Pratty's POV, on the way to the Silver Guild
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I guess Sugar is right... to some extend. I mean, I basically promised to give her a chance and I think she puts a lot of effort into getting me to marry her, in her own way. She would have nothing to gain by deceiving me. And if this strange relationship should have a chance I can't leave everything to Sugar...
I don't know what I should think about that, but I will never know anything about it if I don't try to see it her way as well. I don't want to promise her anything about being with her as lovers, I can't say if I could be happy that way and I don't think Sugar would be happy if I wasn't... But I should do other things instead, smaller things, shouldn't I? I'm really lost...
What is normal for a couple? I mean, I talked about it with my mother, but she just told me that it is an individual thing. I never really saw John as anything but a friend and we were just playing around, it was never really serious. It was somewhat funny, he always was pretty polite but mocked that very politeness in the next moment, but it was nothing like this... Sugar is serious about it, I can't doubt that, it is obvious...
So, how should I do that...? I mean, kissing is a little bit too much, I think. And I can't exactly kiss her, not after my previous reactions to that topic... not that I'd want to... I don't think it was bad, it did feel rather good... Not like mother kissing me on the forehead or anything like that, but still snug and not really unpleasant...
"Master Pratty, what are you thinking about? You're all red~" Sugar noticed immediately... Is it that obvious? I can't really tell, but I do feel pretty embarrassed. I mean, I did think about some strange things there...
"N-Nothing... Nothing at all! I wasn't thinking about anything!" Damn it, I just blurted that out... Now Sugar will suspect something for sure... Well, it's not as if she could look into my thoughts or something like that, so there should be no problem, but still...
"Come on, Master Pratty... You can tell me anything." Well, I guess I could ask Sugar for advice, but I am never quite sure how... reliable she is. I mean, I don't know how far I should go along, what is acceptable and what is too much. Sugar wants to go all the way to marriage and I think that's definitely too much. But other than that...
"Well, you said I should... take a step forward... Uh, how exactly should I do that?" I hope that she will give me a reasonable reply, though she will probably start with kissing and try to up the stakes from there on... At least that's how she usually seems to go about it. That's what a married couple usually does, so that's definitely too much...
"Hm, you could take my hand, for example. Walking hand in hand should be a good start, right?" That does seem to be acceptable, right? It's just holding hands, that's something even children do, so there is nothing wrong about it, otherwise the adults would scold them. Holding hands... I think that is a good compromise.
"Alright. So, uh... would you give me your hand?" I raise my hand and hold it out to Sugar. This is still a little bit embarrassing, but it's much better than kisses and such things... Sugar puts her hand gently on top of mine and I timidly close my fingers around her hand. It is so warm... I think I feel pretty comfortable with this...
"So, do you like it, Master Pratty? It isn't that bad, is it?" Sugar squeezes her hand a little bit, probably to encourage me. This really isn't all that bad, though the atmosphere is rather strange... The pale moonlight reflected in the canals, the warm light of fire shining from many of the windows and the soothing sounds of the breaking waves...
"No, it's... pretty nice..." I think I could get used to this... Maybe it wouldn't be too bad, marrying Sugar... Ugh, what am I even thinking!? This is pretty nice, alright, but there are many other things I have to think about and a lot of things I have to ask about before I even consider that! I should probably ask one of the craftlords if I get the opportunity, they should know if that was possible.
"You see, Master Pratty? I do want to go a few steps further someday, but for now this is enough for me." Yeah, I think it wasn't nice of me to mistrust Sugar like that... She can be a little bit strange and intrusive, but she seems to be very nice and I can somewhat understand her motives, I guess...
I mean, she was waiting for three years, though I don't really understand why it is three years, that was when father died. And they probably made that weird promise before I was born, I don't think my father would have done so otherwise. Well, I'll probably never know, my father never told me and now he is gone...
"Uh, I guess I am fine with holding hands for the time being. If that is everything there is to it..." I was somewhat scared of what Sugar might want, but this is much more harmless than what I was afraid of. Maybe I just got a little bit paranoid because of her previous actions.
"Well, that is hardly everything there is to it. I love you, Master Pratty, so I do want to do other things with you someday, I want to marry you someday. But I can wait..." Hm, I think Sugar is right, she can want whatever she wants if she respects my wishes and doesn't do too much against my will.
"Are you stupid or something? You can't be serious, talking like this out in the streets, right?" Huh? Who is that? It's definitely a man, judging by the hoarse and harsh voice. He is wearing some kind of black cloak with a hood completely covering his face. He looks like some kind of occult freak or some other sort of shady person... And what the hell is his problem!? It's none of his business what Sugar tells me or what she doesn't!
"What is your problem? Why are you talking to us in the first place? What Sugar says has nothing to do with you." Seriously, I don't really like it when Sugar talks to me like that, but that is my problem, if anything.
"You really are an idiot, huh? It is hardly my problem, though it would be yours if someone else heard you talking like that. A craftknight and a summon creature? You are aware of the fact that summon creatures are generally seen as nothing more than beasts, aren't you?" What the hell? Seriously, what is he trying to get at?
"That's not true. While some humans would see me that way most wouldn't. There are some humans out there who are rather wicked, but most of them aren't." Well, there are obviously some humans who aren't very good persons, but I definitely agree with Sugar.
"But of course, dear princess... You don't have the slightest idea. Maybe I should show you...?" He sounds so mocking... I don't really like him at all. Wait, what is he doing now? Is he seriously... He just pulled a sword out of his cloak and is pointing it at Sugar!
"Sugar, get behind me! Let me handle this." I quickly jump in front of Sugar and draw my spear. With this I should be able to defend her without a problem. He won't even be able to reach me with that sword of his, though it looks fairly strange. I don't think I ever saw such a weapon, it seems to be made of ice...
"Cute. You know, I am surprised. Most humans wouldn't go that far for a mere creature. Isn't that what you see when you look at her? A tool? A means to get what you want?" I have to admit that that was once partially true, but no more. Sugar is my friend and I will protect her, just as she protects me.
"Master Pratty, please. I don't think we could defeat him, even if we worked together." But I can't just let him threaten Sugar like that! I don't see why Sugar would say that to begin with, we are a good team. Just because he is wearing intimidating clothes doesn't mean that he is strong. We are on our own either way, there is no-one else around here, the sun has already set.
"You should listen to her. You wouldn't want to risk your life for a tool, would you?" Why the hell is he calling Sugar a tool!? She is a person, just as much as I am! I've had enough of this... He is looking for a fight, so that's what I will give him.
"Sugar is not a tool! Never say such a thing again!" I quickly thrust my spear towards him and try to knock the sword out of his hand. If I can disarm him like that he shouldn't pose much of a threat. Afterwards we can just tell the craftlords about this and they can take care of him. What the hell is he mumbling now?
"Master Pratty!" What the- How the hell is he moving!? His feet aren't even touching the ground! He is way too fast for me... My momentum of my attack is carrying me along, past him... Damn, I can't use my spear at such close range, he is behind me...
"I told you. You never had a chance to begin with. If you admit that you see nothing else in her than a tool or a pet at best, I might just let you go..." Damn, he's got me... He is holding his sword against my throat...That blade really seems to be made out of ice. Why the hell is such a psychopath here in the first place? He could really kill me...
"Master Pratty... I don't care whether it's true or not, just say it... I don't want to lose you..." Great... If I make a mistake now I'm as good as dead, huh? I don't think Sugar could heal a wound in this area... I don't want to die, that much is obvious... But I can't just let him call Sugar a tool or a pet!
"Never! I will never say such things about Sugar! Sugar is my friend, maybe even more! I won't take that back, no matter what!" I am scared... I am really scared... but I can't let him say such things about Sugar, much less say such things myself!
"Oh? You would rather die? I could arrange that... Seriously, you would rather die?" He is applying more pressure to the blade, but I just nod. Sugar seems to be close to tears... This is not at all what I imagined my life to end like, I never even thought about that at all... "Well, you got guts. It's fairly surprising to hear such words out of the mouth of a human..." Huh? He withdraws his sword...
"Master Pratty! Are you alright!?" Sugar is already by my side. I'm really glad... I put my arms around her and... I can't hold it back any longer... I start to cry into her shoulders. She is gently stroking my back... "I'm sorry, Master Pratty... There was nothing I could do..."
"This is... really awkward. Hey, that might seem funny, coming from me like this... but I'm sorry. Seriously." What. The. Hell!? He almost killed me a second ago and now he's apologizing? That guy is really insane...
"Then why, in the name of all that is good, did you threaten to kill Master Pratty? She didn't do anything. And if you ever do such a thing again I will personally kill you..." I think Sugar is serious, but while I think he would deserve a punishment death is a little bit too much...
"I'm not planning such a thing. If anything this was meant as a lesson. I guess I went a little bit too far though..." He should try a career as a comedian... I take a deep breathe, let go of Sugar and wipe away the last of my tears. Now I turn to him.
"So, would you mind explaining any of your actions just now?" I am really interested in his reply, though I don't think there could be any good reason for such actions... "And while you at it, at least show your face."
"Well, I guess I could try to explain it, though you probably wouldn't understand it either. And I don't think you would want to see my face." Well, I don't think that there is much of a point to talking with him, but I want to know why he would do such things. And why wouldn't I want to see his face...?
"Then just start. And I want to see who I am talking to." He slowly pulls back his hood, revealing rather long grey hairs, rather spiky. There is a big scar from his forehead over his eye way down to his chin, he seems to be a little bit older than Sugar, though not much older. Come to think of Sugar... He apparently had such horns as well, though there are only broken remnants of them...
"That is a reaction you should expect if you act this way in the streets. Many humans would be disgusted with your behaviour. They think of summon creatures such as myself or your friend as lower creatures. And it doesn't really help that you are both female." I can't imagine that there are such humans, I never met such mean people...
"So it was meant as a warning? Seemed to be awfully serious, you know? Besides, not all humans are like that." So Sugar does agree with him, to some extend. There are humans like that. I never thought that would be the case, everyone here in Wystern seemed to be so nice...
"A little bit rough, but I think you will remember that. The same could not have been said if I had just warned you. Apparently you don't know humans the way I do. Well, that should be expected. The former guardian beast of the great Shintetsu and his daughter..." So he seems to know who we are. Well, I guess we aren't exactly unknown in this city...
"What are you trying to say? Could you explain that? And who are you, anyways? What about your master?" I'm sure his master wouldn't be very pleased with his behaviour. He can be glad that we or someone else didn't call the guards by now, otherwise he would be in a lot of trouble.
"What I'm trying to say? I'm trying to say that you shouldn't flirt like that outdoors. I probably did you a favor by doing this, otherwise it might not have went so well. My master? My master has been dead for a long time." Huh? So he is a stray summon? I didn't imagine them to be like this, I always thought stray summons were just like the slimes...
"You didn't have to be so cruel about it, that was really too much. I thought you were really going to kill me there... And why are you still here if your master is dead? I thought you would just return to your home world if that happened." I mean, it was the same for Sugar, she just returned to her home after father died.
"If I hadn't been so serious about it you would've forgotten about it by tomorrow. Hey, act like close friends or however you like, but not as lovers. I can stay here if I want to, can't I? Well, your laws say otherwise, but I care little for those. I still have some things to take care of before I can leave this world." Now he seems to be almost sad. I really don't get him...
"I don't really agree with you about the laws, but it is not my place to enforce them. You still didn't mention your name. Would you kindly tell us?" Sugar sounded almost sarcastic. I think she doesn't like him very much. Well, I don't exactly like him either, but I think it would be a good idea to at least hear his side of the whole situation. My mother always taught me that I should listen to both sides before making a decision...
"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt me to tell you, would it? You can call me Aedon. You can feel proud, Pratty. I haven't shared this name with a human being in a long time. You are an exception of your kind. Even in the face of death you were loyal to your lover. Others might call that stupid, but I can respect you for that decision. Though you would have made her very desperate if you had died here, you know?"
"I guess I don't have to introduce myself, seeing how you know my name. But why do you think of humans that way? I mean, there are probably some humans who are pretty bad, but the people of this city are rather nice, from what I know about them. And Sugar is not my lover..." Well, I guess I don't know everyone in this city and I can't look into their heads, but I can't imagine them doing something as awful as what he did just a few moments ago...
"Oh, Master Pratty... But it was really nice how you tried to protect me and how you defended me. Are you sure about that~?" 'Sigh' Sugar... Just as always, huh? I just hope that he won't pretend to try to kill either of us again for that, I had more than enough excitement for one day...
"Haha, some things never change, do they, Sugar? Shintetsu told me you were like that, even back then. Well, young Pratty, you will see it for yourself if you become a craftlord. If you trust in the good of others you will fall flat." He is really strange. He jokes with Sugar as if they were old friends and in the next moment he talks like that... I really don't know what to think of him...
"How do you know Master Shintetsu? I never met you, of that I am rather sure." I would like to know that as well. I can't imagine my father talking about Sugar with some mean stranger...
"Well, we used to be friends, kinda. He was a good person, in my opinion. Honourable. Though he was also rather naive, trusting in the good of others and so on. Oh well. I think we should meet again sometime, I might be able to teach the both of you a thing or two, if you want to. About crafting weapons, close combat and magic. Let's meet tomorrow in the labyrinth. Well, see ya!" And he is gone... What the hell?
"That was... strange." I'm at a loss for words. I mean... that guy is so weird. Just what was he trying to achieve with this?
"I don't have a clue. But I do know that he is very strong. He is probably as strong as one of the craftlords with their guardian beast, if not stronger..." That strong? I mean, he didn't break a sweat defeating me, but a craftlord with their guardian beast is very strong, much stronger than any ordinary craftknight. They are the strongest force in all of Wystern...
"But he isn't a craftlord, he is a stray summon. How can he be that strong on his own? And do you really think it would be a good idea to train with him?" Sure, he might be strong, but he seems to be crazy, to say the least...
"Well, there are a lot of things in this world. His magic is stronger than mine at the moment and his weapon was also exceptional. I barely ever saw a weapon like that. Hm, he seems to be rather crazy, to be honest, but I don't think he is too bad. And someone to teach us how to fight would be a good help, don't you think so?" Uh... Well, I could use some lessons in that department. Master Bron can teach me how to craft weapons, but crafting a weapon isn't everything.
"Hm, I don't think we have any other choice than meeting him tomorrow either way, so we might as well train with him a little bit. Though I'm not very comfortable around him. Let's return to the Silver Guild already..." Enough of this, we should go to sleep. I may have another match in the tournament tomorrow, so we should rest.
"Yes, Master Pratty. Let's return to our love nest~" I see that Sugar took his warnings very serious... If only she could heed his words and do that less often. Oh well...
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"Ah, finally..." We are back. I could fall asleep immediately once I lie down...
"Yes, we should go to bed. It's very late..." 'Sigh' Going to bed... If only I had remembered to get another bed... Not that there was any time for that today. I guess I will have to bear with this situation, for the time being.
"Yeah, you're right..." I take my pyjamas to the bathroom and take off my clothes. Sugar is probably disappointed, but I won't do that in front of her... They are very nice, rather fluffy and warm. The design is very plain, nothing special about them, no motifs or anything like that.
"Master Pratty, let's sleep together~" What the...? Sugar also changed her clothes, but... I don't think these are pyjamas... A silk bra and silk panty, both rather... I don't know what I should say about this, I feel embarrassed just looking at her. I mean, it does look good on her, but...
"Sugar, why are you wearing that...? Where did you get that in the first place?" I never saw her buying any clothes, especially not something like that. Come to think of it, where does Sugar get her clothes from to begin with...?
"Well, doesn't it look good on me~? Oh, that's easy. I use magic to get them from my home, that's very convenient, right?" I guess that makes sense, somewhat... But she has clothes like that at home?
"Sugar, couldn't you wear something a little bit less... I don't know..." How could I say that? I mean... I would prefer it if she wore something like my pyjamas, something that looks more like trousers and a pullover...
"Come in already, Master Pratty. You don't have to look at me all night long, though I wouldn't mind~" Sugar... Well, she is right. I don't have to look at her and I won't even see her once the lights are out. I slip under the blanket and lie with my back turned to Sugar. Finally some sleep...
At least it's pretty warm in here, a nice side-effect of having a forge in the room you sleep in, keeping the fire alive for most of the day. Though it can get a little bit too hot in summer. And Sugar besides me is also pretty warm... Hey, she is hugging me again!
"Sugar! Come on, just stop it for today..." She is moving closer to me again. Great... Though it feels pretty nice and comfortable, but I can't just let Sugar do whatever she wants...
"Master Pratty, cuddling perfectly normal for couples. And you said you would "take a step forward", right~?" I think I should have kept these thoughts to myself... Now Sugar can use it against me and I can't say anything about it... "Turn around for a second, Master Pratty."
"Huh?" What does she want now? I hope she doesn't want to talk for much longer, I have to sleep soon, otherwise I will be way too tired tomorrow. Well, if I just turn around and try to keep it short it will be over rather fast, otherwise she will probably just do something strange again...
'Smack' "Mpf! Mmh...!" She did it again! This is so... strange... She is holding me close to her, one arm around my back and the other one behind my head... This isn't so bad... Her kiss is so warm and pleasant, I could just let her continue... No way! After a few more seconds she finally releases me...
"That was for today. You never let me give you that good-luck kiss. And a thank-you kiss for our wonderful time so far. I hope you enjoyed it~" Uh... I kinda did, but... Sugar shouldn't do such things without even asking me!
"Sugar, at least ask before you do something like that again! Though it wasn't too bad..." Did I just say that last part...? If this goes on...
"Master Pratty~ We can do this more often if you want to~" I saw that coming... Well, maybe it wouldn't be too bad, unless some lunatic like that... Aedon, I think... comes in and threatens us like that...
"At least stop for today... It's already way too late and we should get some rest for tomorrow." A lot of gathering materials and beating up summoning creatures to do... Maybe even a match in the tournament. We should definitely be prepared for just about anything. And that guy will be in the labyrinth tomorrow. I was very tired today, so it's obvious why I lost. Maybe I could beat him if I worked together with Sugar... Probably not, but I can try.
"Alright, Master Pratty. But let us sleep like this~" She is still hugging me... Well, if this will finally get me my sleep...
"Fine, but let's just sleep..." Her head is still so close to mine, her warm breath also feels pretty good against my cheek... Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all... My consciousness slowly drifts away as I feel save and snug in Sugar's embrace...
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'Yawn' It's morning already... I wouldn't mind sleeping for a little bit longer, it's so nice and comfortable... It's almost like the old times, when I was sleeping with my mother and father when I was scared... I kinda want to stay like this for the rest of the day...
Mother is so warm... I cling to her and feel very affectionate... I could just fall asleep again... But there was something else I had to do, right...? Something about... the tournament. Well, that can wait for a while. If I had another match they would just call me. Now that I think about the tournament... I'm not at home anymore! I slowly open my eyes...
"Sugar...?" That's right, this isn't mother! Sugar is lying next to me, staring at me with her hazel eyes and smiling... I was nestling up to her this entire time! I'm so close to her...
"Oh, you are awake now, Master Pratty. A shame, your sleeping face was so cute~" Great way to start the morning... I quickly let go of Sugar, but she is still hugging me... It seems to be rather early, I think the sun is just rising, judging by the colour of the light...
"Sugar, not this early in the morning... It's way to ear- Mpf!" She is kissing me again! Didn't she agree to be less pushy!? I try to push her away, but she has a very good grip on me... She is rolling us around and now she's lying on top of me... "MPF! Mmh!" Finally she breaks the kiss, though she is still pinning me down...
"Sorry, Master Pratty~ But how could I resist you if you are THIS cute? You're adorable!" She is holding me so tight...With nothing on but her silky underwear! I mean, she does look pretty good in this, but it's so embarrassing. And if someone walked in on us like this...
"Sugar... Please be more considerate towards me. I already told you that I don't want you to kiss me..." I don't mind it so much any more, I'm actually rather calm... But I have to keep Sugar in check, who knows what ideas she might get otherwise...
"Yes, Master Pratty... It was just a little kiss to wake you up and wish you luck for the day..." Well, the shock did wake me up, it almost worked as well as cold water to the face...
"Thank you, I guess... But please don't do that again." I would really appreciate it if Sugar would just once remember that she promised me to keep it down a little bit. Well, she said she would try it, but I don't think she is even trying...
"Oh... Well, we can continue this later on~ I was actually just about to wake you up, you wouldn't want to miss Sanary's match, right?" Oh, that's right... I almost forgot all about that. Well, I'd better get dressed, I really would rather see it. It would help me if I ever have to fight against Sanary and maybe I can learn a few things from her style as well.
"Alright, Sugar. I'll get dressed, so please turn around for a moment." I walk over to the wardrobe and get another pullover, trousers and underwear, just like the ones I wore yesterday. I have plenty of these and I really like them, they are comfortable and easy to move in, just perfect for most situations.
"Yes, Master Pratty. But I really don't mind... You can dress up right in front of me, if you want to~" Oh Sugar... I wish she would stop with these remarks. Well, she does turn around, so it's fine. I quickly take off my pyjama and put on my underwear, just some plain white panties and a white bra, just as plain as the panties. I look over my shoulder and immediately catch Sugar peeping again...
"Sugar, please... Don't do that all of the time. Just leave me alone while I dress or undress..." She moves closer to me again, still in her... I don't know how I should call it, but it looks like underwear to me...
"Come on, Master Pratty. Don't be so tense, just relax..." She is putting her hands on my shoulders and squeezes them a little bit. It does feel rather good, like the massage yesterday, but now really isn't the time for things like this!
"Sugar! I want to see Sanary's match and we have to hurry, right? Let me dress myself, we have a busy day ahead of ourselves, so please... let's focus on other things for now." Sugar does let go of me, though she doesn't seem to want to. Well, at least she listens to me, if she gives me the time to react at all...
"Alright, Master Pratty. But in exchange you will invite me to a restaurant again, just the two of us, alright?" Well, I still have some money left over from yesterday. Since I find more than enough materials in the dungeon and some of the summoning creatures carry some money I don't have to worry about it. I think I can promise that much, unless something else gets in the way.
"Fine, let's eat something at the restaurant from yesterday, just the two of us. We can do that after we saw Sanary's match. So, let me get dressed for now..." Sugar does let go of me this time and she even turns around. Well, I don't really care for money all that much and Sugar seems to leave me alone for now. I also like the food there and John shouldn't be around at this time, he rather works from the evening into the night, so Sugar should be pleased...
I continue getting dressed, putting on my pullover and my trousers and after that my chest protector. Where did I put my cap? Oh, I think Sugar put it on the bedpost. Yes, here it is. All done. These clothes are very convenient, I'm glad mother bought them for me before the tournament.
"Sugar, you can turn around again." Well, she seems to be a little bit disappointed at the sight of my clothes, but these are just perfect for our tasks. Besides, I wouldn't change my clothes just for Sugar, especially not if they have to be suited for battle. Sugar would probably rather have me wear dresses or just my underwear and that wouldn't do it for battles. Even if it was possible I would never wear underwear in public, that would be far too embarrassing...
"Well, even with clothes like that Master Pratty is still cute~" 'Sigh' Even if she isn't all that pleased she still tells me how cute I am... I don't really see myself as cute, but Sugar seems to have a very different opinion of that matter...
"Whatever you say... These clothes are very nice, almost perfect for any situation. They are very light and they can keep out the cold, but they don't get too hot during summer." I don't think the same is true for Sugar's clothes, but she has to know what she wants to wear, I can hardly say anything about that. Those clothes would be a little bit too... scanty for my taste, I think.
"Well, they are practical, but you should try on something else for your free time. Do you want to go and buy some clothes with me?" Well, I guess I could do that. I usually don't do that if there is a way around it, I just go with my mother and buy something whenever I outgrow my clothes and that didn't happen in a while...
"Maybe, but I don't know if I'll buy anything. I have what I need. But let's worry about that some other time, we will be late for Sanary's match if we don't hurry." Well, I don't really know how late it is, but I don't think there is much time left. And we want to secure seats where we can see what's going on.
"Yes, Master Pratty, we should get going." Thus we start our way to the Central Tower. Most of the members of the Silver Guild seem to be preparing to leave as well, Sanary is neither in her workshop nor downstairs, so I guess she already went ahead. She probably doesn't want to be late for her first match.
The streets are still rather quiet, the market is open, but there aren't many customers yet so the pitchmen don't have to scream yet. It's rather nice at the market around morning and evening, but during noon it's a terrible place to be at. Way too many others for my taste.
…
We finally got to the arena, it feels a little bit strange to be on the terrace instead of the ring, it looks completely different. Most of the good seats are already taken, so we might have to get one further to the back. That would be pretty bad, we won't be able to see what exactly Sanary does if we are too far away...
"Hm, should we go further to the back?" There aren't that many people here, less than yesterday. Well, there might have been more people because I am the daughter of Shintetsu. He was a great hero for the people of Wystern, so they might be expecting the same from me. Hm, there is someone beckoning us over...
"Can we help you with something?" It's a rather old man with a grey cloak, the hood over his back, and a long crook, probably to support him. He has long grey hairs, a little bit unkempt, and a long grey beard that reaches all the way down to his waist. His eyes are grey with some other shades like green and yellow in them. His appearance seems to be grey for the most part, though I can't remember ever hearing about such an order of monks...
"Hello, youngsters. Would you like to take a seat next to me?" Oh, he does have a pretty good spot in the first row. Though I could swear that I saw him somewhere, not too long ago...
"Sure. Uh, do I know you?" He is smiling in a grandfatherly way. I don't know why, but I'm pretty sure that I know him Though I can't remember ever meeting someone like this before. Sugar seems to think the same thing as well, though she is looking at him rather sceptical.
"Why, yes, we met just yesterday. Don't you remember me?" Uh... I did meet someone yesterday that was a little bit like him, but completely different. That man reminds me of Aedon, for some reason. Though he seems to be much older than he was. This old man also doesn't have any scars and his cloak is grey, not black...
"Master Pratty, don't let his appearance deceive you, he is that man from yesterday. This is just an illusion." Why would he be here? Oh well, whatever. Maybe it would be better to call for the authorities... But I should have done that yesterday if I had wanted to. He seems to applaud a little bit for Sugar. He acts like a completely different person...
"Not bad. You saw through my illusion, huh? That's rather good, though I didn't put much effort into it." He seems to be back to his old self, mocking Sugar slightly and he is grinning again. I almost feel like beating him up for yesterday, but that would probably be a bad idea...
"So, what are you doing here? I didn't think you would be the type to be into sports..." Well, he seems to be rather sporty, judging by his performance from yesterday, but I don't think he's here for the fun of it...
"Oh, I'm just interested in the matches. Maybe I can see something new." Hm, maybe.
The match seems to be about to start. Sanary is already waiting for her opponent, confident as ever. Master Sakuro is also waiting and both of them seem to be rather impatient. After two more minutes a young man walks in from the other side of the small arena. After Master Sakuro probably explained the rules to them Sanary draws her sword, both of them seem to fight without a guardian beast.
"Wow, Sanary is amazing..." Her swordplay is unbelievable, she is much better than me... her opponent is using a heavy axe, but he's losing more and more ground to Sanary. After just two minutes or something like that she manages to throw him off the platform on which they fought...
"You're right, she is very good. However, she is too confident and ambitious. That will become her downfall sooner or later." Huh? What does he mean by that? "Well, I will be on my way. See ya later."
"Hey, wait..." He's already gone, I can't find him with all these people walking out...
"That person... Aedon... He is a very strange one." Yes, that he is. Well, we should return to the Silver Guild and see if we'll receive another note.
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author's note: Hey, sorry that I'm so late with this update, I will try to keep it steady from now on. I hope the new changes are acceptable, I'm a little bit unsure but I want to use these characters to create more opportunities for conflicts later on. I think these are all the additional characters I will add for now. Well, you can write a review if you want to and tell me what you think, otherwise I can't react to what you might want and I will just continue the way I do.