Chapter 62

"I still need one more person..." Epel said, looking around the cafeteria. "Dinner is almost over, so I gotta find 'em quick."

"I'm not sure who else would be good," I said.

"Hey, uh... Sooo..." said a new voice beside our table. I looked in surprise to see Idia standing there.

"Whoa!" Epel said in surprise. "Idia?!"

"Huh, you were sittin' nearby too?" said Grim.

"Can I help you with something?"

"So, uh..." Idia said awkwardly. "Like. You were, uh..."

"Yes?"

"L-look, um... I just... Augh, I can't! Jumping into a normie convo is literally impossible! Busted difficulty!" Suddenly, Idia grabbed his tablet and used it to speak. "Okay, so I couldn't help but overhear, and something you said caught my attention."

"Now he's talkin' through his tablet," said Grim.

I shrugged. "Whatever works."

"You were talking about a sled race, right?" said Idia. "In Harveston? Tomorrow? When do you head out?"

Epel's eyes widened. "Huh?! Uhh..."

"Dang, now he's throwin' out questions left and right!" said Grim.

"I guess he has less of a filter when he's typing," I said.

"Slow down!" said Epel. "One question at a time, please!"

"Are you from Harveston, Epel?" said Idia.

"Yes, why?"

"YOOO! THAT'S THE SETTING OF SLED OVER HEELS!"

"What's Sled Over Heels?" Sebek said in confusion.

"It's this cartoon set in Harveston," said Epel. "It's gotta be over a decade old. I remember watching it on TV as a kid... vaguely."

"Your hometown is the setting of a TV show?" I said. "Cool!"

"That's okay, Epel," said Idia. "I only learned about it recently myself. I first saw it when I was watching this video online about classic anime."

"What manner of cartoon is it?" said Sebek

"It's about a group of cute girls who form a sledding team and strive to become the national champions," said Epel.

"That's a rather strange choice of subject."

"Do you think so?" said Jade. "Apart from the sledding bit, those sorts of tales are quite common."

"JADE!" Idia shouted without the tablet, startling both Jade and me.

"Um, yes?" said Jade.

"Whoa, now he's talkin' by himself." said Grim.

"Sled Over Heels is NONPAREIL among anime," Idia said. "It's a soul-stirring, passionate tale of young women embarking on a high-stakes plush sledding adventure! You can't NOT cry when you watch it!"

"... Plush sledding?" said Grim, Sebek, and Jade.

"What's that?" said Grim. "Sledding, sure, but why 'plush?'"

Idia sighed. "Casuals, I swear... It's OBVIOUSLY sledding with plushies. Duh?"

"Oh yeah, I don't think I mentioned that part," said Epel. "You have to sled with stuffed animals in the Mount Moln Sledathon."

"So, you mean... you balance a stuffed animal atop the sled when racing?" Sebek said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"No, you imbue them with magic and then they pull the sleds."

"That's kind of cool," I said.

"Stuffed animals pull the sleds?!" said Sebek. "That isn't quite the rugged racing experience I envisioned."

"It's a traditional competition back home," said Epel.

"So that's what you meant by 'magically operated,'" said Grim.

"Dogs or horses, I'd understand, but plushie-driven sleds?" said Jade. "I must confess, I'm also rather surprised."

"Is it that strange?" said Epel. "It comes from one of our folktakes, you see."

"Is that right?" said Sebek.

"Yup! Long ago, there was a lovely young lady walking in the woods. But her life was in danger, for a dastardly villain was following her. A bunch of animals got worried about her and took off down a mountain path to call for help. At long last, they found someone and wasted no time dragging their newfound friend back to help the young lady. That's how the story goes. Our sledathon is a tradition that honors the animals' bravery and dedication."

"Fascinating," Jade said thoughtfully. "What a charming tale."

"But making real animals run all night isn't great, so we started using stuffed animals instead. Though nowadays, I think people try to make the plushies look cool, since the race is part of our town's revitalization efforts."

"That makes sense," I said.

"The four protagonists throw themselves into the traditional plush sledding competition..." said Idia. "They laugh and they argue, but ultimately, they band together to take home the W... THAT is what Sled Over Heels: Tearing Up the Snow is all about! It's got multifaceted characters with genuine psychological depth and breathtakingly realistic scenery! With amazingly simple yet innovative plot twists that keep it engaging! You don't get that in anime these days! That show really got its hooks in me. I own all the DVDs and books for it! Whee hee hee!"

"Idia's really off to the races now," said Grim.

"Hard to believe he was relying on his tablet earlier..." said Epel.

"He can get rather loquacious when the conversation involves something he enjoys," said Jade.

"I've been wanting to visit the town where the show takes place for a while now," said Idia.

"You wish to visit a place you saw in a CARTOON?" Sebek said incredulously. "What could possibly be the point?"

"As I understand, it's not unusual for fans to visit the locations of their favourite movies or TV shows," said Jade.

"That's right," I said.

"Hm. I suppose everyone has their hobbies," said Sebek. "Even if they are incomprehensible..."

"Wow, so Grim and Ona are gonna go sightseeing in Harveston?" Idia said through his tablet. "Does that mean you'll get to see Mount Moln? OMG I couldn't be more jealous. And Sebek and Jade get to actually do a sled race? Amazing! What a lucky couple of blokes! Not that it's any of my business, of course. After all, I don't have any plans to travel there, and no one's invited me. O WELL. Guess I'd better figure out what I'm doing this weekend, what with my LACK OF PLANS... Gonna be boresville over here..."

Epel looked at him cautiously. "Um... Are you hinting that you'd like to come to Harveston?"

"Whaaat? I never said that. But it'd be super rude to turn down an invite, and I wouldn't say no if one happened to come my way..."

"Idia... Would you please come to Harveston and help us in the sledathon?"

Idia brightened. "THERE IT IS!" he shouted without the tablet. "BOOYAH!"

Epel's eyes widened. "Whoa!"

"... I mean, uh, twist my arm, why don't you? How can I say no when you're pleadin' with those puppy eyes? I'm a busy guy, but I GUESS I could pencil this into my schedule."

Epel blinked. "Didn't you just say you had no plans...?" He shook his head. "Sebek, Jade, Idia... and me. That's all the people I need for the sledathon! Plus, I'll be bringing Grim and Ona too. Things are shaping up nicely. If Meemaw wants a group that'll liven things up, these guys should definitely fit the bill. Thanks everyone!"

"No problem!" I said with a grin. "It sounds like fun!"

I immediately felt cold when we arrived at Harveston. Luckily, Epel had warm clothes waiting for us in his house. We were all eager as we approached it and quickly went inside to change. Fortunately, there were enough rooms for all of us to change at the same time. I put on a warm jacket and hat that were pink and decorated with an apple theme, which makes sense considering apples were the town's main products. Feeling warm and satisfied, I headed back outside.

"Hey guys, I'm done changing," I said, spotting the others in their warm attire.

"Wonderful," Jade said with a smile. "By all means, join us." I smiled back at him as I walked over to the group. I couldn't help but think that he looked nice in his dark blue winter clothes.

"I must say, that looks perfect on you, Ona," said Sebek.

I smiled at his compliment, know that they are rare from him. "Thanks!"

"Yes, the adorable apple and floral pattern suits you," said Jade. "You're a winter princess." He gave me a teasing smirk that left me feeling slightly flustered.

I quickly looked away from him. "Ah, thank you."

"I didn't see any villagers dressed like this when we were walking here," said Sebek.

"Yeah, you generally won't," said Epel. "These outfits aren't easy to make or care for. It's mostly just sledathonners who wear 'em now.

I mean, nowadays you can just buy clothes that are easy to maintain. But the villagers still have a soft spot for these. By the way, the outfits are called 'applepoms.' That word used to only refer to the knit apple pom-pom on top of the hat. But from what I've been told, as time went on, people just started using it for the whole outfit. See how my hat doesn't have a knit apple? It's just got an apple pattern, but it's still an applepom."

"I see," said Jade. "It's quite cute."

Epel's eyes widened. "Cute?! I mean, that's not the WORST way to describe it, but seriously? What about cool and historic? Doesn't it get you all fired up for the sledathon?"

I moved closer to Jade and spoke to him in a low voice. "Epel does not like being called cute."

Jade gave me a slight nod. Then he said to Epel, "I agree it's cool and historic, and it makes me pleasantly excited for the sledathon."

"You could stand to be more enthusiastic..." said Epel.

Jade chuckled. "Heh heh heh. The pom-poms on our hats are cute as well, of course. I rather like them."

"I used to play with the pom-pom on my hat when I was a kid, and this one time I accidentally tore it off. And boy, Meemaw-ah, Grandma wasn't very happy with me."

Jade reached up and touched the small ball on his hat. "I can see why you'd want to. They're exceedingly fun to touch. Why don't you try, Ona?"

I grinned at him before touching my own pom-pom. It was kind of fun. "Oh, it does feel nice."

"Such decorations only hinder a person when they have to make swift, sharp movements," said Sebek. "I'd be just fine without mine."

"I hear they were originally going to protect your head, actually," said Epel.

Sebek appeared surprised. "Really...? Now that's fascinating. Perhaps I should add pom-poms to my armor."

Jade appeared amused. "My, that would be QUITE the fashion statement. I must say, what impresses me more than the insulation is the embroidery. All of these little designs with apples and snowflakes truly give it a Harveston flair. These brooches are also stunning."

"Harveston's known for apples and snow, so that's why we put 'em on the brooches," said Epel.

"Say, I just realized Grim's not here," said Sebek. "Where'd he run off to?"

"I imagine he's still inside, though I have no clue what he's doing," said Jade.

"It's not like he has an entire outfit to put on," I said.

"Ahaha, he's probably cryin' tears of joy," Epel said in amusement.

"Why would that be?" said Sebek.

"The main event has arrived!" Grim said as he stepped outside, wearing an apple themed ribbon. "Check out my shiny new ribbon! Pretty sweet, huh? Do I look cool or what?"

"You look great!" said Epel.

"I'm generally opposed to dressing up pets, but yeah, that ribbon looks snazzy," Idia said.

Grim glared at him. "Did you just call me a PET?"

"Looking good!" I said.

Grim immediately brightened. "Wahahaha! You bet I am!"

"One of our elders made that ribbon just for you, Grim!" Epel said with a smile. "It's got an apple and snowflake pattern just like ours."

"That was nice of them," I said.

"I'm LIVIN' for this!" Grim said brightly.

I chuckled softly and shook my head. After taking a few pictures and eating some apples, we set off to the assembly hall at the center of town. As soon as we arrived, an older woman stepped outside to greet us.

"Howdy, Epel!" she said. "Glad to have ya back home."

"Thanks, Granny Marja!" Epel said happily. "I'm glad to BE back!"

"Ya eatin' right at Night Raven College? Y'know you won't grow big an' strong if'n yer picky. And do y'still gulp down the stuff ya don't like in one bite? Ah remember you used to choke all the time..."

"Meemaw, please! Yer gonna embarrass me in fronta alla these folks!"

"So that's Epel's grandma," said Idia. "Neat."

"She seems friendly enough," said Jade.

"Their accents are a bit thick, though," said Sebek.

"Some places have distinctive local dialects. I'm sure this is one of them."

"I think it's cool," I said.

"Hello there!" said Marja. "You must be Epel's friends. I'm his grandmother, Marja."

"Oh, you've adjusted your accent for us," said Jade. "That's very welcoming of you."

Marja smiled. "Well, sure. I switch it up when I'm selling goods in another town. I know it can be tricky for people outside Harveston to understand."

"Don't worry," said Epel. "If you get confused by something someone says, I'll interpret for you."

"It's just wonderful that you all came out. I appreciate you being so kind to my grandson."

"Epel's very kind to us," said Jade.

"...I barely interact with him, TBH," Idia muttered.

"Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Jade Leech. I'd like to thank you for your generous invitation to partake in Harveston's festival."

"I'm Sebek Zigvolt," said Sebek. "Thank you for having us, Marja!"

"Whoa, you just called her Marja?" Idia said with wide eyes. "No Ms. or Mrs.? That's like skipping past no manners and diving straight into NEGATIVE manners." He froze when he realized everyone was staring at him. "Erk... Um, yes..." He suddenly started talking through his tablet. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Idia Shroud, ma'am."

Marja chuckled lightly. "Gracious, city folk sure have an interesting way of greeting people."

"No, that's just Idia!" said Epel.

"Hi there," I said brightly. "I'm Ona!"

Marja smiled at me. "Well, aren't you energetic? I hope you have a grand time while you're here."

"Thanks!"

"And I'm the great Grim!" said Grim. "I'm the one who's always cleanin' up Epel's messes on campus."

"I can't think of a single time you've done that," Epel said.

Grim shot him a look. "Mrah?! You wanna say that again?"

Marja chuckled. "Heh heh, young'uns are always so full of energy! You're as lively as an apple sapling. I can't offer you anythin' fancy, but I hope you enjoy the sights and have fun in the race!"

"Thank you," said Idia, Jade, and Sebek.

"Say, Epel, do the sledathon winners get a cool prize?" Grim asked. "Like a metric ton of apples? Or a 10-year-supply of fresh-baked apple pies?!"

"You're not taking part, remember?" said Sebek. "So you wouldn't get anything regardless."

"There's no prize for winning the sledathon, actually," said Epel. "People just compete for the winning title."

"Are you kiddin' me?!" said Grim. "Titles don't fill an empty stomach!"

"They say the winners have good luck for a whole year!"

"Mrah? Really?"

"After the mayor won the race last year, they won sixth place in the local lottery!"

"How much did they win?"

"50 thaumarks."

Grim crossed his arms. "Hmm... Doesn't sound very lucky to me."

"Prizes are meaningless!" said Sebek, a look of determination on his face. "Now that I'm taking part, I refuse to accept anything less than first place. Let's do this, Epel!"

Epel grinned. "Right! I'm ready!"

We headed into the assembly hall to prepare for the race. We all sat down at a table filled with supplies. Apparently, the racers had to actually make their own stuffed animals. First, they all chose their fabric. Next, they had to figure out which animal they would create.

"I'd like an octopus," Jade said with a straight face.

"You can't use an octopus!" said Epel. "We're supposed to have land animals pull the sleds."

"Oh, really? I was rather looking forward to watching an octopus desperately tug his sled."

"Yikes... Azul's got it rough..." said Idia.

I suddenly started laughing at the image Jade put in my head. "Oh, that's a good one, Jade. You're so funny."

"He is?" said Epel.

"I don't see it," said Grim.

Jade looked at me with a small smirk. "I only care about amusing myself... and you, Ona."

I grinned at him. "You're doing a good job at that."

"Here, just choose from the animals we have patterns for," said Epel, putting the plans in the middle of the table.

"Squirrels, raccoons, deer..." Sebek said. "What an impressive selection."

"All right, I'll take a reindeer," said Jade. "I've read that herds of reindeer live in the Harveston mountains, given the cold climate. So, I'd like something that's emblematic of this place."

"You've even read up on Mount Moln's wildlife, hm."

"Golly, Jade," said Epel. "You really are a mountain expert!"

"Did you know that, in some parts of the world, reindeer are called caribou?" I said. "At least in my world. I'm assuming the same is true here."

"Fascinating," said Jade. "It looks like you have quite a bit of knowledge as well." I smiled at his praise.

Everyone else quickly chose their animal. Idia chose a bear, Epel picked a rabbit, and Sebek decided to go with a squirrel. Marja agreed to sew the stuffed animals for everyone, giving us time to look around at the festival. I felt excited as we all set off to enjoy the town.

I enjoyed visiting the Harveston festival. There was plenty of good food and souvenirs for my friends. By the time we returned, Marja had completed the stuffed animals. So, we set off to the track to practice sledding. I helped Epel look out for the others' mistakes. Eventually, we were all tired enough for a break.

"There's a pit stop up ahead," said Epel. "I'll go fetch us some drinks."

"Mrah? What's a pit stop?" said Grim.

"It's a place that provides refreshments during marathons and bike races, correct?" said Sebek.

Epel nodded. "Yup. They also provide light meals to people like us who come up to practice the day before the race."

"Wahaha! Now that's what I call hospitality!" Grim said.

"Grandma's gonna have food and drinks for us on the day of the sledathon. She said she'd give our team all the support she could."

"I don't doubt it," said Jade.

"The pit stop crew also does maintenance on the plushies and gives you updates on the race."

"That sounds most helpful indeed!" said Sebek.

Epel turned to me. "Ona, would you and Grim like to help out in the pit?"

"You bet I would!" said Grim.

"Oho. And here I expected you to balk at doing any work, Grim," Sebek said, sounding amused.

"This pit stop's got food and drinks, right?"

"Yes, but it's for the racers," said Epel. "You can't hog all of it."

"I'm here for whatever you need," I said.

"In that case, I'll share a few pointers on how to sabotage the other teams later," said Jade.

I rolled my eyes with a smirk. "Thanks but no thanks, Jade."

"If there's any funny business, the management staff will kick you out on your patoot in no time," said Epel. "Anyway, be right back!" He then ran off to get the refreshments.

"...I'd be cool if we called it good here," said Idia. "Just sayin'."

"You have a point," said Jade. "We already have a good handle on it. Further practice might not be necessary."

"Hmph, weaklings," said Sebek. "This is but a trifling effort for me."

"This team's in pretty decent shape," said Grim. "Looks like you won't be needin' my help after all."

"Please. Our chances of winning would be far slimmer with you participating."

Grim glared at him. "Oh yeah?!" He suddenly formed a snowball and threw it at Sebek, hitting him square in the chest.

"Ow!" Sebek cried out. "What was that, Grim?!"

"A snowball to your face, that's what!"

"You ill-mannered monster... Your snowy strike shall not go unanswered!" Sebek threw a snowball at Grim and hit him in the chest.

"Mrow!"

Jade chuckled lightly. "Heh heh... Having fun in the snow, Sebek?" His eyes widened in surprise when Grim hit him with a snowball.

Grim snickered. "Wahahahaha! How d'ya like that, Jade? Cold enough for ya?!"

Jade looked at him with a smirk. "That's how it is? I trust you're prepared to face me, Grim." He then formed a snowball and threw it at Grim.

"MROOOW!" After getting struck, Grim threw another snowball at Jade.

"My turn!" I declared. "I've got you covered, Jade!" I quickly formed a snowball and threw it at Grim.

"Thank you, Ona," Jade said, already making his own snowball.

"Mrah! You've done it now, Ona!" Grim said.

"Ah, no!" I cried. Not wanting to be hit by the cold snow, I hid behind Jade, and he got hit instead.

Jade looked over his shoulder at me in amusement. "You can't protect me from back there."

I smiled sheepishly. "Ah, well..."

"Don't want to get cold, do you?" Jade gave me a mischievous look right before picking me up and pushing me down into the snow.

"Ah!" I cried, suddenly feeling chilled. "No!" I pushed against his chest, and he laughed before rolling off me.

"Ugh, come on... What kind of idiot spends their break doing physical exertion?" Idia grumbled.

"I got one for you too, Idia!" said Grim, right before throwing a snowball at him.

"Bwheeh?!"

"And another one for you too, Sebek!" Grim tossed another snowball at Sebek, hitting his shoulder.

"Hmph. You caught me off-guard before, but you won't get me when I'm alert!" said Sebek. He ducked when Grim threw another snowball at him. The snowball flew past him and hit someone walking by.

"Wah!" the person exclaimed.

"Now look what you've done!" said Sebek. "You hit that tiny human."

Jade immediately stood up, helping me up as well. "Oh my, are you hurt? It's appalling how some people behave, isn't it?"

"Aaand Jade immediately switched into formal mode..." said Idia, causing me to snicker.

"You're all fine, don't worry about it," said the person who was hit. Then I noticed several more with him.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" said one of his friends. "You challengin' us to a snowball fight?"

"Are they?" said a third. "Oh boy, that sounds fun!" He threw a snowball right at Grim.

"Mrah?!" said Grim.

"Got 'em!"

"Hop! Grum!" said the first guy. "You're being rude!"

"...Is it just me, or do they look familiar?" said Jade.

"I remember them!" I said.

"Really?" said Idia. "I don't pay much attention to people's faces."

"Eep! I feel so awkward with them staring at me..." said a fourth guy.

"I'm back!" Epel said cheerfully. "I've got enough hot tea and cinnamon sweet rolls for everyone." He stopped when he saw the newcomers. "Oh, hey! It's you all... from Royal Sword Academy!"

"WHAT?!" the rest of us shouted.

"Yep, that's us!" said one of the guys. "We live on the other side of Mount Moln. My name's Dominic. It's a pleasure to meet you." Then the rest of them introduced themselves. They were Grum, Hop, Shelpie, Snick, Timmy, and Toby.

"Um, hello," said Epel. "I'm Epel, from Night Raven College. This is Idia, Jade, Sebek, Grim, and Ona."

"Nice to meet you," I said.

"Nice to meet you too, Ona!" said Dominic.

"Hey there..." said Snick. "Achoo!"

"Happy to meetcha!" said Hop.

"Wait, why are we introducing ourselves again?" said Toby.

"So there's seven of you..." said Epel.

"Hmph! What are you Royal Sword Academy students doing all the way out here?" said Sebek.

"We're racing in the Mount Moln Sledathon," said Dominic. My friends and I stared at them in shock. "We heard you get good luck if you win it."

"You came here for such a vaguely-defined prize?"

"You must be in sore need of some luck," said Jade.

"Not at all!" said Dominic. "We're totally fine and wouldn't dream of asking for more. It's just..."

"We want to share some luck with everyone else..." said Snick. "Achoo!" That left us looking at each other in confusion.

"That's right. We want everyone in the world to be happier. That's why we're here."

"WUT," said Idia. "If winning one lousy race could make the whole world happy, then all our problems would be solved already."

"Heh heh, you're not wrong. We know we can't make everyone happy all by ourselves. But if those close to us can be happier, like Neige... Then when other people see his smile, it'll lift their spirits! That's how we want to share it. ...I know it sounds a little greedy, but it's what all seven of us want."

"Yeah!" said Hop. "Being happy rules!"

"...Huh?" said Sebek, Epel, Idia, and Jade.

"What a load of hot garbage," said Grim.

"Racing for world happiness?" said Epel. "Do they even hear themselves? What goody two-shoes! That sounds SO fake!"

"I've heard of doing your good deed for the day, but this is ridiculous!" said Sebek.

"I think it's kind of sweet," I said.

"They're speaking modestly, but they look quite confident in their abilities," said Jade.

"EEEUUUGH. Who do they think they are?" said Idia. "Just hearing that speech was enough to turn my stomach."

"Yeah, we got that from your earlier reply," said Epel.

"He must be HIGHLY peeved if he's speaking without his tablet," said Sebek.

"These guys..." said Sebek and Epel.

"...ARE GOING DOWN," Idia and Jade finished.

"Are you all entering the race too?" Snick asked.

"Oh, um... Yep," said Epel. "We're a team of four - Idia, Jade, Sebek, and myself."

"Oh, I see!" said Dominic. "I got worried when the staff told us that last year's champions had to drop out due to an injury."

"I hope it's nothing too serious..." said Shelpie.

"It felt wrong for us to have fun while the champion team was stuck sitting out the race... But if you all are racing too, I'm sure it'll be loads of fun!"

"The whole place is so festive, and the townsfolk seem like they'll enjoy it too..." said Snick. "Achoo!"

"Yes siree Bob! Now I'm feeling more motivated. This is great!"

"You sound rather confident in yourselves," said Sebek. "Surely you don't think you can outrace us?"

"You bet your britches we can!" said Grum.

"I wouldn't presume anything about who's going to win, but I'll definitely give it my all," said Dominic.

"Yeah, all of us will!" said Hop. "Gooo team!"

"On that note, we're gonna get in a little more sledding practice!"

"Ah, you're practicing here?" said Sebek.

"Would you mind if we stuck around and watched?" Epel asked.

"Oh gosh, it'll be so nerve-wracking having Night Raven College students watch us..." said Timmy.

So, we watch them practice they're sledding. They were very good. I could tell my friends agreed even though they tried to look unimpressed. Eventually, the Royal Sword students had enough and bid us farewell. Only once they were out of earshot did my companions speak.

"What did I just witness?" said Sebek. "Their sledding was... ABSURDLY FAST!"

"I'm floored too," said Epel. "They're REALLY good."

"Dude, talk about meta-defining," said Idia. "That was a whole boatload of characters with broken stats!"

"And they had flawless teamwork," said Jade. "This is quite the conundrum."

"You think you guys stand a chance?" said Grim. "You'd have it in the bag if I were competin', but as it stands, you might be toast."

"Excuse me?!" Epel said indignantly. "There's no way we're lettin' Royal Sword Academy beat us! WE'RE WINNIN' THIS THING!"

"Right," said Sebek. "I'll keep practicing and learn every facet of plush sledding!"

"Ya, srsly!" Idia said with his tablet. "It's like beating a bad game, sometimes you just gotta get that cred lol."

"Agreed," said Jade. "We wouldn't hear the end of it from the others at school if we lost to Royal Sword Academy."

"You can do it, guys!" I said in encouragement.

"Thanks!" Epel said cheerfully. "Hearing that gives us a boost. Come on, guys, let's do this!"