"Ayva is the beef done?"

"Okay, but we are not ready yet with the spices for the next batch. Micah is out getting some more from the market."

"Have Aries freeze it, I will melt it later."

"Okay Eliza."

"And Leonel, are you done with the next portion?"

"Almost done Eliza."

"I want you to go faster."

The sight that Ayva wakes up to that day was...

A busy kitchen.

Eh?

The party arrives at Bemont, the city of knights. It is apparently where Micah and Aeana's master is from. During the day of the demon invasion, Red Crown acts as a frontline while Bemont acts as a staging ground. They train knights, soldiers and has the best horses. Micah has said that they will be safe in Bemont if nowhere else in the world.

'Excuse me, but I am more confused by the fact that you and Aeana has the same master. What does that make you, martial brother and sister?'

Ayva wanted to say, but Aeana didn't say anything, so he thought it was a bad topic to bring up.

Previously, Ayva was confused about why Aeana was oddly concerned about Micah's well being despite her... personality, but now he understands everything.

He also remembers her telling him that the day Micah was exiled from the capital, her master fought against the decision but was outvoted.

"After failing my previous mission, I shame my master who trained me when I was a squire. He even spoke out to help me, so it brought a lot of shame to him. Perhaps that is why he retreated here." Micah says with a down note, however, Aeana intervenes at that moment, jumping in between them

"That's not true Micah, after your exile, as protest master retire to Bemont."

She says, however, upon seeing Ayva, she almost jumps in her place. When they go back to Bemont too, Ayva didn't see Aeana, and when he saw her, she was always cagey around him.

"Did something happen?"

He asks Micah, who is Aeana's senior.

"Don't know." Micah says, however he narrows his eyes. "But I'm going to find out."

After that, Micah went to look for Aeana who has left.

"Well, that's strange."

Ayva says to no one in particular. After that, he follows princess Aries, Leonel and Eliza. It has been some time, he misses them.

Aeana and Micah was already old faces at Bemont. When they arrive, everyone come to greet them. It was the friendliest greeting Ayva has ever seen, a greeting that comes from the heart.

He imagines that after everything was over, he could go home and be met with that kind of welcome too. His hometown of course, earth was a memory so far away, he feels like it was a lifetime away, any days now, those memories could fade away. It was a long time ago. A boxer turned third rate actor who died in a traffic accident is nothing to speak of.

Ayva does not have any attachment to his past life. For him, this life is the only one he has. That's why he wanted to live it to all its worth, in a peaceful house next to the lake somewhere.

But he has been swept into war.

Shaking his thought out of that depressing spiral, Ayva does his best to make his best impression to the city of Bemont.

The arrival of the party of heroes is treated as an important event in comparison to Red Crown where they keep it on the down low. In Bemont where 75% of the city was in the military, it was impossible for anything bad to happen. And so, they can show their identity for all its worth.

Ayva does not have capes in his inventory, however, he helped Leonel picked out one from Eliza's collection.

Somehow, the girl has prepared for this beforehand. Actually, she prepared it back in their hometown. Truly girls think of everything before hand.

"It is a must." Eliza said.

And so Leonel puts it on.

And so he looks good in it.

The Mythril Dragon Armor glimpses in the sunlight, while the cape flutters behind Leonel as he rides the horse.

And to think that the cape may have been handcrafted by Eliza, it was beautiful as if it was professionally made.

Ayva walks on foot because he does not know how to ride a horse, but Leonel keeps pace with him. While he was walking, suddenly, someone's hand wraps itself around his neck. Instantly, he almost jumps, more importantly, it was tickling him.

"Stay still." Eliza says. For these days, suddenly Eliza has been treating him better. Ayva was thankful for it, but does not know the reason why.

The first moment he woke up, he was on Eliza's laps. He could not believe that the fiery childhood friend actually gave him a lap pillow when she was an adult. The last time it happened was when they were all young.

Eliza tightens a knot around Ayva's neck. After she was done, he looks behind him and saw a cloak.

Its design was a bit strange, however he decided that indeed it looks very cool

"Look good. Very roguish." Eliza says. Ayva was beaming as he walks quicker.

So she prepared something for everyone. Even though it was just a gift from a friend, Ayva feels good.

The four heroes appear dashing in the eyes of the people of Bemont.

The hero, Leonel with his cape fluttering behind him.

Princess Aries, her beauty unparalleled in the world, raising everyone's desire.

Eliza the mage, a beauty with an edge that was nothing less than the princess.

And finally, the mysterious Ayva, hailing from the same village with a strange power.

All in all, it left a good impression.

In Bemont, they will spend 5 days before a party of knights will be prepared to escort the party straight back to the capital. During that time, the party stayed at the VIP room.

While that was happening, Ayva was busy playing with Leonel.

Chess that is. They were playing chess.

Leonel and Ayva was facing eachother with Eliza watching on the side. The loser will be substitute out and replaced with the one in waiting. The cycle repeats until someone manage to remain undefeated for 3 match in the row.

In the beginning when they were young and Ayva taught that game to Eliza and Leonel, it was Ayva who won most of the time.

Then it was Eliza who spent all her time thinking about the game

Afterward, after figuring out the rule and seeing Eliza's strategies, Leonel became undefeatable.

Recently however, Eliza has been making a resurgence.

Currently, Ayva is looking at the board with all attention.

"Pawn G6."

"Come on Leonel finish him quickly!" Eliza cheers on the side, half cheering, half waiting for her turn.

"It isn't over just yet." Ayva grits his teeth. Everything went down hill after losing his bishop.

"Queen F3." Leonel announces, setting up that checkmate.

"What are you guy playing?"

Princess Aries walks into the room at that moment. The princess saunters over where Eliza was sitting and pushed her aside. Ayva's eyes flare for a moment seeing his friend being treated like that but then he puts his eyes back to the board.

"It is a game called Chess." Eliza explained, annoyed

"It is a game played with wood piece on a board with the goal of capturing the other side's king. Ayva invented it."

Eliza continues her explanation.

"Oh a game of capturing the king? Sound interesting..." Princess Aries says

"Well it is a hard game, impossible to understand to the outsider." Eliza huffs out with pride

"Well, if you teach me the rule, what about a game, or is miss Eliza too afraid of losing." The princess says, covering her mouth with a fan.

"...Let's"

Eliza says narrowing her eyes and draw out another board on the table while taking out her second set of pieces.

The girls start setting up a game.

However, the sound of chess being put down was akin to sword and magic being thrown around.

'How scary. What a chaotic battlefield' Ayva mutters

However, just as he takes his eyes off the board, he returns to Leonel putting on his finishing touch.

"Check mate." The boy says calmly

"IT does not count!" Ayva declares earning glance from Aries and Eliza.

He ducks his head down with Leonel offering his hand

"Another match?"

Another day, he woke up, and suddenly, Leonel was in his room, looking at him, while he was sleeping.

"Want to cook for the knights Ayva?"

And that is what lead to the current situation