It didn't take long for Misha to come back. She immediately ushered Ice towards the stairs going to the second floor as soon as she arrived. Mild tension was apparent in her countenance.

Princess Thelma followed them like it was only natural. Misha only spared her a sidelong glance and shrugged her shoulders in resignation, motioning for her to hurry along, prompting a grin from her as she nodded lightly in satisfaction. She trotted towards Ices' side with light steps.

They arrived in front of large wooden double doors with ornate carvings on its surface; most prominent of which was that of the official symbol of the CQMA - a decorative shield that depicted a a large, brightly shining star with six points looming down on the world.

It was the symbol of the 'Guardians of the Light of Transcendent Knowledge' - the CQMA's old name when it started out as a knightly order that was founded for the purpose of safeguarding and managing 'The System' - the greatest legacy of the legendary beings that the people of El Fabula regarded as gods.

It was as imposing as it was grand. Ice gulped in spite of himself. But that was not because of the huge gold decorated doors in front of them but the pressure he felt from the other side of it.

"___This pressure is no joke. I'm guessing this is the office of Misha's boss. But what the heck is up with this heavy atmosphere? It's not exactly oppressive but it's not very welcoming either..."

Ices' thoughts were interrupted as Misha proceeded to open the door and ushered them inside. A tall figure stood behind a large yet casually simple table. Traces of gray peppered his unruly hair and beard. He wore a robe of black and crimson that, while fairly bulky, still failed to conceal his solidly built frame.

Sharp, piercing eyes were framed by a pair of gold rimmed glasses. He looked more like a warrior than an academic even with his current garb but, strangely enough, Ice felt no sense of dissonance from all these clashing features. Here was a true veteran who still hasn't lost his edge, Ice thought. A wise beast that hid his fangs and claws beneath a visage of calm indifference.

A deep and penetrating voice broke the silence that enveloped the room. "Greetings Sir Ice. My name is Roald Danhurst and I am the director of the Ricksvale branch of the CQMA. Pleased to make you acquaintance my good lad."

The greeting was cordial enough. Still, the oppressive air did not disappear completely. Even so, Ice thought it wasn't good to be so obviously intimidated and regulated his breathing to compose himself and greeted back.

"Likewise sir. I apologize for my present unruly state. It seems I'm still feeling a bit unwell from what happened during the test."

Roald lightly grinned and motioned for them to sit. Ice gladly complied as he truly was feeling a bit under from the pressure and the headache that assailed him, although the pain has mostly subsided.

"I see you have the princess with you lad. I heard of what you did during the second phase. Quite the dashing gentleman to come to your rescue isn't he princess? You already seem quite taken with him."

Roald's tone was teasing and Thelma lightly blushed from the remark as she pouted and offered an objection with her eyebrow slightly raised.

"Now just what do you mean by that uncle Roald? Ice really did help me out during the test and it's only fitting to be concerned about the affairs of someone I owe a lot to. Otherwise, it would be a question of my honor as royalty and as a person. Besides, this matter will likely concern the state as well so I can't very well turn a blind eye to it can I?"

"Is that so. Very well. Let's discuss the main matter at hand then." Roald hastily veered the topic off, knowing full well how much of a handful the princess was when one attracts her ire.

"___So very like her mother. Even the angle of the eyebrow is the same..." he sighed inwardly, slightly regretting the fact that he tried to tease her, given just how gullible and transparent she was normally.

It seemed that just like her mother, the late Duchess Helena Leon, the princess also has a propensity to change in demeanor when it comes to more personal matters such as a man she apparently likes. Though to what extent, Roald was not keen on probing further. His secretary, Misha, was also giving him 'the eye' so he had no choice but to back down with hands raised in surrender.

Ice was uncharacteristically oblivious to the atmosphere which may be attributed to the fact that he was currently not in the best of shapes and continued to sit silently while sporting a blank stare.

"Eherm!" Roald coughed intentionally to dispel the remaining awkward atmosphere and focused his gaze on Ice. "So, Sir Ice... I assume you already have an idea about why I requested to meet with you. Or do you still need me to clarify?"

Ice snapped to attention and thought for a moment. "Is it because of my Class?" he cautiously replied with a light voice.

"Yes, that's correct." Roald nodded in affirmation. "I assume you also know at least the basics about what that Class entails? You were recommended by Captain Seabelle after all."

Ice nodded slowly. "Yes. Well, she did explain the basics to me about what Exclusive Classes are. But I assume there's more to it than that right?"

He probed Roald's reaction with his gaze.

Roald stood up and paced over to the window. He opened it lightly, allowing the cool afternoon breeze to sift through the room, his gaze going towards the cityscape.

"In all of El Fabulan history, there was no other existence except for the 'Bestowers' more celebrated, feared and wrapped in mystique than the ones who held the privilege to be awarded an Exclusive Class. In most cases, they were special individuals, often finding themselves in pivotal roles that shaped the fates of entire peoples... Nations! And oftentimes, history itself.

Of course, there were a few who did not make even a tiny ripple in the tides. Some were because of their own folly. Some because of the folly of others..."

Roald made a bitter face after the last statement and paused for a while. It seemed that there was some deeper meaning behind it, but Ice deemed it prudent not to probe further as it might be highly personal. He waited for Roald to continue.

Roald faced them once more and, with a deeply meaningful look, he directed his gaze at Ice.

"The question now, Sir Ice, is which of them are you? What are your goals? What is it that you seek? Fame? Glory? Power? If you polish your gift, all of that could be easily attainable. I wish to ascertain which path you wish to tread with my own eyes. Of course, part of it is to sate my own personal curiosity. Since an Exclusive Class is so very rare to come by..."

Ice returned his gaze while trying not to flinch from the pressure that was reignited and fully directed at him once more as he replied.

"I am still unsure which direction my life will take from now on. Truthfully speaking, I lacked any kind of goal for quite a long time before some recent events altered my views on life and set me on the path of being an adventurer. As such, I think I still cannot satisfactorily answer your queries.

But still, actions speak louder than words as they say. You and the organization you belong to are free to judge me based on my actions from now on. If, by chance, you deem I am a dangerous existence, feel free to deal with me as you see fit.

But I will not just back down and await judgement, as insignificant as I may be right now. I have already resolved myself to claw my way out of the rut I am in now and I will not stop doing so for any one else's convenience. Please understand my lord. This time, I want to live fully for my sake..."

Silence wrapped the room once more. The gazes of the two never wavered and conveyed each of their resolutions. Roald was the one who broke the silence first, bellowing a hearty laugh.

"Ahahahahahahaha! Aaah, it's been quite a long time since I've met anyone who had this much will ever since your father princess. Truly, quite interesting. You can relax now Sir Ice. As you may have noticed already, that was just a little jest. No need to be so serious. Ahahaha!"

Ice smiled wholeheartedly. He felt comfortable with this man. There was hardly any false pretense when it came to him. Strength of both body and character. Truly, a person he could honestly admire. Still, Roald was part of an organization. And thus, he could not fully ignore the will of said organization carelessly.

"I think I hit pretty close to the truth earlier though. I don't doubt your good will my lord but you're still a local CQMA branch director."

"Hehe. Yes, well... Although I do have some responsibilities to adhere to, I also think it's still too early at this stage to be scrutinizing you my lad. I'll do something about those who may get a bit too paranoid about you. You have my word. And besides, you're favored by the princess. If I attempt to do something towards you, I fear my head would be rolling in the pavement of the castle square shortly after hehehe."

Roald gave a teasing wink towards Thelma despite knowing of her temper regarding these matters. Thelma, who was bit overwhelmed by the earlier atmosphere between the two, failed to give any proper response and just shrugged in exasperation.

"This country will not force upon you anything unreasonable Sir Ice. Some do forcefully enlist ones like you in the service of the state and of the royal family but here, you'll at least have freedom to do as you see fit just as long as you do not do anything detrimental for the country and its people. I think the royal family agrees with that course of action. Is my assumption correct princess?"

"Y-Yes of course. I give you my word Ice. I'll relay this to the court and my father as well. You have no cause for concern."

Thelma gave Ice a look of assurance and Ice smiled sincerely in return, thankful for the vote of confidence.

"Thank you. Truly. Ever since I found myself here, I've been blessed with meeting truly wonderful people. I will do my utmost to answer your trust."

Roald nodded approvingly and Thelma was caught off guard by Ices' sincere smile, causing her cheeks to redden.

"I also read in Captain Seyramour's recommendation letter that you have an unfortunate condition. Amnesia was it? This may be why we lack any information about you. But judging from the captain's... 'impassioned' wording in the letter and our conversation just now, I think it'll be alright to place my trust in you lad. Hahaha.

Though, to tell you the truth, I was actually a bit skeptical at first. The Captain Seyramour has been hit-or-miss with her recommendations lately after all. Truly, it's nothing short of a miracle why she's still able to hold on to that A+ licence of hers.

Truly bright girl that one. Only a bit too trusting I say. But she does have one heck of a temper. It's why we just approved your participation without really thinking twice about it. It's not wise to stare a looming storm in the face y'know."

"Ehem!" Misha coughed lightly and gave Director Roald an admonishing stare, prompting him to stay on topic. Ice smiled awkwardly at his surprisingly apt description of Sea.

Thelma's face shifted from a look of concern after hearing about Ices' apparent amnesia to a bewildered one after hearing of Ices' connection to the captain of her personal guard - a girl who even she acknowledged as an undeniable beauty. She felt her stomach tighten and her brow twitched slightly. She wasn't really aware of the reason why however.

"Anyway lad, feel fee to use the town facilities for adventurers as you see fit. You're one of us now after all. I look forward to news of your daring exploits." Roald patted Ices' back and laughed heartily.

"Thank you sir. But, if I may impose on your goodwill a bit further my lord, would it be alright for me to use the CQMA library for some research? I want to try and find out more about my Class if possible. The documents may have some clues to my identity as well."

"Of course lad. Anything you need. And enough with 'my lord' and stuff. That's too stiff. Just call me Roald lad. All my friends and loved ones call me that."

"Er... Sir Roald then."

Ice was reluctant to call the director with only his first name as Misha was staring daggers behind their backs as if to say 'Do not play along with his antics any more than you have to.' so he reached for a compromise. It seemed Roald wasn't opposed to it and so it was settled with that.

After some tea and snacks, the meeting with the director finally came to a close.

***

"Ice!"

Ice was suddenly tackled as soon as he came out of the CQMA building.

"You did it! You really did it! You passed. Congratulations! Ehehe."

The culprit then proceeded to bury her face on his chest while giggling happily, which resulted in Ice's face turning beet red from embarrassment.

"W-Well this is quite a surprise... I didn't expect this at all from you, considering how you are normally around us Sea..."

A stiff sounding voice came from behind them. Princess Thelma was looking at them with slightly narrowed eyes. Her brows twitched a bit.

"P-Princess!"

Sea hurriedly separated herself from the still dumbfounded Ice. Her cheeks were flushed red and she was flailing her arms wildly as she tried to come up with an excuse.

"I was j-just so happy Ice passed and got promoted so I just... w-well..."

"Er... yeah. You just wanted to congratulate him right? Nothing wrong with that really. Yup. No problem. Ahahaha..."

"Yes! Of course. Ehehe... Uh..."

"....."

The atmosphere quickly turned awkward. Sea and Thelma were evidently avoiding each others gazes.

Ice was also at a loss. He was at least able to take a hint, but he didn't have an inkling about what to do regarding this situation.

For a guy whose age equals the number of years he hasn't had a proper girlfriend, this was an exceedingly tall order, no matter how many romance series he's seen. Reality was different after all, as surreal and bizarre his current reality was presently.

"Well now. What do we have here? I have to say lad, it's only been a short while after you got properly recognized as an adventurer and you're already making waves. Roping in our most popular royal guard captain as well as our cute princess here... I'm in awe. Ahahaha!"

Director Ronald's laughter echoed in the city streets as he teased them unabashedly.

"Eh? Waaah! No director! This isn't what it looks like! Um..."

"W-What are you saying uncle?! It's not like there's anything special going on!"

Sea and Thelma managed flustered replies as Roald continued to laugh and gave them all a knowing look. Seeing the spectacle, Misha decided to interject in order to veer away from the current topic, perhaps as an act of sympathy towards the two girls.

"Ehem. Anyway, Sir Ice, I'd like to know what you plan on doing for the rest of the day. You mentioned going to the CQMA library. Shall you proceed with that now or would you like to do it later? It's getting pretty late in the afternoon after all."

Roald raised an eyebrow at Misha's sudden query that seemed to say 'Why'd you have to ruin my fun all of a sudden?' but she paid it no attention as she continued to stare at Ice with an inquiring look. Sea and Thelma sighed inwardly in relief, thankful for the much welcome intervention.

"Nah, I'm going to call it a day. I doubt I'll be able to process any information I learn properly while I'm in this condition."

"In that case, you'll need to decide on your lodgings for tonight. You could stay at any CQMA accredited inn within the city. There's a discount applied for all adventurers that have achieved a Basic Class as long as you show them this badge."

Misha handed Ice a bronze badge that looked like a miniature replica of the CQMA symbol. This identifies one as a Bronze rank adventurer and affords them several privileges like the aforementioned inn discount, the right to take on similarly ranked bounty missions and quests among other things, or so Misha explained.

The more achievements one racks up, the better the chances for promotion to a higher rank. One needs to be at least Gold ranked in order to be considered a candidate for becoming a pioneer and earn the right to join expeditions to the uncharted frontier lands - one of Ice's long term goals.

As for now though, Ice just wanted to lie down and rest. He was just about to ask about a good inn when Thelma suddenly interjected.

"That won't do. I haven't properly thanked Ice for what he did for me during the test so how about you rest up in the castle. Dinner's on me too."

Director Roald raised an eyebrow at the suggestion and revealed a mischievous grin.

"Oooh! Staying at the castle for the night. And serving dinner to boot. The princess is really going all out! There might be something like a night visit too Ice. You'd best prepare yourself."

He slapped Ice in the back and laughed heartily. Sea got teary eyed and looked at Thelma in shock.

"Eeeh! Is that so princess?... Are you really p-planning a n-night visit? B-But that's just... Waaah!"

"What?! No! Of course not! Uncle..."

Thelma and Misha eyed Roald menacingly, prompting him to stop fooling around. A wide grin was still plastered on his face however, which may be attributed to him being truly amused at the fact that his tomboy god daughter of a princess has finally gotten interested in a person of the opposite sex.

He was sure it would be amusing to see the look on his good friend's face once he finds out his daughter was already well in the middle of bittersweet adolescence.

"A-Anyway, what do say Ice? I'll introduce you to father as well. I'm sure he'll be interested in meeting a rare Exclusive Class adventurer."

Thelma was looking at Ice expectantly. Now, this is Ice we're talking about here.There was no way he would be able to decline her. He nodded weakly, influenced mostly by Thelma's pleading gaze.

"I-In that case, I'll come along too. I need to check up on my squad members at the castle too anyway."

Sea offered to come with them, apparently wanting to check up on her squad at the royal guard barracks in the castle. She was also radiating a sort of competitive aura.

"Eh? Uh, yes. Of course. You come along too Sea. You're the one who recommended him after all. You come too uncle. We need to formalize the Association's stance regarding Ice with my father."

"I'll have to request my secretary to come along too if possible."

"Eh? B-But that's..."

Misha was flustered by the notion of an official audience with the prince reagent. One normally didn't have this kind of opportunity come up just like that after all.

"Come on Ms. Klein. For me. You know just how bad I am with all that administrative stuff."

"Sometimes, I really wonder if you're just doing this to skip on work director."

"Aww. Don't say that. The royal chefs are really good you know. They do wonders with sea food dishes."

Roald looked at Misha with his best attempt at puppy dog eyes, prompting her to sigh in resignation.

"Ugh. Fine. But I better get a raise soon."

"Done."

Thus, the group headed for the castle with the princess leading the way.

***

Dinner was absolutely sumptuous, or so Ice thought. Director Roald wasn't kidding when he said the palace chefs were great at seafood dishes, which was peculiar since Ricksvale was nowhere near the sea, being situated between the Calder and Rigbaum mountain ranges along with neighboring Gran Sirius.

Apparently, the head chef came from Selsey, a bustling seaside town in the principality of Mistrobe, a ways south east of Rickvale, where he learned most of his recipes and leveled up his Skills. Why he ended up this far north was a story only known by him and the prince reagent.

Ice didn't care much about it though. As long as the fish was good, he was happy.

Director Roald ate with gusto, heaping large portions of each dish onto his plate. Sea and Misha had impeccable table manners. So did Thelma, although it was kind of expected in her case, being this country's princess and all.

Her father, the prince reagent, didn't join them for dinner, apparently engaged in some royal business or other. At least, that was what Ice got from the bits of conversation between Thelma and the castle steward.

He was worried that it had something to do with what happened during the Class change test. Nigel was the son of a royal family member after all. It's quite likely they wouldn't simply let the incident pass, even if Nigel was the one who acted like a creep. Family pride and all that.

Thelma flashed him a reassuring smile, seemingly aware of his thoughts. Ice smiled back in return, eliciting a prickly gaze from Sea. Seems he wasn't exactly out of the woods yet.

Director Roald looked bemusedly at the three of them. Misha also slipped out a light smile. She wasn't so uptight after all. But if even she would go on to tease them, Ice would literally have no way out, worrying him greatly.

***

Dinner went by without any incident. The prince reagent still showed no signs of returning anytime soon, but princess Thelma was hardly worried.

"Father will be fine." she affirmed.

"Even if it were related with what happened with Nigel, I'm sure father will find a way to smoothen things out."

She held great confidence in her father. He had always come through for her and her little brother. Ever since their mother died, he had had always been the sibling's mental and emotional pillar of support.

He had never doted on them excessively and disciplined them accordingly. But he was also kind and gentle; filled with warmth and love for his children.

Needless to say, he was a great parent. And thus, Thelma cherishes and trusts him unconditionally.

She looked around the long table to find that everyone had already finished their meals. She clapped lightly to get their attention.

"Right then! Seeing as we've all pretty much finished dinner, how about we take a quick tour of the castle. Father hasn't returned yet anyway. A quick stroll would be perfect to pass the time."

Thelma's eyes were shining in anticipation. It was pretty obvious that the one who was the most eager for taking a stroll around the castle was her. Ice guessed that she really didn't get a lot of opportunities to show guests around her home, which was understandable given her being Ricksvale's princess.

Director Roald readily agreed and, of course, he'd be roping Misha along with him. Sea agreed as well, wanting to check up on her subordinates along the way. Ice was also up for it. So the group went ahead with an impromptu castle tour with the princess as their personal guide.

***

Ice marveled at the architecture of Ricksvale castle. It would have been next to impossible for him to visit a place that actually had castles back on Earth unless he won big in the lottery or something. So he thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity, even if the place did look like backgrounds for an anime flick.

The castle gardens left a particularly deep impression. For some reason, he felt really calm and relaxed as the group spent a few moments there. It had been a truly long time since he'd felt that way ever since he joined the proverbial rat race after graduating.

Princess Thelma was also visibly enjoying herself. She was beaming all the while and there were actually quite a few times when she would brush against Ice and almost involuntarily grab his arm in excitement.

She managed to keep herself in check of course. Maybe it was partly because of Sea's sorrowful look whenever it happened. Thelma and Ice both felt a nagging sense of guilt whenever they got a glimpse of Sea's distraught face. Director Roald smiled bitterly while watching the events.

"___How painfully bittersweet..." he thought as he sighed heavily, remembering how, once in the past, he had also competed with his good friend Lord Alder for the love of a woman - the woman who would later on become princess Thelma's mother and wife to Ricksvale's sovereign ruler.

Perhaps in order to get his mind off from the bittersweet memories that now flooded him with subtle melancholy, director Roald turned to Misha, intending to tease her a bit.

"Why don't you join them too? From what I can tell, you rather seem to hold Ice in a much higher regard than most male adventurers we've come across. You're even willing to show him your smile."

Misha immediately shot the director a venomous look that seemed to freeze all the blood in his veins. Remembering that teasing this uptight secretary of his was akin to courting death, the director could only concede defeat and began to walk a little further away from the fuming Misha.

"___Oh boy. I guess I really was out of it huh. That was indeed dangerous."

The director could only bow slightly and give Misha an apologetic look while sporting a stiff smile. Misha turned away and no longer paid attention to him, allowing him to sigh in relief.

But suddenly, something caught director Roald's attention that blew away all his current thoughts. He immediately ran past the group and headed further towards the corridor, eliciting a puzzled look from the rest of them.

***

It didn't take long for them to discover the director's source of excitement.

"Cupcake! Toh!"

Director Roald suddenly leaped high up into the air, doing a triple somersault and dived straight down towards a young woman whose face was contorted into an expression of pure terror.

"D-Dad?!"

The young woman immediately reacted, bending backwards in a move that resembled Keanu Reeve's bullet dodging maneuver in the Matrix films, thus making the director rocket past her. He demonstrated great flexibility himself, correcting his posture in mid-air and landed smoothly on the carpeted floor like a gold medal winning gymnast.

The rest of the group went wide eyed at the sudden turn of events. Almost all of them had dumbfounded expressions. There was one exception though - Misha was engaged in a very rare moment of her face palming unreservedly.

The young woman did a double take and smacked the beaming director Roald right in the face with an expression that was a mix of both anger and embarrassment.

"C-Cupcake?! Why'd you go and do that? Aren't you happy to see your dear old dad. You rarely come home so we barely even see each other."

"Why do you think I've been avoiding coming home you idiot! What were you thinking leaping over like that? Seriously. You're always like this you stupid dad!"

"Um... Rose... I'm sorry to interrupt the family reunion but..."

Thelma called Rosseane's attention, not really sure about how to react to the father - daughter tandem's antics.

"P-Princess! But what are you doing here? I'd heard you were back so I was just about to come over but... Eh?! C-Captain! You too? But you were on vacation right? Eh?!!"

The young woman, Roseanne Danhurst, was getting increasingly confused by the moment.

***

"I'm really sorry about the unsightly display earlier."

Rosseane was currently bowing her head in apology towards the group, though Ice didn't exactly see the reason why she should be apologizing. The director was the one at fault after all.

They had moved to the receiving area of the guard barracks in the northeast tower of Ricksvale castle. This also served as the Sybilwynd knight division's general quarters.

They were also known as princess Thelma's personal guard and were the one's directly under Sea's command. Rosseane was actually her adjutant.

"It's alright Rose. We don't actually mind. Really. It's nice to see you getting along quite well with your father."

Everyone, especially Rosseane, wanted to retort. But after seeing Sea's immaculate expression, they all held back. Rosseane just smiled bitterly and took the opportunity to smack the back of her father's head. Director Roald actually seemed strangely happy despite the rough treatment.

Sea then proceeded to introduce Rosseane to Ice who was the only one not acquainted with her.

"Ice, this is Rosseane Danhurst. She's my second in command and also director Roald's only daughter."

"It's nice to meet you Miss Danhurst."

"Oh. Uh, likewise, I guess. Um, captain... Is this guy the one you were talking about over the comm crystal?"

"Yup. He's the one. He's got real potential you know. He also passed the test together with her majesty."

"Hmm."

Rosseane leaned in closer towards Ice with a scrutinizing look. Ice had a hard time turning away, now being fully aware of Rosseane's charm.

She had flaming red hair that gracefully fell down to her waist and sharp yet refined features. Her emerald green eyes exuded an air of vitality. She was, in all aspects, a truly lovely young lady.

"Not a bad face. Build is good too. And he has this air of maturity yet still gives off this peculiar sense of innocence. Naivete maybe? Hmmm..."

Rosseane cupped her chin in a gesture of deep thought and, after a short while, smiled mischievously towards Ice.

"Alright. You pass. You definitely qualify as boyfriend material in my book."

"E-Eeeeh?!"

Sea and Thelma reacted almost at the same time. Their faces were aghast and filled with worry.

"Ohoh..."

Rosseane grinned menacingly at their reactions. It was then that Sea and Thelma realized they fell for a trap.

"I see. So that's how it is huh. Interesting. To think they'd actually... for the same guy... Hehee."

"What the heck are you grinning like that for Rose?!"

"Oh nothing your highness. Just a word of advice for you and the captain though. Mr. Ice seems like someone with low tolerance for straightforward attacks. In other words, he's the type who's weak to pressure. So I suggest saturation tactics. Be assertive and don't let up. That way, he'll fall sooner rather than later."

Rosseane smiled brightly at the two young ladies and gave them a hearty thumbs up.

"What the heck are you saying?!"

The girls retorted in sync again. But they were visibly agitated by Rosseane's comment which was apparently evident in their inner thoughts.

"___S-Saturation attacks... As often as possible..."

"___Gotta be aggressive!... D-Don't let up..."

Their faces were beet red and steam was already coming out. Their eyes were spinning in and out of focus.

Ice felt chills down his spine. It was but a small premonition of the coming storm...

***

After things settled down again, Rosseane was briefed about what went on during the course of the day.

"So that's what happened. I thank you on behalf of the royal guards for assisting the princess Mr. Ice."

"It was nothing. Rather, I feel like I meddled more than I should."

"Nonsense. If I were there, then I would've knocked some sense into that pompous prick's head as well."

Rosseane showily cracked her knuckles and made a savage grin.

"Why weren't you there anyway Rose?" Sea asked.

"I'm off duty but some of you guys are supposed to accompany and protect the princess at all times. You're my second in command so it should be safe to assume you'd take charge of things, especially regarding the princess taking the Class Change test."

"I was trying to avoid a certain someone..." Rosseane mumbled almost inaudibly.

"Hmm?"

"N-Nothing captain. Anyway, the rest of the squad are competent enough. I saw no need to personally attend to the matter. Also, the princess requested me to stall for time so Lord Alder wouldn't notice she'd sneaked out of the palace until the test began."

Princess Thelma cutely stuck out her tongue out and made a 'guilty as charged' expression. Sea and Rosseane looked at her in exasperation.

"Wait. If some from the Sybilwynd knights were actually guarding the princess the whole time, then why didn't they appear during that scuffle with lord Nigel? I never noticed anyone else near us when I intervened." Ice asked with a perplexed tone.

Rosseane and Sea smiled knowingly.

"We've trained to be as unobtrusive to the princess' daily activities as possible so as not to make her feel boxed in and uncomfortable." Sea explained.

"Our squad specializes in blending with the environment. We try to be as obscure as we can in order to respect the princess' privacy while still effectively guarding her without fail.

You may not have noticed our men Ice, but I'm sure they noticed you. Maybe they judged your intervention would be enough and just let you do your thing. They may even have found you amusing" Rosseane added.

"___So, instead of calling them knights, maybe it's more appropriate to label them as ninjas or SPs..." Ice thought with wry grin.

"Where are the rest of them anyway? The quarters seem rather... empty." Sea inquired as she scanned the place.

Rosseane made a bitter expression and sighed.

"Uh, about that... The rest of the squad seemed oddly riled up for some reason. They were polishing their weapons and were asking if that sealed up ancient torture chamber was still in working condition. They even roped in some of the other knight squads.

Sir Killey and some of the other senior officers took them all to the Calder mountains to cool their heads off a bit before they caused any more of a commotion."

Rosseane gave Ice a pitying glance as she explained. Ice gave her a strained smile in return, finally understanding what she was getting at.

"___I don't really know the guy, but I better make it a point to buy Sir Killey a drink sometime..."

Sea held an oblivious expression all the while.

***

It was already late into the evening but the prince reagent still hadn't returned. After covering pretty much the entire castle grounds, the group decided to call it a night.

Director Roald and Misha went to talk with the castle steward to arrange a formal meeting at a later date. The rest decided to turn in for the night.

There was a bit of a commotion when deciding where Ice should sleep in. Thelma suggested one of the guest rooms in the corridor adjacent to the area where her private chambers were located. Sea objected, citing possible security risks as the reason.

On that note, she suggested Ice bunking in the guard quarters. But Thelma objected as well, citing that the accommodations would be inadequate to properly convey her gratitude.

Finally, Rosseane arranged a compromise and offered the guest rooms overlooking the palace gardens She later reasoned out that the location was suitably near both Thelma's room and the guard quarters, providing Sea and Thelma equal opportunities.

They both played dumb while blushing slightly and ultimately agreed to it in the end. Rosseane gave Ice a playful wink and patted him on the shoulder encouragingly.

Ice was peeved that they never really considered his opinion on the matter, but thought it better not to voice it out, mostly on instinct.

***

He was now lying on a large canopied bed with a blank look. So much had happened to him already. He was having a hard time processing all of it. He entertained the thought of inspecting his status window but refrained from it. Somehow, he really wasn't in the mood for complicated stuff.

He sat up and looked admiringly at the silvery rays of moonlight that were streaming from outside the open window. He felt drawn to them for some reason.

He got off the bed and slowly walked over, wanting to catch a whiff of the crisp night air. He gazed at the majestic gardens below and a sudden impulse came over him.

Wearing a mischievous grin on his face, Ice jumped off the veranda, clung to the branches of a nearby tree and dropped down with a soft thud to the garden grounds.

He once again felt awed by his newly strengthened constitution. He wondered how much more he'd be able to do as he progresses in developing his Class, though it didn't really seem like a Summoner would be a physical based Class.

Shaking off his current train of thought, he proceeded to walk towards the center of the garden, resolving to fully enjoy this impromptu late night stroll.

***

He finally arrived at the center of the garden grounds and gazed in wonder at the subject of his fascination; a tall and imposing tree that was situated right in the middle of the palace garden.

It appeared to be very ancient, yet it also welled with life. Its soaring branches spread majestically towards the heavens and it's leaves had a bright emerald sheen that glowed in the moonlight.

Small firefly-like creatures danced all around its grand frame, gathering in abundance at the topmost branches, adorning it with a crown of ethereal lights that glittered like precious jewels.

The sight took his breath away.

He marveled at the exquisite details of the wonder in front of him, now more or less quite accustomed to El Fabula's peculiar state of being. Everything appeared like a free flowing, well rendered piece of quality animation. But it was still fairly novel to him.

Ice himself looked like an animated character, but how he felt the world around him hadn't changed much. Or had it? He wasn't entirely sure now.

"It's beautiful isn't it? It's called Ylliria and is the symbol of our humble principality."

As Ice admired the scenery, a calm voice suddenly called out from behind him.

He turned around to find a tall, well built man with graceful features and a crown of wavy blonde hair smiling warmly at him. The man approached Ice with light steps and stood beside him. He was looking admiringly at the tree. The good natured smile never left his face.

Ice was dumbfounded for a moment but quickly recovered.

"G-Greetings your majesty."

"Oh?"

The man wore a bemused expression. He faced Ice and began to converse with him in a probing tone.

"How did you know? I'm pretty sure this is actually our first meeting. From what I've heard in the reports, it seems you're not actually from these parts young man."

Ice faced him and answered honestly.

"It was just a hunch your majesty. Your daughter has your eyes."

The man let out a small chuckle after Ice's reply. His smile deepened.

"I hope you're not implying that I have a maidenly smile lad."

Now it was Ice's turn to laugh. His first impression of the man, Lord Alder Falwynd Ricksvale, was rather pleasant. He hoped it was the same for the other party. There was one thing Ice really had to confirm with him though. He built up his courage and asked.

"Um... Your majesty... The reason why you stayed out so late. Was it really because of what happened during the test?"

Lord Alder sighed.

"Yes, it was. You don't have to worry about it too much though. The Garlands always had a knack for stirring up trouble. It's not like this is the first time I'd had to deal with them. They shouldn't bother you much in the future. At least not on my watch lad."

"Uh... Thank you sire. I've really troubled you with this."

Ice bowed apologetically towards Lord Alder. He grabbed Ice's shoulder and stopped him from bowing any further.

"It's all right lad. In fact, I should be thanking you. Thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"It was nothing sire. You have a really lovely daughter."

"I'm quite proud of her. But do refrain from making a move on her just yet lad. I'm too young to become a grandfather."

Despite him keeping his warm smile, Lord Alder's aura was strangely menacing. Ice smiled stiffly and nodded as if coerced. Lord Alder's aura returned to it's usual good naturedness as if nothing happened.

"___Man... Parents sure are scary..." Ice thought.

***

The pair passed the time making small talk as they gazed at the tree called Ylliria. Lord Alder was very welcoming and Ice enjoyed their conversations quite well.

Before long, Lord Alder began to talk to Ice with a serious expression.

"Ice, I'm going to be honest with you. In order to make the Garlands stop trying to have their grievances against you addressed, I had to take appropriate measures. I already revealed your status as an Exclusive Class adventurer.

The Garlands are pretty influential and have a wide social circle. It won't take long for this information to spread, at least among the members of upper society."

Ice nodded, slowly understanding what Lord Alder was getting at.

"There's bound to be people out there who will try and take advantage or make use of you. The allure of an Exclusive Class is just that powerful. I'll try to shield you from that as much as I can; at least while you're within this country's borders.

But once you go beyond here and head out towards the world, remember to always stay alert and act with caution. You can never be too careful. Though I do plan to assist you even then. Ricksvale may not be a large country. But we do have plentiful avenues of support."

Ice nodded and expressed understanding about Lord Alder's course of action regarding Nigel and his family. There was still something worrying him though and it showed in his slightly furrowed brows.

"What's wrong lad?" Lord Alder asked.

"Uh, well... Do forgive me if this sounds rude but... what's the catch?"

Lord Alder's expression finally distorted a bit after Ice's question. Ice continued probing.

"Why do all this for me? I get that I sort of saved your daughter and I know what being an Exclusive Class holder means, more or less. But am I really worth all the trouble.?"

Lord Alder let out a long sigh. He faced Ice once again with a resigned expression.

"This could be considered an investment. I risked antagonizing the Garlands because I judged you and your potential to be more beneficial to the country in the long run. Knowing Roald, I'm sure he's already assured you that this country will not bind you in any way. I plan to adhere to that notion... For the most part that is."

Ice listened attentively. At the very least, it did seem that Lord Alder would not withhold his intentions from him.

"This country has been lagging behind when it comes to the race for the exploration of the uncharted lands. In fact, the whole of Valis has fallen quite short to older, more established powers like Ehvenlande and Shaturia. It's not just lack of manpower. It's lack of talent.

Valis is young and does not yet have the foundation nor resources to compete with the rest of the world. Adding even just one more piece with potential will be greatly desirable for the whole continent. But it's even more so for the country where said piece hailed from as it had a higher chance of reaping more benefits."

Lord Alder looked straight at Ice, conviction apparent within his strong gaze.

"As I said, I and this country will not bind you to our services. At least officially. But a debt of gratitude is a powerful thing. Especially for someone who seems so painfully straightforward as you. Your eyes betray that nature. So I'm betting on that nature of yours with part of the future of this country at stake.

Things may seem peaceful in this continent for the moment. But I'm more than certain that not a few countries will let an opportunity to best all others in Valis pass beyond their collective noses. You may be just one factor. But not an insignificant one. They will attempt to win you over. What I'm doing right now is akin to an opening move. Is this a satisfactory answer lad?"

Ice smiled in self derision after Lord Alder pointed things out. But with this, he could somewhat accept things. Nothing was free in life. He held on strongly to that notion. He was never a big fan of the concept of altruism. After all, even the most benevolent person would help others out because of that feeling of self satisfaction.

Ice believed that if someone actually did help purely for the sake of helping, then either that person was extremely deluded, just plain crazy or is ultimately not human. Even he himself was compelled to help Thelma for less benevolent reasons. He does admit it readily. So Lord Alder's answer suited him just fine.

He decided to go along with the arrangement for now.

"I understand sire. I guess I'll try to live up to your expectations. Don't blame me if I fall short though."

"Of course not. After all, I do plan to offer you my support. You'll not fail that easily."

Lord Alder smiled once more. But this time, it wasn't a good natured one. It was akin to the smile of a shrewd businessman who just closed a favorable deal. Ice could only smile bitterly in return.

***

The young man had already left. Lord Alder's impression of him was indeed favorable.

"___But he's still painfully naive." he thought as he basked in the silver moonlight that illuminated his troubled countenance.

"___The Council will not stay silent for long. They will once again attempt to get rid of him to prevent any effects that may heavily impact the 'Program'. 'They' should have already accounted for the possibility. But I see no signs of 'them' setting up any counter measures. Are 'they' really trying to use us to do the dirty work? Heh. That's quite cheeky of 'them'."

He moved his gaze towards the massive tree in the center of the garden.

"Hey, Ylliria. Sometimes I really loathe that eccentricity of yours. Of all things to choose to be reborn in, why a tree? You could have at least made yourself useful and helped me out a bit."

The branches on the massive tree shook lightly, as if in reply. Lord Alder grinned in amusement.

-Chapter 9 End-