So not only do I not get trained by my mentor… But I'm also given chores to do as well…

—Click Click

I try to keep a decent pace behind the girl in front of me down the castle halls. Her light blue hair dances with her every step, along with her elegant blue and white dress. Her white heels bounce on the castle's inner floors making an authoritative clack.

"Why are you back there? Come stand near my side." She ordered while turning to look at me.

"Oh… Yes, Princess." I walk forward and stand close to her side.

The icy aura radiating from her body still makes my hairs stand on end.

"C-cold…"

She looks over to me then gives a subtle laugh.

"I'm sorry about that… Was that the reason you were lagging behind?"

"No, it's not that… You're the princess, so didn't want to be in your way or—"

She stops walking and sighs.

"You should know something about me… Momoko, was it?"

I nod, looking into her blue eyes. Staring closely, her pupils are shaped like tiny snowflakes.

"In reality, I'm not a legitimate princess, so there's no need for the formality. Just stick to Iyuna."

"Got it!"

She gives a soft smile and continues walking.

Apparently, General Calina was the Princess's escort around the castle and city for different things. With her being gone, the knights thought I was the next best thing and sent me to be her royal escort.

We stop advancing and stand in front of a velvet-colored door with steel handles. Two knights on each side of the door salute, then clasp the handles of the doors, pulling them open.

Iyuna walks inside the room, and I follow.

The inside of the room has red-wooden floors, with the walls being a slick white. There are no windows, and the light is coming from a chandelier that's extruding from the high ceiling. Swords, shields, and other weaponry are displayed in cases along the interior.

"What is this place?"

The Princess stops walking and turns toward me.

"You haven't been able to train with Calina due to her absence. That's partially my fault as I sent her away to deal with something rather urgent."

Iyuna takes a step back and looks to the walls of the room. "This is the royal Sparring Room, indestructible, sound-proof. It even has its own training system."

"Why'd you bring me here, Iyuna?"

She laughs while lifting her hand in the air.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Iyuna clenches her raises palm while giving a devious grin.

"I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for you to spar with someone who's had some battle experience."

"What? You can't be serious… You're a Prin…cess…?"

I turn forward, but I'm met with an empty side of the room.

"Where'd she—?"

—CLINK

My body is thrown towards the floor as pieces of ice shatter around me.

"Like I said before, Momoko..."

Iyuna runs towards me while shards of ice start to form around her.

"… I'm not a Princess!"

. . .

I jump onto my feet and slide back, whisking my sword from its scabbard.

Iyuna dashes from side to side breaking the gap between us in an instant.

`S-she's fast!`

Iyuna holds out her palm, and a sword made of blue steel starts to materialize.

She thrusts the sword near my torso, and I block the attack but doing so pushes me into the air.

`A-and strong?!`

She jumps into the air while elevating herself with shards of ice, then grabs onto my hand, swinging me towards the floor.

I turn myself mid-air and thrust my claymore into the ground, slowing my momentum. I stand up and rush toward her with my claymore at my side.

Iyuna drops toward the ground and rushes toward me without me seeing her take a step.

"HAA!" I throw my claymore toward her, but she grabs my sword without moving a muscle. I struggle to break free as I notice the steel start to frost up.

"You're thinking too much. You need to start making evaluations at the start of the fight rather than forming a strategy while in battle.

—CRACK

The edge of my blade breaks and falls to the ground, shattering into pieces of frosted metal.

"Wha—?"

I jump back, but before I can retreat, Iyuna runs over and grabs my arm while caressing my chin. She moves her hand upward, so we look eye to eye.

"When you're fighting opponents stronger than you, you must always remember to show no hesitation."

"Gah!" My wrist starts to go numb as the ice starts to cover my entire arm.

"As a knight of Phoenia, we never let our enemies see us bleed."

Her eyes radiate a light blue glow as she sports a wide grin.

"I-Iyuna…!" I murmur as my face starts to go numb.

"O-oh right!" She backs away, and I drop towards the floor, heaving.

"Since Calina is gone, for the time being, come by this room every day around this time for instruction. I also want you to be by my door every morning by sunrise as I'll need a daily escort. Is this all clear?"

"Y-yep! Crystal!"

She throws back her hair with her hand and walks towards the velvet door.

`What have I gotten myself into?!`

. . .

—Clang Clang

My armor's boots echo through the noble living quarters of the castle. The thick window panes surrounding the long hallway show the serene town below. The bluish sky still having stars twinkling in the distance also makes for a nice, peaceful view.

I stop in front of two large doors with large gold rings on each. The doors have wooden engravings on the bottom that show a large dragon casting its charring breath onto a field full of knights.

I gulp as I form a fist and knock on the door twice.

"Ms. Iyuna…? I came here early as instructed…."

I wait for a moment, then back away.

`Maybe she's not….`

"Come in. I'm just getting dressed."

`Why'd she say is so nonchalantly..`

I open the door by its golden handle and gaze towards the ground.

"Not looking… Not looking…"

I shift my eyes forward just a tad to make sure no one's in front of me. With no one in sight, I sigh and close the door behind me and stand at attention.

The room has a large ceiling along with a sizable width. A large globe circled by different colored runes is projected by a medium-sized purple rune on the floor in the middle. Behind it lay a huge bed being covered by white silk curtains.

`Check out the digs….`

I walk around the globe, and a white desk filled with papers, books, and large scrolls with silver writing catches my interest.

Looming over, my eyes rest on an opened book with the term 'Pact-Scrolls.'

"The hell are pact-scrolls?"

"... Sort of like magic incantations without the magic."

My heart sank as I looked to my left and saw Iyuna standing beside me. Her body was almost fully naked beside a towel situated around her torso and hair.

"… Rare scrolls that provide the user with unlimited power. Usually, magic is solely dependent on one's magic proficiency as well as their mana usage. But that's not the case for these mysterious pieces of parchment."

She turns around and lets the towel on her head drop to the ground. Her long blue locks of hair fall to her lower back as she walks behind a papered screen with three dividers; A towel is thrown on top of the middle screen.

"Why are you interested in this stuff? You're pretty strong already."

A bright light appears behind the screen, and she walks out fully clothed in a white dress with blue gloves coming up to her elbows.

"You must remember Momoko, no one is ever too strong. You should always look for ways to improve yourself."

I nod while she walks back towards the desk and taps the surface two times. The books start to stack on top of one another, and the papers fold and make a neat pile.

"… Besides, the information isn't for me really… More of a side project."

The Princess walks over to the front of the room and stands in front of the door, looking over to me.

"Oh… OH! Sorry!"

I rush over to the door and pull it open as she walks outside.

"We have a few things to do today… You're going to have to keep up with me, alright?"

She strides down the hallway as there's now a bright light coming from over the gates of the city. The panes shimmer as a bit of glare bounces off the Princess's hair, making her strands sparkle.

"You may even have the pleasure of witnessing something quite spectacular." Iyuna turns to wink at me while continuing down the corridor.

`The only thing I find spectacular is the fact that Calina still isn't here after all this time.`