Emil

I didn’t imagine it.

Emil was deep in thought, trying to reconcile the bizarre interaction with enigmatic Princess Aoife in his head. He thought she looked familiar at first glance. He might have doubted himself more—had he not noticed the briefest flash of recognition when their eyes met.

That was Lisha.

The noble girl who he met by chance in Lower Dannan. She was the one who nursed his injuries following his battle against a Desperado from Aois Nua. Later, they met again right before his move to Azure City.

Princess Aoife is Lisha.

The statement sounded ridiculous in his head even after everything that he just saw. He pinched his cheeks and scratched his wrist, making sure that he wasn't hallucinating or having a particularly lucid dream. After all, what could possibly possess the princess of Ardair to be wandering around in the slums of Lower Dannan? It was an absurd scenario that didn’t seem based in reality. And yet, that’s precisely what happened.

Emil grimaced, suddenly remembering his crass and blunt attitude towards her. There was also that time where he accidentally threatened her life because she was trailing him. Chills crawled down his spine. She wouldn’t prosecute me for that, right? I didn’t know it was her at the time. I also gave her advice. I treated her to a meal as I promised. I—

“What are you thinking about?”

Anna’s voice knocked him out of his trance. Emil was taken aback, having almost forgotten that he was currently in the cafeteria for lunch. His usual meal and pudding were still untouched.

…Whatever, this isn’t important right now. If she’s here for the Clash of Dawn, then we might have an opportunity to speak later.

“Nothing,” he replied as he picked up his utensils, ready to devour his meal.

“Liar. You were being distracted by something, weren’t you? A glutton like you not touching their food? I don’t believe it,” Anna said, narrowing her eyes with suspicion.

Emil tossed a chunk of steak into his mouth. “I swear, it’s nothing.” He waved her off before sinking his teeth into the juicy meat, eager to experience the explosion of flavors.

“Nope. I think you’re in love.”

The accusation was so out of the left field that Emil choked on his food. He writhed, slamming the table, struggling to dislodge the piece stuck in his throat. It took a minute of coughing and intaking water in between breaths before he could finally regain some semblance of composure.

“Um, what?” he hissed at her, annoyed that he had been robbed of enjoying his first bite.

“It’s the princess, isn’t it? I get it. She’s pretty. She’s refined. She’s charming. She’s—”

“Stop.” He cut her off. “First of all, no. She's a princess. I'm a commoner. I’m not delusional. Second of all, are you jealous?” He tossed the accusation right back at her.

Anna scoffed. “Oh please, you think too highly of yourself. Don’t let it get to your head just because I choose to eat lunch with you everyday. It's not because I want to. It's out of pity.” She leaned forward onto the table, her expression suddenly serious. “The Clash of Dawn is tomorrow, Emil.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Then focus,” she said with a wry smile, shooting his own words right back at him, “I won’t forgive you if you flop out of the preliminaries.”

Emil shook his head, slightly exasperated. Why is everyone on my case about this tournament?

“I know. You don’t have to worry. I don't what I'll do with myself if I don’t reach the finals.”

***

Unfortunately for Emil, things weren’t so carefree such that he could focus the entirety of his attention on the Clash of Dawn. Once night descended, he snuck out of campus for the first time in two weeks. His intentions were simple—get an update from Petra about the status of the city.

The event starts tomorrow at noon. There will likely be an influx of people entering the city a few hours after daybreak.

The relocation of the Sentinels to the Hidden Laboratories and the coincidental appearance of the hostile group rested heavily on his subconscious. He wanted some semblance of assurance that the city wasn’t going to descend into chaos during the Clash of Dawn.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He arrived at the front doors at Petra’s residence. Recalling his previous visit, he made sure to remove the mask concealing his face before he knocked. The last thing he wanted was to have that disturbing knife flashed in his face again.

The door squeaked open. Petra peeked out from the tiny gap in the door. Her large scrutinizing eyes shone in the darkness of the Azure City night.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said.

Thankfully, there was no knife this time. Petra, however, made no attempt to open the door any wider to welcome him in. Emil stood there, slowly swirling into a whirlpool of confusion.

“Um…can I come in?” he asked hesitantly. I swear, what’s with this woman? First it was the psychotically large knives and now…this. He had a feeling that he was being subtly hazed as her junior in the Steiger organization.

“I thought I told you to focus on the tournament. You better give me a good reason to let you in.”

“I need a report on what’s going on in the city. The tournament is tomorrow and I need to know if I should be ready for trouble.”

“Didn’t I say to leave that to me?” Petra asked with a blank stare, “Do you not trust me as your senior? Or do you think reaching the finals of the Clash of Dawn is so trivial that you can afford to slack off the day before? I guarantee you’ll be in for a rude awakening.”

“I’m not slacking off!” Emil said, his face suddenly flushed with heat. Petra’s incessant scolding was starting to wear on him.

“Is that Emil?” He overheard an excited voice from inside the house. It was Mia. A patter of footsteps quickly grew closer to the entrance. Petra sighed with a resigned look as the door swung open.

“Emil! Come in!” Mia greeted him with a bright smile.

Suddenly, he found himself at the dinner table. He glanced at the clock ticking away inside the living room.

So they usually eat around 7 o’clock.

He had always been a patient, never a guest whenever he visited Petra’s home. The last time he came here it was already late into the night. And the only time before that, he had been confined to a bed to rest from his deplorable injuries.

“Sit!” Mia tapped the seat beside her. Petra silently took her spot across the table. The belligerent energy she had earlier vanished the moment Mia appeared.

Is she doting on her? Emil couldn’t help but wonder as he sat down beside Mia. The girl happily filled his bowl with a spoonful of every dish on the table.

“I don’t know if this could live up to the meals at the Academy, but please enjoy nevertheless!”

“When have I ever complained about your cooking?”

Mia gleefully chuckled. Emil shoved a spoonful of the vegetable and meat into his mouth. The simple, yet hearty flavors danced on his tongue as he chewed. The familiar warmth of the meal made his heart light.

The Academy meals are great. He thought as he scooped up another bite. But there’s nothing in the world that could beat this.

***

Emil placed the spoon down. He leaned back into his seat, all smiles as he indulged in the afterglow of a satisfying meal.

“Okay, shall we talk business now?” he asked.

“I’ll make myself sparse then,” Mia said as she removed the plates and bowls off the table.

Suddenly, it was just him and Petra. The woman was staring at him in silence, seemingly brooding over something. The clock ticked loudly in the background as the uncomfortable silence continued. Emil began to feel self-conscious. She didn’t say much all dinner.

“…Did I do something wrong?” he asked. One of his eyes landed at the menacing knife on the kitchen counter. Thankfully, it was a fair distance from where Petra sat. If it came down to it, he can probably reach it first before she can.

“Yes,” she hissed. The languid expression on her face instantly warped into fury. “You ruined my precious mealtime! I was looking forward to Mia’s cooking, but you ate almost half of everything yourself!”

Ah. Emil scratched the side of his head. He might have been a bit too overzealous after being deprived of Mia’s meals. Might.

“…Sorry. I’ll make it up to you. Somehow.”

“Whatever, it’s fine,” Petra sighed, untying her hair and letting the bundle loose on her shoulders, “I just wanted to throw a tantrum. Even adults get exhausted from trying to remain composed and mature all the time. So, you wanted to know about the city?”

“Yeah. Did you know the princess was at the Academy? She, out of all people, made an appearance in the auditorium today,” Emil said, shaking his head, “It’s just sank in how important this event is going to be.”

“For what’s worth, the Sentinels have been shuffled around a bit. The bulk of them are still guarding the Hidden Laboratories, but there are a few more back in the Second Sector now. Most of the elites in attendance will also be bringing in a handful of powerful Exalted within their own groups. They won't be lacking protection.”

Emil raised an eye. “That’s surprising.” The idea that a bunch of Exalted from different factions would be gathering under a single location sounded like a recipe for disaster.

“The Clash of Dawn is not just an event for scouting promising talents. It’s also an occasion to flaunt your prowess and influence by showing off the Exalted in your retinue,” Petra said with a derisive snort, “Ardair is a nation built on appearances and soft power. Remember that, Emil.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. And how about those hostiles that I encountered two weeks ago?”

“There is something happening in the background of the Second Sector. I’ve heard small, sporadic incidents and rumors being reported here and there, but nothing concrete so far,” she said, “I haven’t discerned if their activities are related to the Clash of Dawn yet, but it seems like for the moment they’re laying low.”

Emil folded his arms, his lips pulsed in thought, “I’m not sure whether to be relieved or annoyed.”

“That’s why I told you not to worry about it. This will only distract you,” Petra said, shaking her head as she glanced at the clock, “It’s getting late. I’ve told you everything there’s to know. You should return to the Academy. You have a big day ahead of you after all.”

“Alright, alright, I got it. I’ll get out of your sight.”

Petra followed him to the entrance, “Get an early rest. Leave this investigation to me. Focus on securing access to Consortium.”

“Is Emil leaving?” Mia asked as her footsteps raced down from the second floor. She saw him by the doors and immediately ran over to hug him in a parting embrace.

Emil couldn’t help but smile. She’s gotten a lot livelier since she moved here. Recently, she’s reminded him more and more of how she used to be before the incident that destroyed their livelihoods in the Lower Dannan slums.

“Good luck,” she whispered, “Do your best, Emil. I'll be rooting for you.”

Well then, I guess I can’t lose now.

“Thanks, Mia.”