"Anyway, a message came from the academy last night. Everyone was asking how we're doing." Lily said to me while throwing a rock to the water.
"What did they say?"
"Well, everyone was curious about your wounds. I wonder how I should reply to that." Lily said with a little hint of annoyance, and Felicia chimed in.
"You should say that he has been sleep walking under the snow storm."
"Aha! That will stop them from worrying." Lily agreed with that suggestion, and I just stared at the waters confused.
"Do you guys think I'm a bear?"
PLUP!
Suddenly, the water looked like it reacted. We all turned our curious gazes to the rope that leads underwater, and I started pulling the pole.
VWOOSSHH!!!
Biting the lure is one large freshwater fish. It looks not only big, but also delicious.
"Woooaaaahhhh!!!!!" I shouted from seeing the fish, and Felicia quickly handed me the bucket.
I carefully placed the fish into the bucket, and I closed it with the lid. The fish just bounces around inside the bucket, but it can't go out because of the lid.
"I got one!" I shouted from genuine happiness, and both Felicia and Lily giggled.
"It's like seeing a child go fishing for the first time." Felicia commented, and Lily agreed.
"My fishing teacher would love fishing with you, Nathan." Lily added her opinion, and I just turned my annoyed gazes to them.
"You guys are unsupportive."
"Hey! Who gave you the bait that ends up getting bitten?" Lily shouted after hearing my insult.
"I handed you the bucket. Don't act like I didn't help." Now even Felicia brings in the tiniest things.
Seriously…? These two are my potential partners…? Please, a third one. Save me!
After going fishing for another thirty minutes, we caught another two fishes for Lily and Felicia. We spent most of the time chatting about just the most random things, and ninety percent of them were just roasting me and my fishing knowledge.
I never knew that Lily and Felicia got so close. Ever since the two met two weeks ago, they've been inseparable. It's like Lily has gotten closer to Felicia than she is to Nyssa.
And as for Nyssa… it's not like the girl was left alone. Someone else is with her, and truth be told, everyone was shocked.
So many things have happened ever since the beginning of the war, and most of it was simply battles. The dark republic has shown no signs of surrendering, hence the battle continues. And the closer we are to their capital, the worse our battles become.
It's no longer the battle about who is stronger. It's the battle between the civilians. The situation in every battle was more or less similar to when I fought the golden knight. The civilians kept on being dragged to the battle, and the alliance did their best to avoid such a thing from happening. But even then, there are bound to be a ton of civilians of the dark republic losing their lives.
The ugliest battle was only two days ago, when a team led by the Vice General Evan accompanied by Jonah fought the real 'Seven' from the ten commanders of the dark republic. In that battle, hundreds of civilians from a village lost their lives because 'Seven' used them as a meat wall to protect himself.
Fortunately, Jonah was able to kill 'Seven', but not until the death count of the civilians reached over two hundred. He was mentally drained by that battle, and no one could really blame him. It was his first ever mission where he wasn't accompanied by the others from the academy, and it went to hell that easily.
Then, that's where Nyssa came in. Lily told us about what she saw, because she was looking for Nyssa that night, and she mentioned to me how Nyssa just snuck up to Jonah's room at night by herself.
And the next morning, the two just started dating???
A-And Jonah looked so energetic, as if the massacre never happened!
Aaaaand everyone was confused!! Because what the hell can get rid of such evil incarnate memories in just a single night!?!?
Then, we realized…
Oh.
They ******.
"Do you think anyone ever saw it coming?" Felicia asked on the way back, and her hands were carrying the bucket filled with fishes.
"No. Not even me. Honestly, most of the time I can't really tell what's on Nyssa's head." Lily told us about her perspective of things, and I can't really blame Lily for that.
Even though she is her roommate and her best friend, reading Nyssa is just impossible. After all, the girl looked like she's a corpse most of the time. Her expression was blank, and she didn't speak much. No one can really tell what's on her mind.
"What about you, Nathan? Did you see anything odd from Jonah before that?" Lily turned her question to me, and I tried remembering.
"Didn't… Nyssa went to pick up Jonah when he was visiting his father's grave? It could've started from there. The two were gone for a while, that time." I tried remembering, and Lily remembered as well.
"Oh, yeah… Wow, you're so attentive at things." Lily complimented me, and Felicia snorted.
"Can I say that he is only attentive to boys and never to girls?" Felicia said to us, and Lily seemed to agree somehow.
"What do you mean…?" I turned to her with confusion, but Felicia only stared at me coldly.
"Nathan. Tell me honestly." Felicia then turned her serious stare at me, and I was wondering if this was serious or not. "Do you have a crush on Rejulus when you were younger?"
… Of course not.
What…? Why would you ask that?
Huuuuhhhhh??? Is that really a question you'd ask with that face?
Why…? Just why would you ask that?
"No? Then, what about that Eric Axwell guy?" Felicia then changed the question, and Lily chimed in this time.
"Yeah! I remember the two always went on secret dates together!" Lily said with such a devious smile, and Felicia believed her instantly.
Lily.
Lily, Lily, Lily.
Wh-What did you say?
Wha-Whaaaaaaa--whah-ah-ahw--
"I think his brain short circuited." Lily studied my face because I stopped moving, and Felicia looked closer at my eyes.
"Hmm… didn't know the death of his village came back to haunt him at such a time." Felicia mumbled, and Lily turned to her with shock.
"T-That kind of thing happens!?" Lily was so shocked, and Felicia nodded seriously.
"Frequently, yeah. During the first few years when I got to know him, every time he remembered his murdered family, he always froze on the spot and cried."
FOR A DIFFERENT REASON.
"Wow, look at you being surrounded by pretty girls." From a distance, Miss Hilda appeared with a cup of coffee in her hands.
"Good morning, ma'am. Is that coffee?" Felicia asked the coffee on Miss Hilda's hands, and she nodded with a grin.
"Jonah was making coffee for everyone. His family sent him multiple bags because they realized the north can be really cold. Apparently the holy knight's side business is managing a coffee brand, and now the little tall child owns it."
Miss Hilda explained how she got the coffee, and both Lily and Felicia looked excited.
"Coffee while cooking the fish?" Lily asked Felicia, and the dark knight nodded.
"I was thinking of cooked fish and coffee, but that works too."
"Let's go!" Lily invited, and the two quickly headed to where the crowd was at. Meanwhile, I was left holding the fishing pole, frozen like a statue.
"What's up with you?" Miss Hilda asked while poking my nose, and I was able to snap out of my daze.
"Are they gone?" I asked as I looked around, and Miss Hilda just placed her hand on her hip.
"Is this how teenagers date nowadays…? Looks a lot like the girls are dating each other instead of dating you." Miss Hilda said while staring at me with judging eyes, and I just laughed from her joke.
"Haha… Miss Hilda, you're so funny. As if you'd know anything about dating--"
"Do you wanna die?"