Mika closed the door behind him.

"Already done talking?" Olivia asked.

The whole time Mika was talking with Ophelia, Olivia stood outside leaning against the wall.

"Yes." Mika replied softly as he did not even look at her and turned to the direction they came from.

"..."

Olivia smiled slightly, noticing his red earlobes.

"And? How long will you stay here?" she wondered as she followed behind him.

"Will you be here until Ophelia can leave? Or-"

"I will leave tomorrow." Mika cut her off.

"Tomorrow? Are you in such a hurry to leave?"

"Not really, but there are some things I’d like to check out."

"I see..." Olivia said pensively.

"Then so be it. I will organize a ride for you. I assume you want to leave in the morning, right?"

"Yes, thank you."

Not much time passed until they arrived at Mika’s room again.

"Thanks for giving me permission to visit-"

"Wait."

Mika was about to open the door, however, Olivia slammed her hand against the door and cornered Mika.

"There’s still something I want to know." she said with a grin.

While Olivia leaned closer to him, Mika pushed his back stronger to the door.

And this time, he could not play the fool. Due to the still active punishment, he had to state his inner thoughts.

Mika knew exactly what she wanted to know. It was just like back then with Ophelia.

"It’s about my power, right?"

"Well, with you being so honest and open, it’ll be a lot easier." she remarked.

Mika heaved a sigh and looked to his left and then to his right.

"It’s already past midnight. I don’t think we should disturb the others with our conversation."

"So you’re dodging the topic?" she said, sounding displeased.

"I’ve told your sister everything already. You can go ahead and ask her about me. She will tell you everything you want to know."

Olivia took her hand away from his door and stepped away.

"Fine. We’ll leave it on that." she responded bored.

She turned her back on him and proceeded to walk away.

"..."

Mika stared at her for a few seconds, before he decided to enter his room.

"Heh, you and Ophelia sure are alike." he huffed faintly with a smile on his face.

Following those words, he went into his room.

At the same time, Olivia’s pace slowed down a little.

"So we share similarities, huh...?"

Her mouth formed a crescent. And this time, it was not her typical smirk, but a genuinely happy smile.

Just for this moment, she seemed like a pure maiden as she smiled with faintly blushing cheeks.

The next day.

The morning birds were chirping and the sun was peeking from the horizon as Mika made his way to the carriage outside the mansion.

Some butlers and maids were lined up when they bid Mika farewell.

And among those people was also Wendy Relaren.

"So you’re already leaving, huh?"

With a smile on her face, she approached Mika.

"Ms. Relaren? How did you know I was going now?"

He told Olivia about his departure only a few hours ago, when it was past midnight. So people, like Wendy or Zack, could not possibly have known. Only staff members should know that.

"Oh, I didn’t really know. I just woke up early to run a few laps and then I saw you and the others in front of the carriage. Ah! I also saw the queen wandering around the mansion. I don’t know what she was up to, but she was grinning kind of vilely..."

"Well, she is most likely heading to Ms. Ross in order to milk out all the information she has about me..." Mika muttered quietly with a wry smile.

Luckily, Wendy did not hear him.

Everything was ready for his departure. He only had to enter the carriage now.

"Zack surely would have liked to see you off as well, but he was sent out to a new mission yesterday."

"Wow, he sure is busy..."

"Well, he isn’t the only one. Actually, I also received a new mission, but I have to depart tomorrow. However..."

"Hm?"

She turned serious.

"I know I’m repeating myself, but the last battle made it clear that we still have a lot to learn and that we have to get stronger."

Mika nodded his head once.

"And I know that this sounds selfish of me, considering that you’re about to leave, but..."

He tilted his head.

"When we first met, I may have unconsciously looked down on you because you were a mere student. I thought that you were weak because you were from that so-called black class. I thought that you would be a hindrance..." She started to let out her true feelings in a guilty tone.

Her head hung low and she clenched her pants.

"And then I saw you fighting against your highness... To be honest, it was just mind-blowing... You may have lost overwhelmingly, but in our eyes, you were just simply impressive."

"You’re overestimating me... I lost to the queen without leaving a scratch on her..." Mika replied dejected and embarrassed.

She lifted her head up and faced Mika earnestly.

"The power and skills you showcased may even rival S-rank mages!"

Her enthusiasm pressured Mika so much that he unconsciously began to step away from her. But she followed up on every single step he took backward.

"So could you please help me get stronger?" she asked with beaming eyes.

"Please, don’t suggest that... Please, don’t say that..." Mika muttered inaudible to her.

"Could you please fight me?"

Mika sweat bullets.

"What’s wrong, Mika?"

His face heated up.

It seemed like he tried to keep his mouth shut.

"I... I- Hmph!"

His mouth moved on his own, but Mika reacted just in time and shut himself up with his hands again.

"M-Mika...?"

"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!" he spouted nonsense as he covered his mouth.

Then, he quickly turned away and sprinted to the carriage.

"Hmph!" he groaned before he entered.

"W-what the..."

Wendy just looked baffled at the carriage.

Inside the carriage.

"Buaah..." Mika moaned exhausted after he let go of his mouth and relaxed on his seat.

[That was close.]

"Yeah... I almost told her that in her current state, she wouldn’t be a match for me..."

"I don’t want to imagine what would have happened if she heard that..." he added.

The small hatch opened.

"Are you ready to depart now?" the driver asked Mika through the small hatch.

"Yes."

The driver closed the hatch.

"It’s better to leave like this, instead of blurting out something inappropriate..." Mika remarked tired.

He thought about last night when he talked with Ophelia.

A few hours ago.

"I like you, too." Ophelia said.

"..."

Not only did he blush even more, but his head was also steaming.

His heart was beating faster and faster. It was as if his heart was about to jump out.

His sweaty hand was on the doorknob.

"W-w-what did I j-just say?!" she stuttered in panic.

She balled herself up under her sheet.

Mika was still at a loss for words. Even his thoughts were not able to organize themselves.

However, when he heard the chains rustling again, that topic crossed his mind again.

"Those chains... I don’t know why you have them nor do I know what your situation looks like, however, I have the feeling that I don’t have the right yet to pry any further into that topic. Just like you, I will wait for you to tell me that on your own. That’s everything I can offer for now." Mika said after he partly calmed down with his gaze still directed at the door.

"..."

Again, it was silent.

But the chains rustled again when Ophelia put the sheets down.

She looked down on her palms.

"I... I promise you... I will tell you everything when the time comes..." she said softly and yet firmly.

"I don’t know how long it will take me to leave this place... It could take even months for me..." she continued.

She clenched her fists and put them down on her thighs.

"But... But I will do my best to return before you all enter your second year!"

"So don’t be reckless during my absence, you hear me?"

Mika smiled lightly.

"I will take your advice to heart." he replied.

The doorknob clicked.

"The next time we meet, I will tell you all about my glorious victory at the tournament so..."

Back to the present.

The carriage was already moving, leaving the mansion behind them.

Mika looked out of the window.

His eyes wandered to the vast blue sky, free from any clouds.

"...see you then." he muttered with a relaxed smile.

Thus, Mika was about to leave Fuera, the capital of Rostanta.

But before he went back to Loogam, he had something else in mind.

"I wonder, how they are doing..."

His next destination would be his village, where his parents and old friends lived.