I Reincarnated as the Bastard Prince? Well, At least I'm OP!-Chapter 68: A new friend part 2

Elysia strode into her office, the heavy door shutting behind her.

Her attention was fixed on a single object—a small, smooth black stone resting on her desk.

She picked it up and brought it close to her lips. "Raul," she whispered

After a brief pause, a voice crackled from the stone—deep and rasping. "Elysia. What news do you bring?"

"Andras is dead," she stated flatly.

For a long time, there was silence.

"How?" Raul's voice was sharp.

Elysia sat down behind her desk, her eyes hardening. "The princess killed him."

Another pause. "That spoiled royal brat? Impossible."

"She had help," Elysia admitted, her nails tapping against the desk. "I couldn't tell who exactly. Perhaps Archer."

Raul let out a low, frustrated growl. "How the hell did this happen?"

"Andras probably went behind my back and captured princess Eris," Elysia replied. "The idiot thought he could do this on his own. I believe he managed to convince Richard to accompany him."

"What about Richard? Was he also killed?" Raul murmured.

Elysia's eyes darkened. "No. Richard is still alive. He was however, captured by Archer."

Raul's voice turned dangerous. "This is why I don't work with clowns. Very well. We proceed as planned. The demon king's forces are still searching for Camilia. She's what's left to complete the plan. Keep Archer preoccupied in Luminis city until further notice."

Elysia nodded, though he couldn't see it. "Understood, Raul."

The stone's glow faded as the connection severed.

Elysia set it down, her gaze drifting to the window.

Time was running out but she wasn't worried at all. Left to her, she had all the time in the world.

* * * *

The next morning, Richard rolled over in bed and stirred, letting out a soft groan as the faint light of dawn filtered through the curtains.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the lower bunk, the wooden frame creaking slightly under him.

Above, I was stretched out across the top bunk, still asleep, my arm dangling over the side.

Richard pushed himself upright, blinking in confusion.

He scanned the small dorm room, his brow furrowing as the events from last night struggled to piece themselves together.

Then it hit him—the dungeon, the fight, my sealing of his magic… and that moment when he had taken my hand.

The memory made his stomach twist, and before I knew it, he had jumped to his feet and was tapping at my arm, shaking me awake.

Groaning, I cracked one eye open to see Richard standing beside my bunk.

"What the hell?" I grumbled, rubbing sleep from my eyes. "I'm still sleeping."

Richard didn't back down. "Why did you bring me back to Waurweth Academy? I thought you planned to kill me!"

I slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, my hair a mess from the pillow. "Ah, forget that. I had no interest in keeping you locked up in that dungeon for long."

For a moment, Richard just stared at me. Then, quietly, he asked, "You said you wanted to be my friend. Did you... really mean that? From your heart?"

I met his gaze. "Of course I did. I hate fighting. If we stay enemies, one of us is going to get seriously hurt—and it's not going to be me."

Richard fell silent, his shoulders tensing. After a long pause, he lowered his head. "I've caused you so much trouble, Archer. I'm not as strong as you are." His voice was barely above a whisper. "Let me serve under you. Let me train under your leadership."

I shook my head. "There's no need for that. We're friends, aren't we?" I offered him a small smile. "You're always welcome to train with me."

Richard's eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn't expected that answer. It was the first time I'd seen him drop his guard.

* * * *

Richard and I stepped out of the dorm building together, the morning sun spilling over the academy courtyard.

As we walked, I noticed whispers and stares following us from the other students.

I could tell they were shocked to see Richard and I together.

Near the entrance, Raven and Odessa stood waiting. Raven's posture stiffened the moment she spotted Richard walking beside me.

For a brief moment, her expression darkened and her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag.

But as we approached, she forced herself to relax, her features carefully neutral.

"You're late," she said to me, though her eyes flicked warily to Richard. "And I didn't know you were bringing him with you."

"Richard and I are good now," I replied, keeping my tone light. "We made up."

Raven's brows lifted skeptically. She folded her arms. "I find that very hard to believe."

Richard swallowed hard, then stepped forward. To everyone's shock, he bowed his head respectfully before her, his voice low but steady.

"Princess Eris, I... I know I messed up. I don't expect your trust, but if you'll forgive me, I swear I won't make the same mistake again."

Odessa's jaw dropped. "Wow. The arrogant Richard von Eldric, begging for forgiveness?" She shot me an impressed look. "What did you do to him, Archer?"

I simply shrugged. "I guess people do change."

Raven studied Richard for a long moment, her gaze unreadable. Then, with a slow exhale, she nodded. "Fine. I'll call a truce."

But before Richard could relax, she suddenly grabbed the front of his uniform, yanking him down to her level.

Her voice dropped to a deadly whisper only he could hear.

"But just a warning—if you ever try to hurt Archer again, or even think about trying to kill him?" Her grip tightened. "You won't have to worry about him destroying you. I'll do it myself. The same way I killed Andras."

Richard's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. "...I understand."

Raven released him, her expression brightening unnervingly fast.

"Good!" she chirped, as if she hadn't just threatened him. "Now that we've come to an understanding, let's go to class."

She looped her arm through mine, steering me toward the building while Odessa fell into step beside us, still staring at Richard like he'd grown a second head.

Richard hesitated for only a second before following.

For the first time, he wasn't walking alone.

When we stepped into ARCANE FOUNDATIONS – LECTURE HALL 3, the entire room seemed to pause.

Conversations froze mid-sentence, quills stopped scratching against parchment, and all eyes shifted toward us.

It wasn't every day that the class's two most notorious rivals walked in side by side.

Even Mistress Seraphin, our instructor, raised an arched brow when she stepped in to begin lecture and saw me sitting beside Richard.

Her gaze flicked between us like she was trying to solve a puzzle no spell could unravel.

"Well, I'm glad to see you two getting along well," she said at last before begining the days lecture.

For the rest of the day, Richard stuck to me like glue.

Whether it was moving from lecture to lecture, grabbing lunch, or walking across the courtyard, he stayed close enough that I could practically hear every breath he took.

If I so much as shifted my chair, he adjusted his seat to match. It was like he was afraid I'd vanish if he looked away for too long.

By the time afternoon rolled around and club activities began, I finally turned to him.

"I'm heading to my club now," I said. "I suppose I'll see you after club activities."

"Well," Richard replied, "I'm with the Shadow Fighter Society. It's a swordsmanship and magic combat club. I used to be captain of the school's swordsmanship team… but ever since you bested me, I couldn't face them again. Just recently, I heard they've gotten a new captain."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you don't want to attend your club because..."

He glanced away, his expression shadowed. "I still can't bring myself to attend. They wouldn't respect me anymore."

I studied him for a moment. The proud, untouchable Richard von Eldric, too ashamed to face his own team?

"Then I'll go with you."

He blinked, clearly caught off guard. "You… would?"

"Yeah," I said with a small shrug. "If they won't respect you, then I'll make sure they do."

Richard gave me a faint smile. "Thanks… but what about your club? Won't you be late?"

I shrugged. "I'll make up an excuse later."

He nodded, and together we left the main courtyard.

As he led me through a side path shaded by towering blackwood trees, Richard began talking. "The Shadow Fighter Society has been around for nearly two centuries," he explained. "It was founded by a group of warriors who discovered a unique way to channel their strength—not through mana, but through something else entirely."

Richard paused. "It's called Shadow technique." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

My interest piqued. "Shadow technique?"

"Yes." His tone carried a spark of pride. "These techniques don't draw on mana reserves. Instead, they come from ancient martial arts—generating bursts of force and movement that produce what we call shadow power-ups. They allow a fighter to move and strike with incredible speed, almost like stepping between moments. The original members of the society used them to fight back against demon hordes when magic alone wasn't enough."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds dangerous."

"That's the point," Richard said with a smirk. "One day, I want to be a Shadow Fighter Master. The title is rare, earned only by those who master every technique in the codex."

Just then, the narrow path opened up into a wide, outdoor training courtyard.

Smooth stone tiles spread across the ground, with carved runes marking sparring zones.

Practice dummies stood lined against the wall, their surfaces marred with cuts and burns, while groups of fighters sparred under the afternoon sun.