Evan D. Sherden, Training the Core. (6)

One Friday afternoon in May, a clear day just like when the two first met.

Belois, Evan’s personal servant and member of the Dungeon Knights, and Eloa Von Sirpe, the Phoenix Guild’s primary Mage, were facing each other at the usual cafe where they would meet.

“Belois, what is that in your hand?”

“It’s a cookie. I’ve been practicing my baking skills recently, so I often have extras. Would you care to have some?”

“Hmmm… Thank you.”

Eloa, who took the little bag that Belois gave her, carefully reached into it and picked up a small cookie.

When she crushed it inside her mouth, it was crisp, and the not-too-sweet sensation spread inside her mouth. Every time you chew, it became more fragrant, and it had a fancy taste to it that you couldn’t get from the ordinary shops.

“…It’s very delicious. I wonder how you are left with time with all the Knights training. Are you doing it on your own?”

“Yes, in order to support Master Evan in every way, magic abilities alone are not enough.”

A year had passed since the two of them started exchanging magical knowledge.

Even now, unless something came up, they would meet at least once a week for about two hours.

When they first met, they didn’t share any stories other than magic-related stories, but as time passed, their relationship became close friends. It was only natural since they were very much alike and felt they shared much in common.

“Support in all areas…”

“Yes. But it really means taking care of the household chores and running errands.”

“You’re doing that yourself?”

Eloa was also a noble with a relatively high status in her hometown, so she was used to having someone at her service. However, she felt uneasy by Belois’ words.

It was largely because Belois was a better mage than she was, and felt that she shouldn’t be serving someone.

“You are… Wait a second, so by serving him, what do you mean?”

But she didn’t express her thoughts out loud. She couldn’t be sure what the relationship was between Evan and Belois just from appearance.

Eloa knew that it was none of her business, too.

“Yes, mostly it’s helping wash his face and helping him change his clothes. Others include cleaning his ears, preparing his bath, singing him a lullaby… and in the near future maybe spending the night with him.”

“I don’t think that’s a servant’s job?!”

Although she had no right to say anything, she couldn’t resist herself and questioned her words.

“Is Master Evan asking you to do those things? Even if he is a noble and you’re a servant, I think it’s still too much! He recognized your strength and knighted you, then he should give the proper respect…!”

“Not at all. The Young Master is not used to relying on others. It’s not been long since he started to let me take care of him.”

Belois cut out Eloa’s speculation with a firm tone, but Eloa’s eyes became thinner with disbelief.

She, who was quite wise, now understood what Belois was trying to say. It was not just a typical master-servant relationship. There were romantic feelings involved.

“Does that mean that you’re doing it all because you want to? Are you deliberately converting Evan into this dependent child?”

“Well, convert is such a strong word to say. I just want to ease the burden on his shoulders.”

“And use it as an excuse to spend time with him.”

“… Yes. In all honesty, that’s true.”

She affirmed! She affirmed her true desires with a straight face!

Eloa sighed at this ridiculous situation. She was called the Ice Witch, and no one before Belois had been successful in getting such a ridiculous expression out of her.

“I feel I worried for nothing. I almost did something foolish!

“If you couldn’t figure it out, I wouldn’t have come out to you.”

Belois picked up the teacup, swallowed a sip of tea, and then sighed a little.

“In the end, it would be nice if Master Evan never went away from me…”

And thus, she casually uttered terrifying words that could not be overlooked.

“That’s not love; it’s an obsession. I understand the love you have for him, but if you really care about him, you should refrain from doing that.”

“I know, and that’s why I’m holding it in.”

Though she wore an ice-like emotionless expression on her face, she was uttering scary words. Eloa was a little bothered by it, but found herself feeling curious.

“Why did you tell me your personal feelings? I know you could’ve hidden it if you wished to.”

“I felt that I could tell you this much… And I wanted to create at least one trusted ally outside the Dungeon Knights.”

“… Hmm.”

Although it was not a satisfactory explanation, she knew what she was trying to say since the two got along together.

Eloa was gathering her thoughts as she was eating the cookie and watching Belois, who in turn had been well poised and cold, but elegant.

‘After a year of meetings, she and I have succeeded in forming a trustworthy relationship. The fact that she told her love life, which she had no reason to, defines what kind of relationship we have between us. She also used the word “ally”, which means that she is asking me for a range of support. Ultimately she made a statement saying that we can ask for support without any conditions attached…’

Yes, it was true. It was very mage-like, in that it was way too complicated, but the bottom line was that Belois had just asked Eloa to be her friend in a very indirect way!

Eloa’s cheeks were stained with a faint blush. She finally figured it out completely. She was so cunning!

However, Belois could not be seen as just a 12-year-old kid as she had enormous talent, and based on what she saw in the past year, she had all the qualities that would make her a good friend. Then, there’s no reason not to be her friend, right?

She cleared her throat and said, in a voice that was as cold as that of Belois.

“Well, if you trust me, I think I’ll return that trust too.”

Eloa, who had even lesser friends than Belois thanks to her God-given personality, couldn’t do much better than that.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what I can do for you, but I’ll be your ally. Especially for a talented mage like you, I could aid you as part of the Ministry of Magic.”

“That’s very assuring. Thank you.”

“Hmm. Hmm.”

And the two became friends.

In the eyes of those who watched from a distance, it just seemed like a couple of beautiful girls keeping their cool and quietly drinking tea and chatting but had they come a little closer; they would’ve seen the mild warmth on both of the girls’ cheeks.

“Umm… Then, let’s start our discussion.”

“Yes, let’s do it.”

The two started a discussion as usual, even though they were a little shy of what happened just now. The cheeks were still a little red, but they both chose to ignore it.

“Oh, Belois.”

“Ms. Arisha…?”

On the way back to the Knights headquarters, after the discussions with Eloa, Belois encountered Arisha in the middle of the road and became curious.

There was nothing strange about meeting her outside as she was free to roam. But it was just that the people who she was with were unexpected: Illoin and Jhin; the archer master and the disciple.

“Illoin, thank you as always.”

“Not at all, thank you. I better get going then. Everyone, good work today.”

Illoin, who was eager to meet Bernard, quickly said goodbye and went inside the headquarters building. Jhin seemed to hesitate a little, but then followed his master into the building.

The two of them being together was not weird at all, but… Belois looked at Arisha, who was left alone, and became more curious.

“My lady, are you learning archery as well?”

“No, what I’m learning is the wind. I asked them so that I could accompany them.”

“…Lady Arisha asked them first?”

Belois saw Arisha as someone full of ego, so she felt surprised.

Arisha looked a little uncomfortable as if she read Belois’ thoughts.

“Would you stop giving me that look? I’ve changed a lot since I met Evan, you know.”

“Since you said those words, of course, you’ve changed…”

Arisha originally maintained a unique position inside the Dungeon Knights. She was the first volunteer from outside who wasn’t recruited by Evan as part of his new Human race recruitment. Also, she was a noble from another country, so it was not easy to go up to her and speak.

Most of all, she was never too eager to interact with other people other than Evan. She formed somewhat of a relationship with Shine and Belois, who were always with Evan, but that was about it.

Fortunately, she was teaching literature and liberal arts to children. If not, she would not have fit well with the Dungeon Knights.

‘But that Arisha is now bowing her head to another person because she wants to practice wind magic…?’

“Belois, can we talk outside before we go in?”

When Belois was about to continue her thoughts, Arisha cut her off, so the former stopped her train of thoughts and stared at Arisha. Strangely enough, it wasn’t a bad feeling.

“I guess today is one of those days.”

“…?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’ll accompany you.”

The two walked together for a while. One girl with brilliant platinum hair, and a girl with black hair, shiny as ever, drew people’s attention just by standing side by side. But as Belois flicked her hand lightly, the gazing stopped. It was magic that hindered recognition.

“The witch’s magic?”

“Yes, the mechanism is a little different from the general magic.”

“Yes, it was difficult to understand even as I saw it with my eyes. Of course… you’re also the main character.”

“Main character?”

“Yes.”

Arisha said calmly while throwing a careless look at the people walking on the street.

“I’ve always been seeing the world as a play and have been giving roles to the people. If they have nothing special, then they are supporting characters. If someone is high class and receives attention and delivers, then they are main characters.”

“I find that very arrogant, but… I understand what you mean by it. Then the main character in your play must be Master Evan.”

“Evan will desperately deny that.”

They both burst into small laughter.

They were like mortal enemies, but whenever they talked about Evan, they loosened up.

Arisha continued to speak with a grin.

“Before, I was pretty boring. Until I met the protagonist, I was just a supporting character locked in a cage.”

“What do you mean by cage?”

“It’s okay to find it silly. As I said before, I saw the world as a play. I thought that my life was already set even before I was born. I thought no matter what I do, nothing would change, so it was inevitable that I had no determination to do anything.”

She had power, wealth, overflowing talent, and incredible beauty. But, Arisha knew since she was a child that sometimes when you are born with too much, it becomes a shackle that will engulf you.

“But after meeting Evan… I realized I was wrong. I was so stuck in the old frame I set up for myself. I was complaining about it but never tried to get out of it.”

“Evan has that effect on people.”

“Evan is really interesting. He can practically do anything, and yet he still keeps on trying. No, it’s even sorry to just describe it as ‘trying’, he is giving everything he got at every moment. He discovers something that I could never have imagined and gives it a hundred percent. When I see him do that, I feel ashamed of my past for talking about predestined fate and characters and all that.”

“I’m sure you do…”

There was no hesitation whatsoever! Arisha glared at Belois like she wanted to kill her, but Belois simply got past it. She didn’t care much for any other person than Evan.

“But now you’re not like that, right?”

But she at least had some mercy. At Belois’ words, Arisha, who was still grinding, answered.

“Yes, in order to keep observing Evan, I’ll have to be at least strong enough to stand by him… I just don’t want to follow the path Evan showed me, but I want to give it my best to life as Evan is doing.”

Evan was walking proudly on a road that no one has ever gone before. If you wanted to be with him, you needed to prove yourself, at the very least!

With Arisha’s determination, Belois nodded and spoke once more.

“Yeah, if you don’t change, you’ll fall way behind Shine or me.”

“… You hate me so much, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Belois reaffirmed this. However, as soon as Arisha tried to react, their eyes met.

Belois’ red eyes were just quietly gazing at her. Then she spoke.

“You’re my biggest enemy that might take my precious Evan from me… There’s no way that I can like you.”

“…?”

“I better get going then.”

“Belois?”

Belois turned away without answering Arisha’s call. Arisha, who was left alone on the street, realized that the magic of recognition resistance had been dispelled only when she could feel the gazes of the passersby.

“Ugh.”

The shame came a little later. Arisha covered her face with both hands and hurriedly hid from the crowd.

Her red cheeks were not going anywhere soon.

And in her head, Belois’ words kept echoing.

“That little brat…!”

‘I am two years older, but why do I feel so overpowered!’ She became so upset that she eventually started clenching her teeth and rolling her legs.

She tried to convince herself that it was only an illusion, that she was feeling quite happy right now…