Pursuit

"I wonder what's that all about." I looked on as Sara leaves the castle along with the royal guards

"Enough about this, I'd rather do something about.."

My weakness

not in the physical sense as this body is attuned with a monstrous amount of mana which I presume comes from my maxed level of 122.

Its more got to do with my psyche , I just can't for the life of me forget. The strong , rich and powerful fiend who took my life. If I lose here the same could happen to Reifa her kingdom rests on my shoulders and here Iam in a sea of pity galore.

"Gotta snap out of it."

"Sir , Mr. Zephyr."

A faint voice called out to me in the distance , belonging to the steward of the castle.

"Yes uhhh ...."

"It's Inir good sir."

"Ah good ol'inir, to what pleasure do i owe your visit?." I say smiling stiffly

"I'm here to inform you that breakfast is served , her highness Princess Reifa along with Ms. Kayla await you in the guests dinning room. Will you be joining them Mr.Zephyr?."

"Oh, i'm sorry for making you come all the way here Inir."

enough wallowing in pitty , I can't let them see me this.... weak I have to lighten up.

"All in a day's work sir."

He replies in a business-like tone

"Zephyr?."

"What's up Reifa."

"Is everything ok

O-or have you been ignoring me lately?." Reifa looked at me pleadingly , I can't let her on with whats going on.

"T-thats a secret."

"Mr.Zephyr have been training hard from the tournament your highness."

Kayla chimes in as if queued giving me a much needed lifeline.

Reifa eyes the both of us suspiciously before speaking

"Don't overexhaust yourself, the tournament isn't deserving enough for you to neglect your health."

"Oh, are you perhaps worried Ms?."

"W-who said I was??!!."

"Her highness been quite frantic , Mr. Zephyr and so am I, You'd surely do well to reassure her as well as myself."

"A-ah yeah, i see... i mean i will be fine don't worry." Kayla reprimanded gently

Leaving the matter of whether i deserve such overbearingness from her highness and Kayla , they care enough to worry about me.

I look down at my plate and hope I won't end up letting down

-meanwhile-

"Boss!, they'll be here soon."

"Who?."

"The guards."

In an abandoned warehouse dark room sits a man wearing the most luxurious of tunics, his brown hair tied behind his back, his skin unblemished by the sun of the states suggesting his foreign bearing was his accent reminiscent to those from Bloodhaven, accompanying him were two personal guards nothing remarkable about their leather armors aside from the masks they wear , they stand eerily without uttering a word nor attempt unnecessary movement .

"huh?, they came earlier than i thought."

"What of the shipment?."

"what shipment?."

"Don't worry about that."

"What do you mean?."

"I know who exactly is behind this."

'Could they have known about my goods, from one of my buyers. I need to read further into this. '

Different scenarios took shape inside the merchant's mind as he simulates the outcome of the raid. Had he not bribed his contacts within the castle he'd not have caught wind of the sudden event.

"If you say so Boss." Says the henchman unsure.

-Black Market-

"Its the guards!!."

Panic ensued upon the black dock(black market) as they catch Sara's visage, she rushes the black market along with a platoon whom she commands along with a relunctant Rashid and a stoic Ruen.

"Confiscate all the goods!."

She orders under the pretense of her moniker the sword mistress alas she'd decided to show up here for personal reasons, having surveyed the location numerous times before the raid she'd located the exact stall where the stimulants are kept. 'With these I shall exact my revenge' the thought crossed her mind

With rough handeling she pushes the vendor and thrashes the wares, all in pursuit of the forbidden power. To which she finds none, astonished by what transpired rage flowed through her expression as she grabbed the vendor by the collar.

"Where are the stimulants."

She asked scowling

"I'm sorry Sword Mistress , but i have no k-knowledge about such a thing."

The terrified merchant answered stiffling a shriek

"Don't you dare lie to me, I saw you selling the liquids."

"A-ah these are illicit perfumes my lady, i'm sorry please don't hurt me."

"Perfumes?."

Upon closer inspection Sara detects whafts of florescent scent from the vendor. She clicks her tongue in frustration and moves on to confiscate the goods in the illegal market.

Taking a turn towards a storage facility in the black market she vents out her frustration

"I need this stimulant damn it!."

Unbeknownst to her a shadowy figure lurked before it in turn vanished leaving behind a thud and a

"Who's there?."

Alerted by the sudden noise , Sara laments her dulling senses she had been so focused on revenge that she let her usually alerted senses dull, she moves on towards the source of the noise she'd heard finding a peculiar green liquid in the abandoned warehouse

"The stimulant."

A stimulant made by anonymous circle of botanists, they say the greener the liquid the most potent its likely to be and from the appearance of what she holds in her hands she'd reckon it to be the creme of the crop.

"I can't believe i dropped the stimulant, curse you Sword mistress."

Ozwald had long vanished in the cover of darkness before Sara had noted his whereabouts, walking through the bazaar in broad daylight he thinks about had transpired and sighs in frustration. While he understood that raids are a common occurrence within the oasis , the sudden appearance of a high ranking figure is what he didn't take into account.

"Master."

A cloaked figure approached Ozwald while busied by his own thought.

"Talk puppet."

"We've investigated the sword mistress, and the matter pertains Rostoff."

"Have they found out about my relation with rostoff?" He thinks to himself frustrated

"I have no clear information to hypothesize however Rostoff had murdered her adoptive father Joseph Albaraia she is likely investigating his murder."

"Why go after me then?."

The image of Rostoff killing off civilians sprung in his mind, while he had no qualms when it comes to murder the thought of jeopardizing his businesses puts a limit on how far he'd go however with Rostoff, he kills without considering consequences of said action.

"I can't detail the unknown master."

"Ofcourse you can't puppet."

Ozwald smiles to himself as his stoic servant follows his trail, he stops moving when he spots two individuals.

The Princess of Oraia along with the hero Zephyr.

-a while back-

"Zephyr , are you free this morning?."

"I have much training to do and..."

Wait why is she giving me that look for, I really have to train ya know. But then again I know its her way of telling me she needs to unwind.

"Is that a no?." She asks

"No its just that.."

"Umm, Mr. Zephyr is something the matter?." Kayla chimes in confused

"I'm fine with today."

"great, let's head to the market then. Are you coming with us?" Asks Reifa

"Princess!!."

Kayla takes to the princess ear whispering something which prompted a blush.

"I-if you say so."

"Have a splendid outings Princess."

"What were you two arguing about?."

Kayla suspiciously backed out the outing leaving me and Reifa alone. A part of me wished she'd come along, a flower on each side as they say.

"Nothing .... that concerns you that is. *ahem* there's a nice food bazaar next to the oasis square. I figured we c-could have a delightful outing i-is a shame it will just be the two of us."

"Uh yes."

Whats with the awkwardly sweet atmosphere going on right now.

"Fresh puni bunnies! Get your fresh bunnies!"

The bazaar we went to was quiet crowded , hard to believe it was this bustling in such a hot weather alas humans or err.. beastman are quite adaptive.

"Now that I think about it, what's your favorite food Zephyr?."

"The usual Burgers, Pizzas and lately bobba tea!."

"Borger?, Pisa? Boba tea?"

"Wait nevermind those are just foods from my home village."

"I thought Elvens and Dragonkin share the same cuisine, Where is your home village Zephyr?" She cocks her head adorably asking

Me and my big mouth, I have to come up with a plausible lie.

"well I'm from a nomadic tribe in the Southern plains , there's nothing interesting to know about me growing up with livestock."

"Don't belittle yourself, as a PrincessI've never had the freedom to move around as I like I'm quiet envious."

"Its not that grand of a life your highness."

"What's with your tone." She says pouting cutely

You know we are similar you and I, we both harbored expectations that we ought to live up to, the difference is I failed to meet them. While you tr your very best and I swear to myself that I'd lead you there.

"Nothing, now lets try some puni kebabs!."

"Fresh kebabs!."

"Oi, chief can we get two."

"For yourself and your young wifey eh, coming right up!."

"Ahahaha!, what do you say to this wifey!."

"it's not like that!, wait he's never listening. *sigh* you buffoon."

We spent alot the day before the tournament just being ourselves , I'd push Reifa's buttons and receive her quip rebuttal.

"Wait , let me try one more time!."

"Aim that ring towards the rod, its right infront of you!."

"What do you mean infront , its about 3 meters from where we're standing. "

"Excuses from a sore loser."

"Could you stop infuriating me I'm focusing here."

"How about a bet?."

"You get a perfect score and I gant you a wish."

"And if i don't?."

"I buy you one of those ugly spectacles."

I point at the ridiculously large framed glasses

"You will regret challenging me."

"Six rings please!."

"Alright ms."

Reifa holds 3 rings in each hand and shoots me a glaring before looking back at the target rods and tossing all six of them, a breeze came about as the rings perfectly nestled on all the rods. A smug expression appeared on her face as she turned to face me.

She definitely used magic, I sigh in exasperation and reply.

"Alright then, how can i be of service."

"its good of you to keep your word as for what I want, Its a secret, well its a ways off by foot." She says winking

Reifa grabs my hand guiding me through the busy streets of R'aul we've passed by numerous stalls as we make our way through a pub with a slightly decrepit sign that reads.

"The Oasis Spring." She says "I used to come here often with my friend Sara, back then her father worked as a bartender."

"How did a royal like yourself end up in a seedy bar?."

I know the answer to this ofcourse

"I escaped my mother's carriage and gotten lost, the one that found me was Sara. Come to think of it , she was my first and only friend."

"Friends huh?."

I don't remember his name or what he looked like , but I considered him a friend. I look up solemnly wondering how are they all doing.

"Is something the matter Zephyr, you've been out of it today."

"Nothing lets go inside."

"Oh right, you'll like the surprise."

The bar smelled like sweat and urine just like how I'd imagined it'd be with dubious looking folk gathering around tables talking loudly some bragging about their adventuring hauls others scowling about their day that all stopped when we came into their peripheral view prompting them to glare hard at the two of us.' If push comes to shove I'd fight our way out' i think to myself alas...

"Look who's here?." A scruffy old man with an appron approaches us first speaking

He's got a scar tracing down from his left eyebrow to his left cheek. Ofcourse I know who that is.

"Oi, Yimir its the li'l princess, get yer behind over here!." He yells at his attendant a beastman boy barely turned 14.

"Yessir!."

"What can I do for you sweet Reifa." He says almost uncharacteristically gentle

"I'd like to go to the booth."

"Oh is that all I thought you'd finally come to savor our mead gahahahah."

"Some other day Grant." She says apologetically

"Right this way maam!." The young beastboy guides us into the back of the room

We come across a booth curtained on all four sides and inside it we find an antique camera(for my standards)

"What's this Reifa?."

Keeping my rp a 100% i ask a question i already know the answer to.

"This is a camera, some nobles use it to record themselves or moments in their lives. And Grant here obtained one as a gift. We took a picture Sara and I back when we were mere children."

She shows me a photo of her younger next to a younger halfman Sara.

"S-so *ahem* my goal is to come here and m-make memories with you."

"Me?, shouldn't you do that with your bestfriend."

Do i really deserve it?, I an absolute failure.

"You mean to me as much as Sara , so why shouldn't we cherish our mements of respite? Enough blabbering lets get inside!."

My hand interlocks with hers the softness makes a rather stimulating contrast.

"Me special ?."

I quietly approach the booth we are seated in 2 wooden chairs respectively.

Yimir gives us a countdown.

"Are you ready?."

"3" nothing happens

"2" Reifa gets closer

"1"* click*

I feel an embrace and a peck on my cheek along with the sudden flash of the camera capturing my blushing surprised face.

The photo comes out and Reifa looks away embarrassed , and I as well baffled. As she opens her mouth to say.

"To cheer you up."

I smile to myself , i put the question of 'whether I deserve it or not' out my mind laughing at her expression

She truly cheered me up today.

To be continued