After Minerva gave her heavy first step forward, Renime charged. A punch from the right was directed at her ribs, but she redirected it with her staff.

There was an explosive flow around her, melding with her bloodstream and flooding the tips of her fingers. A river of light that felt as visible as air. Renime knew exactly when and how to use it to make herself ever-so-slightly faster, just enough to get the job done. And once her fingers caught a glance of Minerva’s armor, the river extended towards it. It twirled and curled over itself like a creeping vine. The slight sight of an opposing flow, Minerva’s answer, was quickly extinguished by the gleam of the dominating roots.

Minerva pushed Renime aside at the right moment, making her fall down. But the armor that covered her right arm was starting to glow from the heat – the flow of energy wasn’t severed, even if Renime was away from her. It was no more than half a minute, and it was already over.

- “Aight, aight! I give up!” – Minerva threw her burning glove to the floor. Renime got up like it was nothing, her face dirty. The stream of energy showed that she was cooling down the steel.

- “You won’t be able to win if you don’t try.” – She smiled at the soldier.

- “I did try! I’m just not that good all that fast stuff!”

- “Then try harder.” – Such a blunt statement made Minerva laugh and pat her on the back. Renime moved aside while Minerva put her glove back on.

It was surprising to say, how someone smaller than me could do that well. She wasn’t especially muscular nor anything. She just seemed to be extremely smart in how she used her magic.

Minerva sat down with a smile on her face while other students used the circle. They were all fired up after watching, even to the point some were yelling as they threw punches.

Renime was trying to clean her dress while glaring at me (yeah, at the same time).

- “How was that, cheater? Oh, but I bet you can do so much better, right?”

- “I… I really don’t know why you are so ma-”

- “Oh, you know why! Every time I come to spend time with Arsa he just talks about you!”

- “I-”

- “He just goes on and on- ‘Ren, the other day he let me touch his hair!’ ‘Ren, I was able to talk to him!’ ‘Ren, he is so cute!’ Like I care!!”

I felt the blood rush to my head, everyone was looking at us now.

It was such a foreign concept, to think that Arsamira talks about me. But to think he was saying these kinds of things - and not only that, but saying them to his fiancée!

Oh goodness.

If second-hand embarrassment could kill, I would be on my fifth life already.

- “Well, I had no idea he thought like that!”

                                                                             - “Then stop being all lovey - dovey with him!”

- “I’m not even-! He’s a prick! Why would I like him!?”

                                                                            - “Well! He’s handsome, and  charismatic, and a prince!                                                  And his smile is beautiful and he’s so kind and sweet and-!”

- “He’s an inconsiderate idiot who doesn’t even know how to apologize!”

                                                                       - “You take that back! My Arsa is the most chivalrous-”

                                  -“You two really should tone it down, shouldn’t you?”

Arsamira was right next to us with a silly, embarrassed smile. He put a hand on our shoulders and looked at the students, who quickly turned around and pretended to not see anything.

Daien held my hand in hers, looking strangely sad. Worried, maybe.

- “I’m sorry Arsa, I…” – Renime was the first to apologize.

- “It’s fine. I’m sorry I bored you with my comments. I’ll make sure to not let it happen again.” – The prince smiled at her before turning to me. – “And, well-”

- “So you actually know how to apologize.”

- “Eh- V-Von?”

- “Don’t look at me like that, Arsamira. You know damn well why I’m pissed.”

- “I don- W-What?”

I thought for a second, staring as his dumbfounded face. I had the choice to go on a full-on rant in front of him and make a scene, or to save it for later and not embarrass him in front of a bunch of students and his fiancée.

I took a deep breath, and focused on Daien’s hands. She was nervous already, there was no need to make it worse.

- “Nothing.” – Sigh. – “Sorry. Why are you here?”

- “Ah, well! I had come to see how you did on the test, but seeing how you’ve got your license, congratulations!”

- “Uh… Thank you.”

- “And me, Arsa? Did you see me? Wasn’t I really cool back then?” – Renime took his hand with the biggest lovestruck smile I’ve ever seen.

- “Yes, yes, you did very well too. I’m proud of you, Ren.” – But Arsamira just smiled and pet her softly.

Things were too… awkward at the moment, so I just… walked away with Daien. The day was getting darker and darker, calling for a storm rather than a light rain.

We sat on the grass, huddled together against the slightly violent wind. She, who never let go of my hand, kept looking at the floor.

- “Daien-”

- “Uh…”

- “Sorry for earlier.”

- “Are you mad?”

- “A tad bit. But not with you.”

- “I was also… One of the ones that brought you here.”

- “I know, but you haven’t done anything bad.”

- “I… But I knew what we were doing. Brother asked me if I could help them. I didn’t want the prince or him… to be so worried… And I know, too. That if we don’t fight, we-… We are just going to get killed. All of us…”

- “D-Daien-… Well, yes. It’s probably true.”

- “It is. I’ve read stories from the other continent. There on Balanka, many ethnic groups disappeared. I just thought… If Zeliram has contact with Balanka, they might as well also push for genocide on us too!”

Ah, so it’s not that different here, in the end. Should’ve guessed that by now.

- “I can’t just say that… Brother said I shouldn’t. That I would just get the Court unnecessarily angry. That they don’t take me seriously.”

- “…I get his point, thought. He doesn’t want the backlash of telling all those things to the Court, or pushing for the use of questionable methods. So… the reason I’m here is to do that.”

- “No, no-. You are here to help. You are here to help us. Only for that.”

- “Daien…”

- “Okay? Don’t push yourself just because brother asks you to. Please.”

- “…I won’t. Don’t worry.”

- “You promise?”

- “…I… I don’t think I can promise that, Daien.”

- “…Oki. But if they are bullying you too much, you can come to me. I’ll fight them.”

I smiled at her and ruffled her hair. What a lovely, precious girl. She leaned on my shoulder, with that sad look on her face. She started picking up pieces of grass on impulse.

Arsamira and co. joined us not long after telling the students to go home. Renime wasn’t clinging to him anymore, but she still directed a bitter glare at me.

Minerva - who was still laughing at the discussion we had before - and I decided to head for the shack so I could get my to-be staff, and to return the gloves.

Soon enough I noticed my dilemma. So, I kept my gloves, no other way to carry my staff.

Both of us alone, I looked at Minerva, who was bright and cheerful. She was tall, dependable, and strong. It felt like she was everything I couldn’t be for the kingdom. If they had people like this, it was no wonder that I disappointed Arsamira so much. When they have so many heroes already, what were they expecting of me?

I slapped my cheek.

‘Stop thinking, idiot.’

It had been a long day. My mind was tired of holding it together.

Every little crinkle of leaves was a threat to the tired hearts.

Or was I just being over-dramatic?

Probably a bit of both.

As the storm was coming close, we hurried to the place the carriages were at. I saw Kio in the distance, getting up from the carriage. A bit closer, and I noticed his hair was messy - as if he had taken a nap.

- “Kio!”

I probably walked a little too fast to greet him. The air was cold, and some drops had already started to fall. But he was so warm and cozy…

- “S-Sir?”

- “Ah, sorry…”

Actually, no, I wasn’t sorry at all. Be it because I was pissed and nervous, or because it was cold, or just due to what happened the previous day, seeing Kio just made me feel ten times better. I unapologetically hugged him for a little while. Just a simple, silly indulgence.

Then, I felt another person join the hug.

- “He’s warm…” – Daien was smiling warmly. Kio hesitated, but still closed his arms a little to hold us.

- “Ehem.” – The prince cleared his throat. – “Let’s hurry, shall we?”

- “Y-Yes sir.” – We let go of Kio, who immediately opened the door for us.

Since Arsamira had invited Renime to wait for the storm to calm down at the castle, we ended up all cramped in one carriage, while Luze and Minerva drove the two other – now empty carriages - behind us. The duke’s daughter was pretty clear on her intentions of spending the night there, and how happy it made her.

I whispered to Daien.

- “…How old is she?”

- “14 harvest moons, I think.”

- “S-She’s- She’s just a child. Should I be worried?”

- “It’s fine. She’s more of a little sister to all of us.”

I looked at them again. Arsamira spoiled her like one would a child, with half-hearted listening and brotherly love. The contrast between an extremely capable soldier and an excited and childish teen was striking.

I felt strangely sorry for her. A child who loved so much, yet all she gets back is being shoved in her face how the man she’s engaged with doesn’t love her.

Well, in one of the worst ways possible.

The ride back went by pretty quickly, and I spent most of the time looking through the window.

Lie.

I spent most of the time asking Kio if he was okay, because the carriage had no way to cover him from the rain.

But lo and behold, we arrived at the castle with not much trouble.

In the end I didn’t get to practice any magic, huh.