Burgeoning Feelings

My head rest on the pillow, looking to the dimly lit ceiling. It was ornate, with carvings of grandiose battles and ruined kingdoms.

It was a private room paid for by both Elliane and I. There were two rooms, one of which I was occupying at this very moment.

'An opportunity' I scoffed, of course there would be, according to Ellaine's information this trial spanned continents, and because of that there were bound to be things that we could take with that.

Whether it be enchanted items, potions, or what I was most excited about materials. It mattered not if it was a monster's scales, ore, or even just by products. I was sure that this place would be a utopia for me.

Not to mention the fact that we could monopolize this whole trial. It would be hard, impossible even but I bet we could. With the right timing and planning we could at the very least take up to half of the objects we would need to collect.

There was no doubt about that, even now when I think about the people that I had seen so far in this banquet of waiting, they were pathetic.

I didn't want to be too harsh as I knew that we were abnormal but it was the truth. Most of them would not last a single blow against me.

And because of that as long as we were able to find them, they would not be able to resist our robbery. Of course this hinged on the fact that Ellaine was willing to resort to robbery.

I would know, I had forged a sword perfectly matching her. And I knew that she was uncompromising in her ideals.

And said ideals would not allow for her to do something so unsightly.

I sighed as I started to readjust my plans. If we could not monopolize the place then we would need to at the very least find some hidden pieces.

But in order to do that we needed some sort of scouting skill, something for both range and detail oriented.

Kind of like an eagle's eye, one that could both see far and identify unique objects from a distance.

'Wait' that was a thought, I could buy a skill from the shop.

But with my measly points would we be able to buy anything meaningful. I knew that eagle's eye was a skill as it was something that I had seen when browsing through the skills absently.

But the effectiveness was still up for debate.

Would it be enough?

I pulled my head from the pillow, I needed to talk to someone about this. And who better than Ellaine herself. One who had the same privilege as I.

…

My head lay down on the table beside me, food was laid out yet I was not hungry.

My thoughts were elsewhere. So far Mihr and I had rushed through the trials and because I knew that there were not many places to stand out those trials I was fine rushing through them.

But now I was at a crossroad. One where my Dignity as a knight, as an upstanding person would be put on the line.

There were two options before me, one where I preserve my dignity and do average in this trial. And the final option where, like a common bandit, I resort to violence and thievery to take for myself an advantage.

I sighed as I raised my head and looked to the murals on the ceiling, my gloved hand reaching to it as if I could grasp it with my pitiful strength.

The white glove on one and the black on the other. They both relished in healing. I could feel their desires. It was abnormal, I knew that, but even then I could not help but think of my time with Mihr.

All the times that he had not only saved me, but convinced and given me hope to be better. Even before I had started this journey he had given me the courage to surpass even my ancestors and take on the hardest challenge of my life in the [Nightmare] of the tutorial.

Even now I shivered at the thought of what I had gone through.

But it did not even end there, in the second trial where we had to defend a structure he had not hesitated to take my suggestion and face the onslaught together.

I had no hope then, when the horde had come surrounding us I had thought we were destined to die. Reaching too far into the sky and falling to the ground.

But again he had saved and given me hope. It was in that moment, when he had annihilated that horde at the risk of his own life, that I had felt my heart beat for him.

In the subsequent days that I cared for him, again and again my heart beat for Mihr and only Mihr.

And then it happened again, in the fourth trial, where we had been lost in a maze. When I had been at the end of my own ideas, lost in not only the maze but in my own thoughts of doubt.

He had brought me out of them and sold me the idea of hope, leading us to victory over the maze.

The hand that reached to the mural fell, with no strength left and grasped at my heart.

It was true, I could no longer deny it. I found not only comfort and companionship in Mihr's presence but hope.

Hope for a better future, for my continued growth, but most of all for a life that I could live, one with him as my companion.

For now and evermore.

"Ellaine…?"

My heart almost jumped from my chest, an explosive blush on my face as I realized the time. It had already been an hour since we had rented the room.

And because of that Mihr must have come to discuss strategies with me. Yes, that was it. Strategies.

Strategies.

'Ah! Away, Away!" I yelled in my mind, trying to fight off the blush.

And I had successfully done just that, recomposing myself and answering with a 'yes'.

The door opened and there he was, in all of his glory. Mihr. I couldn't help my heart as it skipped a beat at the sight of his face.