A/N
Sorry for the absence. I've had the biggest writer's block ever. Honestly, I kinda forced this chapter anyways, hoping its quality is good. I'm not sure I've told you guys, but it's like I become illiterate when I have writer's block, aka, my sentence makes no sense to me, and it all just sounds wrong, lol. It's like my reading comprehension goes down the drain, and I'm like, how the hell do I write again?
Anyways, that aside, happy new year! It's the first chapter this year, and oh, was it ever late. Regardless, I hope the next chapter will be easier to write and not take, um… almost 3 weeks?
Yeeeah…
Welp, see you next week…(if not, I'm probably going on a hiatus to recover, so, yeah, just a heads up.)
--
The echoes of blades clashed, and magic dispersed. The Kilenloth Paladins sparred under the watchful gaze of Civalt, who'd just returned from an expedition to cleanse the lands of erosion.
After the spar between Amethely and the trainee, the wanderer succumbed to mana depletion and fell unconscious. It was no wonder, after all. He'd used the equivalent amount of mana used for high-tier spells in a matter of seconds was incredibly impressive considering he'd just come crashing down into this world.
But seeing how warmly the once little girl—now saint put a smile on his face. Never in his life did he think the day would come. The shy yet graceful young lady, who didn't even know what it was like to fall in love was now infatuated with someone she'd just met—all for a simple reason than just attraction.
"Are you certain he treats you as a regular girl, Lady Saint?" Civalt inquired, slightly amused upon hearing her explanation.
"Nn, he does," Amethely replied, looking up at the man, who once was her mentor.
"Surely," Civalt chuckled.
"Nhngh…"
Amethely averted her gaze in slight exasperation as he did. She knew that Alum was a serious person, but she didn't think he'd go all out. He usually treated her kindly and warmly even though he was sometimes a meanie towards her. But regardless of that, he never treated her like a saint until now—which was the moment it struck her.
She tilted her head slightly to the side. "…He did want to flood the barrier but changed his mind. Did he do that because he realized I'd be able to handle it?" she uttered to herself aloud.
"Potentially so," Civalt replied, not realizing Amethely was talking to herself.
"…Y-yeah… perhaps…"
Blushing a little, Amethely looked down on her lap and saw a peaceful sleeping face. While watching the trainee practice, she occasionally glanced at Alum's face, and seeing him so close to her made her all warm and fuzzy—the more time she spent with him, the more at ease she became.
I see, so he does completely understand that I am a saint… yet the way he treated me hasn't changed… e-ehehe~hehe I see. I'm glad…
Her heart was still racing, but it didn't stress her out anymore, and she wasn't worried about whether he liked her or not. Despite it being the first time she'd ever fallen in love with someone, Amethely wasn't so naive to not recognize people's intentions—and she knew most of her suiters didn't even see the awkward girl named Amethely, but a princess of the Ilis family and The Imperial Saint.
In Alum's case, he wasn't even aware of who she was, yet he wasn't trying to hide how he, too, had fallen for her—he also wanted to meet her again. He returned her a hug when she requested a hug, and then, the next time they met, he was the one requesting one—meeting her halfway in earnest.
Then, somehow, she found herself snug in his embrace on his lap. She also knew that his physical reaction was generally something normal for men, but when considering everything, how could it be anything but mutual attraction when he held her that gently?
He treated her to sweets and even cupped her cheeks once—seeming unaware of such implications. It all was so innocent she wondered how someone so hardened could still be that way. Amethely knew from the start what kind of person Alum was when her gaze met his. He was broken yet unified. She felt his melancholy but also his warmth.
Many times in her short life has she met a few people like him—so broken they become unfeeling, losing themselves in pragmatism and nihilism. And yet, beneath it all lies compassion, she asked herself—why does a youth like him possess those qualities?
It was perhaps one of the reasons she fell for him. As a daughter of the Ilis family, Amethely was no stranger to handsome men and pretty women, let alone talented ones. Yet, nobody in the academy stirred her heart, tugging them as he did.
It's a strange feeling… I want to protect him, yet I want him to embrace and pamper me. I've never really understood what it was like to be in love before, but I've always admired the closeness between lovers. Mama and Papa are always so lovely. They love one another, Big Sis and me.
Thinking about it, Amethely unconsciously looked toward the sky. Civalt chuckled a little as he glanced her way.
"That look. Are you perhaps reminiscing, Lady Saint?"
"Nn, I am," she smiled.
…
..
In a warm, cozy bedroom decorated with flora, a little girl was surrounded by her loving family. Her eight-year-old sister hugged her while her eyes were glued to the picture book. Between the two girls were their kind parents, laughing softly as their daughter's eyes sparkled while looking at the last page.
"Nhnghhhnnnnh~!" the little Amethely squealed, kicking her feet. "Mama, Papa, did you also meet like Mister Aron and Miss Lethia did?!" she asked with shiny eyes.
Ethym chuckled a little when he saw how excited his daughter was, asking how he met the love of his life. His eyes shifted a little, meeting Emerine's. She warmly smiled at their daughters and then at him.
"How we met, huh?" he replied.
"Nn!" Amethely nodded eagerly, turning towards her mother as well.
Emerine placed a palm on Amethely's cheek, stroking the soft, mushy cheek with her thumb. At the gesture, Amethely smiled brightly, closed her eyes, and leaned into her mother's touch.
"Ehehe~hehe~ Ame, did you like the story that much, even asking how Mama and Papa met?"
"Ehehe~ Yesh!"
"I see~" she voiced soothingly.
Emerine glanced at her husband and at their first daughter, Chely, who'd fallen asleep. He patted her head as he warmly smiled at her—at the sight, it was as if she fell in love all over again. But as his eyes met hers, she sheepishly returned her attention to Amethely.
"Well, it was when we attended the academy together."
"Academy?" Amethely tilted her head.
"Hmm~ yeah~ Papa and I were in different classes at the time, but hmm~ we once ran into one another during class—he was so focused on the task at hand he didn't realize class was over."
"Hmm? Papa was working? Mama, why was Papa working and ignoring Mama?" Amethely wondered, poking her right cheek.
"Ahaha," Ethym laughed lightheartedly as he joined in on the conversation. "You see, Grandma and Grandpa overseas the academies; thus, Papa needed to have the best grades."
"Nnnn? Ame don't get it."
"Mmhm~! So when Papa was working hard, Mama got captivated by Papa's troubled face."
"???" Amethely tilted her head.
"Ahahaha…" meanwhile, Ethym awkwardly laughed.
"When Papa noticed Mama, he jumped, like, woooaaah! So, Mama thought that Papa was a funny boy!"
"…?"
"Hahaha, but didn't you also apologize profusely for making me jump and drop the core?" Ethym teased. He patted Amethely's head. "Ame should've seen Mama's face—it was like a red like a denden fruit!"
"Really? Mama became a denden fruit?!"
"E-Ethym…!" Emerine blushed and hid half her face under the blanket.
"Mm-hmm! And when Mama made that face, Papa's heart jumped and ached!"
"P-Papa are you o-okay?!"
Amethely fuzzed and pressed her tiny hands against his chest. Seeing that, both parents laughed lightheartedly.
"Mama too, Mama's heart jumped, and swooosh soared! From that moment, Mama knew she had fallen in love with Papa and wanted to know more about Papa. Not the prodigy!" Emerine giggled.
"Same here… I thought that since you were a saint's daughter, I'd be courteous, but at that moment, when I fell in love with you… I realized you were a girl."
"M-Mama? P-Papa?"
"Hmph, so you didn't think I was a girl?" Emerine sulked, puffing her cheeks playfully.
"Rine, you know that's not what I meant," Ethym said, almost unable to contain his laughter as he deflated her puffed cheeks.
"I know…"
Emerine held his hand and gently leaned her cheek in it, flashing him a loving smile. Ethym exaggeratedly clenched his chest at that moment, causing her to chuckle.
"M-Mama, is Papa okay?!"
Seeing their daughter's confused but cute reaction, the two began laughing, but it also awoke Chely. "Nnhg?" she stirred, her eyes half-opened. "Did I miss something?" she asked as she hugged Amethely tighter.
"Oh? Elly? Sorry for waking you up," Ethym said, patting her head.
"It's fine," Chely closed her eyes, letting herself be pampered.
"Aww, Elly, why don't you come over to Mama's side?" Emerine suggested.
"Okaaay~" Chely sleepily answered, rolling the giggling Amethely over her, swapping places. The moment she did, Emerine hugged her and her younger sister. "Mama, let me turn around to hug you," she requested as she let go of Amethely.
"Aww~ okaaay~!"
Emerine released her and spread her arms. The moment she did, Chely dove into her chest.
"Mama's boobies are the best," Chely remarked sleepily.
Flustered, Emerine face reddened, and once she saw her husband, whose face seemed to say, 'She's right.' She giggled inwardly—My~ my~, Ethym, oh you… her thoughts trailed off.
Meanwhile, Amethely nuzzled her way into Ethym's embrace. "Ehehe~ then I'll hug Papa!" she declared, rubbing her head on his chest.
Ethym returned the gesture and hugged her, stroking her hair. "Then Papa will hug you too, Ame!" he declared.
…
…
As the young girl grew up, it was time for her to attend The Academical Imperial Institution. Now, the twelve-year-old Amethely found herself in a large district with an overwhelming amount of students from all over the empire.
Even though her grandparents managed the academy, not many people seemed to recognize her, and she didn't want them to pamper her either—so instead of staying at the dorms, to their dismay, Amethely stayed at the monastery, keeping a low profile while being able to train under her maternal grandmother—Saint Riria Risisil.
At day, Amethely would attend the academy. After class was over, she'd be able to spend some quality time with her grandmother, who was rarely able to leave the capital. Then, one day, she ran into Keilyn at the gates on her way to the Levethren station.
"Hm? Aren't you the girl who's always with Lady Saint?" Keilyn had leaned closer to her and inquired in a hushed tone. "You're a student, too?" she asked, seeing her uniform.
Startled, Amethely looked around, and then she shyly glanced at Keilyn. "Y-yes… I am a student too…" she answered sheepishly, her heart still beating rapidly from nervousness.
"Sweet. My name is Keilyn, just a simple Cleric in training, oh, and a student, as you can see," Keilyn said, grinning as she pointed at her chest, where there was a nine-petal flower crest.
Amethely's eyes followed Keilyn's finger but then looked away, fidgeting slightly as she hung her head.
"Oh… I—umm… My name is Amethely, a-also a Cleric in training…"
I know… Keilyn softly giggled on the inside.
"…"
"Wow, you're awkward," Keilyn stated bluntly.
As she did, Amethely's head shot up. Her complexion was filled with confusion as her eyes shook. But then, her lips formed a pout protest as she looked at Keilyn in retaliation.
"…" Keilyn kept the eye-contact, tilting her head.
"…"
Unexpectedly, or expectedly, Amethely couldn't keep up; her face had reddened significantly from shyness—ugh… am I really that strange…? She wondered. Eventually, she caved and crumbled to the ground, covering her flushed face.
—Pfft
Keilyn scoffed smugly—the victory was hers. Thus, their friendship began.
…
..
While reminiscing, Amethely brushed a few strands off to the side. She smiled warmly at Alum, who began to stir a little, now lying on the side.
"Oh my, what a sight to behold," a playful yet tender voice rang. "You really went for it, huh?" a giggle followed.
Already knowing who it was, Amethely brightly smiled as she turned around. "Kei, hello!" she greeted her innocently, but then, she tilted her head slightly. "Hm? How come you're here?"
Keilyn shrugged. "Well, I heard something interesting when walking the halls—so I came to see for myself," she replied, fixing her skirt and sitting down.
"Oh, I see… E-ehehe~. Y-yeah… as you can see, I… umm…"
"Yeah~ yeah~ I can tell by your overjoyed reaction—you're not exactly subtle about your feelings~," she giggled softly, covering her mouth.
"Nn…? I guess I am…"
At her friend's shy admission, Keilyn's shoulders rose slightly, closing her eyes as she lightly laughed. In response, Amethely chuckled and flashed her a warm smile.
"How was your day?"
"Hmm~ so-so," Keilyn replied casually. "I've been to District 42, and that's pretty much been my day," she added, glancing playfully toward her friend.
Amethely smiled, troubled with a hint of loneliness, which only lasted for a fraction of a second.
"Well," Keilyn calmly voiced. "I'm free for the week. My schedule is somewhat open."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'll be relaxing in the city—this place is too dull at times."
"Pft… Is that so? I feel it to be serene and relaxing here," Amethely giggled elegantly as her head leaned slightly to the side.
Keilyn's sharp eyes peered straight at her. "Which is exactly my point! It's too calm here!" she expressed, clenching her fist.
"Hmm?" Amethely mused. "Why don't you join—"
But before Amethely could finish her sentence, Keilyn cut her off with a blank expression.
"No thanks," she bluntly said. "I'm not a combat Cleric—never was. I'm an Oracle, you know?" she added, crossing her arms.
"I knooow~" Amethely giggled. "But it shouldn't hurt moving around a little, no?" she innocently asked.
The highlights in Keilyn's eyes suddenly vanished. "Hey… are you hinting at something?" she asked wryly.
"N-no, I'm not!"
"Then what?"
"…"
"…"
Amethely averted her eyes. "P-perhaps I did think you were a little lethargic these days…" she confessed.
"Well, at least you didn't think I gained weight," Keilyn shrugged.
"…Huh?" Amethely tilted her head.
"What?"
"You didn't?"
"…"
"…"
As she turned her head to avoid Keilyn's gaze, Alum began to stir in her lap. But when she looked down, his troubled face reflected in her eyes.
"Ngh…"
Alum groaned softly. His breathing became slightly ragged as he clenched his chest—it was all so sudden. Amethely placed her palm on his forehead, trying to alleviate his pain through magic. But she couldn't—her mind began to race uncontrollably.
"Could you move your hand, Ame?" Keilyn calmly voiced.
"Y-yes…"
Keilyn's soothing tone calmed her down as she reluctantly moved her hand. But when Keilyn leaned over and tried to place her palm on Alum's forehead, she felt a strange sense of rejection pushing her palm away. Her brows furrowed momentarily before she pushed through the weak force.
Interesting… I sense a weak curse—no? Isn't it more like the remnant of one? Keilyn glanced curiously towards her friend. It didn't reject Ame but me? Strange, she shouldn't be as resistant to curses as I am…
As Keilyn was checking on Alum's condition, his heartbeats stabilized as his body temperature started to go down to normal. Regardless, she made sure to use [Cleansing Dew] and [Light Renewal] on him in case. After she finished treating him, she noticed Amethely's clenched fists. But seeing that she looked relieved after the treatment, Keilyn smiled and patted her on the shoulder.
"He's fine. It wasn't anything major, just some mana turbulence," she stated bluntly.
"Oh…" Amethely sighed softly. "Do you know the cause?" she inquired, her gaze didn't leave Alum.
"No. If I had to guess, I suppose he might've had a bad dream or something," Keilyn replied casually.
Bad dream? Amethely thought, placing a hand on his warm and smooth cheek. I somehow feel sad—what bad dream must you have had for your mana to go berserk?
As she caressed his face with her thumb, she forced a soft smile. "Thank you, Kei…" She was glad it wasn't anything serious but at the same time…
"…No problem. But don't beat yourself up over it—I mean, you'll recover soon. In the meanwhile, rely on me," she grinned playfully.
"Kei…" Amethely's eyes widened slightly as her cheeks flushed ever so slightly. "I will… I'm glad you're my best friend," she confessed bashfully.
"Best and only!" Keilyn exclaimed.
"…" at her statement, Amethely's head hung low—like a whitening plant lacking sustenance.
Oh… I shouldn't have said that… Keilyn froze, regretting her statement a little.
"Yeah… my best, one and only friend…" Amethely echoed her words.
"—Then, are we not friends?"
Suddenly, a slightly raspy but comforting voice tugged on their ears—Alum spoke. He was sleepy-looking yet flashed a warm smile.
"Or was it my misunderstanding?" he somewhat playfully queried, his finger poking Amethely's cheek softly as she turned beet red.
"F-friends?" Amethely stammered as she was trying to make sense of it all. Her face was already hot and it didn't help that Alum's warm finger was adding onto it. "Nn—we're friends." She finally smiled happily but giggled to herself on the inside.
"Oh? Just friends?" Keilyn teased as she smugly looked Alum in the eyes.
"…" Alum averted his gaze in response, scratching his cheek softly while Amethely oozed steam and was elsewhere. "Well…" He tried to find the word for it, but.
"Best friends?" Keilyn continued to tease.
It was then Alum's inexpressive face scrunched ever so slightly. Troubled, he said, "Not quite… it's… mutual affection?" reluctantly as he gazed at Amethely.
"Oho? Confident are we?"
Keilyn continued to pry, but before she could press on and continue her teasing, Amethely spoke.
"I-it is…" Amethely confirmed, hiding behind her hands.
She's like a walking furnace at this point, Keilyn thought, amused as she almost laughed aloud. Her attention returned to Alum, who also had a bright red face. Seriously? How innocent can they be?
After that, they formally introduced themselves. The atmosphere was almost too sweet for her as Alum and Amethely had essentially confirmed their feelings for each other. And yet, they haven't confirmed their relationship. She pondered.
I'm starting to understand… they're so awkward! They're into one another and yet are too serious to label themselves as lovers! Ahhh! She lamented to herself as she watched Amethely teach Alum about the sword.
"Well… I don't dislike it. Bonus points. He's actually trying to get to know her. Of course, bonus point to you, too, Ame—you may not be naive, but I was a little scared. Then again, you're trying your best to appeal to the guy you like—good for you! And by the looks of it, your status seems to be secondary to him," she giggled as she spoke to herself aloud. "Right, Sir Civalt?" she nudged the gentleman beside her.
"So it seems, Lady Keilyn," he chuckled softly.
"C'mon, you're like my grandpa. Just call me Kei," she sulked.
"I cannot, Lady Keilyn. I am on duty," Civalt replied calmly.
"Tsk… always so orderly. Hmph," she huffed as her gaze returned to the awkward youths in their early twenties.
Thus, the day went by with the buzz of spells and clashing metal.