Farewell (2)

At that moment, she looked at the king. 'Wait! She said she's the third princess of the kingdom. That means…' My gaze following hers to Augustus.

The king remained composed, but a faint smile flickered across his face before vanishing just as quickly. It was enough to confirm what everyone was beginning to suspect.

'She's adapting incredibly fast,' I thought to myself.

"The details aren't important," Elizabeth said, cutting the matter short with a firmness that left no room for debate. "Shall we?" she asked, turning her gaze to Leopold and the king.

"Yes, why not?" Leopold replied, tilting his head slightly. "Does Your Majesty agree?"

"It's a good idea," Augustus remarked, his voice full of authority. "It will prevent many issues and simplify certain situations."

"Then it's decided," Elizabeth declared, not even waiting for our input. Her excitement was palpable, and the sparkle in her eyes made me sigh, a small smile creeping onto my lips.

'She's always like this when she gets excited about something,'I shake my head lightly.

Benjamin sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he looked at her. "Well, once you've decided on something, there's no stopping you." His tone was half resignation, half teasing, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Midori, on the other hand, seemed a bit more apprehensive. Her blue eyes shimmered with a hint of melancholy as she murmured, "Five years…" She paused, looking down at her small hands resting in her lap. "That's a long time to be away."

Carlos broke the tension, slapping his thigh lightly as he exclaimed with enthusiasm, "Five years, huh? I think this new life is going to be a lot more fun than I expected! Asgardian delicacies, here I come!" He grinned mischievously.

Luca straightened his posture and spoke in a measured tone, "Five years. It should be enough time for us to adjust." His green eyes fixed on the floor, reflecting his serious attitude toward the situation, though he didn't seem particularly troubled by it.

Nicole let out a theatrical sigh, propping her chin in her hand as she rolled her eyes with practiced elegance. "Finally, it's about to begin. I was starting to get bored," she remarked, a playful smile curving her lips. There was a boldness in her tone, as if she were ready to face this new world head-on with all the audacity she could muster.

I let out an amused sigh, crossing my arms. "What kind of guild leader doesn't even give us time to talk?" My tone was teasing, but the grin on my face made it clear I was only joking.

Elizabeth, not missing a beat, pointed to herself with a big smile. "You're looking right at her," she said, brimming with confidence. Her energy was unmistakable.

"And as my first act in this world," she began, raising a finger as if making a grand proclamation, "I'm banning us from using our old names. From now on, we're embracing our new identities 100%."

"I don't need to explain why, right?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow, her challenging gaze sweeping across the group.

Luca was the first to respond, his calm and thoughtful voice breaking the silence. "No, we understand the reason well." He nodded slightly, leaning against a pillar nearby.

Carlos, however, couldn't resist making a cheeky comment. "We're not that thickheaded," he said, throwing his arms back and stretching with a mischievous grin.

"That's why you're my favorite group," Elizabeth declared, laughing as she crossed her arms, as if the matter was settled.

"We're your only group," Benjamin quipped with a sly smile, clearly poking fun at her.

"Exactly," Elizabeth shot back without missing a beat, her tone playful, as if this somehow made their bond even more special.

I looked at her, allowing myself to relax a little. 'Even in the middle of this chaos, she somehow makes it feel like we have everything under control,' I thought. My gaze traveled across the group, now more at ease. 

Despite the uncertainties, the changes, and the goodbyes, in that moment, I felt like we were ready for whatever was coming next.

"Lyz— no, Alice…" I tried to say, but Carlos immediately cut me off.

"You worm, how dare you speak the princess's first name without her title?" Carlos exclaimed, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying himself.

"Ah! My deepest apologies, Princess Alice," I corrected myself quickly, my expression exaggeratedly remorseful.

Elizabeth nodded, exuding an overly dignified air, though it was clear she was struggling to hold back her laughter.

Turning to Carlos, I adopted a more serious tone. "Who granted you permission to call me—me, Alexander Dracknum, seventh son of the Archduchy of Dracknum, bearer of royal blood—a worm?" My eyes gleamed with feigned fury, but the amusement in my voice was unmistakable.

Carlos raised his hands in mock surrender, though he couldn't hide the grin spreading across his face.

"Forgive him, just as I have forgiven your transgressions," Elizabeth—now Alice Roseta Van Allytharion, the princess—interjected with a satisfied smile. Her voice was soft and filled with authority, yet playful at the same time.

"I only forgive you because the princess requested it," I replied, matching her serious tone but with a faint smile tugging at my lips.

"I humbly apologize on behalf of my vassal," Benjamin chimed in, his voice dripping with sarcasm and humor.

"What else can you expect from the brutes of Magnum? They can't even control their own vassals," Nicole added with a laugh, taking a playful jab at Benjamin as the group began to loosen up. The lightheartedness in the air made the weight of the situation we faced feel a little easier to bear.

"You are truly a group of entertaining individuals," Leopold remarked, his smile carrying a touch of amusement. He observed the group like a scholar studying an intriguing experiment, his gaze sweeping across each of us with an air of approval. "I have no concerns—you are perfect children."

Leopold's light comment made everyone flush slightly, embarrassed by the truth of it. After all, we were adults behaving like children.

"Leopold, it's time. We've lingered here long enough—dawn broke a few minutes ago," Oswald interrupted. His voice was firm and practical, cutting through the atmosphere. His words made it clear that the moment of departure had arrived, and there was no delaying it.

"Before long, your servants and attendants will begin searching for you if we don't send you off now," Oswald continued, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Please, take your positions."

With a snap of his fingers, as if commanding the very air around us, magic circles began to materialize on the ground. They glowed with a soft yet intense light, filling the room with a pulsating energy that seemed to come alive.

I looked around, watching as the others moved to their designated circles. The atmosphere grew heavy with a mix of nerves and acceptance, as though we were about to cross a threshold from which there would be no return. We exchanged silent glances—farewells spoken not with words, but with our eyes.

"In five years?" Alice asked, her captivating smile cutting through the tension as she tried to bring a sense of levity to the moment.

"In five years," we all responded in unison, the words carrying a weight that echoed deep within our souls. The farewells were silent, but in our eyes and gestures, everything we wanted to say was conveyed.

"Well then, goodbye," Oswald said, beginning the process. He snapped his fingers once more, and the glow from the magic circles intensified. The light began to rise around us, wrapping us in a luminous embrace. The magic filled the room with an otherworldly hum as the teleportation began.

With one last glance at each other, we let the light take us, carrying us toward a destiny we could only hope to meet with courage.