It was worth a try. "Squeaky," Niles called, "can you find Aurelia?"

The bird perked up, spreading its shimmering wings with determination, as if ready to take on its first official mission. For a moment, hope sparked in Niles’s chest. But just as quickly, Squeky slumped its feathered shoulders, letting out a sheepish chirp and mimicking a shrug that seemed to say, “I have no idea.”

Niles sighed, the moment deflating into shared disappointment. “Well, I guess it was a long shot.”

As Niles, Xander, and Squeaky continued walking down the castle's grand hallways, inspiration struck. “Alright, let’s try something simpler. Fly to Roy and tell him he’s got something stuck between his teeth.”

Squeaky saluted with a dramatic wing flourish, a soldier receiving its orders, then leapt into flight, heading back toward the room they had come from. Niles chuckled softly.

“Does he?” Xander leaned in, his tone curious.

“No,” Niles snorted, his grin widening into a mischievous smirk. “I just wanted to mess with him.” He erupted into a laugh, the kind that carried a trace of villainy, though harmless.

Xander smirked in return. “Not bad, I’ll give you that one.”

The two strolled side by side, their footsteps echoing across the castle courtyard. The atmosphere was tense, the area heavily guarded by Xargian elites. Yesterday’s ball had ended in bloodshed, with unwelcome guests attacking Xandria’s nobility and royalty alike. Workers moved with purpose, clearing debris from the ruined walls—collateral damage from Roy’s explosive cannon.

Walking next to the crown prince had its perks. Guards stepped aside to let them pass, offering respectful nods. Niles noticed Xander’s calm demeanor but couldn’t shake his curiosity about how the previous night's events would reshape the political landscape. He wrestled with how to phrase the question.

Before he could decide, Squeky returned, gliding gracefully through the air to land on Niles’s shoulder. The bond activated immediately, and Roy’s voice echoed in Niles’s mind, like a private recording: “You bastard! You tricked me! Now Xhiva and Gustavus won’t stop laughing at me!”

“Whoa,” Niles muttered, grinning. “That’s pretty cool.”

Squeaky puffed up with pride, the picture of a successful courier.

Niles turned serious, his voice louder now so Xander could hear. “Alright, Squeaky, fly back to the room and keep an eye on Felix. If trouble shows up, come find us and let us know.”

With a sharp chirp of acknowledgment, Squeaky took off again.

Xander’s mind raced as he finally spoke, his tone calm but resolute. “Niles, would you consider staying in my service?”

The question cut through the moment like a blade, sharp and unexpected. Niles blinked, caught off guard. “I thought I was getting banished tomorrow?”

Xander nodded solemnly. “That is my father’s decision.” His scarlet eyes locked onto Niles’s. “But circumstances have changed. There’s an emergency strategy meeting tonight regarding yesterday’s events—and about you and the other summoned champions. I plan to use this opportunity to vouch for you, to make my father reconsider.”

Niles raised a skeptical brow. “He doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who’s open to changing his mind.”

Xander exhaled, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You’re not wrong. But your familiar is an extraordinary asset—a potential game-changer for the army I command. I believe I can leverage that to sway him. If I succeed, I’d like you to serve directly under my command. Your creativity and unconventional thinking could be invaluable.”

He paused, his tone shifting to something more personal. “Tell me, Niles… where does your resilience come from?”

Niles tilted his head back, his face catching the sunlight as if searching for the answer among the clouds. “Since you were upfront and honest with me yesterday, it’s only fair I do the same.” He flexed his fingers, the memory seeming to take form with each step they shared.

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They strolled together through the castle gates and into the bustling streets of the city, but the vibrant noise faded into the background as Niles began to share his story.

“I was a failure in school,” he started plainly. “I didn’t care much for it. My grades weren’t good enough to get me anywhere, and my parents were constantly worried about my future.” He chuckled softly, a bittersweet laugh. “Then, one day, my mom got sick. Cancer. A disease that eats a person alive from the inside.”

Xander’s expression softened, sympathy clear in his voice. “I’m sorry. That sounds… unbearable.”

Niles nodded. “She fought for years. Chemo, radiation, surgeries—she tried everything. She lost her hair, but not her spirit.” He glanced at Xander, his voice steady but touched with emotion. “One day, I told her I was sorry she had to suffer so much. And do you know what she said?”

He reached for the air, as if trying to pluck her words from the past. “‘I’m in pain,’ she told me, ‘but I don’t suffer. I choose not to suffer. Because I would do anything for one more day. One more day to see you and your father, to tell you both how much I love you, to give you one more kiss.’”

Xander walked beside him silently, the words settling between them like an unspoken vow.

“When we buried her,” Niles continued, his voice quieter now, “my dad knocked on her casket. He told me something I’ll never forget: ‘Stand tall. And no matter what. Never give up.’” He stopped briefly, inhaling deeply as he let the memory wash over him. “That day, I realized my gift. I had no grades, no connections, no experience. I was starting from the bottom. But no one,” he said, his voice hardening, “could outwork me. No one could match my hunger to learn or my discipline to keep going every single day. That’s what made me who I am in sales”

He raised his fist into the air, his expression firm and resolute. “No matter what the king decides tomorrow, I want you to know this: I see you as a friend, Xander. Even though we haven’t known each other long, you’ve had my back from the start, and I won’t forget that.”

Xander’s lips curved into a rare smile. He raised his own fist and Niles met it with a soft bump.

Their footsteps carried them into the heart of the city, its pulse of life vibrant and undeniable. But their focus was singular.

“Alright,” Niles said, his voice tinged with determination. “Time to save Felix.”

Niles took a deep breath, filling his lungs with as much air as they could hold. Then, like a showman, he erupted, “PEOPLE OF XANDRIA!” His voice boomed across the square as he leaped onto the city’s water well for added height.

The response? Nothing. A few heads turned, but most dismissed him as just another fool making a scene. Not enough to hold the crowd’s interest.

Undeterred, Niles pressed on. “MY NAME IS NILES!” he declared, his voice brimming with theatrical bravado. “AND THIS MAN BESIDE ME IS XANDER, PRINCE OF XANDRIA!”

Xander, trying his best to lend credibility, stepped closer to Niles and gave a small, almost awkward wave. It was the perfect contrast of personalities: the introvert and the extrovert in full display.

Niles scanned the crowd, locking eyes with as many people as possible, mentally ticking off a box: Introduction, done. Now for the pitch.

He smiled, his voice taking on a pleading but persuasive tone. “MY FRIEND IS CRITICALLY INJURED. YESTERDAY’S ASSAULT LEFT HIM BEDRIDDEN, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SAVE HIM!” He paused for dramatic effect, then leaned over and whispered to Xander, “Show them the crystal.”

Without a word, Xander raised the holy blue crystal high into the air. Its radiant light caught the crowd’s attention, causing a murmur to ripple through the growing assembly.

“SO, FOR TODAY ONLY,” Niles continued, gesturing grandly, “YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO REVEAL YOUR SKILL TO YOURSELF—FOR FREE! IF YOUR SKILL IS DEEMED HELPFUL, WE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE CASTLE TO AID US!”

That got them moving. People started to push forward, eager for their turn with the legendary artifact.

But not everyone was convinced.

A raspy, bitter voice broke through the crowd. “Yeah, right! Sounds like a scam! What proof do we have that they’re who they say they are?”

Another voice chimed in, louder and angrier. “The crown never cares for us common folk! Why should we care for them now?”

A growing chorus of muttered agreement followed. Suspicion and mistrust spread like wildfire.

Niles winced at the pushback. “Tough crowd,” he muttered under his breath, then turned to Xander. “I think my sales pitch might need some work. What do you think? Should we just show them?”

Xander nodded, lifting the crystal again. “Status open,” he said calmly.

A moment later, a shimmering projection appeared in the air, displaying Xander’s stats for all to see:

[Name: Xander]

[Skill: One Man Army]

[Level: 45]

[Strength: 20]

[Stamina: 14]

[Speed: 14]

[Magic: 1]

[Spirit: 1]

The murmurs of doubt were silenced in an instant. The crowd stood in awe, staring at the prince’s stats as if they were gazing upon a living legend.

Niles, however, was less impressed. Sure, the numbers were solid—especially for strength—but they didn’t seem as overwhelming as he’d expected from one of the strongest people in the realm.

Still, he smirked, leaning closer to Xander and whispering, “Decent. Not bad for a prince.”

Xander raised a brow at him, but there was a glint of humor in his scarlet eyes. The demonstration had done its job: the crowd was theirs.