Chapter 50: Extra Chapter: Guardian Fitz
B, the time he realized what was happening, he was in mid-air.
"Huh?!" The wind instantly swallowed his cry of disbelief.
He was incredibly high up. He could feel himself falling quickly. The force of the wind made it difficult to breathe. He was piercing the clouds, and fear was piercing him.
"Eek!"
He could hear it, a cry from deep in his throat. It was his cry, but it sounded so distant that it felt like someone else screaming. The cry reassured him that this was reality. He didn't know why, but he was in the air and he was falling.
"Ah...ah!"
He had to do something. He had to do something or he was going to die. Yes, die. There was no doubt he would die. If you fell from a high enough place, you died. He knew that. He also knew that the ground was rapidly approaching.
"Waaaaaah!"
He succumbed to the fear and unleashed all of his mana. It was wind. He was unleashing wind. It felt as though it were striking him from directly below. Who was it that taught him that a bird rides the wind to fly in the sky? He couldn't remember.
The speed of his fall slowed momentarily, then quickly returned to its previous pace. Wind magic wasn't going to cut it. Birds may have ridden wind to fly in the sky, but no matter how much wind you put under humans, they could not fly. Someone taught him that. Who? He couldn't remember that, either.
What was he supposed to do in a situation like this? His teacher had told him something. His teacher taught him a lot of things. What was it that his teacher had said?
Think, think, he chanted to himself.
His teacher said something about...how to fly? That's right, about how it was impossible. You couldn't fly—humans couldn't fly. You had to use something in order to fly. His teacher had tried to fly before. Tried, failed, and put something on the ground, something soft to fall on.
That was it! Something to soften the fall. Something soft. Something soft to wrap around himself. But just how soft was it supposed to be? How was he supposed to make it?
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know! he screamed in his head. What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!
He conjured water and tried to wrap it around himself. It didn't work. It scattered immediately. He conjured wind and tried to boost himself again. It failed. That wasn't going to work. He conjured earth... but he wasn't sure how to use it! He conjured fire and...the wind... water? Earth? He didn't know! He just didn't know anymore!
"Aaah!" He fell headfirst.
kek
"Waaaah!" A silver-haired boy screamed as he jerked his body upright and out of bed. He was somewhere around the age of ten, and his youthful features were contorted in fear.
"Hah, hah, hah..." He gasped for breath and began patting his body. His hands grabbed at fistfuls of silver hair, hard enough to tear them out. He was checking to see if his body was still in one piece.
" ,.Ah? Huh?" When he looked around, he realized he wasn't in the sky anymore. He was in a soft bed. "Hah..." The young boy covered his face with his hands and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Fitz, you okay?" A voice called out to him from above. Another boy was hanging upside down, peering at Fitz from the bed above. This other boy was at the cusp of adulthood. He was handsome enough to captivate any person who looked upon him, or so he claimed. His name was Luke. "You were making a lot of noise while you were sleeping. Did you have that dream again?"
Oh, yeah..." The boy, known as Fitz, nodded vaguely in response. All of a sudden he realized his crotch area felt strange. Curious, he looked down to find it was damp. When he investigated, he found he'd drenched not only the bottom of his sleepwear, but the sheets beneath him as well. He could see the steam rising from them.
"Ah...!" Flustered, Fitz tried to pull up the covers to hide the mess from Luke, but it was already too late. Luke took in the sight of Fitz's accident with a frown on his face.
"Wah...waah..." Fitz looked pitiful, tears in his eyes, as he glanced at Luke. "I-I'm so...sorry..."
"Don't apologize to me." Luke climbed down from his bed and gave a sigh as he scratched at his head. "No one's going to blame you."
"B-but, I'm old enough by now...and yet I'm still...still, well, wetting myself like this..."
"Youre not the only one who had a terrifying experience that day." Luke shrugged as he said it, but he had a serious look on his face. His tone was entirely sincere. "Besides, there's lots of guys here who soil their sheets at night. The maids are used to it. Now hurry up, get changed and hand your shirts over to the person in charge of washing. Lady Ariel is waiting for us." Once Luke finished speaking, he left the room.
Fitz wiped away his tears and crawled out of bed, grabbing his sunglasses from the nearby table and sliding them onto his face.
Fitz was a victim of the incident that decimated the Fittoa Region. He was transported into mid-air, a hundred meters above the ground. Like anyone else, Fitz was no exception to the law of gravity, so he fell.
The only thing unusual about him was that he was a magician. Not just any magician, either. He may have been only ten, but he had an exceptional teacher and was at least intermediate-tier in every school of magic, advanced in several, and he could cast spells without chanting.
He struggled as he was in the air. Before he made it to the ground, he managed to slow the speed of his fall and miraculously only broke both legs when he landed (crashed was more like it). His mana was completely drained and he fell unconscious.
Fitz woke up to discover he'd lost everything. His hometown, his house, his family. He was still so young, and in an instant he'd become a vagabond. He had nowhere to go and no one to rely on, except for the woman whose eye he'd caught, Ariel Anemoi Asura. She saw the way Fitz freely wielded magic without any incantations, so she employed him. After that, Fitz began his life in the royal palace as the guardian of the second princess.
"Mmmmhh... Oh, Luke and Fitz, good morning."
His work as guardian began with rousing Ariel. He woke her at a specific time every morning. This would normally be a lady-in-waiting's job, but Ariel had faced so many assassination attempts since she was a child that the duty now fell instead to one of her guardians, either Luke or Fitz. Fitz was only entrusted with the duty once Ariel knew that he was a resident from outside the palace and not involved with any of the nobles she counted as enemies.
"Good morning, Lady Ariel."
Waking up any later than the princess was enough to warrant a harsh punishment. Or at least it was supposed to, but Fitz had woken up after Ariel any number of times and was never disciplined.
"Tt's a nice morning, isn't it? Luke, what are the plans for today?" Ariel stretched her body and slipped out of bed, taking a seat at her makeup stand. Fitz stepped in behind her to wash her face and comb her hair.
"After breakfast you have a meeting with Lords Datian and Klein to talk about..." As Luke calmly laid out her itinerary, Fitz made quick and careful work of untangling her hair. "In the afternoon you'll have a meeting with Lord Pilemon, and then dinner will be..."
"Lord Pilemon'? As if you don't know him. Luke, that's your father, isn't it?"
"I've been told to keep business and private matters separate." Once Fitz finished setting her hair, Ariel rose out of her seat and raised her arms shoulder-high.
Fitz immediately set about undressing her. Normally changing the princess' clothes would be a job for one of her ladies-in-waiting, but this was another custom she'd been practicing since she was a child.
Fitz felt flustered as he peeled away the beautiful silks that were wrapped around Ariel's vibrant white skin, exchanging them for clothes that a lady-in-waiting had prepared in advance. The clothing was complex, with a bizarre structure that Fitz wasn't even sure how to wear. Yet he managed to slip it briskly onto her body.
He wasn't even sure how to dress people when he was first assigned the job. But he'd become quite skilled at it. Even a country bumpkin like Fitz could learn after being forced to do the same thing over and over again.
"Fitz...you messed up one of the buttons."
"Huh? Ah, yes, I'm sorry." Just then he'd gotten distracted, and the princess pointed out his mistake. Fitz hurried to try and fix it, but he wasn't sure which button he'd slipped up on. With clothing like this, if you messed up a single step of the process it made it impossible to figure out where to start with fixing it.
"What's wrong?" the princess asked. "If you don't hurry up and get me dressed, I might catch a cold."
"Y-yes, youre right, please hold on just a moment!" "Or do you want to see my body?" Ariel teased. "N-no!"
His face turned bright red with panic as he denied her accusation. Ariel sniggered. She liked how innocent he was, so much so that she frequently picked on him like this.
"T think you look beautiful." Luke was always the one who jumped in to help during such interactions. He smiled and pointed to the buttonhole Fitz was searching for.
"Oh my, Luke, does that mean you're falling for your master?" Ariel cooed. "If so, that's equivalent to blasphemy. You won't be able to escape punishment for that."
"How terrifying. What kind of punishment are we talking about?" "The kind where I confiscate all of your snacks for today," she said.
"Oh my. Well, that is quite severe. But if that's what my master desires, then so be it."
As the two of them continued their interaction, Fitz finally finished with her clothing. Ariel took a twirl to confirm that there were no imperfections in her outfit, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Nice work. Now then, let's have our meal." "Yes, milady!"
Luke tailed Ariel as she walked out. Fitz moved to follow, but abruptly stopped to get a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror of her makeup stand. It showed a young man with a somber look, sunglasses over his eyes. He lingered there and twisted a strand of short-cropped white hair around one of his fingers. It only lasted for a moment. He turned away and trailed after Ariel.
The nobles were quite judgmental about the young guardian Fitz after his abrupt appearance in the royal palace.
"But there are so many among the Magician's Guild who were born to more noble families..."
His family and background were complete mysteries. The only things people knew about him were his race and the color of his hair. From his manners and way of speaking, it was clear that he wasn't nobility. Despite that, Ariel had appointed him as her new guardian. She gave him quality guardian equipment and kept him at her side constantly. Such special treatment only inflamed the nobles' disapproval.
"Can't something be done about those sunglasses at the very least?"
"T concur. It's almost as if the boy doesn't even understand the concept of respect."
He was always wearing sunglasses. In the imperial court, hiding your face without purpose was considered impolite.
The nobles' words were misinformed, however. Ariel had received permission from the king himself for the sunglasses.
In fact, the sunglasses were a magical item that could sense when Ariel was in trouble, no matter where the wearer was. The item was deemed necessary after her previous "incident," so the king permitted it.
"Thanks to those sunglasses, the maids in the imperial palace keep screeching in such high-pitched voices."
"Yes, I've heard how it 'brings them such happiness' just seeing Fitz and Luke walking together."
"Indeed, nothing seems to make them happier than seeing a womanizer like Luke stepping in so valiantly to look after the boy."
"They're corrupting the morals of the imperial court." "Not that the court particularly had any." Hahaha, the nobles laughed.
Fitz was always following Ariel around, and you could tell the boy was handsome beneath those sunglasses. So seeing him, Ariel, and Luke together encouraged many to dream up wild fantasies.
"T realize they're both boys, but there's something odd." "Oh? What's odd?"
"Luke professes, without hesitation, that he loves women and hates men, yet he's being unusually kind toward that boy."
"Ahh, I see what you mean. That's true."
"Yes, but there's nothing 'odd' about it. I'm sure it just means that Luke has finally come to understand the beauty of men as well, no?"
"No doubt, ha ha!"
Homosexuality was not considered unusual to Asuran nobles. There were those with far stranger sexual preferences, so boys who fell in love with other beautiful boys did not warrant any surprise.
"But just where in the world did the princess find that boy?"
"Who's to say? But for Princess Ariel to offer such support makes me wonder. Perhaps he's the illegitimate child of some high-ranking nobleman."
"Oh, so you do have an idea about where he's from, then?"
"Indeed. Several years ago I went to visit my cousin in the Fittoa Region. That cousin had attended the birthday ceremony for Lord Sauros' ten-year-old granddaughter."
"Oh, Lord Sauros' granddaughter... You mean the Boreas' redhaired monkey princess?"
"Yes, the one with the reputation for going to school and beating up other children her age. The one who neglected her studies so much she couldn't even greet people properly. That monkey princess."
"And what does that have to do with this?"
"Yes, well, according to my cousin's story, that monkey princess had changed quite a bit. She greeted people politely, behaved in a ladylike manner, and danced magnificently."
"Tm sure the rumors have just been embellished. Perhaps it's just that the monkey princess didn't behave as a monkey for once?"
"No, this was different. According to my cousin, when he greeted the liege lord, Sauros bragged to him about it."
"About what?"
"That the one who'd taught his granddaughter was a boy two years younger than her."
"Oh...the age does fit."
"The lord praised him so highly that my cousin began to suspect and even asked, 'Is this boy related to you?'"
"Oh my. 2)
"Of course the lord didn't say as much, but I heard he didn't strongly deny it, either."
"So that's the story. Could that impressive youth be the boy Ariel's claimed as her guardian?"
"It could be."
"So that's the reason why the boy has such etiquette despite being a commoner."
It was then that another noble suddenly thought aloud, "But is he truly that strong?"
According to Ariel, Fitz was agile enough to put the court's knights-in-training to shame. He was also well-versed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and held more intimate knowledge of magic than even the teachers at the University of Magic possessed.
Not to
mentioned he could use advanced-tier magic without any incantations, at only ten years of age!
"It must be a load of nonsense."
"Yet after what Princess Ariel has been through, it's hard to believe she would keep someone who wasn't strong at her side."
"Hmm, why don't we just see for ourselves? Peel off that boy's mask and see him for who he truly is..."
"T wouldn't advise that. If he really is that powerful, you'll only be causing trouble for yourself."
"True. Nevertheless, since he is a guardian, I'd at least like him to learn some of the traditions of the court."
"Agreed. I've had enough of him being a vulgar country bumpkin."
That was how the nobles criticized Fitz, maliciously gossiping about him as they watched, without any intention to act on their hostilities. Fortunately, that was exactly what Ariel expected them to do.
"Then shall we have Lord Tink's son enter the Knights' Guild?"
"Yes, he is skilled at arithmetic. Have him enter the guild and learn firsthand from the guild's accountant."
It was early afternoon. Ariel was meeting with Luke's father, Pilemon Notos Greyrat. Pilemon topped the list of Ariel's supporters. While he had poor judgment, he was a young man acting as the Liege Lord of the Milbotts Region. Every time something came up, he would pay her a visit to discuss the future.
Ariel currently didn't have many supporters. She wasn't an adult yet, and although she was popular with the general public, she didn't enjoy the same level of acclaim amongst the nobles. That was why they were presently laying groundwork with them.
The powerful, high-ranking nobles who backed the first or second prince wouldn't simply double-cross them to support Ariel. They had already established their positions within their factions.
That was why Pilemon suggested capturing the undecided voters. This meant winning over noblemen from the countryside who didn't involve themselves with the continent's political disputes, as well as middle- and lower-ranking nobles who didn't hold much power. Then Pilemon would use his power to appoint them as government officials, placing those who were exceptional in lower (albeit important) positions.
Theirs was a strategy for the future, for ten or twenty years from now. A decade from now, those who supported Ariel thanks to Pilemon's work would be in various key positions (even if they weren't at the top) and would provide great support for her.
"The Knights' Guild, the Magicians' Guild, the Imperial Guard, and the City Watch... For these, we've laid the groundwork for all the key positions."
"It's too early to say if the seeds we planted will bear fruit. It's possible someone will see through our plan and pull it out by the root."
First, they worked to suppress the military's strength and make it their own. In this era of peace, soldiers and knights weren't valued as highly as before. Their work consisted of eliminating monsters and thieves, at most. One could say they had no political power, which was why the other factions didn't try to get their support. Still, if something were to happen, the military would be the one to take action.
The Asura Kingdom hadn't seen a civil war in a long time. As long as there was no solid proof left behind, even assassination in the court was permissible. Consequently, the nobles had forgotten the power of the military. Ariel and Pilemon, on the other hand, worked first and foremost to obtain the military's support.
"It's vexing to have to take such roundabout measures like this."
"Indeed." Pilemon was the head of the Notos Greyrat family, but he was younger than the other Greyrats and didn't have much in the way of popularity or coin.
Ariel was similar. She was part of the royal family, so she could use money freely, but it was clear at a glance that a huge gap lay between her and the other candidates. Her only edge was her popularity with the people, and popularity was quick to fade. The other princes didn't do much to change the peoples' hearts. Popularity was too fickle to use as a linchpin.
But just who was it that she was fighting, and for what purpose? "But Your Highness, a solid and steady path is the quickest one."
"Yes, of course. I know that. Obtaining the crown requires one to take the winding road."
It was because Ariel had resolved to become the queen. She had begun down the path that would lead her to the throne.
While those in the court had their attention focused on Fitz, Ariel worked in the background to strengthen her ties with those influential nobles that supported her, quietly waging a political war of her own.
She donned the mantle of the terrified princess, frantically trying to protect herself. It was like an invisibility cloak that hid her lion's teeth as she moved forward. Just as her deceased former guardian Derek Redbat had wished of her.
(13 2)
Two people stood guard as Pilemon and Ariel worked on personnel affairs. Luke and Fitz watched quietly, not involving themselves in the conversation.
If a merchant or adventurer with a keen eye were to see the equipment the two wore, they would gasp in surprise. Both were completely decked out in magical items. Fitz and Luke each wore Boots of Swiftness that allowed them to run at twice the normal speed, a Flame Trapping Cloak that kept them at a constant body temperature without letting heat pass through it, and Gloves of Overpowering that reduced any impact to the palm of the wearer's hand by half. In addition, at Luke's waist was a Steel-Cutting Sword that could easily tear straight through a steel shield.
From weapons to armor, the equipment was perfect. Ariel had obtained them all after her previous incident. Only the wand that Fitz held was different. It was a small rod, the exact sort given to an apprentice who was just beginning to learn magic. This was neither a magic item nor a magical implement.
"Well then, Lord Pilemon, thank you for your time."
"Yes. And Princess Ariel, this could be the perfect opening for someone to discover what we are planning, so be sure not leave any gaps for them."
"Indeed."
As Luke and Fitz guarded them, Ariel and Pilemon concluded their meeting. They both looked satisfied as they cut across the room and headed for the door. In response, Luke matched Ariel's pace and fell in line directly behind her. Fitz was slightly slower, but followed Luke's example.
"Luke, make sure you protect her ladyship." "Ha ha."
Pilemon left his son with that message before he took his leave. As he watched his father go, Luke bowed as custom demanded.
"Phew...that took quite a bit of time. Let's eat, shall we?"
"Yes, Princess." Luke rang the bell to summon the servants. It chimed three times. When a lady-in-waiting appeared, he instructed her to prepare the food and then returned to his spot behind Ariel.
Fitz watched the entire interaction with great interest. "Is there some kind of a system with that bell? As in, do you ring a certain number of times to call for food?"
"Of course not. It's just a normal bell," Luke said with exasperation.
Fitz pushed his lips out in a pout and nodded. "Ah, okay. I guess that makes sense."
Lately Fitz asked Luke questions like that all the time, including ones about mealtime manners and greeting etiquette. Fitz himself had little more than vague knowledge of such things, which was why other nobles would laugh at his expense at every turn. Each time, he would flush with embarrassment and then ask Luke the proper etiquette so that he could nail it perfectly next time.
"Hee hee." Ariel giggled at their conversation. "Fitz, you've finally started getting used to court etiquette lately, haven't you?"
"Not at all. I have a long way to go." "Seeing how hard you're working would warm anyone's heart."
"Tm not so sure. The other nobles seem to hate me, at least." Fitz pursed his lips in another pout and turned to look at Luke. The latter just looked away as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
"The gossip of the rabble is nothing to concern yourself with. I like you," the princess said.
"...Thank you." Fitz didn't look particularly happy about it, but he bowed his head to Ariel. "On another note, Princess, have you found my family or my master yet?"
Ariel shook her head weakly. "No..."
Fitz had agreed to become Ariel's guardian with a few conditions of his own. The first of which was that she would forgive his crime of entering the palace without authorization. Fitz had appeared suddenly on the day of the Displacement Incident. Even though it wasn't of his own volition, he had entered the grounds without permission, which was a punishable offense according to the Asura Kingdom's laws. At Ariel's discretion, he was spared discipline, though that would surely have happened regardless, given that he did save her life in the process.
The other condition was that she search for the friends and family from whom he'd been separated. Given that the incident occurred in the Fittoa Region, the liege lord of that region (Boreas) should have overseen this duty. But the Boreas family had lost all their land and the people under their command along with it.
Those nobles who considered the Boreas family their enemies saw a perfect opportunity and eagerly launched their attack. It was all the family could do to try to preserve their position. They didn't have the luxury of searching for missing residents. They had organized something resembling a search party, more or less, but it was little more than for show. So Ariel used her pocket money to assemble a team and commanded them to search.
Incidentally, the high-ranking minister Darius, who supported the first prince, would later take the Boreas family under his protection and invest in a search party. A search party that would swell in size, but... Well, that's a story for another time.
With those two conditions attached, Fitz became Ariel's guardian and protector.
"I don't know the whereabouts of your family. As you know, they have been scattered throughout the world."
"Yes...I understand." Fitz's face fell, enough that anyone who saw would feel pity for him.
Ariel noticed and had a rare look of distress on her face. "Fitz...I apologize. Right now, I don't hold much power."
"No, I wouldn't have been able to do anything by myself, so I'm grateful for what you've done."
Ariel's expression turned pensive as she saw how bravely Fitz responded. Then she suddenly clapped her hands. "That's right! Fitz, come to my bedroom tonight."
"Huh?!" Her sudden proposal elicited an uncharacteristically loud squeak from Fitz.
"T heard that you've been having bad dreams lately, making a lot of noise in your sleep. If you sleep next to someone, that might alleviate the problem a bit, no?"
"B-but I'm just your bodyguard, a country bumpkin, and you're a princess... Luke, please say something!"
As the conversation suddenly turned to Luke, he flashed a prim and proper smile and said, "Why not accept her offer? Just think of it as a reward."
"A reward...?"
"Well, Pm sure it will stir some strange rumors, but you should be fine. You've endured their gossip thus far after all, right?"
Fitz had no allies here. Once he realized that, he heaved a sigh.
kik
As Ariel and Pilemon were conspiring with one another, somewhere else in the imperial palace, another conspiracy was taking shape.
"How do Ariel's recent movements look?"
Two men conversed in a room. One was a young man with soft blond hair, somewhere in his mid-twenties. In one hand he held a wine cup made of Begaritt glass, which contained fresh wine from the Milbotts Region.
The other man was a portly fellow who looked to be in his early fifties. A half-naked girl was seated on his lap, and his hand was stretched toward her bottom. "A bit suspicious, I'd say." His voice was cold and his eyes burned with lust as he watched the girl. She blushed and looked down as he rubbed her butt.
The younger man didn't seem to mind. He just enjoyed the taste of his wine, churning the liquid inside his glass. "That doesn't tell me anything."
"Tve gotten reports that she's inserted her own men into the Knights' Guild and the Imperial Guard."
"The Knights' Guild and the Imperial Guard? Damn that Ariel. Does she intend to perform a coup d'état?"
The older man slipped his hand into the girl's panties and shook his head. "Impossible. She's not that impatient. I'm sure she merely intends to increase her allies."
"But the Knights' Guild and the Imperial Guard don't hold any political influence."
"Aye, indeed. But there are many common folks among the Knights' Guild and the Imperial Guard. Those are the people easiest for Princess Ariel to work with. I'm sure that's only the beginning of her plans."
"Hm 2)
The older man continued, "Besides, it's not like she has her own private army."
The younger man started thinking. The Knights' Guild and the Imperial Guard had no political power. The Asura Kingdom undoubtedly had the greatest military strength of any nation, but half of their soldiers were common folk. Those at the top were nobles and followers of his, so replacing them wouldn't be easy.
Still, the guild and the guard would be the first to move if anything happened in the imperial capital. If the captains and commanding officers were all replaced with people who supported Ariel, then the soldiers and knights under their command would ally themselves with her as well, given that she was more popular. In that case, he couldn't rule out the possibility of a coup d'état.
"That was a bit of a blind spot for me. It seems my younger sister is quite intelligent." There was admiration in his voice as he spoke.
The fat man just snorted in laughter as he played with the girl's body. "That's absurd. It's just a desperate act, I'm sure."
A smile curved his lips as the girl's hushed moans began to grow.
"However, desperate as it may be, it's a good move. I thought that neophyte Notos lad to be nothing more than an underhanded rat, but it seems he has some foresight after all."
"What should we do?" the younger man asked.
The fat man removed his hand from the girl's body. He dipped his fingertip in a glass of wine and jammed his finger, dripping with purple liquid, into her mouth. The girl didn't try to stop him, but merely licked at it. "There's nothing to be done," he said. "I've watched them quietly this past year. If they're going to be Your Majesty's enemies, Prince Grabel, then naturally we must dispose of them."
"By what means?"
The fat man brought his finger, which the young girl had been licking, to his lips and swirled his tongue around it. "Instead of plucking the buds, let's get rid of the one sowing the seeds."
"All right, Darius. I leave it to you." "As you command, my prince."
The First Prince Grabel and the high-ranking Minister Darius resembled a couple of corrupt Edo period officials as they conspired in the seclusion of a private room. The only person who overheard their talk was the female slave resting atop Darius' lap. And that girl just happened to be...
kek...
It was late at night, a time for everyone to be resting in their beds, when Fitz arrived in Ariel's chambers. Steam was visibly rising from his face.
"Um, Princess Ariel, I'm here like you asked."
Before he came, Ariel's ladies-in-waiting had taken him to the bath, smeared his body in scented oils, and changed him into high quality nightwear woven from soft fabric.
"Glad you came. You can leave now," she said to her two ladies in-waiting. They each bowed before slipping out of the door. Fitz and Ariel were suddenly alone together in her dimly lit room.
"What's wrong? Come over here and take a seat beside me."
"O-okay." Fitz did as he was told, nervously sinking down beside the princess.
Ariel moved her body closer to his.
Fitz moved his body farther away. Then, slightly panicked, lifted his hand to stay her. "Uh, um...we're just sleeping together, right?"
"Yes, of course." "Um...uh...you say that, but you have a scary look in your eyes."
Ariel gradually sidled closer, and Fitz hurriedly put more distance between them.
"There's nothing scary about this. It's true, I do feel excited by the glossy look of your skin, but it's all right. I won't do anything. Now, lie down on the bed."
"No, it's scary. You're scaring me, Princess!" "There's nothing to be afraid of," Ariel cooed back.
"No, I'm saying... I'm, you know. You do know, right? That 'm actually—"
"I know," she said. "Of course I know."
At last she'd cornered Fitz on the very edge of the bed. Ariel put her hand on his shoulder and forced him against the mattress. "That's why I would like you to learn more about me as well."
Fitz snapped his eyes shut as if he were a virgin. It was too much for him, so he acquiesced, entrusting his body to her hand. After all, Fitz had no relatives to turn to, so he couldn't go against Ariel's wishes.
"That was a joke. I'll stop here," the princess said. She lifted herself away from him and plopped down beside him instead, lying on her back.
Surprised by this, Fitz turned his head and their eyes met. "Um..."
"I told you, didn't I? That we're just going to sleep together. Are you getting the wrong idea? You thought I would force myself on you?"
Fitz went bright red all the way to his ears. Ariel laughed when she saw it. "True, seeing the face you're making right now makes me want to do it, but today I really am just going to sleep beside you." She looked up and exhaled.
Fitz remained confused, unsure of what he should do. His body turned rigid.
For a while silence fell between them. The one who finally broke it was Ariel. "Me too," she said. "I've been dreaming, too."
"Dreaming?"
"Yes, about that day. About Derek being killed by that monster, and it turning on me to devour me next. That nightmare." Fitz looked at Ariel's face again. Her usual gentle smile was gone, leaving a blank, transparent expression. "I have that dream all the time. I struggle in my sleep and finally jolt awake once it's over. It's gone on for days now."
"For you too?" Fitz asked.
"Yes." Ariel nodded and squeezed his hand in hers. Her fingers were dainty and thin, so much so that they seemed like they could break at any moment. Yet the strength of her grip assured him that she was full of life. "Fitz, I can't understand your pain, but you weren't the only one who experienced pain that day. If you're having a hard time, you can lean on someone."
"Thank you..."
"That's why I didn't hesitate to lean on you. Perhaps if I sleep beside the person who saved me that day, then I won't have that nightmare anymore."
Those words were strangely relaxing to Fitz. It was as if she knew that he hadn't been able to relax since the Displacement Incident. She realized how he struggled to earn her approval, bluffing so she wouldn't think he was useless, working hard so she wouldn't dismiss him out of hand.
"I understand now..."
None of that was necessary. Ariel would surely have kept him at her side even if he couldn't use magic, because he was someone who could understand her pain.
"Princess Ariel?" "What is it?" "Tm going to do the best that I can as your guardian," he said.
"That's a good attitude to have. But for the time being, I hope you'll do so in my dreams." She chuckled.
As if encouraged by her laughter, Fitz felt a smile rise to his lips, too. It was his first since the incident one year ago.
"All right, then let's go to sleep." "Yes, Princess. Good night." Ariel kept her fingers around Fitz's hand as she closed her eyes.
Fitz also closed his eyes, anticipating the comfort of sleep. But then, just as he was about to let go of his consciousness, he realized something.
"Huh...?"
There was a presence in the room. Just a few moments ago the only ones he'd sensed were his own and Ariel's, but there was someone standing by the bed. A young girl. She was hovering by their bedside in scanty clothing that barely hid her nether regions, and in her hand she carried a large knife.
The girl moved the moment Fitz's eyes met hers. She threw herself at Ariel in an attempt to attack.
Fitz realized she was an assassin, but before he could scream anything, his body was already moving. In the same instant that he leaped to shield the princess' body, he held out both hands toward the girl and released his magic. "Air Burst!"
"Gah!" The magic, which had been cast without any incantations, hit the girl directly, throwing her away from where Ariel was laying.
"What's going on?!" the princess cried out.
"Princess! It's an assassin! Please get behind me! Luke, it's an enemy attack!" Fitz's voice echoed. The guardians' room was right beside the princess', so Luke should come quickly.
"Phew..."
The assassin stood up. Her eyes turned to Fitz and Ariel, flitting between the two of them before finally fixating on Fitz. It seemed she planned to finish off the bodyguard before she dealt with her target.
Finding himself on the receiving end of the intruder's gaze, Fitz lowered himself into a battle-ready stance. He was still dressed in his bedclothes without a single piece of his extravagant equipment on him, but it did not diminish his fighting spirit.
"..Hssh!" The assassin dashed forward, heading straight toward Fitz.
Fitz turned both palms outwards and unleashed his magic. "Hah!" There was no form to the mana that flowed from his hands. The sound of an explosion was accompanied by the canopy bed being blown away, leaving a hole in the wall.
This was an advanced-tier spell, Sonic Boom. There weren't many who could face an explosion like that and live. Yet the assassin was still alive. She'd made it seem as though she were rushing toward him before she leapt to the side. A feint. Whether intentional or coincidental, the assassin had effectively evaded Fitz's attack. Then she whipped her knife through the air. It flew straight toward Ariel.
Fitz instantly stretched his hand out in the air as if to try to catch it. Of course, catching a knife flying through the air was no easy feat. Luckily it caught the tips of his fingers, slicing through his skin and disrupting its trajectory.
Having failed in her execution technique, the assassin switched to defense, almost like a cat trying to maintain its distance.
cc 2) Ah...!
In seconds she was sent flying through the air by Fitz's second round of magic. The direct impact severed all four of the assassin's limbs, and she was left reeling through the air, falling out of the hole in the wall and into the dark of night.
"Hah...hah...."
The sudden switch from defense to offense left Fitz winded as he peered out the hole. It was a moonless night, so it was exceptionally dark out. He couldn't be sure what he saw below, but the assassin had taken that fall with her limbs severed. There was no way she was still alive.
"Phew..." The feeling that he'd killed someone hadn't sunk in yet.
"Oh...Princess Ariel, are you all right?" He hurried back into the room to confirm she was safe. Midway there, his legs turned into noodles. "H-huh?" The tips of his toes went numb and he collapsed on the spot, his body giving out from beneath him.
Poison...! It was already too late by the time he realized, and his whole body began to shake as his consciousness grew dim.
Detoxification magic..!
Fitz had been an ordinary magician, or if he hadn't been able to execute his spell without chanting, then he probably would have died instantly.
Even as his consciousness was consumed by darkness, he managed to cast the detoxification magic. Then he looked at his surroundings. Ariel was safe, and although he'd arrived late, Luke was there too.
"Luke, the assassin! Fitz defeated him, but he's been poisoned! Call the doctor immediately! And the Imperial Guard. I think the assassin's body fell down below."
"Understood!" Luke nodded and rushed down the stairs as he called for the guard.
Fitz watched, still feeling faint, and only lost consciousness once Luke was out of sight.
Thus, the attempted assassination of Ariel was over.
Fitz had been infected by the poison, but the cut on his finger was so small that only a little bit of it entered his system. Thanks to his quick response in using detoxification magic, he narrowly escaped with his life and there were no lingering effects from the poison.
When he returned to the palace, the nobles' impressions of Fitz had changed. It was because of the assassin he'd defeated that day. Her remains had fallen into the courtyard, where the guard found them. She was identified as a famous assassin who had been working in the Asura Kingdom for the past ten years, known as the Night's Eye Crow.
A number of nobles had fallen victim to her blade before. The fact that Fitz had defeated her demonstrated that his strength was genuine. Since he used voiceless casting and didn't usually speak much, he was dubbed "Silent Fitz", and recognized by all the nobles as being worthy of his position as Ariel's guardian.
With that, the matter was resolved and peace prospered around Ariel...or so it appeared. No story ever closed its curtains so easily. From that day on, more assassins appeared to claim Ariel's life, one attack after another.
Each one of them was dispatched by Fitz's capable hands, but they never stopped and no culprit was ever identified. The Knights' Guild conducted their investigations, but someone was putting pressure on them, leaving the cases unsolved.
Ariel was mentally cornered and rendered exhausted by the fact that, although she could be relatively certain who was sending these assassins, she could not bring their identity to light. As a result, Pilemon determined that it was too risky for her to remain and proposed a plan for her to leave the country under the guise of studying abroad. But that is a story for another day.
Guardian Fitz had lost those closest to him in the Displacement Incident, disrupting his entire life. Though it wasn't of his own volition, he found himself being dragged deep into the Asura Kingdom's bloody political battle.
However, there was one good thing. After the day of Ariel's attempted assassination, he stopped having nightmares—the ones where he was sent flying through the air, futilely struggling until he smashed against the ground. That, at least, might have been his one mercy.
There is still some time yet in our story before the fates of this young man and Rudeus Greyrat intertwine.
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