Mordred's 9th birthday was just a day away.
The Teleportation Incident hasn't happened and Mordred has become a lot stronger. It made him feel that perhaps it wouldn't happen until canon time.
On one beautiful early summer day, he went out with Eris to visit the city of Roa during her free day.
The two of them went out together with just Ghislaine who acted as Eris's bodyguard.
The trio passed by the noble district and were soon at the city's central square.
That's when they began to hear a song.
"Let's see what's going on over there!" Eris rushed out first through the street with an excited face.
Mordred faintly smiled and slowly followed with hands in his pocket.
"~And so the young prince bravely rushed in, with sword in hand and fearless grin!... Beside him soared his scaly friend, whose fiery heart would never bend!... ~Through smoke and ash they carved their way, to where the beast of shadows lay—"
Mordred paused, wasn't this a song of the Troubadour? Except it was slightly different from what he remembered.
He hurried up to check up on it.
"~Its crimson eyes, its burning breath, had doomed the skies with wingéd death! But vengeance burned in the little dragon's chest, For lost were the ones he once called 'nest'! The Prince cried out, 'For my friend! For flame!', And steel and claws struck true their aim!"
Coming in closer Mordred saw that it was indeed the familiar Troubadour he met in Shirone.
"Mordred?" Eris looked at him with strange expressions.
And so did Ghislaine.
Mordred answered absentmindedly, "Yeah, It's a song about me. But most of it is made up…"
"Eh, so it's really about Mordred!!!"
The bard continued her song.
The song was apparently about a genius Prince at mere 8 years of age and a little dragon who fought an evil dragon together to take revenge for the little dragon's deceased parents… It was a story of friendship between a dragon and a human; a completely made up story based on him and Albion.
The bard continued singing, mixing truth and lies, and sometimes using lines she used back in Shirone.
At the end of it, the small crowd gave a modest applause that was neither lacking nor vigorous. People seemed to quite like the idea of a Prince partnering up with a little dragon on an adventure and appreciated the song, but there wasn't that much impact.
The song was too removed from the common people's every-day lives and someone like a prince was impossible for them to identify with, Mordred imagined.
But the Troubadour didn't care. She gladly received the applause. "Thank you, thank you! This song is based on a true story based on one time I met the young Prince of Kingdragon! From the hands of your completely innocent and virtuous Troubadour!"
After speaking, the Troubadour played a few sharp notes.
String, string, string…
"The Troubadour part I can believe," Mordred said nonchalantly as he approached her.
The Troubadour turned to look at him. Shocked, she stopped playing. "Ah! Prince!!!"
Mordred chuckled. "Haha, it's been a while."
On the other hand, the Troubadour formed an intense grin. "Haha, my hunch was right! It really was you!"
"Huh? What do you mean?
"After meeting you, I journeyed to Asura once again. Then at one tavern I heard a rumor of a red shooting star appearing in the skies above the Citadel of Roa, so I came here. Well, I planned to visit this place eventually. It's a staple during my travels."
"Oh…" Mordred was enlightened.
Troubadour grinned and asked him, "What brings you here to Roa?"
"... I met Sword King Ghislaine and began training under her."
"Oh." The Troubadour turned to look at the muscular beast swordswoman behind him. She grinned again. "And isn't this the famous Black Wolf King! You'll have to tell me of your adventures, you really do!!!"
"Ooh…" Ghislaine was surprised. Would this bard then also write a song about her? That was quite nice…
"So what were you up to recently? Any interesting adventures you could tell me about?" The Troubadour questioned Mordred next.
"Well, not really. It was just endless training for me."
"Is that the case? Have you not thought of picking up an instrument?"
"I did think about it, but training is my priority."
"Okay, okay. So what do you plan to do next?"
"I actually plan to leave soon. As soon as possible, like in a few days."
"Eh, what?!" Eris was shocked when she heard this. Mordred was leaving?
Mordred looked at her with a small smile. "If your parents agree, I want to take you and Ghislaine with me too."
"Ah, really?!!!" Eris's red eyes began to sparkle as she instantly became excited.
The Troubadour noticed the dynamic between the two and smirked. "~Hehe! Then where are you guys going? If possible, I want to go with you!"
Mordred hummed, deep in thought.
Truth be told, he also planned to take Rudeus and Hector with him, and Eris with Ghislaine too. He would already need to create a car-like speeder to hold several people, but perhaps he shouldn't change the Troubadour's Fate any further. Each person he interacts with and affects outside of canon would shorten his available training time.
Mordred said, "Sorry, but I can't tell you."
"What? Why not? C'mon, why won't you take this big sis with you?" The Troubadour pulled Mordred closer to himself.
"Sorry… Just go where you planned to go originally," Mordred replied expressionlessly while the Troubadour seemingly tried to suffocate him between her large breasts.
The Troubadour continued pestering Mordred, but Mordred didn't budge.
Eventually, Mordred's party left.
After parting with the Troubadour, Mordred, Eris and Ghislaine continued their walk through the city.
Mordred saw that during this one year Eris had changed a lot. She was no longer as violent and full of anger. She was much calmer and reasonable, and also seemed happier.
At the main trading square, the group bought some sweet buns with jam from freshly harvested early summer apples of Fittoa. After that, some skewers.
Mordred's appetite surpassed ordinary standards after he awakened a Dragon's Heart and he also burned large amounts of calories through training, so he soon went to another stand and bought himself a few more snacks.
While he was waiting for another set of skewer, he noticed a noble boy, maybe a year older than them, approach Eris who was slowly eating her own skewer with a happy smile.
"Hello, pretty Young Miss. May I know your name?" The noble boy made a courteous bow with a smile.
Eris glared at him. "Who the hell do you think you are?! Get lost before I punch you!!!"
"Ah…"
The boy was taken aback, but as Eris bared her fangs and gripped her fist, he quickly chose to retreat.
He returned to his friends.
One of them told him, "Are you crazy?! You were trying to hit on Bloody Eris? It's good she didn't turn you into a eunuch!"
The noble boy was shocked. "What? That cute girl was Bloody Eris?!"
Mordred witnessed this scene and smiled. Yep, this was his Eris! Perhaps she didn't change that much after all…
And for mere 10 year old boys to be hitting on girls… This world was really something else.
Afterwards, he returned to Eris with a chuckle. "Bloody Eris? What's up with that nickname?"
"Hmph!" Eris snorted and crossed her arms, not answering.
Mordred chuckled. "It's cool."
…
After the trip downtown, Mordred told Philip about his wish of taking Eris with him to Ars. After all, he would rather not leave her at risk of being swept up in the Teleportation Accident while he was somewhere far away.
He really didn't want this to happen.
Philip didn't have a problem with it and was even happy for some reason, but after his wife Hilda learned about it, she began to heavily protest.
"Absolutely not! Eris is not leaving the manor until she's at least 10 years old!"
It was a fact that Hilda remained slightly cold toward Mordred even though during this time both Philip and Sauros warmed up to him to the point they felt like family, but her reaction still seemed exaggerated.
No matter what arguments Mordred used, even saying that he worries about the orb in the sky, Hilda refused to budge. She would not let him leave with Eris for Ars.
In turn, Eris was furious at her mother and threw a fit.
There was a loud verbal fight between the two. The mother and daughter were shouting at each other at the top of their throats in such a livid manner that Mordred saw they were not so different after all.
Although Eris's throat seemed more trained and she was superior in the volume aspect.
However, with Eris's mother disagreeing so heavily, Mordred was in a bind.
He wanted to snatch away Eris in secret and then leave behind a letter, but before making his decision he decided to give her something first.
"Stupid mother! Why won't she let me go?! We can always fly back any time!!! Grrrrrr!" Eris was still seething with rage as the two were left alone.
"Hey, Eris calm down."
"Damn it! Arrrrghhhhh!!!"
Mordred tried to calm her down first, but Eris was still grinding her teeth and her face was still boling red out of anger.
"Eris relax… ~In every life there's some trouble… But when you're angry, you make it double… So don't worry… Be… happy."
This quietened down Eris. She muttered, "Is this a new song you're writing? I heard you sing it before…"
Mordred chuckled. "Haha, yeah… Anyway, there's something I want to give you."
"Eh? Something?" Eris became interested.
Mordred smiled and slowly took off the ring with the green gem from his finger.
Upon seeing this, Eris's eyes widened.
"It's a Magic Ring that can form a barrier to resist physical attacks and Magic. Apparently, it can withstand up to two Saint rank attacks before running out of energy. I'm giving it to you to keep you safe, just in case."
Hearing this, Eris was astounded.
As she received the ring, she put it on her finger and looked at the green gem in amazement. "Woah! It's beautiful! Thank you, Mordred!!!"
There was a joyful smile on her face as her eyes seemed to flicker with tears of happiness.
Mordred chuckled. "Haha, I'm glad you like it. Just remember to not reveal the ring's ability to people who don't need to know. Use it in an emergency."
"Got it!"
After returning to his room, Mordred was approached by Philip.
"I witnessed your chat with Eris. I wish I was able to handle my neurotic wife as well as you can Eris," Philip said with his usual smile.
"Haha." Mordred chuckled.
"At any rate, you gave Eris a really valuable gift. You really care about her." Philip stared at him. He knew just how valuables this kind of ring was; perhaps it could buy a castle! It wasn't just some casual gift.
Mordred didn't say anything.
Philip then suddenly asked, "Do you want to marry my daughter?"
"What? That… It's too early for things like that."
"Of course. But you could still become engaged," said Philip while looking at Mordred with a mysterious smile. "I could tease you by saying that if you two don't become engaged now, there might be other candidates… But I think we both know that Eris would just beat them up."
Mordred laughed. "Haha, yes, that's Eris."
Philip touched his face while smiling and staring at him, and said, "And so it seemed that it's completely impossible for my violent daughter to become a lovely noble lady or to marry into a good family. Even I thought she was hopeless. I had her pick up the sword and train under Ghislaine to become an adventurer… But then you appeared."
"..."
"If you want to marry Eris, I'll have no complaints. I know that you would be good to her."
Mordred went silent. Philip was quite blunt.
Philip continued, "My wife would also agree. Although she threw a fit recently and was quite cold to you, she's secretly also very fond of you. She thinks you're a perfect match for Eris!"
Philip then explained to Mordred his situation how after losing the political battle for becoming the head of the Boreas his two sons were rightfully taken away and adopted by his older brother's side according to the family rules.
This was also why Hilda was a bit unhappy with a foreign boy the age of her children living in the manor while she couldn't see her own sons…
Mordred already knew about it, so he never held a grudge.
"So please forgive my wife. As for marriage with Eris, do you agree?"
As Philip continued staring at him intensely, Mordred had to give a reply. After thinking it through, he said, "Technically I don't have the right to decide my marriage, but you can rest assured, I won't abandon Eris."
Philip let out a sigh. "I know what you're talking about, but you told me this before, didn't you? That might makes right. With your strength, soon no one will be able to tell you who you can or cannot marry, isn't that the case?"
Mordred was silent. Of course he agreed with this wholeheartedly.
Philip smiled as he stood up. "At any rate, I heard what I wanted to hear. We can discuss the details later, perhaps when you're both ten. In the meantime, I will talk with my wife and daughter about it."
Before Philip left, Mordred spoke up, "Wait a moment. Before that I have something for you."
"Something for me?"
Mordred took out a wand-like object and gave it to Philip. "It's a Magic Tool I made. Keep it on you at all times for self defense. To use it, just point it at someone, inject your magic Power into it and say 'Fire'. You can practice using it."
"Oh, okay… Thank you."
After Philip left, Mordred let out a sigh.
The item he gave Philip shot out a stone cannon gravel buffed up to the point it was like a shotgun round. The Magic Circle was at a level that a person with no knowledge of Magic should still be able to use it as long as they had some Mana. It should one-shot swordsmen below Saint rank and most monsters below B-rank. This was as much as he could do.
As for the engagement, he'll somehow have to adapt to the situation.
If they became initially engaged at 10, and Eris was happy with it, then it was also a good thing; it'd be quite romantic… Eris should quite like the idea of being able to brag that he's her fiance…
That aside, Mordred continued making his preparations for his leave.
***
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Name: Eris Boreas Greyrat
Titles/nicknames: Young Miss of the Boreas family, Bloody Eris (confirmed)
Age: 9
Strength: F+
Endurance: F+
Agility: F+
Mana: F+
…
Fire, Water, Wind and Earth Magic: Elementary rank (silently, one spell in each category)
Healing Magic: Elementary rank (silently)
Detoxification Magic: Elementary rank (currently learning to use it silently)
Sword God Style: Elementary-Intermediate rank
[Madness Enhancement (The Boreas Fist) EX]