Idris sat in his room, feeling the weight of the day slowly lifting off his shoulders as he found solace in the company of his two beloved companions, Livia and Scarlett. They nestled close to him, their love for him evident in every glance and touch. Livia, with her gentle nature, initiated the conversation, her voice carrying a soothing melody that filled the room with tranquillity but her words were sharp as arrows.
"So did you hear, the princess has gone on a trip with Kauri."
"Yeah I mean only him, she didn't even ask us, not even you Idris", added Scarlett.
"Hmmm", confirmed Idris, still lost in his thoughts, he was remembering the last time he saw Anushna. He had heard from Kauri that Anushna wanted to take him out of the palace for a tour. However, the surprising thing was that she hadn't asked him to invite Idris. This was a blow to Idris's pride. For a moment, he even thought she might have gotten nervous or forgotten. So he went to her to confirm and maybe ask if he could join, but she turned him down gently.
"Why would she only want to take Kauri?", asked Scarlett," you are a thousand times better than him."
"Yeah, he is a shut-in freak, he doesn't even know how to talk to someone. No less understand a girl's heart", added Livia.
"No you are wrong there, Kauri is a great man, he has been working under me for so long. It was not so long before he got some of my better traits" " answered Idris in an assertive manner," also he is one of us, making fun of him, is not good."
"But then why weren't you invited?", asked Livia," perhaps that Anushna had her heart stuck on him."
"Who really cares, it's their feelings. If I know Kauri right, he will never reciprocate the feeling. It's just liking, it will go away in a few days."
"But think about Kauri, if the princess did, he should have asked you to join. He calls himself your friend, maybe he is trying to outshine you", Scarlett said laughing," what a fool".
"Never he can never outshine the sun he takes his brightness from", said Idris," he was too dense to understand anything, he probably thought it was a guard duty."
But the feeling still lingered in his mind maybe he was trying to steal Anushna, what if he liked her too, but still he knew the man. The only person Kauri could connect to was Idris, he was his only hope. Ask anyone they will tell, how without Idris Kauri was nothing, how in a thousand ways he was better, how he and only he was meant to be the hero who defeats the demon king and his army.
And as he was remembered, Kauri entered the room, he was deshuffled from the fight he had just taken part in, and his leg was a bit hurt due to moving so fast. He saw everyone else in the room.
There was Scarlett, with red hair sitting on the left, she had a grin on her face. On the other hand, was Livia, who had blue hair sitting on the right, he could see disdain in her eyes and in between was Idris his friend.
"You again why are you here", shouted Livia.
"I am here to see Idris."
"Why is that, haven't you had enou-", Livia was saying but was stopped in between by Idris.
"Why were you looking for me? And what happened to your face", asked Idris.
"Yeah, it's nothing, i just got caught between some bandits."
"What about the princess, is she alright? I knew it i told her to take me with her."
"Yeah don't worry, she is all good. I was able to kill them all"
But in between Scarlett started to laugh," How foolish is the princess, taking a bum like you as her guard, someone who without the help of Idris couldn't do a thing. And what that got you, such an ugly scare, not your face looks even stupider. If it wasn't already, there is no chance that a girl will ever fall for you."
"Scar!!", shouted Idris," I will not take another word from you. Stop right now, leave my party if you want to insult one of us."
"Insulting him is like insulting me, mind your tongue", he added.
"Yeah sorry about it", she said in a sorry tone. She wasn't actually sorry, she knew what she was doing. Her love in life was Idris, she could do anything for Idris and that was her way of doing so. She felt that putting Kauri down a peg made Idris look like what he was, a god. Seeing two of them as equals would be a grave sin.
Every time she was threatened she just said sorry and again insulted him, the cycle went on.
After a few minutes of making fun of Kauri, Livia and Scarlett went, and only Kauri and Idris were left in the room, and as this is not a BL unfortunately they just talked.
"So Kauri what was that you wanted to talk", said Idris," but more than that though you must be good with other party members, you should reply to them when they say something like today."
"They are not wrong, I guess. After all, I wouldn't be anything if it was not for you. You are the only true friend I had, you are the most important friend I have."
Hearing that answer put a smile on Idris's face, he knew something like that was coming and it boosted his ego a bit.
"So on the tour how was it? Anything good happened?", asked Idris poking his nose in other's business.
"Not much other than bandits, it was smooth sailing." after thinking for a moment he added," Yeah, the princess asked me to call her by name."
Idris was shocked by how close they had gotten, he couldn't be left behind. And for that, he had to make a decision.
"You know you don't have magic right", said Idris in a serious tone.
"Yeah", answered Kauri confused.
"Next work given to us by the king and the region we have to go to next is in a high mana density zone. Going there without magic protection will be instant death and I as your friend can't see this happening", said Idris," and so I would need you to give up, the party and give up your sword. Maybe we can get someone else, maybe the princess I guess."
"But…I want to help you, I promised that."
"And I want you to help me but I can't just let you die. Maybe the nobles from our city have wanted it but not me, so please Kauri leave the group. The only way I can allow it is if you could use magic but."
He stood up, gently patted Kauri's shoulder, and then left.
Kauri was left to ponder the dilemma. He was just a common man with no way to use magic. The only advantages he had were his sword skills and speed, but in a mana-dense zone, only magic could help him. So, how could he acquire magic?