81-90

"Why are all demis so stupid!? Get rid of her and do it quickly. Our boss does not like to wait." The leader of the group yelled out. On his words, three men charged at me. I could only try to protect Sophie while fending them off.

But I was naive. I did not take a good enough look around my surroundings. Right as the three men struck out at me, two more came from our back and grabbed Sophie! Before I could even react, I was surrounded. I quickly kicked one of them away while slapping the other two with my tail and went to try to break through the line, but I was quickly surrounded by earth magic.

"Get out of my way!" I yelled out while kicking the earth wall in front of me, smashing it to pieces.

"Girl, you are indeed strong, but you best stay out of this. I am saying this for your own good. Just forget about that girl. She belongs to the Count." I heard the leader say.-.

The problem was not the fact that these men were surrounding me but the fact that I was in the city and could not kill. "I might be fined for flying but screw it. I will not allow you to take Sophie away." I jumped into the air and flapped my wings, and flew off. I did not get far before sensing danger from behind. I quickly dodged to the side as a fireball came flying past me. I wrinkled my nose and put up a mana barrier before flying off as fast as I could.

The way I see it, I could not kill that man, nor could he kill me. Killing inside the city and getting caught was an instant death sentence. And this was a law that was upheld no matter what. With so many people, it would be hard to rule without such harsh punishments for crimes, which was why a list of crimes were slated for death without trial. As long as you were caught red handed or all evidence pointed to you, the guards and knights in the city could kill you without holding a trial. But evidence had to be shown. At least, this was how Adel explained it.

I flew off in the direction they took Sophie, but I had completely lost track of her. "Detection!" I scanned the whole area, but there was no sign of them at all. I kept trying while looking high and low, but I could not find them anywhere. Even the men I was fighting earlier all disappeared. I flapped my wings and landed down on the ground, and walked back out to where I was fighting those men and felt stumped. I quickly walked over to one of the stalls nearby: "Excuse me, did you see that large group of men here just earlier that kidnapped a fox girl!?"

"You mean the Foster Gang? Girl, I do not know what relationship you have with that fox girl, but I think you better forget about it. The Foster Gang has Count Freedman's backing. No matter what they do, as long as they do not break any of the three major laws, they can practically do anything they want." The man I was talking to was referring to the three major laws that can get you on the spot judgment was killing, rape, and arson. While there was more than this, these three were considered the worst of the worst, which was why they were called the three major laws.

"Where can I find this Foster Gang?" I had only this one clue. If I wanted to save Sophie, I had no choice but to go in. If I use some sleep magic, I can knock them all out without having to kill anyone. However, I did need to hit the one who tossed a fireball at me. It singed a few strands of my hair!

The stall owner furrowed his brow before letting out a sigh. "Little girl, I know you wish to help your friend. But it's best if you do not go…. Just think of it as this old man trying to save your life."

"Sir, please. I beg you. I will even pay for the information. Sophie is my friend and was already kidnapped from her hometown. How can I leave her alone now when she needs someone to save her? Plus. I am strong. I can destroy your stall if you would like me to prove it." Yes, I used a threat! I have no choice. It is either he tells me, or I prove my strength! 𝗶𝙣𝗻𝚛eα𝑑. 𝒸𝗼𝑚

The stall owner sighed once more before shaking his head. "Go down to the east side of town at the East Side Slums. There is a large building deep in the slums. If you hurry, you can make it there by nightfall. But be careful. I heard they have set up quite a few magic defensive systems in that place. Also, those bastards have someone who is able to set up teleportation points. This is probably how they disappeared so quickly."

I fished out five silver and placed them on the stall counter. "To show my thanks, thank you."

I turned and took off from there. The east side slums was not a place I knew about nor how to get there, but I figured with detection magic running over a great distance, giving me a view overhead, I should be able to find it with no problem. But if these people have teleportation systems, things may get tricky. If they have one to the Count's territory on the floating island, then I might be in for a bit of a long flight. I just hope I can reach her before that happens.

I ran through the streets instead of flying this time. There was a law that kept people from being able to fly through the air. But I wonder why they would have such a law when from what I understand, there were not many who could fly on their own unless it was a demi human like myself with wings. Well, I guess there could have been a time when airships and those with wings would get into accidents. Or it could be to ensure the safety of the nobles living on the floating island. If I had to guess, the latter was most likely the case.

As I continued forward, I noticed a distinct difference in the quality of the buildings. They were becoming more and more run down the further east I went. It made me wonder just how much of this city was actually slums. I guess my perception of the quality of life of the lower city was actually nothing more than an illusion.

If that was the case, then I wonder what could be done to improve the lives of these people. Seeing the kids running around in rags made my heart feel bitter. Here I was being treated like a princess while these kids were barely living. And the deeper I went into the slums, the worse it got.

Crime seems to run rampant here. I had to restrain myself from helping those I saw. Sophie's matter took precedence at this time. And even if I did help today. What about the next day? Or the day after? This was a place where the law of the city did not reach, it seemed. What meaning did the laws of the city have in this part of the city when no one came to police this section to keep crime low. And if they did, they were probably all corrupt. It is no wonder that the Count could have the Foster Gang hiding here doing all his dirty work for him.

I kept moving, speeding up as much as possible, whizzing by everyone who tried to stop me. I had no time to spare. Time was of the essence, and I still did not know if Sophie was taken to the floating island yet or not. If she has made it to the floating island, I would need to do one of two things. The first would be to beat the people in the Foster Gang until they tell me where the teleporter is, and the second would be to fly up there myself.

As I continued deeper into the slums, my detection magic finally honed in on the leader of the people I had just fought standing outside one of the buildings. I stopped off at a small alley not too far from the building and used my detection magic to scan the building. "Four floors above ground and two floors below? But no signs of Sophie…. Hmmm? A magic circle? Is this the teleporter?"

I was not sure, but since the boss man was standing there, I guess I could always ask him. I took a deep breath and walked out of the alley and towards the man who was smoking what I guess is this world's equivalent of a cigarette. I stopped right in front of him and watched as his eyes went wide and the cigarette in his hand dropped to the ground. "You! How!?"

"Let's talk shall we?" I smiled and reached out and grabbed him by the next. My smile slowly faded as my eyes became cold: "Where is Sophie?"

"Urgh! She's already sent back to the Count. You can't…. Cough! You can't get her back now!" Hearing the leader's words, I sneered and began squeezing his neck tighter.

"Where is the teleporter? Either you take me there, or I kill you and every one of your men. And do not think that I won't. I know this place is not overseen by the knights and guards." I was being serious this time. Just thinking about how scared Sophie must be right now. Being kidnapped and taken back to the place she ran away from. How could she not be scared? My eyes lit up, and ten fireballs formed around me. One floated towards the leader's face causing some of his hair to become singed, while the others flew forward and slammed into the entrance of the building, blowing it inwards.

No more playing around. Even if there is a defensive magic set up here, it would not matter. "Mana shield." I softly spoke as I began walking forward without waiting for the leader to answer. I still had detection up and found only one source of residual magic that had enough power left in it to be considered for transportation. Whether I was correct or not was another story. But from my understanding of magic circles and runes, this was the most likely place for a transporter.

"Argh! Let me go. I will tell you!" I did not listen to him. I was bringing him along with me no matter what, so why would I let him go so easily?

"Leader!" I heard a yell come from my side as I stepped through the entrance. I was met with no resistance at the entrance so I guess the defense system was not much of anything. I do, however, think I did feel a slight itch on the mana shield but nothing more. -.i𝓷𝚗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝒅. co𝘮

I turned towards the voice that yelled to see six men staring at me with their swords drawn. I sneered, and a second later, those same six men were now upside down with their heads stuck in the floor. "So? Where is it?"

"Basement… the second basement!" The leader of the Foster Gang yelled out. I nodded and waved my hand, putting the stupid idiot to sleep. The basement was the exact place I was getting the residual magic signature from. I dropped the leader and then grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him along with me as I found the stairwell. I already knew the whole place in and out, so there was no need for me to ask for directions.

Any gang member that came to attack me was stuffed head first into the wooden floor boards. Sometimes with magic, other times by hand. With the bandits, it was feet first. This time it was head first.

I arrived at the bottom floor quickly without much issue. I made sure that every time I destroyed something that I put out the flames soon after. I did not wish to start a fire here in the slums. While I am sure there are a lot of people who are bad in these slums, the kids and the other good people who are living here struggling to make ends meet were not. One fire can destroy not only their homes but also take the lives of the thousands living in this place.

In front of me, inside a small room on the second basement level, is a small platform with a magic circle slowly spinning around in a dormant state. "Hmmm, connects to points between two identical magic circles. Interesting concept. Uses a form of space and time magic bending locations…."

I looked at the magic circle over and was quite surprised. Teleportation magic actually creates a bend in space and time to connect the two points. I made sure to imprint the entire thing into my mind before stepping onto it. I already understood the entire makeup of the magic circle. I injected a bit of my mana into it and then watched as the scenery around me changed.

"What!? Who are you!? Dedrei!? What is going on!?" A man wearing metal and leather armor yelled out while pointing a sword at me.

I guess the man in my hands was called Dedrei. Not thinking too much about anything, I used my detection magic and scanned the entire building I was in. It was definitely a mansion, and I was currently on the third basement floor. The building had three basement levels and four top levels. And the person I was looking for was locked away in a small room on the third floor. The room was dark and dim, with only a bed and a bathroom. There was not even a single window to be seen. Sophie was in the corner of the room with her head in her knees. I could hear her crying.

My anger started to take control as a loud crack was heard. Dedrei's head tilted to the side lifelessly as I raised his body up and tossed him full force at the guard, pointing his sword at me. "All those who helped kidnap Sophie will be punished."

Dedrei's body flew through the air and smashed into the guard, causing him to fly back with the body. Their bodies slammed into the wall, crashing through it before slamming into the wall in the hall outside. I heard a cry of pain before silence. I could tell the other man was not dead, but he did have quite a few broken bones.

I know my actions may seem rash, but I do not care. Sophie is locked up like a prisoner when she has done nothing wrong. Whether these people wished to help the Count or not is not my problem, they still helped, and that is all I need to know in order to punish them. I didn't mean to actually kill Dedrei. He was just unlucky. My hands slipped due to anger….

"No, since taking the stairs, it will only cause issues for me. Since it is basically a straight shot, I will just fly straight up." It was time to see just how good my strength truly was. I flapped my wings and rose off the ground. When I reached the ceiling, I pulled my fist back and imbued it with magic before thrusting it out.

*Boom!*

A loud explosion of rock and cement rocked the entire mansion. I looked up and could now see a clear hole leading up to the first floor. I could hear the sounds of yelling and saw the guards running towards the hole I made with my detection magic. Not wanting to be delayed, I quickly flew up through the hole and landed on the first floor.

"I should have put more power into my punch." I couldn't help but sigh at my own lack of intelligence. A bunch of guards came out of the side rooms and were now surrounding me.

I was about to make my move when a loud, arrogant sounding voice echoed through the hall. "To think, the child prodigy that the noble circles have been talking about is nothing more than a two bit thief!"

I turned to see a young handsome man in fancy clothes walking over with a very angry expression. "Count Freedman, I presume." I drew my sword and pointed it at him. "I think the one who should be called a thief is you, or should I call you a perverted thief? I mean, who goes around stealing young girls off the street?"

"Stealing young girls? I have no idea what you are talking about." Count Freedman tried to act dumb.

"You are not very well informed, are you, Mr. Pervert? This world has laws that even a noble like you needs to follow. The girl you kidnapped is no older than myself, and if I am not wrong, you can not forcefully take her away no matter what. I have already heard about your grand little scheme in the country. Release Sophie now, and I will ignore everything you have done, and I will leave this place. If you do not return her, I do not mind destroying your entire mansion." I could see Count Freedman's face turning all kinds of different colors as he ground his teeth. If looks could kill, well let's just say I would be dead by now.

"You do not seem to understand how this world works. Those with high status are able to do as they please. I can do as I want because I am a count. There is nothing you can do to stop me. You and the girl are nothing more than a commoner. I dare you to even think of bringing my…."

*Boom!*

A wall on the opposite side of the Count blew up. Count Freedman's eyes were wide in shock, and a trace of fear appeared within them as he stared at me. My hand stretched out in a gun pose. I drew it back and blew on the tip of my index finger. I smiled and tilted my head as my eyes glowed with an eerie light. "I said I would destroy your mansion, and I mean it. I keep my words. I will give you one last chance. Will you end this peacefully, or will you have your house destroyed? Because I can say this now. No one is stopping me from taking Sophie back. She is my friend and is in need of my help. Plus, your status means nothing to me because I can probably say that I am the most important person in this kingdom besides the king himself at this time, now that I am thinking about it. If I realized this sooner then maybe Sophie would have been fine."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You snot nosed brat! Men kill her!" I guess nobles will always be nobles. They let their status go to their head, causing them to have a huge amount of pride.

I guess this was going to end up in a fight no matter what. If I had been a bit quicker, then maybe this could all have been avoided, but now it is too late. The guards that were surrounding me all attacked at once. Either with weapons or magic. It all came flying towards me. I stood there with my mana shield on with a relaxed expression.

*Boom!*

"Hahaha! Seems like your earlier actions were nothing special!" Count Freedman yelled out. I could only roll my eyes. But in a way, his words were true. They were nothing special.

"Hahaha! You caught me! My actions earlier were nothing special!" My voice coming out of the cloud of smoke and stupefied faces of the guards who were standing there frozen with swords shaking in their hands as if they hit a metal wall, seemed to have made the count freeze.-.

"You!? How!?" I could tell by the count's expression that he had no idea how I had just negated the massive coordinated attack.

"Hmmm? Because you said my actions earlier were nothing special, so I took your attacks to become special?" I answered his questions with a question of my own while tilting my head to the side with a confused expression. "Oh, but I am not done yet. Earth wall!"

*Boom!*

All the guards were sent flying into the ceiling. I made sure to control it just enough to keep the count from being hit by it but also made sure it encircled him so he couldn't escape. "You see, now this is something special. Think about it. All your men are unable to move. You are trapped and have no place to go. You only have two choices. Release Sophie and never go near her again or…."

My lips curled up into a vicious smile as my body flashed, and I appeared in front of the count. My sword poking at a certain sensitive spot on a man's body. "Or lose the one thing that actually makes you a man in name only. Make your choice, or else you will lose much more than this mansion. I'll give you three seconds."

"One…."

"Two…."

I watched as the count's face twisted in rage and fear. I spoke each number very slowly, enunciating each letter to the fullest extent. And just as my lips parted to say three, I pressed the sharp tip of my sword on the count's family jewels. I could see the beads of sweat forming on the count's forehead as he finally gritted his teeth and yelled out: "Fine! You can take her!"

I smiled sweetly and pulled my sword back before my eyes lit up with magic circles, and I waved my hand binding the count. "This is just a precautionary measure. The binds will disappear along with the walls of earth after I leave this place."

"Just go already!" The count yelled out. I guess he figured it was useless fighting me with words. The pure rage in his eyes told me that things would not end here, which I kind of figured as much. But I did not wish to kill a count for the time being. Unless I find out something had happened to Sophie that should not have, I will allow him to live. This is just me giving face to the king of this kingdom who was willing to give me a chance.

If this was a common bandit who did this, I would have killed him the moment I saw him. But since it is a noble, I can only leave it at this. I didn't even spare him a glance before turning and walking away. My tail swaying back and forth in a mocking manner as I did. I could hear the sound of teeth grinding together as I made my way upstairs. Since there was no one who would be willing to stop me at this time, I could just take the stairs.

As I reached the third floor, I heard cursing down stairs, but I ignored it. The whole house was well decorated with many expensive looking things, like vases and statues and art. And since they were just sitting out in the open like this, they also just happened to disappear as I walked by. Where they went, no one will ever know. But I was thinking to visit the pawnshop I saw on the south side of the lower city.

I know some would say that my actions are no different from that of a bandit, but I mean, they stole Sophie, so shouldn't I get some compensation for her? It can be considered physical and mental compensation. For giving Sophie such a scare.

Before long, I was standing in front of the door of the room where Sophie was currently locked up in. I could now tell for sure the poor girl was crying. But what irked me even more was the number of locks on the door. "You really had to go so far for a single small girl?"

I ignored the locks and pushed on the door, causing it to fall off its hinges. I guess there was even a magic barrier there because I heard a shattering sound as well. When I walked in, Sophie had raised her head, and the look on her face was priceless. I smiled brightly and waved at her casually as if what was going on was nothing more than a walk in the park. "My dear Sophie, you seem to be looking well."

"Have I died? Why is there an angel here?" Sophie's words almost made me choke on air. What angel!? I should look more like a devil, no?

I could only shake my head as I walked over and knelt down next to Sophie. I reached out with my arms and pulled the very confused fox girl into them and hugged her tightly. "You have suffered greatly. But, as I said, we are friends. I will do what I can to help you. Sorry that my incompetence allowed you to suffer."

I guess my words were like a wave of relief to Sophie, who suddenly buried her face into my chest and began crying her eyes out. She hugged me tightly as she let everything out. I knew it must have been hard. Afraid of not knowing what will happen to you. Not knowing how your life will be from now on. And not having the strength to even do as you want. She had run away once. She probably knew that running away again would not have been possible. They even locked her up as if she was some kind of dangerous criminal. 𝘪𝓷𝘯𝙧ℯ𝗮𝘥. 𝗰૦ｍ

It took a while for Sophie to finally calm down. When she did, I scooped her up into my arms in a princess carry and walked right out of the house under the gazes of the maids and male servants. When I exited through the front door, I looked up at the already dark skies before flapping my wings and lifting off the ground.

The city lights at this time of night were like a sea of stars as I flew overhead. Sophie had her arms wrapped around my neck and looked out over the scenery with wide eyes. She was not scared in the slightest. It was as if her trust in me had reached a whole new level. I wonder if she will now let me fluff her tail? I guess I should still wait. No matter how attractive the fluff is, I should not just randomly reach out and fluff the fluff.

As we flew in silence, I wondered what I should do next to deal with the wrath of the stupid count. I knew I brought a lot of trouble on myself, but there was nothing I could do about it. The count had crossed the line. Maybe I should ask Sei if she has a way to contact Adel. Then maybe I can get this all swept under the rug.

But for now, I will enjoy the sight before me. "From now on, Sophie, you will stay with me. I will be talking with Adel, and I will see if you can still join the academy. This way, you will be able to decide what you wish to do with your life."

Sophie was still silent. But her arms seemed to have tightened around my neck slightly as she buried her head in my shoulder. I could see her faintly nod at my words, though, so she at least acknowledged what I said. It was hard to make out what her expression was with how dark it was, but at least after such an event, she seemed safe.

I do not know what the future holds for her, but I do hope that it will be a happy one that is much better than the one shown by the fortune teller.

It was late at night by the time I finally reached the inn. Sophie had fallen asleep in my arms and looked to be sleeping quite comfortably. When I entered the suite, my maids were actually up waiting on me and went right to work preparing a bath. I reluctantly woke Sophie up, who was very confused at first but quickly turned as red as an apple as she realized she had fallen asleep.

I chuckled as I let her down. "No need to feel embarrassed. You have had a long day. Annie and the girls are getting the bath ready. Let's bathe, eat, then sleep, okay? You can spend the night with me."

Sophie lowered her head and nodded, and followed behind me. But I could feel her gaze poking me in the back of the head as we walked. It was quite the intense stare. I wonder if she has something to say? Well, if she wants to talk, she will talk. I will not force her to say anything if she does not want to.

But now was my chance! I could fluff the fluff without seemingly being weird! As I finished undressing, I walked over and hugged Sophie from behind: "Sophie, let me wash your hair and back, okay?"

For some reason, Sophie's face became even redder, but she quietly nodded her head. A strange girl indeed blushing over everything. But I have to say this softness was just too much. If I was not worried about being seen as some kind of perverted freak, I would have already pushed my face into this fluffy goodness.-.

But I restrained myself and continued to do the job I had assigned myself to. I took great care to make sure to be gentle while washing Sohpie's hair. I have a lot of practice, so I am confident in my hair washing. Rachel even said her hair felt extra smooth when I washed it for her. This was not really a lie, though, either, because I like to inject my mana into the hair and let it primate to the scalp. It seems magic has extra benefits that not many or none actually know about.

Seeing how Sophie had been quiet this entire time. I finally decided to lighten the mood a bit. "So from today forth, we will be living together. Treat the place as your home. Although I feel that you won't, it does have to be said: do not bully the maids. They are just like you or me."

"I wouldn't…. Bully… anyone…." Sophie's voice started off big, but I guess she got embarrassed by her sudden shout that the rest of her words got quieter and quieter.

"I figured as much, but what needs to be said should still be said, no? Anyway, do not dwell too much on what happened today. Forget about that count. I am pretty sure he is raging right now but not at you. You see, I kinda told him a white lie. I said my magic would disappear once I left the house well…. Hehe." He should never have angered me. If he did not do anything to my friend, he would still be sipping his expensive wine and indulging in the many wives he has. I, for one, do not care what he does as long as he does not harm those that I see as friends and family.

But to think that my first fully official day in the capital, and I am already bringing a girl home. If I was a boy, I am sure my parents would be jumping for joy. But I am sure even if that was not the case. If I had told them the story about what happened, my mother and father would take Sophie in, in a heartbeat. They are kind and generous, after all.

Sadly I can not save every person I come across that is in need of help. Such a job is too big for a single person to handle on their own. The lives of those people in the slums need the kingdom's help to restructure in a way that does not interrupt their daily lives. It might seem inhuman, and if this was Earth, I would be bashed on social media for being biased, human rights violations, and whatnot, but I would move all the people who do not wish to work into a section of their own while helping only those who wish to better themselves. Maybe seeing the different forms of treatment will cause them to rethink their path in life.

Those with criminal histories would need to be reformed unless they have already done their time. A city this size that can be considered its own small country back on Earth really needs to be reformed with a stricter system. But I am sure this would gain backlash from the nobles who, like the count, use the slums as a base of operation for their dirty work.

No one would want the hub to hide their dirty dealings to be taken away from them. It would be too risky. But to come up with explanations on why the slums should stay around was something they would really have to work hard at. I mean, who can really come up with a good reason to continue letting the slums stay a dirty place where things hidden by society keep happening?

All in all, the only correct path on anything would be to do what can be done without giving too much. There is a fine line between helping those in need and taking care of them forever. Providing education and means to get better jobs is really the only route. At least this is my take on things. I would if I could take in everyone who wished to have a better life and work hard at it. But sadly, I do not have such means.

"Ummm…. Faith, are you done…?" I heard Sophie's soft voice and realized I was so lost in my thoughts that I was directly fluffing her tail this entire time.

I could feel my cheeks heating up as I let out a dry laugh and scratched my head. "Haha… Sorry. Let's get in the bath."

"But you haven't washed your body yet…. I-I can wash your back for you…." Although she stuttered, Sophie stood right up and pointed to the seat for me to sit down. I guess she wants to repay me.

But I have to say this…. Thank god I have tough skin. Sophie's idea of washing someone's back is like using sandpaper and scrubbing it as hard as she can against the skin. Was this punishment? It was punishment, wasn't it!? I will make a mental note not to fluff the fluff anymore. My poor back wouldn't be able to take it.

After a nice hot relaxing bath, the two of us retired to my room, where I went against my own pledge and happily dried and combed Sophie's tail and hair. She did not seem to mind, although her cheeks were bright red the entire time. After a while, the silent Sophie finally seemed to be willing to talk as she turned her head to face me. "Faith, I never did properly thank you…. You not only gave me a stranger a helping hand when I was being dragged away by those men, but when I was kidnapped, you came and rescued me from the hands of the count, even knowing you could suffer repercussions. I really do not know how to thank you for everything."

"What thanks is needed? We became friends, and that is all that matters. No friend of mine will be allowed to suffer if I can help it. And if I can't stop it, I will use force like I did today, and once I talk to Adel, I am sure you will never have to deal with such things ever again. You can live your life the way you want to from now on. You can stay with me for as long as you like. Go to the academy, find the thing you want to do, excel at it, and then when you are ready, go off and do your own thing. Maybe one day, I will be handing you off to the person you are going to marry. Ahh, they grow old so quick.." I faked crying into my sleeve, causing Sophie to finally give me a genuine smile and giggle.

"Are you my parent now?" Sophie jabbed at me. It was good to see her smiling finally.

"Far from it, but I do want you to know you have someone to support you now. I will do what I can to help. I lived my life with very few people I could call friends. Adel was my very first true friend outside my own family. Now you are my second. I hope we can support each other. That is normally how friends work, no? We confide in one another and seek advice. Joke with one another and even fluff each other's tails." Yes, I slipped in the last part, but I couldn't help it. Her tail was so soft and fluffy.

Sophie's face turned slightly red as she looked at my tail and pursed her lips. "I can only shine yours…."

""Pfft!""

We both looked at each other and began laughing. I can see my friendship with Sophie will be a good one.𝓲𝓃𝐧𝓇𝗲𝒂d. 𝑐𝐨ｍ

"Annie, Rina, Brooke, this here is Sophie, she will be staying with us from now on. So please treat her well." I decided to give Sophie a proper introduction to the maids. "Sophie, Annie is the head maid, so if any troubles crop up, just ask her. Annie, I will let you assign whoever you want to Sophie. Just know she is quite the shy one."

"Then I will have Brooke wait on Miss Sophie then." Annie gave me a bow before turning to Sophie and bowing to her. "Miss Sophie, it is a pleasure to be working for you."

Seeing the flustered look on Sophie's face made me chuckle. I knew she would react like this. But I am sure she will slowly get used to it. Brooke was a little clumsy, but she was a good girl and the younger of the two. So they should get along nicely, which was why Annie probably chose Brooke. The younger one would seem easier for Sophie to get used to. But I am sure in time, things will slowly work out.

"Okay, now that introductions are done. You girls can go to sleep. Sophie and I will clean up tonight. It's already so late." It was pushing early morning hours, and I could tell Rina and Brooke were having issues staying awake, so I wanted them to head to bed.-.

"Young Miss, I will stay awake to clean up." Annie offered, but I quickly rejected her offer.

"It's fine. Go get some rest. Sophie and I will be up for a while longer. There is no need for you to stay up. So go quick." I shooed her away. She could only nod and listen to my words.

They had already made dinner, and it was slightly cold because we took so long, but that was fine. Since Sophie was so quiet, I began telling her this and that about myself and the things I had to deal with as I grew up. She seemed to find it all interesting and even nodded her head in a few spots when I talked about being hated for being demi human. As a demi human herself, I am sure she had to deal with some hatred as well.

After dinner, Sophie and I retired to my room after cleaning up. She did not seem very against spending the night together. Tomorrow I planned to get the maids to set up one of the spare bedrooms. There were six altogether, so there was plenty of room. "Tomorrow, I will get a room ready for you, but if you still feel uncomfortable, you can sleep with me if you want."

"Thank you…. I…." Sophie had tears rolling down her cheeks. I bet she is probably homesick by now.

"Miss home?" I asked, and sure enough, she nodded her head.

"My mother and I used to sleep together all the time. We would talk about our days and figure out ways to tease my father the next day. We were shunned by our village, and my father worked hard every day. I rarely could leave the house. The village kids would throw insults at me and pull my tail and ears. I guess this is where my inability to be good with crowds came from. " Sophie's voice grew soft at the end, but I could see why she would not be good around others.

"I would probably be like you as well if not for my strength. The best way to defeat your fears and things you are not good with is by facing them head on. Today you took a big leap and even got up on stage. That takes courage. You did well." I said, reaching up and scratching Sophie's ears…. So soft and fluffy! Ahh, to die for…. Ahem….

"I really did not think I would be able to do it either. While I know I really messed up and caused you a lot of trouble, I am glad I did it. It was the first step for me to shake off this issue. But I was only able to do it because you were supporting me. Your words gave me the courage I needed to keep pushing forward. But now that I am thinking about it, I am worried about what will happen to my family. Do you think the count will be so low as to actually do something to them?" Sophie's voice began to tremble. I could tell she was about to start crying again.

I couldn't help but sigh because I know I could not say: no, he won't. There is actually a fairly good chance that he may try to use them to make Sophie willingly go back to his side. But before that happens, I should try to contact Adel and see if she can do something. I know it is a bit out of line to be trying to use my connections like this, but I have no choice. It is either that, or I kill the stupid count altogether.

But if I did that, I am sure there would be backlash from the other nobles. They would think of me as a threat to not only them but to the whole kingdom and push the king to get rid of me somehow. No matter how good of an accomplishment I made, they would still try to kick me out. The only option to do that would be to use my biggest trump card! Little Bell! But wait… speaking of Little Bell… where has she been this entire time!? "Little Bell?"

"Hmmm? You called?" Little Bell appeared in front of me in a ray of light, rubbing her little eyes. Sophie stared at the little spirit in front of her with wide eyes.

"Where have you been!? I was about to start panicking." I really was. If the leader of the spirits found out, I lost Little Bell wouldn't the whole kingdom suffer? More than that, my parents would be the ones to suffer the most. Just thinking about it scares me to death.

"I was inside you. The day we left the forest, the elder had formed a space within your body for me to retreat to. I didn't want to disturb you today, so I went into the space to sleep…." To be honest, I am not sure how I feel about this. Little bell has her own house inside my body. And it was put there by the leader of the spirits…. I think these spirits are much more than what they let on.

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out before looking back at Sophie. "Sophie, this is Little Bell. She is a spirit. She has traveled with me for a while. But she is also a very big secret that can not be revealed easily. While I say this, she is also our biggest trump card if the count decides to capture your parents and try to use them against you. We will have a means of taking him down. So don't worry, okay?" 𝘪𝑛𝒏r𝘦𝚊𝐝. 𝒄o𝐦

Sophie was trying to process everything and absentmindedly nodded. I could tell it was a lot to take in, but all she needed to know was that things would be okay. That night, Sophie fell asleep curled up and snuggled up next to me. I even heard her mumble in her sleep, calling out for her mother. It pained me to know that a girl her age was suffering so much. I gently stroked her head while I softly spoke with Little Bell.

"Little Bell, what is the space like? And where is it exactly?" I was truly curious. I had a Little Bell's house inside me, and I couldn't even check it out. This kind of irked me and also made me feel slightly weird. From some of the books I have read, there are many where the main characters will have special spaces inside their souls or minds that will be home to the contracted beasts or whatever they contract. I always felt it was kind of weird. I mean, there were some, where the female lead will have some old man inside them seeing everything they do. It made me wonder if these authors were just perverted or what. But if you put aside the fact that some old man was watching a girl dress, undress, and bathe all the time, the stories were pretty good otherwise. But these characters could visit these locations, whereas I can not. Well, for the time being, anyway.

"It is a small pond with a little forest surrounding it. It is not that big. It has many pretty flowers, so I like to lay on them and fall asleep." From how Little Bell described it, it did seem like a small little paradise just for her. For some reason, I feel slightly jealous. But one day, I will also have a small abode I can use as a place to escape to. I mean, there are small worlds. If I grow powerful enough, I may just be able to create one of my own and make it a paradise for me to retreat into.

I smiled and reached up and patted Little Bell on the head: "Sounds like a wonderful place."

The next few days, I spent them lounging about with Sophie. I helped train her a bit in magic and gave her some ideas on what she can do with spatial magic. Like inscribing runes into items to make them into storage devices. If she were to sell such things, she could make a pretty penny for herself. Of course, this would need Adel's help as well to make sure she was protected and did not get scammed.

But today was a day that I decided to do something about my own money situation. I still had some gold and could live off it, if I so wished, for quite a while, but it was not enough! So right now, Sophie and I were both on the streets of the capital heading to a blacksmith that Sei told me about.

It was said to be the best blacksmith in town when it came to intricate items. He was a one hundred percent dwarf! I was actually quite excited to finally meet a staple fantasy character. I know I am a dragon, and I know I have a fox girl sitting next to me, but dwarves and elves were different! They were like the cream of the crop when it came to fantasy.

We did not walk today. Sei was nice enough to get us a carriage as the place we were heading to was very far away. The carriage was not as fancy as Adel's carriage, but it was still quite nice. It had two large, scaled horses pulling it, and no one dared to stand in their way. Their hoofs alone were enough to squash me!

As we made our way down the streets of the capital, I rested my head on the window and watched the passerby as they did their thing. It was strange being able to ride around the city after all the walking I did the past few days, but to get to this blacksmith, it would have taken almost all day by foot.-. iｎ𝓷𝓇𝒆α𝒅. 𝗰𝘰𝘮

The trip was rather pleasant without anything really interesting happening. Little Bell did dance around while looking out of the window just as she did when she was in Adel's carriage. She seemed to really like carriages. I guess I should get one when I am rich.

The place we pulled up to look like a run down shack. But as someone who is well read and had read of many situations like this in novels, I knew never to look down on the building. Normally the masters of their trade would always have such places. Little Bell did get scared and turned into a ray of light and shot into my body. I was still getting used to this. Sophie held onto my arm and seemed slightly afraid as well. But to be honest, I had no idea what there was to be afraid of. I mean, it's just a run down smithy with a loud, angry voice yelling from the inside about how it was just not working.

"Why the hell is it not working! I could have sworn I forged the piece correctly." Hearing the gruff voice coming from inside, I became curious as to what he was trying to make that would cause him to be so angry. With a fox girl at my side, I walked into the blacksmith to finally meet Thurul.

"Excuse me!" I yelled loudly because I felt that if I didn't, I would probably be here all day waiting for the man to come out.

"Ahhh! Pull my beard out, why don't ya! Why did you have to yell so loud!?" Oops. It seems Thurul has good hearing. But looking at him now, I couldn't help but nod at the stereotypical dwarf in front of me. He was short and stout and had muscular arms. His long red beard almost reached his stomach, and he looked quite jolly at first glance if you did not look at the eyes filled with a bit of anger. "Well, speak up, why are you yelling at the entrance of my shop?"

I scratched my head feeling slightly embarrassed as I answered: "I heard you yelling from outside and figured you might be hammering away inside, so I did not know if you could hear me. Sorry for yelling. My name is Faith. I came here to talk to you about a job that will need a bit of fine tune crafting."

"Hmmm? Not bad for a young'en. Normally you all run around wild, not caring about how you talk to your elders. It's good that you came. I really needed a break." Thurul seemed to be a down to earth guy. Even Sophie relaxed a bit and let go of my arm.

"Do you have a place we can talk? The item I want to make needs to be kind of kept secret." I hoped he did have a quiet place. Because if I started talking details or someone saw my blueprint, they would definitely take my idea!

"Sure thing, follow me." Thurul did not make things hard as he nodded and took us to a side room. As soon as I stepped through the door, I could feel myself passing through a strong barrier. And I mean something I have no idea how to make. I once again realized how small my world is compared to the actual world around me.

The room, unlike the rest of the shop, was well kept and had two couches facing each other with a table in between. The walls were painted a light yellow with white trim. And the couches were both light blue, while the table seemed to be made out of some kind of expensive wood. Thurul even walked over to a tea station and made tea after having us sit down. When it was ready, he walked over and poured a cup for both Sophie and I before sitting down himself. "So what kind of item would you like me to make you, little lady?"

"Before I show you anything, and I know this may be rude, but I need to know that I have your word to never tell anyone what I am about to show you." I gave Thurul a deep look. One thing I loved about this world was one usually always kept their word, allowing those who swear on something to never break their promises.

"No worries, little lady. I have never spoken about anything I have ever crafted to anyone that is wished to be kept secret. So you have my word on this." Thurul did not seem offended, which allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Then please take a look at these." I set out two blueprints. One was for the ballpoint pen the other was for the cast to make it. As long as there were casts, things could easily be quickly made. I could then buy some metal and make them all myself using my dragon fire to metal the ore.

"Hmmm…." Thurul looked at the design, and it seemed he could not make heads or tails of it. "Little Lady, do you mind if I ask what this is?"

"I call it a ballpoint pen. You see, the ball goes inside the tube here, and when you press down on it, it will allow ink to slowly flow out as you write."

"This! Hahaha! Little lady, I think you will be making a killing if you sell these things. And you even drew up a cast for it. So I am guessing you are looking to mass produce them, right?" Thurul was straight to the point.

"Yes, I was planning to do so." I answered. I mean, no sense in lying.

"Then let's make a deal, little lady. I just so happened to be needing more money for my research. Until you make enough to get your own little factory set up, how about you give me one percent of your sales per month, and I will supply the ore and will mass produce them for you?" Oh? It seems Thurul wants to become a business partner. I sat back and thought for a moment and nodded my head. This was not a bad idea. If it's only one percent, that would be nothing. But I do feel it is a bit too low since he will be supplying the materials.

"Let's do ten percent. If you are supplying materials, the amount you get in return should be a bit more than what you are spending. But we need to make a magic contract as well. This way, everything is set in stone." Of course, business tycoon skill was now in play. Always get a contract no matter what. And also, always make sure that your partner is not getting screwed. Because if they pull out, you might go under yourself. Never burn your bridges.

"Ten percent…. Alright, now that I think about it, that does seem fairer. The materials would end up costing more in the long run." Thurul nodded his head. He gave me an approving look. I guess he was happy that I was not trying to screw him.

As I was thinking about the sales of these pens, another thought idea came to mind. "Then let's talk about variations as well…."

Oh? This is truly a good idea." Thurul seemed quite impressed with my ideas.

"Yes, the limited edition pens will allow me to sell them for fifty gold or more. Nobles like to have their fancy things, after all. Once I introduce the pens to the public, and they become popular, I only need to announce the limited edition pens. We can do one each month, and then they will become something like a collectible. But before I can even sell them, though, I need to get a patent from the king. Right now, I am just looking for a prototype." I had a good marketing scheme ready to be played out, but all of this relied on getting in contact with Adel. Sei already said she would pass the message on, so I am only waiting for Adel's reply.

"Alright. it shouldn't take long to have a perfect prototype for you." Thurul nodded and stuck out his hand. "Here is to a lasting partnership. "

"Yes, to a lasting partnership." I could tell Thurul was not going to back down anytime soon. Even he saw the money in this 'invention' of mine. I really could not wait to see it all come together. After this, there would be more and more things to create and sell. I really can not wait.

After a long trip back to the inn, Sophie and I went right to bed. She was still sleeping in my bed even though her room was done. It seemed to be a kind of therapy for her.-.

It was the next morning when the door to the bedroom was slammed open, and a figure sailed through the air and dived on top of me that I was rudely awoken, and poor Sophie was tossed to the side. "My Faith! Oh, how I have missed you!"

"Adel, where is your princess like manners?" I could only helplessly smile as I patted her head, but I was starting to get creeped out with how she was taking deep breaths with her head pushed into my chest.

I had to wait for what Adel called her Faith energy bar to be filled up before she finally released me and sat up, still sitting on top of me. I watched as her eyes flowed over to a certain fox girl who was trying to make herself look small. "This is Sophie, I presume?"

"Yes, the one I wrote about in my message." I replied while nodding my head. 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝙧𝗲𝓪𝙙. c𝒐𝙢

"She is indeed cute. I can see why that sick bastard of a count would like her. Since you have taken her in and explained to me the situation, I talked to father, and he okayed me to allow her asylum under your name. Father has given her your last name and announced that she would be joining you at the academy during the meeting last night. Count Freedman was not happy. Father said his face turned many different colors before storming out of the hall after the meeting was over. But he did ask me to tell you to refrain from flying within the city unless it is an emergency. You set off quite a few defensive magic systems, you know!" Adel reached over and flicked my forehead.

"Well, I had no choice. I was not sure if the knights would trust my word of the counts. So as soon as I had Sophie, I rushed out of the house and flew away. Speaking of knights, the one your brother has keeping an eye on me, sleeps all day long, eats, and drinks. He hasn't left his room since I have arrived." I, of course, would tattle on the incompetent fool. At first, I thought he was loyal to his job, but in one night! One night his attitude changed, and he became a fatso who sits around all day doing nothing! If he had a computer, I am sure he would be sitting in front of it looking things up and giggling weirdly.

"Don't worry, Sir Randford is teaching him a lesson as we speak. You will have a few knights as well. I will introduce you to them before we head out. I need to meet with Thurul myself and make sure he signs a separate contract with the kingdom to never speak of your designs to anyone. But for now!" I was once again embraced. I have no idea why Adel was so fond of skinship. But at least now, things were settled quite easily. Sophie was now Sophie Cyrilia which gave her protection as my family member, so none of the nobles could do anything to her without repercussions. This would not stop any deeper schemes, but it also gave me the right to step in legally and protect her. In other words, I am now her legal guardian, and without me agreeing to it, no one can take Sophie away.

While this was all good news, I am sure the count is probably planning something stupid behind the scenes. But with Adel backing me up, I can at least deal with the situation. It's just I do wonder when Adel plans to get off me. I need to use the powder room!

After finally getting to powder my nose, I walked into the living area to see Adel happily chatting with a very shy Sophie, who was slowly nodding her head with red cheeks while fiddling with her fingers. It seems she did not know how to act around Adel. "So, what do I need to sign?" I asked as I walked over and sat down in the chair next to the table.

Adel smiled and picked up a few papers from the table and put them in front of me. "You will need to sign here and here. The first one is specifically for you, which gives you full market domination over your invention. No one will be able to copy your design or sell it. If they do, they will be arrested and fined for reparations of one hundred gold per product they sold."

I couldn't help but widen my eyes at this counteract. "Isn't this a little too good? How did this even get approved!?" I may not know all the laws yet of the kingdom, but even I know this contract seemed to be way over the top.

"Hehe… do not underestimate the power of the only daughter!" Adel answered proudly with her nose in the air. "I just so happened to have one of the people who were in charge of doing patents to just so happen to make a contract that was much too good to be true, and I just so happened to go to Father and ask him to let me play with the royal seal."

I facepalmed. Adel was too much! She snuck it past her old man! Won't he get railed by the merchants guild!? But I really had to hand it to her. Adel was going above and beyond for me. "Adel, I owe you big time."

"Hehe! Nothing is too much for my Faith." Adel gave me a bright smile before pointing to the next document. "This one is for both you and Thurul. It will bind the two of you together. I added the percentage amount that Thurul will be getting from sales. This contract is binding and can only be broken if both parties agree, just like you wanted. Each one of these are magic contracts, so they can not be altered after they are signed, so, please make sure everything is to your liking."

I nodded and began reading them over. Adel did not stay quiet as she began continuing her conversation with Sophie. I took a few peeks at them and found Sophie was stuttering over her words, but Adel did not seem bothered by it in the slightest. Adel really is a kind person. I am glad I have become her friend.

It took me almost thirty minutes to read the contract. I made sure to read it quite a few times to make sure I missed nothing. My business tycoon skill kicked in big time as soon as I started reading. No one interrupted me either. But the contracts were just what I asked for. The patent was simply amazing. I basically have a lifetime patent that I could own the ballpoint pen industry for the rest of my life or at least for as long as this kingdom lasted.

With everything set, I signed the documents feeling very satisfied. With that done, I passed the patent document back to Adel and put the other in my inventory for use tomorrow afternoon when we took a trip to Thurul's shop again. He still needed to sign the contract as well. "Adel, you are staying here tonight?"

"That I am!" Adel said without hesitation. "I only have today and tomorrow before I need to head back, so I want to spend as much time as I can with you."

"Okay, then we will have a big feast tonight and then…." I looked over at Sophie, who seemed absent minded, and smiled slyly: "We can take turns brushing Sophie's tail."

"Fuwah!?" Sophie's strange noise and surprised face caused both me and Adel to burst out laughing. She was indeed cute.

"I was just kidding." To be honest, I still planned to fluff the fluff.

The next day I woke up to both Adel and Sophie sleeping next to me curled up into balls. Adel had a serene smile on her face. She was overly excited last night because she made a new true friend. While I could tell Sophie was nervous around Adel she did not treat her as royalty either. She treated her the same way she treated me. Adel took a big liking to Sophie because of this and they instantly became friends.

I stealthily slipped out of bed and left the room to be greeted by Annie who was outside patiently waiting like some kind of guard. But when she saw me she turned and handed me a robe. "Good morning, Young Miss. Sir Randford is here and would like to speak with you."

"Mm… Okay…." I nodded and rubbed my eyes before taking the robe. I have to admit Annie thinks of everything. I, myself would have walked out in my nightshirt but, thinking about it I am sure Sir Randofrd would get flustered and run away. There was a thing where women of high ranking should not show too much skin. While I could understand in some situations why this would be an issue but if it was hot out I will be damned if I am not wearing shorts and a short sleeve shirt!

I wrapped the robe around me and with my bed head and all made my way to the front room where Sir Randford was standing there waiting. "Good morning Sir Randford, you wished to speak with me?" 𝘪𝑛𝒏r𝘦𝚊𝐝. 𝒄o𝐦

"Sorry to disturb you Miss Cyrilia. I came over to let you know that I got word that his highness the crown prince is on his way over." As soon as I heard that, the smile on my face quickly fell.-.

I really pondered what this prince really wanted? Why would he come all the way here to visit when I was not anywhere close to being friends with him. Adel was one thing, we were as close as sisters but, the prince was a different story. Luckily though, Adel was here this time, so I have a strong backing. If anything I can always sick Little Bell on him! Humph! Let's see if he dares try to hug me again. I guess my thoughts were written all over my face because Sir Randford gave me a worried look and asked: "Is there a problem Miss Cyrilia?"

"Problem? Of course, there is a problem. Why would that id…. Ahem…. Why would the prince suddenly want to come over? Sir Randford, how much did he pay you to ruin my day? If I pay you more, can you ruin his day back for me?" I couldn't help but slightly chuckle at Sir Randford's current expression. He seemed to be drawn between duty and the bubble of laughter that was about to explode at any second.

After a moment of silence, Sir Randford got control of his emotions and gave me a slight bow. "Miss Cyrilia I do apologize."

"Pfft!" I couldn't hold back as I started laughing. There was a serious yet teasing look in Sir Randofrd's eyes that tickled my funny bone.

After a bout of laughter, I finally calmed down and let out a long sigh. In reality, I really did not wish to see the Mr. Ceo, wanna be. The last thing I want is to be dragged around the streets of the capital by him again and forced to eat what he orders for me. Or doing some other stupid thing.

"Faith?" Adel came out of the room in a robe rubbing her eyes and stumbily walked over to me and held onto my arm while resting her head on my shoulder closing her eyes once more. It seems she was not ready to be awake just yet.

"Sir Randford has just told me your brother is on his way."

"What!? Why is that bast….. Idit… Ahem… Why is he coming here? No, wait! He better not be thinking of hitting on you again!" I saw a fierce glint in Adel's eyes but what made me chuckle the most was her stopping herself from calling him a bastard and idiot.

"Well, whatever the reason, my princess in shining armor can protect me from the evil prince." I said jokingly but Adel actually nodded her head seriously and answered. "Of course!"

The last to come out of the room was Sophie who kept her head lowered as soon as she saw Sir Randford. I do hope we can get her to relax around others before school starts. I do not want her to be getting picked on for acting gloomy when she was such a sweet girl. I, of course, would protect her but still.

After breakfast and getting changed the three of us were about to try to sneak away and head to Thurul's place before the prince arrived, our luck quickly ran out when a fancy carriage suddenly stopped in front of ours before we could even set off. A handsome dashing man exited the carriage and walked over to ours. Sadly although his looks were good he was after all Prince Lance. Which ruined his whole image. Not to mention he still had that stupid smirk on his face.

"My dear sister, you were not going to try to leave me behind now where you?" Prince Lance asked as he went to open the door to the carriage, assumingly trying to get in to ride with us only to find the door would not open. Adel had accidentally sealed the door shut, made it transparent from the inside only, and was currently sipping tea while looking at her brother through the transparent door struggling to try to open it up.

"Adel this is not funny! Open this up right now! You know what father said!" I heard the prince yell which made me raise an eyebrow and looked over at Adel who quickly turned away from me as soon as I did.

"Adel, care to explain?" I asked, with both eyebrows raised and my hands clasped in front of me.

Adel kept side eying me and when she saw I was not going to let it go she finally let out a long sigh. "That idiot father of mine asked my brother to woo you. I told father that that was completely out of the question and that it should be enough for me to be friends with you but he seems to really want to tie you down to the kingdom. I had planned to tell you but every time I thought about it I would get angry and want to punch my brother. And then I started to think that maybe becoming a queen would not be such a bad idea and that both my father and my brothers should just disappear."

I almost spat out my tea. Adel, my dear did you not say you wished to not be a princess!? Wait more than that, did she just curse her family!? I am starting to think that maybe I should have a long talk with Adel. "No need for any offing of any people. Especially the royal family. I have no plans to be woo'd by your brother. He for one has no idea how to treat a girl anyway. He acts selfish and domineering. This might float some people's boats but it makes mine sink."

"Hehe! I knew my Faith would never fall for his fake facade!" Adel yelled as she threw her arms around me and hugged me. I guess she was worried that if I did fall for her brother I would not be friends with her anymore. But that is just plain stupid. I would be friends with her no matter what. Adel is a caring person and cares deeply for those she sees as friends. I would not toss her aside for anyone. I think guys back on earth have a saying for such a thing. What was it again… 'bros before hoes' or something along these lines? In this case, it is girls before di…. No, I will just leave it at that. At any rate, I will always put my family and friends above others.

"Adel I know you are in there! Open up right now!" Prince Lance yelled out causing a huge scene out in the middle of the road. I really wish I could knock some sense into this idiot. One event after the other and he can't seem to understand that he has to keep up appearances even if he doesn't wish to.

"Adel, we should at least tell him he can't come in because there is someone else here who is bad with men. Otherwise, I fear he may throw away the face of the royal family if this continues." I glanced at Sophie who was fidgeting in her seat. It seemed she did not know what to do. When I said her name she lowered her head even more. I guess the side effect of being forced to live with a strange man you did not know will cause such things.

Adel pouted and slowly released me. She looked at the door and stood up. After stomping her feet in frustration she walked over to the door. She extended her finger out and began creating a magic circle which she gently pushed towards the door. But what we all did not expect was that the prince who was going mad outside the carriage was currently pulling hard on the door. With the magic that was holding it closed now released, said prince was sent flying backward causing him to land hard on his princely butt.

As for Adel, who got a front row seat to the sight of her brother falling down so gracefully, she was now rolling on the floor of the carriage looking nowhere near what a princess should be looking like: "Hahahahaha! He… Fell… Butt.. Hahahaha!"

From where I was sitting, I could see the anger and embarrassment on Prince Lance's face growing by the minute. I knew that he was about to explode at any second. So I said nothing and sipped the tea in my hand. Sophie had scooted up next to me at some point and tried to make herself look as small as possible. Her ears and tail were sagging, making it seem like she was the one about to get yelled out.

"Adel! You did that on purpose!" Prince Lance yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Hahaha!" Adel was still laughing completely ignoring the red faced prince.-.

I sighed and placed my cup down. "Prince Lance, can you please keep your voice low. You are scaring Sophie and are attracting much unwanted attention." inn𝘳e𝑎𝘥. co𝐦

"But Adel!" Prince Lance looked at me like a child being scolded by his mother. I was really not sure how I felt about this. Did my scolding from before hit some kind of button in his head?

Thinking about this, I decided to give it a try. "You are older than your sister, so you should be the mature one. Plus, she did not know you were pulling on the handle that hard otherwise, she would not have released the magic she had binding the door closed."

"But…." Prince Lance glared at Adel, who was now calming down from her laughing fit before snorting and looking back at me. "Faith, I would like to know if you would like to ride with me on the way to…."

"Absolutely not!" Adel shot right up and shouted. Her shout not only made Sophie and I jump but also Prince Lance.

"Sister, why are you blocking me!?" At this point, I really wish I could punch this prince and tell him hey, I want nothing to do with you. I do not like how he does things. He can treat some other noble lady however he wants, but I will never let myself be in a relationship with a man like this.

"Blocking? Dear brother, you need to take a look at yourself first. You are trying to act as if you own Faith. Has she said anything about liking you? Has she said anything about wanting to be near you? Are you assuming just because you are the crown prince that, she will like you like all those other tramps who want to climb into your bed in hopes of becoming a concubine and gaining some status? Do you know how many headaches I get from those girls who fake being friends with me while trying to get information on you? I will not allow my one true friend to be corrupted by you or harmed in some way by one of your crazy fangirls. Faith is mine and will never be yours." I think Adel just claimed me as if I was some kind of object but well…. Adel is Adel, so I will just let it slide. I mean, she is telling her brother off for my sake, after all.

"You!" Prince Lance gritted his teeth. He looked at Adel with flames in his eyes before turning to look at me. "What about you? Am I not good enough?"

I sighed… I really wish I did not have to do this, but it looks like I will have no other choice but to say this out loud. "Prince Lance. Although you are handsome and are the crown prince. And I am sure many girls wish they could even get you to smile at them, but sadly I am not one of them. I have no wish for becoming some princess or any wish that has much to do with status. I have dreams I wish to accomplish. While I know turning you down could cause you to be angered and want to block my dreams, then I would have no choice but to move on to a land that will allow me to see my dreams come to fruition, of course, I would bring my family along as well."

I did not wish to turn him down so bluntly like this, but I had no choice. I did not wish to be stuck in this tug of war and end up forced into something I did not wish to be forced into. When I saw how dejected Prince Lance's face had become after hearing my words, I did feel a little bad but only a little.

"This…. I would never…." Prince Lance lowered his head. He seemed to be lost in thought or maybe the shock of me actually turning him down was not even something he even thought about. "I see… I guess it would block your path…. Fine then."

To my surprise, Prince Lance raised his head and smiled at me. "I will support you in your goals, and maybe one day, you will see me in a better light. Adel, take care of Faith. I leave her in your hands."

"You can count on it." Adel said smugly, but at the same time, I could see a hint of pity in her eyes as she looked at Prince Lance.

"Then I will no longer bother you, ladies." Prince Lance gave a bow and walked away. Soon I heard the carriage in front of us begin to roll away. Only then did I let out a long relieved sigh and sit back in my chair.

"Faith, I think this might have been a shocker to my brother, who has always been used to girls liking him from the start." Adel said as she closed the door to the carriage and sat back down.

"What else was I supposed to do when he put me on the spot? I do not wish for some grand title or status as crown princess. I just wish to go to the academy and rise through the ranks of the kingdom's army until I can finally lead a unit of my own." While I know I turned him down, I do hope he will one day find someone who loves him for him and not because of his status. I hope he will also learn how to treat a girl properly after this as well.

"You are right. I do know that if you did not say anything, he would continue to make a fuss. This is for the best." I watched as Adel sighed. "I just know I will be hearing it from Father when I get back."

"Oh, why is that?" I asked. I did not understand why Adel would be getting an ear full when she has done nothing wrong.

"Because it is partly my fault that my brother was not able to woo you. I tried to tell my father that trying to marry you to brother would not work out well, but he still decided to do it. So now I will be yelled at because I am sure he will blame it on me for why my brother failed." Adel explained, which made me realize this might just be true if the prince goes back and makes a fuss. But from his actions just now, he might not do that.-.

"Well…." I paused and a teasing smile formed on my lips. "You can always tell your father that I am yours, and no one can take me away from you. Like you did to your brother."

"Faith! I didn't mean it like that!" I watched as Adel's face turned bright red. I know she didn't mean anything by it but teasing her for it was something I couldn't resist.

I gave her a playful grin before turning to Sophie, who had been quiet this entire time. "Sophie, you okay?"

"Fuwah!?" I guess I surprised her because she made an interesting sound when I spoke to her. "Ah yes… I was just… I am not good with guys right now…."

"Sophie, don't worry. I promise on my name Adellia Gravos that no noble will be able to touch you. You will be safe staying with Faith. And your family will be moved from their current home to the Cyrilia Village." Adel's words shocked me. She never told me that she actually went as far as to move Sophie's family!

"Adel…." I almost teared up. Adel always goes far and beyond. But I guess I was not the only one moved because Sophie began crying.

"Hehe…. If you are friends with Faith, then there is no way you are someone bad. I trust Faith's ability to judge people, and since she became your friend, that makes you my friend, so of course, I would make sure all things are covered. I know Count Freedman, that petty man, will definitely try something. Why I didn't say anything before was because I was waiting to get confirmation that things were set." Adel blushed as she rubbed her nose. I could help but toss my arms around her and hug her. 𝒊n𝙣𝓻𝚎𝒶𝚍. 𝑐𝗼𝓶

"Adel, you are an angel!" I said with a big smile and tears in my eyes. I will make sure to always be on Adel's side no matter what happens in the future. I do not care even if she becomes an enemy of this kingdom. She is someone with a good heart. Of course, this is only if she has not become a tyrant. If that happens, I will be sure to flick her forehead and make her snap out of it. But I will be with her through thick or thin. She is definitely a true friend.

Sophie's eyes were red with tears as she looked at Adel. "Thank you… Thank you so much…. I have been worrying about my parents' safety ever since I ran away the first time. But now. Now… Whaaaa!" Adel and I both looked at Sophie and smiled warmly before pulling her into a group hug. Sophie must have been very worried this entire time but bottled it up in order not to trouble us.

Sophie calmed down by the time we reached Thurul's place. She decided to lay down in the space in the back of the carriage that Adel and I used during our trip to take a nap while Adel and I headed inside the shop. We were now currently sitting in the guest meeting room sipping on tea while Thurul read the contract.

Thurul scanned the contract over and nodded his head. "This contract is rather strict on both parties and leaves no room for anyone to screw the other over. I see nothing wrong with it, but before I sign, are you sure you want to give me ten percent? By the fact that I know these things will take off and will be sold out almost instantly, you will be handing over quite a huge chunk of change."

"Thurul, if I did that, would I not be screwing you over? The materials alone will cost a good sum of money and if you got too little, you would barely be able to make even. Ten percent is what you deserve since all I am doing is selling while all the hard work lies with you." I said while setting my teacup down and looking at him straight in the eye. "Take the ten percent. To find an honest business partner and keeping them happy is hard to do. I do not wish to lose you before anything can even get made." It was true that Thurul will be doing the brunt of the work. If I lost him, I would have to search for another blacksmith I could trust. I have many more ideas, and I only wish to stick with one person.

I do, however, plan to make a factory that will do mass production on pens before I go and start my next venture. There are many things I know I can build, and will need a knowledgeable person here to help me. I mean, I could spend points on blacksmithing in my skill menu, but it will never become something I truly wish to do later on in life, so I do not wish to spend all my points.

"Then I will not stand on ceremony anymore." Thurul smiled at me before pulling out an actual ballpoint pen and signing the contract. I looked at him in shock as he looked back at me with a wide grin. "By the way, this is the first one I made, it works like a charm."