Chapter 8

Tournament Arc: Princess Prim

The kingdom of Feoh is lively tonight. The kingdom of Feoh, bathed in the warm glow of torchlight and twinkling lanterns, hums with anticipation as citizens wander in the busy streets. The air is filled with the aroma of delicious food and laughter, as vendors sell their wares and people mill about, eagerly discussing the upcoming tournament.

Mika leisurely walked through the busy streets. If someone would looking at him, they would compare him to a ghost as he expertly dodged and weaved through the people in the jam packed streets of Feoh.

Mika is in no hurry but he had a goal tonight.

To scout out the competition for tomorrow.

As Mika continues on his way, he catches sight of a particularly bustling area where the crowd seems to be thickest. Curiosity piqued, he decides to investigate further. Following the flow of people, he finds himself in front of a huge encampment.

Mika frowned as he got closer.

Mercenaries, to be specific, Black Dog Mercenaries.

A mercenary band that is growing in popularity due to their head-on defense against the monsters of the Dark Queen Olga. Whenever there's a fight with these monsters, they are always close by. These made them heroes in the eyes of the Seven Shield Alliance.

But nothing is truly kind in this world. He have heard of rumors. Bad rumors. They say the Black Dogs take collateral as payment to their "protection". Failure to pay means they will act... unsavory.

Even Maribel and Marion are suspicious of the group.

Sneaking into the camp, Mika ventured in. The Black Dogs' encampment is a bustling hive of activity, with mercenaries hurrying about, tending to their horses, sharpening weapons, or simply laughing and drinking around campfires. A few tents and makeshift buildings dot the area, including what appears to be a command center where several important-looking figures confer in hushed tones. Mika carefully skulks through the camp, trying not to draw attention to himself.

As he moves deeper into the encampment, he catches glimpses of some of the fighters who are supposed to participate in the tournament tomorrow. The captain of the Black Dog Mercenaries, a burly man named Vult, sits on a throne-like chair, surrounded by his lieutenants.

"Tomorrow is the day, men. The day of the beginning of my journey to touch those heavenly tits of that Goddess. Hahahaha!" Vult's boisterous laughter echoes through the camp, earning him dirty grins and lewd comments from his subordinates. Mika scoffs inwardly, unimpressed by the captain's crass remarks. As he continues to survey the scene, he takes note of possible adversary tomorrow.

"Hahaha, you got that right, Boss! I'm so jealous! If you win, you can actually get to touch Celestine's tits!" One of Vult's lieutenants, a scrawny looking man named Hicks, shouts, his voice carrying across the camp. Mika's eyes narrow as he focuses on the man. An insidious grin forms on his lips. He knew of Hicks, albeit not well, but enough to know that he was an ambitious and untrustworthy individual. Tomorrow, Mika would make sure to keep an eye on him.

"Ehem, need I remind you both of why you two are entering the tournament?" Vult's second lieutenant, a robed man named Kin, coughs.

Mika knows him. He was hailed as a prodigy in the Kingdom of Ken. A mage of incredible talent and ingenuity. He would later join the Black Dog Mercenaries.

Vult scoffs. "I know, I know. Win the tournament and request full access to the Hidden Archives." He said, rolling his eyes.

Mika nods to himself as he listens to their conversation. The Black Dogs have a clear objective: Win the tournament and request access to the Hidden Archives of the castle where the Goddess Celestine resides.

"Boring! I think getting a feel on those heavenly tits are still worth it." Hicks said, chuckling lewdly. Mika's eyes narrow as he silently curses the man. "We shall see about that, Hicks," Kin said coolly, shooting the lieutenant a warning glance. "But for now, let us focus on the task at hand. The tournament begins tomorrow, and we must be prepared."

Mika nodded in agreement, satisfied with the response from Kin. Kin grumbled as the conversation went to strategizing for tomorrow's tournament.

Silently and hidden out of sight, Mika listened. A smirk on his face.

Later, Late Night...

Mika yawned as he walks back to the direction of the workshop. It's almost midnight after the Black Dogs discussion were done.

"Oof!" Suddenly, a small cloaked figure collided to him. Being taller and sturdier, Mika remains standing. The cloaked figure did not.

Mika raised a curious eyebrow as he looked down at the young girl in front him. Seated on her bum on the road, the pink haired girl rubbed her sore bum after landing on it.

(What in the hell is she wearing?!) Mika thought, his eyes twitching.

In the Seven Shield Alliance, part of its culture is there lewdly dressed female warriors and women. It's pretty much normal to see a woman in her underwear waltzing on the streets in the Alliance.

What is he didn't expect is for actual children to adopt the culture.

This pink haired girl is dressed in a small modest red gown underneath her hooded cloak. The only problem is that it's skirt is slitted on its front, exposing the girls innocent white panties.

"Hey, watch where you're going," Mika said with a sigh as he reached down to help the girl up. She blushed and accepted his hand, revealing an adorable pair of rosy cheeks and large, expressive eyes hidden beneath her hood. The girl was shorter than him by about half a head, and her movements were delicate and graceful, though not as practiced as those of a trained fighter. "What are you doing out here this late, anyway?" he asked, still wondering what she was doing in the bustling streets of Feoh at such a late hour.

The girl looked up at him innocently. "I'm just sightseeing with my cousin and uhm... I got lost." She blushed.

Mika sighed. "How old are you?"

"I'm ten and four summers old," the little girl answered guilelessly.

"Well, you shouldn't be wandering around by yourself this late, okay?" Mika frowned. "Why don't I take you back to your cousin?" The little girl nodded, her face lighting up. "That'd be nice." She reached up and tugged on the hood of his cloak. Mika raised an eyebrow at her, amused despite himself. "What's your name?" she asked, curiosity clear in her big eyes.

"Mika," he replied, not bothering to correct her informal address. "Is your cousin around here somewhere?" He began walking through the streets again, leading the way back towards the center of town while holding the girl's hand, securing her before she gets lost again.

Better do this quick. The little girl is clearly a noble's daughter.

"So what does your cousin look like?"

"Oh! She's very beautiful. She got golden hair and a very pretty sword." "Hmm, that sounds like a bit of an odd combination," Mika said with a chuckle as they continued walking. "She's a knight?"

The girl nodded vigorously, her face brightening. "Yep, she's a knight in training! Her name is Alicia," she added proudly. Mika raised an eyebrow at her, nodding appreciatively. "That's quite impressive, being a knight. It's not easy." The little girl beamed up at him and bobbed her head in agreement, squeezing his hand affectionately. "So, what's your favorite thing to do?" he asked casually, wanting to keep the conversation going.

"Umm... I like to play with numbers and talk to people," she confessed shyly, looking down at her feet.

Mika raised an eyebrow. That's... surprising.

"Well, that's an interesting choice," Mika replied with a smile, wondering about her background.

"Prim!" Suddenly, a voice cut through the crowd.

"That's her!" the little girl exclaimed, yanking her hand out of Mika's grasp and darting towards the source of the voice. "Alicia!" she called, running towards a group of people standing nearby.

They are female knights.

Clad in bikini armors, they are a sight of danger and sensuality. Leading them is a blond girl who he suspects to be Alicia is dressed modestly compared to the Knights' skimpy bikini armors.

Instead of a bikini armor, she is wearing a short halter top, exposing her blue bra and midsection. Down below, she wears a skirt armor with a piece of white cloth covering her crotch and panties.

Mika watched as the pink-haired girl, now identified as Prim, excitedly ran towards a group of female knights, one of them presumably her cousin Alicia. He couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and protectiveness as he observed their interaction. Before he could decide whether or not to stay and further investigate the situation, a familiar voice called out to him.

"You cur!"

"Oh shit! Not good!" Mika immediately turned tail as this Alicia proceeded to pull out her sword and ran towards him with murder in her eyes.

What the hell did I get myself into? Mika thought as he sprinted through the streets of Feoh, Weaving between people and stalls in an attempt to lose Alicia. He knew she was fast, but he was no slouch himself, especially when motivated by fear.

"Wait!" Alicia shouted after him, her sword held aloft. "Come back here, you cowardly dog!" With each word, her voice grew louder and more enraged. Her pursuit was relentless, and it didn't seem to matter how many obstacles were in her way; she found a way around them.

Mika rounded a corner, ducking into an alleyway. He wasn't sure where he was going, only that he needed to lose her. His heart pounded in his chest as he heard Alicia's footsteps growing closer.

Hitting a dead end, Mika uses the walls to kick off the ground to climb on the nearby roof. The alleyway was dark and narrow, but Mika's trained senses allowed him to navigate it with ease. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, weaving between buildings like a shadow, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and the angry knight. His pursuer's footsteps grew fainter, and finally, he heard her curse as she realized he had disappeared.

Panting heavily, Mika collapsed onto the roof of a stable, exhausted and relieved. It had been a close call, and he knew that Alicia would not forget or forgive his actions. He glanced down at the city below, taking in the lights of Feoh glimmering in the night. The tournament would begin tomorrow, and he needed to focus on his objective.

Prim? Prim? Did she mean Princess Prim, Princess of Geofu? So that means that Alicia is Princess Alicia of Feoh, his princess! He just ran/escaped from the Princess of Feoh, his home!

As Mika caught his breath, the realization of who he had just interacted with swept over him like a cold wave. Princess Prim and Princess Alicia, two prominent figures on the Alliance and one of them is somehow offended of him.

Mika sighed, what a night.

Cameo and a plot device for the main cannon.