Veer was going to ask his doubts when Eryssa sighed and said to him as she leaned a bit closer, "Veer, she is still the same. Moreover, you also feel the same. You two were always at each other's bad side during the academy."
Veer was confused as his thoughts drifted back to his academy days. Just who was I back then? He wondered. He asked Eleana again, looking at her beautiful visage, "Why is she so much stronger than me? I think she might even rival you."
Eleana replied as though stating an obvious fact, caressing her hair, "Isn't it to be expected? She is a famous Black Knight. Back then, she told us before leaving the academy that she was going to train with her mentor at the base of the Western Mountains. She was also very angry with you at that time. When she came back, she was the strongest among our passouts and was granted the position of Black Knight after she fought the previous one in her position."
"Don't try to antagonize her anymore, lest you want to suffer," she said with a slight smile. Veer felt a bit pricked as well as a faint hint of something else he could not describe.
Eleana wanted to say more, but looking at Veer, she sighed. Eryssa also nodded as she watched the flowers on the walls sitting gracefully. She gently exhaled as she asked Lythria, "Lythria, how much power can you handle?"
Lythria answered with a calculating gaze as she was using her fingers to make an estimate, "If I use everything… maybe I could barely handle a Black Knight. Only for a few moves. I am specialised in defense, not offense."
Veer looked at that blond, beautiful figure with her hands raised as his thoughts went back to the white lotus.
Eryssa nodded and said to Veer, "Then let Lythria and Eleana go with you."
Veer frowned as he said, "Who will protect you? I'm already barely managing anything. I'll go with Eleana instead."
Eryssa said with a half-smile as Veer inwardly shivered, "Oh! You want to go with Eleana alone?"
Veer said rapidly, swinging his hands, "That's not it..."
Eleana looked at Eryssa with a raised eyebrow as Eryssa said innocently, "I am just teasing him. He looks adorable."
Veer's face became a bit red as he was stunned and sat awkwardly, not knowing where to put his hands, thoughts, and gaze.
Eryssa looked at him and laughed, "Just don't forget and don't fall unconscious. Remember, you are my knight."
Eleana looked at Veer, then at Eryssa, as though having trouble understanding their behaviour.
Veer nodded and bowed as he turned to Lythria. "Can you protect Eryssa?"
Lythria was a bit dissatisfied as she said, her arms crossed, "Let me go. Ancestor told me to protect him."
Then she quickly covered her mouth and laughed awkwardly. "It's nothing, haha…"
Eleana and Eryssa were both a bit shocked as they looked at Veer. Perhaps they were wondering why the ancestor had tasked her with protecting him.
Eleana said in a thoughtful voice as she looked at Lythria, "Lythria, you're still not familiar with your powers. I will go with Veer."
Veer nodded, and Lythria finally gave in after some more discussion.
They moved toward the breakfast area. Veer and Lythria had no idea of the place, though Veer felt a sense of familiarity and belonging. The hall was a huge, circular, regal structure where sunlight poured through the windows. Rows of long benches stretched across the room. The faint stench of wood, dirt, and food rustled his nostrils as though waking him up from his constant reverie.
Many knights were whispering and smiling, acknowledging them as they passed. One knight approached Lythria, first bowed to Eryssa and Eleana, and asked politely, "My beautiful lady, might I have the honor of knowing your name?"
Veer's gaze turned strange as he noticed several others behind the man cheering him on. Lythria blinked innocently and replied, "I'm sorry, I'm new here. I don't give my name to strangers."
Eryssa and Eleana struggled to hold back their laughter as the knight flushed red and said, "Forgive me, my lady. I'll take my leave," before walking away dejectedly.
Veer asked as they found a long, empty table, "What was that about? Why did you reject him?"
All three girls' gazes were unfriendly at Veer as Lythria asked, "You? You want me to go with a stranger?"
Veer said with a smile, "Why not? We can probably be able to enjoy a good marriage and occasion if that happens... Haha."
Eleana and Eryssa understood Veer's teasing as they laughed, moving to the empty seat.
Veer noticed something very late. Everyone seemed to treat Eryssa like a normal person, though she was a princess. Was it because she was ignored for some reason, or had Eryssa herself somehow declared something about that? He didn't know and just wanted to eat comfortably.
The fresh aroma of food swirled through the air as they sat at the bench with their plates. They had hot potato mashed parathas and tea for breakfast.
Veer asked Eleana again in a subtle voice, "Can you tell me more about that Bloody Shura?"
Eleana nodded. "I don't know much, but as you already know, he was the brother of the current King. His brother lost the succession race. In a rage, he went to a small kingdom nearby called Prat and nearly eliminated everything for no reason. It seemed he had lost his mind. But then his body and sword started to get surrounded by a strange yellowish barrier and a suffocating aura as his power almost climbed to the pinnacle of humanity."
She lowered her voice, and it was a bit laden with sadness. "The next part is secretive. I only know it because of my father. Braevan's forces, our kingdom's forces, and one mystic kingdom fought against him. They almost lost until a woman from the Nameless Temple appeared. She overpowered him and dragged him away. It was declared that it was the Path of Shura. Anyone who tried to walk that path would be imprisoned by any kingdom. But I am not sure how he is connected to this incident. Though the power Rheon used is somehow related to that man."
Eryssa chimed in seriously, looking adorable, "Kerin knows much more, actually." Her cheeks were puffed with food. Veer felt the urge to utter something but then shut his mouth as he remembered he was the bodyguard of her.
Eleana nodded just as another presence joined them. It was John, carrying a plate of parathas. He had his hair tied up behind and wore red armor. It was really intricately designed with cross meshes and chainmail. He sat beside Eryssa and Veer and mumbled to Veer, "You really got attacked again? Just what is happening?"
Veer shook his head and asked in a mocking tone, "So, how much did you report about Mythria to your superiors?"
John was eating something when he started coughing. "Damn it... Veer, don't spout nonsense."
He saw that Eryssa was giving him a serious look. John laughed, explaining himself, "Haha... Nothing much. I said there was a human controlling shadows, a secret realm, an assassination attempt, an illusion demon, and a Braevan encounter."
"So basically everything...." Veer asked.
John said with a cryptic tone, "Who said I said all that... Let's eat."
Veer didn't pursue as John became serious and asked, "Were you guys discussing that 'Bloody Shura'?"
Veer nodded. John leaned closer to Veer as he said, "There are a lot of factors at play here, Veer. Our kingdom's state is actually not that good."
He looked at Eryssa across Veer and sighed. "I'm sorry to say this, princess, but while there's a good chance we'll win, the losses will be devastating."
Eryssa nodded with a heavy gaze, "I don't know if it was really because Father didn't agree to my marriage..."
Eleana looked at her and said with a raised brow, "So you want to marry that guy...?"
Eryssa shook her head vigorously. Eleana said, "Then it's settled. No need to worry."
She added in a faint voice, "Though you should consider someone to marry."
Eryssa's breathing quickened a bit as she drank water while Eleana's gaze went beyond Eryssa to Veer and John discussing something.
Veer asked John, "Anyway, have they not investigated the Puppet Bazaar till now?"
John said with a slightly dark tone, "Many have, but there were no abnormalities. Even if there were, we didn't find one."
Eryssa nodded from the side and was about to speak when a group of knights approached. Meanwhile, Veer found a Golden Knight laughing loudly from afar with his friends. Veer noticed him sipping tea — it was the same Golden Knight he had thrashed the other day, Arvus.
The newly arrived knights lined up outside the eating area as two knight girls in navy dresses entered. They walked directly to Veer's bench and bowed to Princess Eryssa. Some knights were whispering among themselves as the two girls walked towards Veer.
"We are sorry for disturbing you, princess, but we are here on Lady Sythris's orders."
Eryssa nodded as she said, "Keep the tone down."
The girls bowed again, this time to Eleana, before addressing Veer without a change in expression. "Knight Veer, for the upcoming war you are to join Lady Sythris's group and take the role of a Golden Knight."
They handed him a scroll bearing Sythris's mark.
The knights bowed once more and left. Veer felt slightly out of place, but then noticed someone else approaching — Kerin. Kerin was wearing black armor as he was chatting with someone else. He noticed Veer and the group and came straight to them. Veer wondered how was that guy completely fine after getting that much injury.
"Ah, another beauty lands in his lap. Dammit!" Kerin muttered, looking at John, as John spilled his drink on him.
"Damn it... John... this is the newest set I got today from the beautiful, utterly breathtaking goddess, Lady Sythris herself."
Veer asked,"Are you sure you're ok?"
Kerin replied,"What do you mean ok? I am perfectly fine after Lady Sythris's med team helped me."
Eryssa and Eleana lowered their heads, eating slowly and not even looking at Kerin while John and Kerin bickered. Lythria, like the rest of the knights, enjoyed the sight of the two friends arguing. Meanwhile, the man responsible for all the chaos sat blankly staring ahead.
Lythria looked at Veer and said, "It really is tough to have you around, hah! Even a Black Knight is recruiting you, even though you're supposed to be Eryssa's protector."
"You too... Lythria?" Veer asked as Lythria said, "Remember a few moments ago..."
Veer sighed and moved his eyes around. From the far end of the hall, near where the Golden Knight sat, another knight's eyes lingered on Veer. He felt the weight of the gaze and looked over, but no one seemed to be watching.
He glanced at Eleana, who whispered, "I sensed it too, but the gaze withdrew immediately. It's peculiar."
John and Kerin also stopped bickering and scanned the crowd, trying to pick someone out among the knights, but couldn't pinpoint anyone.
Kerin finally muttered as he started eating a paratha from John's plate, "Just have Sythris protect you."
He was about to say more but suddenly shivered as he noticed Eleana and Eryssa glaring at him. Awkwardly, he added, "Haha… Lady Eleana is here. No one can harm you while she's around. Veer, let's talk later. I need to fix my sword. Yesterday's fight made it really difficult to use."
He quickly ran off. Veer looked at him running off.
Veer's thoughts were elsewhere, on the earlier discussions of Eleana and Eryssa. There were too many hidden kingdoms at play… and what was that Nameless Temple, anyway? Were they similar to Mythria, the hidden land? Somehow, it felt too familiar to him.