Chapter 61 - New Developments

~6958 words. longest chapter in this fic.

SYLVIE INDRATH

Like a velvet cloth, when placed on a thorny plant and suddenly pulled, gets torn apart --- ending up in tatters, I felt the same. The very fragment of the entire being --- my very soul... it felt like a hand made of flames had gripped me and was ripping me in half, plunging me into anguish... sorrow... despair that was beyond any description.

He was gone...

My bond. Someone I spent all my life with. Like he was never here, his presence vanished like he didn't even exist. I couldn't even comprehend the situation. I was with Ellie and her bond, Boo, in her room. We were just talking about him... Arthur; when all of a sudden I felt like my internal organs were being ripped apart. No... it wasn't just my organs. It felt like my soul was being cleaved into half. My heart felt heavy... and the tears from my eyes won't stop.

Why...?

...why???

How can he leave me just like this?

"Sylv? Sylvie? What happened? Hey, what happened?" Ellie's voice reverberated in my ear, a fragile melody tinged with desperation, her trembling arms clutching my shoulders in a futile attempt to awaken me from this nightmare. My body quivered uncontrollably, mirroring the intensity of her every jerk, as if a torrent of sorrow had drained every ounce of strength from my limbs. The weight of disbelief pressed upon my heart, threatening to suffocate me. How could it be true? Did he truly die? The mere thought sent waves of anguish crashing through the fragile walls of my shattered soul. I couldn't believe it. What happened to him? No... no, he can't die. No one can kill him on this continent. Was he poisoned? Ambushed? What happened to him?

My train of thoughts careened off the tracks, hurtling into a nightmarish realm where every twisted notion grew more macabre than the last. The tendrils of a morbid hollowness crept into the pit of my stomach, coiling like venomous serpents, as a festering fear clawed its way to the surface. It bubbled and churned, like molten lava, scorching the depths of my being with its searing touch. The anguish within me reached its crescendo, compelling me to release the torment that plagued my soul. I screamed—a primal, guttural cry that shattered the fragile confines of my throat, echoing through the desolate corridors of Ellie's room filled with my despair and her confusion. I never knew I could scream so loud. Nor did I know I'd be able to feel like this. And neither did I know I would be able to feel this hurt.

Even after everything he taught me... even after training me so much... even after guiding me through his memories... I wasn't able to be there when he... died. As his bond, it was my duty... my sole responsibility.

'You should experience them.' Arthur's voice ringed in my ears. Ignoring Ellie's pleas, I looked around but he wasn't here. It was a memory.

A sealed memory.

Arthur not only could form a wall around his own memories but he was able to seal even mine. I didn't really mind it since everything he did had a purpose. But what is this memory about?

'Experience what?' The memory started to play like a movie in my head.

"The thing you asked earlier. While it's true that emotions would hinder you in the long run and would cloud your judgement, it's also wrong to not enjoy life just because of that. You can enjoy life only when you embrace your emotions."

"So why don't you do it? Or do you not have emotions at all?"

"Who knows. Maybe I do. Maybe I do not. You're my bond. What do you think?" He asked as his long hair started to sway with the slightly flowing wind, his face looking like that of a transcended being as his eyes glistened in the morning sun --- reflecting an unbridled amount of knowledge veiled behind a stoic face.

"I think... you have a lot of them. And just because of that you show nothing. Or maybe, you have them like an average human but your ideology doesn't let you embrace them."

"Hmmm."

"Don't 'hmmm' me. Tell me. Was I right?"

"I'll leave that to you to figure out. But I'd say one thing," he paused after that and looked in the rising sun. His features went murky. I couldn't make out his expressions while he was talking, "while you see me as a role model, I am the worst example you can set for yourself. I am a human. I am not ever-lasting like you asuras. So learn to embrace them like every other living species. I would not always be around to fill the void you're creating by becoming more and more like me."

With that, the memory transmission ended as more tears started to fall from my eyes.

"Why?"

VIRION ERALITH

The castle... no, everyone who knew of Arthur's existence was in shambles. The 3 eyed asura... Aldir sat in the meeting room with his fingers interlinked, forming a tangle of knots and a heavy frown over his face. His face reflected a wild, uncontained amount of rage mixed in with an unknown anxiety. I had never seen an asura this troubled. No matter what happened, they always appeared composed, but since Arthur disappeared, he has appeared too restless. His heel touched the marble floor repeatedly, transitioning seamlessly from the rapid beats of anxious anticipation to the languid cadence of contemplation --- mirroring his frenzied state of mind.

There was a ballet of emotions swirling within the sanctums of my own mind and I could feel the anxiousness bubble from the pit of my stomach like a demon crawling from the pits of hell. Thoughts and feelings, like capricious spectres --- converged and intermingled, entwining themselves into a singular, all-encompassing feeling.

Regret.

I had talked to that brat way too harshly back when I got drunk. I understood how I was lacking --- both as a grandfather and a commander. And for the brief moment his eyes landed on me, I felt my life flash before my eyes. But he changed. The way I saw him when he was just a small brat... he could kill. Kill just for the sake of his satisfaction and end results. But he had changed. But was this really the time to be thinking about all that? How could someone not only kill him but make his body disappear?

It was absurd.

The only one who last saw him was Arisu but she has stayed silent since then and Lord Aldir had told everyone that she should not be disturbed since she is the second most valuable "asset" to the asuras.

"It's baseless to assign Lances to investigate him. They should be focused on the war," Lord Aldir announced as the human royalty lowered their heads. Alduin shifted in his seat uncomfortably, visibly disgruntled by the decision. Restless within his seat, he shifted uneasily, the weight of the decision settling uneasily upon his shoulders.  Merial placed her hand on his, slowly caressing it. Alduin looked up to look into her eyes as she shook her head. The merest hint of a frown appeared on his forehead as he gingerly bit down upon the lower lip.

"The meeting is adjourned," Lord Aldir announced and placed the parchment in his hand on the table. Priscilla and Blaine bowed their heads and stood up, getting ready to leave. From the corner of my eyes I could see Kathyln and Tessia stand in the corner together as they clutched each other's hands. I never knew they were so close.

However the thought vanished as I realised something. It was the brat's doing. I had seen him grow up. And rather than focusing on himself, he has a deep rooted obsession with other people's progress. He was difficult to read but I could tell at least this much.

Suddenly, as if blown away by a whirlwind, the doors flew open revealing a fair heighted girl. Her hair was tied up neatly and her eyes had no traces of the tears that had rolled down her eyes endlessly before. The dead look in her eyes that seemed like she was witnessing the end of her world was now replaced by a determined one as she got inside.

"I think you were told to take a rest until told otherwise." Lord Aldir spoke to Arisu as he turned in his seat and crossed his legs.

Arisu looked at Aldir with a stern look, her features showing visible annoyance. "It doesn't concern you so you can keep your nose out of it, with all due respect, Aldir." She spoke without honorifics, making everyone in the room gasp.

"How dare you?" Blaine beamed with anger. I knew she was bold but to think she can do this as well. It made me happy and sad at the same time. Arthur was almost the same as her, hence it makes me happy. But sadly, this means those 2 have no chance. They should've moved on before. But well, it doesn't matter now.

"It is alright. She isn't wrong. In essence the war is between you and Alacrya. We are just here to level the field before your war."

"A third party who has an indirect motive, yes?" Arisu finished his sentence for him.

"Exactly." Aldir replied without a moment's hesitation.

"Regardless," Arisu continued, "we can't allocate resources, especially like the lances, to something that is so uncertain." Her voice quivered subtly as she spoke, "if he's dead, he's dead. If he's alive and hiding, no matter what we do, we can't find him. It is pointless in the end."

"How could you?" Tessia's betrayed gasp left her mouth as she looked at Arisu in rage.

Arisu's stoic face turned to her, "How can I? Are you willing to take responsibility for the thousands of orphans and widows made due to us allocating military resources to something that has a 60-40 probability, leaning more towards he's gone for good?"

This was the basic difference between Arthur and Arisu and the other brats. Instead of acting on pure emotions --- something common for kids their age and even in adults --- they are fueled by pure logic. It was evident as both Tessia and Kathyln, who was also about to talk, suddenly dropped their hopes of an argument on equal grounds.

"AS I was saying, we have to focus on war. I just received a report," she explained as all eyes shifted to her, "Alacrya has suddenly hastened their offence. Almost as if they knew all about him and were waiting for this moment."

Aldir went silent before looking at Arisu, "What else do your "sources" say?"

"Forces are getting saturated in the Forest of Elshire and near the wall," She reported.

"Then we should concentrate all our forces there. We should send lances as well," Blaine suggested with a sense of urgency. Alduin nodded hastily as it concerned Elves' cherished forest.

"Not so fast," Arisu interjected as Aldir raised a curious brow at her. "While it might seem dire, Alacrya seems to be planning this war for years now. If we didn't know about the spying technology that we accidently discovered, we would've been in the middle of war before us even knowing there existed another continent. Put yourself in their shoes. Do you think that such an obvious attack could be what they've planned? Is this what they planned after having a much higher technology than us and after years of research and planning?"

Blaine went silent and Alduin slumped back in his chair. These brats. I wanted to join in but I felt like I had nothing to counter her. The amount of knowledge and sheer intellect these both possessed at such a young age almost makes me shudder at times. It's almost unreal.

"What if that is the plan all along? To make us think they'd take a complicated route but end up taking the most obvious one." Surprisingly, Tessia was the one who said this. As much as I loved her, I never expected her to present this argument.

"Kind of like the "reverse psychology". The possibility for this exists in the fullest." The human princess — Kahyln added.

"Possibility is a vague way to convince someone of your point, Kathyln dear," Arisu replied to their objections by taking a step towards them, "when you say possibility it means that it could potentially occur or exist. Add some certainty to your statements next time perhaps and it can be considerable."

"But how can you be sure of what you said? What you just said also lacks any measure of probability and only exists as a possibility as well. Just like our speculations." Tessia countered as Arisu nodded, "There are multiple factors that make me not consider your theories," Arisu started to explain as she hovered her finger in the air.

"First, while forces are getting saturated... more clustered towards those two areas there are no major military assets assigned to those battalions. Think about it," she paused, "the army marching towards the wall is an army of mutated beasts where one mage controls countless mutations. Whereas the ones attacking the forest are somewhat stronger, only a few of them possess powerful runes. How come there are no retainers or scythes despite the received reports that two scythes are already in Dicathen along with their retainers?"

"Runes?" I inquired at the alien word.

"Oh yeah. Actually... it was Arthur who told me this," she replied and a subtle change in her demeanour appeared before disappearing, "Just like how we measure strengths using our core stage or colour, Alacryans do not depend on that. Their strength depends on the rune they receive that is seared into their backs. From weakest to strongest they are Mark, Crest, Emblem and a Regalia. I've surveyed the army marching to the forest with Lance Alea. With her sensory abilities that are the best in this continent we found out that there are only 3 Regalia users amidst them."

As expected... that brat knows everything. Nothing ever escapes him, does it?

"You sure have acquired vital information. I'd take my leave for now. I have some business to attend to in Euphotus." Lord Aldir suddenly spoke as everyone except Arisu bowed subtly while she just nodded her head in his direction.

"I still don't get it. Why should we listen to you?" Alduin spoke as soon as Lord Aldir disappeared.

"You are free to not listen to me. However, the inbound ramifications would all fall for you to bear in the end." Arisu replied with a shrug of her shoulders, "I am not bound down to anyone. I can do as I please. However, what I told you is what most likely Arthur would've done."

A hush enveloped the room before Tessia bolted from her place and moved towards the door.

"Where are you going, Tessia?" Merial asked.

"To join the fight for our forest. What else?" Tessia replied almost immediately. Alduin was about to speak but I motioned for him to stay silent as I stood up from my seat. Keeping my back straight and chest out, I spoke as loudly as I could, "Tessia Eralith. Failure would not be compromised." From the corner of my eyes I could see Arisu smirk and Tessia's eyes widened in disbelief. Doing a quick salute she responded "Yes, commander!"

"Off you go, then." I replied as she left through the door.

"I als-" The human princess also showed her interest but was interrupted by her mother.

"No you can't. And this is not up for debate." Priscialla reprimanded.

"She is legally an adult now. And you sheltering her like this won't help her one bit." Arisu interrupted, "She can be at work at the wall. Indirectly, if not directly."

"I think we should listen to her," Surprisingly, Blaine was the one who said this. Uptil now, he never allowed his children to participate in war of any sort. So this was quite a unique development.

"Thanks father."

"Come on, Kathyln. We have to go. But before we go, Commander Virion?"

"Yes?"

"I'd need a favour from you."

SYLVIA INDRATH

Sitting in the corner of my small metallic cage, I hung my head down, my hair much longer than before due to lack of maintenance over the past few years. Time sure flies by. I looked around, my eyes scanning the little amethyst sparks flickering in and out of life all around me.

Agrona wasn't able to wield Aether. But the other human... Someone mentioned a lot by Grey during his visits to me... despite his inability to wield mana, he was able to gain some insights into aether. The most he could do was form defensive barriers like the one that he formed around me. It was capable of sapping any kind of mana or aether from the air the moment it manifested. In simple words... a perfect prison.

The clandestine cage was dyed in white... cold and sterile. It was clean to an extent that I could even sometimes see my hair sprawled all over it, despite being the same in colour. It almost seemed similar to what I saw in his memories — Kiyotaka Ayanokouji. Someone who stood on the pinnacle of humanity... once, in a different world, groomed in a place visually similar to this place.

"You seem to have met with my son." A voice broke through from the voice amplifying artefact. I didn't look up but let out a chuckle, "You can drop the act, Atsuomi dear. I know everything." I replied light heartedly, my words hardening while I said "everything". I could feel the elongated exhale from his nose from the artefact and silence lingered for a brief while.

"Then you should know that telling me his name and whereabouts is the best course of action." His voice came out with unwavering poise. Despite knowing he wouldn't get a single word out of me he stayed calm.

"There are ways to make you talk." He replied, his words carrying a threat that rippled through the air like a sharp knife, pointing at my throat. "You're weak now. No stronger than the lances on the other continent. Despite your core being at such a high level, your idiocy in entrusting your essence to a "being" like "him" has dropped you down to such a level." His words, laced in mockery and contempt, were razor sharp and I could feel the desperateness in his voice. It was true. What I did all those years ago — entrusting a part of my soul and my daughter to someone who doesn't care one bit about anyone but himself, was a mere leap of faith.

The way he... Kiyotaka, who had lived his life was nothing short of pitiable. Being thrown in a facility in hopes of achieving perfection — his innocence, childhood and emotions... he was robbed of everything. And then by escaping from their clutches, he robbed the perpetrator of everything. While one might never trust him after one look at his previous life, I had a momentary wish to take a leap of faith.

A leap of faith in hopes that this boy would wield my powers to nullify the handicap of being born as a lesser and use it for others. The probability of this happening was meagre. But I had hope. Not much... but hope is still hope. That hope is what has sustained me for all these years. That one day, that boy... he will put an end to all of this and to me.

I stayed silent towards his provocations, knowing anything I said would lead him towards something.

"Do you really think you've protected Dicathen just by giving him your will? Huh? He will be the first to betray Dicathen the moment the scale of war tips into Alacrya's favour." He spoke again.

Once more, I felt it—a haunting and macabre desperateness permeating the timbre of his voice, an eerie amalgamation of despair and desolation woven into the very fabric of his intonation. It was as if his very existence was slowly being chipped away. Like a disoriented fish out of its habitat —thrashing around, flailing here and there in hopes of dropping itself back into the water for some breathing room. I could feel the same desperateness in his voice. What was it? I couldn't wrap my head around the feeling and neither could I push the notion of something horrid happening away as well.

"So you've decided to stay silent till the bitter end, huh?" His condescending tone landed in my ears — fake and all made up. "Just so you know he has betrayed his continent already. Dicathen will fall in the next few days. And so will Euphotus. Rot here while knowing that you could've saved your home while you had the chance." He spoke.

"Saved my home?"

"I can help you save your home. From Agrona. From anyone. You just have to tell me his details."

"Why don't you figure it out yourself?" I asked, not sure why he was hell-bent on this. Grey had seen and faced him. According to him, Arthur would've lost to Grey purely because of him being a lesser. If only he wasn't a lesser... but wait, if this man is so hell-bent on this matter, it means Agrona is keeping information from him.

The meek like of trust between them has already been compromised, evident from how he is offering protection to me.

"Do you think you or Agrona have what it takes to stop my father?"

"Dear. Your father is nothing but a brute, relying on pure strength," he spoke and I could feel his piercing gaze from the otherside of the gleaming white walls, "he is just like any other fish on a chopping board. Albeit a bigger one."

(A/n) Sakuna said this to Gojo. Kinda hyped for that as well. Sakuna is gonna win, imo. What do you think?

With those words he left, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence interrupted by the timed zap of aetheric tendrils and the eye-numbing white light of the White Room.

*blech*

Suddenly, I threw up. A mixture of bile and blood stained the flawless white marble beneath and I felt my core tremble. An excruciating pain emanated from my core and all of my mana channels/veins felt like they were on fire. My essence seemed to be suck away from me at a rapid rate. Of course I knew it would be painful. But I never expected to feel something like this. My vitality had started to drain away from me. After what felt like a couple of centuries, the process finally died as I laid on the floor, my cheek touching the cold marble floor.

He had reached the Integration Stage.

And he was here.

In Alacrya.

He hadn't betrayed his continent.

He was giving it a fighting chance.

And to drive the final nail in Agrona's coffin... his own father's.

In 13 long years, for the first time a laugh tore through my throat, echoing in the harrowing confines of this place.

"You seem quite lively, my love."

(***)

A/n Before we continue, I realised something. I had been slacking off when it comes to plot recently and have been ignoring the dynamics of all the characters and are getting no screen time or no major involvements. From this point onward, I would be focusing on every character equally or try to do so that will involve multiple character's POV's and not just Arthur and Arisu. Well, that is about it. Let's get back to the chapter.

– A FEW DAYS LATER –

CURTIS GLAYDER

The zephyr whisked past by me with a delicate grace, its melodic sighs barely audible as it tenderly brushed against my ear. Its touch—delicate and subtle, painted an intangible portrait on my senses. The sighing symphony of rustling leaves danced in the air, orchestrating a serene melody that harmonised with the mellifluous ambiance of nature. It was as if the whisper carried the essence of serenity, carrying with it the fragrance of dew-kissed petals and ancient moss, mingling in a relaxing marriage of scents. Like a silken veil brushing against my ear, its sound manifested as a subdued murmur, as if nature herself had hushed her breath to a tender whisper.

The crisp foliage beneath my feet, animated by the unseen caresses of the wind, joined in the symphony of tranquillity—the leaves, like nimble performers, fluttered and danced in unison, their collective murmurs weaving an enchanting tapestry of a sweet sound. The subtle friction of leaf against leaf produced a sonorous undertone, like a well-planned music of hushed whispers that resonated throughout the forest's hallowed embrace.

In this mesmerising embrace of nature, a profound serenity enveloped the forest and everyone around, rendering it an idyllic refuge of tranquillity that made everyone... including me speechless and made us forget all the worries and the approaching battle.

The sun's golden rays filtered through the canopy above, casting a mosaic of soft hues upon the bronze tinted emerald canvas below. The interplay of light and shadow painted an ever-shifting masterpiece, dappling the forest floor with ethereal patterns that seemed to dance with the wind's gentle touch as I lost myself in the enchantment of nature's majestic opus.

"Get into formations." A voice spoke—full of authority and a charm that despite not seeing its face, I felt a throb in my chest. Looking back I caught sight of the head of operations—Arisu Watsken. Daughter of Richard and Evelyn Watsken, sister of one of the most prodigious inventors of Dicathen alongside Gideon. Whereas Arisu... she was one of the strongest mages on this continent. Despite being so much younger than myself, she held herself with an authority that could make anyone mistake her for a queen and she was already a white core. Without needing an artefact at that! That made her the only independent Lance candidate that didn't need to be controlled by anyone.

There was something about her that I had felt every time I saw her. Like an unconditional feeling of attraction every time I laid my eyes on her. It was magical, almost leaving me spellbound every time.

"A bit lost, aren't we? Prince Glayder?" I was brought out of my reverie as I heard the same voice, standing a foot away from me as I shook my head.

"Uh-huh, no?" I replied, stammering over my own words. What am I doing?

"Well, we can daydream later. How about you go in Tessia's battalion and help them out. They're a member down."  She spoke and turned around, her coat fluttering in the air. Adorned in a sleek black turtleneck, she exuded an aura of understated elegance, emphasising the flawless contours of her hourglass silhouette. The fabric caressed every curve with a gentle embrace, highlighting her figure's enchanting symmetry. Each delicate fold just further complimented the perfection of her form, as if the garment itself enjoyed the privilege of draping her form.

The hem of the turtleneck was tucked into her jeans, making a subtle curve near the boundary of her jeans and shirt. Over her black turtleneck she wore a long beige coat with subtle golden embroidery—similar to her eyes that... once again were like an alluring phenomenon. She wore a small necklace that seemed too small for her but she was still wearing it above her clothes, its golden glint making me look away everytime she got under the direct rays of the sun.

"Are you coming?" Her voice ringed in my ears again, this time more soft and more confused. Crap... I was staring at her for too long.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry." I replied sheepishly, scratching my neck as I caught up to her and we started to walk side-by-side. She held her head high but her eyes hung low, staring at her shoes as the dead leaves—foliage crunched beneath her heels.

"Is there anything bothering you?" I asked, trying to initiate a conversation. She was the type who only talked when it was necessary but also someone who used to go with the flow. So I didn't want to force her into a conversation that would just make her bored or want to run away from me as soon as she could.

"No." She replied.

How flat.

"I do not know much about Arthur Leywin... well, no one knows much about him but if you had a close relationship with him, I just want to say one thing." She clearly had something for that guy so telling her to just outright forget about him was probably a bad move. She looked at me for the first time, right in my eyes, a blazing inferno in her eyes that seemed like it'd burn anything in its path. She raised a curious brow at me and her gaze turned cold as she waited for me to continue my sentence, "ehem, as I was saying, you shouldn't lose hope. He just disappeared. It's not like he died or anything," I blurted out, not exactly sure what I was saying, "but if you ever need to talk to anyone, you can come to me."

The corner of her lips curled up into a smile but I couldn't really discern the emotions behind it. "You haven't really flirted with someone who isn't much interested in you, yes?"

Oof. What a way to reject before I even tried...

"I wasn't trying to flirt with you or anything," I let out a blatant lie with a confident gait, "Well, just wanted to be friends with you." I spoke as she looked back at me, "How about you kill some Alacryans? I'd consider your proposal after that."

My heart skipped a beat as she spoke, "Well, if you're gonna make me go through all that trouble, why not go on a date as well? I mean, you never know anything unless you try, right?"

Uh, I didn't mean to say that.

She stopped and pondered over it for a moment as she placed her fingers on her chin, "I'll think about it," she replied with a smirk before motioning me towards Tessia's group. "Your group's there."

"Wait... wasn't the plan to divide everyone into groups of 4?"

"That was the initial plan, yes. But there's a rat. Just taking precautions." She replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"A RAT!??" She scowled and looked at me as I lowered my voice and got closer to her, "A rat you say? How come? Why didn't you tell the council right away?"

She looked at me curiously, possibly due to the fact that I got way too close to her but acting like it was a bothersome thing would make things comfortable so I just stayed close to her. She let out a breath, closing her eyes before replying, "you'll know with time, your majesty."

Trying to get comfortable, I lightly nudged her shoulder, "I am not Royalty anymore. Please, call me Curtis." I spoke with a smile as she looked at me for a while with a sombre expression over her face.

"You're a persistent one. It seems like you know me already but anyways, I am Arisu. Call me by that name." She spoke and sat down on a log of wood. Deciding it was going to just get uncomfortable if I stayed any longer, I started to walk towards the elven princess' team. Looking back, I saw Arisu sitting on log, a small flame igniting on her fingertips as she peered mindlessly into it,

She looked sad... no, it was something else. It was like she had lost the sole thing of entertainment in her life, leaving her utterly bored with everything. The look on her face...

It was disappointment. But despite that, I could feel another feeling... buried deep beneath her bored one. But I couldn't exactly tell what it was. The sun had already started setting and as I looked back, her face half-visible half-obscured due to the flickering flames on her finger, I felt the left side of my chest palpitate.

She looked absolutely stunning...

...and

I was absolutely smitten.

A/n Thanks to Zarriente and Xelephant on discord for making ths.

(***)

"Oh, not another royal baby to pamper," A gruff voice made me turn my head as I was met by a green haired boy. He had dual-axes strapped to his back and had a dissatisfied look over his face. Suddenly a hand slapped the back of his head and another one pulled his ear, pulling him away. Tessia emerged from behind him.

"Hi Curtis. Are you the other guy in our party?" She asked. She was wearing black fabric underneath. Unlike Arisu, her innerwear was up till the lower side of her neck and was wearing a teal and golden battle robes over it. The design branched up and down like the branches of an ancient tree in Elenoir.

"Ah yes, I am." I replied, taken aback by her sudden appearance. I could barely feel her presence until she got closer to me. In fact I thought she wasn't even here.

"Well, sorry for Darvus. He is a bit crass but he is still reliable... and that's about it." She introduced the green haired boy as Darvus who popped a vein at her, "Haah? What? That's about it? Why don't you tell him how absolutely stunning and sexy I am."

"In your dreams, Darvus. Stop bothering the prince." Another voice said as she pulled Darvus by his ear.

"Oh, that is Caria. She was given by her family to Darvus' family as Darvus' caretaker. But she is pretty reliable as well." Tessia introduced the petite girl.

"Oh, nice to meet you Caria. I am Curtis. And please, call me by my name. My parents have admonished their titles. Neither are they the king and queen and in extension, nor am I a prince anymore. So be comfortable." I introduced myself as the girl's eyes glinted for a moment.

"She has had a crush on Darvus since she was a kid. You've got quite a charisma for making her react like that." Tessia whispered to me, snickering with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Oh?" Was all I could reply with.  Ignoring the chemistry between those two, I was more surprised at Tessia'a nonchalant behaviour. After all she was rumoured to be quite reserved and not easygoing. However, right now she was being quite the charmer.

"Something wrong?" As if reading my thoughts, she asked.

"No. I was expecting you to be a bit more... I don't know how to put it." I tried to explain but gave up on it, not wanting to utter anything that could bring discord between us. Especially with a teammate that I had to fight alongside with tomorrow in a battle.

"Sad after the event with Arthur? More strict with boys my age?" She asked, as if wanting to fill in the blanks I had left in my previous sentences.

Did she know Arthur as well? This guy... who is he? I just know of a boy who reached AA-Rank in a matter of a few months. But that is all. Other than this, he is a complete mystery. And I haven't seen him since the Helstea Auction house event.

"Half correct." I replied shortly, not making her wait long for my reply.

Tessia leaned in, a curious look on her face, "What did I miss.?"

"Well, I didn't know you knew Arthur as well." I replied.

"As well?"

"Yeah. Arisu seems to be close to him as well." I replied.

She pondered over my statement for a while. Until now she has been exactly opposite of what I had learnt about her. While being strict, I had heard from Varay that she was naive and always tried to veil that behind her stone cold exterior. But right now, none of those rumours seemed to be true. Looks like the tea was cold.

"Is he? He doesn't look close to anyone at all though." She replied with a confused look, "I mean he does talk to everyone now and then but doesn't feel like he really gets along well with anyone." She replied and you could clearly feel the suppressed hiss of frustration in her undertone.

"I see." I replied. The flames flickered and I saw a blonde boy sitting in the corner, his eyes fixed at Tessia. He had a glint in his eyes—a lover's glint. One look at him and you could instantly guess the guy had a crushing crush on Tessia. Following my line of sight, she looked back and saw the boy who let out a nervous chuckle.

"Oh. He is the most unique of us. His name is Stannard. And he can modify beast cores in a way that he could fire them at high velocities, resulting in wide-scale explosions." She explained with a childish excitement in her voice. Stannard let out yet another nervous chuckle as he talked, "I just happened to find a way to put my faulty core to some use."

"Faulty you say?"

"His mana core is in a constant leak. He can't contain the full amount so his core can only hold a specific amount of mana in it." Looking back I saw Arisu walk over in our direction. Stannard suddenly stood up and bowed slightly in front of her, "M-Miss Arisu."

"We are almost the same age, Mr. Bervick. You don't have to address me that way," she replied and then looked at our confused faces. "See that mana launcher beside him?"

All of us looked at the small but thicc projectile firing artefact beside him, "Well, I designed it for him. Since he can't use mana for advanced spells requiring more mana, he stores the spells in beast cores." she explained.

"My previous weapon was not very efficient. Mi-, Arisu designed it and Gideon made it." Stannard added.

"You're kind, Arisu." Tessia spoke. Despite her words, there seemed to be a palpable tension between the both of them.

"We just need to have every asset in a functional state and equipped in a way that won't drag others down." She replied with a practised efficiency and turned around, "It's getting dark. Have your dinners and then take turns in patrols. They could ambush us tonight. If not, then the big battle tomorrow would occur anyways... with or without their initiative," she paused and took in a deep breath. It was a laboured breath, like the weight of something pressing against her chest, "Lance Alea and Aya would be dispatched to this place. I will be taking my leave now."

"Why is this little girl bossing all around the place, eh?" Suddenly Darvus spoke as Stannard gasped, Tessia facepalmed and Caria just grumbled, throwing her hands in the air as if surrendering.

"Little?"

Oh boy, I don't have a good feeling about this. The air around us started getting warmer, and at a certain point I could feel a little pain in even inhaling the air into my lungs. Looking at Darvus, his expressions had hardened. Clearly, it was Arisu's doing, but it was enough to shut the boy up and not question her again. However, she didn't seem to be done.

I made a mental note to never call her little—directly or indirectly. 

As she took a step forward, I stepped in front of her and held her arm, "Oh, Arisu, you said you had something to talk about." I interjected, trying to push her away from here. Not like I care about Darvus but the look in her eyes was alarming. She looked at me and took a deep breath before receding her arm. As she started walking away, I followed her.

"What do you want, Curtis?"

"Just wanted to make sure if the date is still an option."

"I said I'd consider it."

"You never laid out the exact stipulations for it. "

"Do you think I won't keep my word?"

"You never gave me a word. Just a meaningless 'I'll think about it.' After all, mere consideration can be quite an elusive game"

"Not as dull as you appear, huh? But don't you think there's more thrill in uncertainty?"

"You thought I was dull?"

"I mean, look at you. You clearly like easy prey, especially for girls who want to take advantage of you."

"Y-You don't know that."

"Then, have you encountered love yet? Or has it ever worked out in the end with anyone?"

"Uh, ah, about tha-"

"Exactly my point."

"But hey! Don't distract me from the main topic."

"Well, how about you do well tomorrow, yeah? I'd do it if you kill around a satisfactory number."

"You're so vague."

"Fufu. We all are. Some apparent, some veiled. There's nothing much to me. Your expectations will lead you into a hole from which you'd never recover. Crawl back up while you still have the chance."

I stopped for a moment as she stood right under the moon. Once again, I felt my heart move—loudly... quickly this time. I could hear it... in my ears.

"Nah, I don't want to." I replied as she shook her head.

"Brace yourself." She replied and flew away.

Haaah. I let out an exaggeratedly prolonged, tired exhale. Where and when did things started to converge on this path?