ask after trying to come to terms based on the evidence shown.
It took a lot of convincing from Kaze to assure them that he didn't try anything funny.
- - - - -
"3… 2… 1!"
""""" Kaze, congratulations on your recovery!!!"""""
The sound of glasses clinking followed the cheers and merry laughter.
A few hours had passed since the 'pantsing' incident. Even though there had not been a solid explanation given to Sera and Rena regarding why Kaze was in that state when they returned, they decided to forget about it since Lunaria was unable to give a verdict either. All Lunaria did was acted normally and smiled like nothing had happened. In the face of a lack of evidence, this case was eventually dismissed by the two.
Right now, everyone had gathered in the dining room and were all ready to begin the party. In front of them laid a huge feast whipped up by the trio, including Kaze after he went to take a shower to clean out the potatoes from his hair. Even though he didn't help much other than to prep the materials and plate the dishes, it was more than enough help that Lunaria and her two friends could need.
"You know, I still don't think I should be here…"
"Come on Albert, we all survived the attack together. I think that deserves a toast."
Albert, sitting awkwardly between Yuuji and Shoko, stared hesitantly at his plate filled with food. He wasn't sure why he was invited when it was clear that this group of friends were already close with each other. Chris tried to persuade him with a light gesture, pushing even more food onto his already-filled plate.
"Kaze, that isn't how you use these cutleries. You have to switch them around."
"O-Oh, my bad."
"Kaze sure isn't used to this huh? Its fine to eat informally with us, but it would be better for you to learn how to use them."
Both Rena and Lunaria tried to teach Kaze the proper etiquette and table manners that was normally used during social gathering and parties. As someone who grew up in a less-established environment, Kaze found this sort of social rules binding and annoying. Why would there need to be such troublesome way of eating when all you had to do was to be polite? Kaze's frustration was easily shown on his face as he struggled to cut his steak, causing some of them to giggle.
"Yuuji, Mitsui, how do you feel about this place? I'm sure that it is less than comfortable compared to where you two used to live, but I thank you for complying with our selfish request," Lunaria smiled apologetically at the two.
"Oh, its fine. You already know my answer, but I don't know about Mitsui," Yuuji politely waved back and turned to his cousin for her response.
"Should I be asking you why Mia is okay with you staying away from her, or should I be answering the question?" Mitsui offered him a smile that did not match her words' intention. "I chose to stay here because it sounded fun and because you invited me, no?"
"Yes, but what is your personal reason?" Yuuji rolled his eyes at her words. "Also, Mia said she would be visiting me from time to time, so it's not like I'm sneaking behind her back, okay?"
"Whatever the case, I like it here," Irene grinned. "The food is good, the rent is cheap, the place is huge. I'm in!"
"Ah, Irene your manners," Chris sighed.
"Sorry. Much like Kaze, I hate the social norms," Irene didn't show a hint of remorse despite her polite words and jabbed into her meatball. "I have to give it to you girls; this stuff is good."
"Thank you. It was honestly Lunaria's recipe but we have been cooking with her for so long now that we sort of knew how to put a few different spins on some of the dishes," Rena accepted the praises from Irene with a humble nod. "You should really try elven and foxkin cuisine."
"I know there are a few restaurants down the road that offer various other cuisines, but none of them are comparable to the real thing," Lunaria agreed with Rena's words. "I know that this isn't relevant, but Aravelean food is good. These dishes are just commonplace food you can find anywhere."
"Lunaria-sama, you are aware that your cooking cannot be compared to restaurants, right?" Chris sighed in pure bliss. "Homecooked food really beats what you get outside."
"Oh? If that is the case, then I am going to prepare lunch for you from now on," Irene's mood shifted a little at Chris' comments. "Be prepared to be my test subject- I mean, my dear candidate for my dishes from now on, alright?"
"G-Geh…" Chris froze at his girlfriend's remarks. "Y-Yuuji, you will help me, right?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm too busy savouring the food," Yuuji feigned ignorance and easily brushed the topic aside. "Besides, I already have Mia."
"I… have Lunaria?" Kaze gulped when he saw Chris staring intensely at him and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Wait, that came out wrong."
"No, you're not. Be prepared to be my test subject from now on," Lunaria shot a bold smile at Kaze and giggled, her other friends all sighing at this.
"Albert, you're up."
"Hey, why me?!"
Just like that, the very innocent Albert became volunteer #2 for Irene's cooking madness.
Once dinner had ended, everyone took a short break to rest up from all the good food they have eaten. With diluted alcohol in the hands of a few and fruit juice for the others, some chatted in the living room while the dishes were being cleaned up. Albert, in particular, quickly broke his awkwardness with the help of alcohol.
"… So, I thrusted my sword at 'im with my strongest attack magic I could conjure up at the time. Can you imagine my surprise at the time when no damage was done to the thing?" Albert asked the group, reliving the moment they fought the giant centipede.
"You don't say. I can't imagine how many times we had to attack it for a crack to even show up on its exoskeleton," Yuuji shook his head in dismay at the memory. "I was really worried that I wasn't making the right decision at the time."
"Neither of us expected the thing to show up in the first place," Rena made a sympathetic smile at their complaints while she used magic to wash the plates. "I am fairly frustrated at how easily defeated we were too."
"At least your arrows pierced it," Shoko pouted. "I didn't even get to do anything other than rescuing Kaze and then running to try to save Lunaria…"
"No, I would say you did a great job," Sera shook her head and comforted her friend. "If you didn't help Kaze and chose to come to us to fight together, I don't think we will come out of it so lucky."
"Yeah, I have been meaning to thank you too Shoko," Kaze nodded and bowed lightly to Shoko. "Thank you. Due to your magic, I was able to help…"
"In the end, it was ultimately Lunaria who defeated it once and then you jumped in," Yuuji leaned forward, deciding to get straight into the topic.
Lunaria and the others, upon hearing Yuuji's words, knew what was up and became a little tensed. Everyone here believed Lunaria's part of the story since they knew she wouldn't fabricate such lies. Combined with how Kaze reacted to them asking, it was clear that this was a topic they could not avoid and needed to be brought up among themselves.
"This was what I meant when I said the school only believed that I defeated it," Lunaria sighed in frustration, using wind magic to dry off the rest of the dishes and returning them to their place in the cabinets. "It was because I chose to comply to them putting the defeat of the centipede by me in the official records that they were willing to allow us to live together, but I'm still dissatisfied. Kaze, you should have gotten more credit other than being 'just a casualty'."
"Now, now, they did promise a revaluation of the examination scores," Sera comforted her friend before turning to Kaze. "So Kaze, what happened?"
"I-I don't know honestly. I'm still a little surprised whenever I tried to recall the scene," Kaze muttered, glancing at Mitsui. "Do you want to tell me your side of the story first?"
"Basically, after meeting Rena, we split up and I happened to find Yuuji after the explosion shock," Mitsui shrugged, briefly retelling it. "We then rushed over to the core of the explosion and the rest happened."
"The same happened on our end. Rena found me, then we found Chris and Irene, then headed over too," Sera nodded at this. "Lunaria flew in herself, right?"
"Yeah… I rescued Bryle from being swallowed," Lunaria nodded before making a face as though she had swallowed a bitter pill. "If I knew that Kaze was injured in the first place because of Bryle, I would have just left him to be eaten 'accidentally'."
"Lunaria, why did you choose to suddenly use partial transformation?" Shoko asked first, trying to ignore the fact she just insulted a noble's house so casually. "You knew the side effects."
"I… panicked," Lunaria looked down and admitted. "It wasn't a proud moment. I stabbed its eye, it crushed me to the floor when I couldn't remove my sword."
"The lack of mana really got to all of us, especially when most of our skills required mana," Albert sighed, shaking his head. "As we said, Lunaria-sama, it wasn't your fault. You did what you had to protect us, and we are utmost grateful for it."
"Yes, Lunaria-sama," Irene nodded. "We are sorry you had to suffer those wounds for us…"
"Irene…" Chris had a pained look on his face as he recalled his own powerlessness against such a monster.
"No… you're right, I protected you," Lunaria shook her head and made a weak smile. "That was most important. How I did it didn't matter."
"It did, especially when you came out so heavily injured by your own attack," Sera sighed and hugged her friend. "Lunaria, please don't use partial transformation again during a battle."
"Yes. We will tell Laevia-sama if you do it again," Rena had a strict look on her face when she said so. "Whatever happens, we won't feel happy if you got hurt because of us."
Kaze and Mitsui, who had both remained silent this whole time, just listened to their friends talking. Both had different thoughts crossing their minds regarding the current topic, but their concerns were similar. Other than being too weak to display their strengths against such a monster, they were also feeling responsible for such a lost. If only they had reported the matter of the situation earlier…
"Kaze, Mitsui, what do you think?" Yuuji asked them. "You two aren't really speaking much."
"W-Well, I was thinking… I should have found either one of you faster," Mitsui stammered, acting unlike her usual cheeky self. "If I did, then maybe we could have coordinated better to fight against the monster. Or maybe we shouldn't have split up after finding Rena…"
"Here we go, returning to the same thing we just talked about," Lunaria sighed. "Mitsui, we don't blame you. What happened, happened. There is nothing we can do to change that."
"F-Fine. And here I thought we were supposed to confess our mistakes so we could learn from one another…" Mitsui pouted and slouched even further into the couch. "But if that is the case, then I have nothing else to say. Hmph."
Temporarily breaking the atmosphere with her antics, the group lightly laughed over this before returning back to Kaze.
"Kaze, was whatever you did related to your skill, luck, or outside interference?" Lunaria asked Kaze in a manner that made it easy for him to explain. "From Shoko and my perspective, your body radiated a bright white in the midst of the red miasma."
"Yeah, you were glowing a lot," Shoko nodded, recounting the event. "It was like you were shrouded in mana itself when there wasn't even any left."
"Well, if you are asking about my skill, then I can start there," Kaze sighed. "What I did to counter the centipede in the beginning was something taught to me by my grandfather. It's called Phantom Rush, a sword skill that involved gathering pure magic to cover my sword before I unleash everything out."
"Pure magic?" Lunaria's eyebrows were raised at his words, everyone else reacting in similar manner. "You know that it is irregular to be able to gather pure magic right?"
"B-By pure magic, do you mean the essence of mana before it is being produced to the types of magic we know?" Chris asked. "Woah… you're crazier than I expected, Kaze."
"No, it's not like that," Kaze made a light chuckle at this. "I can't gather it in my hands. Instead, I focus it onto my sword so it would act as a medium to gather on. I can only hold the 'state' it is in for a short while before it disperses."
"That is natural. Pure magic is so unstable by nature that not even I or anyone I know have attempted to handle it," Lunaria shook her head. "Kaze, what you did is something so rare that you have to be a madman to try it. Gathering it on your sword as a medium… it's not as though the concept itself is unheard of, but normally you can't do that."
"You can if you have bad control over magic perception," Kaze scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I found out about this a few years back when I learnt that I couldn't handle producing magic as well as the others. No matter how I tried, the byproduct would always be weaker. Lunaria, Sera, Rena, Shoko, Yuuji, you all know this. You saw it in Magical Perception class."
"Yes, but I never thought that would relate to being able to handle pure magic," Yuuji placed a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "Kaze, may I ask you to show it to us right now? Pretend the glass you are holding is a sword."
"Ehh, no way, no way," Kaze quickly shook his head and placed the glass down. "If I did that, the glass will shatter the second pure magic is gathered. The only reason the sword is able to withstand it is because it has been reinforced beforehand and I am used to it."
"Ah I see. Then can we request for you to gather it for an instant in mid-air?" Rena asked with a smile. "Sera and I will try to analyse the flow of mana with our eyes."
"I think we all should," Yuuji requested, receiving nods from everyone. "Go on then Kaze."
"Alright… please stay back just in case, I don't know what will happen," Kaze nodded nervously.
With everyone taking precaution, Kaze stood up and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down first. Once he was ready, he stretched out his right hand forward and concentrated. Pretending he was already holding onto a sword but with his hand open, Kaze drew in mana from the surrounding and gathered it at the palm of his hand.
It only happened for a brief second, like Rena had predicted. Due to there being no medium for the pure magic to reside on, a huge flash happened as soon as pure magic began to condense. This caused everyone to jump at the sudden reaction, the pure magic dispersing as soon as it formed. Kaze just shook his head at the expected outcome, knowing this because he tried it before.
"Did any of you catch anything? It happened so fast I was blinded before I could see it…"
"Yeah, same here…"
"Me neither."
"Mm."
"Still, it is amazing enough that you can draw pure magic to yourself instead of channelling it directly."
Lunaria's comment received nods from everyone else. From young, it was natural to assume that everyone learnt how to channel mana before anything. It was the basic of the basic, something that could be acquired from birth as a 'natural instinct'. It was similar to how newborn babies knew how to breathe and cry from the start without needing to be taught.
If they tried to gather mana like Kaze did to make pure magic, it was like asking to drink water from your nose and breathe from your mouth at the same time. It was too restricting and went against the nature of most people, for pure mana was too hard to control. While there were theories that Lunaria might have heard of, this was the first time she had seen someone being able to easily gather pure magic in an instant.
With more questions appearing as the night progressed, the group continued their long and perplexing discussion.