Although people could not spontaneously turn into ice, Roland felt that the current chill crawling down his spine came pretty damn close.

Princess have mercy, this guy smells like a field of flowers. And why does he feel so freaking soft... Not throwing the perfumed boy off took a lot more willpower out of him than maintaining his fake smile.

“I’m also happy to meet Brother Ayer once again,” Roland replied in a steady voice, preparing himself to defend the next attacks while trying very hard to not question his way of life. Still better than the alternative. Just remember that.

“Crescent, I see you and your companions have once again helped our city in maintaining safety and order, nicely done. Wouldn’t know how we’d survive without you guys,” Bardric praised the valiant work Roland’s group had done on this historic day.

The fact that none of the bystanders batted an eye at his obvious mockery showed one how truly deranged these nobles actually were.

Roland’s smile twisted slightly to one side but he still managed a short reply, “Thank you, Bardric.”

A little voice inside of him really wanted to add something along the lines of ‘Your inspiring example always drives me to do my best’. Alas, Roland decided to keep the sarcasm in check for now.

That leaves the thorns for last. Though I’d take some verbal abuse over these vomit inducing snakes any day of the week.

Turning towards Tanya, who like any proper noble lady was waiting for the gentleman to greet her. Despite not yet officially being a Lunar Priestess, she still deserved the greeting of one due to her circumstances basically guaranteeing that she would assume that position in the near future.

After all, while it was only right to differentiate tigers and cats, trying to make a point about the distinction between a young and an adult dragon was simply pointless. One might as well bow from the start.

Repeating the gesture he made at today's prayer, Roland held one hand above his heart, before bringing it in an arc above the head down towards his side. A quick bow concluded everything.

“Greetings, Miss Cotales. May the Princess watch over you,” Roland laid it on somewhat thicker than necessary.

Faking a smile felt much easier towards the beauty. Not that he had any uncouth thoughts towards the highborn girl. Like most sane people he preferred having all his limbs attached after all.

Big green eyes lit up like emeralds upon Roland’s crisp movements as Tanya instinctively replied, “And may her wish be fulfilled.” But they quickly returned to normal, predisposition cutting both ways.

Condescension marring her face, the blonde girl icily complained, “Made us wait long enough, Crescent.”

Not sure if that’s fair criticism considering I did not even know you were here.

“My sincerest apology. I will strive to be more careful in the future,” Roland expressed his regrets. Not that anything he could say would avert the tirade coming his way.

“It must be hard for someone of your upbringing to understand, but we are not so free as to idle our precious time away while you gallivant around who knows where,” Tanya berated Roland, looking at him accusingly like he had just burned down a couple nurseries on the way here.

As should be blindingly obvious by now, Tanya did not follow the other two’s example, and instead made her distaste toward Roland’s continued existence well known.

Back when Claire told Tanya about her intention of joining the Crescent Helpers, the latter had protested quite strongly and argued Claire could do the same things as those moronic boys did, only infinitely better, if she got some people of her own together.

In the almost priestess’s not so humble opinion there was no need for someone as exalted as Claire to spend time with those bottom-feeders. Which she told her friend word for word.

Why, if you have that little time probably best not to waste so much of it complaining about me.

“I assure you no gallivanting was committed. This one wouldn’t dare,” Roland seriously said, choosing to count Thomas’ little friendship adventure as more of a tactical diversion than entertainment.

“Humph, guess we will have to take your word for it,” Tanya huffed, dissatisfied by Roland’s calm reactions. Stopping one step short of calling him a liar, she crossed her arms and turning away from the eyesore.

Claire watched the exchange with a wry smile, finding her friend’s childish response quite endearing while being equally embarrassed by the unfounded complaints.

Roland did not mind Tanya’s obstinate attitude all that much. Having dealt with her in the past he knew she did not actually hate him, but simply disliked all the recent attention Claire gave their group. This made her vastly superior compared to the two suitors.

If she were not literally one of the most important people in Seasons, I’d even go as far to say she was behaving cutely.

About to thank Tanya for her mercy, Roland stopped himself when he realized that it would probably be for the best to let her have the last word. Assuming a more relaxed stance, the considerate boy turned towards Claire and couldn’t help but notice the girl’s floating companion hovering between Tanya and herself.

The sword seemed to be acting happier than before, if one could call a sword happy. Hovering closer to Tanya than its actual owner, the wooden sword wiggled around excitedly, a faint white light emanating from the blade’s edge.

Haven’t seen it do that before. Roland was intrigued, but seeing that neither of the girls seemed surprised by its behavior he chose to file it away under the daily growing pile of ‘magic things I don’t understand’.

One day. He comforted himself knowing the only place someone like him could realistically acquire magic knowledge was the Capital.

Having defended the three nobles' attacks without physically or mentally succumbing to them Roland should be in the clear, because his ‘guardian’ would hopefully support him in any further conversation. The most reliable little girl in all the surrounding lands took the silence as her cue.

“We were just talking about the upcoming Midsummer Ceremony. Sadly, me and Father missed it last year, but we heard you organized quite the event. I wonder if we will do it again this year,” Claire mentioned one of the biggest and strangest projects Roland had ever managed, at the same time not forgetting to cheekily include herself in the upcoming one.

This seemingly offhanded comment basically announced she had officially joined the Crescent Moon Helpers, while at the same time denying any of her companions the chance to talk about it without rudely changing the topic of conversation.

Ah, our halfheartedly named ‘Fire Safety Day’. If today can be considered a haphazardly put together disaster, then that one was the biggest ass-pull we have ever managed to pull off so far. Roland though back to a horribly stressful day, almost an entire year ago, nostalgic glint in his eyes.

Of course, the only reason I can look back fondly on it is because everything worked out in the end. Chiding himself mentally he made sure not to forget about the horrible disaster which had been barely averted on that day. Nostalgia is not bad in and of itself, but I shouldn’t romanticize the past.

Now whether or not to repeat last year's event, that was something he honestly had not thought about. All the work the early admission fiasco required, combined with his usual troubles, had not given him a lot of time to think about much else.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t,” Roland decided on the spot. “It was quite popular with the children last year. Good to give them something to do, especially when the whole city becomes as lively as it does for the festival.”

Claire seemed quite happy with his reply, no doubt imagining countless ways to help out and really claw herself a spot in the group. Tanya on the other hand displayed a hard to read expression, most likely remembering last year’s commotion and being unsure if a repeat was something to look forward to, whereas Ayer just nodded his head from time to time, admiring the two beauties.

Roland couldn’t help but slightly respect the way this rich scion seemed to take everything at his own pace, though he remained unsure how much of it was genuine. A snake doesn’t magically turn into a peacock when you put some feathers on it.

“I agree, those brats really know how to make nuisances of themselves. Best assign them some corner to entertain themselves in,” Bardric condescendingly said, annoyed at having the troublemaker be the center of conversation. The pointed look towards Roland made his statement sound quite ambiguous.

You should work on your hearing comprehension, buddy.

Claire shot an exasperated look towards the troublemaker, Bardric however remained unperturbed. He would tolerate Roland’s presence, and even lower himself to greet him but nothing more.

“If I remember right your father praised last year's event, right Tanya?” Claire asked her best friend, trying to steer the conversation back towards a more positive direction.

Maybe her family did not lay as big of an importance on acting as other noble families did, because one could see the literal struggle on Tanya’s face, trying to decide whether to agree with her best friend and praise the pest or take him down another notch.

The ultimate decision ended up being a noncommittal reply, “Father might have said something along those lines. I don’t exactly recall. He did however praise a particularly feisty snail that made it into one of the church’s flowerbeds recently.”

“…” The apologetic look Claire gave Roland hurt more than any comparison to suicidal gastropods ever could.

“Now if that doesn’t sound like the best thing since spatial earrings then I don’t know. I’d really like to help out, Brother Snail, if you don’t mind of course,” Ayer’s unexpected and slightly aggravating save stumped everyone momentarily.

Bardric was about to make a comment about his rival's unusual charity when he noticed Claire’s happy smile. Cursing Ayer on the inside he would not allow himself to be outdone.

“Truthfully Roland, I too wanted to support your projects for some time now. Not wanting to impose, I held back. Seeing we all want to help, and knowing how much work is required for such a grand task, I feel it’s only right that I join in on the fun as well,” Bardric offered his assistance, leaving little avenue for rejection. Going for the ‘heroic champion helping the commoners’ look, he seemed quite confident of himself.

“You do know we aren’t planning on beating the kids, right?” Ayer’s ruthless question gave rise to several sharp intakes of breath, the surrounding nobles and servants quickly averting their eyes in hopes of not getting caught in the crossfire.

Roland tried his damnedest not to laugh, trembling all over while even Claire couldn’t stop a small giggle from escaping, before forcing a serious expression. Tanya on the other hand looked shocked, brows furrowed in anger. Not at the crude jest mind you.

The current butt of the joke however noticed none of these reactions, gaze instead fully focused on his enemy. The anger in Bardric’s eyes shot out like a volley of deadly arrows only to be stopped powerlessly by Ayer’s smile. The latter twisted his head to the side quizzically.

“Everything alright, Bar? You look constipated,” Ayer inquired, filled with concern for his friend. It truly brought a tear to ones eyes. “I think I got a bottle of barely expired stomach medicine here somewhere. I’ll sell it to you at market price if you need it.” Such camaraderie.

The situation further worsened when Ayer actually took out a little glass bottle full of murky brown liquid. If someone would have asked him why exactly he carried around expired medicine, everything might have been resolved with amicable laughter. Alas it appeared that nobody possessed enough comedic chops to defuse the conflict.

Veins throbbing at his temple and surging along his clenched arms, Bardric looked about ready to murder someone. That someone being the gilded boy in front of him.

“You should learn to think before you speak,” the incised noble snarled, expression a promise of manifold pain. “It’s annoying having to hear all the unfiltered garbage that keeps spewing out of your mouth.”

“Ah, I hope I didn’t offend you with undue concerns, my friend,” Ayer exclaimed dramatically, covering his mouth using one hand, eyes wide upon realizing what a terrible faux pas he had committed. “You know I only want what’s best for everyone. Pardon any misunderstanding on your part.”

While the Crescent Helper’s little leader was quite entertained by this dog fight, he also remained plenty worried about getting caught up in it. For good reason as it showed.

“Roland!” Ayer’s shout rang through the air, instantly making all eyes turn to the boy who currently sported a strained smile. “Too many people helping out is just going to create chaos. So, which one would you rather have? My in matters of organization well trained self, a dozen servants always at the ready to help in case of emergency, or that guy over there?”

Pointing vaguely in his rival's direction, Ayer really knew how to rile somebody up.

Said riled up rival silently awaited Roland’s answer, using the break to think about good comebacks against his nemesis.

I wonder what Ayer’s reaction would be if I picked ‘that guy’. Ruminating interesting scenarios, Roland briefly considered whether he should bounce the question to Claire, ultimately choosing the good-mannered option instead.

“There is a lot of work involved in organizing everything,” He answered diplomatically. “Both of your help would be greatly appreciated.”

The condescending look Bardric gave him was a clear indicator of how much he valued Roland’s reply.

“You calling me a liar?” Ayer asked, tone frosty, before breaking out into a grating laugh and once again slinging his hand over Roland’s shoulder much too familiarly. “Just kidding of course.”

Roland briefly wondered what he had done wrong in his life to deserve this fruity smelling brat’s attention. Though his wannabe friend’s next words gave him other, more immediate concerns. It seemed someone did not want the conversation to proceed amicably.

“My brother has graciously allowed your kind to help out,” Ayer barked at Bardric. “How about showing some gratitude?”

Apparently fully prepared to give his foe an aneurysm today, the golden boy once again forced Roland to pick a side. Join him in making fun of a, once again, angry looking Bardric, or speak out against his very own ‘Brother’.

Can’t do any of that so guess this is as far as I’ll go today. A couple of sentences and I’m already discarded, what a farce. Pretentious theater.

Roland’s frustration mounted, as much for his own powerlessness as for the noble boy’s gall of using him like a stick to prick his opponent.

Feeling like a mouse being toyed around by cruel cats Roland could do nothing except wait for a nicer feline to safe him.

“Enough of that. Mister Roland is busy with his many responsibilities,” said friendly cat, named Claire, finally had enough of the one-sided show. “You both can tell me how you would like to contribute another time, and I will relay it to him.”

“Wonderful, I have a lot of great ideas we can talk about during a nice lunch when you got the time, my dearest.” Ayer replied, instantly forgetting about Roland, dropping the latter like a discarded toy. “My family recently acquired a couple particularly exotic fruits all the way from Eternity. I’m sure they will taste fabulous.”

A small shiver ran along Roland’s back, not because of the treatment he had received, but at how Ayer so easily manipulated his way to a lunch with Claire. Though a small part of him felt that something was off.

How can somebody sly enough to use his hotheaded rival and my poor self to get what he wants, not realize that Claire is going to be annoyed at him? It almost feels like he wants to spend time with Claire but doesn’t care about her opinion of him. Not really what I would consider textbook courting. Does he have some other motives?

The skeptical look Bardric currently displayed further supported Roland’s thoughts. Though unlike him, the confrontational noble would leave it at that. Thinking too deep about his rival’s convoluted schemes tended to backfire on him.

“Fruits from the heathen’s, eh?” Bardric scoffed. “Looking forward to trying those, my friend.”

And although Ayer could hardly exclude his foe after Claire basically agreed to let them both help, he could still be petty about it.

“Don’t worry Bar, I’ll be sure to account for your upset stomach,” Ayer reassured his close friend without batting an eye. “We’ll easily find you a few pieces of bread to nibble on or something like that.”

If they wouldn't be such a giant inconvenience to himself, Roland might have been impressed by Ayer’s unceasing veiled insults. As it stood, he tried to at least be happy about the fact that Bardric’s attention was fully focused on the gilded menace.

Roland wondered if these two always fought against each other this way, quickly realizing the current situation simply favored Ayer.

He doesn’t have to keep up a valiant image and can just go wild with his performance. Bardric has to behave in a way fitting for a ‘future commander’. I doubt he would allow him to act this way if they were alone.

A small smile was quickly hidden as Roland imagined an incised Bardric, waving a sword around wildly while running after a giggling Ayer. The latter spouting endless torrents of abuse and throwing gold counts into his pursuer’s face from time to time.

“That’s about enough out of you people,” Tanya declared coldly after getting more and more annoyed with each passing second. “I don’t enjoy using my limited free time to watch three idiots spit insults at each other.”

Being lumped in together with the other two brought Roland close to tears. The call to end his horrid torture made him quite happy on the other hand.

Bardric seemed more embarrassed than angry at her harsh words, most likely feeling like he had lost by getting riled up in the first place. And Ayer obviously showed Tanya nothing but the nicest of smiles for her well-intentioned criticism. Or it could be that he somehow did not count himself as one of the three idiots.

“I totally agree with you, Sister, some people really don’t know how to behave themselves in company,” Ayer said shamelessly, shaking his head in disappointment. “I’m sure brother Roland has a lot more important things on his plate. We shouldn’t impose any further.”

Wow, to think I could actually appreciate something this maniac said.

“Yes, I’ve seen more than enough brain-dead boys for one day. Let’s go do something fun instead, Claire,” Stepping closer to her best friend’s side, Tanya put on a pleading look which could have melted the coldest of ice. And Claire was lukewarm water at best.

“Fine with me,” Bardric agreed, giving a cold stare towards his rival. “I wish you a great rest of your day, Miladies. Hopefully that buffoon’s theater has not spoiled it completely.” His goodbye seemed almost practiced, like he read it from some secret sheet hidden somewhere. Or possibly the inside of his hand.

Despite technically being the center of their very civil conversation, Roland had no say of his own about whether and when they should end it. At this point he sadly ascended towards being a particularly lively looking prop. Nobles truly were a headache.

When the surrounding audience slowly split apart, servants and guards joining their respective master, Claire took Tanya and approached Roland, hoping to have a quick chat with him before leaving.

Some things were simply not meant to be however. Today mostly due to a particularly annoying someone having different plans.

“Seeing as we are done for today, why don’t you join me for a bit, Brother Roland. I feel like we have a lot to discuss, both of us being fellow men of virtue,” Ayer suggested suddenly, not waiting for a reply as he grabbed Roland by the hand and pulled him along across the bridge.

A surprised Roland tried to reflexively stop, but Ayer’s small body hid formidable strength, making him unable to shake of the fancy boy’s grip. Composing himself, Roland took a resigned breath and quickly pushed forward until he walked right next to his wannabe kidnapper. A quick look at the latter and his arm was released.

So much about not imposing on me. Looks like I probably won’t get any studying done whatsoever.

“Wait,” Claire called after them, perturbed by what was happening.

“I’m sorry my dear, this talk is something we men need to have on our own. I hope you can understand,” Ayer told her, his voice much to jovial for the current situation. “I’m sure Roland can fill you in on anything important later.”

Claire wasn’t really convinced, but ultimately stepped down when Roland gave her a quick nod. Meanwhile Arthur and Thomas pushed past the leaving crowd, looking concerned at their boss being led away. Well one of them did.

Roland saw them and wondered whether they should join him, but when two new figures entered his field of view a shudder ran through him as his eyes widened, previous thoughts discarded.

Damn, what kind of show are you putting on? I don’t have any interest in Claire, so can you please leave me alone.

Hoping that his two companions would safely wait here for him, he gave Arthur a reassuring look, which ended up being about as convincing as one would expect of someone in his current situation.

The duo could not have followed their leader anyway, because the way across was now blocked. Two identical looking men had appeared seemingly out of thin air to occupy the bridge’s entrance.

There was little question about which faction they belonged to, seeing that their clothes had the same gilded seams as Ayer’s. What looked disturbing however were the golden veils which obscured most of their faces, only leaving a small slit at the eyes open. They fell down across their bodies, splitting into dozens of silky trails full of ornaments and glittering runes.

One could have mistaken these two for dancers from afar, at this distance however Arthur distinctively saw their bodies of steel. A whole head taller than even himself, with arms and legs twice the width of his. It looked unnatural; proportions not fit for a human body. They somehow managed to move gracefully nonetheless. These two were without a doubt the Toktuam family's guards. And not low-ranking ones.

They stood motionless in front of the bridge, like giant pillars carved of shining metals, until Roland and their master crossed the bridge. The literal second both youths stepped onto the other side the guards, in a display of eerie perfection, turned around and followed.

No noise was made. Not from their metal ornaments clashing nor their feet touching the bridge. Every step, every twist, every movement, down to the sway of their veils looked identical.

Arthur’s head suddenly jerked to the side. Using one hand to cover his mouth, he suppressed the urge to vomit. Watching those guards’ movements gave him terrible nausea. The whole world seemed to twist unnaturally while only they remained steady.

He was not the only one affected, as everyone who had paid attention to the situation suffered from similar symptoms, some vomiting right then and there to the chagrin of their companions.

The only unaffected ones were Claire and Tanya, though the threateningly swaying wooden sword next to them may have something to do with that.

Bardric similarly still looked at the departing group, mostly fine except for his face, which currently resembled a strongly squished sponge.

Giving a cold harrumph to no one in particular, he stopped thinking about his rival's eccentric behavior, knowing more qualified people will make sense of it for him later, and took his leave.

Today had been a giant waste of time for him, though the same could be said about most days he had to deal with his intrepid foe. He hoped sometime in the future the stars would align in his favor, and tried his best not to make any big mistakes before that moment came.

Claire averted her eyes from the silhouette of her apparent leader, quickly getting smaller in the distance, towards the even faster retreating Bardric.

“How can a great day turn into such a mess in a matter for minutes?” Claire complained to the blonde girl standing by her side, looking incredibly miffed.

“That’s what happens when too many of these imbeciles meet. They create chaos and annoyances. We should have relaxed in your garden instead, Mother made some wonderful treats I wanted to share with you,” Tanya replied, hopeful glint in her eyes.

Having had a bad opinion of those three boys from the start, she wasn’t surprised the situation developed into a mess. Though even she had to admit it ended in an unexpected way. Choosing to ignore the boy’s future antics, Tanya hoped to spend the rest of her day with Claire, far away from these nuisances.

“All right let us do that,” Claire agreed with a sigh, displaying a somewhat resigned smile as she turned towards the frustrated Arthur. “I am really sorry, but Roland will be fine. Even if Ayer may be a bit eccentric, he is a good person at heart.”

“Oh, I know our Boss will be fine, he has dealt with things far worse than some overeager noble brat,” Arthur scoffed, overflowing frustration turning into anger, he gave the two girls a dark look. “This humble servant would nonetheless appreciate if you could get a grip on your little toys.”

The instant he finished regret welled up from inside of Arthur. He was disappointed in himself for letting his feelings get the better of him.

Alas, Roland was one of his weak points. Seeing him be so nonchalantly ‘kidnapped’ without being able to do anything against it made him immensely frustrated. Something which ended up being further aggravated by Ayer’s little show of strength at the end.

Claire appeared speechless at his outburst, never having expected the usual taciturn boy to utter such confrontational words. She wanted to justify herself, tell him it wasn’t as easy for her as it seemed, but failed to find the right words. Her companion on the other hand found quite a few words. If they were the right ones however remained up for debate.

“How dare you little worm raise your voice against my Claire!” Tanya lashed out at Arthur, voice shrill with an aura of palatable fury, like any mother bear would if someone dared touch its cubs. “Standing there like a worthless oaf, watching your friend gets taken away. And somehow it’s Claire’s fault? How about blaming your own weakness instead, you worthless bottom-feeder.”

Taking a deep breath, to most definitely continue her tirade of abuse, Tanya was interrupted by a grateful Claire. Though on a closer look the latter seemed to be one part grateful and nine parts mortified.

“That is enough Tanya.” Claire calmed her friend down as she grabbed the furious girl by her shoulders, possibly hoping to find an off button somewhere. “Arthur is simply concerned for his friend, there is no need for such harsh words.”

Tanya snapped out of it upon feeling Claire’s touch. Quickly reddening she averted her face, embarrassed at her outburst but still stubborn, she huffed sulkily, “He started it.”

Upon hearing her friend’s childish reply Claire heaved a relived sigh, before pulling Tanya closer and whispering something in her ear. The latter momentarily stiffened like board, meekly stepping behind Claire a moment later. Gaze directed at the ground, she used her long hair to obscure the rising embarrassment.

Claire gave one of today’s many apologetic looks to Arthur. Maybe she should just write ‘Sorry’ on her forehead, or carry a cute little sign around with her. Certainly things to consider for the future.

Still shell-shocked from getting chewed out by a girl half his size, Arthur had cooled down noticeably. Realizing how bad things could have gotten if he talked that way towards any other nobles, he felt ashamed.

Tanya’s words cut deep inside, fueling old pains to once again burn bright. Overwhelmed by all his emotions he quickly erected a stone façade, pushing everything deep inside.

“Another day,” Arthur muttered quietly, completely emotionless besides a glimmer of sadness in his big eyes, before walking back to the tree he had stood beside earlier, waiting for Roland’s return. The interpretation of his words was left for Claire to decide on.

She chose to take it as an invitation to leave this disaster behind and start anew another time. Wordless taking Tanya by the hand, Claire led her friend away, the little wooden sword soundlessly following behind them.

By now everyone else had long fled, not keen on being involved in the brewing trouble. Even those that wanted to appeal to Claire wisely chose to leave upon hearing the little almost priestess’ outburst. Though if one were to ask them about it, they’d most definitely plead ignorance. After all, the bishop’s darling daughter couldn’t possibly have such a foul mouth.

There remained only one figure by Arthur’s side. Shaking his head like a wet dog, Thomas wondered why everything seemed so blurry. Having missed out the greater part of the conflict between his friend and the lady in white he was mostly unperturbed.

“Bye bye,” Thomas gave his farewells, waving one hand in the departing girls’ direction, before waddling after Arthur.

“Didn’t know Boss and that golden kid were such good friends,” He murmured quietly to himself. “Real scandalous.”

A surprised shriek sounded from the distance. Claire and Tanya had gotten startled when the wooden sword for some inexplicable reason crashed into the ground. It floated back into position mere moments later, somehow looking like it was pretending that nothing happened.

Arthur meanwhile abruptly turned to stare his friend, eyes the size of saucers. Any previous emotions forgotten, only utter disbelief remaining.

Scared by both the large boy’s sudden movement as well as the girl’s shrieks, Thomas flung his arms over his head, looking at the sky for any possible danger. Apparently channeling his inner rodent.

“This is not happening,” Arthur stammered out. “That rich shit is after Claire. No way he has an interest in Boss.” The previous feelings of powerlessness and frustration were replaced with a whole new kind of terror.

He thought back to the few times he had seen the noble boy, his face slowly darkening. Publicly known as one of Claire’s suitors but usually just letting his mouth run without regard for her or anyone else. And then there was also the incessant ‘Brother Roland’ and all the unnecessary physical contact.

What previously felt like a gaudy bird suddenly turned into a predator, spinning his web around their leader so fast they couldn’t even mutter a word of complaint.

Eyes twitching, Arthur turned towards the direction Roland and Ayer had left, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at the newfound possibilities.

“What in the actual fuck.”