After hearing that Richard will be going over to the house of duke Longhurst in the imperial city later that day. They decided to look around town.
They already asked permission from Archibald before leaving that room.
"Longhurst sounds familiar, don't you think?" Aaron tilted his head to the side, trying to remember where he heard it.
Richard and Spencer nodded their heads but they couldn't really remember.
"Hey," Luna was walking behind all of them.
"What's wrong Luna?" they asked, seeing her frown.
"Why is my punishment so severe?" she asked them.
Everything just dawned on her when they were out of that room.
"Being the trainer of the crown prince is actually a privilege, don't you think?" Aaron replied.
Luna squinted her eyes, "You do remember who the crown prince is, right?"
"Ah, indeed that is a bit difficult," Aaron laughed.
"A bit?!? A BIT?!?! We don't get along, how am I supposed to train that person?" she argued.
No one could counter that, the two were at odds during their travels.
"Then why don't you teach him the way you did when the topic about his ability was out in the open and you needed to let him release the mana?" Spencer suggested after a while.
"That is difficult. He is strong and capable, and you all know that. It is difficult to keep up with him with this body of mine."
"Seriously Luna, why do these words feel different when they come out of your mouth?" Preshea commented.
"..."
Luna ended up pouting.
"It seems that you truly hate having to teach me."
"WHY?!?!"
In her shock, she ended up shouting the word.
People turned to them in confusion and all she could do was to purse her lips before glaring at the person hiding under his hood near them.
"Why do you keep on appearing while we are talking about you?... your highness."
She spoke the last two words in gritted teeth as there are two other knights with Julian at this moment. When she glared at him, they glared back at her. And when she ended her question just like that, their eyes turned even sharper.
"I was looking for your group. I mean, you are here for an entirely different reason," he reminded.
Luna's face scrunched up, "I wish to talk in a different place, your highness."
They are in the middle of a busy street. And people are starting to turn their heads in their direction at the appearance of these three.
Even though in hood, their aura could be felt by everyone.
Julian gave in and the three of them led the other five to the top of a small hill that overlooks the whole imperial city.
The palace could even be seen at its grandeur.
While trees with blooming flowers surround them and a few benches here and there. It is obvious that this place is a tourist spot.
Though, thankfully there is no one at this time.
"I spoke with my father and I got permission that I will be the one employing you all for the purpose of looking into the Dark Forest," Julian went down to business.
Luna gritted her teeth, "Can you stop it?"
She was looking at Owen and Nicholas whose aura is pinning down on them.
"Am I threatening the life of your crown prince? Am I? "
Julian looked back at the two and their distaste towards the five are still very much visible.
But when he opened his mouth to speak, Luna beat him to it.
"Fine, if the only way we can have a peaceful conversation is with your crown prince who is trying to employ us. Mind you, it is your crown prince who is trying to employ us. Then I shall fight against you, prove to you that we are not some pushovers who would let all of you look down on us. We have used all our lives for this land, we have pride in that!!"
Spencer and the rest looked at her, she was still grumpy.
Thinking back, she was always like this. She hates being looked down on by people who don't even know them. Or know how much work they are putting in their jobs.
But she was also a sweet, gentle one.
And they barely saw it since she woke up.
"Spencer... Aaron..." she called.
"Are you sure?" Spencer was stunned.
Calling two names means that she plans on giving it her everything.
Even Julian was shocked at her decision.
He had not sparred with her because she did not have a sword with her, which implied that she does not desire to use one at this moment. But to hear that she would use two swords.
Was she a dual wielder all along? But chose to go to the back to give support?
No, he can think about that at another time. The current issue is not that he had heard about the two palace guards, and knew how his knights looked at them since they stepped out of the place he gave them.
Together with the fact that his personal guards are showing complete dissatisfaction towards them all along, it was him who was trying to employ them. Just like how she was emphasizing it.
"Just give it to me. Then maybe we will have a better experience in staying here from here on out."
Her friends blinked.
They will be staying here for a year.
And all they received from the get go was nothing but jealousy and ire.
She was still feeling bad at the fact that they had to watch over her for two years. Yet now that she made a decision of where they are to go and what they are going to do. They are actually experiencing such treatment, she felt responsible about it.
The two handed their swords to her.
But right after, they placed their hands on her shoulders.
"We are fine," they said at the same time.
She bit her lower lip.
"My decision is what brought us to this situation. Let me resolve it in a bit," she tried to smile but it ended up looking like a helpless one.
Spencer smiled at her.
He placed his hand on top of her head before leaning his forehead on hers.
"You are our leader. From then until now. Your decisions are always for our own good. But there are times where fate won't allow us to have a great outcome for a decision we thought was great. Nevertheless, isn't it best to enjoy the uncertainty of what is thrown at us, the thing you always say?"
To enjoy the challenges is brought and not stress yourself out for the sudden turn of events that you did not expect.
Luna closed her eyes and chuckled, "Yes."
She took a deep breath before Spencer stepped away from her.
"So let me enjoy this challenge. I won't win, but let me prove myself."
She finally smiled, a full one with confidence.
"Now, that's the Luna we knew," Aaron grinned.
Julian watched their interaction and felt that the bond of these five is much more special than he pegged it to be.
"How do you challenge a knight in this kingdom, your highness?" Luna looked back at him.
Gone was the irritation, this time there was only confidence and the desire to prove oneself.
"Throw the sheath of your sword towards the person you are challenging. If they catch it then they accept. But since we are not in an official setting and you already declared your intention then..."
Julian looked back at Owen and Nicholas.
"We shall accept her challenge, your highness."
Though the one they wanted to challenge from the get go was Spencer as he was currently the strongest among them and that Julian does not know how strong Luna is when it comes to sword.
They actually heard things from Julian.
"It's long and heavy," Luna muttered while brandishing the two swords.
"I will be your opponent. One of us is enough to know whether you deserve the position you are in or not," Owen stepped up.
"Our position is not what I care about but the respect you should give to an adventurer," Luna rebuked.
Owen was silently stunned, have they looked down at them to the point that they did not feel any respect even if it's for an adventurer from them?
He glanced at Nicholas and saw that he has the same reaction as him, his brows furrowed.
"You don't have to use your abilities. You shall show your capability with just your weapons," Julian instructed.
"Yes, your highness," Owen answered.
"I understand, your highness," Luna followed.
"Then... ready... start."
Owen rushed forward only to hit air when Luna rushed behind him, raising both of the swords.
He turned and parried the attack, pushing her away to give distance between the two of them.
But Luna was still fast enough to appear in front of him, one sword ready to slash down. Something he parried only to be hit by the hilt of the other sword.
Nicholas and Julian were shocked.
She can move her hands without the hindrance of having a prominent one.
Ambidextrous.
And she can control them at an astonishing level.
Owen turned even more serious, this person, he can't let his guard down at all.
She is far stronger than Julian had spoken of or than how they pegged her to be.
Especially while looking at her eyes.
It was the eyes of a veteran who had been in battles for years.
He is 24 and he has been holding the sword since he was ten. But he only started joining real battles at the age of eighteen.
Yet, the eyes he's seeing right now have the eyes of someone who has fought more battles than he did.
Minute movements, the way one's eye shifts, or the way the sword deviates.
Owen can tell that this person can see all of that at an astonishing level.