The Thunder Armlet was surprisingly effective... at killing people.
"Tsk."
The fried corpse of the slave trader revealed nothing about the location of the main encampment.
"...?"
Then, I took notice of what looked like paper. Despite the ridiculous voltage coming out of the armlet, it seemed to be as pristine as the day the guy probably got it.
Pulling it out, I detected a few faint traces of mana.
Curious, I tried injecting some of my mana into it.
"Oho?"
I flinched at the sudden voice but what revealed itself was far too fascinating to be distracted from. In slight awe, I spoke.
"A map?"
Aya nodded and remarked on the way they managed to conceal it.
"Mana lock or something like that."
"That's a thing?"
"Yep."
"...Well, X marks the spot."
"No, that's the place we were just at."
"..."
"The little crown marks the spot in this case."
"But that's..."
"Sapin's territory..."
Though my face sank a little, Aya shrugged, unfazed.
"That means that we can't interfere anymore. Let's just pick up the kidnapped elves and return."
I sighed.
"Got it."
**
"Understood."
After concluding our report, Alduin nodded.
"Also, yow were the artifacts?"
"...Oh, yeah. They were..."
I turned to Aya, but she had already turned away.
"Uhm..."
Turning back to Alduin, I tried to think of something that didn't sound insulting.
"...Lethal."
"I see, I see."
Seemingly happy, he sipped on a cup of tea.
"For now, Aya, you're dismissed. Asher, I have another assignment for you."
"Yes, your majesty."
Aya disappeared like a ninja.
I, on the other hand, internally groaned in displeasure. I wanted nothing more than to take a shower and sleep.
"So..."
I plopped down onto a sofa as it seemed like it wasn't serious job time anymore.
"...What am I doing now? I need to start training again."
"What more do you need to train?"
"Stealth, different weapons, mana control, Reinforced Mana—"
"Ok, ok. Good grief."
He sighed and smiled tiredly.
"I want you to serve as an escort."
"...?"
Escort?
"For who?"
"The princess."
I paused, going through the archives of my brain.
"...Who?"
In the end, I couldn't remember.
"Oh my Lord..."
Alduin shook his head in disappointment.
"The princess. Tessia Eralith. My daughter?"
"Yeah... who?"
"You saw her before you left last year!"
Last year?
"...Oh, that does ring a bell, actually."
Still, I really wanted to get back to training my assassination abilities. Especially in that mission, I saw that I slipped up in detecting that enemy. It was just by luck that the body wasn't discovered until we properly cleared the camp.
"But aren't I technically already an escort? For the royal family?"
"It's different. I mean to be her personal escort when she wants to go places and such. Her bodyguard."
"So, you want me to stalk your daughter?"
"...Go do your job."
After getting kicked out of Alduin's office, I started walking towards my room before I was stopped by an attendant.
"Sir!"
The elf saluted.
"At ease."
It was odd acting like I was their boss, but it was my position now. Though I didn't feel it, I was a Royal Knight now.
"These are the details of your new assignment."
My face immediately scrunched up.
"...Thank you. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!"
The knight quickly trotted off.
"...Haaaa. If I knew it was going to be like this, I wouldn't have done my Asceticism Journey."
Shaking off my regret, I began looking through the files.
**
Tessia Eralith POV
After waking up, I was washed, dressed, and had my hair done by the maids like usual. It was a bit dull since training was put on hold and... Arthur was gone.
Ah! What am I saying?? I don't miss him! He misses me more!!
Anyways, although I didn't want it, dad and grandpa insisted, so I had an escort now.
"All done, princess. Your escort is waiting outside."
"Got it."
Hopping off the chair, I walked to the door and opened it.
"Your highness."
On his knee, bowing, was a white-haired human boy.
...Wait a minute.
"Raise your head."
Lifting up his head, a pair of familiar golden eyes and a face that I swore looked better than mine looked at me.
"It's you!"
"...Yep."
Then, the boy brazenly stood up, ignoring any formality or etiquette.
"H-hey! You're in the presence of the princess!"
"I'm in the presence of royalty every day. It's nothing special."
I reactively glared at him, but I decided to move on to another topic as he was unfazed.
"...A-anyways, why are you here?"
"?"
Though he was confused at first, he soon seemed to come to profound enlightenment and decided to share in his newly found insight.
"To be your escort, obviously."
"Huh?"
"?"
Wait, he was my escort?
"W-wait a minute."
Quickly I shut the door.
"..."
WHAT!!?? ASHER AUREUS, MY ESCORT? LIKE THE CHAMPION OF XYRUS??? THAT GUY??
I freaked out internally.
Although Asher wasn't aware, he was thought of and treated as an idol among his generation of elves.
It made sense.
At the young age of 2, he awakened as a mage tearing down an eighth of the capital, becoming a Candidate (though not even Tessia knew what a Candidate actually was), being mentored by lord Virion the Prime Candidate, as well as a Successor, the youngest Royal Knight in the entirety of the history of Elenoir, 4-time Dinner Marathon record-breaker, etc.
His accomplishments were as great as those of heroes in legends, so it was almost natural that other elven children would idolize him. Tessia was no exception to this either.
"Huuu..."
Exhaling, I opened the door to try again.
"Ehem."
"?"
He turned from observing a black vase. I think it was made out of byttite? Wait! Stop getting distracted, Tessia!
"Nice to meet you..."
"...Likewise."
He smiled.
—Thud.
I could hear something falling in the background.
Concerned, I turned to see what was going on and saw a maid on the ground, clutching her heart.
"..."
"Don't you have to..."
"... Don't worry about it."
She was probably acting again anyways. That woman was dramatic.
"So, um..."
Gosh, why can't I think of anything??
"... Y-you'll be my escort, right?"
"Correct. As long as I am not dispatched for a mission, I will be working as your personal guard indefinitely."
Swallowing, I spoke with the dignity a princess should have... I think.
"O-ok, so I'm going to go to the dining hall."
"... I'll be right behind you."
I began to creak my way over to the dining hall, all the while trying to wrap my head around the fact that Asher Aureus was my escort.
**
Asher POV
I followed the princess from behind her.
So, this is Grey's, no, Arthur's girlfriend.
She seemed like a well-mannered girl, but... something told me that she was a bit more...
...Proactive?
Was that the right word?
I wasn't sure, but I had a suspicion that she had a flip side to her personality.
Then again, I was just comparing the princess to 'her.'
I unconsciously sighed.
The following year was a year of trailing this girl and making sure she didn't do anything stupid, get kidnapped (again), or hurt in any way, shape, or form. Though I didn't exactly want to accept it, I technically had given my body and power to the princess and her family, so it wasn't like I had a choice.
Then again, it wasn't like I didn't like kids. Still, I was a kid too, so I couldn't treat her like a kid or else...? Or else what?
While I was wandering around the shadows of my mind., we reached the dining hall's doors.
"I'll be taking my leave here, your highness."
"R-right!"
And why was she so awkward around me? And why was I suddenly assigned to a job like this anyways?
There were plenty of mysteries surrounding this whole thing, and I had zero intention to resolve any of them.
I was just going to do my job and nothing more.
Yup.
**
October 17th
"OI! ASHER!"
I popped out of my slumber.
"Why are you sleeping? I thought you were going to teach me today!"
"..."
My vision was still blurry as I tried to make out where I was.
"Oh, right, right..."
I looked out the window. It seemed I fell asleep after reading OFM's 5th installment.
Seeing the reflection on my face, I suddenly felt the need to sleep more. I looked like a hag!
"... Wasn't that tomorrow?"
Tessia deadpanned.
"If you're gonna lie, try to put some effort into it."
"Tch."
Like I thought, the girl had a weird flip to her personality after getting used to me. It was a nice change of pace compared to her forced polite girl demeanor, but it was still a jarring change. The change happened after a couple weeks or so, and after that, she had been demanding me to give her lessons for the past month and a half.
Also, the change wasn't gradual. It just happened one day.
"Fine, fine. What did you want to learn today?"
Her eyes began twinkling.
"That thing you do!"
"?"
"Y'know, that thing!"
I made a compassionate smile laced with pity. The kind of smile you would give to reassure a person who genuinely thought cows barked.
...They meowed*.
"Listen, you're going to need to be a thousand times more descriptive."
"The thing where you get all serious and stuff before a fight."
"Oh, that thing."
"Yeah!"
She definitely had talent but was just talent really enough to allow someone to attain Form Zero? I mean, even if she didn't reach my proficiency with it, just merely being able to summon it at will was insurmountably difficult.
"...I mean, you can try."
Still, that wasn't a reason to withhold power, especially from a good kid.
Her ears started flapping for some reason.
Although it was a peculiar sight, I took my eyes off them and yawned. The princess held no regard for my exhaustion and started badgering me.
"So, what do I do?"
"First step... calm down."
"?"
"You gotta meditate."
"I have to purify my core?"
"No, no. I mean, meditate to focus your mind..."
"What?"
"...Just do as I do."
She plopped down into the lotus position like I was and closed her eyes.
"...So?"
"Just... observe yourself. Your breathing, your thoughts, your body, etc. The goal is to attain a tranquil mind to help cultivate your ability to reduce..."
I yawned again.
"...The endless stream of thoughts so that you can clear and be in control of your mind lest you want it to control you."
I stared at the princess, who had a knotted brow as she tried to figure out what I said.
...
In truth, I was just copying something I read on a WikiHow speed run. In all honesty, I was mostly self-taught.
As I felt that she wasn't going to be bothering me for a while, I pulled up the blanket and went back to sleep.
**
November 23rd
After completing a mission with Alea (another monster subjugation), I was back guarding the princess.
She seemed to be staring at this crystal ball whenever she thought no one was around.
"...Princess?"
"UGYAH!!"
The ball slipped out of her hand and landed on the ground.
"W-wait!!"
The ball rolled and eventually stopped at my feet.
I moved to pick it up, but Tessia barreled into my core to cover up the ball.
Utterly unprepared for the sudden assault, the wind was knocked out of me as I landed on the floor, clutching the area of impact.
Unfortunately, it seemed the princess was far more concerned about the state of her ball than the state of her bodyguard, whom she had just laid waste to.
Clutching my stomach, I staggered onto my feet and tried to speak.
"Prin—"
But before I could finish the first word of my sentence, the door swung open and slammed into my face.
—BAM
"!"
Clutching my face and stomach, I hopped on one foot backward, trying to get my bearings, before tripping and falling face down.
"..."
Unable to fully process what just happened, I decided to give up and stay dead on the ground.
"Oi brat, you good?"
I whimpered.
"So long as you're alive, I suppose."
Virion rubbed his beard before heading over to the princess.
I sighed as I listened to them discuss various things to which I didn't pay any attention since I was too busy nursing myself.
All I heard was something about Xyrus Academy and next year.
**
January 29th
"...Asher."
"?"
It was winter, so we were dressed up. Tessia wore a coral pink poncho over thicker robes and had a pair of earmuffs on her head.
I was simply dressed in the winter version of the Royal Knight uniform but with a beanie on my head. The pompom was a little tacky, but Alea and Aya wouldn't let me leave without it, and I suppose it suited my stature. I was 8, but I looked 6 or 7.
In any case, she had asked to see me out in the garden.
"So, you see..."
Snow was drifting as I silently gazed at the princess, her pinky cheeks matching her poncho.
"...Hurry up and say it, would you?"
It had been a few months and, perhaps by Alduin, Merial, and Virion's design, we had become something akin to friends.
She was a bit annoying at times, but I had to admit, she had grown on me.
Her face lit up even brighter, if that was even possible, and she continued to hesitate, shifting her weight between her feet. Finally, after waiting a long, long time, she breathed in deeply and shouted.
"I like Arthur!"
—Like Arthur, ike Arthur, Arthur, thur...
Her shout echoed.
"..."
I stared at her blankly.
Seeing her face flushed to the point where it looked like a tomato and her small, trembling frame, I felt a sudden urge to confess.
To confess something that I kept hidden for around half a year now.
"...I know."
"Eh?"
"Eh what? Everyone knows."
"...Huh?"
A galaxy seemed to appear behind her. Feeling bad, I sighed and spoke.
"It was kind of obvious when you mutter his name while you sleep and ask elder Rinia for an orb that gives you a constant feed of his face or constantly ask if any letters you receive are from Arth—"
"AHHH!!"
Her face somehow turned even brighter as she tried to shut me up by slamming an augmented fist into my core.
"Uk!"
I gasped for breath at the sudden violent aggression and spoke between wheezes.
"Calm... down. Your face... will melt... the, snow."
It sure was bright.
"W-was it really that obvious?"
Finally managing to pull myself together, I spoke.
"Yep."
She seemed to fall into thought which surprised me as I thought she wasn't actually capable of using her brain for anything other than fighitng.
"...D-do you think A-Arthur knows?"
At this, I actually started thinking about it. I didn't know how he was like now since he probably lived out the rest of his life properly, but I was thinking about the Grey I knew in the past...
"...He might."
"Eh!?"
I smiled mysteriously.
"Well, you can ask him later, no?"
"No!"
"..."
As a guy with zero dating experience, I didn't know how to handle this sort of thing. Taking the opportunity, I shrugged and started to walk away.
"W-wait, where are you going?"
"Work. Aya will be taking care of you."
"O-oh... Bye then."
I lifted my hand and waved as I left. It was both a farewell and a greeting.
—Hello, princess.
—AHK!
—Is there something on my face?
—N-no.
I chuckled at the conversation as I made my way to Alduin's office.
Major things were happening from now until the end of next year. I wasn't sure when or what, but I felt something was going to happen.
Something... big.
**
August 1st
"I'll be going then."
"Yup. Be sure to eat well."
"...Guess I can depend on the 5-time Dinner Marathon record-breaker to say that as a farewell."
I shrugged nonchalantly at the ludicrous accomplishment. (I mean, who beat their own record 4 times?)
"Anyways, see you in about a year, yeah?"
"Mhm."
After hugging her family goodbye, Tessia got onto the carriage. She was going to Xyrus academy to enroll as a student and go under the tutelage of Cynthia. It was judged that she wasn't getting the appropriate attention to facilitate her growth at home, so it was better for her to be sent off.
"..."
"...Alright, alright."
Knowing that her pride wouldn't allow her to initiate the farewell, I decided to go first.
"I'll see you in a year. Have fun."
"...Y-yeah, I'll see you in a year too."
I turned to leave.
I had to admit, a year of spending time together made the brat grow on me a little. It was friends... in a different sense. Like a friend my age? Thought that'd be kind of weird since I was almost triple her age.
"...Take care of yourself."
"...I will."
*
I tilted my head back to see the carriage leaving.
"Alea?"
"Yeah?"
"... It's nothing."
"Sure."
I paused.
"Wanna grab something to eat?"
"Definitely."
We walked back into the palace, chatting and snickering about random things.
A/N: This chapter was just a load of expository setup.
Next chapter will be the start of the main events of the Arc.
Thanks for reading!
Rua