I felt a little bit of nausea as I went through the portal.
However, the nausea quickly faded once I reopened my eyes on the other side.
I was in a forest. The ground was slightly mushy, but I didn't care much about movement since I had Telekinesis.
The trees were unbelievably tall, and each one was marked with a few sketches, numbers, and pointy arrows.
Simply put, the instructors had already marked which way we had to go.
But that was where the normal part about this outing ended.
As I turned around, I spotted a red portal.
Trying to stick my hand through it, my hand was bounced back.
There was a faint scorch mark on my fingertips as well.
"Hmm..."
So they had rigged the portal in advance.
That theory had been floating around in my mind when I played the game. I was just glad it was confirmed.
Still, I was the only one acting so unfazed by all of this.
My teammates, on the other hand...
"W-We can't get through?" Melissa faltered. "B-Brother! Try going through!"
"Hell no." Brian shook his head. "Didn't you see the demon child just get burned? I don't want to get burned."
I am right here, you know?
"Did you do something?"
A soft voice rang out beside me, belonging to Isabelle.
Was she accusing me?
I slowly turned around, meeting her sharp blue eyes.
"What do you think I did?"
"Did you tamper with the portal?"
She really wasn't holding back.
"It wasn't me. If I had done it, do you think I would have gone inside after you?"
She paused, placing a finger on her chin.
It looked like she was in thought, but I knew exactly what this 'finger on chin' gesture was.
Isabelle only did that whenever she was anxious or wary.
"I won't hurt you," I assured with a sigh. "Plus, are you really one to talk? Don't you think we're all in this mess because of your status?"
"My status?"
Frost slowly spread beneath her, traveling toward me but stopping right before reaching my feet.
"Would you like to repeat that, Amon Everness?"
Honestly...
Even if she hid her feelings 99 percent of the time, her bitchy attitude was really getting on my nerves.
I wished I could just clear my name already.
She was definitely expecting me to lie down and apologize.
Instead, I took a step toward her, then another.
I thawed the frost with every step, and when I was in front of her, I stopped.
Leaning in slightly, I glanced at her eyes, my face only mere inches away from hers.
"If you don't want to be treated like a princess, then stop trying to act like you're above everyone."
Taking a deep breath, I continued, "You joined the group, and without introductions, you stepped through the portal. Honestly, just what do you expect?"
As she opened her mouth to retort my words, I closed it shut with my Telekinesis.
"I am not here to flatter you. The others might be, but not me. So don't treat me like I'm your dog."
With those words, I released the Telekinesis and turned around, walking away from her.
I wasn't mad at her.
...She wasn't spoiled.
Not in a literal sense.
Isabelle was just lost. She had been the same in the game up until the demons invaded and killed the majority of the population.
Only then, when people had more serious things to worry about than the imperial family, did she finally realize her own position.
The world never revolved around her, but she thought it did.
It was some neat character development, since right after that, she became cold, mature, and smarter than most.
I knew more than that. Much more.
Still, as I thought I could return to the group and start clearing the goblin village, the hairs on the back of my neck rose.
In that very instant, I turned my head.
A blunt slab of ice was flying straight at me.
The perpetrator, Isabelle.
Her hands were trembling, and she stared at me with a hateful look.
Despite this attack heading straight for my head, I didn't move.
She was many things...
But an idiot was not one of them.
Right as the slab of ice reached my forehead, it suddenly stopped.
It was cold.
Duh.
"Change of heart?" I teased.
Her glare intensified.
"You don't know anything."
On the contrary...
"I don't really care," I replied bluntly. "For now, we're part of the same group. Since the portal malfunctioned, we should keep our heads up. Let's go clear the goblin village, and then maybe, by the time we come back, the portal will be fixed."
Obviously, I was speaking out of my ass.
When we kill the goblin general, a demon will appear and try to kill everyone.
I had started searching for that demon the moment I entered, but I couldn't sense it yet.
Still, I was also really curious how the whole situation played out.
Just how did Isabelle and Amon survive?
Hearing my words, Isabelle just stared at me. Then, she floated the slab of ice right above my head and released her gift, turning it into water.
She probably expected me to get soaked and not say a word.
Though I had another plan in mind.
Controlling the water with my Telekinesis, I sent it flying right at Isabelle.
She didn't have enough time to react, and so it splashed her right on the face.
Flustered, she tripped on a nearby branch and fell.
Yet even as she sat there embarrassed and wet, she continued to glare at me.
Chuckling inwardly, I clapped my hands five times, getting the attention of Melissa and Brian. I didn't need to get Isabelle's attention, because I was probably living rent-free in her head right about now.
"What is it?" Brian asked, slightly horrified by what had just happened between me and Isabelle.
"We need a plan, yeah?" I spoke. "I'm thinking we get to know each other a little bit more. Gifts, combat styles, and weaknesses amongst many other things."
I wasn't the most social of butterflies, but...
I loved strategy games.
So as I smiled at the two siblings and Isabelle, I couldn't help but get a sense of deja vu.
"Tell me all about yourselves, okay~?"