A month had passed, and it was now nearing the end of fall.
Thankfully, even after that night, my relationship with Isolte hadn't really changed… though, at the same time, it had.
It felt steadier… more certain, somehow.
At least, that was the best way I could describe it… it was kind of hard to put into words.
I didn't stay over again after that, of course, and there wasn't any real awkwardness between us… aside from the occasional teasing from Reida, of course.
Still, I was relieved. Isolte and I were back to normal… no, closer than normal. It was as if the worries that had once weighed on her had finally lifted.
She even began teasing me herself now and then, jokingly inviting me to share her bed again, carrying herself with the confidence of a mischievous older sister rather than the child she once seemed to be.
It was… dangerous, in its own way.
Especially since she'd recently turned fourteen, and the subtle changes in her physical appearance only made that shift in attitude more noticeable.
Actually, that brought up something else I hadn't really thought of before.
The people here in this world… on average, they were much prettier and more handsome.
Weirdly so.
And Isolte and I… we were growing quite fast for our age, and despite her being in the prime of puberty, she had shown no signs of acne, and neither had I.
It couldn't be a coincidence… so it must have something to do with battle aura and mana in our bodies, right?
It must flush out the impurities and speed up growth or… something like that. Especially for those who trained in magic and martial arts, like Isolte and I.
And speaking of training… I had finally done it.
And by 'it', I meant being able to heal myself during combat, without needing to use my hand like before.
It was actually quite easy to figure out once I truly focused on it, as with my battle aura control, I was already very familiar with moving energy across my body… so I just had to do the same with mana.
The most troublesome thing was actually making the mana transform to healing magic, as I had only previously done that through my palm… but I eventually got the hang of it.
And after using it during some spars with Master Reida and Isolte, I was now able to use it in combat, though I couldn't use it while simultaneously performing sword techniques yet.
But with that… I had also reached my limit in healing magic.
I could heal anything that was biologically possible, including reattaching limbs and curing sickness with detoxification magic.
But according to Master Reida… that only made me a Saint rank healing magician.
Which was great, of course… but it wasn't the peak.
Even Reida didn't know what exactly was in the King and Emperor ranks of healing magic, but it probably had something to do with regrowing lost organs, and fixing natural birth defects.
Things currently outside my control.
And at the God rank… well, it probably had something to do with reversing death… so I wasn't sure if I even wanted to reach that level, ethically speaking.
But anyway, there was definitely more to learn… but unfortunately, I couldn't.
Healing magic past the Advanced rank was a tightly guarded secret kept by the Milis Church, so even if there was someone in the city who could teach me King or Emperor rank healing magic, they almost definitely wouldn't pass on their knowledge to me, someone who didn't even follow their religion.
How troublesome… maybe if I befriended Cliff during his stay in Ranoa, he would share some of those secrets with me once he became the Pope.
Until then, I would have to keep trying on my own.
But I wasn't only improving in magic.
Alongside my Secret Art training with Teacher Kale, I had also been doing some… personal experiments with battle aura.
With my progress with the Water God Style, as well as my experience in the North God Style, I was now able to control my battle aura quite easily.
And so… I had begun to think of other ways to apply it, primarily using the knowledge from my previous life.
Of course, having been a regular student in a world lacking fantasy elements, I had to go to the stories… or more specifically, the animes that had similar energies present in them.
The first one I tried was from Demon Slayer, attempting to replicate the breathing techniques by enhancing my lungs.
It… didn't really work, other than making breathing feel a bit easier… but then again, I didn't really remember any specific explanations on how it worked, if there was any at all.
Next, there was Naruto.
There were many more examples with this, as the chakra energy seemed like a fusion of mana and battle aura, but the one I focused on was how they could walk on water and stand upside down by having their feet connected to the surface through chakra… or, for me, with battle aura.
And this one… it actually worked… mostly.
Walking on water was impossible, at least for now, as the fluid structure was extremely unstable, where even the smallest of ripples would mess up my platform, causing me to receive an unintended bath.
And since it was about to be winter, the water was quite cold, so I didn't plan on trying until it got warmer.
Walking up trees, however… I could actually do it, and my core strength allowed me to keep my posture straight despite the force of gravity pulling my body down.
The technique was quite simple, as I just needed to coat my feet with battle aura while also infusing the surface below me, like how I infused my sword with it, and then I activated the battle aura with a focus on adhesion.
At this point, I could only walk, as going any faster was too difficult to keep up with, but it wouldn't be long before I could run up walls as if it was nothing.
Sadly, while it was pretty cool, it wouldn't be that useful in combat, but the last technique I attempted to replicate… it was actually useful in combat.
Bleach's Shunpo… or, rather, Flash Step.
Again, since I heard of it so long ago, it was difficult to remember the exact method… but I knew the basics of it.
Creating rapid, short bursts of battle aura on my feet, enabling quick movement that almost looked like teleportation.
After testing it out a couple of times, I learned that it actually worked… but it was extremely hard to control.
And while it was fast, if we were talking about pure linear movement, leaping forward with battle aura like with Longsword of Light was faster and easier to control… but in return, I needed to crouch to set it up, and it was only in a single direction.
So essentially, Flash Step had the advantage in manoeuvrability and sudden movements, allowing me to change directions in an instant.
I had continued training in the Sword God Style during my time here, focusing my improvements of being able to perform more than one strike with a Longsword of Light, but with this, once I mastered it… I hoped that it would enable that manoeuvrability.
And with it being such a useful technique with immediate benefits, as expected, I was currently training in it.
The trick was all about the angle. The bursts would provide all the momentum I would need, so the main things I needed to focus on were aiming and balance.
Thankfully, I had more than enough core strength and control over my body for it, so it was mostly about my reactions, and overall, making the entire process natural.
There were three targets set before me, and for this exercise, I would need to Flash Step to all three in a single movement, striking them all as I passed.
And so, with my battle aura thrumming in my legs and feet, I-
"Vincent. Pause your training for a second," Master Reida said, instantly breaking my state of concentration.
"Master… do you need something?" I asked, turning to her as I released my battle aura.
"Well… more like someone else asked for something," she said, gesturing towards the main house with her head. "You've got a guest. And with her status, it wouldn't be very wise to refuse."
A guest?
And what did she mean by it not being wise to refuse?
"And you're not going to tell me who?" I asked.
"Nope," she replied.
Of course…
Sheathing my sword, I made my way towards the main house, entering the guest room as I sensed two people behind the door.
No… there were three, and one of them was definitely Isolte, judging by the familiar battle aura.
I gently knocked on the door before opening, and as I did, a blonde-haired girl turned to me with a smile.
A blonde-haired girl that I had quite certainly met before…
"Vincent… how pleasant of you to join us," she said, performing a small curtsy. "In case you have forgotten, I am Princess Ariel, and this here is Luke Notos Greyrat, my Guardian Knight"
As his name was called, Luke nodded his head as a greeting.
What… what were they doing here?
"I remember, Your Highness. I don't think anyone could forget meeting you… but what are you doing here, if I may ask?" I questioned, performing a bow in greeting. "Do you wish for me to guard you again?"
She instantly nodded her head with a smile, seemingly pleased that I had guessed correctly.
"That is precisely right… although this time, I will remain in the city," she said. "I have been given the opportunity to speak to the populace as part of the celebration for the harvest festival, and as such, I would like you to accompany me."
I furrowed my eyebrows.
"I don't mind, but… would you be allowed with only me as your guard? Do you not have any other knights assigned to you?" I asked.
"I could have some assigned if I wished, but as we are going to a celebration, I would like my protection to be more… discreet, if you will," she said. "Besides, I believe that your skills are more than enough."
Right… I mean, it wouldn't look great if a bunch of knights came into the celebration.
Instead, it would probably only cause nervousness for the commoners trying to enjoy themselves.
Well… if Master Reida brought me here, then I was likely permitted to go along with her.
And she was right that it wasn't exactly something I could easily refuse, being the request of a princess and all.
"Alright… when do we leave?" I asked.
"Promptly. I would like to arrive before dusk begins to set in," she answered.
Yeah, it would be kind of hard to make a speech in the dark.
"Okay… and Isolte, what are you doing here?" I asked, turning to the girl beside me.
"I'm… going with you," she said, crossing her arms. "You don't mind, do you, Your Highness?"
"Of course. It would be foolish of me to reject the protection of a Water Saint, much less one who is expected to succeed the Water God Style," Ariel said, giving her a smile. "Now then… I suppose there is no time to waste. Let us depart."
So it seemed like I would be participating in this protection mission with Isolte.
—
"Say, my lady, there may be some… unpleasant people around here. Especially with your beauty, which shines like the lone star in a dark sky… so stay close to me, okay?" Luke said with a wink, sliding closer to Isolte's side.
Right after we left the noble district, he had immediately begun flirting with her… he really was a womanizing bastard.
It pissed me off a bit.
It wasn't jealousy, it was just that I knew that Luke here only seduced woman to play around with them. He was never serious.
And I would not let my dear friend be treated like that.
Thankfully, I didn't really need to step in, as Isolte's face twisted in disgust before she stepped forward, latching on to my arm as she pressed herself close to my side.
"If there truly are unpleasant people, then I will deal with them myself. And if I require help, then I plan to leave my protection to Vince, thank you very much," she replied curtly, causing Luke's eyebrow to twitch.
I couldn't help but smile at that.
Okay… maybe it was a little bit of jealousy.
"Ah… that's right. I had nearly forgotten, but I should formally congratulate you two on becoming Water Saints. As a royal of this country, it leaves me pleased to see our future is so bright," Ariel said, walking alongside me on the opposite of Isolte. "Though, I do admit. Your relationship is quite… surprising. I had heard that the princess of the Water God Style was only concerned with swordsmanship… but I suppose that is not entirely the case."
Isolte's grip on me lessened as she looked away, her face tinged with a slight blush.
"That… you are not wrong. I do adore swordsmanship just the same, but as for my goals…" she said, hesitantly flicking her gaze over to me before she looked straight ahead once more. "I suppose I have grown to find new ones."
Isolte… were you even trying to hide it?
If so, you were doing quite a bad job… but honestly, it was quite cute.
"Is that so?" Ariel replied, voice tinged with amusement.
"Yes, it is… but Vincent and I are close friends… at least, for now," Isolte said.
"'For now', hmm?" Ariel purred, smiling wider. "How amusing."
With that said, we soon found our way towards the main square, where many commoners were gathered, waiting for Princess Ariel to give her speech.
While Ariel may not have had the strongest political position within the palace, it was obvious that the citizens adored her, both for her soft-spoken speeches, and the beauty that accompanied them.
"-And so, in honour of the Asura Kingdom, and in gratitude for the labour you have all endured over this past year, let this moment mark the harvest complete and the celebration begun," Ariel said, performing a light curtsy as she finished her performance. "I, Princess Ariel Anemoi Asura, offer you my heartfelt thanks. May the fruits of this season sustain us, and may we share in many prosperous harvests yet to come."
Cheers erupted from the crowd, all of them having been completely enamoured with the girl for her entire speech.
Even without a microphone, Ariel's voice had a presence that made everyone focus on her. It had a sense of empathy and grace that was difficult to put into proper words.
"The people really love her," I noted, watching the many charmed faces in the crowd.
"Of course, it is natural. Princess Ariel is amazing… and she would make a wonderful Queen," Luke said, watching on in admiration before his expression twisted. "But many of the nation's nobles have already cast their support for one of her two brothers… so it is unlikely for her to win. If only she had been born earlier, before they made their bets…"
Yeah… I already knew about her situation.
And very soon, it would get to the point where she was driven from the capital, although that would end up being a blessing in disguise, as she would gain Rudeus and Perugius as an ally.
But this time… well, she would have my support as well, if she so wished.
As the festive music began to play, Ariel stepped off of the stage, returning to the three of us that had been waiting close by in case anyone tried anything.
"I must say, that went quite well," Ariel said, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Well, my job here is done. Let us return to the noble district."
Wait, so soon?
"Right away? Don't you want to enjoy the festival?" I asked, motioning to the crowd that had just lit the large central bonfire.
"Hmm… that would certainly be an interesting experience… but unfortunately, I cannot," she said, shaking her head. "Aside from the security concerns, it would be… unfortunate if I was seen amongst the festivities. Not only would my presence dim the mood of the citizens, but my own standing would be affected."
Right… having the princess suddenly show up would make things tense… it would almost be like seeing your professor at a drinking party.
And I doubt that the nobles of the nation would be very happy with Ariel doing something so… ill-befitting of her position.
But the way Ariel looked over at the people with a small smile… she seemed totally composed, but I could tell there was something in her eyes… a mix of curiosity and desire…
So it seemed that this mature princess had a childish side after all… honestly, that just made me like her more.
"Wait here for a moment," I said, heading towards one of the nearby stalls.
Most of them were selling street food, such as pies and meat skewers, but I went towards one that was selling clothing, as well as a few masks that resembled various animals, likely meant to be worn by kids.
Anyway, while my savings were pretty small, thanks to Master Reida giving me a small allowance every month for helping her with various tasks, I had more than enough to buy a couple cheap, tattered robes with hoods.
Quickly returning to the other three, Ariel raised her eyebrow at me.
"To leave the one you were designated to protect… what did you do that was so important?" she asked, curious.
"I got these," I said, tossing a robe to Luke and Ariel. "This way, you won't have to worry about being seen, as long as you're careful about it."
"This… you're saying that I should wear this?" she asked.
"Obviously," I replied, draping it over her shoulders as I pulled the hood over her head. "There. Who would ever guess that the beloved second princess is wearing such a drab piece of clothing?"
Her eyes widened for a moment, but as I let go, she gave me a calculating smile, having understood what I meant.
"That is the problem! Have you forgotten your standing?" Luke said, eyes twitching in anger. "Princess, you should discard that immediately."
"Why, Luke… I didn't know you were so against going undercover," Ariel said, pulling the hood more over her head. "Or do you think that such garments sully my image? My… how rude, coming from my Guardian Knight."
"N-No, Princess, but your image…" Luke stammered.
"As Vincent said, there is no harm if I remain hidden," she said, smiling. "Besides, have I ever truly cared about my image?"
"N-No, but then… your safety…" Luke replied.
"If you're worried about her, you don't have to be," I replied. "I'll protect her."
Luke stared at me for a few moments, but eventually, he averted his gaze with a click of his tongue.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered, slowly draping his robe over his shoulders. "Taking orders from a commoner swordsman…"
"Hey, don't insult Vince," Isolte said, narrowing her eyes at him. "He is not a simple commoner. In fact, I would say he is smarter than any noble in this city."
Luke's tone instantly shifted upon seeing the beautiful girl's protective anger.
"A-Ah, my apologies, my lady, it was just-"
"And don't call me 'your lady'," Isolte said in disgust, stepping closer to me as she sent a glare to Ariel. "And if I am anyone's lady, then it is Vince's."
Wait… was she… jealous?
Was it from me saying I would protect Ariel?
That was… unexpectedly adorable.
"Is that so? How amusing," Ariel commented with a smile.
Yeah… amusing indeed.
"Well, if that is all… let's go enjoy the festival," I said, nodding towards the crowd. "Just make sure you stick close to Isolte and I."
"My… can I take that as an invitation to a dance?" Ariel asked, narrowing her eyes as she extended her hand.
"I… suppose you could, although you might find my form to be quite poor," I replied, slowly reaching to take it.
After all, I was not knowledgeable at all on ballroom etiquette.
"That is more than fine," she said, releasing a small giggle.
We then went into the crowd to enjoy the atmosphere, with the four of us walking together to visit the various stalls and bards, before Luke eventually broke off from us.
I guess he decided he could leave Ariel's direct protection to us, as even if we had ulterior motives, he couldn't really do anything about it with our strength.
So instead, he would make sure to wander the crowd to see if anything was off.
At least… that's what I initially thought he was doing, but after spotting him holding two girls' hands… I guess he just wanted to play around.
Well… even if it might not be proper for his position, that was fine.
Tonight was a night for playing around, after all.
The two of Ariel and Luke would soon be entering quite a stressful time, so I hoped that tonight would serve as a pleasant memory.
Just as the princess requested, I obliged her with a dance, and thankfully, it wasn't a formal one you would see in a ballroom, so I didn't embarrass myself during it.
In fact, it was Ariel that was taken along by my lead as I followed the rhythm of the music, and her initial surprise quickly turned into enjoyment.
I had thought she was pretty before, but with a genuine smile… yeah, she was definitely the most beautiful princess I had ever seen.
After that, it was Isolte's turn to join in, and while she initially wanted to dance with only me, considering that we couldn't leave Ariel alone, it turned into the three of us swinging around the bonfire.
It was dumb, and it had no form… but it was fun, and that was all that mattered.
Soon, after nearly an hour had passed, we decided it was about time to leave, and with Isolte going to find Luke, Ariel and I stood together off to the side of the street.
"Derrick will likely be quite angered when he hears of this," Ariel said, watching on with a smile.
Right… I had been wondering where he had been.
"I guess I can see that… why didn't he come in the first place, by the way?" I asked.
"He was meeting with some connections from his days in the academy, attempting to bring them to our side," she replied, shaking her head. "Honestly, he truly wants me to become Queen… to fight for the throne… in fact, he has for a while."
He must have pestered her for quite a while about it.
"Well… then he definitely won't like you doing this," I said.
"Fufu, indeed… but, what do you think, Vincent?" she asked, turning to look up at me, her gaze steady and serious. "His desire for me to fight for the throne… is that truly for the best?"
Now, that was quite the question to ask in the middle of a festival.
"We've only met three times… do you think my opinion even matters?" I asked.
"Yes, it does. Even though it's our third meeting, I can tell that you've seen me more than most others," she said, continuing to stare at me. "So tell me, Vincent… would I be a good Queen?"
She must have seen through me… as in, that I knew more about her character than I should have.
Well now, how to answer this.
"I… think you would indeed be a great Queen… but that doesn't mean that you should become one," I said, looking forward.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
Yeah… this was something I had been thinking about ever since I met the girl in person.
Her dream to take the throne… it was a clear goal that she had throughout the entire story, but was that actually something she wanted?
Or was it just a wish born from the weight of responsibility… both from her birth, and due to those who died wishing for her to become Queen.
"It means… that you should do what you want," I answered. "If you truly wish to become Queen, then aim for it. But if you just want to have fun and live as you wish, then you should do that… although, that might not be exactly possible with your position."
She took a moment to process my words.
"Just… live as I wish… is that truly acceptable? Even though I already have those who support me?" she asked as she grasped my hand, causing me to look back at her. "Is it… fine to abandon them?"
I didn't know that she could make such a vulnerable expression… I suppose she was not yet the unshakeable princess that I knew from the main story.
"You wouldn't be abandoning them," I answered. "Your supporters only support you due to your position as princess, and you did not wish to be birthed as one. You don't owe them, or the kingdom for that matter, your life."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"But… I do admit that you have the ability to make it better," I replied, smiling down at her.
That seemed to snap her out of her temporary trance, as she immediately let go of my hand and looked away.
"How… why do you believe that?" she asked.
"I just know," I said. "You're skilled at politics, and you're smart enough to gain support without being used as a puppet. You just need the right helping hands. For example… someone like me."
"Then… does that mean you wish to join me?" she asked. "I admit that recruiting you may have been one of the reasons I asked for your services tonight."
Of course it was… always the sly princess, Ariel was.
"Not yet. As I said before, I have something to do first," I said. "But after I'm done my travels… maybe."
I did plan to support her… but I didn't want to put it into a promise just yet.
After all, I wasn't sure I would feel the same in the future.
If I ended up finding love sooner than I expected, I might want to leave any possibility of getting involved in the kingdom's politics behind.
"Maybe… I suppose I can accept that," she replied.
It was then that Isolte returned, with Luke following behind her.
But Isolte… she looked quite flustered.
"Did something happen?" I asked, standing up a little straighter.
That womanizing bastard didn't try anything with her, did he?
"Yes! This… pervert was… was…!" Isolte stammered before shaking her head. "Princess Ariel… do you truly want your Guardian Knight touching girls he just met?"
Luke… so it was because of him after all… though it was better than what I had been worried about.
"I'm fine with it. In fact, it is something we both bond over," Ariel replied easily as she looked at the boy. "So, you found a girl, Luke?"
"Indeed. She was quite adorable," he said, grasping his hand as if mimicking squeezing a ball. "Especially when I-"
"W-Wait! Stop!" Isolte said, interrupting them. "I don't want to be reminded! And Princess Ariel… what do you mean by that? It being something you bond over…"
Ariel tilted her head before she suddenly smirked, and with a step forward, she placed her finger on Isolte's chin.
Oh dear…
"My… if you are so curious, do you wish to find out?" Ariel asked, her voice sultry and seductive.
Isolte's face immediately exploded into a deep shade of red.
"W-Wh-Wh-Wha"
"Alright, that's enough," I said, pulling the stammering Isolte away from the princess' grasp. "Princess Ariel, please do not tease her."
"I suppose that was rude of me," Ariel replied. "But regardless, shall we head back?"
"We should," Luke replied with a nod.
And with that, we headed back toward the noble district, avoiding the crowds as we passed.
"So… despite your reservations, you ended up having some fun, huh, Luke?" I said. "While I'm not surprised, I didn't think you would leave Princess Ariel to do so."
"It was better in that situation to be separated. If I was spotted, I could play it off as running away to have some fun alone," he answered, looking back with a smirk. "And as for the girls… well, commoners are quite fun to play with, since they don't have any special ties I have to worry about… but I usually keep it to the palace maids."
…
"Disgusting," Isolte said, glaring at him. "I don't understand how you could have more than one partner… much less at your age."
With Isolte being a believer of the Milis religion, it was obvious that she disapproved of that.
Which only made our relationship more difficult, considering the feelings between me and Nina… I just hoped that it would end up being fine in the end.
Although future me might end up in some trouble…
"I'm the same age as you, Lady Isolte," Luke replied.
"Yes, and my point stands!" Isolte snapped back.
Ariel simply chuckled at the interaction, but yet, she remained oddly quiet.
In fact, she had remained quiet our entire way back.
I wonder if she was thinking about our conversation…
Soon after, we reached the wall for the noble district, and while Ariel could have shown herself at this point, we decided to just have Isolte and I reveal our identities.
But we soon found that our concealment was ultimately useless, as standing just outside the main gate, was one Derrick Redbat.
And he seemed quite angry.
"Princess Ariel! Just where have you been!" he said in a hushed, yet harsh tone. "It's been over an hour since you were meant to return! I nearly started a search party!"
Oh… that would have been quite bad.
"Oh, Derrick, there was no need to fret. The protection of two Water Saints provides quite the safety," Ariel replied, taking off her cloak.
"Yes, but still… and why are you wearing that? Did you…?" his words trailed off as he stared at Ariel's clothes. "That… where did that stain come from?"
Ah… now that he mentioned it, there was one.
That must have been from the meat skewer I had gotten her, which she had eagerly devoured soon after, apparently not minding that it had gotten on her dress.
It seemed that the street food style was quite the novel experience for a royal, and Ariel liked it quite a bit.
"Wait. The festival. Being gone for over an hour. Keeping yourself under cover… Princess Ariel!" Derrick shouted, having quickly connected the dots.
"Consider it a form of social experience, Derrick. Now let us return to the palace," Ariel said, turning to walk down the street.
Unfortunately for Derrick, it was difficult to attempt to scold your superior, so with Ariel walking past with a smile, he was left to mutter his complaints as we headed towards the centre of the city.
As we kept walking, I soon found myself in the back of our group, with Derrick walking beside me as Ariel was flanked by Luke and Isolte.
"While I have my complaints about the… unplanned excursion, I still must thank you for protecting her," Derrick eventually said, breaking the silence between us.
"It was nothing," I replied, narrowing my eyes as I glanced at the man.
Derrick… in but a year, he would die.
At least, according to the story that I knew.
But while I thought of it as unfortunate, especially seeing the man as a person standing next to me rather than some temporary character… I couldn't save him.
Not only was I already planning on leaving the capital before it happened, but I was also hesitant about changing fate.
After all, it was his death that spurred Ariel into action and taking her position seriously.
But… was that really true?
Thinking back to the conversation between Ariel and me… and the determined look in her eyes afterwards… was his death really necessary for that?
And besides, hadn't I just told Ariel that she should do what she wanted?
Trying to make it so she would feel forced to fight for the throne… that didn't feel right to me.
"Sir Derrick… I have a question for you," I said.
"Oh? And what would that be?" he asked.
"In the palace… do you happen to wear any armour?" I asked, looking at the robe he was wearing. "Magicians like you are susceptible to melee attacks, so you should wear protection under your robe."
"I… suppose, but I am not really meant to be in combat," he said, scratching the back of his head.
"But you are Princess Ariel's Guardian Mage… and you yourself admitted that you had enemies in the palace," I said. "If you truly wish to support Princess Ariel's ascension to the throne, you should value your life more, and not take any chances."
"I… suppose you may be right…" he muttered to himself.
Well… that was probably as much as I could do without drawing any suspicion.
I wasn't sure if my advice was enough for him to survive, but the only other thing I could think of was telling them to not have any tea parties in the garden… but then again, that would leave Sylphy by herself when she appeared, which would be an even worse outcome.
So, having given out my hopefully helpful advice, we soon found ourselves in front of the gates to the royal palace.
"I suppose that this is where we take our leave," Ariel said, turning to Isolte and me. "I thank you for your service today."
"No need. I had been thinking about visiting the festival anyway," I said, shaking my head. "And on that note… how was today, Princess?"
Ariel paused for a moment, before her lips curled into a pleased smile.
"It was… wonderful. I had seen such celebrations before, but I had never been able to join in on it… so it was quite a novel experience," she said. "I suppose I have you to thank for that, Vincent."
"It wasn't anything special," I replied.
"Oh, but it is to me," she said, taking a step towards me. "And it would be improper to enjoy such special treatment without giving something in response… so consider this your reward."
She then leaned up, placing her hand on my shoulder to balance herself… and then kissed my cheek.
Um… what?
"P-Princess!" Luke and Derrick shouted in unison.
"Oh, come on. Compared to what I did to the maids, this is nothing," Ariel said, taking a step back.
"B-But he is a man…" Derrick stammered. "If others heard of this…"
"I suppose it would be troublesome… so I guess that will need to remain a secret between us," Ariel said, sending me a wink. "Anyway, let us go. And once again… it was a pleasure to meet you in person, Isolte."
Isolte didn't even respond, simply watching on with a blank expression as the princess and her two guardians walked away, disappearing into the royal palace gates.
"Isolte… are you ready to go home?" I asked, turning to her.
"Y-You!" she snapped, finally breaking out of her trance as she poked my chest. "That princess totally seduced you!"
"That… isn't true," I said, averting my gaze.
"You're blushing!" she said.
"It's just the cold," I instantly replied.
"Liar!" she shouted before shaking her head. "Whatever… let's just go back."
"Sure…" I said, watching as she reached out to grab my hand.
And so, with the two of us not sharing any more conversation, we began heading back to the Water God dojo, our hands intertwined the entire way.
While I didn't enjoy seeing Isolte agitated… I had to admit that she looked cute when she was jealous, especially since it was for my sake.