"Ugggghhhhhh!!" Yuuta woke up to Ria groaning loudly. He rolled over slowly rubbing his fingers through her hair.

"You ok." Whispering as quietly as he could he knew hangovers were no fun.

Ria just moaned Yuuta got out of bed getting her a glass of water and telling the maid to bring some greasy food. The maid only took a couple of minutes to bring up some food.

She slowly sat up in bed taking a drink of water.

"My head is killing me."

Yuuta couldn't help but laugh making Ria wince.

"Sorry just eat some bacon it will make you feel better."

Ria only got a couple of pieces down before curling up under the covers moaning in discomfort. Yuuta got back in bed and cuddled up to her. " I barely remember what happened after dinner." Ria mumbled

"Well, first I gave you a piggyback ride while you yelled at random people. Then we came back here and you threw up for an hour. Ohh then you tried to run through the castle naked." Yuuta started laughing as Ria looked like she was going to blow a gasket she was so red."

"Oh my god did I really do that?" She had tears in her eyes.

"Yea everything except the naked thing that was just a joke." The look on Ria's face was priceless as she punched Yuuta in the chest kicking him out of bed.

Yuuta rubbed his ass as he stood up jumping on top of Ria. "That wasn't very nice ". Yuuta gave a smirk and Ria started giggling.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Groaning Yuuta opened the door to a guard barking out his orders.

"Lord Vermillion has requested your presence before you depart for the capital." Yuuta nodded telling the guard he would be there in a moment.

Yuuta turned around to the impact of Ria hugging him. He hugged her back as they swayed back and forth for a moment.

"It's only for a couple of days I'll be back before you know it." Ria dug her face into his side not losing her grip. They stayed like that for a while before Yuuta pried her off of him.

Ria was mad stomping her way to the bathroom slamming the door shut.

Yuuta decided to pack before calming her down. He grabbed the magic stone from the closet it was getting hotter glowing a vivid red.

(I'll bring this with me to the capital and have Avenci check it out.)

Yuuta put the stone in a bag and tied his katana to his waist. He knocked on the bathroom door but there was no answer. Yuuta loved this side of her for some reason he found endearing.

"I'm leaving now I love you." He smiled to himself waiting for her to run out.

He started to walk away when he heard the door creak open and Ria ran out diving into his arms. " I love you too be careful please." They said their goodbyes while he walked her to Milly's room. Milly was engrossed in her new book and didn't notice the make-out session that was happening behind her.

Yuuta made his way to the throne room where Emery was talking to a beautiful woman around the same age as his him maybe a year or two older. wearing leather armor with a great sword on her waist. Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail and her silver eyes locked on to him the minute he walked in.

She quickly did a 180 bowing to him."Lord Yuuta" she kept it short and sweet. He gave a small wave and looked to Emery.

"Ahh Yuuta this is your new personal bodyguard Knight Terra Tarmen she will accompany you anytime you leave the castle and that's an order no discussion." Yuuta scoffed at Emery it seemed to hurt Terra's feeling but he didn't really care at this particular moment.

"Emery I don't need a bodyguard if anything you should hire extra guards for Ria."

"Yuuta I literally have half of my guards on Rinat all times if anything your being over protective. Anyways I said no discussions Terra was the first in her class at the academy and squired for a member of the king's guard she is more than capable. You are a noble now Yuuta you shouldn't have to be responsible for protecting yourself." Yuuta grimaced he didn't feel like arguing but he also didn't need a handy cap following him around.

Terra stayed quiet this was none of her business as far as she was concerned she had one mission protect Lord Yuuta Vermillion with her life.

She stiffened when Yuuta's red eyes looked her over she could tell he was judging her. Anger was welling up in her she hated being underestimated which happened a lot being a girl and an attractive one at that.

"Emery she can't keep up with me she's going to hold me back I'll take her with me for noble affairs but when I'm on missions she stays here and that's final." Yuuta was almost yelling not noticing his emotions were getting the best of him.

Emery lightly nodded figuring this was the best he was going to get. Terra cut in "Lord Yuuta I assure I will not hinder you I'm not a fragile woman like you assume I am. "Her emotions were getting the best of her too. Yuuta gave her a unintentional condescending smile.

"Terra I don't think you're weak I just think you're not as strong as me I don't mean it in a rude way it's just the facts." Terra grimaced she already hated him and it was her job to keep this entitled noble alive.

"Lord Yuuta if you think I'm weaker than you than how about we spar and I can show you what I'm capable of." Her pride was getting the best of her she knew she was in wrong of course she was stronger than a simple noble it was her life's purpose to fight. It was a nobles purpose was to lead. Emery was about to reprimand her before Yuuta stopped him.

"Very well meet me in the courtyard." Yuuta said with a hint of excitement in his voice. Emery facepalmed like usual.

Yuuta was completely missing the point of Terra. She stomped her way to the courtyard while Emery held him back.

"Yuuta don't you think you're taking this a bit too far you know you can beat her you don't have to embarrass her In frint of the whole castle."

Yuuta chuckled."I'll take it easy on her she's the one who wants to prove her strength."

Half the castle was already circled around the courtyard cheering Yuuta on he has become a favorite around the castle already. Nobles and knights and maids all watching the fight.

Yuuta walked to the middle of the makeshift arena and the crowd started screaming and clapping. Terra didn't seem fazed she unsheathed her katana and took a stance with no openings. Yuuta did the same yelling to a guard to officiate the match.

"3 ,2, 1 fight'l

Terra wasted no time closing the distance with a sideways slash. Yuuta blocked her attack effortlessly and countered with a body kick. Terra blocked it with the side of her sword making her slide backward. She was impressed by his fluidity he clearly had power and could use it effectively. Her opinion was a little better than before the fight.

"Is that all you got?" Yuuta taunted her but she was no amateur she was taught by the best warriors in the world.

Using wind magic she picked up her pace going for a piercing strike to his stomach. A shockwave was left at her starting point as she zoomed across the courtyard Yuuta easily dodged circling around her landing a elbow In the back of her head. She fell face first into the ground sliding a couple of feet. The whole crowd started laughing as she stood up her face was bright red in embarrassment.

Terra couldn't make sense of the fight everything she tried was dodged or redirected so easily it was like he was toying with her. She tried coming up with a plan but before she could move Yuuta cast a small fireball the size of a baseball. Terra was surprised at how fast he could cast barely blocking the fireball. When she looked back at Yuuta he was gone only feeling a slight breeze before a sword was on her neck.

"What how did you do that?" She asked in surprise. "You got too focused on that fireball it was almost to easy to get behind you." Yuuta chuckled as the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Our new lord is so strong!"

"That's for sure I wouldn't want to fight him!"

The knights all admired his strength the maids where all jealous of Ria. The nobles were just plain jealous.

Terra forfeited the match and the crowd slowly dispersed back to there duties. Terra was still in shock at what just happened. She trained for years never taking a day off to get where she was today. And she was beaten by a spoiled noble or at least that's who she thought Yuuta was. She was almost in tears as the crowd made fun of her and called her names as they passed by.

Yuuta noticed that Terra was still kneeling with watery eyes and felt a tinge of guilt. He knew what it was like to be embarrassed in front of people. Anybody who went to high school knows that feeling he thought to himself kneeling down next to Terra and patted her back.

"Sorry about that I got carried away you definitely have potential your attacks are strong and accurate. But your focusing to much on technique loosen up and don't let the battle dictate your attacks." Yuuta tried to encourage her without being condescending he didn't know if it was working or not.

Terra listened carefully at his advice before standing up and rubbing her eyes. "Sorry for getting carried away too lord it won't happen again." She felt even more embarrassed that she was getting a pep talk from the person who she was supposed to protect.

"Please call me Yuuta the lord thing doesn't suit me. Anyways let's get going it's already midday and it's a long way to the capital."

Terra's face went bright red. "Lord there's no way I can't address you formally I could be beheaded for such a thing." Yuuta started laughing at her and she stiffened up scared for some reason.

"What kind of person would I be if I beheaded you for calling me Yuuta would you even protect somebody like that. Anyways it's an order so you know you have too." Terra was amazed at how relaxed he was most nobles lived being superior to others and had no problem rubbing it in peoples faces. She spent her life around them and anytime a noble was disrespected they always took things to the extremes.

"Very well Umm Yu... Yuuta" she almost winced expecting to be hit but all that happened was Yuuta laughing at her.

Emery was talking to guard about something before making his way back to Yuuta.

"Well son be careful it's a long journey to the capital but I assume your flying right?" Yuuta nodded his head that was the only he could make it there in a day. The king was kind of being unreasonable. Terra was confused she knew nobles had monsters they tamed to fly on but she didn't see any.

"Umm Yuuta by fly do you mean on a monster?" Yuuta shook his head before answering. "Grab my hand."

Yuuta extended his hand out to her and she nervously took it. She noted how big it was compared to hers it felt nice. Coming back to her senses they were already a hundred meters in the air. She let out a squeal and clung to Yuuta's body.

"What the hell how did...Why are we... whaaaa?" Yuuta couldn't control his laughter she was definitely a character that's for sure.

"I'm using wind magic to fly have you never seen somebody do it before."

Terra shook her head of course not being able to fly was something only master magicians could do and even then it was closer to levitation. They could only hold it for a minute tops.

"Well, you have everything you need right?" Yuuta asked curiously.

"We need food for the trip." She stared.

"It's fine we should make it to the capital by tomorrow we can just hunt for tonight."

"What about tents for camping?"

"I have something I want to try it might not be comfortable but I'll try my best." She looked at him confused but was more worried about being this high in the sky.

Yuuta felt her shaking against his body.

(I guess most people would be scared if they magically flew in the sky.)

"Calm down Terra your not going to fall, I got you." Yuuta wrapped his arms around her and she dug her head into his neck. She felt a weird warmth around her and the cold air quit hitting her.

Yuuta used a wind barrier to keep the cold air out and lit a little fire to keep the inside warm. It was good practice for multicasting spells plus it got colder than a polar bears nut sack this high up.

Yuuta took off and started flying towards the capital. After an hour Terra started to loosen up and got entranced in the view a bright smile plastered on her face. "This is amazing Yuuta! You do this all the time?"

"Yea pretty much it's way faster than horses and better than all the bumping of the carriages." Terra finally quit hugging Yuuta and only held his hands as he picked up the pace easily breaking the sound barrier.

With nothing else to do Terra made small talk.

"So why haven't I heard of you before? A noble as strong as you should have made waves through the kingdom. But me being assigned to Yuart was the first time I heard of you?"

"Well I'm not a noble by birth actually until 2 weeks ago I was an adventurer. I came to Yuart for a request....well long story but Emery ended up adopting me."

Terra had a dumbfounded expression in her face his story didn't make a lick of sense.

"I know it's hard to believe but Emery has his reasons trust me and I mostly did it so Ria would have a home if something happened to me."

Terra was a little lost for words. "Whose Ria?"

Yuuta flashed a bright smile and went on an hour-long speech about Ria mostly about how great she was. She almost regretted asking. He was in the middle of talking about how great her cooking was till he grimaced and looked down towards the main road to the capitol making a very serious face. Terra couldn't see anything they were too high up but Yuuta was focusing on something.

"What's Wrong?"