I breathe a burst of air through my nostrils, looking over Arciel’s shoulder as she wrote the report.

“We already reported to the council…Is this really necessary?”

“Comprehensive reports are always needed, Shepard…We need to be clear in exactly who we met and what we did and how the battles played out.”

Arciel replied stoically. I frown. I wanted to drag Alisson before the head councilman, and get a hell of a lot of fame for it. But that didn’t happen. I looked out the window at the moon now rising above Re’relihn, the capital of Andestine. From here in the safety of the Hero’s Chapel, the horrors of Freigat seem so far away.

My eyes drifted down to Arciel. I didn’t think a spoiled brat like her would take bureaucratic crap seriously, but she’s humbled me enough times when it counts. With the war kicking up, me and Arciel will probably be sent to the mainland along with the rest of the hero summoner pairs to fight Sidonia.

I don’t want to see her get hurt again. She’s just a kid. I know she can cast spells that can wipe out hundreds of people with the snap of a finger but…What I see in front of my eyes isn’t a terrifyingly powerful mage who has the mana to keep a Hero like me summoned, I see a little girl. A scared little girl. My mind flitted to the memories of that ‘Lady Salchyon’ from Sidonia. Alisson was bad enough…If you blinked at the wrong moment you’d end up with a rapier in your throat; But that Salchyon girl was like an unstoppable whirlwind of gore on the battlefield, just dicing through fully armored grown men with that terrible smile of hers.

I don’t want to think of that demon touching Arciel. I frowned. This world is too rotten. I really do need to get the hell out of here. The moon was high in the night sky now, and I felt tired. I would have this room all to myself but…Arciel didn’t want to go to her family’s home. It had been a few days since we got here, and she’s been putting it off ever since.

“You can’t hide from your father forever, you know.”

I put in, and she stopped writing. Her hand began to tremble a bit, like she had been trying to suppress those thoughts this whole time.

“I…I know…Tomorrow…I’ll go tomorrow morning.”

“You said that yesterday.” I said bluntly, my arms crossed. “Promise you’ll go in the morning.”

She stayed silent for a long while. I sighed, and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m here, Arciel. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

Arciel never had anyone to protect her back then. But now, she has me.

“…Fine. I promise I’ll go tomorrow. My family will just end up busting through the doors of the Hero’s Chapel eventually…”

I smiled and left her the room; it only had one bed after all. Even if it had two, she wouldn’t want to sleep in the same room as me anyway. I’ll go find a bench or something to sleep on.

…

The carriage halted abruptly, and Arciel almost fell out of her seat. We were now outside the Arcielvitzi compound, that is, Arciel’s home. For being the namesake of her family, it’s ironic how threatening Arciel has made her home out to be. As we stepped outside, I could already see the towering keeps and acres of gardens of the compound. We were in the countryside, a short carriage ride from Re’relihn’s suburbs. It’s clear the nobility don’t exactly want to live with the rest of the populace in the big cities.

Before us, were a party of three. A slender boy, younger than Arciel, stood bowing, dressed in a fine suit. He had bright hair and shared Arciel’s unique turquoise colored eyes. Arciel’s hair however looked far darker. Her family was apparently meant to be one of the purest blooded in the Andestine nobility, so it was odd that what was evidently her brother had a different hair color.

The other two standing beside Arciel’s brother were knights clad in full protective equipment, save their helmets, and were armed. My eyes narrowed at them.

“Welcome, Arciel, father is waiting for you inside the main dining hall, please follow me.”

Arciel bobbed her head and with that we were escorted deeper into the compound.

“So lovely that you could join us for dinner, dearest sister, but if I may ask…What matters kept you for so long before returning home? As I understand it, you returned to Re’relihn a whole week ago…”

Arciel took a moment to think.

“A lot of paperwork. It’s confidential.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“You’ll have to think of a better excuse than that, Arciel.”

Her brother responded immediately, and I could detect the faintest hint of amusement in his voice. I frowned at the back of his head.

Our group walked in silence thereout until we reached our destination. When Arciel’s brother opened the grand doors to the dining hall, what met my sight was a long room hosting a very long table. On either sides of the table, more of the same type of armored soldier flanked the walls. I could only assume the man sitting at the end of the table was Arciel’s father, Riegal.

“Arciel! How the sight of you warms my heart! Come, come, sit down, lunch is just about to be served.”

Arciel did so, and I stood behind her, already having learnt my lesson that nobility get pissy when a hero like myself dare steals seating from them. Arciel chose to sit at the near her father at the end of the table, and across from her sat her brother.

“Arciel, this is your summon?” Riegal took a glance at me.

Arciel replied in the affirmative.

Riegal bobbed his head, but otherwise that was the last time he spared me any notice, not even asking for my name.

“I imagine the journey you had on the mainland was…Exhilarating? Please, tell me all about it…”

Arciel was silent for a few moments.

“I can’t say, the head councilman asked everyone to be discrete.”

“Weis, that scum…” Riegal began, but Arciel continued,

“But, I can tell you that we were chasing a group of Sidonians…They led us north, where they entered the Freigat Jungle…”

Riegal’s brow piqued. “They call that place the most dangerous part of the world…Surely you did not follow them there?”

Arciel averted her eyes. “…We did. We hoped to find what they were after.”

Riegal rolled his eyes. “Such a decrepit place – It must not be all that dangerous if you and your summon could walk in and out like that…But regardless, all this talk of weak willed so called ‘special operations’ sours my appetite – Your mission was nothing but folly in the face of armies and generals…”

I frowned at Riegal. How a father could be so dismissive at his own daughter venturing into such a dangerous place.

“But this isn’t an interrogation…” Riegal continued, “How have you been, Arciel?”

Arciel again took some time before responding. “I want to ask first…Is there any reason you have so many guards here…? Is there some sort of threat you’ve heard about?”

I guess its not normal for Arciel’s family to dine with a dozen soldiers in the room.

“The answer is right behind you, Arciel.” Riegal smirked. “Your brutish summon there. You know I’ve never trusted Heroes, and he is a new one after all, you never know with these people, where they come from and what their motives are you see…”

I frowned at Riegal. Such open hostility. I wasn’t expecting Arciel’s father to act so brazen.

“Father.” Arciel looked into her lap. “Shepard saved my life – He fought alongside me, You shouldn’t be-”

“And what grounds would you tell me what I should and should not do? You are an heirless little girl with no legitimacy or claim and you tell me what I should think? Please…I would also prefer that you did not sully my ears with the name of your pathetic summon.”

Riegal waved his hand dismissively. Arciel shut up after that until the food arrived. I of course was not served anything. Arciel poked at her food, frowning.

“I hate to have dampened the mood…but…” Riegal started after a long lapse of silence, “What I said was the truth, Arciel. As your father I must ask of you, what is your plan? Surely you won’t continue to serve in the military as some drone of combat…Perhaps you have been making connections with nobles on the mainland? Do you even have any candidates for marriage in your head?”

Arciel was silent.

“You need to think of these things, Arciel, you need to think. For being a mage you do very little of it. I of course will always look out for you…”

I don’t like where this is going.

“…Which is why I’ve petitioned your expulsion from the military. I’m sure you’ll hear about it soon from those in the Chapel. I’ve prepared a list of suitors that I would like you to take a look through.”

Arciel stared into her food, her mouth furrowed.

“I know what happened the last time was unfortunate, but Arciel, you’re sixteen now. You can’t go running off to learn magic to escape this any longer. You are a daughter of the Arcielvitzi family and you must remember your duties. Take a husband in marriage, and live safely in our borders…Heed my words, Arciel, this is the wisest course of action.”

Again Arciel was silent, before she promptly stood. “I’m going to finish the rest of my food in my room. Come, Shepard.”

She started off, plate in hand, when Riegal spoke loudly behind her, “It won’t be your room for very much longer, Arciel. You can’t keep running.”

I heard him smile. My fist tightened, but I took a deep breath. Outside of Arciel’s room, she stopped, finally turning to face me. We were alone in the corridor together.

“Thanks for not blowing up, Shepard…Here.” She rose the plate of food to me.

I broke into a smirk, charmed. A year ago, she looked at me like something she scraped off the bottom of her shoe. “I graciously accept, ‘princess’.”

Arciel frowned blankly, and entered her room. Before closing the door fully, she glanced at me for a long moment, hesitantly shutting her door thereafter.

Again, I’m left like a dog outside in the rain. As I sat against Arciel’s door, eating what I could from her unfinished meal, a servant approached me.

“His majesty has seen fit to grant you residence in the south wing, please, follow me.”

I frowned at the servant. The south wing was on the entire other side of the building.

“I’ll be staying right here.”

I said gruffly, and ignored the servant, shoving a bite of food into my mouth as barbarically as I could to try to scare him off. He pestered me for a little while longer before finally admitting defeat and slinking off.

I put down the clean plate, still hungry. I don’t really need to eat – The mana that Arciel gives me at all times keeps me satiated enough. But eating like this helps me feel like I’m still a normal human.

But…A normal human wouldn’t be able to hear Arciel undressing and slinking into the covers of her bed on the other side of the wall. Nor hear the servants all around the wing, attending to their duties. Farther off were the knights that Riegal kept in his company, their armor clinking loudly. I looked into the ceiling. I don’t trust this place one bit. I’ll stay here outside her door and protect her all night. I made a promise to someone who was far more reminiscent of a father to Arciel that I would do as much.

***