Iris had asked some servants of the castle for her parent's whereabouts. She had been informed of a small conference between them and her uncle, Julius. She was now on her way to show them her recently acquired grimoire.
Reaching the office of the Wizard King, Iris was respectful enough to knock before slowly opening the door. She saw her family members laughing together. Everyone had seemed to be in a good mood and she hoped that she wouldn't be the one to ruin that.
"Mother, Father, Uncle, I've returned from the grimoire acceptance ceremony," She greeted them, respectfully acknowledging their status.
"Ah, Iris! We're glad that you've made it home safely. Join us, we were just having a casual discussion," Julius spoke up first before her parents could. He motioned for her to sit on an empty seat beside her mother.
Iris made her way over to the empty space. Before she could say anything else, her mother beat her to it, "Iris would you care to show us your grimoire? We've been quite anxious, anticipating which one you would receive."
"Of course, mother." Iris pulled out the thick book from her pouch and handed it to her. "I was honestly kinda embarrassed that I got this one. Everyone else got one that was more normal and I ended up with this." Iris didn't seem to grasp the rarity of the one she had been granted. Indeed, she was once again oblivious to anything that was of importance.
Everyone in the room -except for Iris- had a look of bewilderment and amazement. Julius was the only one of the bunch to have a more intense reaction to seeing the grimoire.
"I-iris! Do you know what grimoire this is?" Joules was somewhat perplexed as to why she wasn't having as big of a reaction as he had been having.
Iris brought her index finger to her chin, "Well, it's the four-leaf clover, right?" Iris didn't seem to be bothered by the uniqueness of the book.
"W-well, yes it is..." Joules didn't exactly know what to say. He was at a loss for words. He knew that Iris was indeed strong and he had been expecting for her to receive a great grimoire. 'Never in a million years did I expect her to get something this special!' he thought.
"Wow! That's so cool! Do you mind if I take a look at it? I can't believe I'm seeing a four-leaf grimoire! I never thought that I would get to see one in my whole life," Julius' eyes gleamed and sparkled brighter than the sun at the sight of the strange-looking book.
Iris handed Julius her grimoire, slightly sweat-dropping at his reaction. Constanza kept examining her daughter, 'it makes sense that this grimoire chose her. She had shown the capabilities for greatness from a young age. Still, I can't help but feel slightly worried for her,' she thought.
While the two males were gawking at the grimoire, Constanza was having an internal battle with herself. She had been questioning if she should push Iris even more or if she should let her be. 'Should I let her find her path, or should I promote her to reach greater heights?' she questioned.
She did not doubt that Iris would create a name for herself, but the problem right now was if Constanza should encourage one thing over the other. Cutting through the excitement of the ones around her, Constanza turned to Iris, "is there anything that you have planned for your future? Surely, now that you've seen your grimoire, you would be thinking of new goals that you could achieve?"
Iris looked to be taken aback by her mother's question. After all, she hadn't thought about what she wanted to do. Maybe she could be a trader that traveled across the kingdom? Or maybe a simple traveler that climbed the greatest mountains? She could be anything, but what was the question. "I'm not sure what I wanna do. I'd like it to be something that doesn't waste my potential, but still, I'm not certain on what would be good for me," she answered, sincerely confused about what to accomplish.
This time, Julius spoke up, now interested in guiding his niece. "Have you thought about joining the Magic Knights? Perhaps it will do you well to experience the world more." Both Constanza and Joules turned to Julius, concerned about how this conversation would play out.
Iris thought about it for a bit. 'Would I be content with this?' she thought, worried about how her decision would affect her. "I hadn't thought about joining the Magic Knights. Frankly, I never even gave that thought the time of day. Besides, what do they even do?"
Julius smiled at the thought of having caught her attention, "well, they protect the kingdom and ensure the safety of the citizens. Not only that but they also go on a variety of missions that require them to visit unique places. It's true, the experience you gain from joining will distinguish you from the average citizen," he concluded.
Iris practically jumped from her seat when she heard the duties of a Magic Knight. "Hey, Hey! Will I really be able to see cool places?" she questioned Julius.
"Of course. There is always something to do if you are a Magic Knight. However, I should warn you. They have a great responsibility and because of this, Magic Knights endure harsh conditions." Julius hoped that this would not scare her off. He wanted his niece to use her potential to the fullest, 'what better way to do that than to serve the kingdom?' he thought.
At the thought of going on thrilling missions that would undoubtedly require her to risk her life, Iris was even more drawn to the idea of becoming a Magic Knight. "That sounds like something that would be perfect for me!" she exclaimed.
However, despite Iris being convinced, two other people seemed wary of this. Constanza and Joules couldn't help but worry for their daughter. She had never shown motivation for much, so the thought of giving her the responsibility so great, felt a bit odd. 'Will this be a good decision for her?' they both thought in unison.
Julius noticed the silence from both Joules and Constanza. However, he knew that he would need to leave the decision solely up to Iris. "Before you conclude, I would like you to take some time to go over what you would like. Only then would I acknowledge your decision." Joules' and Constanza's expression changed once Julius said this. They felt it would be better for her to make a more informed choice.
"Of course, I think I need to do a bit of my own research. I don't think it would be smart of me to go in blind." Iris found it slightly absurd to sign up to be a Magic Knight without knowing the actual duties. 'Perhaps I should get to know the individual squads,' she thought.
The three adults were pleased to hear that Iris was taking her future seriously. One of their biggest concerns was that she would disregard all forms of responsibility. They all now held newfound hope.
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Iris had decided to take a stroll around the royal garden. As she had her small walk, a thoughtful look graced her face. She had much to think about over the course of the next few days. 'Should I become a Magic Knight? They seem to be well respected--not that I really care.' She was having an internal battle with herself about what she would decide.
After a few moments of overthinking, Iris had spotted a bench not far from a water fountain. She couldn't help but externally sigh as she sat down. Currently, the only thing that was on her mind was, 'what if I regret this later on?' Sure, there came a bit of uncertainty with each decision made, but this was different. This decision was one that could potentially change the rest of her life, for better or for worse.
She looked to the side, glancing at the water trickling down the water fountain. 'If I do end up joining, what would that look like? Sure I've heard some pleasant things from the Magic Knights, but what if that's all just for show? How will I know to pick the right squad? I don't want one that just grants me things because of my status. I want to work hard to get to a good place.' Iris was conflicted; on one hand, she wanted to go ahead and join, and on the other, she wanted to just leave the royal capital and go see what the world has to offer.
It had been getting dark outside and Iris knew she would need to retreat to the comforts of her bed. The long day she had endured could finally come to an end. What was she so worried about anyway? She had all the time in the world to make a proper decision--not really, but she ignored that. In a few days, she would need to make a choice. Little did she know what troubles would await for her.
The young royal proceeded to make her way back into the royal walls. 'I guess if Mother and Father survived Uncle Julius' craziness then I can too,' she thought, now a bit more excited than before.
Iris made her way through the castle halls towards her bedroom. She had plopped down on her bed faced down, "why would I ever choose to leave you, my precious lover" Iris' voice was slightly muffled as she spoke into the bedsheets. She turned over to look at her ceiling, contemplating her next words. "Maybe I will join the Magic Knights, they seem like fun."