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Episode 92 - Destined Friendship ‘Only Day Two.‘

Day Two

One pair of grey eyes opened up to sunlight shining past a set of thin curtains. An unfamiliar room, an unfamiliar smell. Unlike the fancy lodging at the Royal lake, this wooden room looked shabby. Though, the luxurious bedroom back in Xenperia might also be viewed as ‘alright’ now that she has experienced a true Greek-Romanian style bedroom.

Eugene stretched her limbs in bed as she sighed. She was still exhausted from yesterday’s event and it wasn’t until 9 pm that she could finally sleep with peace. From traveling to Zene to battling with the poets, to moving from the Royal grounds to a new lodge, her child body just wasn’t having any of it. She was dead from exhaustion and it was only day two.

Ssh...

Hearing a shift, Eugene turned her body and jolted. A pair of red eyes were staring straight into her grey ones. Like a Deja Vu.

“.......” Eugene blinked. Her ears picking up the sound of birds flocking around outside.

“..... Hi…” Euria said, also blinking and hearing the same BGM.

“... Well,” Eugene said awkwardly. Stretching her feet, Eugene softly continued. “Good morning.”

“Good morning sister.” Euria bit her lips, her eyes darting back and forth. After much debate, she stared straight into Eugene’s eyes again. “I... was a little. A tiny little bit mentally ill yesterday… right?” Euria rapidly blinked her eyes as she pouted.

“.... Well…Yes,” Eugene replied truthfully. “Just a tiny little bit,” Eugene repeated.

Euria blinked before turning and twisting her body into one twister fry. Tugging on the bed covers, she covered her whole body in it before screaming out in embarrassment. “AHHHHH!!!” She cried out. Embarrassed. She was embarrassed that she had a fit yesterday!

After five minutes straight of Euria churning in embarrassment, Eugene lectured.  “Make sure to apologize to everyone, alright Euria?” Eugene spoke seriously.

Yesterday’s evening was incredibly chaotic. Although Euria might have a hidden reason as to why she didn’t want to stay in the Royal Palace, it still wasn’t okay to act out, wanting this and wanting that. Having a fit just because you don’t want to stay at the Royal lodge is one, rude to Zene’s Royal family who was kind enough to allow and prepare a place for them to stay, and two, rude to their current guardians, Duke Rodriguez and Duke Marleigh.

“En.” Euria softly nodded from under the bed covers.

“Ha..” Eugene sighed. Tapping the small bulge, Eugene added. “You were wrong to cry. But. You were right to hold it in and let it out after Sir Ario left.” She coaxed.

“En... I remembered sister’s words well.” Euria nodded under the covers again.

After two seconds, Euria suddenly jumped out of bed and shouted. “I will get ready and apologize to every single person! The guards! Teachers! Brothers! Sisters! Everyone!” After declaring that, she ran out of their bedroom to get Aeselak to help start her day.

Eugene only shook her head seeing Euria’s lion bed hair before closing her eyes and draping her right arm over her eyes.

‘Yesterday…’

Euria was weird yesterday. Although shocking, Euria wasn’t someone who would cry because of nothing anymore. There must be something else to Euria’s change in behavior yesterday.

Even after they arrived at their new lodging, Euria still looked as if she was afraid of something. As if something was chasing after her. With their bedroom door completely closed, even shutting out Aeselak and Aedelak, Euria started writing a secret letter to Levis and Moniqua. Of course, in tears and snots.

Eugene offered to help write the letter because she wasn’t sure if Euria can write in proper sentences, but even she was rejected from seeing the letter. After a good fifteen minutes spent on writing, Euria rushed out to hand Duke Marleigh the badly attempted ‘sealed’ letter.

She repeated as she handed the letter to Duke Marleigh.

“Please send this to my dad.”

“Please make sure they get it.”

“You have to make sure okay?”

Her begging surprised Duke Marleigh and slightly scared Duke Rodriguez but they did as told. Together with Euria’s letter, Duke Marleigh also sent the daily report of the children’s well being/activities to the Veria estate.

When asked why he didn’t write one for Ron, Duke Marleigh replied with. “Oh.. they said they didn’t want to know.”

“...Ah.” Was the only reply Eugene could mutter out. She felt bad for Ron and even told herself to be nicer to him from now on.

After putting the letter into Duke Marleigh’s care, Euria then took a bath together with Eugene and went to sleep within one second of her head hitting the bed. She wasn't surprised that Euria slept as if she fainted from exhaustion because she can relate.  Eugene with great difficulty dragged Euria under the covers before she could lie under the covers.

The last thought Eugene had before being succumbed to sleep was Louis's warning.

“I know you’re smart so be careful and be aware of everything. Zene doesn’t look like what it seems.” Louis warned before Eugene and Euria headed back to their room.

“Ahhhh, I can’t believe it's only Day 2.” Eugene groaned, stretching her neck left and right. She then proceeded to get off the bed and soon Aedelak came walking in to help her get dressed.

Eugene got dressed in an all-white Veria’s knight outfit. She put on her black boots, silver cuffs, her paladin’s badge, and her Veria brooch that was coupled with Aedelak’s brooch. Overall, she looked like a professional knight, albeit short.

Thump, Click. Thump, Click.

Eugene’s boots clicked as she headed downstairs for breakfast. Her tied up hair swayed in as she stepped down the wooden stairs. Hearing footsteps rushing behind her, Eugene turned. There, Aedelak stood against the light dressed similarly to her but in all black.

“Let’s go,” Eugene said, as they walked and entered the dining room.

Everyone besides Euria, Aeselak, Aedelak, and herself was already gathered and sitting around the big wooden dining table filled with their breakfast. The room was not well decorated in the least. The only furnishing the room had was a big table, 20 chairs, and one small ocean painting located on one of the walls.

“Good morning,” Eugene spoke as she sat opposite an empty chair.

“Good morning.”

“Morning.”

Everyone greeted Eugene and Aedelak back.

The seatings were sorted from a person of power to a person of least power. Duke Marleigh and Duke Rodriguez sat opposite of each other. Louis and Ron sat opposite of each other. Ramon and Aernest sat opposite of each other. Followed by Eugene and soon-to-arrive Euria, and Aedelak and soon-to-arrive Aeselak.

‘Now that I think about it, I should have been concerned when Duke Marleigh went to inform the King alone, that they were leaving.’ Eugene stared at Duke Marleigh as she thought. After all, The King of Zene lusts after good looking men, and Duke Marleigh most probably fits his type most out of the Great Nobles. Slim, quiet, and uniquely charming.

‘Not to mention, leaving a luxurious house with good views for a shabby lodging with bad views for no reason was also quite offensive.’ Eugene frowned. Duke Marleigh must’ve been through a lot as well.

Soon Euria and Aeselak walked in. Euria was dressed in white like Eugene and Aeselak was dressed in black like Aedelak. The two had their hair tied up in a bun instead of a ponytail. Although Euria still looked childish when compared to Eugene, it was still surprising how official she looked right now.

Euria walked to the end of the table before doing a 100-degree bow. “I apologize, everyone!” She shouted.

Looking back up at everyone nervously, she continued,  “I don’t know why I was like that and I’m very sorry.” She fumbled with her fingers as her cheeks tinted red.

“.. It’s alright Euria!” Duke Rodriguez reassured Euria.

“Hm.” Duke Marleigh nodded in agreement.

Euria broke out in a big smile before confidently declaring. “I will work hard at today’s training, to not embarrass anyone!!”

“huh?” Eugene tilted her head. ‘This doesn’t seem like a Euria thing to say?’ She thought before glancing over at Aeselak whose ears were dyed red.

‘Ah…’ Eugene’s lips tugged. ‘Nice advice Aeselak.’

“.. Alright now, sit down and eat your breakfast.” Duke Marleigh gestured for Euria and Aeselak to sit.

Soon they began breakfast. The chef of the lodge came in and cut the giant roasted pig that was waiting to be eaten. A heavy breakfast to compensate for their non-existent dinner yesterday.

The chef distributed the pork to everyone on the table and gave everyone a warm bowl of potato soup as well as a big cut of freshly baked bread.

Everyone silently ate double the amount they normally eat and quickly finished their hearty breakfast made by the finely aged chef. It was delicious and didn’t pale to what they normally eat in Xenperia.

Before the children were dismissed to head to the carriage, Duke Rodriguez informed them.

“The youngest knight we will train with today is 15 and the oldest is 18 years old. There is a bit of an age difference so you might be looked down upon or even bullied. Don’t take it to heart and do your best. Prove that you are Xenperia’s selected Paladin and show them why you were chosen for that title.”

“.......” (Everyone)

“In other words, crush them to pieces!” Duke Rodriguez ended with a shout.

“Yes sir!!” Everyone shouted in unison.

With two carriages, they headed to the end of the capital city where the recruited knights trains. This was very surprising as knights' bases are normally stationed by the Royal Palace or close enough to the palace. Having the training camp far away was slightly weird.

When asked why Duke Rodriguez replied. “Citizens of Zene aren’t fond of fighting. They say it's too crude for them. Long ago, they petitioned for the knights’ training base to be stationed outside of the capital instead. Though, in the end, they agreed with the end of the capital instead for safety reasons.”

“Oh…” Everyone gaped.

“Their cultures are different.” Ron Graeme smiled with a hint of curiosity.

‘Well… If only they knew that the King abuses his only child. The crown prince of Zene.’ Eugene’s lips hardened. ‘Do they even know that the King is a cut sleeve with a harem of handsome men? I wonder if they know. Or if they didn’t, I wonder what they would say if they knew.’ Eugene thought quietly to herself.

They soon entered a road that looked as if they entered into a different country. But it wasn’t, and they were still in the capital of Zene.

Everyone, even the Dukes were slightly shocked. The paradise-like capital suddenly became a slum-like capital. Love and Peace? More like a city abandoned after the war.

An empty town without people. An unkept town with papers floating around here and there. A broken stadium with no one to perform on. A town void of people.

It took them 40 minutes with the carriage before they arrived at the knight’s training ground. It was only then that they recovered their surprised self and greeted 10 knights guarding at the entrance of the training ground.

After another 10 minutes of riding, the carriage soon stopped. Ario was standing outside, greeting them as they stepped out. He asked about Euria’s condition before smiling in relief that Euria was back to her cheerful self. He even surprised Euria with candy to cheer her up.

Soon, five people wearing basic training gear walked to them.

‘The people we have to train with?’ The children wondered. Like what Duke Rodriguez said, they looked to be aged 15-20. Unlike them, who are aged 3-10.

However, the Paladins soon ended their curiosity when they noticed that the other party was looking at them in contempt. Well, one looked at them with intense hostility. Two looked at them with less contempt. One was awkwardly smiling. And the other looked uninterested in the situation. Most probably because it was slightly if not,  humiliating to be training with children. Yet, the children they will be training with are uselessly higher ranking. The irony of it all.

Ario coughed to bring attention to himself.

“General Marleigh, General Rodriguez, Paladins. Again, Welcome to the knight’s training ground.” Ario spoke in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

“Although the training ground is in a humble area, this place has everything needed to train knights and trainee knights. This is where all knights of Zene train. The base however is located elsewhere.” Ario explained.

“Although not yet full-fledged knights, they are soon to be knights of this year. They are talented and fresh, and will be training with you till the end of this friendly program.” Ario motioned for the five to walk closer.

“Just five this year?” Duke Rodriguez asked, perplexed at his words.

“Yes… Unfortunately, youth these days prefer the art of music instead of fighting.” Ario sighed and said sadly.

‘Oh…’ Eugene raised her brows. If she can remember correctly, the military base back in Xenperia was filled with recruiters and soldiers in training. Instructor T.E told her that Xenperia set the limit to 5000 new military soldiers per year.

Too much was a waste of the country’s reservoir, and too little is bad for security reasons. Well, this is only for the military. As for the knights… 20 people per year? Eugene shrugged.

“The world is safe these days so people are less stressed about joining the knights.”

“Right, military conscription and compulsory training are rare these days.” Duke Rodriguez half agreed.

‘Military obligation? Like compulsory training?’ Eugene looked at Duke Rodriguez in surprise.

Military training is compulsory in China. Training is normally 2-3 weeks before the school terms begin.  In middle school, she practiced basic formation. In high school, she did drills and studied emergency evacuation. And in university, she undertook formal military training and more emergency evacuation training.

Her experience was so-so. She learned basic defense training before she entered middle school and learned to shoot a gun in highschool for a movie. In the military, she did formation marches, some running, more running, punishment squats, and written tests. The most impressionable memory she had in the military was the scorching sun and that's it.

“Will you be leading today’s training?” Duke Marleigh questioned Ario whose hair was beautifully swaying with the light breeze.

‘Him?!’ Eugene quickly glanced at Ario in surprise! Ario’s physique looked fragile and breakable! Even Euria looked like a fierce cat when compared to the beautiful Ario.

“NONONO!!” Ario denied quickly. Shocked at the accusation, he rapidly waved his arms around.

“I don’t even know how to handle a sword!” He shook his head!

“Today, our Great Musician will lead the Paladins and Zene’s five trainees.” Ario calmed down and smiled gently.

‘Great musician?’ Eugene blinked. ‘Musician? Did I hear correctly? We’ll be learning music today?’

 

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