"Home is something where we started, and how we leave it."
Again, with the palace—3rd floor, the fifth chamber of it as you go right, there was Folly's room. It is been a while, and no noise has ever escaped from it.
Inside of it, was Folly at the open window and he was drawing his little illustration on a piece of fabric, not a paper by the way. His head laid at the window's shelf, and outside of it, leads to a floating void, there are no safeguards if one had ever fallen on these walls. Perhaps, Folly is not really that brainless.
He was drawing as he continued to stare at the small land that floated at a distant place infront of his window. It was alone and isolated, like a planet without a solar system.
What he was drawing, is a little boy which is him, fighting off creatures and dragons on this small island where every monster cornered him and he only had a sword. Despite his age, the artwork is kind of detailed, the colors does not overextend, but it does still resemble how a little child would draw but with advanced knowledge of it.
He continued to draw, began scribbling the background with blue and black colors roughly as if he just lost all of his abilities to draw—And then, someone knocked at the door, "Little prince?" The word came out behind it.
As the door opened gently, it was just his personal maleservant, Lowefed. "Are you alright, little prince?" He asked as he approached Folly who was still scribbling the lines. "You haven't jumped on your bed many times now, which made me a bit late because I rely on your silly little behaviors."
He came to check what was Folly is doing and finds his illustration kind of impressive, and not out to praise a child's work, but a genuine impressiveness. "What a lovely art you have there, little prince." Lowefed complimented.
"Oh, hi Fred!" Folly responded as he glared at Lowefed with a smile and just continue what he was doing which prompted his personal maleservant to ask again with genuine curiosity "What made you draw this masterpiece, little prince?"
"Oh, well!" Folly answered, as he showed his artwork at Lowefed with proud confidence, his face glared deeply at him, as if he is a little kitten asking for attention, Folly's glowing eyes brightened. "I draw me fighting monsters because they always eat me in my dreams!"
"I don't know how to deal with them at all." Folly started to scribble the creatures that pervaded in his artwork aimlessly. And then looked at Lowefed and asked, "How do you defeat monsters?"
"Hm…" Lowefed then contemplated for a while, and smiled as he thought of something and spoke to Folly with such words, as if he is proud to utter it. "To beat a monster, all you need is just to face it and wonder why they are your monsters in the first place."
"You beat yourself to it." Lowefed remarked, and waited for Folly's response but the little prince just looked at his knuckles and began punching himself, and his fist could not even harm his little chubby cheeks—Lowefed then chuckled, and spoke for the last time before going back to his formal occasion. "You'll eventually understand it once you grow."
"Now, are you gonna stay here or are we gonna go enroll for your preschool?" Lowefed inquired, his hands clasped behind him. Then, Folly immediately leaped to the ground and his legs was as excited as his eagerness. "Yeah! Let's go!"
Then Lowefed began preparing him, by changing his robe, his little crown, and everything nice. There was no need for washing as Folly was already cleaned like soap. "The carriage is already prepared, the only thing missing is you, of course."
Folly immediately run outside of his room and just left Lowefed behind as his personal maleservant just sighed, and stared at the window. Suddenly, the fabric was about to flew away but Lowefed easily catched it with ease and closed the windows that gave the impression of like rocks clumping together.
He examined the artwork Folly had drawn and placed it on one of his wardrobes and began to clean his room as always. While Folly is already climbing on many floors, to the fifth floor, he eventually stumbled across his older sister's room, Shògenji.
Just like how his door looked like, he opened the doors and saw Shògenji just casually sleeping but it seemed to ended as Folly opened the door without permission, which the light came across to her face. She opened her eyes suddenly and stared at Folly, though she was too sleepy to even get mad about it.
Her room, also filled with many furnitures and appliances but was structured way differently, and the floor is all filled with her uniform and clothes. It is not really that messy or disorganized, just like forgotten to even place it at her wardrobe.
Folly then asked quietly, also staring at the eye of his older sister, "Where's mommy?" then, Shògenji only stared, her eyes as drowsy as a owl in a sunny day. She then replied, with a slight groan, "At her room."
Then, Folly just continued on staring at Shògenji and the two siblings had a staredown until Shògenji eventually spoke, not so mad at all, as stated that she is too sleepy to even get angry. "Get out of my room." Which Folly then immediately closed the door with a huge burst and ran giggling. Then, awhile later.
He arrived at the 6th floor where his mother's room is located at the center of the halls. Instead of this same and identical doors. Hers was grand and huge, as if it was made for giants to enter as well. And each corner of the door are burning monoliths which Folly could not reach but only admire. He tried opening the door with his little hands, and he is too weak or the door does not budge, or could be both.
"Mommy?" Folly knocked on the door multiple times, and even patting it multiple times and there was no answer. "Mommy, I am going to school now!" Only silence filled the halls, until Lowefed eventually catches on and his words were relieved. "There you are, little prince."
Folly then asked with a curious tone but a hint of sadness as it felt like he is in a verge of tears. "Where's mommy?"
Lowefed checked the time on the clock on his wrists and assured Folly, "Well, the empress is quite busy doing her tasks." He smiled warmly as he gently wipes the latent tears from his eyelids. "But don't worry, you will see her once you go back from school."
"B—But I haven't kissed mom goodbye!" Folly asserted. But Lowefed replied, "There is always a first time for everything. Now let us go now, we don't want us to be late ofcourse."
As Lowefed walked away and turned around, waiting for Folly to follow him which the little prince did so—As they climbed down the last stairs of the palace and they are finally outside. Folly could smell the fresh air and not some internal air that stayed in the palace for how many long. Ironically, the air of the palace was more pungent and fresh compared to the outside.
Either way, there is a carriage, a beautiful one already parked infront of him, and two guards and a charioteer resides, waiting for the prince to enter. As Folly entered the carriage with the guidance of his personal maleservant, it was filled with everything he needed, and those unnecessary as well.
Folly then immediately sat and began jumping his butt on the soft, comfy seat as Lowefed checked if there was something missing and there is none, because there is no flaw within the Light Empire as well as their subjects, do not ask anymore questions.
Lowefed asked Folly, as the two guards, named Ghayerus and Yai Nui, a seemingly bearded guard, and the armor is too tight which makes him quite clunky while Yai Nui is another guard at his teens. They were wielding spears. "Are we ready now, little prince?"
"Yeah!" Folly raised his arm, clearly indicating that he is indeed ready like a scavenger ready to hunt. Then so it began, the carriage began to move, it was because of the wingless reptile that almost identical to a dragon, its scales made of metal and luxinum, and its body purely crafted with light as it radiates on their opaque body.
They began to move and exit the palace, passing not two, but three gates that is guarded by a lengthy walls, and despite its longness, it is relatively smaller than the palace. And as Folly exited the palace, and now at the state. He sees many commoners, bystanders, and merchants living normally. He was so curious that he began to eye on whatever that moves which gives some of the people chills, wondering why a child continued to stare at their soul with his bright blue eyes.
As the carriage continued to move, Folly encounters lot of things, from markets and infrastructures like a city—And the road is specifically crowded by many people, and at rare cases, carriages and wagons, but the carriage of Folly seemed to be the only one rolling down the ground. He continued to stare and admire, both rich and poor, and both interesting and the uninteresting, there is nothing that disinterestes the little prince.
Lowefed then asked, breaking the silence. "Is this your first time exploring outside of the palace, little prince?" And Folly was still distracted by everything where the carriage rolls past to, his chubby face pressured on its clear windows and only replied, "Uhuh!"
And minutes—to minutes, they eventually arrived at the prestigious preschool, seemed like a generic one, but its better than nothing. And next to it is another school. Basically, these schools are interconnected to each other. And as the carriage parked and Folly stepped foot outside of it, and was greeted by the teachers of this preschool. They clap their hands, and greeted Folly in a organized manner.
Lowefed gently bent his body to whisper to Folly, "Seems like you already have followers, little prince."
Folly then enthusiastically approached the group of teachers, and the head of the preschool approached first, he wore glasses and a fancy suit just like the rest. He greeted Folly, with utmost grace, "with such commendations, prince of light. Welcome to our glorious preschool." As the head of the preschool reached his hands to shake Folly's hand, the little prince instead just gave him a high five and scurried away.
The rest of the staff giggled quietly and the head of the preschool just fixed his glasses and chuckled at it as Folly began to already explore the campus without relying on tourguides, as he just goes randomly on where it interests him the most as he heads to the right where there is a statue located there. As he approached the statue, it was a dragon, that resembles the light empire. Light dragons are usually the symbol of the light empire.
The person near the statue was about to explain its grandness and meaning but Folly just gave it a "woah" and immediately scurried and continues to explore, it did not even gave the man to utter a single word. Folly then entered one of the rooms, it encompassed full of grown pupils, taller than him since they are obviously older. They then immediately stood up and greeted Folly by bowing and giving this synchronized and choreographed greeting.
Folly only waved and smiled at them, and saw a marker at the teacher's desk which there was no teacher facilitating. So, he grabbed the marker and stroke a line in it and scurried. He continued to explore and explore to the point where explaining such occurrences feel repetitive but eventually, he stumbled across a group of students in a field, training with their swords and performing steps as they wield it.
This, is the only occurrence that put Folly at the edge of his seat as he observed the movements and energy of what this people shown—He stood there for awhile, and he was not staring at the students themselves, but the sword itself.
Eventually, the school staff, the two guards and Lowefed catched up as they witness Folly just staring at it for awhile. The head of the preschool spoke, "Well, based on the encounters of everyone in each room, this is the last part where the prince has yet to see, until now."
Folly just watched, his eyes remained steady like a bird with its stiff neck, his eyes brightened up and all there was in his mind was swords and swords. Until eventually it was over which then Folly turned around and find them observing the little prince which he asked. "I want to become a warrior." He said it directly, no hesitation.
"Well, we have various of programs for sword training here, prince of light!" The head of the preschool spoke, his expression was welcoming and approachable. "So, what do you say? Would you like to become one of our students in this lovely place?"
And decisively, Folly nodded. "Yeah!" He nodded his head rapidly which Lowefed approached the little prince and whispered, "We have several more preschools to explore, don't you want to see some of them before choosing first?"
Then Folly contemplated, it was exaggerated ofcourse where he put his fingers on his chin and thought. But he immediately shook his head, "Nope! I like it here!"
Finally, after signing some contracts and going back to the palace—Folly was hopping on the aesthetic floors of the palace as he holds a paper that is signed "Enrolled" on it. He happily skips, and arrived at his mother, Teruhikari who was talking to a trio of nobles.
"Mommy! I can go to school now!" He showed the papers like a attention seeking puppy, his eyes brightened with wonder, waiting for Teruhikari's words. Teruhikari then checked the papers and her eyes turned pink. She replied as she lifted Folly and kissed him at his endearing cheeks. "Ah, that's good to hear, darling."
Then, Folly added another remark, another request. His eyes asked for permission, "And mommy, can I go sword training?" Teruhikari then raised a brow, her eyes turned green. "Hm? Why is that?"
"Because I want to become a warrior!" Folly raised his arms then Teruhikari chuckled, "Well, I do admire my son multitasking. I'll think about it."
And with that, Folly shouted in excitement as he not only can go to school now, he also finally got a clear goal to reach.