About 16 years ago, it was a cloudy day,

I am feeling...So weak...I can’t see anything clearly...

I fall to the ground, I am feeling hungry and I have nowhere to go...I look at my face in the puddle below me. I don’t have the strength to continue walking...

That’s how I lost my consciousness...

Present day,

My eyes open but my body feels heavy...That dream I had, that was when...

“He’s awake! He’s awake!” I hear a familiar voice next to me so I look to my right and it seems that voice was of that little Princess. She seems to be smiling...

I see that Horrell is healing my wounds, “I told you to leave, I told you that it’s not safe here and yet you...Just how many times do you plan to put your life in danger?!” Horrell questions me.

It seems that I am in the med bay of the academy.

“Where’s Luke?” I ask Horrell.

“He is attending the class.” Horrell replies to my question.

“So why are both of you here?” I ask.

“That’s because of how reckless you are and I have been healing you for the past 2 hours. At least that’s my reason, I don’t know about the Princess.” Horrell says as she concentrates on healing me.

“I...I just wanted to thank you...” The Princess’s head seems to be down. It’s like she realizes that she might have done some kinda mistake.

“Thank me?” I ask. “You saved me back then...I think very few people care about my existence.” That little Princess has a sad smile. “There was you...” The little Princess started to tear up, “Even though I tried to kill you and I looked down at you, you saved me *Sniff* you saved me *Sniff*” She is wiping her tears as she is speaking.

I sigh with a sad smile, “But I lost...So I guess I am leaving the academy...Since that was the deal...But...” I had a fun time in this academy but...To honor my deals is one of my most important rules but...

“Don’t *Sniff* Don’t leave please *Sniff*”

That little Princess who hated me till yesterday...All of a sudden, she’s crying in front of me like a baby.

“If you now *Sniff* who will *Sniff* who will teach me? *Sniff* you said that *Sniff* that you will teach me the Tree of Hermes, right? *Sniff* I will learn it! I will learn it! I won’t even talk about the Tree of Ares! I will listen to every word you say and I will obey all your or-“

*Pat*

I pat the little Princess’s head, “You idiotic little Princess, even if I wanted to leave, I am pretty sure that the old man wouldn’t let me leave that’s what I was about to say.” I say with a smile while soothing her head.

I notice that Horrell has her own hand her head. I chuckle as I look at Horrell's pouting.

I pat Horrell’s head with my other hand, “Both of you are my lovely students and I wouldn’t leave you even if my life was on the line.”

That day, the two students had seen their teacher smile a cheerful smile. He was hurt and yes one of the students tried to kill him and yet...The teacher treated him with great care.

The little Princess cried like a baby and Horrell smiled for once but this is just the beginning of my journey as their teacher. I still have a long path to go.

I sigh, “Alright, I am going home.” I say as I feel a very slight pain in my body thanks to Horrell.

“Sir Dan! Am I going to run tomorrow too?” The little Princess asks me. She seems to be smiling and is quite excited.

“Sure! But I will need to focus on other students too, so we will do that training after school, what do you say?” I ask. The little Princess nods with a smile, “Okay!”

I get out of the med bay, “She hasn’t been this happy in quite some time.” I look to my right as I look at the First Princess. I sigh, “I am not leaving-“

“Good or else I would have killed you...More like...You would have killed me if you didn’t hold back.” The First Princess suspiciously looks at me.

“Come, walk with me.” The First Princess says. “Nah, I prefer not getting stabbed.” I say holding my stomach.

“I AM NOT GOING TO STAB YOU!”

I walk with the First Princess, “So First Princess...Why did you want me to walk with you?” I ask as we both walk in a corridor. The Princess sighs, “Call me Flesty or Miss Flesty when we are in the academy. Secondly, I wanted to apologize for what I did to you...” The First Princess says with a sad tone.

“Apology? I don’t want any apology from you after what you did.” I say as I stop. The First Princess stops with me. “You know, if anything happens to me, I don’t care about that but...You tried to hurt one of my students than there’s no way I will forgive anyone who hurts my student! Doesn’t matter if they are the King or even the Princess!” I say as I begin to leave.

“Tsch! You don’t know about her or else...You would have left her too, just like Sir Tarand.” Flesty says with a sad face.

I look back. She seems to be speaking to herself.

I am leaving for today since I don’t have any more lectures today but...It seems I am forgetting something really important...

I think as I am making my way out of the academy but that’s when I see The Little Princess standing in front of the entrance gate.

“Little Princess?” I am kinda surprised to see her there.

“I think she is the one who can give you the information you need on Tarand.” Horrell speaks as she is leaning her back to a wall near the entrance gate.

That’s right...I needed some information on Sir Tarand, I wanted to know why everyone admires him so much.

“I see...Hey, Little Princess wanna come with me to the canteen? I am sure your sister won’t mind if I take ya with me.” I say as I point towards the canteen. She nods.

I walk with Horrell and The Little Princess to the canteen. The canteen is empty since it is lecture time. We take a seat in the canteen near a window.

“So, about Tarand...” The Princess nods, “Sir Tarand...Where should I begin with?”

“From the very beginning.” I say as I look ready to listen to her.

The Princess nods, “Every 15 years, The God Ares demands a sacrifice for great power. Through what the church says, the sacrifice should be made from within the King’s family so that the King can get great powers from the God Ares to protect our Kingdom. 15 years ago, my mother was the sacrifice they made. It was right after I was born that she was sacrificed and burned to death in the name of the God Ares. This year...It’s my turn...It was an obvious choice since my big sister excelled in pretty much everything.” The Princess says with a sad face.

A sacrifice...Ares does demand sacrifices but I have never heard of such charade. This church is pretty fishy sounding. I will check out on them when I can but currently, I wanna know about Sir Tarand.

“Where does Tarand fit in all of this?” I ask.

“As you know this is my first year at this academy...Even though I am about to die, the King wants me to act like a normal person since no one should know which royal family member is about to be sacrificed. They would try and kill that family member if known to them. So he sent me here.” The Little Princess says with a sad face.

“The first day when I arrived here was the day...I met Sir Tarand.”

It all began 6 months ago, when the Little Princess met Sir Tarand. Through what the Little Princess said to me, he was already a teacher here.

Sir Tarand gave her hope, he said to her, “No matter what happens, he will protect her.” So The Poor Little Princess fell for that guy’s trap.

Why do I say trap? That’s because the Little Princess was betrayed by Tarand.

The Little Princess still doesn’t realize it through what it seems. She spoke to me and said, “Sir Tarand said to me that he would speak to the King and surely save me but...Every time I asked him about that topic, he would just avoid talking to me...” But still, the Little Princess admired him. After all, he taught her different spells from the Tree of Ares.

The Little Princess was pretty naive. Through my perspective, Sir Tarand manipulated the Princess but what did he manipulate her for?

The Princess said, “One day, Sir Tarand just disappeared...Without any trace.”

Why would he disappear? Just like that...Why would he disappear?

“No one could ever replace someone huh?” That’s like no one can replace big brother Sam for me. I can understand where the Little Princess was coming from. I wonder...If big brother Sam ever left me without saying anything...What would I do?

Would I fall into despair? Or would I not care? Or maybe...I may act like the little Princess or the First Princess...

“Excuse me! Can you help me find my way to the Academy of The Wise and Learning?” A man asks me.

I guide him the way. I guess his some kinda new teacher or something but he's wearing a weird long robe. What kinda magus is he?

I don’t pay much attention and just make my way home. Since big brother is out working late again, I will need to stay awake.

At night,

A girl was running in the dark, she seems to be wearing a short skirt and a green top. She seems to be running away from three people in purplish robes, “Someone...Someone...Someone...SOMEONE HELP ME!”

*Bash*

The girl crashes into a huge man who is well built and wearing glasses, “Hmm?” The man looks down at the girl.

“Are you alright, girl?” The man asks the girl.

“Three *Huff* Three *Huff* Three people...Save...”

The girl isn’t able to get her words out of her mouth due to her scared self and the man looks at the three people behind him. The man sighs and brings the girl behind him.

“Oh boy...What do we have here? I am guessing that these three are the ones chasing you?” The man asks the girl. The girl nods.

*Swish*

Without uttering a word, one of the people in the robe quickly moves close to the huge man but...

*SMASH*

Right into the ground, the purple-robed person goes with a huge fist to his face, “Alright, you guys wanna fight?”

The man looks back up but the other two people in purple robes went away.

The man goes back towards the girl, “My name's Sam ThunderField, what’s yours?” The man asks the girl.

“My name is...Izumi Roka...I am a Princess from the lands of East and I study at The Academy of Wise and Learning! Yoshu!” The girl introduces herself as she stands and bows to Sam.

“Ah...Yeah...Wise and Learning huh? What class are you from?” Sam asks as he seems to be confused by the girl’s action.

“Class 1-A!” Izumi raises her hand in excitement.

“I see...I think you should come to my place for the night, you will be safe there since I have someone you might know at my place too.” Sam smiles.

Izumi nods, “Yoshu! Understood!”

Sam thought to himself, “What’s with this girl? She was scared a minute ago and now she’s all fine and dandy...Plus, what's with that introduction?!"

Sam sighed and he took Izumi with him.