It was midday and the sky was clear, so the sun shinned down brightly from above. The sky was a soft azure, the clouds a puffy white and the birds were chirping happily as if to say to the world: Ah, isn’t this such a perfect day…

“What are we doing?”

Magnus’ brows furrowed as he looked at me with an expression full of distrust.

…to steal?

Everybody knows that if you are going to steal something, it should be in the cover of night so as not to be discovered. That is what Magnus had been fervently trying to tell me as we crouched behind a bush.

I looked at him simply, “Didn’t I tell you? We’re going to get a map.”

“But, it’s broad daylight! And not just any daylight – I don’t think the sun has been this bright in a very long time! Isn’t this too conspicuous?!”

He was practically huffing and puffing as he whisper-yelled at me in frustration. In response, I simply looked up at the sky blissfully, and closed my eyes as I let the warmth caress my skin, “Yes, it certainly feels extra nice today…But, you know,” I looked at him now and gave him my brightest smile, “don’t I blend in with brightness better?”

Magnus face twitched as he tried to suppress his irritation, “Yes, you are so bright that it is quite annoying. Can’t I just kill you?”

I chuckled, “You’re as violent as ever, I see.”

“Isn’t that you?” He mumbled under his breath.

Ignoring him, I continued with a pointing finger and a lecturing voice, “But, you know, sneaking in during daylight is actually much better than sneaking in during the night. Everybody expects you to try to sneak in at night, but nobody would suspect you to try to sneak in during the day.”

“Because only a fool would.”

“Ahem!” I could feel my blood starting to boil at his snarky attitude, but ignored it and continued, “No one has snuck into the palace in years, and no one expects someone to. Even if they do, they would focus on the night.” I pointed in the direction of the guards, “Now, look over there. Does it look like those guards are alert and awaiting an intruder?”

The guard in his metal armor was lazily scratching his lower area, before swinging a can which obviously contained alcohol into his mouth. Even that couldn’t seem to wake him up as he yawned lazily with droopy eyes. His fellow guard, sensing his comrade’s boredom, immediately tried to lighten the mood by lifting up his shirt and drawing a few lines on his bare stomach. Next thing you know, one guard was laughing at the other while his blubbering, protruding fat stomach went in and out, resembling a person’s (a very fat one’s, might I add) face talking.

Magnus was speechless for a while before finally managing to say, “…Just what are they doing?”

However, he was soon shocked as he was met with an empty space instead of me. Alarmed, he ran forward and practically yanked my arm as he stopped me from walking. “Just what are you doing?!” He practically hissed under his breath.

“…”

Mad, I could only glare at him for a while before saying, “Can’t you see I’m doing my usual ‘don’t think or hesitate and just go do it’ thing? Don’t get in my way.”

“…You…were doing that on purpose?”

“…”

I could only glare some more, as the hand clutching onto my sleeve started to tremble the more Magnus tried containing his laughter. His whole body was practically heaving as he used his other hand to cover his mouth, tears already escaping his eyes with the effort.

“I…I can’t…Pffft!”

Irritated, I started walking once more, dragging him along.

“Hey! Wha- What are you doing?! We can’t just go in! Ouch- What happened to sneaking in?!”

I paused, then looked back down at him sprawled on the grass, “Does it look like I need to sneak in? I can just walk up to those two drunks, say that I have business in the palace, and smile quietly as I watch their eyes turn to hearts as they open the door without questioning. Now you,” I kicked him away from me and his hand finally let me go, “can go sneak in. There is no way they will let you in, after all.”

“…You sure have it easy, don’t you?” He said with a helpless expression. Sighing, he dusted himself off as he pulled himself up.

“Don’t make it sound so hard. No one could get caught sneaking in with these condi-”

Boom!

The guards who had gotten drowsy again, were quickly startled as they heard the noise, and started to frantically look around for the origin.

“…Did someone just get caught sneaking in with these conditions? Haha…”

I ignored Magnus’ usual annoying comments and looked towards the origin of the noise.

“Elliieeeeee!!! Where are you?!”

“…”

“Hey! Where are you going?! What happened to going in without hesitation? Why are you walking away without hesitation?!” Magnus quickly grabbed at my clothes and stopped me.

It was as if all my energy had left me and I couldn’t even bother using my facial muscles. “…Don’t you know I usually do that too?” I looked back at him with a blank expression, “Plus…look at that. Do you think we can sneak in now?”

Both our eyes followed where my finger pointed, and found a tall, muscular young boy who mysteriously didn’t have his shirt on, chaotically swinging his sword around. All around him were giant craters from where his sword had hit the ground, and holding on to him like their life depended on it were two young girls. You could see their faces contorting in pain as the boy paid no attention and swung around with them flying behind him as if they were as light as feathers.

“…You really have a bad effect on boys, you know that?”

“…Yes.” I could only grudgingly agree as I hung my head low in shame.

Magnus sighed as he let go of me, but then looked at me with a smile that said: It can’t be helped! With that same cheeky smile, he actually spoke this time, “Should we just go and do it then? Without hesitation.”

Looking at him grinning like an idiot was quite annoying. I glared at him and then quickly looked away, causing him to exclaim, “Oi! Don’t look away like I’m some piece of stinky trash. I’m trying to help you here! I thought you didn’t have time? Are you sure you want to waste this opportunity?”

I twitched at that, then grudgingly glanced at him, but couldn’t help but wince. He’s still smiling like an idiot…seems like he’s having fun…ugh! But… I couldn’t help it; he had a point. And so, without hesitation and trying hard not to look at him, I confidently walked forward, out from the cover of the trees and into the open field in front of the palace.

The sun shined brightly over my golden hair, making it sparkle. Even the guards who had been intently watching Ezekiel wreak havoc while wondering whether they should leave their posts or not, stopped to look at me. Pulling out my loudspeaker, I heard the fuzzy noise come on as I turned it on. By now the guards were looking at me with wide eyes that had turned to hearts. Without bothering to test the speaker, I yelled out annoyed, “Hey, lover-boy!”

Ezekiel suddenly paused his wreaking of havoc, and slowly turned to face me from afar as he recognized my voice. I tried not to grimace as his whole person changed, and pointed at the guards as I used the anger boiling up in me to darkly say, “Destroy them.”

Smiling happily as I watching Ezekiel go from pulverizing the ground the pulverizing the guards, I heard Magnus helplessly say, “Well, that was a nice wording. Haha…” His face twitched as he smiled awkwardly and turned to face me, “But…do you really have to smile so creepily?”

I could only smile back at him as I answered, “Creepily? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Shouldn’t we quickly go before others come?”

Magnus shivered as he mumbled under his breath, “Just who was the one smiling happily as two innocent guards were being hacked…?”

“Did you say something?” I looked back with a polite smile gracing my face.

Magnus hurriedly replied a quick “No!” and then ran up to catch up with my pace, sighing with his shoulders slumped as if thinking: Ah, this is going to be a long day.