Asher had backed down the mountain. The sky turned dark before he could return to the city gates. "Wandering around would only get me lost." He looked through the map on his license. "There should be a river not too far from here. I think I can camp out for tonight."
Asher found the creak without much trouble. He started a fire just out of an eyeshot of the river. He summoned the smallest boar he had hunted. "I thought these things would have put up more of a fight, but it only took two or three shots to take them down."
Asher remembers the difficulty that William's group had. Maybe there is a difference in power between males and females. Asher began to deconstruct the boar meat. Clean cutting on the hide, carving the meat into slabs. "Who would have thought my time as a meat packer would have been useful? The anatomy was almost identical to a normal boar except for the monster core."
The core was a sphere that gave off a faint goldish-orange. Asher used some of the meat to make pork skewer. The smell made his mouth water. This would be amazing with some mead or beer. Asher munch down on the meat. "Monster meat is much more tender than normal meat, and I wonder if the presence of mana affects it."
Asher munched down on the delicious skewers till his stomach was extended. "I need to carry some spices, and that would have made it so much better." Asher left his campsite and went to the river to clean himself off.
The river had an immense waterfall pouring into a crystal-clear lake. Asher tossed his clothes into his inventory before climbing into the lake to bathe. The water was cool on his skin, and he floated on his back lazily. Asher stared at the night sky with its three moons. "10 years. Has it been that long?"
He looked up at the three moons hanging in the sky. The sky looks so similar to the sky. It looked at before falling to his death. If it were for multiple moons, it would have been identical. "How did that nursery rhyme go again? Lady Red scares the creatures from your bed. Lady blue make your dream in pretty hue. And Lady White comforts the children who would not wake up tonight."
Asher thought it over before sighing. "This world is very morbid. Why would you make a nursery rhyme about kids dying?" Asher swam to shore, put back on his pants, and sat on a large rock.
Asher stared at the stars quietly but was startled when a voice spoke. "It's you." Asher jumped to his feet and found the voice belonged to a familiar blonde boy. Asher could not place where he had seen this boy, so he used his scan.
[Scan complete]
Name: Mirrlock Ambrose
Species: Human
Title: Forth Prince of the Holy Kingdom of Ainzel
Age: 11
HP:300/300
STR: 35
VIT:64
AGI:43
PER:19
PWR: 90
Asher cursed as he jumped down and ran at full speed away from the boy, and the boy gave chase. "Wait." A gold light enveloped Mirr as he launched toward the fairy boy covering several meters in a second. Mirr mistook Asher for a fairy since the last time they met.
And seeing Asher again sparkling in the moonlight cemented the idea that he was a fairy. Asher evaded Mirr's grasp and turned to punch the guy. Mirr dodged the fist, laughing. "You're not getting me again with that mov...." His words were cut off by Asher's knee being planted into his face.
Using this opportunity, Asher summoned his wind strider boots and darted into the forest's darkness. When he arrived back at his campsite, he was out of breath, and he had run an extra 6 miles around the mountain to lose Mirr before returning to camp.
Now that Asher had a chance to breathe, He realized what he had done. "I kneed the prince in the face... What is with me and hitting royals? Am I trying to become an enemy of the state?" Asher thought long and hard. "What is he doing in these mountains, to begin with? It is very far from the capital, and it looks like he was wearing some magic gear, but nothing a royal would wear."
Asher clasped to the ground. "Thinking makes my brain hurt." Asher jumped when an out-of-breath Mirr appeared just within the vision of the flame. "God damn it." Asher jumped up, ready to make another run for it.
"No... doonn'tt.... Runn...." Mirr was breathing heavily and having difficulty forming words. He looked like his leg would give out any minute.
Asher had to admit that he didn't want to run either. He didn't look like Mirr because of the Wind-Stider boots, and had already used up the mana in them. It would take some time for them to recharge.
Asher took a pouch of water from his inventory and threw it to Mirr. "Fine, you caught me. Here drink before you pass out." Mirr took the pouch and drank it down greedily.
After a moment to catch his breath, Mirr stated blatantly, "Does this mean I finally get a kiss?"
Asher was dumbfounded. "I am sorry. But you're going to have to explain what you mean." He was expecting to be arrested, or he would try to execute him. But this prince wanted a kiss from him. He maintained his composure, but that didn't stop his face from going red.
"You're a fairy, right? If you can catch one, they give them a kiss that gives the person the fairy's blessing. And you're a fairy, so now you have to kiss me and give me your blessing." Mirr said with a broad smile that said he believed every word he was saying.
"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Asher facepalmed himself. 'Leave it to me that I thought that was a confession,' Asher thought.
"Why?" Mirr looked at Asher with an innocent look.
"Because fairies are a myth," Asher stated bluntly.
Mirr looked like a child that realized Santa was just his parents. "So I chased you all over this mountain for nothing."
"Unfortunately, yes." Asher looked at this boy. He was a year older than him but far more innocent. Asher could not help by giggling at him under his breath. Asher wondered if this was how he was supposed to act.
"Hey, it is not that funny." Mirr looked embarrassed, causing Asher to burst into laughter.
"It is a little you chased me all over for a kiss, just a normal kiss." Asher wiped a tear from his eyes. "You must like me, stalker."
Mirr punches Asher's arm playfully. "Okay, Okay, I get it." He rolled his eyes. "Then that means you must be Asher Richt, right? I thought you had mana sickness, but you looked just fine."
Asher froze for a second. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, I heard that Asher Richt was a redhead and wasn't at the awakening celebration. So a redhead running around the manor at that time could be no one else. Also, the redhead I saw had to be familiar with the manor's layout. But then, why are you out here?" Mirr spoke as Asher looked on in disbelief. 'How is the guy who believes in fairy the one to figure it all out.'
"And the look on your face tells me I am right." Mirr gave Asher a smug look, and Asher covered his mouth and cursed under his breath.
"Damn it."
"So what is the phantom son of a duke doing in the mountains? And why don't you have mana sickness?" Mirr asked bluntly.
"Well, that is a long story, and if I told you, it would cause trouble for my family." Asher relented. Mirr had already figured everything out, and denying it would not help.
"More than punching a prince of the kingdom." Mirr retorted.
"Hey, I only punched you once and kneed you the second time." After thinking it over, Asher explained everything, leaving out that he was from another world. He explained how he was a hexamage, and his family was embarrassed, so they made up the lie about him having mana sickness.
"Wow. That is a lot to deal with." Mirr scratched his head.
"That is putting it lightly." Asher shook his head. "What about you? Why are you in the Richt dukedom?"
"I am heading to the Brenzinan Campaign. My father believes it will be good for me to serve as the duke's squire." Mirr explained.
"So you going to be serving under my father. Why didn't you stay at the manor? I sure someone would have prepared a room for you." Asher questioned. A prince would not be allowed to stay just anywhere.
"We came through the teleport gate and headed straight for the mountains. This isn't the trip where you can relax even for a second." Mirr looked like he was exhausted. "What about you? You did not explain why you are in the mountains."
"Mercenary work. I had to clear out some drilled-horn boars. I know. I know, and it's not work for a noble to do." Asher explained.
"I think it is awesome that you can work as a mercenary. Most nobles I know are scared to get dirt under their fingernails rather than work as mercenaries." Mirr complimented Asher causing Asher to smile."How does nobody recognize you?"
"No one looks for something they are not searching for, and no one notices because no one expects a noble to be a random mercenary. So I just told everyone that my name is Veras Loki." Asher explained. "It's called observer's bais. No one questions it because no one would have a reason to doubt it. Doesn't hurt that no one except the manor staff has seen my face."
"Guess that makes sense. I guess. Though it is cool, you are living this double life." Mirr laughed.
Voices came out of the forest. "Mirrlock, Mirrlock." The voice was searching through the woods. A man dressed in armor appeared from the darkness. "Prince Mirrlock." Relief waved over the man's face before he took a defensive stance upon seeing Asher sitting beside him.
"Easy." Mirr steps in between the man and Asher. "This is a local mercenary, Veras Loki, and he is not a threat." Mirr looked back at Asher and gave him a wink.
Asher stood up and bowed at the man. "Pleasure to meet you."
The man completely ignored Asher and turned to Mirr. "Sir, you must return to the camp."
"Okay, I will come, but only if my new friend can accompany us, and he will not cause trouble," Mirr explained.
The man looked at Asher while Asher gave the cocky man a dirty look. "Is that truly necessary?"
"Yes, I said it was." Mirr puffed out his chest like he was the most important person.
The man opened his mouth to argue but decided against it. Instead, he turned around and led the way back. "I will say one thing being a prince has his advantage." Mirr grinned from ear to ear. "Come on; we got drinks and meat."
Asher thought Mirr would be nothing but a self-entitled brat. However, he couldn't help but feel at ease around him. He was very loud and energetic. While he was at the prince's camp, he never once used Asher's real name. Instead, he called him by his mercenary name.
Several of the guards gave Asher a side-eye. They did not trust him as far as they could throw him, but they accepted him because Mirrlock requested it. They even gave him a tent near Mirr's after he demanded it. The two of them talked for hours.
Asher had to admit it was one of the only times he came close to trusting someone. It was a nice feeling, but Asher was unsure he could fully trust him. Any noble is still a two-faced lair by birth. Asher enjoyed the feeling of closeness, but in the back of his mind, he reminded himself that he could not trust him. Or anyone.