"Do you have to consider asking 'him' about training Risa, Lady Enlari?" Jehan asked as soon as they assured that Risa fell asleep.
It was late at night and the two of them talked about the training regimen that Risa would have to undergo for her to better control her magic. They both knew that the seal in Risa's magic was weakening already the moment they realized that she started communicating with the Master Mage's dragons. And there was the tornado that protected her from the Brathos, as well...
"If there is someone who could train Risa in terms of swordsmanship, 'he' is the only one I could think of. If we're as skilled as that person in that field, then I wouldn't have to resort to doing this."
"But... Do you think 'he' would agree to it? I mean, he doesn't even spare time to train the knights."
"That's because he couldn't still see them as worthy to train under him. But if we could explain Risa's situation to him, then maybe..."
Then again, it looked as if even Lady Enlari was also unsure of her plan with the way her sentence trailed off. Jehan could only stare at his other mentor and then to the door of Risa's room. He did think that it was right for Risa to finally start training in swordsmanship, just as she wished.
But a part of him couldn't help feeling worried for the woman. She found herself thrown into such a world that she wasn't even familiar with. And yet here she was, suggesting something that she thought would help her with her survival in that world. Then again, does it really have to be related to fighting?
"I'll let the Master Mage talk to 'him' and convince 'him' about our plans for Risa. Maybe I could ask for Prince Elross's help for that, as well, since he did witness Risa's ability first hand. Even though he noticed it at such a dire time..." Lady Enlari later said and faced Jehan. "You stay here and start teaching her what she needs to know first before I start training her."
"You mean the basics?"
The lady mage nodded. "Teach her the basics first, especially in terms of controlling the way her magical energy would flow both in and out of her. Once we manage to convince that person to teach Risa in terms of swordsmanship, the rest of her training will follow."
Jehan didn't need to be told twice. He bowed to the lady mage. "Yes, my lady."
xxxxxx
Yes, it had been a rather rough week for Risa. But for some weird reason, she was still able to sleep well. Of course, she couldn't just ignore the fact that she had dreamed of something strange again.
"That place looked like a basement, though. A large basement. And then, seven pillars stood around it, each with figures holding swords."
But the images weren't the only ones she considered strange. There was also a statue of a woman wearing something similar to Chinese hanfu. She didn't really consider it weird, especially for a world that looked as if it resembled the Medieval and possibly even the Renaissance era of her world. It looked like a marble statue of a long-haired woman wearing hanfu and raising a large and long sword.
Risa recalled that when she approached it, it suddenly glowed, which caught her off guard. And before she knew it, she found herself waking up. But she thought she heard a voice coming from it, though.
'You'll find me here, waiting... Please find me soon. We don't have much time!'
The woman's voice was desperate and yet with a resigned tone, at the same time. At some point, she understood the helplessness she heard in that voice. But why would a statue do that? And it seemed that it knew she was there. Was that even possible?
Then again, this was a world where magic was possible. So she shouldn't compare it to the world she once lived in, now that she began living there for almost two months already.
"I can't believe it's nearing two months since I arrived here..." Risa mumbled as she looked outside the window of the room she was using. "One more week to go..." And yet through it, she couldn't believe that a lot had happened in her life. A lot of them were scary enough that it still made her shiver as she remembered them.
Knowing that it was morning and recalling the task that she had to do, she busied herself getting ready for her training with Jehan. It was a surprise when Jehan said about five days ago that he'd be teaching her first on the basics of magic and how to handle it.
Since it was Lady Enlari's orders and because the lady mage still had something to do before she started training her for real, she understood the reason behind that. Of course, she couldn't help grumbling about not starting it before. Je-han just laughed and proceeded with teaching her the basics.
"Good morning. You woke up early," Jehan commented as Risa left her room and headed to the dining table.
"That's because I know you'd be scolding me non-stop if I woke up late for training. It's already ringing in my ears just thinking about it, you know."
The young man chuckled and placed a plate filled with bread, butter, fried egg and stir-fried vegetables. The smell of it made her smile and started eating even before Je-han said she would.
"By the way, is there still any trouble in the academy? I haven't even seen the Master Mage for quite a while now. And you also haven't been heading to the capital lately, as well. Are you sure they didn't expel you because of your task to take care of me here in the Northern Forest?"
To Risa's confusion, Jehan laughed. But only for a short while.
"You don't have to worry so much about my studies in the academy, Risa. It's true that I haven't been heading to the capital that much since I started watching over you and taking care of you. But it doesn't mean I've been neglecting my studies. They would still give me supplementary activities that I can do here in the Northern Forest related to my studies in magic. I would still meet up with my professors from time to time without giving away the fact that I'm taking care of you here."
"Isn't that hard for you?"
Jehan shook his head and smiled. "They were used to this. I've done the same thing when I was only starting to train under the Master Mage. And also when my family tends to annoy everyone in the academy even when the Master Mage and Lady Enlari decided to take me in as their apprentice. Well, the professors there didn't care about my father's demands, anyway. I might be a part of the Ellanher family by blood, but they never treated me as someone who is a part of them. So I might as well relinquish that noble title altogether if it means finally escaping them."
For someone who had a beautiful smile on his face, Risa couldn't help but be amazed at Jehan's point of view in his life. Of course, she felt sad for him. But it seemed that Jehan already made his resolve a long time ago. It was a good thing that he found people who treated him well all this time.
"Anyway, I'd rather stop getting emotional around here. You should be finishing your food so we could start training again today. I need to make sure that you reach the desired strength of your magic before Lady Enlari starts training you personally."
Risa nodded and continued eating, with her energy rising as another day for her magic training started.
xxxxxx
"You're looking bleak again, my dear brother."
Alathil raised his head from the book he was reading in the royal library and turned to the source of that voice. He frowned at the sight of Prince Elross approaching him. His brother was wearing his travel clothes again.
"Are you heading out again?"
Elross nodded. "I had this urge to go back to the Northern Forest after hearing the story from Shuren. So you finally met her, huh?"
As much as Alathil wanted to retaliate his brother's teasing, he couldn't think of what to say. He nodded and focused on the book he was reading.
"Talking to her hadn't been my intention at the time, though. I just thought of watching her from afar and seeing for myself what kind of person she was. But those knights—!"
Elross shook his head and tapped Alathil's shoulder. "They keep getting even more arrogant for them to think that they could get away with it. But why would those knights linger in the Hareskoven Forest and do things like that? Shuren said that it wasn't the first time, as well."
"I still have to ask Aladron for that, however. The first case was about the knights who tried to capture the witch who attempted to assassinate our brother."
"It's been a long while since I got to talk to the Crown Prince. I felt like his face would become just a blurry image to me if I kept it up like this."
Alathil noticed a glimmer of sadness in Elross's eyes as he looked at him. His little brother doesn't stay in the palace too much because he kept on taking missions that would require him to leave the place for a long while. Unlike Crown Prince Aladron who had to remain in the palace as much as possible to continue training and assuming his responsibility both as the Crown Prince and the future king of Revia.
"That's why I told you to go visit him first instead of coming to me as soon as you arrive from your mission. He kept worrying about you and your safety whenever you're out of the palace, you know."
"I know that. He wouldn't stop writing me letters even as I do my mission outside. Thank goodness for Shuren's teleportation ability or those letters would take time to arrive to me."
Alathil should've known that his bodyguard had a hand on something like this. Soon after that, Elross faced him.
"I guess that means you'd also be using Shuren's ability to go to the Northern Forest just to see that girl."
At that point, Alathil frowned. "How did you know that?"
Elross gave him a knowing smile, not the teasing one that he would usually see in the third prince whenever he would mention Risa.
"Miss Risa's ability can be worrying, if not strange. But I can see the reason why the Master Mage decided not to tell our father about her first. Her ability — or abilities — could foretell more trouble if other people knew about them. Were you able to ascertain her dragon listening ability when you first saw her?"
The second prince shook his head and sighed before placing the book he was reading back to the shelf. "She never showed any of her abilities when I first met her. Considering the circumstances, the only thing that ruled her at the time was her fear and desire to get away from those knights."
Silence ensued for a little while longer before Alathil spoke again.
"And I don't think I'd be able to know that while she knew me not as a prince, but simply a nobleman skilled in swordsmanship. Someone who saved her from the knights that tried to harass her that day."
"Are you not going to tell her the truth?"
Alathil shook his head. "I don't think she'd come to trust me if I tell her that I'm the Second Prince."
"But she would be wary of you if you keep hiding the truth from her. It'll be harder to deal with it when she learned it from someone else other than you. I think she'd understand why you didn't tell her at first. You just have to explain it to her properly."
He remained silent even after he considered his brother's words. Elross had a point in it, though. But he recalled tensing up and almost remaining speechless the whole way after he saved Risa. He couldn't understand why he felt that way towards her.
She wasn't dangerous. He was sure of it. But it appeared that the danger she posed wasn't about her abilities at all in terms of magic. It was her ability to make his heart beat faster than anything or anyone had ever made it for him. And he couldn't understand how in the world she could do such a thing on him.
Before Alathil could say anything to his youngest brother, the door to the library opened. A servant entered and bowed before the two princes.
"Your Highness, the king requires your presence in the audience chamber."
A frown formed on the Second Prince's features as he faced Elross.
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