Episode 6

Earlier this afternoon...

"Are you going to confess Hart?"

"Huh?" replied Hart absentmindedly.

"Hello? Gaia to Guild Master Hart! Are you still there or am I talking to myself?"

Hart snapped out of daze and hastily replied, "Why are you here Arlex? Do you need something?"

"I kept on knocking but no one answered so I let myself in. Did something good happen? Hart are you finally confessing to her?"

"Eh? Who? No I am not!" defensively replied Hart while darting his eyes.

"Why can't you look straight at me huh? You know, I can tell if something good happened. I can tell by that slight upward quirk of your lips. And we both know who am I referring to huh"

Arlex made his way to Hart's desk carrying a bunch of files. Seeing that his friend is happy without any reason, he can't help but tease him more.

"After all this years, we've known each other the longest. Despite that stoic facial paralysis of yours, I can still see minute differences. When I got here I heard you talking to someone, was that Freya? It's been a year since we last saw her. You approved a lot of of people's leave just so you can easily approve of her leave of 1 year. Sneaky"

"I was fair to everyone and I'm just informing her of the mission"

"Yeah, right! If it was other people I'd believe it, but knowing you, you probably wanted to see her that badly enough to video transmit her. Why go to all that trouble just to inform a member when I, as your Right-hand

man, already delegated that task to someone else"

Arlex placed the files onto the desk, seated himself infront of Hart and placed his legs above the table. A habit that indicates their closeness.

"It is also my duty"

"Duty my ass! Look how happy you are just by seeing her. Just confess to her already dude! I will be your wing man. And besides there'll never gonna be any progress between you two. The perfect combination of a cowardly guy who can't bring himself to confess and a girl who's so dense to the point she's clueless to everything in love"

Hart immediately stood up to protest, "Hey!"

He playfully threw his stylus towards Arlex, to which he skillfully evaded.

"I'm right, why deny it? I already lost count on how many times you tried on your own and only to back out on the last minute. And don't get me started with that girl. Even if you outright kiss her, she'll just innocently look at you and ask 'Are you alright? Did you trip yourself?' Sigh, what? You tripped and your lips accidentally landed on hers?! She's so great in everything except in that aspect. The Gods really were fair, even a genius has their shortcomings too wahahaha" laughed Arlex.

Hart seated himself and massaged his temples to alleviate the headache coming from dealing with this annoying bastard.

"So what if I did like her? It's none of your business Arlex. Don't you have anything better to do? Vice Guild Master Arlex Swift"

"It is none of my business but dude it's hurting my eyes just looking at you. Judging by how well you've hidden your feelings from everyone, no one but me, your best friend, can see it. Let me help you Hart. I'm the best that you got. Courting girls is my specialty" declared Arlex smugly.

"You change girlfriend faster than you change your clothes" remarked Hart in deadpan.

"Dude! Those were just flings, lust and one nightstands. I made sure the girls knows it too before they involve themselves to me. And besides, I don't want to hook myself up with the trap called 'Love'. And looking at you, makes me realized how right I am"

*beep

An electronic noise sounded in the room.

"Its because you still haven't found the one for you. I filmed that Arlex. Wait till I get my revenge on you. Once you fall in love, I'll slap this video to your face and I'll make sure that your woman see's it. Let's see if you're still arrogant by that time" evilly commented Hart.

"You! Look at how you repaid my kindness! But are you really confessing?" inquired Arlex as he seated up and placed his hands on the desk.

"Yeah"

"I knew it! Wait. Is that why tonight's ETA was set 1hr after the Gala? You cunning bastard hahaha" laughed Arlex while hugging his stomach.

Wiping his tears away Arlex inched closer to Hart and said, "Want me to help you practice? You know what my power is, right? Come on let me! Promise you won't be backing out at the last minute tonight with this practice"

After what Arlex said, Hart had to see his friend's face morphed into becoming her face. Caught off guard, Hart's whole face overcame with blush.

"Yo-you! Change it back!" flustered Hart.

"What? It's just this and you're that affected already" said Arlex with Freya's voice as he used his fingers to twirl a lock of black hair.

Hearing that voice and seeing that face on his friend creeped out Hart.

"To bad I can't replicate her fully. Only her face, hair, height and voice. You know how my power works. I can't have her wings since I wasn't born with and I can't suddenly sprout wings. I can only replicate her 100% if I see her body completely. Without clothes I mean" smirked Arlex.

"Don't you dare! Don't even imagine her body you perverted bastard!" snarled Hart as he grabbed the collar of Arlex's clothes and shook him intensely. He wanted to punch this bastard but he can't bear to hurt this face.

"Hahahaha! You're so fun to tease haha! Of course I won't. Pals before gals! And I wasn't sleeping around without reason you know. It's my power and I can't help it. Its much better to catalogue more transformations for security purposes" winked Arlex.

Exasperated, Hart once again massaged his temple and said, "Sigh.. What am I going to do with you? It's your power and you can use it however you want but just leave our guild out of it. Ok?"

"Of course. I'm not that careless and I don't use my original face when cataloging transformations. So come on let's practice!" eagerly said Arlex.

Hart inhaled and steeled himself, "Freya.. Um you see.. I've been meaning to..Er..I..um"

"Pftt! Hahaha" Arlex clutched his stomach.

"Hey!"

"I really just can't hold it in. Hahaha! Really? That's how you'll say it? Hahaha"

"How else am I gonna say this huh?!"

"Tsk tsk. Let me teach you" Arlex leaned in to whisper.

"Hmmm? Oh I see, I see. Ok"

"Try to do it like this"

"Like this?"

"Wrong!"

"But it's the same thing? How could I be wrong?!"

"It's wrong, if I say it's wrong! Do it again"

"I can't do it with that face!"

"What the heck! If you can't do it with this face how will you do it with the real one that owns this face huh?!"

"Ehhh? That make sense. But still!"

"We're doing this so you can get used to it nitwit!"

"I get it! Umm you see Freya.. I've been umm for a long time errr you see.."

"Why can't you freaking finish one sentence! Again!"

"I um lik... I umm like youu... your hair"

"You! Do it right damn it! Say I love you!"

"I lo... lov... love yo... your ears"

"Dude! Are you for real? Really?"

Their practice went on for an hour. With both of them exhausted from practicing one line. Arlex pulled his hair so many times from the stress of educating his dear friend.

**

"Hart? Are you really going to the palace?" inquired Arlex.

"Yeah"

"You'll see him again you know"

"..."

"Your family is really weird"

"It's the rules, there's nothing we can do about it. Besides, I tried everything just to escape from there"

"What's so bad about it?"

"Everything"

"Yeah right haha You just don't want the responsibility that comes with it"

"Of course"

"So everyone left aside from him? He stayed?"

"It's more of, we all got lucky while he has no choice"

"Your family is really weird. Others would have killed each other for it and yet yours is passing the throne to each other like it's hot potato"

"Who wants that responsibility? Even our ancestor doesn't want it"

"Oh yeah, The three pioneers of the Empire. The two and their descendants went on a power struggle, war, genocide, coups and schemes. And yet they just ended each other, while the third was left to clean up after them and had no choice but to fix it"

"Yeah. How'd you know that? Only the higher-ups were allowed to know that. Did your father tell you?"

"Yep, the old fogey told me after beating me up for choosing to follow you"

"Haha uncle never changed. And yes the third pioneer, our ancestor. Has no choice but to clean up the mess. He ruled even though all he ever wanted was freedom. To be a pioneer. Surprisingly, that runs deeply in our blood. So my brother will definitely try to convince any of us to take that from him. Sucks to be him haha!"

"Like I said, weird family. So Hart, this isn't your real name?"

"No. Once we rescinded our right, so was our name"

"But I don't recall hearing you use your name even way before"

"We're not allowed. It's one of the ancestor's rule for the family. To prevent history to repeat itself. Afterall, that anonymity saved us from the clutches of two pioneers' family"

"Anyways, I forgot something. I need to go. And you still need to practice that confession of yours. You suck! At this rate it'll be a miracle if she even say yes to you. Byeeeeeeee" Arlex said his farewell while tidying up the documents and took it with him.