Without The Ladies

"Well, what now?" Junichi appeared at his Master's side and watched the ladies leave.

"Honestly? I have no clue, Junichi. This will be the first day since I've arrived that I haven't had one of them by my side." Sona admitted reluctantly. 'I can study, but two weeks of just studying doesn't interest me. Maybe...?' He looked up to his sworn brother.

"What's on your mind, Master?" Junichi raised an eyebrow as he locked eyes with his sworn brother and Master.

"I haven't taken on any jobs from the Bounty Board. You up for an adventure?" Sona looked to his familiar.

"Hm. Is that wise? Without Subaru, you'll have to rely on magic alone with me as your only protection." Junichi tried to discreetly persuade him from this line of thought.

"Don't be such a downer, Junichi. It'll be fine. Besides..." Sona stood up straight and walked a couple steps off the porch. "Master removed some of the seals that were restraining my Mana output. Watch." Sona clenched both of his fists closed tightly. "Haaaaaaa." His body started glowing blue as the mana poured forth from his body in waves.

"No way..." Junichi stood frozen in place as his Master's mana output doubled, then tripled in a matter of seconds.

Sona exhaled slowly and stood up straight once more. "Plus, with the money I've been saving up, I can buy some new armor and equipment. What do you say now, brother?" Sona raised his arm up, elbow bent upward, his hand in front of Junichi.

"Fine, fine. You've convinced me that this might be easier than I thought. I'm in, brother." Junichi repeated his Master's movements, his hand clasped Sona's tightly as the two of them laughed loudly into the woods.

"I thought you would agree after that little display." Sona smirked and looked up at Junichi. 'I just might show you my new spell on this adventure, brother.' Sona grinned. 'I really like this man. I don't know why I value his opinion so much, but, I want to impress him and I want him to be proud of me.' Sona thought to himself.

"Hm. Is something on your mind, Master?" Junichi questioned when he caught Sona staring at him.

"Just your imagination, Junichi. Let's go have a look at that Bounty Board." Sona reached into the pouch on his waist and pulled out his new identification card. "Bounties are ranked based on difficulty rating using stars. They are ranked 1-10 and get progressively harder with each one. We can do up to the three star difficulty." Sona looked down at the card. It had his name, class, a photo, and other detailed information about him.

"That's correct. I would urge you to take on a one star since it's your first time." Junichi tried to persuade his Master. 'Though I doubt you'll listen.' He thought to himself.

"I'll take your advice into consideration." Sona shrugged and deflected his familiar's words. "We should have a little fun, brother. Trust me. I want to see what these new powers can do." Sona clenched his right fist closed tightly. 'I have improved, but I need more. I have to tap into my hidden potential even more.' He looked up at Junichi and grinned. "Well, let's go!" Sona threw his right arm up into the air above his head.

'Master, don't make me regret letting you do this.' Junichi sighed and hung his head. "Fine. On one condition."

"Depends on the condition." Sona shot back as the two of them started walking through the woods and towards the academy's grounds.

"If it proves difficult, we will abandoned the request. Your life is worth more than some mission. That's the condition." Junichi followed after his Master.

"Very well, Junichi. I accept. Now, let's get some shopping done! Then we can pick up some food." Sona picked up his pace and started sprinting through the forest.

'He is so eager. I hope this doesn't prove detrimental.' He thought to himself and started sprinting after his Master.

As they cleared the woods surrounding their house, Sona and Junichi ran into Jaesu.

"Sona! How's it going, bro?" Jaesu called out to his friend.

"Oh, Jaesu. Been awhile. Finally get things sorted out back home?" Sona questioned as he slowed to a stop.

"Yeah. Yeah." Jaesu scratched the back of his head. "Hey bro. I haven't been totally honest with you."

"Hm?' Sona tilted his head to the side. "Honest about what, Jaesu?"

"My last name isn't Woo like I told you when we first met." Jaesu sighed and looked up at his friend.

"So you lied about your name? Big deal. It doesn't bother me." Sona shrugged it off.

"It does matter, because..." Jaesu sighed again. "My last name is Brunfar."

"Brunfar..." Sona paused for a second. 'Hold on...' He froze and looked at Jaesu. "You're telling me your last name is Brunfar. As in THE Brunfar, the rulers of the Brunfar Empire?"

"Mhmm." He looked up at Sona. "As of two weeks ago, I was named Father's...I mean, King Brunfar's successor. I'm the crown Prince of the Brunfar Empire." Jaesu acknowledged Sona's remark.

"Ah, then." Sona dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Forgive me for addressing you so familiarly, Your Highness."

"Myself included, Your Majesty." Junichi followed his Master's actions.

"This is why I didn't want you to know until after we were friends. I just wanted to be a normal student, with normal friends, in a normal environment. Sona..." Jaesu crouched down in front of his friend. "Please, stand up. We're friends and your not part of my Kingdom. Please, keep treating me as you have, like a normal guy friend. Please?"

"Jaesu..." Sona paused. "Is it truly okay to be friends with a commoner and other worlder?" Sona looked up at Jaesu.

"Yes. Junichi, you too. Let's pretend this conversation never happened. Then we can keep things as they were." Jaesu pleaded.

"If that's what you want, then..." Sona rose to his feet and gently nudged Jaesu's shoulder. "Future King, huh?"

"Yeah." Jaesu blushed and nodded. "Sorry again for not telling you sooner."

"Easy, Jaesu. It's not a big deal, however..." Junichi stepped up and placed his hand on the young prince's shoulder. "As the future King, you must learn not to apologize so readily. It can be seen as a sign of weakness."

"I've been told that all my life." Jaesu admitted.

"Hey, enough of this downer talk. Jaesu. Junichi and I were about to head up and take a peek at the jobs on the Bounty Board. Wanna do one with us? Nothing else is happening around here." Sona tried to bring the trio's spirits back up.

"Ah, an excellent idea, Master. Jaesu could be our extra set of hands." Junichi nodded in agreement.

"A job, huh?" Jaesu scratched the back of his head. 'Do it, Jaesu. Live your life while you can.' He tried to psyche himself up. "Yeah. Sounds good." Jaesu smiled wide, his head of green hair bobbing as he tilted his head.

"Sweet. We were just on our way to pick up armor and supplies. You coming?" Sona looked to his friend.

"No, I need to go change first, but..." Jaesu dug his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pouch that jingled with every movement. "There's 250 Gold Pieces in there. Use it and make sure the shop keepers don't try to swindle you." Jaesu dashed off after that in order to quickly change and rejoin his friends.

"250?" Sona's jaw dropped. "I thought my frugal life style was good. I saved up 80 GP (gold pieces) in two months. He just hands me double that amount like it's nothing." Sona tucked the pouch into the inside pocket of his new jacket. "Well, let's go Junichi. First, we should look at enchanted gear."

"Yes, I agree. Let's go see what we can find." Junichi agreed with his Master.

Enchanted gear is the name of any piece of equipment that has been enhanced through the use of runes, glyphs, or magic. They can be used in all sorts of ways. One example being you could combine these on a metal breastplate and imbue it with magic to absorb more damage thus boosting your defenses. Another possiblity would be to imbue it with fire magic and increase your resistance against flames. The things that can be done with enchantments are limited only by your imagination.

Sona and Junichi found the Enchanter with relative ease after searching the streets.

"Ah, Welcome, Students!" A voice rang out from the darkness. An aged man stepped from the shadows, dressed head to toe in tattered looking robes. His eyes were milky and translucent. "What can I help you find today?"

"We were looking for enchanted gear." Junichi spoke up first.

"We would also like to learn how to make our own." Sona added.

"Hmm." The old man pondered loudly as he used one hand to stroke his long white beard. "Enchantments, you say?" The old man fumbled around his bookshelf for a few minutes before retrieving an aged tome. "This should suffice for beginners like you. Now, enchanted gear. What type of enchantments were you looking for?" He asked as he handed the tome to Sona.

"Wow. I can just have this?" Sona eagerly accepted the tome from the elderly man. "Hm. To be completely honest, I have no idea. I'm a mage and I can cast pretty high level spells, so maybe something to increase my survivability in combat?" Sona spoke as he walked around the small shop.

"Of course. I'm always happy to pass on my knowledge to passionate youths such as yourself. I'm certain you'll put my knowledge to good use and even improve upon it." The blind old wizard beamed with pride. "Hm. In that case..." The old man turned around and headed into the back room. Sounds of him rummaging and muttering under his breath filled the shop.

"Master. What about this?" Junichi picked up a small leather bracer. It was covered in runes and the power radiating from it was enormous.

"I'll ask when he returns." Sona nodded at Junichi's choice.

A few minutes later, the old man returned, carrying what appeared to be a cloak in his wrinkled hands. "This..." He spoke and spread the cloak out on the counter. "Is my life's work. I spent many decades perfecting this item. It bolsters your defenses, can regulate your mana control, and because it was made with a Phoenix Feather, this cloak will keep you warm even in the middle of a blizzard. I've never met a man who I deemed worthy enough to possess it. Until today." The old man gazed at the cloak, beaming with vigor and sadness. "I would entrust this to you, and nobody else. It's yours for one hundred gold." The man looked down and ran his fingers over the silk cloth.

"Hm. How much for this bracer?" Sona placed it next to the cloak.

"You have a good set of eyes. That's worth twenty. It's guaranteed to magnify the power of your spells by at least double or more depending on your affinity. There is a catch. You can only use it three times a day. The stronger you grow, the more times you can use it." The old man touched the bracer on the counter.

"Hm. How about this then. One hundred and five gold for both." Sona jingled the pouch of coins in his hand.

"Hm. One hundred and fifteen." The old man made his counter offer.

"One hundred and ten. Highest I'll go." Sona haggled with the man for a few minutes.

He stroked his massive beard as he contemplated Sona's offer. "Fine. One hundred and ten, but only because I want my cloak to be put to good use. I feel you are the one who can make that happen."

Sona laid out the amount of gold they had agreed upon. "Thank you very much. I'll definitely refer my friends here. Thank you, sir." Sona bowed and picked up his new gear. "Do you know where I can find the Alchemist?" Sona looked back to the old man.

"Sure." He scribbled some instructions on a piece of paper. After that, he pulled out an ink pad and seal. He pressed the seal on the ink then on the paper with the directions. "Show this seal to him. He'll take good care of you. Do come again." He bowed as Sona and Junichi retreated from his shop. 'At last. Someone to use my life's work. I just hope he can figure out that cloak can do more than what I told him. It's up to him to learn now.' He smiled happily as his items left the store in the hands of a worthy man.

"He was certainly an odd one." Sona remarked as they made their way down the bustling shopping plaza. "Hm." Sona paused for a moment to look at the directions.

"Indeed. However, you can't deny his skill." Junichi brushed his fingers across the silken cloak. "The craftsmanship is remarkable."

"Indeed. I can't wait to test it out." Sona looked at the cloak in Junichi's hands. "Then there's this bracer. He said it could magnify my spells by at least two times."

"Don't forget the three times a day rule, though, Master. I wouldn't be so hasty to rely on it unless we have exhausted all other options." Junichi warned.

"I know. My dragoon form multiplies my powers by at least five times. With this doubling my spell power, they could end up being ten times more powerful." Sona frowned at the thought. 'This power...it could just as easily be used to destroy countries. Is it truly wise for a mere mortal man to possess such powers?' Sona thought to himself.

'No, it's not.' Baenthor's voice sounded out loudly in Sona's mind. 'But you aren't just a mere mortal, Sona.'

'Baenthor? Where have you been these last two months? I haven't heard a peep from you. Is everything okay?' Sona spoke to Baenthor using telepathy.

'My apologies, young one. I have been busy preparing for your arrival.' Baenthor apologized.

'My...arrival?' Sona asked in confusion.

'Yes. I want to meet you. The new White Dragoon and my future partner.' Baenthor replied. 'I had to prepare the summoning ritual to bring you here. It's the only way you can get to my current hideout.'

'Summoning? Hideout? Baenthor, what's going on?'

'Soon, young one. We will discuss everything face to face. Have a little more patience. I must rest for a few days now and regain my power before I can successfully bring you to me.' Baenthor yawned loudly and went silent.

"Master? Master Sona?" Junichi waved his hand in front of Sona's face trying to get his attention.

"Junichi." Sona exhaled heavily.

"Master?" Junichi watched Sona closely.

"Not here. I'll tell you when we are alone." Sona whispered to his familiar as he started walking forward again.

"Was it him?" Junichi whispered to his Master.

"Yes." Sona's footsteps quickened and Junichi followed after him. 'Why does it feel like I'm being watched no matter how fast I move?' Sona thought to himself.

"Master. You sensed it, too, didn't you?" Junichi stepped in rhythm with Sona.

"If you felt it, too, then I was right." Sona turned down the alley to their right and kept checking the paper for directions.

'What shall we do with them, Master?' Junichi thought to Sona.

'Depends. After we ascertain their objectives, we can decide what to do with them.' Sona thought back to his familiar. 'Until then, let's keep feigning ignorance.'

Some time passed has Sona and Junichi searched for the Alchemist. After popping down the fourth alley of their search, Sona grabbed Junichi and ducked into a small, shadowy alcove.

Light footsteps that were barely louder than a whisper grew near. Sona looked to Junichi and nodded. 'Now!'

Sona and Junichi lunged from their hiding spot, catching their stalker off guard. "Got him!" Sona grabbed one arm as Junichi grabbed the other. They pushed their newfound prey against the brick wall. "Talk!" Sona took a step back to look at their stalker's face. "Wait..."

It wasn't a guy that had been following them. The 'he' turned out to be a she. "Who are you?" Junichi questioned.

She was a little on the short side with shoulder length green hair. Her eyes were a blue-green shade and she had freckles dotted around her face. A real beauty of a woman. "Beautiful..." Sona muttered under his breath.

"Aww. Aren't you just a little charmer." The girl cooed and winked at Sona. "You're face is easy on the eyes too, handsome." She smiled and sighed happily as she locked eyes with Sona. "Is this the part where you ask me to marry you?" She teased.

"Well, you have a little charm in you, too." He shot back and eyed this woman up and down. 'She doesn't seem dangerous.' Sona thought to himself. "Marriage, huh?Well I suppose that depends on who you are and what you want from me. That and you would have to share me with about seven other girls." Sona shrugged.

"Yes, I'm well aware. Jaesu mentioned that to me a few times." She smiled and stared up at this tall man.

"Oh, you know Jaesu?" Sona released his grip on her and Junichi followed his actions.

"Of course. He didn't tell you? I'm his darling little sister." She giggled cutely.

"Then that makes you a princess." Sona gasped and dropped down to one knee. "Pardon my actions, Princess. If I had known it was you, I would have never treated you so roughly."

"Princess. Then, you must know Jaesu is the crown prince of the Brunfar Empire." She sighed softly and ran her hands down the ponytail that came over her shoulder and rested on her chest.

"We do, Lady Brunfar." Sona nodded at her statement.

"Please, Lady Brunfar is far to formal. Just call me Lena. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sona Harata." She curtsied and gave Sona a warm, beautiful smile.

"You and Jaesu really don't like formalities, do you?" Sona sighed and rose to his feet. "Anyway, let me introduce myself properly. My name is Sona. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lena." Sona extended his hand towards her.

"Hehe. I'm Lena." She stepped past Sona's hand and pressed herself against him, her hands resting flat against his chest. "Hehe. Handshakes are for strangers. I don't think of you as a stranger."

"Ah, um Princ-I mean, Lena..." Sona blushed and scratched his cheek shyly with his finger. 'Oh, man. An actual princess! And she pressed herself against me. ME!' He had trouble containing his excitement, but he didn't let it show. "It's nice to meet you."

"So adorable." She giggled sweetly. "Anyways, the reason I followed you is because I was concerned for my brother. I had assumed you were only being nice to him for his money, but after a long talk with him and after following you, I discovered that wasn't the case. You genuinely care for him. That makes me happy. Being of royal blood always causes hardships with friends. Are they being nice and playing because they like you? Or is just because you have something they want? So, I'm glad he found a real friend." Lena wrapped her arms around Sona's neck and squeezed him tight. "So, thank you, Sona. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"Ah, well, your thanks are appreciated, but unnecessary. I was happy to be his friend." Sona's heart was pounding like a jackhammer. 'By the gods, she's beautiful.' Sona thought to himself as he met Lena's gaze.

'Hehe. I can hear his heart pounding.' She thought to herself and smiled up at Sona. "Anyways, I'm a little young for marriage at the moment, but in three years, I'll come back for you."

"Well, that's sweet." Sona placed his hand on top of her head and started rubbing gently. "Then, in three years, if you still feel that way, we can talk about it. I hope to see you before then, though. Jaesu can fill you in on where we live. You can come visit us."

"Hehe. That feels nice." She closed her eyes and sighed happily as Sona continued to rub the top of her head. "Yeah, I already know. I'll come visit soon, okay Husband?" She stood up quickly and kissed Sona's cheek. "For good luck." She quickly darted away from him and took off down the alley, smiling and giggling the whole way.

"Haha. Master, if you get any more women, you might be able to start your own country with all the children you'd father." Junichi laughed loudly and looped his arm around Sona's neck. "Anyways, let's keep shopping. We've taken long enough already."

"Damn, Junichi. I'm going to stop letting you tag along." Sona blushed and rubbed his cheek. 'Lena Brunfar, huh?' He smiled off in the direction she had left.

After another hour, Sona and Junichi made their approach to the Bounty Board. "By Arzotz's Beard, that guy was a stubborn one." Sona muttered under his breath.

"Indeed. No matter how much you tried to reject the potion, he wasn't having it." Junichi laughed loudly.

Sona's hand dropped to the right pocket of his jacket. 'Life Recovery potion.' Sona's fingers explored the bottle in his pocket as they grew closer to their prearranged meeting place. 'It can heal life threatening wounds, huh?' Sona pondered if that was true.

"Sona!"

"Jaesu?" Sona looked around for his friend.

"Over there, Master." Junichi pointed over Sona's shoulder towards Jaesu who was waving his hand high in the air. The plain looking prince was smiling wide.

"What took you so long? I've been waiting for almost half an hour." Jaesu looked at the pair. "Is that what you picked out?" Jaesu pointed to the cape and bracer that now adorned Sona's person.

"Oh, yeah. Two pieces of enchanted gear and a potion. Thanks, by the way. I'll pay you back soon." Sona walked over to the board, the black cloak swayed behind him with each step.

"Awesome. I can't wait to see what they can do!" Jaesu walked up behind Sona and began scanning the board with him. "See anything interesting?"

"Not yet..." Sona stopped on a bounty poster. "This bounty is two stars. They want help wiping out a band of thieves." Sona plucked the poster down and showed Junichi. "It's not a one star, but it isn't a three star. You good with this one?"

"Hmm." Junichi took the poster and scanned it with his own eyes. "Yeah. That sounds like something we can handle." Junichi nodded and looked to his Master. "It says we can get more info from the bar keep in Myrefall. The city that's being plauged by bandits."

"Myrefall lies outside Brunfar's borders. I won't be of any help in that area. I've never left the country until now." Jaesu looked up to Sona and nodded his head towards to the receptionist. "We can get there using the Gate spell."

"Yeah. Let's go!" Sona grinned as the three of them made their way towards the young woman working the desk.

"Welcome, students. Where will you be traveling to today?" She looked up from her stack of papers and gave a warm smile.

"Myrefall, ma'am."

"Alright. That's going to be forty silver pieces. But--" She flipped through some papers in front of her.

"But what, ma'am?" Sona watched her sift through several sheets.

"Well, I thought I had received a notice for Myrefall. Maybe it was just my imagination?" She spoke the last sentence mostly to herself.

"Yes, we are aware that the village is being plagued by bandits. That's why we are going there." Sona figured that must be the paper she was trying to find.

"Right. That's what I was trying to recall." She whispered and slunk into her chair. 'But, why do I feel like that isn't what I was trying to tell them?' She chewed on her thumb nervously.

"Okay, well forty silver. Here you go." Sona slid the money towards her and the three of them walked around behind her towards the Gate. "Thank you."

She was still searching her desk as the spell activated behind her. Through the portal they could see a small village with a few people sadly shuffling in the background. "Well, you guys ready to go?" Sona looked over his shoulder at the two guys behind him.

"I'm with you, Master." Junichi nodded.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I suppose." Jaesu nodded nervously.

"Relax, guys. We got this." Sona laughed and stepped through the portal.

"He doesn't seem to worry about anything." Jaesu watched Sona disappear through the portal.

"He puts up a front when facing the unknown." Junichi shrugged and walked into the portal after Sona.

"A front, huh?" Jaesu stood in front of the portal for a moment. 'I suppose I could learn a thing or two from you, Sona.' He thought and stepped through the portal after the other two guys.

The academy walls disappeared and Jaesu was quickly transported across the kingdom of Brunfar. After a few moments, his surroundings were drastically changed. The stone walls and torch filled halls were replaced by a warm summer wind as a blazing sun beat down on Jaesu's face. "Wow..."

"First time?" Sona looked back at Jaesu.

"Yeah. Father doesn't trust magic being used on him. He's a very suspicious person. He trusts the Court Mage, but he still prefers traditional treatments and medicine." Jaesu shrugged and walked up beside Sona.

"That's a unique perspective for a man in his position." Sona commented and pulled out the bounty poster. "The barkeep works at the Round Table Tavern. I guess we should go exploring. This place doesn't look that big."

"Why don't we just ask one of these villagers?" Junichi suggested and went to approach a nearby elderly woman. "Excuse me, Miss?"

"Yes?" The lady looked at Junichi but kept walking as she spoke.

"We are looking for the Round Table Tavern. Could you be so kind as to point us in that direction?" Junichi asked as he kept pace with her.

"There." She pointed towards the edge of town. "Stay away if you know what's good for you." She warned and then disappeared into a nearby building.

"Well, that was certainly an odd interaction." Jaesu commented.

"Yeah. You don't think..." Sona looked to Junichi and Jaesu.

"Given her tone and her actions, it's possible that they may be hold up there." Junichi nodded as he agreed with Sona's theory.

"Then we should expect a fight." Jaesu sighed. "I wish this could be resolved without violence."

"At times, violence is the only thing that some people understand, Jaesu. If everything could be solved with words, we wouldn't need soldiers nor would we have to war with others." Sona explained.

"Eloquently put, Master. Now, let's go see what we're dealing with, then we can formulate a plan." Junichi looked to Jaesu. "If things get out of hand Jaesu, run. Your safety is paramount."

"You mean you want me to abandon you?" Jaesu's jaw dropped. "Sona, you don't share his opinion, right?"

"I'm sorry, Jaesu, but I do. Your safety can't be guaranteed. If things go south, return to the academy. Get help." Sona looked to his friend. "As future King, your safety is all that matters."

"Sona..." Jaesu stared at his friends.

"Discussion over, Jaesu. We don't have time to argue. Junichi!" Sona quickly spun around on his heels. The black cloak fluttered upward with his movements before settling on his back once more.

"Yes, Master." Junichi follower after Sona.

"They expect me to just run?" Jaesu sighed and followed after the two men.

As they drew near the edge of the village, they heard raised voices and rambunctious sounds.

The doors to the bar swung open as an adult body was flung out of the building. Three figures emerged and walked to the one laying in the dirt.

"What are they saying?" Sona whispered.

"To far to discern, Master." Junichi shook his head.

"What are they doing?" Jaesu pondered quietly.

The man on the ground slowly started to rise to his feet. He was just about to be back on his feet when one of the three kicked him back to the ground. "I didn't say you could stand!" The man shouted angrily. "Kill him!"

"No!" Sona shouted and rushed towards the four figures outside the bar.

"Master!"

"Sona!"

Both men called after Sona as he rushed over to save the man on the ground. "Leave him alone!" Sona shouted loudly. He extended his hand off to the side and started to focus his mana into his right hand.