"I'm not doing that," Nimrod grumbled, moments before he did everything Stella asked of him.
She didn't leave her plan up for debate. Not with a cheap copy of the Prodigy, anyway.
"I can't tell the difference at all," Helena gasped, getting out of their way.
A small group watched in awe as Konrad's twin climbed off the carriage—dressed as Konrad.
"We should've cut his hair, too," Welf noted, his eyes shifting back and forth between the princess and the fake duke. Neither of them looked like nobles.
But in the shaman's case, something felt very wrong. Off putting? Out of place?
All Stella knew was that she hated this new makeover. But not as much as Nimrod himself.
"Will his face convince the soldiers?"
"Nobody will notice," Bor waved her off. "Since it's the four of you sneaking behind enemy lines, it was already a waste to dress him up. But I guess a morale boost will help our troops."
Right. This wasn't the time for doubts. They had to rush into action.
The battle never stopped. The men were all tired, wounded, and she could no longer help that.
But with her idea—
"The spirits will smite me for trying to defend your petty kingdom," Nimrod groaned.
"Or praise you for saving your own folks, despite being an idiot," the blacksmith shoved him forward. That wasn't enough to shut him up, but an ice-cold glance from Stella did the trick.
"All you have to do is summon a golem," she said. "Make it big. I'll help you keep it alive."
While it wasn't exactly a life-form in the classic sense, it still had its own vitality.
And a rather high one at that. It was the perfect outlet to channel the staff's accumulated essence into. And it couldn't turn into a zombie any more than it already was.
To see a huge monster like that behind them, while Helena's knights charged from the front—
She didn't want to sound boastful even in her thoughts, but this plan was perfect.
"And smile and wave to 'your men'," Welf added, grabbing the shaman by the arm. "Most of them are from the tribes like you and me, so don't be a dick."
Nimrod scoffed.
"If it weren't for the cursed one, I would have razed this entire mountain by now."
Yeah, no. She never wanted to sound this boastful, ever. He was delusional.
But oh, well. He could still be useful.
"Let's get going then, big boy," she said, following her new chief scout along a hidden trail. "You can show the nomads how powerful you are once we get behind them."
She actually felt repulsed by the man.
It was hard not to revert to her old self and slap him around. But then, that's how she felt about Konrad when they first met, too. A stuck-up little noble, the merchants called Prodigy.
Now she would have given a fortune only to know if he was still alive.
She had some strange memories of someone claiming he was, but they faded fast.
"I already feel sorry for the bossman, having an insufferable twin like you," Welf grunted. "I always wanted to have siblings, but if they turned out like you—I'm glad I'm a single child."
Didn't he have a sister, though? Why was Stella thinking that?
No, still not the time. Even the spirits fell silent as they climbed the steep road.
Only the blacksmith, Kade, Nimrod, and her.
And soon, a gigantic stone golem.
This was her chance to prove they could win against the nomads even without Konrad's genius.
***
The genius in question did nothing but stare at his phone in disbelief.
His first call in this world came from an ominous number. He didn't recognise it, but his contact list was empty anyway. All he had were three GPS coordinates saved, and nothing else.
But, well, what was the worst that could happen?
"Hello?"
"Mushi-mushi, Konrad-kun?" a distorted, but all too familiar voice greeted him. It almost took his head off. "Took your sweet time to pick that up, huh? And I'm here dying in a hospital bed."
A number full of sixes? Who else did he expect?
"Kaede?" he asked, unsure which part of the phone he should talk into. These new devices were nothing but a huge screen. The ones he knew were still the size of a concrete brick. "You okay?"
"Holy crap, don't shout," the girl complained, her voice coming off strained. "I'll live, I'll live."
Konrad let out a relieved sigh, careful not to breathe into the phone's receiver.
Wherever that was.
He's been using it for two days, but this was the first time he actually had a call.
"Wanted to say thanks for that tasty mana," Kaede said. "And scold you for wasting it. Now we're actually stuck here. Congrats. Duh. And Midori-kun said you wanted to take over my shifts?"
Yeah, she would definitely survive. She already felt like a tornado on the phone.
Wait.
"You called him first?!" Konrad asked, feeling jealous for whatever reason.
"Oh, sorry, bossman, but he was on top of my speed dial," she chuckled. Didn't sound sorry at all. "Anyway, Mr. Wasteful, don't bother with the leaflet thing. It pays like shit, and it ain't for ya."
Yeah, no kidding.
"I was talking with a guy the other day. He wanted a helper in his store, too."
Her voice felt energetic one moment, and almost cut off the other.
She was far from healed, but already seemed restless.
"What store?" Konrad asked, doing his best not to pick her apart with other questions.
"A music shop," Kaede said, then the line went silent for an uncomfortable moment. "They sell instruments. Or who knows. My schedule was already full, so I never checked."
Somehow, she was always helpful in the least helpful way possible.
"I'll take it," he nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "What did the doctors say?"
He could't help the question.
"That they have no idea how I survived two million volts, but since I'm still in one piece, I'll be fine. I can go back to the dorm next weekend, so you'd better work your ass off until then."
Two million volts?!
Dragons sure were tough.
"And visit me," she demanded. "With the notes from school. Every day before work. Got it?"
Her sentences were getting shorter, the silence between them stretching out. She must have had a hard time breathing. But, well, he wouldn't have even survived an attack like that.
"I will, I promise," Konrad still struggled to keep up with her. "And—thanks."
"For the job?" the girl asked, forcing a laugh that turned into a cough. "I'll send you the GPS—"
"Not that, idiot," he scoffed. "For saving our lives."
Silence. Then another weak, forced laugh.
"I mean, he wanted to kill me, not you two. And I'm not the type to go out without a bang."
And some bang that was, too.
She ended the call before Konrad could say anything else, and he was alone in the dark again.
He had a strange feeling, thinking about settling into a life here for a second time.
Going to school—she seemed so serious about it—finding work, and—
Now that he thought about it, he was already married in Kasserlane. To an angel, no less.
But for some reason, he felt like it was the first time he was actually falling in love.