Band Together

The sunset hit the mansion’s upper windows, which were covered in dust and spider webs. The front of the mansion had a single dark brown wooden door, which splintered at the corners. I pushed it open gently, the door creaking quietly as it swung back.

Stepping inside, I immediately caught the smell of something meaty. I turned to my companions, who looked ready for a scuffle. We gently stepped farther into the dim, dusty hallway. The smell led back to a door at the end of the hallway. Before I could touch the door, it swung open, and I was met by a confusing sight.

“Princess Astraia?”

The girl turned her head to me and smiled gently. She sat at a large table, the space before her filled with a variety of delicacies. Matthias pushed past me and placed his hands on the table.

“How did you get here? Where have you been?” He turned to me with a shocked expression, “… you mind explaining how you know the Princess all of a sudden?”

I put my hands behind my back and walked over to the table. I pulled a chair and sat down opposite the princess before looking back up at Matthias with a smile.

“Let’s talk over dinner, yeah?”

“Ah—“

I ignored Matthias’s confused face and turned back to Astraia. Her expression was still mostly difficult to read, but I could see a hint of amusement as she began to serve me.

“Ah, wait. Let me do that,” Matthias moved to serve me instead, his head held low. “The Princess shouldn’t be serving us. I’ll consider your mistake to be a consequence of your poor upbringing.”

“I didn’t have a ‘poor upbringing’.”

Matthias moved to serve Vivian next, who joined us silently at the table. She sat down beside me and looked at the princess with her head lowered.

“Well, how should I know that? You won’t even tell us what you remembered. It’s fair that I should believe a ‘nobody’ to have a poor upbringing. Especially someone with your attitude.”

This little…

“And what about you, mister ‘gifted child?’ You must’ve been pampered so perfectly, you think anyone who won’t treat you like a noble has an attitude.”

Matthias placed a silver plate of food in front of Vivian and moved to sit at my right. He plopped down in the dusty chair and crossed his arms.

“How would you know I was gifted? Oh, right, you’ve probably been sorting through her memories like an invasive weed.”

Huh? No… wait. How did I know that?

Memories of a childhood with Matthias sped through my mind before being replaced by my own memories.

Shoot. You’ve got it wrong, Matthias. Finley’s memories are the ones invading my mind.

Princess Astraia cleared her throat, and the three of us sat up straight. She folded her hands on the table and looked down at them before smiling gently again.

“Let us not forget, I am the youngest here. Please act like it. We cannot talk seriously if you two continue to squabble.”

I looked at Matthias from the corner of my eye. He snorted derisively and began serving himself a plate. I looked down at the practically shining meal, then back up at the princess.

“Thank you. Lady Velda, would you please present the locket I gave you? You do not need to remove it from your neck.”

“Hm? Oh, right. That.”

I pulled the locket out from within my shirt and held it up in my palm. My companions leaned in to look at it, the light from the chandelier above giving the locket a faint glow.

“I won’t open, no matter how hard I try.”

“That is alright. Its brokenness will help us in the coming skirmish.”

“Skirmish?”

My companions and I spoke in unison, each of us with a different degree of confusion. The princess tilted her head and smiled with squinted eyes.

“I have a difficult request for you three, but please know that the outcome may benefit us all.”

Matthias placed a fist on his chest with an audible thump. I clutched the locket in my hand, staring at the mysterious smile on the princess’s face.

“I trust you, Princess. Whatever you’re planning, you can count me in.”

In Under Heaven, there was another kingdom at the center of the world. Even there, the princess was capable of great things. I remember… one route involved recruiting her and her animal companion. Players called her an 'S-rank' unit. If Astraia is any similar, I know I can trust her.

I nodded to the princess and turned to face Vivian. She quivered slightly, her hand covering the lower half of her face.

Is she… afraid of something…?

“Vivian,” I called out, and she slowly turned to look at me.

“You don’t have to join us.”

The girl took in a deep breath, her lips tight and shoulders raised. She breathed out slowly and shook her head, her fists tightly clenched.

“I do… I do have to. After everything that has happened, I cannot turn back.”

She raised her head, and her eyes shone with determination.

“If I can make a difference, no matter how minuscule, then that is exactly what I’ll do.”

Let’s be braver together, Vivian.

I turned back to the princess and held the locket to my chest, right where my heart would be.

“We’re ready, Princess. Tell us what you’re planning.”