After a long training session with Fran, Cecil... and Theo spectating us from the stands... we sat on the stands of the arena.
We were all tired from all the fighting we've done... except for the blonde prince that just sat on the stands reading a book.
"Are any of you ready for one more match?" Cecil asked with a calm expression, even though he was just as dirty and sweaty as Fran and me, he still had energy to keep going for more rounds.
"Don't even dream about it bodyguard, you'd just lose again" Fran said in a cold, yet cocky tone. She had her reasons to be like that, after all, she was the one that won the most matches.
"That's why I want to try again mrs. Princess" his gentle smile truly did hide a fighting obsessed monster inside him.
"No, not after what he did" she crossed her arms and looked to the ide as she pouted.
She was obviously referring about me.
"I already said I'm sorry" she wanted to fight against my, what everyone thought was, incantationless magic "But it takes time to do it, and this fights were more intense than I thought"
"Don't care, I'm not forgiving you easily this time" she kept her head moved to the side, avoiding to look at me.
"Please forgive me Fran" I kneeled before her and lowered my head. "What can I do to regain the trust of my friend?"
She stole some peeks at me with her squinting eye.
"Mmmmh..." the white haired princess kept her eyes going back and forth between avoiding to look at me and looking at me.
A slight rosy tone formed on her cheeks as she finally looked at me "I guess... I could forgive you... if you want it that much..." she said in a low, almost whispery tone. "But next time you'll fight using it, got it!?" Her tone got louder as she waited for me to accept her demand.
"Next time I'll fight with it then" I raised my head and gave her a smile.
"I-I wasn't asking you... I was ordering you!" She poked my chest multiple times as she got more nervous. I simply laughed at how she acted like this from time to time. I personally find it really cute.
"And when's that next time?" the bodyguard asked, leaving Fran looking at him qith a blank expression.
"It's only going to be me and him..." she stood up next to Cecil, her eyes threatening to hurt him "What makes you think you're invited?"
"I know from our fights, we truly became friends princess" he placed his hand on his chest, seemingly being unaffected by Fran's threatening aura.
"Only that guy is my friend" she pointed at me.
"That guy!?"
"And that guy is also my friend, wich makes us friends"
"That's not how it works Cecil" the prince slowly shook his head from side to side as he sighed.
"Isn't that how the saying goes. A friend of my friend is also my friend?"
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" the prince corrected his bodyguard.
"I think that's a different saying my liege"
"Pff, whatever you say Cecil" the blonde gives up with a sigh, returning to his book.
"Either way, you're not coming with us" Fran sat next to me.
"I wouldn't mind them training with us" I chuckle as I look at Fran.
"Hmph, Consider yourselves lucky peasants" she huffed and crossed her arms.
"Thanks mr. Alen" Cecil slowly laughed, pleased with the fact that he found permanent sparring partners "I also thank you on behalf of my liege"
"What are you saying!?" The prince jumped up from his seat.
"He may act like this, but he truly wants to be a friend to both of you"
"T-that's not true" the blushing blonde started shaking the bodyguard "I don't want to be friends with this barbarian and nobody"
"We also don't want to be your friends, crybaby prince" she stared daggers at Theo, who shielded himself behind Cecil.
"Shut up you troglodyte, I want to be friends with you the least" he pointed his shaking finger at Fran, who clicked her tongue, making Theo flinch.
Both Cecil and me just laughed at how our friends where arguing against eachother.
"Ahem!" The sound of a girl clearing her throat interrupted what we were doing.
We all turned our head around to see who was making themselves present.
"Tch" after looking at the group that called our attention, Fran turned her head to the other side, crossing her arms in annoyance.
The group was formed by a smiling red-haired girl, a tall brown haired guy, an angry looking black haired guy, and... a yellow eyed, pink haired girl.
When I looked at the pink haired girl she got red and looked to the ground.
"I'm sorry if we're bothering you, but we wanted to ask you something" the confident red-hair smiled at us when saying that.
"We don't want anything you want to sell us, so leave this place immidiatelly" Fran said in a cold tone while she still wasn't looking at them.
"Bitch" the black haired guy muttered to himself as a response to how Fran treated them. Causing the princess to finally look at the group with a death glare.
"Tirino!" The tall guy whispered and used his elbow on the black haired guy.
"We're sorry for that princess... but he actually said pinch..." the confident girl anxiously moved her hands trying to save their group from my friend "Which is the situation we're in right now"
I feel Kaida's stare on me...
"We came here to ask for your help" tall guy explained.
"And what makes you think we'll help you?" Both Theo and Fran asked at the same time.
"Uh" brown haired giy flinched.
"Actually, we didn't precisely came here for your help princess Von Themys and third prince Der Botcam..." the red hair girl, with a couple of sweat drops on her forehead, started explaining "Right Kaida?"
"Ah, um, mhm" she blushed and noded her head.
"C'mon Kaida, tell him" she wispered into the shy girl's ear.
"I-I...n-no, we w-wanted to ask you to help us, A-alen" she said my name in a low voice tone. Her friend smiled at the shy girl after she said that.
"Yes, we wanted to ask you to help us on ou-"
Fran stood right in front of Kaida with an angry expression.
"What makes you think you can ask him to help you, sinner?" She said in a tone that could kill anyone.
"Fran wai-"
"Don't say another word Alen!" She let ourt a yell that paralyzed everyone present "You're not helping her no matter what!" she gripped her fist as she looked down on a terrified Kaida.
"Whatever deserved problems you may have doesn't concern neither me nor Alen, understand?" She seemed ready to attack at any moment.
I step between both of them.
A second of silence that seemed to be stretched out for minutes slowly passed.
I kept looking at Fran in the eyes.
She was angry but not at me, she was angry at the shy pink haired girl.
"I know that you hate her, but I want to listen to what the whole group has to say"
"Fine, as long as she keeps her filthy mouth shut you can listen to them" she started going back to where she was sitting before.
"Thanks for understanding" I give her a smile while I see her sit down, cross her arms and legs and look away.
I look behind me, where Kaida is. She's clinging to my shirt, looking at the ground. I feel her hands shaking, and for a moment, when she looks up at me, I see her blushing face and teary eyes.
I give her a faint smile before going to sit next to fran.
"You'll later give me that shirt so I can burn it down"
"I'm not letting you burn my shirt!"
"It's been stained by that sinner, the fact that you haven't already disposed of it will bring you to your death"
"I'm not taking out my shirt, and you're not burning it, it's my sports uniform provided by the academy!"
"I'll buy you another one"
"Huu... fine" I sigh defeated as I slouch on my seat.
"Ahem... w-well" after clearing her throat and stuttering she quickly regains her confidence "We wanted to ask you to help us Alen. You see, bandits have appeared recently and they have set their bases on the poorest parts of the city"
"We've been trying to fight them off but it's proving to be more difficult than we expected" the tall dude added.
"And why don't you call the authorities instead of fighting them by yourselves?" The prince asks with a frown on his face."You don't have to answer, I already know the answer"
By helping the city students can earn quick points.
"As expected from losers that don't know their place, so weak that they need help from someone that actually knows how to do things" Fran scoffed. That indirect compliment she gave me didn't go unnoticed by me.
"Well Alen, what do you think?"
I do want to see how Kaida deals with her enemies as I'll get a good idea of how much I need to worry about the future. But we're in the second week, and there are things I need to do.
"I can help you only on one night, that's the most I can do"
"D-" the black haired guy got elbowed by the other guy of the group.
"That's more than enough Alen, thank you"
"We'll tell you the details later"
They all turned around exept for Kaida, she bowed her head before leaving.
"Hmph, don't think I'll help you"
"Yea, don't count us in"
"I'd actually like it i lf w-" Theo covered hes bodyguard's mouth and smiles awkwardly as he excuses themselves.
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