50 - Threat

After Van scrambled around, eventually making Anne get up from her princess carry to fetch two towels from a nearby stand, the two lay on the grass nearby, letting their bodies dry out in the sun as they looked up at the sky.

"Hey," Anne called.

"Hm?" Van hummed.

"Thanks," she said flatly.

"For what?" he asked.

"You know... Back then. And... sorry for what I said to you. I just... I hate these jerks more than anything."

"Well, I was just having fun with my nie... new friend," Van hurriedly corrected himself.

"Ah, cool," Anne said with a soft chuckle, the two still looking upwards at the sky in parallel.

A few seconds went by. Then Anne gave a deep yawn as she stretched her sore limbs.

Van glanced at her, noticing her eyes getting heavier.

"Well, I've pretty much dried up. Wanna go?" Van asked.

"Oh, uh... I-I don't know... isn't friends lying outside next to each other, looking up for no reason, something special?" Anne mumbled awkwardly, slightly anxious.

"No idea," Van replied flatly.

"I just mean... we came here only like an hour ago... shouldn't we stay? Make use of the day?" Anne said, doubt tinging her voice.

"If you're tired, we can just call it a day. It's cool," Van said with a shrug.

"Look, dude, I don't really know what to do. I just know... if we made it all the way here, we gotta stay," Anne said, looking away, trying to conjure a sentence as she looked at the grass to the other side of her, as if seeking her words there.

"...Why?"

"Because... it wouldn't be cool if we left just an hour after coming here. We barely did anything. Friends, or people who are close or something like that, do more with the time they have. As for me being tired, I guess I can sleep at night, right?" she said, stuttering after every word, doubtful.

"Says who? Those jerks over there that you so hate?" Van said, glancing at the group of boys and girls.

"Smug bastard," she said, gently punching his shoulder with a smirk.

'Hot damn... it's like hitting armor,' she mused as she struck his triceps.

"Either way, I'm not too smart about socializing or what I should be doing. I just know if you're too tired to stay, you should go. Unless you like sleeping on grass?" Van said, raising his eyebrow at Anne as he propped himself up, reaching out his hand toward her.

Anne bit her lip in anxiety as she looked at his hand.

'...Is it really okay to just let go? Won't he hate me for ending the day like that without doing anything else?' she thought, anxious.

'At least, that's how everyone is. Even Michael. It started to feel like he was always expecting something from me, so one day I just told him off. We haven't talked since. I thought it was just him being so demanding, but after I went out with some girls who I thought were my friends, I always preferred to end the day early. Then they just hated me for it and started to talk smack behind my back. Everyone was like that, besides maybe Liz. But Liz is actually popular and gets along so well with everyone. Then I thought something was wrong with me, so I didn't try making new friends at all,' she thought, looking at his hand.

'I guess something's wrong with him as well, for talking like that,' she thought, feeling a smile bubbling from inside her.

'So, we're both weird... Haha... cool!' she thought, relief washing over her.

She grabbed his hand, and he lifted her up to a standing position.

"Well, let's just go to my mom's place. I want to eat some home-cooked food and crash on my bed, honestly. She won't be there until evening, so you can stay until then," Anne said casually, her body relaxing.

'Wait, did I just seriously invite him to—' she thought with a blush, her train of thought quickly interrupted.

"Sure, I'm cool with that. Lead the way," Van said with a shrug. 'I don't feel all that tired, but I don't have anything else to do. I guess I'll hang out there until the end of the day. I do wonder how comfortable Marcy's bed is...' Van mused internally.

'Speaking of, I hope I'll have enough leftovers from the quest after I rent out a spot to buy a comfortable bed like Amoria's. That was just another level... or maybe that's because I slept on dirt for the past 16 years. Varlog's guest couch was comfortable, but not close to an actual bed.'

'...Good lord, scratch that, I want to sleep on Alicia's bed,' Van resolved.

As Van dreamt about beds, Anne, flushed with embarrassment, reluctantly led him towards the exit of the gigantic pool area.

Just then, a certain person arrived at the group of boys and girls that mocked Anne earlier, coming from another entrance. She was graceful, with long, blonde hair and a tall stature, wearing casual clothes with a greatsword attached to her back.

"Look, it's Cerille!" one boy pointed out as she walked proudly.

"Greatknight Nickelson's daughter! An E-Ranker, even at her age! What is she..."

"Cerille!" a friend of hers called as she walked over to her group.

Cerille raised an eyebrow as she noticed a lot of boys and girls huddled up, looking at a distant point.

"What seems to be the commotion here?" she inquired as she walked over to them.

"Ah... Cerille. It's just that musclehead again, Anne. She brought a weird boy with her," a girl said.

"Ew, imagine hanging out with that workhorse of a girl... What a weirdo. I bet he does that just because he's desperate."

"But look at those muscles... I don't like him either, but he can seriously do better," another girl pointed out, her eyes glinting with desire as she looked at Van's toned body.

Cerille's eyes locked onto Van with intense scrutiny, her expression growing increasingly grim.

"Cerille? Are you okay?" a girl asked, noticing her sudden intensity.

"That aura... that boy... is dangerous!" Cerille blurted out as Van and Anne were just a few meters away from the exit.

'Ah... we're seriously walking to my house. What am I going to do?' Anne thought, still flustered as she and Van walked side by side.

Suddenly, Cerille stepped between them and the exit, her greatsword pointed at Van's throat.

"HALT. By the name of the Royal Guard, you are detained for questioning!" Cerille declared.

'Ah, I was wondering when that was going to happen,' Van thought with a sigh.

Anne gasped, her eyes widening in shock before her expression turned angry.

"Hey, Cerille! What's the big idea?" she yelled, drawing everyone's attention.

"Isn't that the Greatknight's daughter?"

"I heard Cerille was already enlisted in the Royal Guards before even attending the Academy since she was given a rank at such a young age. Is she making an arrest?"

"This boy does look suspicious..."

"Something about him is off!"

"If Cerille thinks so, then it must be true!" onlookers whispered.

"What are you doing? He's my friend! Piss off to your daddy!" Anne yelled, stepping between Cerille and Van, who remained relaxed.

"Anne Veil. Step away from this person. He's dangerous. I can sense a vile aura around him, unlike any demon's or human's! Stay back for your own safety!" Cerille ordered.

"I won't! YOU back off! He's not a threat!" Anne defied.

"How DARE that girl talk like that to Greatknight Nickelson's daughter!" an onlooker called out.

At the mention of Nickelson's name, Van's body visibly twitched.

A few girls grew agitated at the sight of Anne, as well as other spectators.

"This bitch really gets on my nerves..."

"Yeah, let's teach her a lesson..." The girls from Cerille's group giggled, conjuring a water spell and hiding it.

Shortly after, the water spell was flung toward Anne from the side.

Cerille noticed it a moment too late.

"WAIT! DON'T!" Cerille called out as the spell was already an inch from Anne.

'She'll be seriously hurt by that!' Cerille thought, but Van slapped the spell away, sending it back to the girls. It hit one directly in her face, knocking her into the pool and leaving the other paralyzed with fear.

'What...?' Cerille thought in confusion, while Anne remained frozen in place.

"Hearing you were a Greatknight's daughter, I was going to brush this off. Comply, even," Van said, gently walking past Anne and glaring at Cerille.

'That bastard... Nickelson. The one who trained me... I seriously thought I got over that...' He thought.

"...Van?" Anne called, concern etched on her face.

"But I see. You are that piece of shit's daughter. No wonder you're so irresponsible as to draw your sword, eager for a fight in a public area with so many onlookers around, like you own the place," he hissed, stepping in front of her sword.

"I thought I'd actually moved on from then..."

"STAY BACK!" she yelled, pointing the sword firmly at him. "IRRESPONSIBLE, YOU SAY? YOU ARE A THREAT, AND YOU NEED TO BE NEUTRALIZED." Her voice boomed through the crowd, earning claps and gasps of admiration from the onlookers. She fixed her stance hurriedly, her eyes wide like a hunter's on their prey, while still cautious of his ability.

'I'm sorry, Varlog. I can't really remember any of your lessons right now...'

"I wasn't a threat," Van began, gripping her greatsword with his bare palm, his gaze unwavering and fierce.

"But I sure as hell am now," he growled, his voice dripping with menace.