Ice was currently laying about on the large, canopied bed that he slept in when he first came to Ricksvale castle. He was back to the familiar room overlooking the palace gardens, looking a little worse for wear. It was already late at night, but Ice didn't feel like sleeping just yet. He kept staring above, seemingly lost in thought.

Ibex made himself comfortable by the edge of the bed, but finally got fed up of Ice's behavior and nudged him lightly, sporting an annoyed gaze.

"___Alright kid, what is it this time?"

Ice sat up and moved his gaze towards Ibex. He smiled bitterly at the miffed mountain goat and scratched his cheek in self admonishment.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about some things."

”___What kinds of things? Talk to Dr. Ibex about it son. I may be able to help."

Ice laughed lightly at Ibex's little jab and fixed his position to face Ibex directly.

"I was just wondering if it was really that... simple."

"___'It'?" Ibex probed.

"...Killing."

Ibex rolled his eyes and sighed.

"___Oh... It's that huh? Moral dilemmas is it? How cliche."

"Hey! I'm pretty serious here." Ice retorted indignantly.

"___Yeah, I know. Sorry. You just have no idea how many times I've gone through this sort of stuff with your predecessors already. Can't blame me for being a tad bit fed up."

Ice shook his head slowly in exasperation. The two shared a quiet laugh.

"___Anyway, what's going on with you then? Given that you didn't freak out or throw up at the sight of blood and gore, I'd say you're taking things pretty well."

"That's not it. Rather, that's the problem. I think I'm taking things 'too' well."

Ice paused for a bit and glanced at the hand that held the weapons he brandished earlier.

"___Go on." Ibex urged.

Ice exhaled to calm himself and continued.

"It may just be a problem of perspectives, but somehow, I feel that I seem to treat the weight of lives lighter than normal. You mentioned having trouble adapting to everything looking animated at first too. So I bet you can understand how weird this all feels."

"___Uhuh. And?" Ibex urged further.

"I don't feel I'm fully accepting all of this as reality. Maybe I'm still holding on to the hope that this is all just a whacked out dream. Maybe that's why I could take lives without really feeling anything.

Or maybe all of that's just an excuse..."

"___Meaning?"

"Meaning maybe all of this was in my nature to begin with. See, there's this buzzing in my ear after I made my first kill. It was just like what happened during college ROTC. It was the very first time I fired a live gun - a standard assault rifle.

After I unlocked the safety and fired the first shot, there was that buzzing. It was the sound of the gunshot messing with my ears since I didn't wear muffs. But there was this strange euphoria... All that remained was me, the rifle and the target. I kept firing shot after shot till I emptied the clip. Then I wanted more.

I saw those people earlier as targets. Like those cardboard cutouts I kept peppering with bullets. There was this feeling of elation whenever I got in a Critical hit or made a kill. There was this sense of liberation. Frankly, it scares me... Those were lives right? I killed people right? Then why...?"

Ibex sighed again and looked Ice in the eye.

"___Kid, they were trying to kill you. If we didn't do them in, it could have been you who bit the dust."

"Yeah, but..."

"___Look here kid... Do you actually feel the urge to go on a rampage and cut people up welling inside you lately?"

"No..."

"___Then you're fine. You're not a damn psychopathic mass murderer in the making or anything. Congratulations kid."

"Ibex..."

Ice looked even more troubled by Ibex's nonchalant reply. Ibex nudged him again, now sporting a genuinely concerned gaze.

"___Kid, look... I'm not claiming I have the authority to judge about morality. But at the very least, I don't think the acts you did nor the thoughts you harbored while doing them are worthy of reproach. At the very least, I won't condemn you for it. If that's worth anything to you.

It's that y'know. Survival instincts kicking in or something. Fight or flight. And adrenaline too. You were just too high on the stuff to notice. Y'know... Just like soldiers on the battlefield. It's not like you relish in wanton murder right? Plus, that disposition of yours is actually kinda good considering the type of world El Fabula is. So stop brooding about it so much kid."

Ice's expression lightened somewhat after Ibex's lecture. His apprehension didn't completely disappear though. Ibex's brows twitched a bit and he suddenly plopped himself on the bed, startling Ice.

"___Keh! Annoying! I said stop brooding so stop ya idiot!" Ibex burst out.

"The heck? What's with you?." Ice exclaimed.

They stared each other down opposite sides of the bed.

"You know... This would be perfect if it were actually a cute girl consoling me. A loli tsundere would be bonus points. More 'dere' and less 'tsun' by the way." Ice quipped.

"___I totally have no idea what you're talking about. But unfortunately kid, you only have me around right now. Or do you want me to call the princess and that lady knight captain over? Then I can just watch the carnage unfold..." Ibex retorted.

The two laughed unreservedly. Ice's expression finally turned mellow. He kicked Ibex off the bed and finally turned in to sleep.

***

It's been a few days since the encounter with the Bloody Ravens. Ice had trained and hunted extensively for most of that time and managed to bring himself up to Level 31 without much incident.

Ice felt he could have done better, but he was still prohibited from going to the higher level hunting grounds and dungeons, especially those which were a bit too far from the city.

He was now in the middle of attending an abrupt audience with the prince reagent. He didn't have any idea why he was called, but he planned to appeal to be able to access higher leveled areas. The XP he gets from the nearby monsters is already starting to become woefully inadequate.

A plump middle aged man wearing a monocle called the attention of everyone present and announced the arrival of the prince. From what Ice recalled, his name was Matthias Levant and is the newly appointed grand chamberlain. Lord Levant sported a jovial looking expression most of the time and had a habit of cracking poorly delivered jokes.

As for the previous chamberlain, Ice was told he was the one behind the assassination attempt on him. He was believed to be a spy sent by one of the other countries in the Valis continent and wanted to nip trouble in the bud which led to him commissioning the Bloody Ravens to eliminate Ice.

"An Exclusive Class'll attract this much trouble. It's already a given. I've told you that the first time we met within the palace gardens." Prince Alder exclaimed as he proceeded to lecture Ice right after the incident. He then insisted on providing an escort for Ice's protection and imposed some restrictions on Ice's hunting activities.

Ice was determined to protest and stress the point that this excessive caution was stifling. He shortly moved his gaze to the throne and knelt down just like the others present.

He was together with Sea and some of the members of the Sybilwind Knight Division; namely Rosseane, Sasha and Evann. Sea smiled reassuringly at him and Rosseane gave him a playful wink. Sasha also acknowledged Ice with a thumbs up. Evann looked lethargic as always but still gave him a slight nod. Ice nodded back and looked towards the throne area once more.

Princess Thelma and Prince Ricard sat beside their father. Thelma was now exuding a regal air fit for royalty. Even Ice found it mesmerizing. It seems it was another case of gap moe. Their gazes met abruptly and Ice wryly smiled, prompting Thelma to blush and pout slightly. They both fixed their expressions when Prince Alder began speaking.

"Rise everyone." he began. Ice and the others immediately stood at attention.

"You may be wondering why I've called you all here. Actually, I simply want to make a proposal and I want the approval of all those present here."

Prince Alder paused and looked to Thelma. He smiled warmly at her, prompting Thelma to blush once she noticed her father's gaze.

"W-What is it Your Majesty? Do you require something of this humble daughter?" she asked with her voice a little stiff.

"Oh spare me the formalities dear. Just call me papa like you always do in private. That way of speaking truthfully doesn't suit you. The image is slightly off. Don't you think so too Ice?"

The prince reagent looked at Ice and grinned mischievously. Ice couldn't help but play along.

"If I may voice myself candidly Your Majesty, you speak the truth. Though it may be that I have become too biased because of the first impressions I had of the fair princess when we first met. She did wear men's clothes after all. The feel she gave off was also completely different."

Prince Alder nodded strongly in acknowledgement.

"Right, right. She's always had this rough around the edges feel to her. Maybe it's her parent's blood rubbing off on her; in which case I'm not entirely blameless. The fact that she manages to pull off acting like a prim and proper princess is a miracle in and of itself."

Thelma was inwardly fuming with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and made an outburst.

"Ooooh! Stop making fun of me you two! If you continue doing that, I'll hate you both forever!"

"___Ah... How childish." Ice thought. But he had to admit, Thelma's pouting expression was really cute.

"Hahaha! Now, now dear. We were only jesting. No need to be so worked up. Papa will buy you that deluxe strawberry parfait later. It's your favorite right?"

"S-Stop treating me like a kid! Honestly..." Thelma retorted indignantly and blushed even more.

Camera-like snapping sounds came from the other side of the throne.

"What exactly are you doing oh little brother of mine?"

Needless to say, it was Prince Ricard, busy with his portable mana-vision camera.

"Can't you tell sister. I'm advancing on the path of nouveau art. Those were some good shots by the way. It'll sell well with your fan club. Maybe I should raise the prices a bit..."

"Why you little..."

Prince Alder coughed loudly to reign in the commotion. Thelma sat down with her pout turning even more sour. Ricard put away his camera and composed himself like nothing happened.

"Ahem! We may have strayed far from the point back there. So let me make this brief. I'm in the mind to make Thelma attend Astervine Institute for her adventurer training and I want to suggest that Ice and the rest of you accompany my daughter."

Thelma's eyes went as wide as saucers.

"P-Papa! You mean...?"

"Well what do you know. My daughter finally called me papa."

"Enough fooling around papa! You sending me to Astervine means you finally approve of me being an adventurer right?"

Prince Alder sighed audibly.

"What choice do I have dear? You've already gone and become one for crying out loud. The least a father could do is to make sure my dear daughter is ready for the life she chose.

I've always had an inkling that it'd turn out into something like this. Your mother was the same. She also couldn't endure sitting still on the throne. So much so that she'd gone ahead of all of us to the grandest of all adventures."

Lord Alders countenance briefly flashed with melancholy. He gave Thelma a stern look.

"Just grant me one thing dear. I'll support you as much as I can. After you graduate and get your certification, you're free to do whatever you want with your life. But please don't do anything too reckless. You know full well how potentially dangerous an adventurers life is. You're old enough to understand its not all fun and games. So promise me you won't try to actively head into danger unless you feel it's necessary. Papa still wants to see his grand kids."

Though, he ended it in a joking tone, Prince Alder's eyes were welling with emotion. Thelma forced down the urge to cry and hug her father. They looked at each other with thoughts filled with complex feelings.

Lord Alder turned his attention back to Ice and the Sybiwind knights.

"So there you have it. I'm going to entrust my daughter to your care once more captain Seyramour. Since she plans to broaden her horizons after this, it may be the last time your knights protect her as her personal guard. Still, I ask you to watch over her and make sure she's ready to take on the world."

"Of course your majesty. We'll take care of her to the best of our abilities, just as what we've always done. The princess is in good hands."

Sea bowed lightly and reassured Prince Alder.

"I'm sure she is captain. Now then, how about you sir Ice? Do you consent with accompanying my daughter? I'm sure going to Astervine will greatly benefit you as well. It seems you actively want to participate in the expeditions to the Uncharted Lands. We hope for you to do so as well, truth be told. This will help boost your credentials. I would also feel better if my daughter is accompanied by someone she deems trustworthy. You can also help in keeping 'pests' away, if you get my meaning."

Ice sported a confused look.

"Well, could someone first tell me what this Astervine Institute is?"

"You're not familiar with Astervine? Ah, right. You had amnesia didn't you? In that case, its not surprising you don't know of it. It's the most prestigious Adventurer Training Institute in the country - arguably the entire continent." Prince Alder replied.

Sea explained things further.

"The Astervine Institute was founded by one of the most famous adventurers in the Valis continent - Alistair Astervine. He was one of the original members of The Dawn Star - a famous party of high ranking adventurers that had amassed countless exploits during the third Bloody Advent."

"Bloody Advent?" Ice asked.

"Bloody Advent refers to the sudden outpouring of countless monsters from all over the continent. They ignored their usual behavior of not entering populated areas and attack en masse, leaving massive casualties in their wake.

They are also sometimes accompanied by several boss monsters. The boss monters ranks may vary, but Tyrants may sometimes appear. Tyrants are already a handful, but The Dawn Star is famous for taking down the only Overlord rank boss to appear during that time."

"___So it's basically like a boss raid." Ice thought. He had wanted to ask for more details but Sea had already moved her explanation on. Ice decided to just take note of it for now and do further research on it later.

"Astervine Institute is Alistair Astervine's greatest legacy. Countless famous top ranked adventurers had trained and graduated from the institute, which only serves as a testament to its excellence. Even seasoned veterans still visit the Institute to learn and polish their abilities.

Getting to Basic Class and being recognized by the CQMA is but the first step. Though entering an adventurer training institute is actually optional, graduating and getting a certification from one, especially one as famous and prestigious as Astervine, will definitely boost your credentials by a whole lot. It would really help if, for instance, you wanted to join a well established Guild or sign up for the selections for officially sanctioned expeditions to the Uncharted Lands."

The more he heard, the more advantageous the whole deal seemed to Ice. So it was basically just like a really famous university or graduate school. From the tone of the conversation earlier, it looks like the crown would account for him as well, considering the prince reagent was actually requesting him to accompany his daughter. Though this could only mean his debts would increase; both literally and figuratively.

After weighing the pros and cons for a while, Ice finally decided to accept. He needed to absorb all the knowledge and experience he could, and going at it solo had its limitations. He also couldn't impose himself on the knights training indefinitely. Besides, going to school again after all this time seemed strangely alluring to him. He kind of felt young again. Getting to be schoolmates with a beautiful princess was also a nice bonus.

Prince Alder was rather satisfied with Ice's decision. He proceeded to dismiss them after announcing that they would travel to Astervine via a convoy of carriages in a few days. The rest of the time should be spent preparing.

As each of them went out of the royal hall, an annoyed looking Evann glanced briefly at Prince Alder and muttered under his breath.

"What a goddamn farce..."

Prince Alder watched the retreating bunch with an enigmatic smile.

***

Ice was currently staring at the canopy of the large bed he lay on again. But this time, his countenance was lighter and was filled with more vitality. It seems he had come to terms with his earlier dillemas somewhat and was now only thinking in anticipation of the coming trip and subsequent enrollment to Astervine Institute.

As he was lounging around like that, soft rapping sounds came from outside the window overlooking the garden. As Ice turned his attention to the window, slender snow white legs suddenly peeked out from it, startling Ice.

"Heya!"

A gorgoeus young woman suddenly came in from outside the window. Magnificent ruby red hair crowned her lovely head and framed her beautiful features. Her cheerful devil-may-care smile exuded both allure and gallantry. Ice was familiar with that smile.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise. What can I do for you milady Rosseane?"

It was indeed Rosseane Danhurst. Ice was a bit bothered by the turn of events. It wasn't every day that he got a visit from a beautiful lady in his room at night. She had even made such a 'dynamic' entrance. He was also afraid that his life would be put in jeopardy if her father, Director Roald, ever found out.

"Ahaha. Ah, well... I just wanted to talk to you about some things for a bit." she replied while scratching her cheek lightly.

"Why come in through the window though? Couldn't you have just knocked through the door?" Ice asked.

"Well... I kind of didn't want anyone else from the castle to notice. Plus, this way's a lot more exciting right?" she replied and stuck out her tongue in a cute gesture.

Ice was a bit taken aback and blinked his eyes several times, obviously charmed. He hurriedly ushered Rosseane in. Any longer time spent staring at her slender legs would be bad for his heart. Rosseane sat down on the chair near the bed with a hearty plop.

"So... What's this about?" Ice probed.

Rosseane paused for a bit and looked at Ice with a slightly hesitant expression. She breathed in and out a few times to compose herself and looked straight at Ice afterwards.

"It's about Captain Seabelle and the princess. I'm not going to be able to join you guys at Astervine just yet because of some organizational matters. So I kinda wanted to discuss some things with you before then."

Ice's eyebrows twitched slightly. He already had somewhat of an inkling about what the talk was going to be about. But he refrained from interjecting and waited for Rosseane to continue.

"You should have already noticed their affection towards you. I'm sure you're not all that dense. Plus, they're being sooo obvious about it. It'll be a crime for you not to notice! So, you've noticed right? Tell me you have!"

She had started calmly, but it didn't take long for her to be a little too worked up and proceed to breath down Ice's neck; her face drawing so dangerously close that Ice would only have to lean forward a little bit to touch lips.

"Uh... Miss... That's too close..."

Rosseane noticed their current embarrassing state and quickly drew back with her face flushed red. She coughed lightly in order to clear the awkward air and proceeded while sporting an apologetic smile.

"Ehehe. Uh... yeah. Well, it's like that. I just wanted to make sure about how you felt for the both of them. I consider them both my good friends so I guess I'm just being a bit nosy for their sakes. Sorry."

Ice smiled wryly. He admired Rosseane's straightforwardness.

"___The ever dependable 'wingman' eh. Or is it 'wingwoman' in this case?" Ice mused; his grin deepening. He took a deep breath and proceeded to answer Rosseane, whose eyes were filled with anticipation.

"That's alright. I don't really mind. And as for your question... well... I guess I have. In a manner of speaking."

"Meaning?" Rosseane pressed on.

"Well, y'see I'm kind of a late bloomer when it comes to dealing with the opposite gender. I'm not really familiar with dealing with this kind of stuff see. So even though I kinda do recognize their feelings, I'm really not all that confident I can respond to them properly. I actually often wonder if I'm reading things right. And I can't say I have the self esteem to pursue either of them even if given the chance. I do find the both of them to be charming. But I guess I'm just plain and simply afraid."

Rosseane knitted her brows gradually as Ice talked. He noticed her reaction, and this time, it was his turn to display an apologetic look.

"You're actually a complete novice when it comes to romance aren't you?" she asked.

"Well... yeah. Guess that's about it in a nutshell. You must be disappointed huh? I'm actually quite spineless when it comes to things like this. Sorry." Ice answered in a somewhat dejected tone.

Ice also had other reasons why he didn't want to actively pursue any sort of romantic relationship with the women he's met. But he refrained from mentioning them because he'd have to divulge a lot of things he wasn't willing to reveal to anyone else yet - namely his coming from another world and the world he was currently in right now being drastically different from where he came from.

He thought it would really complicate things in the end if he crossed a certain line. He still hasn't given up on going home after all. And there was one more emotional baggage he'd gone and left on Earth which made him quite uneasy - his relationship with Lin. He wasn't even sure what exactly their relationship was. He wasn't really given a chance to find out before coming to El Fabula. Or more like he blew every chance he got. Ice felt even more dejected.

"N-No. That's perfectly fine. I was surprised that you were actually an honest-to-goodness 'cherry boy' at first, but it's not like these things don't happen. You don't have to feel depressed for having practically zero experience with women. It's no big deal really. And besides, you're still quite young. You're what? Like, eighteen to nineteen-ish or something. It's actually not that surprising when you think about it... Wait, why are you slumped on the floor like that?"

Ice's face turned a whole shade of blue. He fell down depressed on the floor.

"___I'm actually already twenty five dammit! I'm turning twenty six this June... All those years spent without a proper girlfriend..." he thought back in anguish. He wanted to cry. No, his soul was already crying. It was crying bucketfulls. Any more damage and it would be spewing blood.

"Eh? Wait, what? Um, Ice? Hey! Are you okay?"

"H-Hahahaha... Haaaah... Yeah. I was just a bit shocked. You sure don't hold back milady. That did quite a bit of damage..."

"Eh? Ah... Well, um... I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. Don't be. I'm already alright see."

Rosseane was flustered after seeing Ice's reaction. In the end, all she managed was an awkward apology. Ice decided to just wave the matter aside.

"Um... Well... Putting aside returning their feelings for now, I still want to ask of you to continue being their friend. If possible, I want you to become one of their emotional supports. Now, I know that sounds real selfish. But... well..."

Rosseane bit her lip. It seemed she couldn't find the appropriate words to convey what's on her mind properly.

"Well, I do plan to continue getting along with them. But why'd you feel the need to ask for this specifically? From what I could see, the both of them really do seem like wonderful individuals." Ice answered.

"Well... How do I put this?... Are you even aware of why they like you as much as they do Ice?"

Ice slowly shook his head.

"Truthfully, no. I can't really say it's because of my charming personality right? I don't really know if my physical appearance passes for being attractive in the eyes of a woman. So no. No idea at all."

Rosseane looked at Ice with a somewhat bemused and exasperated expression. It was not unlike how a wise elder sister watches over her foolish little brother.

"You're incorrigible." she quipped and lightly sighed.

"Well, it's like this... The two of them are very famous individuals in their own right. The princess is one thing, but the captain also has her fair share of the spotlight. So it isn't really surprising that they're kinda put in pedestals so to speak. There's always some sort of distance when other people interact with them. Heck, I call myself their friend but even I'm guilty of that in a way.

You're different though. There's no sense of excessive awe or pretense when you're with the two of them. It all seemed very... natural. It may be because of your circumstances, but I believe that apart from their families, they can feel the most at ease when they're with you."

Ice was somehow getting increasingly flustered the more he listened to Rosseane. There was also a sense of pressure in her words. He scratched the back of his head, not really sure what to make of the whole thing.

"Haha. Is that so... Uh, yeah. What can I say?... Is that really the case?"

"It IS! I'm sure of it!" came a high pitched reply. Ice couldn't help but flinch a little from Rosseane's passion.

"I know I'm being unreasonable. But I guess I just want some form of assurance that you'll continue to treat them as you have in the future. You do have a positive influence on them y'know. They both kind of have their own issues to deal with. You haven't known them for that long so it isn't surprising that you haven't noticed yet. But I hope you'll be able to continue being with them and at least try to understand them when the time comes."

Ice sighed and nodded lightly in reply.

"All right. I don't know what'll happen in the future, but I promise I'll act as I always have when I'm with them. I'm going to the Institute with the both of them anyway. We'll have plenty of time to interact."

Rosseane made a relieved expression. She smiled gratefully at Ice. He couldn't help but grin wryly once more after seeing her smile like that.

"You know milady... You actually seem like a reliable older sister or a nosy mother worrying about her children."

"Oh shut it. They're just so troublesome at times. They both have skewed views of the world due to their upbringing so I really can't help but worry. After all, I'm still their friend. And don't call me a mother! I'm just eighteen myself."

For some reason, Rosseane's rebuke made Ice feel really old.

"Well, that's about it I guess. Sorry for bothering you. Maybe the reason why I'm involving myself a little too much in those two's affairs is because I'm kind of envious of them. Aaaah! I want to find someone special too..."

"Don't worry. We haven't found the time to get to know each other that well yet. But judging from tonight, I think you're a very lovely lady and a good person. I think anyone who manages to become the object of your affection should be considered extremely lucky."

Rosseane's cheeks flushed red once more from Ice's thoughtless praise. Ice finally noticed he'd been running his mouth a little too much and paused abruptly, not knowing how else to react. Rosseane managed to recover first.

"Uh... Ahaha. Wow, look how late it is already. I better go. Anyway, thank you for listening. And um... good luck, okay. B-Bye."

Ice managed to stammer out an awkward reply.

"Uh... Y-Yeah. Good luck to you too. A-And good night."

"G'night."

Rosseane hurriedly went back over to the window and leaned out towards the gardens below. She looked back towards Ice one last time. And after giving him an ephemeral smile made even more lovely by being framed by silvery rays of moonlight streaming from outside, she was gone.

"..."

Ice was left in the room, slightly dumbfounded. And more than slightly mesmerized.

"___Way to go Casanova. Just how many more do you plan on conquering?"

Ibex suddenly popped out from under the bed, snapping Ice out of his reverie.

"Come off it man. And for the record, that wasn't like me. At all! I'm really not that smooth. I don't know what came over me. I'm not 'that' kind of character. Really!"

"___Sure you aren't. I'm not reprimanding you or anything. You're just experiencing the bittersweet pangs of youth."

"I don't even know if you're actually sincere or just being sarcastic."

"___What? You look the part anyway... Cherry boy."

"Aaaargh!"

Ice grabbed his head with both hands and groaned in frustration, realizing that it'll be a long and agonizing while before Ibex decides to let go of the issue.

***

After a few days, a group of several carriages departed from Ricksvale castle and headed eastward. Ice's journey towards the rediscovery of student life was finally underway.

-Chapter 17 End