I wake up as the morning sun shines onto my face, “Ah shit...” I look at Izumi who is sleeping on my lap.

“I guess she also fell unconscious after mana drive took effect on her.” I get up without disturbing Izumi. It’s about 7 in the morning and I have to reach the academy by 9, so I have a lot of time.

I yawn as I get out of the room and look at big brother leaving, “I need to get some extra equipment for a new weapon I making. So I am leaving early today Dan. You and that girl walk to the academy together.” Big brother says as I stretch my body, “Aight bro!” I say.

I make my way towards the kitchen.

Big brother sometimes doesn’t have breakfast early in the morning and the reason I am not worried about big brother is because big sis Brake makes sure he has breakfast even if I don’t. Big brother surely has a beautiful future with that woman. I chuckle.

“Sir Dan...” I look behind me as Izumi comes into the kitchen rubbing her eyes.

“Izumi go take a bath and once you’re done bathing, breakfast will be ready.” I say with a smile. Izumi nods. It looks like she is still sleepy.

XXXXXXXXXX

I make bread toast for the morning breakfast and serve it on an empty table. I eat my own part of bread toast as Izumi makes her way in the kitchen, “Sir Dan...” Izumi says as she sits on the chair.

“Hmm?” I look at Izumi, “What should I wear? I don’t have the academy uniform to wear since they are all at the castle.” Izumi says.

I smile, “Lemme take bath and then we will go to the castle.” I say with a smile.

Izumi nods, “Yoshu!”

What’s with her? She just got excited like hell.

“Gimme a few minutes.” I say as I move out of the kitchen.

"Sir Dan!" Izumi calls me out before I moved out.

"Yeah?" I turn around and look at Izumi.

"Thank you..." Izumi says as her face is red as a tomato.

"For what?" I ask.

"For helping me out yesterday night..." Izumi says with a smile.

"Anyday for my lovely student." I say with a smile and leave.

XXXXXXXXXX

I take a bath, make my way to the room and put on my blue jacket over a black t-shirt and make my way down to the kitchen. I look at Izumi...Why is her mouth covered with bits of the bread toast?

XXXXXXXXXX

While on the road to the castle, “Izumi, my question is, did those mages chase you all the way from the castle?” I ask as I walk with Izumi.

Izumi nods, “They just appeared out of nowhere.” Izumi says, “It was like they appeared and disappeared so quickly...It was impossible to even react.” Izumi continues on.

Invisibility? Is she talking about magic from the tree of Imam? It can be possible. I mean, I don’t see any other magic tree that can do it.

I am looking around me and as usual...I see everything is closed around me. I twitch my eyebrows, like seriously...They all are afraid of Horrell and think that she is cursed when she is as normal as she can be.

“Sir Dan?” I hear Horrell’s voice from behind me.

“Horrell, hey good morning!” I say with a smile as I look behind me.

“Sir Dan...Is that...The Princess of from the Lands of The East?” Horrell asks me.

“Sir Dan, is it okay to speak with someone who is cursed?” Izumi asks me.

“Sir Dan, why is the Princess with you?!” Horrell asks me.

“Sir Dan, why do you speak with the cursed girl?!” Izumi asks me.

“Sir Dan, have you by any chance kidnapped the Princess?” Horrell asks me.

“Sir Dan, don’t tell me that you and that cursed girl are mingly mingly with each other!”

“JUST SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!!!! FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CURSED GIRL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT! SECONDLY, I DIDN’T KIDNAP THE PRINCESS, SHE WAS ATTACKED YESTERDAY NIGHT! DO YOU BOTH GET THAT?!!!”

I scream at the top of my lungs.

XXXXXXXXXX

“My, my if it isn’t the cursed girl and the boy who tried to be a hero.” I turn behind me and look at those are the three city royal guards and these are the same ones that tried to do some nasty things 3 days ago.

Another huge person comes from behind them. He has a huge brown beard and long hair. His armor is also much more different than the normal city guard armor. Not to mention, he has two sheathed swords.

“General Hamlet...” Izumi seems to know that huge person.

“He’s a general huh? No wonder he looks different from those scummy city guards.” Even though even the general himself looks pretty scummy.

The general seems to be surprised, “What is the Princess from the Lands of East doing with you?” The general asks.

I sigh and then smirk, “She needs to get to the castle but I can’t trust you with her escort, so I am the one who is going to escort her.” I say with a smirk.

“Why would we trust you with Princess Izumi’s escort?!” The general questions my motive.

“That’s because I have assigned him as my personal bodyguard!” Princess Izumi says as she steps forward.

“What?! This weakling is a personal bodyguard?!” The guards seem to be surprised.

“General Hamlet, you better let us go to the castle or else, your job is in great danger.” I say with a smirk.

“Fine...Just this once...” General says but he seems to be quite irritated.

“Horrell, come with us.” Izumi invites her with a smile.

Horrell nods as she walks past the guards.

I sigh...Thanks, Izumi or else they would have targeted Horrell, surely...

ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER

“The King’s castle is quite big...” Horrell says as she looks at the castle.

“Ours is even bigger and wider.” Izumi says with a smile as she walks towards the castle.

We walk behind her and as soon as we reach the entrance of the castle...

“FIND PRINCESS IZUMI RIGHT NOW!” The castle seems to be in chaos due to the disappearance of Izumi.

Inside the castle, we saw the King’s court, where the King was sitting on his throne with his advisors running around the court. Which also included his daughters.

“Oye Izumi, you should let them know you are here.” I say. Izumi nods, “HEY EVERYONE!” Izumi shouts from the entrance as the chaos stops and everyone looks at us, “I AM HERE!” Izumi shouts with a smile.

“Princess Izumi and...Wait...”

The Big Princess and The Little Princess are here too...

“Yo, Little Princess and Big Princess, how do you do?” I ask them.

“Sir Dan...” The Little Princess seems to be surprised.

“Dan ThunderField...What the hell are you doing here?” The Big Princess seems to be irritated by my appearance.

While those two paid attention towards me the others paid their attention towards Horrell, “The cursed one...Why is she here?!”

“Isn’t she the one who can’t be killed?”

“What the hell is she doing with Princess Izumi?!”

“Why is she with Princess Izumi?!”

“Did she control Princess Izumi?!”

“We can’t be sure, let’s just kill both of them to make everything fine-“

“SILENCE!”

Only that one word was needed to silence the whole court that was in front of us.

“Welcome back, Izumi.” The King says with a smile.

Izumi bows, “Thank you, King Fracia.” Izumi thanks the King with a smile.

“Cursed or not, the girl and the guy bought Princess Izumi back.” Actually, it was my brother who saved her but I guess we will be taking the credit for it.

“The mages from the Necro guild were trying to kidnap and sell Princess Izumi. You two saved her and bought her here...But how can I be sure you aren’t working with the Necro guild?” The King asks us.

I sigh...

There was complete silence. It looks like the King is looking to frame us. Not us, but specifically, he is trying to frame the cursed girl Horrell. I can read him quite clearly. The King is not the type of man to serve injustice but...He can’t do anything when the court is the one pressurizing him. I can see the sweat dripping from his forehead to his chin. It isn’t sweat from hot weather but it’s from having the tense atmosphere in this court.

Even the King knows, if he doesn’t do something than...he will be shunned for not getting rid of the cursed girl which will be quite bad for his reputation.

After all, this is how politics work...Pressure can do a lot of things to you and it may even lead one to take bad decisions. No human is Aristotle that he can just convince everyone with his philosophy. Every human has a different philosophy and one human’s philosophy can always inflict another human’s philosophy.

In simple words, the King can be easily manipulated and if that is the case...I smile, “Oh you want to say we are the bad people here? Go ahead and say that.”

“Sir Dan?!” Izumi seems to be surprised by my words.

“Just be sure that the Little Princess or the Princess from the Lands of East will take this lightly. If you really think we are the bad people here than you should know you are no different than us.” I say.

“What?!” The King is taken off-guard.

“You heard me, you want to burn your own daughter to the stake so that you can gain power. You want to frame us so that you can get rid of the cursed girl and most importantly, you just wanted the treaty from Nippon of the Land of the East so that you can gain more power. If power is all you want that you are not a King, you’re just a greedy bastard looking to protect your own ass.” I say.

“IT’S HIS CHOICE WHO HE WANTS TO PROTECT AND-“

“DON’T YOU DARE BUTT IN PRINCESS FLESTY FRACIA!”

I stop Flesty’s advances, I am the one who is pressuring the King here now, no one else not even you Big Princess.

“Who in the world are you?” The King asks me.

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

I hear someone walking into the King’s castle from behind me, “Yo! King, how has everything been? I bought you some siege supplies like you-“

I knew it...As soon as I turn around, I look at the person talking and I already recognize that voice. It’s none other than my brother, Sam ThunderField.

I sigh, “Howdy big brother...”

I already feel a rage building inside my brother and I can see that menacing aura behind him, “Dan...Why the hell are you in the King’s court?”

I can already feel that my end is nearing me...