"I swear to god; I'm going to tear that skinny arm off if you don't let go of me right now!" Threatened Helena furiously.

She didn't scream as she did earlier, but her rage was evident in the shadows of her visage.

"Just in a bit. We're out anyway-"

I swear, I was just about to let go, but she wasn't that patient, apparently.

"O' mighty spirit of Fire that blessed and ravaged the world. Gives unto your child the Spear to defeat and purge my enemy..."

She used magic instead. It was a bit impressive for a kid like her to use one without a staff or mana crystal for help. And by the looks of it, I'd reckon she could stand toe-to-toe with some of the brigands I fought in the past.

"Helena!"

"Fifth Princess! Cease this atrocity at once!!"

Called Alyson and Howard in alarm simultaneously, seeing the sigils of Helena's spell materialize above her head. She, however, only had me in her vision. It was sharp and furious, but not the worse. I've seen worse...

Also, with the lack of reactions coming from my blessing of danger, Helena's magic looked cute at best.

That being said, it was not like I wanted to blow this out of proportion more than it already was. It would do everyone good if we could all sit tight and play nice with each other.

"Flame-" She was about to finish the spell, aiming toward where my feet were situated by the looks of it.

'Honestly, it's a bit much to go for the feet of someone who can't walk, isn't it? Disturb the flow there.'

So, I blew it away.

The thing with magic spoken with long-winded incantation was they simply take too long. I just have to mess with the docile-looking mana flow a bit, and voila! It was gone.

Helena was staring at me; her mouth gaped wide as though she had no reign over them.

'Um...what? What's with her?' I pondered inwardly.

"Did you...did you just do that?"

'What? Magic? Well, what a surprise, ain't it, young lady? Turns out you're not the only one who can dabble with the mysteries of the universe.'

Jokes aside, I didn't really get why the hell she was making such an intense reaction about it. I tried to be as lowkey as I could. Damn, it wasn't even some flashy stuff and just something I did to mess with her a bit.

I showed my magic to the family all the time, and they didn't say squat about it. Even the bandits had shared lots of intimate moments with my flashy-as-hell word magic, and we just fought like it was no big deal. Maybe she was someone who was easily impressed...

Frankly, this was not what I had in mind when I wanted to show her a magic trick, but if it did the job, then fuck it, I'mma go with the flow.

"Yeah...? I do. Why?" Answered me.

"Dispel? You actually can use a dispel? Without an incantation too!?"

For the first time, it was Helena who approached me. She seemed to forget everything that had happened between us earlier and showed us the genuine curiosity of a child I thought she never had.

"Alexander, it was magnificent! Where did you learn to do that?" Howard also joined in after.

'Where? At my bedroom...'

Then it hit me...I was self-taught in magic. I only showed my magic to my family, and the only outsiders who have seen them have been buried six feet under...

My point was that I severely lacked common sense regarding magic because I had no one to point it out to me...The family aside, it would've been nice if a certain maid to give a comment now and then...

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And she, Renata, my trusted partner, was currently bobbing her head up and down zealously to Howard's words, enjoying the admiration they threw at me. She was beyond great most of the time, but she was a lost cause at things like these.

Anyway, back to the point. It was great that Helena has finally shown a positive reaction toward me. The only problem was, thanks to her invocation, people from the ballroom had begun to turn their prying eyes more to us. And I didn't need unnecessary, more so if it was about my power.

So, I figured, the faster we move on from this, the better.

'Hm...What do I say...?'

"Show me how you do it." Said Helena.

'No...there's too much yes already...'

"Uh, I'm tired, Helena. Maybe later when I'm feeling a bit better?"

"Heh, what a load of crap." She scoffed at my reply, glaring coldly before she resorted to madness yet again.

'Oh, shit!'

I was still using the mana eyes, so the movement of her mana was still visible in my eyes. Helena was about to use magic once again.

'And to think it is her docile brother that turns mental later. This little bitch clearly has been mental from birth!' I complained inwardly.

"Helena Demeria Boreas!" A high-pitched voice whipped the air. Alyson was looking at the crazy princess furiously.

'Oh, yeah. If we're talking about scary women, then the family didn't lack any...'

"I, have warned you once already. Don't take my generosity as the host as a sign for you to walk over my head. Remember, Fifth Princess. You are standing inside the house of the Lion in the North. And you are far away from home."

"Tch! Are you threatening me?" Helena's focus broke, and the mana scattered among the turbid wind. She peered back at Alyson, smiling bemusedly.

"Threatening you? Oh, no, my dear Princess." Giggled Alyson playfully.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Threatening you will be like this, you little brat. You dare try to mess with my brother again; then I'll gouge your eyes out myself." And that sweet and refreshing smile on Alyson's face had turned cold and cruel at the drop of a hat.

'Woah there!' Things got hot really fast, fellas.

"Hoho~ Gouge my eyes out? Did she just say that, Howard? This weak-looking bitch thinks she's all that!" Growled Helena, marching her way forward at Alyson with madness burning wild in the depths of her eyes.

Howard was sweating bullets as he watched the two. I feel him...

"Why? Are you curious whether I can do it or not?" Smirked Alyson, raising her chin up.

"Try it. See what happens then." Barked Helen, taunting Alyson, who was now within her arm's reach.

"Okay, that is it!" I had to break it. Neither were backing down, and I wouldn't have that.

"Helena, I can show you that dispel or whatever, but I have two conditions."

"...What is it?" She replied as she reluctantly stepped away from Alyson.

"First, I want us to be friends."

"That crap again!? Aren't you tired of it?" She grumbled in annoyance.

"Yes, it's that crap again. I want us to be friends, and there's no other way around it if you want to see that dispel or whatever again. I'll even show you something more interesting than that. Are you up for it?"

"Damn it! Fine! But it is only because you are being such a sore loser and not because I want to, okay!?"

'...What? Ah to hell with it. You do you, Helena. As long as I can move forward with the plan, all will be good...'

"Um, yeah, sure..."

"Ugh, damn it! What's the second one, be quick about it." She groaned unpleasantly, seemingly frustrated at my lackluster response.

"The second one is simple. If you want to see me doing magic, then you two can visit me. We can play in my room and I can show it to you there."

"Me too? Why?" Queried Howard unwillingly when his name was suddenly brought up.

"You're a set, aren't you? Helena and Howard. If I'm friends with her, then, of course, I am friends with you. And if she's coming to visit me, of course, you'll be there with her."

"What are you even talking about-"

"He's right." Helena cut him off, the poor boy. "The second one sounds easy enough. I'll bring Howard with me later to visit you before we go back home."

"But we have to go back home tomorrow, Helena." Interject Howard.

"Then we can postpone it. Don't you remember what you said to me? It'll be good for me to have a friend. Now suddenly, you don't think that's a good idea anymore?"

Howard could only wince helplessly, unable to refute back.

"...Fine...I'll tell the guards to postpone our return and send a word back to the royal palace."

"...You'd better keep your promise, Dawson. If you mess with me and give some lame excuse instead of what I want to see, it won't be pretty."

She left after delivering her piece. Her playful grin appeared all the more distasteful, considering she was basically threatening me. But it is what it is. I got what I wanted, and that was all that mattered.

It was finally over...

"No. I don't like that one. Find another friend, Alex." Alyson's salty voice soon came from the side.

Well, as soon as I clear this last hurdle, then it would really be over.