—Gloriana Mengral's perspective.
—Moments before.
Inside a carriage, guarded by knights under Josephine's command.
"We should go to a restaurant," Luna proposed as she looked out the carriage window.
"Do you think he's all right?" said Luna.
"Of course he is, my sister trained him after all."
"Yes, but... what if he's hurt or in danger right now?"
It's to be expected that Luna would be worried, after all "he" was the one who kept them safe that time. It's not like they worry all the time and are aware of "him", but they are always worried.
"I hate him..."
"Why do you hate him?" asked Gloriana.
"And you, why are you like this, weren't you mad that he didn't even say goodbye and we couldn't see him on training days either?"
"Well...," Gloriana stopped her words as she turned her head and looked out the window. Then she spoke, "Just a little."
"A little...?", Luna looked at Gloriana with narrowed eyes.
"..."
"Well, maybe I did get angry.... But not that much," Gloriana said.
Luna and Gloriana were silent for a moment.
Both of them had been a "little" angry because he didn't even say goodbye or didn't go to see them. After all they had done and all the time they had been together in the castle, all that for "him" not to say goodbye to the two of them.
Gloriana looked out the window, watching the streets full of people, food stalls and vendors everywhere.
"Why are we coming to Azares? This city is so noisy," Luna grumbled.
The city of Azares, a city Luna in particular does not love to even visit, is always noisy because of the people selling everywhere. Every street you go down is full of vendors and people shouting their sales.
A city that many love, but some don't, like Luna.
"Don't you get bored of being in the castle?"
"No."
"I am. I didn't want to come alone, so I brought you."
"You know we're two days away from the imperial city," Luna said looking at Gloriana.
"Uh... yes, I know."
"You don't know."
"..."
Gloriana was silent until she spotted a nearby restaurant.
"Do you want something to eat?"
"..."
"We have professional chefs at the castle, you know."
"Come on... you're so boring."
Still, Luna had no choice and agreed to go eat at the restaurant Gloriana saw.
Of course, it's not like Luna wants to be in this city, but she's more than obligated to accompany Gloriana. She really doesn't want to be in this city.
In the royal family's castle they have everything. For Luna, it is not necessary to leave the castle even once. After all, the castle is like a small town but with all kinds of things in one place.
Then, Luna thought:
"The first year of Laosa Academy is in a few months. I hope Asher will succeed in getting the ten knight achievements and become a noble."
Getting the ten knight achievements not only means being a knight per se, it also means being a noble of a lower rank. But getting into the Laosa academy required being a noble and not a commoner.
Luna hated the idea of putting Asher in danger just to get the ten achievements, but that was the only way a commoner could be a noble.
"Why didn't the king give him the title of noble for saving Gloriana?"
Luna was confused by that. Being the king, it is possible with his authority to give Asher the noble title, but he didn't. That was why Luna suspected a possible drawback, but she can't come to a concrete conclusion just like that.
Then she looked at Gloriana.
"She doesn't seem to know anything.
Despite being one of the heirs to the throne, Gloriana is very distracted about these kinds of matters. She could have easily had the king give Asher the title of nobleman.
But still, Gloriana didn't know about it. The most surprising thing was that the headmaster of Laosa academy himself was there at that time, but he is also like the king.
The headmaster of Laosa academy, known as the ninth circle elemental wizard Wilbeg, being an old man, is at the top of the ninth circle, holding the best academy in the whole continent in his hands. To Luna, Principal Wilbeg is a great wizard.
"But why didn't Headmaster Wilbeg notice...?" Unable to finish, the carriage stopped.
The doors opened and then Gloriana stepped out of the carriage in her elegant attire adorned with golden decorations. Gloriana's whole dress was amazing, with its white color and the golden details on the dress.
Then Luna also got out of the carriage, wearing a dress almost the same as Gloriana's, but black with gold decorations all over the dress.
Both wore their hair up in a bun, while two locks fell close to their ears.
Then Josephine approached.
"Miss Gloriana and Miss Luna, I'll be waiting for you out here," Josephine said as she bowed in respect to the two girls.
The people around looked at the scene a little confused, but quickly surmised that these were two very important nobles.
"Look at their dresses, they are amazing."
"They must be high status nobles."
Of course the compliments were not lacking, people around the area were talking praising the dresses and how pretty Luna and Gloriana looked.
Then, the two entered the restaurant whose façade already looked like that of a very luxurious, five-star restaurant. The interior was also very luxurious, with well-decorated tables, furniture and some plants as decoration. The light gave a sense of tranquility and the restaurant space was large, with the smell of food and people waiting for their orders.
"I thought it would be a normal restaurant, but this is high class."
Luna was surprised by the restaurant. In fact, everything was upscale; there was nothing in this restaurant that could be said to be low class like in an ordinary restaurant. The whole place gave off an air of modernity, perfection and nobility.
"I thought it would be an ordinary one too. That explains why it seems to be guarded."
Sure enough, Gloriana and Luna looked at some uniformed guards outside the restaurant, though they let them pass without showing much interest in them.
"How about we order...?" Luna stopped when she saw a very familiar face also looking at her.
"I think I found something very interesting," Luna said, and then Gloriana turned her gaze to a spot away from the other tables. It was half dark and a single light illuminated it.
But he was not alone. A tall, black-haired, dark-eyed man was right next to "him."
"Asher..." Then Gloriana was the first to speak, but instantly a dark-haired woman carrying some plates of food sat down at the same table.
"Who are they?" was what Gloriana asked herself.
In the middle of a table where little light was reaching, a man and a woman who bore a certain resemblance, but above all, a third one who was seated, with blood red eyes and silver hair, looked at both girls with a surprised expression.
***
-Change of scene.
-Perspective of Asher Frostblade.
"Asher..."
The moment Gloriana spoke, Isabella and Encrid turned their gaze and saw Luna and Gloriana.
"But what a kid with surprises, I didn't know you had two cute friends."
"..."
I didn't answer instantly, but....
"Why are they here?"
I didn't understand why Gloriana was far from the imperial city, but Luna? why is she here? I thought she didn't like to leave the castle.
Then Gloriana and Luna approached the table.
"Looks like we have someone who didn't say goodbye."
"..."
I turned my head and thought of only one thing.
"I think I'm in trouble."
I could only say that. Under the gaze of the two of them I felt strange.
They were looking at me as if I had done something very serious.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Then I spoke up.
"Now you're the idiot," Encrid muttered.
"Stay out of it, you fucking idiot," I muttered equally at Encrid's words.
"..."
Both girls sat down. The table had five seats available.
"What are your names, girls?" Then Isabella spoke in her usual sweet voice.
"Hi, my name is Luna and this is Gloriana."
"It's a pleasure, Asher's friends, have you ordered anything yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Then I'll bring you the special from this restaurant."
Isabella got up and left to order more food. Encrid and I stood in silence until Luna spoke.
"Who are you?"
I looked at Luna and spoke.
"Acquaintances."
"How many knight achievements do you have?"
"I already have six."
Then Luna stopped asking. The atmosphere was strange, in fact, it's something very uncomfortable. In my past life I didn't even spend free time with anyone, I was just a loner. That's why it's very strange to be with more people in one place, especially because of the idiot next to me.
I looked at Encrid, who was simply looking out the windows of the restaurant. From where we were, you could see the streets and the people. Maybe he was really uncomfortable too.
It's not like we were both thinking the same thing about the place. Me, who was a murderer and was always a loner, and Encrid, who at some point lost everything and went through a war for who knows how long, we seemed like brothers, to tell you the truth. We had the same thoughts and rarely spoke at the same time, as if we were connected and thinking the same things all the time.
In fact, I was even afraid to think the same things that an idiot like Encrid thinks. I feel like I would become an idiot like him.
"Sigh."
I sighed lightly and looked at Isabella who was already on her way.
It was barely morning and it wasn't even noon, but I already wanted to get back to the missions. The problem is that I will be doing nothing for a whole month. There is nothing important in this city and I won't be able to go on a mission. Alicia, Clara and Dik will be at home for this month.
This whole month will be extremely boring and uncomfortable.
"All right, it's time to eat. In the meantime, we can talk," Isabella said.
"This will take a lot longer than I think," I muttered.
***
-Scene change.
The meal ended with a farewell to the restaurant. At this point there were two more members of this very awkward day, but thankfully we no longer walked as if we were a family. Encrid and I both sighed with relief at the same time when Isabella told us to stop acting like a family.
Nowadays we go to a shopping mall. As much as I tried to insist that we not go, those three women forced Encrid and me.
The purpose of the mall was simply to shop for clothes and enjoy whatever we came across.
Of course, it was Luna who proposed the idea of going there. In fact, even in my past life I never went shopping for clothes in a mall, which means I don't know what's in a mall, which made me the odd one out in the group, but that goes for Encrid as well.
The gentlemen who were escorting Gloriana and Luna are currently following together behind us. The moment I crossed glances with Josephine, he simply scowled at me.
"It was to be expected, after all knights are very arrogant."
Of that everyone knows, a gentleman is very arrogant when it comes to a commoner.
But as strange as it may seem, Josephine looked like her arrogance towards me was going down, albeit very slightly, but I managed to see it for a few seconds.
It's not like I'm interested in being approved by an arrogant gentleman.
"Wow, that's a big mall," Isabella said with a slight twinkle in her eye as she smiled.
I looked up at a large four-story building. The building was so wide and tall, the windows...in fact, everything looked amazing, then I muttered under my breath.
"This is what a shopping mall looks like."
I said it as quietly as I could, but I felt a gaze glued on me. Then I looked at whose it was.
"..."
"..."
Encrid looked at me as he raised his eyebrow slightly.
"You didn't know what a mall looked like either."
"..."
He didn't answer, but he obviously didn't even know what this building was. His face said it all.
Then we walked into the building. Only the entrance was big on the outside, I couldn't tell, but as soon as we walked in everything was too fancy. No normal store, or even a little more than a normal store, could compare to this place.
"It's huge," I muttered, and then Encrid's gaze landed on me.
"Idiot."
"Idiot..."
"..."
Then we spoke at the same time as we looked at each other with a strange feeling....