The maid was told that her stable stay will last a month, and afterwards, she will no longer be needed in the Pendragon Castle.

To say it was devastating will be an understatement, but it is deserving at the least.

The person who gave this order was none other than the housekeeper, who saw this as brilliant opportunity.

When Snow spoke up for the soldier and his young lover, the housekeeper knew that the crooked nose maid had displeased the guest.

As custodian of the castle, very little can escape his ears, and that very same day he found out every detail behind the squabble.

The subsequent punishments mete out to the handmaid were much to the amusement of Snow and Tommy, and a pretty parting gift for the soldiers leaving for Snowdrifts.

The men felt they are following the right leader, finally. Although unintended, the maid being punished was proof that the Snowdrifts is a force to be reckoned with.

The soldiers thought back on how they had lived and collectively sighed. The soldier that was sent on a death mission because his girl had been the target of envy was not an isolated case. Everyone here had similar experiences, if not because they offended someone, or they were simply in a vulnerable position.

Thinking of this only made the men look forward to the new life they will be welcoming.

As the soldiers made their way back with Tommy and Snow to the Snowdrifts’ encampment, Princess Luftie wasn’t far behind.

Touched by the citizens of Avalon that stood up for her honour, she vowed to recover their losses from the Snowdrifts.

When she arrived at the camp that is situated outside of Avalon valley, Snow came to meet her.

The two ladies did not wait to enter the place to start discussing about renumeration. Of course, Luftie who is used to people giving in to her status as princess, was unable to win an argument. She felt all the intelligence she had was flattened into a pancake. With Snow’s silent approval, the pouting princess wandered lifelessly in the camp, defeated. After all, Snow could tell that this princess – despite how pompous she behaves – is rather harmless.

As Luftie zig-zagged aimlessly around soullessly, she came close to a place with a constant clashing of metal. The din was quite unlike the strike of sword against sword or armour plate, but more like a manic is persistently harassing an armoured knight. Pushing away the strange image in her mind, she snuck over to find the source.

Luftie’s jaws dropped when she finally saw what made those noise.

A thin lad with oversized fur jacket charged at an unbelievable speed past a wooden dummy that is decorated with all kinds of bells, trinkets, and metal scraps.

Each time the boy ran past, a rustling sound followed. The boy turned around, and before the din settled, he would charge past it again causing another round of ringing and clashing.

“Ahahahaha!”

A silvery peal of laughter interrupted Jim’s daily training. Wiping off the sweat on his face, he looked around for the owner of the voice and saw a pretty girl dressed in clothes unlike that he had seen in Saint Empire.

“What’s funny?” he asked with a sneer. He could tell that the laughter was meanspirited. Much like the sound those bullies make in the orphanage he grew up in.

“I was just surprised that the famous members of Snowdrifts don’t seem to have any attacking power,” she pointed at the wooden dummy, “You can’t even knock down a bell.”

Jim who had earned his title as the spoilt brat amongst his blood brothers, decided then and there that he must not let this girl off easily.

For orphans of the empire, the term – spoilt brat – is not derogatory but something to envy.

To be spoilt, at least there must have people who would look after you. As the spoilt brat, it’s not possible for him to miss out on the chance to prank this foolish plait blondie. He immediately mustered all the lividness he could and challenged her to a duel.

A haughty smile flowered on Luftie’s face as she accepted. She would not admit it, but the princess reacted in the same manner as Jim.

The two spoilt brats squared off, only one of them is behaving like this because he wanted to whereas the other is raised this way.

The moment she nodded Jim dashed forward. His speed was so considerable that his figure became a blur. The next moment the princess started laughing.

“Good speed, but your attack was merely ticklish. Even if you strike me a hundred times more, I will not feel…”

She only managed to speak to mid-sentence because she noticed that Jim is dangling her silk handkerchief and her face immediately reddened.

“Re… Return it to me!” the princess almost screamed. That piece of cloth was placed at a very intimate place.

“Heh heh… Plea more and I might relent,” Jim said dastardly like the rogue he is.

“What do you want a girl’s handkerchief for?” an exasperated Luftie cried.

“I won it fair and square.”

“No, you stole it! Return it to me!” she wailed.

“It’s just a handkerchief. Cheapskate!”

“Return it!”

“No way, it’s my trophy. My first success!” Jim said while bolting away. The Thief King Rielon left Jim with a homework, to practice thievery on the dummy, but no matter how hard he tried he could not do it soundlessly. Over time, Jim is starting to believe that he lacked talent and became depressed. But today, he had incredible success, and the girl did not even realise she lost her handkerchief into she saw him twirling it.

Behind Jim, the princess gave chase relentlessly, soon everywhere in the camp the honest people of Snowdrifts could see figures of the two in a relentless chase. Chickens and dogs scrambled out of their paths. No matter where Jim escaped to, a screaming girl follows.

The two of them quickly become the conversation topic throughout the camp.

After quite a while, Jim – seemingly given up trying to lose her – decidedly turned around. His unexpected movement and incredible speed caught her unaware. By the time she reacted, Luftie found herself unable to move a muscle.

Her eyes could still roll around, and her mouth works as well, but nothing else.

A terrible fear crept into her heart, and she started screaming. Frightened by the sudden outburst, Jim rushed forward and quickly covered her mouth.

“Wha- Why are you screaming?! All I did was hit your acupoints so you can’t move.”

Luftie turned her eyes towards Jim and asked remarkably, “Acc… points?”

“My brother, Alan, invented a method to immobilise people. It’s not permanent, so you don’t have to worry. You just need to attack the right spots with Ki and the person will be stuck. It’s…”

“Yeah?”

Having heard that such an interesting technique exists, the princess who has been completely absorbed by Jim’s words, hurried him to continue.

“Hilarious!” Jim laughed.

Luftie’s face turned red, and she puffed up her cheeks. Just when things were becoming interesting, this guy cracks a joke!

But as curiosity won over, the girl swiftly calmed herself down, “How does it work?”

Proud that he had something over her, Jim explained what Alan told him, “Well, you know how your whole arm turns numb if you accidentally strike your elbow? It is possible to do the same to your whole body, if you hit the right spots, except that it won’t last long. But with the right amount of Ki…”

“Can you teach it to me?”

“And let you go?”

“I won’t run away,” she said, exasperated.

“But you’ll chase after me again.”

“No, I just want to learn it.”

“Now, you’re trying to trick me!”

“You’re impossible! Just let me go!” she said after fruitlessly trying to bite Jim who suddenly decided that now is a good time to dance right in her face.

“No way.”

“AAAAAAHHHH!!”

“I’m going to keep screaming until you let me go!... Oof.”

A dull sounding tap took the voice out of Luftie’s throat.

“There’s a mute pressure point too, wahahaha!”

Rendered harmless, Luftie could only make faces at Jim to protest.

“So, will you let me have your handkerchief?” he asked Luftie, and boldly pushes on her head into nods, then laughed, pleased with himself.

“Don’t worry, you will be able to move in fifteen minutes. Bye!”

“Wait, what’s your name?”

The sullen princess thought but couldn’t say a single word.

This is the first time she felt so utterly defeated. It is also her first time that her status as princess did not give her special treatment.

Yet, somehow, she did not mind.

Unbeknownst to Luftie, Jim was looking at her while hidden in a tree out of her sight. He did not feel safe leaving her alone here. What if somebody knocked her down when she couldn’t move, or if a bird came and peck at her?

Jim took in deep breaths to calm his nerves. For reasons unknown to him, his heart had been pounding. Maybe it’s because he had never been chased by such a beautiful girl before. If he wanted to, there is no way Luftie could catch up to him, much less follow behind him for so long.

A strange sense of fulfilment flooded his chest.

Incidentally… just who is this girl? Jim is certain that he had not seen anyone like her in the camp before, and her clothes looked different to the others. Maybe she is a new recruit? Hah, next time he will make her greet him properly as the guild master’s younger brother.

Or better yet, he could get this little tail to gofer for him… Wahahaha! Just imagining the envious look on his brothers’ faces when such a pretty girl is following him around. Right, let’s totally do just that! Jim instantly decided to use the acupoint technique as bait. Of course, he needs to ask Alan first. As the disciple of the Thief King, he will strictly follow his professional’s glorious rules – and that is to never steal from his friends.

She’s interested to learn the Acupoint technique? Then, perhaps she can help with the technique’s development. Heh Heh…