I opened my eyes to the new day, which filtered in like threads of molten gold through the palace's heavy curtains. For the second time in my life, my body rested under a roof that wasn't that of some ordinary inn.
The first time was when Cid and I testified about that duel that changed Eli's fate. Now, however, my vigil extended into the royal palace of a foreign country, not for honor, but to stop the shadow of an epidemic that threatened to devour the world.
Upon waking, I noticed something strangely familiar, something that normally only happened at the Rosenberg mansion. That it was happening here, in a foreign land, was disconcerting, to say the least.
"Good morning, emm…"
"Good morning, Razel-sama," replied a voice as soft as silk. "My name is Sharon Noah Roselynd, I am Her Majesty the Queen's personal head housekeeper. We met yesterday."
"Ah, yes, a pleasure again…"
A beautiful maid with hair and eyes the color of cherry blossoms in full bloom stared at me, standing erect over my bed like an ethereal apparition. Her face, expressionless as the surface of a calm lake, was dangerously close to mine.
"Breakfast is ready, and that's why you came to wake me, right?"
"Correct."
"Then you can get off me, since you've done your duty."
"I'm afraid I cannot."
"Why not?" I asked, sensing the oddness of her answer.
I had a beautiful woman who wasn't one of my fiancées on top of me. If I had wanted a maid to come wake me up with her huge attributes in my face, Cordelia would be here right now.
"The queen ordered me to."
"She ordered you?" I said, puzzled. She hadn't told me about this yesterday.
"That's right. Her Majesty ordered me to become your exclusive maid while you are here. You may order me to do anything, I will fulfill any desire, including taking care of your physiological needs."
Immediately, she unbuttoned her uniform, revealing generous, firm breasts, barely contained in a white bra as pure as the first snowfall. It was a marvelous sight, an instant of beauty that could make the most stoic of men waver. But there was a problem.
(I can't get involved with unfamiliar women. I came to this country to prevent the empire's end; I must avoid forming ties with the locals.)
(Besides, that expressionless face reminds me of Evelyn, but without our special connection.)
I told her so, omitting the last part.
"I'm very sorry. I appreciate the offer, but I'm a simple man. I don't want a woman who seeks me out because she was ordered to or at someone else's request. I want it to be of her own free will."
I watched as she raised her eyebrows slightly. She was surprised by what I said.
That's right. I'm a decent pervert.
"I understand what you're saying," she whispered, with a hint of regret. "I offer my sincerest apologies."
She regretted what she did, buttoned up her uniform, and stepped away from the bed. She approached the door and, after opening it, said:
"In that case, I will make sure to earn your affection by spending a lot of time with you. You may come to breakfast when you feel comfortable. Goodbye."
I thought she would offer to help me dress, but due to my refusal, she left, considering it would be inappropriate at that moment. I didn't mind, but it was good that she understood.
In any case, she and Evelyn shared the same stoic expression. I wondered what my dear fiancées were doing at home without me.
◇
Once Sharon left, I headed to the bathroom. The water, scented with rose and lavender essences, helped me clear away the last remnants of sleep. Then I changed my clothes. Yesterday, Iris had shown me some areas of the palace, so I knew the most important ones.
The hallway leading to the dining room was a dreamlike gallery. On both sides, veined marble columns stood like silent sentinels, their capitals adorned with acanthus leaves carved with almost unreal precision.
Bohemian crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, casting tiny dancing rainbows onto the crimson carpets that muffled my steps. On the walls, covered with tapestries narrating ancient battles and legends of forgotten heroes, hung shields and swords that gleamed with a ghostly shine in the candlelight.
The scent of beeswax and cedarwood mixed with a vague jasmine perfume, creating an atmosphere of contained luxury and ancient grandeur. At the end of that hallway, a double door of solid oak, carved with intricate motifs of dragons and flowers, welcomed me.
I opened the door and entered a dining room so luxurious it seemed ripped from a fairy tale. The ceiling, painted with frescoes of feasting gods, rose above a long mahogany table polished like a mirror, capable of seating fifty diners.
On one side, a row of uniformed maids waited in silence, like animated statues, ready to satisfy any desire. And in the center, a group of women gathered around the head.
"Ah! There he is!" exclaimed a vibrant voice.
"Razel-sama, over here!" said another, waving her hand.
The one calling me was the first princess of this kingdom, a beautiful blonde girl with her hair tied in two large pigtails that bounced with every movement, and radiant blue eyes as bright as her smile. She was Millialice Lux Britannia.
"Alicia onee-sama, you're being very finicky so early just because he arrived," scolded her younger sister.
"Lillie, you say that, but you brought the chair so he could sit next to you," pointed out the first, amused.
The second princess, Lilialice Lux Britannia, shared the same hair color and style, but possessed eyes as red as bloodied rubies. They were twins. But they seemed like oil and water, two irreconcilable elements united by the chance of birth. One warmed the heart like a radiant sun; the other, cold and cruel as a storm in the middle of the ocean.
However, at that moment, Princess Lillie changed her frown into an expression of utter shame.
"I-It's not like that! I-I brought it to… uh… uh…" she stammered. "To rest my feet, yes, that's why I brought it!"
Her eyes wandered, unable to hold my gaze. After placing her beautiful legs on the seat, her mother scolded her with a sweetness that did not hide her authority.
"Lillie, don't do that. There are better ways to get attention than losing your manners."
"W-Who says I'm trying to get attention, Mother!"
"Razel-kun, over here," said another voice, deeper and calmer, cutting the discussion like a hot knife through butter.
Someone else was with us. The reason for my presence here, the woman who had set everything in motion, was calling me.
Her beauty rivaled the others, but from her position, the sun's rays, filtering through a huge window, bathed her body as if she were a celestial figure descended to earth. Her blonde hair, wavy like wheat fields in summer, and her eyes blue like liquid sapphires, watched me with a mixture of confidence and mischief. Irisphylia Lux Rosenthal was calling me to sit beside her.
Not wanting trouble with the twins, I accepted. I passed near Alicia; both sisters showed a grimace of disappointment, while their mother laughed to herself.
Before sitting next to Iris, I passed in front of another beautiful woman, with emerald green hair and violet eyes like storms at dusk. She was Iris's exclusive maid: Lilynda Rapha Clarissa, or Liddy, as they called her.
"Good morning, Razel-sama," she greeted me with a cheerful voice.
"Good morning to you too."
When she greeted me, she shook her body so much that her generous, firm breasts bounced with a wild, feline movement. It was an erotic and accidental vision, a dangerous combination that awakened primitive instincts.
"Did you sleep well?" Iris asked me, bringing me back to reality.
"Yes, thank you very much for bringing me here. This place is better than the hard inn beds. At least I don't have to worry about someone breaking in to steal my money… again," I replied, remembering bad times.
◇
Breakfast was an ode to gluttony and culinary art. On the table, gleaming silver trays contained everything from eggs benedict covered in a golden Hollandaise sauce like the morning sun, to whole platters of wild strawberries bathed in vanilla cream.
There were crepes filled with mozzarella cheese and honey, whose aroma rose in invisible spirals; small forest fruit tartlets that looked like edible jewels; a cured ham with streaks of white fat that melted on the tongue; and a selection of aged cheeses that exhaled complex aromas, of damp earth and nuts.
In cut crystal pitchers, freshly squeezed juices competed with steaming cups of hot chocolate, so thick it was almost chewy. It was a feast worthy of the gods, a symphony of flavors and textures that awakened all my senses.
After finishing, I rubbed my belly, distended by such abundant delicacies.
"I haven't eaten like this since… ever," I confessed with a satisfied sigh.
(This kind of feast I can only give at the Rosenberg mansion. But no one should know, shh!)
I thought, with a touch of guilt.
The queen wiped her mouth with a linen napkin embroidered with her initials. Instantly, Sharon appeared to remove her chair with a fluid and silent movement.
"Razel-kun, Iris-chan. Please follow me," ordered the queen, her voice serious.
"Alright." we said in unison, standing up to follow her.
For some reason, her daughters came behind us, along with Liddy. I understood it for her, but the other two were unnecessary at that moment.
"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?" asked Iris, since the queen hadn't said a single word since breakfast.
"Nothing important. I just want to show you something."
The queen stopped in front of a red door, located at the end of a spiral staircase that descended into the bowels of the palace. The door was opened by Sharon, and the queen entered first.
The place was a luxurious meeting hall, yes, but it wasn't the kind of place to meet important people, but rather for friends and clandestine dealings. At a table, two men waited, sitting with the stiffness of those who don't belong in that environment. They wore light gray armor, burnished until it shone like silver.
Both stood up when they noticed our presence and prostrated themselves to pay their respects.
"Very good morning, Your Majesty Rosemary. It's a pleasure to see you as healthy as always on this beautiful morning."
"Fufufu, good morning to you too."
We approached, and Iris and I noticed something.
"Huh? Razel-kun, isn't that…" she said, her eyes wide as saucers.
"Yes, it is," I replied with a wry smile.
Of the two prostrated men, who appeared to be in their twenties, the one on the left was a thin build, but with long limbs that looked like stilts. His dark green hair, like moss from a deep forest, framed dead-fish eyes, but in the shape of a snake's, without shine or soul. His haircut was the kind you'd see on irritable, know-it-all characters who tell you how to behave. The one on the right was stockier, a real gorilla. His orange, spiky hair looked like the mane of an enraged lion; his mustard-colored eyes distilled aggressiveness.
The reason Iris and I knew them beforehand was because…
"He's the bastard who arrested us and left us locked in a cell until the knights freed us!" I exclaimed, the resentment still fresh.
The day I saved Iris, this guy appeared out of nowhere and arrested us for being suspicious. He put us in chains and threw us in a cell like animals.
"As if I could forget that idiot," I muttered.
The guy frowned.
"Your Majesty, may I ask what these individuals are doing here?" he asked disdainfully.
"Hey, don't ask the queen as if she were your mother," the other interrupted.
"I did not, idiot. Mind your own business," replied the gorilla.
"Hah? Who do you think you are to order me around?"
Suddenly, they grabbed each other by the collar of their armor, facing off like two dogs snarling over the same bone.
"You two, stop this instant," ordered the queen with a clap.
Both released their holds, although their gazes remained sharp as blades.
"Allow me to introduce you. The guy who looks like a lizard is Gilbert Crossford, and the one who made you angry is called Zack Rutherford. Both belong to my personal guard, called the 'Great Knights.'"
The aforementioned Zack interrupted again.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, they were arrested for being suspects. Their story of how they got there makes no sense."
It was then that Iris, who had remained silent until now, got angry.
"I'm sorry, but even with that reasoning, it is very wrong to have arrested us and thrown us into that cell for several hours. You only saw us as suspects, but you didn't ask for our reasons. You seized us against our will, and I demand an apology for both of us."
As expected of a well-mannered girl from a good family, she was as upright as a goddess of justice. Now, what would that guy say?
"I refuse," said Zack, shaking his head. "You were suspects. If you were victims, you would be fleeing, not confronting them. What kind of victim does that, idiots?"
His argument would have a good point if it weren't because he was a cretin.
"I was just enforcing the law," he defended himself.
"That's why Her Majesty always receives complaints about you," Gilbert replied to him, with a soft but venomous voice. "That way of acting, where you don't investigate and only act on instinct, is the reason you always cause problems."
"Hah? Look who's talking. You go investigating every last absurd detail, and the criminals run away when they notice your presence."
Again they grabbed each other by the collar of their armor.
"Oh, really? Tell me where the hell you were when I was doing all the work."
"Investigating. I infiltrated the mansion that was a mess to gather evidence. One of them discovered me, and I silenced him."
"See? Your plan was useless. It was better to charge in and solve everything instantly."
"Of course not. Thanks to my investigation, I was able to discover that you're not lying. That kid was fighting the leader of the Black Spiders and its members to rescue her. I immediately went for reinforcements," said Gilbert.
I blushed upon hearing that he had seen me fight.
"Goodness~ I'm blushing!" I exclaimed with false modesty.
"That wasn't a compliment!" they shouted in unison.
Once the queen intervened again to silence them, she explained the reason for our meeting.
"I want you to tell my knights what happened that day, please."
Iris and I, taking turns, recounted what happened. While she spoke, the queen explained to me who the Great Knights were, as I understood their function well. Basically, they were knights exclusively under the queen's command, who carried out secret missions to protect the country.
After our account, both knights were left speechless.
"I understand the situation," said Gilbert, bringing his hand to his chin. "I can't believe the Phantom Troupe… I thought it was just a legend. But if they showed themselves, it means they are up to something."
His partner, Zack, also gave his opinion, though not what we expected.
"I don't care who they are. They're criminals, and they'll be behind bars very soon."
It seemed they believed us now. The queen stepped forward.
"Iris-chan, Razel-kun. There's something I haven't told you yet… and you two, listen as well."
The queen noticed her daughters, who fled instantly upon seeing her gaze. When they left, she told us:
"Do you remember those who attacked you and whom we had prisoner for interrogation? I was informed a few hours ago that they appeared tortured and dead in their cell."
We were surprised. An unexpected revelation, a shiver that ran down my back.
"They're dead? But how?" I asked, very curious.
"We have no idea," the queen explained. "Our prison is one of the safest in the kingdom, but somehow we don't understand, someone, or some people, snuck in to eliminate them from within. It all happened the same night; that's all we know."
"The perpetrator made sure they hadn't said anything."
"Exactly, Gilbert. Without a doubt, they are a terrifying organization that silences its members to prevent them from divulging information."
The queen walked towards her knights and, as if making a job presentation, pointed at them.
"Therefore, I have brought my best knights. To serve as Iris-chan's personal escort and to locate their hideout and capture them. Iris-chan is in danger for being a witness to their existence. They are a danger to the country. Therefore, we must protect her and stop them as soon as possible."
I remembered something from the game notes. According to some merchants who managed to escape to the empire, the kingdom of Britannia began taking countermeasures to stop them, but in the end, it was useless. That's why I was here: to help them make their plan a success.
"Razel-kun, will you lend us your help to protect Iris-chan and defeat them?"
"Of course. Count on me," I said, after hitting my chest with pride.
Iris, who was next to me, blushed for some reason. With this, my formal relationship with this country was sealed.
"Wait a moment, please, Your Majesty," said someone.
"Any problem, Gilbert?"
Instead of it being the complaining Zack, it was the snake-eyed guy.
"Your Majesty, we are knights specialized in national security tasks, not babysitters."
"For the first time, I agree with this sinister-looking guy," added Zack. "We should go investigate that organization, not protect some kids."
"I understand what you think, but listen carefully. Iris is a witness to their existence. They went to silence their own members. I don't like saying this because it sounds atrocious, but with her nearby, the Phantom Troupe will be forced to come out of their holes to go after her. At that moment, we will attack."
Iris was aware of this plan, as she showed no horror upon hearing it. In my case, I was the decoy for that fat bastard Olston. We were both respective decoys.
They understood the situation perfectly.
"I-Understood," said Zack.
"Orders are orders," murmured Gilbert, with a face that said "work is work."
But Zack pointed at me with an accusing finger.
"I understand protecting her, but why do we have to team up with this stranger?"
Gilbert supported him.
"Certainly. One thing is the young lady there, but this boy… we have no information about him whatsoever."
"I already told you that Razel-kun came from the countryside to the city. Besides, he was the one who saved Iris-chan and defeated both organizations," interceded the queen.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I cannot believe that someone like that, not linked to the palace, exists," said Gilbert, reasonably.
I couldn't betray myself.
"Since I was a child, I always had to fight to survive. That's why I'm very strong."
"Prove it," said Zack, staring at me. "If you are really someone strong and will be our partner on this mission, we must verify your strength, not your words."
(I thought he was a muscle-brain, but he also has a brain.)
"Very well, I'll prove it to you."
"Since you're a peasant, I imagine you're not a knight, but an apprentice, right?" asked Zack.
"Huh? Of course not."
Both were surprised by my answer.
"And what is your experience, then?" inquired Gilbert.
"I'm an adventurer. And I don't use a sword, I use my muscles," I emphasized, flexing an arm so they could see its volume.
(Well? Amazed?)
"Pff! Hahahahahahahaha!" They started laughing at me.
They reminded me of that meme of two guys pointing at a cat that looked confused. That must have been my face at those moments, while they slapped each other on the back.
"Hahaha! He said adventurer, did you hear that?" exclaimed Zack, tears in his eyes.
"Don't make me laugh, my liver hurts!" added Gilbert.
I started to get angry.
"What's wrong with being an adventurer? I make a living from it!"
The queen explained to me, with a cold sweat on her forehead, that what I had said was serious.
"W-Well… An adventurer is nothing more than a civilian who barely knows how to handle a weapon. And you say you use your fists. Therefore, they…"
"It's impossible for a squirt who only knows how to use his fists to have defeated so many enemies in a single night!"
"It's true that I saw you fight a little," said Gilbert, "but I thought you had lost your sword and grabbed someone else's. Hahaha!"
These guys exhausted my patience. I got serious, like when I was at home.
"If that's what you believe, fight me! Or are you afraid?" I said, with a deep, dangerous tone.
They stopped laughing. Their gazes met mine. Zack approached me, chest to chest.
"I can't trust my back to a stranger whose strength and loyalty I don't know."
"My loyalty is here, and I also want to protect Iris. My strength is greater than yours," my finger touched his armor, like a hammer hitting a nail. "Let's test who's stronger. Now."
"Very well," they both said.
The queen brought her hand to her forehead, sighing with resignation.
◇
The knights' training ground was located inside the palace, not outside like the Empire's.
The enclosure was a circular esplanade, surrounded by white stone bleachers that rose in a semicircle, like the stands of a Roman theater. The floor, of gray flagstones worn by countless battles, was marked with cracks and furrows, scars of ancient confrontations. On the sides, empty suits of armor lined up, attached to iron supports, looking like ghosts of fallen warriors.
Above them hung torn banners, with the kingdom's colors, waving with the breeze that slipped through the high windows. The air smelled of sweat, cold iron, and a vague perfume of damp earth. It was a place conceived for combat, where violence became art and skill became a weapon.
And for some reason, Leila, my traveling companion, whom I had forgotten until that day unintentionally, was sleeping peacefully on a pile of armor. A horrible way to sleep, but I had heard she beat up the knights who tried to get her out of there; that's why she used the armor as a bed.
We reached the center of the place. Sharon brought two wooden swords.
"I don't want you injured. The fight will last only one minute. Regardless of the outcome, you must stop. It's a test of skills, nothing more."
"Understood."
After saying that, we took the swords. My first opponent was Zack, the one most eager to teach me a lesson.
"Remember, there won't be another round," announced the queen.
We nodded and got into fighting position, but…
"Razel-sama! Go for it!" shouted Alicia from the stands.
"Onee-sama, don't interrupt them," scolded Lillie, although both had snuck in and were watching intently.
I ignored them, but Zack didn't.
"It's low of you to use the princesses to cheer for you," he said with contempt.
"I didn't. They're just affectionate with me because I'm the one who rescued them from the fortress incident."
"It was you?!" Both were astonished. The queen hadn't told them that detail.
"Now I'll use all my seriousness to verify your skills," Zack growled. "Let me make one thing clear: you can use magical power if you like. I won't."
"Do you really want to lose, is that it?"
I said that, and he got even angrier.
"Begin the duel!" ordered the queen, raising her hand.
I would have liked to fight an epic sparring battle, but I didn't want to waste unnecessary time. I threw my sword to the ground and ran towards him. It had been months since I last summoned my sword, Gram, and I had lost practice with fencing. But my fists were my swords.
He lunged and moved his sword to strike my left side. Dodging it was easy, but I didn't want my ability, *Blut*, which allowed me to regenerate any wound, to be exposed. So I dodged it quickly, jumping back. He stomped hard and came at me, aiming for my belly.
This time I didn't need to dodge, but to strike. I punched the wooden sword, which shattered into a thousand pieces.
"What a strong punch," murmured Zack, surprised.
"Thanks, but you're without a weapon."
The battle seemed to be over, but this guy still didn't understand my strength.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, could you give us some blunt metal swords?" I asked.
"Blunt, you say?" The queen raised an eyebrow.
The women present were as surprised as he was.
"Are you sure?" asked the queen.
"Of course."
"… Alright."
Sharon handed him a metal practice sword. It had no edge, it looked more like a pastry decoration than a weapon. The duel resumed. Zack charged at great speed, but since the danger level had increased, I had to as well.
"Raijin, Phase 1," I said, invoking my power.
Instantly, magical energy coursed through my body like a torrent of light, enveloping me in an electric blue aura.
"Cheap tricks won't work here," Zack spat.
"It's not a trick."
I took quick steps, circling him like a hurricane. I left afterimages in my wake, a mirage of pure movement.
"It's my trump card and my best weapon," I added.
Zack was confused, he didn't know how to react to someone who seemed to be in several places at once. It was time to end the show. I gave him a light kick, but propelled by my speed, it was like a whip crack.
"Puah!"
Zack went flying and crashed into the wall, right next to Gilbert, who watched the scene with his mouth open.
"Sorry, I held back a lot so that it was just a little tap."
"He held back…?" repeated Zack, dazed.
Since Raijin was still active, I could hear even the faintest whisper.
"The duel is over. Razel wins," announced the queen.
All those present were stunned.
"Did you see that, Lillie? Razel-sama is amazing! He must have done that when he rescued us," exclaimed Alicia, jumping.
"Y-Yes, it was amazing!" replied her sister, who was also jumping.
Iris couldn't stop looking between my direction and the wall where Zack lay.
With Zack's defeat, only Gilbert remained. He stepped forward. Instead of a wooden or blunt metal sword, he brought a strange weapon. It was too thin, a mere whisper of steel, and the tip looked like a wasp's stinger.
"I admit it, you are strong," said Gilbert, his voice calm. "But, unlike that guy, I won't underestimate you. I will attack with everything."
"Please do. It would be very easy for me to win with a single blow," I replied, unintentionally provoking him.
"Begin!" ordered the queen.
Before I knew it, he was behind me. An enormous pressure, an icy shadow, ran down my back.
"You're not the only one who moves fast," he whispered, right in my ear.
No wonder his snake eyes weren't just for decoration. Like a viper, he attacked when you least expected it. I could see the stinger of his sword heading for my back, fast and lethal. I lunged forward, dodging it by a hair, and fell to the ground. I used my hands to push off and regain my balance.
But he didn't waste the opportunity. He attacked again, and again, like an enraged hornet. I couldn't let myself lose, but this guy wouldn't give me a break if I didn't show him the difference in power between us. I dodged his stinger-sword and, with my fingertips, lightly touched his chest.
"Impact," I spoke the magic words.
Gilbert didn't know what had happened. An instant later, he was violently propelled against the bleachers and crashed into the wall, next to his companion.
This time, the astonishment was immense. The mouths of all the women present were open. I think I could have put my fist in them without a problem.
"T-The winner is Razel," said the queen, still in shock.
"He won, Lillie! Look!" squealed Alicia.
"I-I know! Stop jumping!" replied Lillie, though she was smiling too.
With this, neither would doubt my abilities. Although I was worried that they were still stuck to the wall.
◇
We took the knights to the infirmary to be checked. They had no serious injuries, but they were unconscious. Apparently, I hit them too hard. When I came out, after apologizing to them (though they were still asleep), I met Iris, who asked me to come to her room for a while.
We entered. Iris's room was decorated with exquisite taste. It seemed like it wasn't the first time I had come, as there were personal items that couldn't be brought in overnight. I sat on a chair.
"Did something happen that you called me?" I asked.
She immediately apologized.
"I'm so sorry!"
"Iris? Why are you apologizing?" I inquired, bewildered.
"It's my fault that you're now caught up in trouble. You can't have a normal life. By defeating those guys, you also put yourself in danger. Therefore… if it weren't for me… you would be living peacefully now."
Her tears began to flow, staining her cheeks like raindrops on rose petals. Apparently, she believed that because of her, I would end up facing the Phantom Troupe and Olston. How silly she was.
I took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her tears.
"I'm glad you worry about me, but you're wrong. I did that because I wanted to. It's true I had no idea you were in that mansion, but thanks to it, I met you."
"But…" she tried to protest.
"There is no 'but.' I simply saw a beautiful girl in danger and decided to help her. Besides, I'm not afraid of that troop of idiots or that fatso Olston. Do you remember when we met?"
"Yes. You defeated those bandits easily."
"Minutes before, I had just finished off some hell bears. So, tell me, after what you saw, do you think they can defeat me?"
She shook her head.
"No. I'm sure you can win, but you're still human."
She didn't know I was almost immortal.
"Don't worry about that. Years of training have made me super cautious, like a cat that won't let itself be caught. They'd need the sky to fall to stop me. Hahaha!"
I laughed to show her my confidence. Before, I couldn't joke like that, but now I can.
Iris took my hand, which was still resting on her cheek.
"Yes. I know you are very strong, and that fills me with confidence and security. Thank you so much, Razel-kun."
When she looked at me with her moist eyes, I felt a déjà vu. For some reason, I thought of Lily and Eli when I saw her.
"We-We're friends. It's normal to help each other, you don't have to thank anything," I quickly withdrew my hand, leaving her confused.
"By the way…" she continued, to change the subject. "Since you will also protect me now, will you come to the academy?"
"The academy?" I said, intrigued. "Weren't you supposed to have been expelled?"
"Yes, that's right," she replied, and added more details. "But I will go to the girls' academy located in another territory. Also, you said you would protect me, so I would really be very happy if you came."
Her flushed cheeks and her gaze, full of embarrassment, gave me an urge to hug her. But she wasn't my girlfriend, and I couldn't cause Eli international problems.
"But can I enter a girls' academy?"
"Don't worry. I spoke with Her Majesty about it, and she said she would take care of any issues."
"I see. Then I'll pack my bags."
(There are two reasons not to leave Iris alone. The first is because I swore to protect her, since we are friends. The second is the Phantom Troupe. I don't understand why, but ever since I met her, I feel an itch, a tingling at the back of my neck that tells me I must be near her. Did I develop a spider-sense to locate events?)
Anyway. What matters is that I would go to school again, and hopefully there we could get clues about the Phantom Troupe, find out how they would cause the global pandemic, and stop them as soon as possible.
"By the way, Razel-kun…" said Iris, interrupting my thoughts.
I thought the conversation was over, but she looked me in the eyes, with a mixture of shyness and determination.
"Are you free tomorrow?"
"Yes, I'm free all week, actually. Hehe."
"Good. In that case… would you like to go on a date with me?"
I was shocked. It was strange for someone who wasn't one of my fiancées to ask me something like that. But my female affection level was very low, and I needed to raise it.
"Sure."
"How wonderful!"
And so I got a date with Iris for tomorrow. What could possibly go wrong?
__________________
The fanservice is for Iris, as I feel she is perfectly fulfilling her role as the main heroine of this story.
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/11039653