One thing I miss from my old aging body, was… my cool-headed brain.

I could think more clearly, I could be more calculating, nothing was an afront to me. Everything was just so clear… now though… I remember why I hate my teenage years.

Not only was it a year of trying to find who you were, to prove who you truly are to idiots, but also a year of easily being provoked, easily being emotional as of course, puberty is a bitch.

But somehow… through-out the seasons I have been studying in the Académie, I managed to have an actual adult temperament. I don’t know how, maybe my life experience? But either way, I could ignore the snobbish nobles that tried to bait me and focus on what I was doing there in the first place.

But then Arthur arrived.

Something about him triggered me, open back old wounds that I’ve cauterized.

And I know it’s more or less my desire to beat him at his game, to see him lacking while I was in front of him.

But I realized quickly that’s childish, I may not look the part, but I’m older, wiser, experienced, more than him. I’ve achieved something that he is still currently trying to achieve.

But again… like how Martyn has this fire to fuck over shitty parents back in high school, I have this fire to show everyone I’m better than the Golden Boy.

And it was a pure form of envy by any means, a shitty reason to hate him. I hated that, I hated that I let my envy be a deciding factor to categorized Arthur as a bad guy in my life, even though… he’s a wonderful person.

I realized this of course in our second year, and it was a very huge privilege to be considered as a friend to him.

But again. I still envy him, as he is a mirror I’m reaching, a form that I yearn.

But I can handle that, much more better than my teenage self, even much more better than my young adult self. As I consider him, love him too even, as a friend! A very great friend!

Now I hope he gets to leave this hurdle he is passing, to rise up again as the Golden Boy I’m proud to call my friend.

* * *

The downpour was something I didn’t expect to be this hard, I felt it of course, felt how abrasive it might be, but the key word is, might be.

And to see from one of the windows of the Académie’s library, of how heavily pouring it was… gave me a bit of a nostalgic feel.

I was in Jakarta with Martyn that day, we were about to wrap up our convention panel and head back to the hotel to rest, but got stopped because of the sudden heavy downpour.

I remembered too of how we just sat there and stared at the rain, didn’t call for our chauffer, just… sat down there on the stairs among the many attendances of the convention, cosplayers and npcs, while sharing a bourbon from Martyn’s flask.

We didn’t know what possessed us to that, but… I guess we were just that tired and the breeze was something else.

And behind the window of the library, with hot tea beside the books in the desk, I could only stare at the downpour, reminisce of course of the past, but also… of what Arthur is doing.

I heard from de Caisoleán herself that Arthur is in a depressive state, not only he hasn’t unlock Aronlight, but also he didn’t smooth patch the collapsing relationship Martyn and Eleanna has.

“You’re not gonna help him?” It, The Aosí Staff, suddenly talked.

“Arthur?” I asked.

“Yes, as who else?!” He was agitated by my answer.

“No, I know enough of him that he’s the only one who can bring himself back up.” That’s a fact.

“You talk as if you know him for all of your life.”

“Of course, I can talk like that because we didn’t stop seeing each other after high school.”

“But do your really know him for all of your life?”

“Why wouldn’t I know the guy that I see every once a week till my dying breath?” That… questioned agitated me.

“Because… he is not the same person?”

“What the hell do you mean by that?!” I was fully agitated now.

“Try thinking this through boy, you know the wielder’s nephew in your old life as a man that has grown up, that has seen things, do things that an adult like you has.” He stated his case. “Is this Arthur, the same Arthur you know that has a responsibility of an adult?”

“No.”

“Is this Arthur, the same Arthur you know that has a mindset like an adult?”

“No…”

“And is this Arthur, the same Arthur you know that has an expectation like an adult?”

“Okay I get it! He’s not the same Arthur I’ve known for 30 plus years! He’s… just the teenage Arthur I foggily know.” I admit my misstep. “But I know his core! I know he is still the only one to bring himself back up.”

“That might be true, but cores changes boy. Maybe slightly, but it still changes.”

“…” I answered with silence. “What exactly do you want me to do? Go to him and drag his ass back to the Académie?”

“If you think that’s the best for him, then sure, I’m only asking for you to be a true friend.”

“Why would you say that?” That demand… didn’t agitate me, it… just made me curious.

“Because a true friend doesn’t sit idly and wait for his friend in a downtrodden state, to finally say, ‘It is, What It is’.”

“How the hell do you know that phrase? Heck, do you even know what that means?”

“Yes I know, as I got it from your memories. Our soul is connected after all.”

“Ohh yeah… but then again so what? To a certain extent, it is what it is.”

“Except you know it’s not! And don’t lie to me, as again, connected souls.”

“But what if it is?! What if it’s just time that he needs, not some meddlesome dude.”

“But what if he needs some meddlesome dude? We don’t know that of course, but I know that you know, you have to give it a try, to help the wielder’s nephew back on track.”

“Hmm…” I can’t argue against his logic, as all of it is a 50/50, but then again… “Why are so invested in this?”

“Duty to the world and the feeling I have towards the wielder’s nephew, because of being connected to you.”

“Duty?”

“Lumenter has gone for quite the seasons without a wielder of light, since le Láidir, Lord Áron, retired of being the wielder. And the longer the absence of a wielder of light, the more confident those Cultist will be.”

“…” I can’t… deny it, he is right. “Alright, I’ll go to him, but as a friend, not as an obligation to a duty of the world like you!”

“Precisely, help him as a friend, because he is your friend.”

“Yeah…” I smiled, as that affirmation made me happy, “Also stop calling me boy! I’m much more older than you!”

“Only mentally.”

* * *

Through the Académie’s hallways, I was making my way to find de Caisoleán, to team up together and bring lift Arthur back up.

But on the way I stumbled upon de Maignory. He was in a fidgety state, embarrassed even, and I know why. It’s because of the crown of flowers he is holding.

“You’re finally crowning a Lady, de Maignory?” While walking towards him, I asked.

“Yes! Yes…” He was anxious.

“…who’s the soon to be lucky lady?” I took pity in him, thinking I might help him, but also curious to the lady that can make him this… antsy.

“I like to keep it private but… enfer with that! You’ll see soon enough who she is!” He something shared in confidence to me, even though… we’re but a mutual to one friend…

“Well… alright! It’s not someone I know right?”

“Actually it is…”

“Ah!” I was somewhat stunned, a bit scared if he was to crown Evelyn or Jessamy. “Well… again! It’s your business.”

“Yes…” He said. “By the way where were you going? You looked in such hurry.”

“I was trying to find de Caisoleán and convinced her to help me to drag Arthur’s ass back here again!”

“Ohh!!”

“Yeah and seeing here, I thought also bringing you too! Seeing another familiar face than me, might persuade him more.”

“Wow… thanks for the thoughts Téodor… I think I will join!” He excitedly agreed to join. “Also… might be out of the blue, but… I do want to say, you’re quite character you know! For a peasant.”

“Can you blue bloods properly praise someone?” I appreciate his high opinions of me, but holy shit, pride is one hell of a trait.

“Sorry… what I meant to say, you’re better in terms of character among the others here!”

“Thanks.” I genuinely appreciated that.

“I mean the fact you are trying to do something to help Lord Svard, says a lot, and it would be a honor to be with you to help him!” de Maignory said with a delightful manner. “Though after I finish my business with her.”

“Theo!” My head quickly turned to the one who called for me and the one de Maignory has business with. and it was… Jill. “I’ve been meaning to ask, have you seen Arthur anywhere? He’s been MIA for three days now…” The lingo sort of made me smirk, as I remembered again what Jill was.

“He’s holing up in Castle Krone, feeling shit and all because he didn’t fix Martyn’s and Eleanna’s relationship as well as not unlocking Aronlight.”

“Ohh…”

“Yeah, I’m currently trying to find de Caisoleán and bring her to help him! You want to come?”

“Crystal of course!” Again… once a Jarhead always a Jarhead.

“Great! And de Maignory?”

“Just again… need to take care business first!” He said as… he pointed out his eyes towards Jill.

“Gotcha… good luck bud!” He’s gonna need it.

After that he more or less borrowed Jill from me and I continued my search to find de Caisoleán, which thank god, she was found in a manner of minutes.

The sight of finding her was… quite the nostalgic view, as I was just doing what she is doing right now. Staring aimlessly at the downpour from the window.

I could see the troubled feeling she has, the more or less huge concern and caring feeling she has now towards Arthur. I mean of course she has this, she’s in love with him.

“Staring at it won’t stop the rain nor make Arthur come back again.” I said while approaching her.

“I know… that’s why I’m thinking of dragging his ass back here.” She said.

“So, what’s stopping you?”

“I don’t want him to hate me…” She may not see through my deadpan face, but I’m laughing nonstop of the thought she is having.

“Everyone is such a teenager here…” I said it like the old ass man I am. “C’mon! Me, d’Brueucol, and de Maignory are going drag his ass back again too, and with the girl he’s in love with, he might be more convinced to returned.”

Though I don’t hear it, I fuckin can’t of course, her face does say of a person’s heart that just skipped a beat.

“Alright then!” With determination and her undeniable feeling of love, she pressed forward with me.

We return back to the way I came from, meeting back Jill and de Maignory, where… an interesting object I saw was placed upon Jill’s head.

I ignored that for a moment, because the most important thing to do now is to teleport to the insides of Castle Krone. And de Caisoleán knows fully of a certain office, where in a manner of seconds we landed right dead center on Martyn’s office.

Thankfully for us, and Martyn too, wasn’t currently working in his office. As if he saw four people suddenly appeared on top of his coffee table, he would spill his bourbon, or wine, he’s still 18 after all.

After that we took off from Martyn’s office and went straight to the hallways and a long the way… I just can’t handle my curiosity anymore and made a gap with Jill from de Maignory and de Caisoleán.

“So… you okay him crowning you?” I asked her.

“It’s fine! Kinda great though.”

“Of course it’s great, you’re gonna be the center of attention for a couple of seasons.”

“Haha!” She chuckled silently. “And also… he’s interested on winning my heart…”

“You’re not after the prince anymore?”

“No… Arthur’s gonna kill me if I do that again, haha…”

“Then how about Martyn?”

“…” She was silent.

“Well… it’s up to you in the end Jill, it’s your life after all.”

“Yeah…” She was sheepish, as… she was confused on what to do. “But forget about that! Didn’t expect you to do this!”

“This? Well… what are friends for right?”

“Yeah! Quite the magnificent work, for The Peasant Mage!” She said with a proud tone.

I stopped midway, not because of the somewhat insulting nickname, but more because of what I’m doing right now…

“Don’t stop Theo, you’re already a true friend, you just need to see this through now!” The Aosí Staff said and I heed it by catching up to them.