Time flew by as Mirai and I smoked in silence. As the sun began to rise, I stood from the branch, deciding to return to the hall to continue my training.
I jumped from the tree, landing gracefully on the ground. As I made my way back, I closed my eyes, reflecting on the past night.
[I couldn't change Mirai's mind, but I can't force him to leave the forest either. I don't have the power to do that. The only thing I can do is master the crown's power, so I might be of some help to him and the Inquisitors]
When I opened my eyes, I let out a silent gasp as I saw Mirai standing before me.
"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.
"Returning to whence I came."I replied reluctantly, continuing to walk past Mirai. Suddenly, I felt a grip on my shoulder. I decided to ignore it and kept walking, but no matter how much effort I put into moving forward, I didn't move an inch.
[Really, can't you leave me alone in peace?] I looked at Mirai helplessly, who stared at me amusingly.
"What dost thou desire?"I asked in a hoarse voice.
"Isn't it obvious? We're smoking buddies now. I'll introduce you to the others. They're probably cooking breakfast right now, so come and eat with us," Mirai spoke cheerfully.
"Dost thou truly believe they shall welcome me after I have shattered most of their comrade's bones?"I replied mockingly, hoping he might loosen his grip. But he remained unfazed and continued speaking.
"That was in the past, and isn't this the best method for making friends? This is how Ed's sister and I became so close. Oh, off-topic," Mirai began to rethink his words but eventually continued. "And didn't you heal him? Even when the saint checked his condition, she said he was at his peak, and his mana was replenished to its fullest. So don't worry, you'll have fun with us."
"But what if I desire it not?"
"Hahaha, how could you know that without trying? Brace yourself for the impact!" As Mirai finished speaking, I found myself being carried by him like a sack of potatoes.
"A curse upon thee, Mirai," I cursed him loudly.
"I hear that a lot," he laughed as he ran very fast, making his way past those terrifying beasts unnoticed, not even leaving a trail of his existence behind.
In the blink of an eye, we arrived at a camp that seemed recently built. As the knights and Edward noticed our arrival, Mirai held me up like he had achieved something great. I had already lost hope of escaping since all my previous attempts had failed miserably. The only thing I could do was raise my hand and speak calmly.
"Greetings."
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[Where am I?] As I opened my eyes, I was met by the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling. Rising from the bed, I started to examine my surroundings. I deduced that I was in a tent, probably brought here after my defeat against Gracefell. Weirdly enough, I didn't feel any physical discomfort.
[I was probably healed by the saint, though losing leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.]
As I checked my condition again, someone entered the tent. She was a beautiful woman with short brown hair and emerald eyes, and she hurriedly approached me, speaking worriedly.
"Alex, are you alright? You're not feeling uncomfortable?"
"Don't worry, Sarah, I'm fine. Though I'm surprised that I lived after losing the duel," I replied solemnly.
"Don't think about that right now. What truly matters is that you're fine, and it seems like you've made it past the next step, so you didn't lose completely," Sarah said, trying to comfort me.
"Yeah, you're right. There's no point in crying over spilled milk. Oh, speaking of that, is it time for breakfast now?" I tried to change the subject to avoid worrying Sarah even more.
[She always watched over me. This is the least I can do for her.]
"Yeah, let's go outside. The others are already waiting for you, and today I'll be the one cooking," Sarah spoke happily.
[Scratch what I said before. Eating her cooking is the least and hardest thing to do to repay her,] I thought as dread consumed me.
"That's great to hear, Sarah," I said, masking my previous feelings.
Sarah smiled as we made our way out of the tent. As soon as we were outside, we were approached by a dozen knights led by Edward. They all tried to console me and cheer me up, saying that standing up and facing such a terrifying being was a great feat. As everyone left to prepare the campfire, Edward stayed behind and, surprisingly, spoke in a gentle voice.
"Alex, what you achieved yesterday shouldn't be looked down upon by anyone. You're a true warrior at heart, and you will only continue growing stronger. You're the youngest human I've met who reached the third step on the Path of Envy, even faster than the king's descendants I've known."
I couldn't help but tear up. [Damn you, Edward. For an arrogant elf, you really know how to comfort a sad man.]
"Thanks, Ed," I said gratefully.
"You're welcome, Mister Fourth," Edward replied sarcastically, returning to his arrogant self.
[I'm not even surprised at this point, though I'm still thankful.]
Sarah and I made our way to the campfire. She continued to the pot, determined to cook today, while I sat with Edward and decided to ask him about something that had been on my mind.
"Ed, do you know where Mirai is?" Surprisingly, he didn't take the chance to tease me. As I pondered, Edward's voice brought me back to reality.
"I have no idea. He disappeared the night before. Not even my spirits want to go near him again; they're already terrified from being occasionally kidnapped by him," he replied, not hiding his underlying spite.
"Then I guess we will have a peaceful breakf—" Before I finished speaking, everyone in the camp turned their attention in the same direction, including me.
Mirai had returned, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. But he wasn't alone. Near his waist, a figure could be seen carried like a sack of potatoes. His silver hair shone as it reflected the sunlight. His sharp eyes stared at us indifferently, and his face was as cold as ever. When Mirai saw that we noticed their presence, he held Gracefell up, his face forming a smile of achievement. Even then, Gracefell's expression didn't change in the slightest as he raised his hand, saluting us as he spoke calmly.
"Greetings."