Vol. 1, Chapter 15: A Moment of Respite

Day and night, whenever there's free time, I was made to train. Merida trained me as if she was training a soldier, making me jog for long distances at a time, making me do pushups till I can count no more, and of course, who can forget the sparring sessions she springs on me every time I seem to be free. Her training regiment is harsh, but even I understood that they were necessary to make me suitable for combat.

In Elysium Online, there are five stats: Str (Strength), Dex (Dexterity), Per (Perception), Vit (Vitality), and Mag (Magic). The stats a character may have are depended on the combination of the main class and subclass and so by changing classes, the stats would change as well. As a Summoner/Enchanter, the stat with the highest number is of course, magic. In strength and dexterity I'm highly lacking, while perception and vitality are considered average. However, ever since I began training with Merida, my strength, dexterity, and vitality have began to rise, which is something that hardly ever happens when Leveling the Summoner and Enchanter class. Though, in spite of the increase of my stats, my Level remains the same. It's like I have received buffs, I can even see the timers of when they would wear off. In other words, it is like real life. If I train daily I'll be able to build and maintain my muscles, but if I slack off for long enough, they'll start to decline.

At any rate, though the training may be hard, if I keep this up, I should have the stats about equal to that of a Level 30 warrior in no time.

*Clank*

My sword was sent flying by a strong parry, and before I realized, a blade was held against my neck.

"What's wrong? You seem rather distracted."

"Sorry, I was lost in thoughts for a little bit. I have no excuse."

Merida sighed, looking rather disappointed. I guess I would too if I took my time to teach someone only for them to not pay attention when I am teaching.

"It won't happen again. Now, where were we?"

"No, that's enough for today. Go rest, Aurelius."

It seems like I've made her mad. I suppose I'll have to redouble my efforts tomorrow if I want to win back her favor, or so I would like to say, but I'm having trouble keeping up as it is with Merida sparing no effort in wringing everything thing out of me to make me ready for battle. A part of me is grateful to her because I would never have enough will power to make myself go through this, but another part of me can only pray for this hell to end.

***

After taking a bath, I collapsed on top of my bed, though, while I call it mine, I have very few memories of actually sleeping on it, mostly due to me having to constantly move from one battle to another and having very few opportunities of returning to the palace.

"Oh, I want to just sink into this fluffiness and let slumber embrace me, but I can't! If I sleep now I won't be able to sleep tonight, and if I don't sleep tonight, Merida will get mad at me for oversleeping. What a dilemma! What a conundrum!"

"What's a dilemma?"

"Whoa!"

Without my notice, the princess had apparently entered my room.

"Princess, what are you doing here? And please, can't you at least knock?"

"I was about to, but then I heard some screaming and yelling all of a sudden, and I thought something might have happened."

"No, that... that was just me venting."

My face must be rather red now. I didn't expect anyone to hear that. Was I that loud?

"Was Merida's training too hard?"

"Well, no... Actually, yes, it is in fact quite hard, but I imagine everyone had gone through the same."

"That's true, but if it's too hard for you then it's fine to say so. If you push yourself more than you can handle you might end up breaking."

This is something I've noticed, that the princess sometimes treat me rather delicately. At first I thought that she's like that with everyone, but according to Merida, while she is in fact like that with everyone, she pays special attention towards me. I wonder if my youthful appearance is making her feel protective towards me.

"I don't want to hear that from you, princess. You're plenty reckless yourself."

"Ah, but in the end it all worked out fine didn't it?"

"It's not going to work out fine all the time, princess."

"I know, but I am responsible for you. If anything were to happen to you, I-... It would be a great lose for this kingdom."

"Don't worry about it. I have Merida with me, don't I?"

"That's true. Also, now that I think about it, you two are getting rather close aren't you?"

"Are we? Well, I guess we are. We did spend a lot of time together these days after all."

"She even dropped the 'Sir' and simply called you Aurelius."

What's this? Is she pouting? It doesn't look like she's pouting but somehow it feels like she is. I wonder if she's jealous that I'm taking Merida away from her. I mean, they're always together up till now, but since Merida is occupied with me, she now has less time with the princess. Or is the princess jealous of Merida now they she's closer with me? Nah, can't be. I mean, what have I ever done to warrant such attention? There's just that one time I leapt in front of her and to protect her from the [Demon], and there's that other time when we defeated the [Demon] Champion together, but other than those, I can't quite recall doing anything special with her...

...

......

.........

"Sir Aurelius?"

"Oh, yes, about that, I don't particularly mind if you drop the 'Sir' you know."

"Is that so? Then I suppose I'll call you Aurelius as well from now on."

"Please do, I prefer it that way."

So which is it, is she jealous of me, or Merida? She seems happy to be able to just call me by name, but that could be just "normal" happy and not so much "especially" happy. I wonder if I should ask her, but then again if I ask at the wrong time, she may not give me the truth. I'm going to need to create an appropriate atmosphere for such a conversation, one that is less casual and more intimate. The question is, how? How am I going to do that? I'll just have to follow my guts, that's how. I'm not good at making conversations anyways, much less leading it. I'll just keep talking and keep an eye out for my chances.

"Anyways, why did you come looking for me in the first place, is there something you need?"

"Ah, the thing is Merida mentioned that you looked rather tired and that perhaps she was too harsh in her training, so she asked if I would like to take you around the city for a breather."

"Is that fine? Don't you have your own businesses to take care of?"

"It's completely fine. I've been meaning to take you around for a while now. It'd be rather sad to make you protect a place you've never even seen before, wouldn't it?"

"I guess so."

"Then it's settled then! Shall we go now or later?"

The princess seems very excited now, with her ears all perked up and her tails swaying left and right. Makes me want to cuddle her and feel her all over, which, I'm sure, would lead me straight into the dungeons if I actually give into the impulse.

"Now would be good, we wouldn't want to be out too late."

If I stick around my room, I'm sure that I'd be tempted to lay on my bed again, and if I do that, I'll definitely fall asleep and won't wake up till nightfall. Better to catch some fresh air, I'm sure I'll feel more awake once I'm moving about outside.

***

Perhaps it's the blood of the beast flowing within, perhaps it's the bestial culture and traditions, but when walking around town, it seems that the thing the princess most want to do is eat. We'd go from one eatery to the next, ordering snacks and various bite-size food. With food being the basis of survival, I'm sure that a town full of eateries and food stalls would be considered a paradise for the Beastkins. Still, I'm a little worried about the rate the princess is going. It does not seem healthy to eat like this.

"Um, princess, don't you think you're eating a little too much?"

"What are you saying? For once I'm in town without a guard, so I'm going to eat to my heart's content."

So it seems like I am not considered as a guard. Looks like Merida's words ring true, I am in fact seen as unreliable.

"I understand that you want to let loose once and a while, but let's not do it behind Merida's back. She'll kill me if she finds out."

"It's fine, it's fine, just enjoy yourself, Sir- I mean, Aurelius."

She stuffs something into my mouth as we speak, a miniature sandwich, with what appears to be cheese and ham. I wonder what a pig-like Beastkin would feel about this. Could this be considered cannibalism? I mean, it's not like humans consider monkeys as the same as themselves, but we don't exactly feel comfortable eating them, at least not in most parts of the world as far as I know. I wonder if I should ask, but I don't want to make this weird either.

"Aurelius?"

"Hm? What's up?"

"Are you not enjoying yourself?"

"That's not true, I'm having plenty of fun."

I mean, it's mostly eating but the food is certainly good. There's nothing to complain about that.

"Are you sure, I mean, all we've been doing what I want to do."

"Well, I was the one who said I'll defer to you after all. Besides, you're the princess here, right? Just do what you want, that's what you always do anyways."

"T-that's not true! I just wanted to help the best way I can, that's all. I mean, unlike the rest of my siblings, I'm not good at politics. All I have is my magic, so I'd much rather be fighting by your side than sit around and do nothing."

No good a politics, huh. Usually, if someone says that they're not good at something, I'd tell them that they could learn, but sometimes, you just don't get what you don't get. Sometimes, you're just not cut out for something and no amount of studying will help. Even so, Aurelia is the princess, the sole remainder of her line in fact. If she doesn't do it, no one can take her place, not unless someone drastically changes the ruling system here, and that's something that never goes smoothly from the get go, and in a time when the world is just one step away from destruction, can the kingdom survive such a shakeup? I wouldn't bet on it, not me.

What can I do? What can I tell her? I'm nothing special, and I don't come from a background that grants me some specialized knowledge on anything that could be of use. I'm just a game tester after all. Even so, when I see this girl in front of me being sad and down, I want to do something.

"Aurelius."

I feel my hand being grasped in hers, her small but warm hands. Her eyes were turned up towards me, looking at me with concern. I guess I must have made a troubled face while I was in thought. Even though I was thinking of how to be of help, in the end, I was the one being helped.

"Aurelius, I know you've tagged along with me all day, but would you come with me to one last spot?"

I make a smile. How can I refuse such a cute girl?

"I don't see why not. I've been hanging out with you all day after all, might as well go all the way."

***

End of Chapter 15