Walking through the campus after my quick lunch run I found myself feeling a bit tired today. I had a particularly challenging workout this morning with Sylvia that required us to wake up a bit earlier than even I was used to. Combine that with the severe fatigue brought on by the intense workout, and even someone as in shape as me can be a bit tired. It was bad enough that Sylvia canceled our afternoon workout before it began, not that I blame her… I would have done it if she didn’t.

And I’m absolutely starving. I went straight from class to the cafeteria to get some extra food before going to the library, and I still want more to eat.

My stomach let out a low growl, and I could hear somebody's laughter. I turned my head quickly, and Varnir took a step back like I was the one who had surprised him. “I…uh…. sorry,” he apologized meekly.

“It’s fine,” I responded, more coldly than I had wanted.

Varnir winced and let out an awkward chuckle while wrapping his long hair around his fingers. “Ah… yeah…”

Now I’m the one that’s sorry…

“I apologize. I didn’t mean for my words to come out so negatively. It’s not a big deal. Poking fun at me like this hardly bothers me or affects my opinion of you,” I told him.

Varnir just blinked at me a few times and slowly nodded his head at my words. Maybe that was a little too much formality… the two of us are friends… I hope so.

I motioned for Varnir to walk alongside me, and he obliged. The campus was beautiful during late spring. The weather was just right. Birds were flying between their nests in the purple trees, and the sounds of students walking outside created an atmosphere of tranquility.

Mmmm… yes… this is nice.

“Anyways, how’s your head? It’s been a few weeks, so you should be doing much better, yes?” I asked, trying to make some small talk.

Varnir scratched the top of his head, and his awkward smile turned into a more friendly one. “Yeah, I’m doing a lot better, nothing a bit of light magic couldn’t fix. Honestly, hitting the ground hurt more than the stupid ball.”

“I suppose that’s my fault as well…”

Varnir just smiled at me and let out a small laugh. “Relax Voker, it was just a game. Besides, that’s not what’s important right now… are you ready for the Founding Festival? It’s only like a month away… I’m ready for a break…”

“I can’t say if I am or not. I don’t really know anything about it, if I’m being honest. I know there is a huge parade… a festival at the end of the month… that’s it, really,” I said with a slight shrug. “And didn’t we just come off from break? It’s only been two and half months since school started and you are planning for a break that’s still another month away?”

“Yeah, two and half months is too long without a break! But that’s the gist of it. It’s just one huge party for the entire city that lasts a week. But lucky us, our class gets two weeks off,” Varnir said with a wink.

I just nodded along with his enthusiasm. “Two weeks? Why’s that?” I asked curiously.

Professor Garrison has yet to explain the Founding Festival to us as it's still a whole month away. But two weeks off when school just started? I suppose it makes sense… people tend to need frequent breaks. Maybe I’m just the weird one… a break wouldn’t be so bad.

Varnir let out a satisfied sigh and looked up into the sky with his eyes closed. “Because Class Onward is a part of the parade so we get a few days to prepare. But it will only take us like… two days tops to get stuff done. It’s just a rehearsal so we can use the extra time to do whaaaatever we want. It’s gonna be great.”

“I’m sure it is. And what exactly will you be doing during this break?” I asked.

“Well… uh… some stuff at home I’ve been meaning to try but that doesn’t matter right now,” Varnir said quickly with a wave of his hand. “Say… Voker… what do you usually do after class? Do you even take any classes besides Onward?”

“No, I don’t. I’ve thought about picking up a class, but nothing has particularly struck my interest. I typically just go to the library for a few hours and then train again in the evening with Sylvia. How about you? I don’t normally see you around this time, so I assume you are taking extra classes?”

“I do, I have a magic combat theory class right after ours, but it was canceled today. And well… after that, I have a few more, but it’s nothing special,” Varnir said awkwardly.

Oh? Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Varnir use magic… not during his duel or class.

“Can I ask why you are taking a magic class? You don’t strike me as the mage type,” I said, trying not to offend the young man. I imagine an Elf not being able to use magic was a sore topic, and judging by his slight wince… it appears I was right.

“If I can’t use magic, I would rather know how it works so I can beat it, you know? At least I think that makes sense…” Varnir said despondently.

“It does. It’s a good idea that I’m sure most people wouldn’t even consider let alone attempt to implement. Unfortunately, people tend to ignore things they aren’t good at, myself included,” I said honestly.

Varnir raised an eyebrow at me, but his sad smile didn’t fade. “You probably think I’m some failure since I can’t use magic… most Elves hear I can’t use magic, and the first thing they say is, ‘Aren’t you a Half-Blood? What kind of Elf can’t use even a little bit of magic?’ or something like that…”

I shook my head at Varnir. “It’s true Elves are the most magically gifted of all the races. We tend to be able to use at the very least one school of magic even if they can’t climb very high in the rankings. But that’s hardly an indicator of failure, Varnir. If anything, I believe you are doing just fine for someone who has no magical capabilities. And you are working around your weaknesses. That’s what your shield is for, right?”

Varnir’s eyes went wide with surprise. “How… how did you know that?”

I shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious. If I couldn’t use magic and I saw that shield, I would have wanted it instantly. You can send those wooden vines out from your shield at will, making for a great anti-magic system. I’m not sure how often you can use that ability on your shield, but even if you could block three spells with it, that’s plenty of time to close in on a mage.”

Varnir just started laughing, and I looked over at him in confusion, not that he could see my face. “Did I say something funny?” I asked.

“No…no… I should have expected you to be like this. You are just so blunt and straightforward. Tell me, Voker… is there anyone you actually hate?” Varnir asked me.

“Yes.”

Varnir raised his eyebrows in surprise at my sudden response. “I’ve never once seen you be petty or even antagonistic towards someone. So if that’s the case, that person probably deserves your wrath.”

Oh, they deserve every bit.

I guided Varnir towards the library, and once we arrived, I waved towards it. “Care to join me for a bit? Unless you have those other classes you were speaking about?”

“I’ve got an hour or so before I have to go to my cooking class, so I can spare some time,” Varnir said.

“Your cooking class?” I asked, surprised.

Varnir’s ears turned bright red as he quickly walked into the library. “What, I just like cooking? It’s fun! And the food you make tastes better, right?”

Now it was my turn to be confused. “I never said anything… I was just surprised that you enjoyed cooking, is all. I, for one, can’t cook to save my life. Literally.”

Vanir scratched his head and let out an awkward chuckle. “Ah… sorry… you’re right. I just got through saying how you don’t treat people this way. But come on, anyone can learn to cook, Voker,” Varnir assured me.

“Learning isn’t the problem. You see, I am cursed. I can not cook food that doesn’t taste like death,” I told him. The friendly old Dwarven librarian gave me a kind smile and waved at me. “Good afternoon, Ma’am.”

“Good morning, Mr. Winterheart,” she greeted me.

Varnir gave a small wave which she returned with a nod. “Hey… the librarian knows your name? And a curse? What are you talking about?” he whispered.

I nodded along with his words. “Indeed. She is a very kind lady who helped me understand the library’s system. But I couldn’t tell you because I don’t know myself. I just can’t seem to cook.”

Varnir gave me a confused look. “Libraries have systems? What…” Varnir just shrugged. “And if you say so… if you ever want to learn to cook you can ask me.”

“Thank you for the offer. But Varnir… yes libraries have systems. Please tell me you are going to the library? At least for some of your classes…”

“Well… yeah, you know how it is. I’ve been here… once… during the guided tour and all that…” he said awkwardly. “Hey…Voker… why are you looking at me like that?”

I quickly turned away from him as we rounded the stairs to the library's second floor. “Looking at you like what? You can’t even see my face.”

“I can just feel your disappointed gaze…” Varnir said weakly.

“Yeah. I’m sure you can.”

“Voker, please I—”

“Shhhh!”

Varnir was cut off by a teacher who just happened to be at the top of the stairs. The Beastmen woman glared at Varnir and silenced him. I could hear his muffled apologies mixed under his curses about being quiet in the stupid library.

I let out a small chuckle as Varnir’s droopy Dark Elf ears burned pink and pressed against his head. “We are almost there.” Varnir let out an unintelligible grumble as he scanned the building.

“Why do you sit all the way back here?” he whispered.

“You don’t have to whisper. Just don’t talk loudly,” I told him. “And it just sort of happened this way.”

Varnir seemed unconvinced, but he took a chair beside me and sat down with a defeated sigh. I could tell the Dark Elf was out of his element. The poor guy looked like he wanted to crawl out of his skin.

If it bothered him that much, he could have just told me no…

I looked up into the empty space in front of me. “Good evening.”

Varnir scooted back in his chair and looked at me like I was insane. If someone wasn’t aware of this specific seat, then it would indeed appear that I was talking to empty air. But I knew better. She was always here.

“H—Hi…” a small voice squeaked.

Tsarra didn’t even bother removing her illusion as Varnir just looked at the empty space in front of him. His ears twitched, and the look of pure confusion on his face probably mimicked mine. He looked over at me, his eyes begging for confirmation that he really had heard a voice. I just shrugged.

Tsarra had her reasons. I wasn’t going to force her to talk or show herself to Varnir if she didn’t want to. The two of us have an interesting relationship. I’ve been coming to the library for at least two hours a day for over a month, yet we barely spoke to each other.

Typically we greet each other, Tsarra drops her illusion, and that’s the end of the conversation. Occasionally Tsarra will recommend a book, but that’s not all that often. Honestly, I quite enjoy our arrangement, and it appears that she does as well.

Maybe inviting Varnir here was a mistake. He is the type of person who likes to fill the silence with conversation. Something Tsarra very clearly doesn’t like.

Oops.

Varnir just kept staring at the empty space, and his eyes went wide as the air shimmered for a moment, revealing a red faced Tsarra, who was hiding behind a book with only her pale yellow eye peering over it.

“P—p…Princess?” Varnir stammered out.

“Princess?” I asked, confused.

Tsarra just nodded her head. “V…Varnir…” she mumbled.

Wait, slow down for a second. What is going on?

Varnir was pink all the way to the tips of his ears as he stared into the table in front of him. I could see his eyes dart around as he tried counting the grain. Tsarra was much the same as her entire face was covered by the book with only her red High Elf ears poking out from her ruby red hair.

“Uh… do you two know each other? And what is this princess business about? Are you… a princess Tsarra?” I asked.

Both of them just nodded their heads furiously at my questions. “Di…did… you not know, Voker?” Tsarra asked me.

“No… I wasn’t aware. Does that mean you are from Tel’an’duth?”

“Yes… although I’m not really a princess anymore, but I sort of am, and you know and…yeah…” she mumbled from behind her book.

I just gave Tsarra a sad look that she couldn’t see. The poor girl looked like she was about to boil over for some reason. But I wasn’t just going to let this information go. “I’m afraid I don’t follow… are you a princess or not?”

“I am a princess to the last Emperor and Empress of Tel’an’duth… but my niece took the throne so… I’m a princess, but not really?” Tsarra said, sounding unsure of her own words.

“That just sounds confusing… I’ll just take your word,” I said with a slight shrug.

I suppose that’s what happens with Elven royalty. When your rulers can live for hundreds of years, even Elves can have multiple bloodlines. Also, having all those children and suddenly stripping them of their royal titles would be a mistake. You can just marry off the fourteenth princess to another nation just for that extra bit of power and connection without giving anything away. After all, why grant land and titles to twenty bloodlines when you can just get rid of them. Tsarra is probably here in that same vein… a disposable piece.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

However, I remember that many Tel’an’duth’s royalty were assassinated during the war by Brax. So… Tsarra’s side of the family must have been part of the survivors then?

I checked on Varnir, and it still seemed like he was struggling with… whatever was wrong with him. He glanced at me but returned to his grain counting. I let out a small sigh and was about to flip open my book when I noticed Tsarra was reading an unusual-looking journal.

It appeared to be falling apart and was in serious need of rebinding. The leather on the front was worn to the point that it was black and brown and any text that used to be on the cover was long gone.

“What are you reading today, Tsarra?” I asked her.

And just like that, her embarrassment faded away like it wasn’t even there. She gave me a serious look and stood up from her chair. Tsarra wasn’t very talkative, but there was one thing she didn’t seem to mind speaking about and that was books. She was a voracious consumer of all literature in any shape or form.

I’ve seen her read everything from manuscripts to botany journals, to romance novels, and everything in between. Finally, she stopped short of my chair and gave me a suspicious look. “Do you even read the books I recommend to you, Voker?” she asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

“I do, actually. Every book you’ve recommended to me, I’ve read. Even that Holy Kingdom fantasy novel you first recommended to me,” I said honestly.

She gave me a surprised look that I had never seen on her face before. I was apprehensive at first, but I understood why Tsarra recommended me the books that she did. Even the fantasy novel had a deeper meaning behind it.

On the surface, it was just a simple story of a Paladin saving a princess in a tower from the evil Vampire Lord. Apparently, it was a common children’s story in the Holy Kingdom and was widely popular. It wasn’t hard to see why, as it perfectly aligned with the kingdom’s beliefs and their intense xenophobia towards Vampires. It was an excellent way to see how the people of the Arotal saw the Vampires.

And let’s just say the Vampire Lord wasn’t a very good person in that story.

“Thank you…” Tsarra mumbled. “Here… read this. It’s a copied journal from a high-ranking clergy member that was a part of the failed crusade on Syn’nari. You might like it…”

Tsarra gingerly handed me the book. “No…. thank you, Tsarra. I was looking for a book just like this… how did you find it?”

Tsarra blushed slightly. “It’s part of my personal collection. I bought it from someone at my favorite cafe. You can borrow it for a while. Just make sure to give it back… and take good care of it….please.”

“Of course, I promise I will,” I told her.

I immediately opened the book, and despite the front being beaten up, the pages inside were in pristine condition. I was greeted by a map of Amoth, the other continent. I’d seen a few maps of the continent, but I’d never bothered to give it a solid check as I pretty much knew the general layout.

Let’s see…

In the center of Amoth is the giant Magical Forest that the Republic of Elshara claims. It’s a majority Wood Elf nation with a sizable Beastmen population that seems to be doing its own thing. At one point in its history, the country was at war with The Holy Kingdom of Arotal to the south, but that was said to be due to Talgan’s influence on the nation. The north is now just referred to as the Vampire Lands.

The Vampire Lands is an area made up of a bunch of small kingdoms, dutchies, and dukedoms that were formed after the fracture and destruction of the old Empire of Nul which Talgan ruled. Now the area is just a warzone. Small governments are vying for power, remnants of Vampire bloodlines attempting to lay claim to the region. Mercenaries and bandits run wild, and if Anna’s words are to be believed, Vampires run night raids looking for slaves and fresh blood. It’s just a cesspool of war and debauchery.

There is probably some truth to Anna’s words, at the very least.

The north isn’t just filled with Vampires, either. Anna mentioned to me once that there were other factions of Humans and High Elves vying for a piece of the north. How much of a population they had, I couldn’t be sure.

Leaving the north and heading east, there were The Mists. An island nation that is split off from the main landmass on the eastern side of Amoth, which is completely covered in a magical fog. An ancient dungeon named the Dragon’s Rest is spewing the mist out from the island's center.

Nobody has ever been able to clear the dungeon, and its true depths are unknown. It’s gotten to the point where the dungeon has become a part of the national identity, and nobody even bothers attempting to defeat the dungeon and destroy its core.

Much like the north, the east is split into minor dynasties. From what I’ve read here in the library and learned in class, no single ruler has ever managed to unite the island. The Mists aren’t in a perpetual state of war like the Vampire Lands, but conflict is common among smaller countries.

Bouncing over to the west there is The Dunes, a region spanning the entirety of The Great Desert of Akar. Reading books on that place is very interesting as there is no form of a ruling body, nobility, or any real essence of an organized nation. It’s very similar to the Dark Elves in The Barrens, an area consisting primarily of small tribes and clans.

Of course, the reason for this lack of development lies within the region itself. Building a nation in a desert is difficult, although not impossible. Humans have thrived in just about every condition throughout the history of both realities I’ve been in. The Dragonkin who call the mountains of the Great Desert home are also in their natural element. The reason for The Dunes being so hostile is the number of monsters and dungeons present inside the desert.

The Dunes has one of the highest concentrations of roaming monsters out of all the nations. Monsters tend to dwell deep in forests and in the mountains. As the monster population grows weaker, monsters get pushed toward civilization which causes conflict.

But in the desert, powerful monsters are everywhere, and the people have adapted by forming small warbands and clans to combat them. The increase in dungeon activity in The Dunes also makes life difficult, not to mention that It’s hard to form a kingdom when dungeons are sprouting in more significant numbers, and monsters are spewing out of them. It’s much easier just to pick up and leave.

Those who live in The Dunes tend to live a nomadic lifestyle, for the most part, only ever settling around the oases that dot the landscape. The far west coast is also home to a large population of people, but that’s about it. Someone traveling through can expect most of the people to be roaming around the desert, killing monsters and clearing dungeons for loot.

It sounds like an awful way to live.

In the southwest is the United Tribes of Khiz, a nation made up of Beastmen tribes. I’m afraid I don’t know much about this place as my history lessons have been relatively scarce. Khiz is an isolationist nation. It’s a frigid, freezing cold hellhole, and some chief or king managed to conquer all the tribes in the region and unite them under one banner. They mostly just trade with the Holy Kingdom and Elshara during the spring and summer but outside of that… I can’t say for sure.

Perhaps I should ask Veme or Bella about it the next time I see them.

I ran my finger across a black scorch mark on the map. It looked like somebody had burned a long streak across the western portion of the Magical Forest, The Dunes, and a small chunk of the Vampire Lands. But this wasn’t a mistake or a burn mark. Instead, it was an area known as The Scar. This place, according to the legend of Talgan, was created when he fought The Six and the Holy Kingdom and completely devastated them.

The damage was bad enough that it cursed the land, never to recover. No water, animals, or any signs of life can be found there, and any attempts to investigate the center have failed. The Scar isn’t dormant, though. Powerful monsters called Wounds spawn from the center and make their way toward civilization. Their descriptions vary, but they all have one thing in common, they are all black in appearance, just like The Scar they spawned from.

I wonder… could it have been a Vampire Blood Sorcery ritual? If there is something that could take out an adult Wyrm… then an army isn’t out of the question.

Wounds tend to be relatively strong, but since Elshara is the closest nation, they often deal with the abominations. They have a dedicated force just to kill any of the Wounds that wander into their forest. And very rarely a Wound will come forth that is exceptionally strong.

This is one of the only times the continent bands together to fight something. Typically a task force from the Holy Kingdom, Elshara, The Dunes, and even The Vampire lands is formed to take down the Wounds.

If the Vampires find them to be that big of a threat, then they must be monstrous indeed. Well, that’s enough world history for today. Let’s…oh…my…

The following page was a black and white hand-drawn portrait. I stared at it for a long time as my heart sank. I wasn’t sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me, but the odd feeling in the back of my mind and in my gut told me what I saw to be true.

It was a black and white drawing of a man wearing a set of full plate armor sitting in a high-backed chair. His oversized longsword was placed in front of him as he held the pommel made of some crystal with both hands. The blade itself was expertly drawn and depicted what could only be described as a holy blade. It was difficult to discern the scale entirely, but it appeared that hand-sized gems which looked to be dungeon core shards were set into the flat of the blade.

But that wasn’t what had my heart in a knot. I looked at the facial structure… the shape of the eyes…this person… looks like Grandpa… albeit sixty years younger…but…maybe it’s not him?

“Tsarra?” I called out to her, and she jumped slightly in her chair. I had tuned both her and Varnir out and almost forgot the two were here.

“Y—yes?” she asked nervously.

“I didn’t mean to scare you… sorry. I had a question about this man… the inscriptions underneath are marked out for some reason. Who… is this person?”

Tsarra’s heterochromatic eyes lit up, and I could already see her brain moving faster than her mouth. “That’s one of the three Exarchs and the one that led the crusade on Syn’nari! His name was Rorken Bloodfallen, and he perished in the first wave of the attack. His Holy Artifact, Hubris, was also lost! Very interesting indeed…I uh… sorry.”

It seems she got a little over-excited there. But Rorken Bloodfallen? I mean if it was Grandpa, that’s the furthest thing from Jacobs possible. And an Exarch? Grandpa? There is no wa—but… he could be. Grandpa is at least a Master level light mage… he is definitely powerful even in old age, and I’ve felt his bloodlust before.

Could he be… my heart is telling me he is… what happened to you, Grandpa?

I cleared my throat and decided to file it away for future me to handle, I would have to ask him when we meet again. “Tsarra, you said Holy Artifact and not a sword? Why is that?”

“Well, that’s because the Holy Kingdom has multiple things they call Holy Artifacts. Each of the three Exarchs and the High Exarch has one. I’ve even heard that the Pontifex and some really high-ranking bishops might have Holy Artifacts. I think there is a shield… a spear…a bow…and there was the sword, but that’s all I know. I’ve been trying to find out more, but the Holy Kingdom is really stingy with that information…” Tsarra grumbled out the last part and was even pouting a bit.

Sort of reminds me of Bowen.

“Tsarra… I haven’t heard you talk so much in years…” Varnir said, slack-jawed. He was just staring at Tsarra like she was some kind of alien.

Tsarra immediately hid herself in an illusion and just started babbling random words that didn’t make any sense. Varnir looked like somebody had stabbed him in the heart, and I let out a muffled chuckle as I watched Tsarra’s hand snaked out from the illusion and started fumbling about. Finally, her nails hit something with a small ting sound and I could hear something drag across the table and into her illusion.

Maybe she is an alien…

“Ww…wait, Voker. I—I… uh… have something for you and wasn’t expecting both of you…I uh… one second, please,” Tsarra was so distraught it sounded like she was about to start crying.

Her illusion faded away, and at the center of the table, the air shimmered once more, and a white plate stacked high with little yellow squares appeared from thin air. They sort of looked like little cookies… this is… highly unusual.

Tsarra began frantically splitting the cookies, fumbling about and looking around nervously for something to put the other half on. I just took an extra plate out from my storage ring and slid it across the table to her. She didn’t even seem fazed that I had an extra plate, but she slid half the cookies off and pushed it towards Varnir.

“Here…Vu—v—Varnir…have some…please…” she said quickly.

Varnir hesitated for a second, but he accepted the plate and took a small nibble out of the cookie. It was indeed a funny sight watching Varnir trying to be formal while being so flustered in front of Tsarra. However, the formality didn’t last long as he finished off the cookie with another bite.

“This was… very good… maybe a bit too much sugar,” Varnir commented with a surprised yet satisfied smile.

Tsarra smiled brightly at his words which made Varnir choke on his next bite as he went pink in the face. “I… tried to follow the recipe, but you know it was sort of hard, and I’ve never really done it before, so it…yeah…”

Varnir pounded his fist against his chest and looked at me with pleading, watery eyes. I just chuckled at him and took out a waterskin from my ring, which he snatched from my hands and downed in seconds. But what is with these two? There is clearly a history between them…

I felt Tsarra’s gaze bore into me as she looked at me expectantly. I slowly reached out for my plate of cookies, and she gave me a faint smile. “I will eat these on my own time. Thank you, Tsarra. Anyways why—”

The second my finger grabbed the plate, Tsarra lurched forward in her seat. “I—I… I need a favor, please. I need your help. Both of you…please… if you want to help me, that is. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just don’t know who else to go to, and the school guards didn’t—” Tsarra was speaking so fast that I thought her lips were going to fall off.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, interrupting her.

“Of course. I’ll help you with anything,” Varnir offered.

Tsarra seemed nervous to even speak about it but sat back in her chair slowly and straightened her uniform. “I… I have a stalker… I need help dealing with them,” Tsarra squeaked while rubbing the red lace choker around her neck.

A stalker? Who the hell is stalking her? Who can even see her most of the time?

Tsarra’s Illusion magic is a league above anything I’ve seen. The young High Elf managed to stay completely invisible to me both audibly and visually despite being in arm’s reach of me. She sat directly behind me in class for weeks before I even knew she existed. Tsarra’s presence was non-existent. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she wasn’t even alive.

Even Beastmen’s natural stealth capabilities pale in comparison to her. At the very least, I can hear a Beastmen once they get close. So who the hell is managing to stalk her? I mean if it’s….a Beastmen…huh…

"Don’t you have guards? Or anyone from Tel’an’duth you can ask?” I asked.

She gave me a sad smile that I hadn’t seen on her before. “I..don’t have anyone…really. That’s why… I figured maybe you could help me?” she looked up at me with pleading eyes, but she waved her hands quickly. “If I asked, I thought it would be best if I gave you something, but I didn’t want to give you money or anything because that’s really weird, so I just sort of figured that maybe snacks were a good idea, so I made those and—”

“You can relax, Tsarra. I never said I wouldn’t help you. I just want you to know that I won’t do anything illegal for you. Or anything that could get me in trouble, understand?” I told her.

Or maybe I should just let the authorities handle this…

Tsarra nodded her head profusely and was looking at me with watery eyes. “Yes, yes, of course I would never ask you to do something like that. I just want them to stop following me…and I want to know why…”

Ah… I should help her… Tsarra is a friend.

“Are they here now?” Varnir asked. It appears Varnir’s early embarrassment had vanished as he gave Tsarra a determined look.

“No… they don’t come inside buildings with me. I only ever notice them when I’m outside or when I leave campus. I haven’t left in months, and I really want to visit my favorite shop so…” Tsarra stopped her rambling and just apologized with a mumble.

“It’s fine. So they are probably a student then. Have you ever seen them?” I asked her.

Tsarra shook her head. “No…I’m sorry I’ve never seen them… they are very good at hiding but… I swear I know they are there! I know it…. you, believe me… right?”

So she has told someone. She mentioned the school guards but it sounds like they ignored her probably because she didn’t know who her stalker was. Just wait till Bowen catches wind of this…

“Of course we do. Right, Voker?” Varnir asked while looking at me.

“Indeed.”

If Tsarra is noticing somebody who is following her, it’s undoubtedly true. This princess is either trained in stealth or lived a surprisingly difficult life that required her to fade into the background.

And I have a terrible feeling it may be the latter.

“If they only follow you outside, that leaves us with few options. However, they might not be waiting for you right now, so the best bet is to do this tomorrow. Directly after class, I want you to leave the school grounds and head straight for the upper district markets. Varnir and I will track you from the shadows,” I said.

“What? You want her to be bait? Doesn’t this… defeat the purpose of helping her?” Varnir asked.

“Not at all. The stalker is stalking her, not you or I. If Tsarra is having difficulty locating her stalker, that means they have some skill. We need her to lure them out, and they are unlikely to show themselves if we are with her. Besides, causing a commotion on campus is also something I would like to avoid,” I explained.

“But what makes you think the stalker will show themselves after all this time?” Varnir pointed out.

“Nothing, really. There is no guarantee they will, even if given a chance to corner Tsarra. But I imagine Tsarra has been making life difficult for her stalker, and we are about to make it a lot easier,” I reasoned.

Varnir didn’t seem convinced as he gave me a conflicted look. He opened his mouth and closed it, unsure what to say.

“I’ll do it,” Tsarra interrupted. “If you think this is for the best, then I will do it.”

“There you have it. Then just follow these instructions.”