He has been here for three weeks, and this week is his last week here in the Forest of Miracles.
By living here, he got to know many new people, learning about their cultures and more.
A calm place that he would say everyone would like to visit or even live in.
"This will be your last training with me."
He looked up from the ground to look at Chief Tereni, who was sitting on a small tree branch. His breathing was still uneven from the frantic training just a moment ago. From two giant dryads to five. There are also small golems created by Terenis' sand affinity.
"What? Why?"
He thought she would be his teacher for three weeks, and this would be the last week.
"You don't have anything to learn any more from me."
He blinked.
"Is... that so?"
"Yes, haaa, you are a fast learner, you know, even though you needed a lot of time to do your first task before."
When the hard task has already passed, the next task she gives him is much easier to complete. She had taught him how to use aura as a weapon. Manipulate his affinities to attack the giant dryads rather than just dodging their attack.
Michaelis managed to control the wind and water efficiently. Now, he has even managed to create and control a large amount of it. She also told him about his ice affinity. He will need to practice more because he just managed to create small chips of ice and freeze small objects.
His water will become colder and colder every time he uses it until it eventually turns into ice itself. At that time, his water affinity completely turned into an ice affinity. He could no longer use water affinity, except if he found a way to melt the ice, which had never been done before.
Something like that could be practised on his own. Tereni had told Michaelis everything she knew, so everything would not be a problem anymore as long as Michaelis did not overuse his ice affinity too much.
But what concerns her the most is Michaelis' refusal to learn anything about fire affinity. She had asked many times, but Michaelis always found a way to change the topic. She always throws a tantrum about it, but Michaelis will just slide away by telling her a lie.
If Michaelis really won't use any fire affinity, that is fine. What makes her worried is that fire affinity is a violent type of aura. It was much harder to control than water. Because if he suddenly set something on fire when using his fire affinity, he would need to learn how to put it down too. If not, he would create a mess.
Gurina had already mentioned it in her report every week to the emperor for the emperor to take a reasonable step in looking out for Michaelis if ever he ran out of control when using fire affinity.
"Yep, you'll be practising with someone else tomorrow!"
"Practice with someone else? I thought you would be the only one who taught me aura."
"No, no, no. This time, not aura. You'll be practising something else with the other chiefs."
The other chiefs? That's Chief Yosen and Chief Gurina? What would they teach him if not aura? Sir Raihan had forbade him from practising any magic or sword. His hand has been itching to swing a sword and create some magic.
"So, go meet them in the backyard tomorrow."
"In the morning?"
"Yes, just like our schedule. So, let's go now. I am hungry already."
×××××
"Can we talk?"
Maya looked back to see someone she didn't expect to see at this time. This white-haired younger boy always went back to his room after dinner.
"Of course, please have a seat."
Michaelis took a seat next to Maya on the long wooden chair.
"Would you like to have a cup of tea?"
Maya offered to him, but he shook his head.
"No, thank you. I can't drink tea."
Maya looked at him, confused.
"Tea makes me sleepy."
Maya gave an 'oh'.
"Then, how about hot chocolate?"
He wanted to refuse, but Maya seemed determined to serve him something to drink.
"Yes, please."
"Please wait a moment."
They are outside a pantry below the chief's office. A table was put outside this pantry for whoever wanted to sit. Maya stood up to make a cup of hot chocolate. After a few minutes, she was already done, and she put the steaming hot chocolate in front of him with a smile.
"Please make yourself comfortable around me, Your Highness."
He held the cup with both hands.
"Thank you."
Maya sat back down.
"You're welcome."
They were silent for a moment. Enjoying the silence and the night sky with an almost full moon. The crickets are the sounds that accompany them.
"I want to apologize."
Maya looked at him, confused.
"There is nothing for you to apologize for, Your Highness."
He frowned.
"I have, and I am doing it now after I delayed and ignored everything like it was nothing."
After the last talk about friends, their relationship is normal. But he could feel the way Maya treated him was becoming more respectful than before. She is more aware of everything she said to him. She is also not making any slight jokes or remarks about him anymore.
It pisses him off.
It was awkward for him if he wanted to just ask her what friends always do, what the meaning of a friend is, and more. He has never encountered this kind of dilemma in his life, and he hates it so much that this is something he can't control because he lacks knowledge about it.
Is he an idiot who doesn't understand a simple term like a friend? Is he that pathetic to even question what a friend is?
What surprised him was that someone noticed his unnoticeable dilemma: Windy. Yep, she is. She has kept pestering him since their first meeting. Hugging him out of nowhere and sometimes kissing his cheeks.
He lowered his ego. He asked her. He talked to her. And he got his answer. Windy has helped him understand friendship better, and he is grateful for it, even though she asked for a kiss on the cheek in return.
Yes, he kissed her as she wanted him because he felt the need to somehow repay her for her advice, but he ran away afterwards, not wanting to show his face to her ever again if possible.
Now, after he finally understood, he needed to tell the truth. To apologize to Maya. Maybe after he went back to the palace, he also needed to apologize to Rezal for making their friendship into some kind of contract. That was rude of him and unfair to Rezal, who looked sincere in their friendship.
He hoped he could do the same to the friends he left before, but it was already too late.
"I apologize for being rude and stupid."
"Wha—"
"I may have hurt your feelings when I asked that question, but I really don't know that you would view me as your friend all this time."
"Your Highness."
Maya's eyes opened wide. She did not expect Michaelis to feel this guilty over that.
"I don't know what the meaning of having a friend is. Until now, I had only made one friend at home. But at that time, I still didn't know the real meaning of a friend, and I treated him as a friend shouldn't."
He looked down. Yes, he should apologize to Rezal because he always thinks of that kid as someone who could benefit him rather than someone who could stand equally beside him, as someone whom he wanted to protect, and as someone whom he wanted to have fun with.
"That's why, when I know, I feel the need to apologize to you and him. I disregard the meaning of friend and hurt you. I am really sorry, Maya."
"You don't need to apologize, Your Highness."
Maya and Michaelis looked at each other. Maya smiled while looking at the hazel eyes that were full of sincerity.
"Thank you for being honest with me. I really appreciate it."
Michaelis slowly smiled and asked shyly.
"So, are we friends?"
"I will always want to be your friend, Your Highness."
"That's great. So drop the title."
"Huh?"
"Call me Michaelis rather than that respectful title."
"I can't do that, Your—"
"However, you said that we are friends now. Friends are supposed to be close, right? Why would you call me Your Highness when I am your friend? Should I call you Miss Maya?"
Maya pursed her lips.
"Please don't. That is weird."
"So, call me by my name."
"No—"
"If not, I will start calling you Miss Maya from today on. After all, you are my teacher. Right, Miss Maya?"
Michaelis grinned. Her face flushed. She looked elsewhere.
"Fine. You are so stubborn, Michaelis."
"Hn, that will do, Maya."
His grin widened. He reached for his cup to take a sip of the hot chocolate, which was already lukewarm.
"It's delicious."
Sweet for him, but he didn't mind for this night. His chest was finally lifted from the weight of his dilemma.
"I hope you enjoy it, Michaelis."
"Will do, Maya."