6-3-4/7 (11-12) Chapter 6: The Land of the Winds Episode 3: The Bonds of Royal BloodPart 4/7: Keela’s dearest friend, Noren Fairsteel.Scene 11-12

⸻

Scene 11: Good News Like Gentle Rain, Dark News Like Rust

We all gathered once again at the same spot we had occupied that morning. Somehow, everyone ended up in the exact same seats, as if they had been claimed beforehand.

  "Alright everyone," Seraphina announced enthusiastically.

  "This time, it's the real good news!"

Everyone clapped in anticipation.

  "The first piece of good news is…"

She drew out the pause for dramatic effect.

  "We've successfully formed a partnership with the Mollarr Bear Trade Guild!"

  "Yay!" she cheered, clapping to lead the celebration.

Akira and Draco looked puzzled. Seraphina happily explained,

  "Ahem! The Mollarr Bear Trade Guild—also known as the Ursa Major Trading Group—is the most influential intercontinental shipping alliance. They hold immense power in large-scale logistics. Meanwhile, we specialize in local and mid-scale distribution with greater attention to detail. By teaming up, our growth will accelerate like never before!"

Everyone clapped once again, this time with sincere admiration for Noren and her team's impressive progress.

  "And that's not all!" Seraphina continued.

  "Our company, Falcon Star Trade, has made it into Arcadia's Top 10 Happiest Workplaces! See?"

She held up a certificate, but it was too far away for any of us to read. Still, we clapped with delight.

  "We also placed in other categories!" she beamed.

  "Top 10 Best Welfare Policies—three years running! Top 10 Social and Environmental Responsibility Awards—two years running! And Top 10 Rising Star Companies—also for the second consecutive year!"

Noren's team clapped politely—used to these accolades—but to us, it was incredible. Learning that Noren had won these awards almost from the moment she stepped into leadership? That was no small feat. No wonder her little sister admired her so much.

But despite the impact of the good news, it passed far quicker than the bad. The success was over in a flash, barely enough time to let the weight of it settle.

In contrast, the earlier bad news had sparked tension, deep discussion, and lingering worry. Perhaps this was why most news these days focused on violence or celebrity drama—the twisted reality of media prioritizing what "sells."

Because "bad news sells better," they say. And so they continue selling it. Again and again.

And how can society thrive, if what it consumes is only darkness?

After the short burst of good news and lunch, we all went off to relax. There were no major tasks today—it had all been set aside to welcome Noren.

Noren said she wanted to spend time alone with Keela.

So the others paired off naturally:

Seraphina dragged Yue and Osiris off to play.

Felix wanted a light spar with Draco, and Elina joined in.

Zhuan and Mirelle went off to learn recipes from Kalisa.

Grandpa Gryp snuck off for a quiet nap.

Luvian invited Akira for a walk around the village.

As for Noren and Keela, they wandered off together and ended up at their old usual spot.

  "It's been a while since we sat here together," Noren said softly.

  "Yeah," Keela chuckled.

  "I'd rather not remember the first time we came here though…"

Noren laughed.

  "Oh, I remember it vividly.

  Some scrappy little kid using a Lightning Dash move—only to faceplant into the bushes. I laughed so hard I couldn't even pull you out."

  "Don't remind me! It was so embarrassing." Keela laughed too, burying her face in her hands.

Noren's laughter mellowed.

  "Still… who'd have thought that little girl playing in the woods would turn out to be a princess? And now, a potential contender for the throne…"

Keela sat properly at last.

  "Says the girl who's now sweeping awards left and right for her business empire. You're amazing, you know that, bestie?"

  "Speaking of which…" Noren turned to her.

  "Do you still want to be queen?"

Keela hesitated.

  "Honestly… I don't want to fight my own family. I'd rather we all work together to strengthen the kingdom."

  "But you know that's not how it works," Noren said, gazing up at the sky.

Keela looked up at the synthetic sky above.

  "I know… That's why I've decided to let Father make the call."

  "How so?" Noren asked.

Keela took a deep breath, lowering her gaze.

  "If Father officially declares me eligible for the throne, then I'll give it my all in the evaluation process. But when it comes to political warfare… I want nothing to do with it."

  "It won't be that simple," Noren said, watching the same artificial sky.

  "That declaration has always been the opening bell for bloody internal power struggles—centuries-old traditions to determine the strongest heir. And whoever loses has to obey the victor. Period."

Keela picked up a stick and started drawing in the dirt.

  "I know. I may not want to fight, but that doesn't mean I'll give up. If I am granted that right… I'll focus on defense only."

Noren tapped her own stick lightly against Keela's.

  "But that might backfire. All it brings is more loss. Like right now—see? I'm chipping away at you."

Keela jabbed her stick into the ground.

  "If I were just a brittle twig, we'd both break. But if I become a stone, the attacker will only wear themselves out.

  Like in siege warfare—if you endure long enough, the invaders might run out of supplies before you do."

  "Still risky," Noren challenged.

  "They'll block your resources, starve you, attack you day and night. Morale could collapse. Meanwhile, if their army is large enough, they'll just go get more supplies from somewhere else."

  "True, but they're burning energy too. And if it becomes a three-way war, the third party will strike from behind. They'll fight each other.

  All we have to do… is watch."

Noren raised her hand in mock defeat.

  "Okay, okay. I surrender to your stubborn strategy.

  But tell me—where will your forces come from? Your brothers have structured armies. Loyal men. You? People think you're on your own."

Keela sighed.

  "I don't know… I don't want to drag my friends into danger. We just met, and they all have Guardian positions.

  If they join me, it'll look like I'm bringing in foreign forces. That wouldn't be fair."

Noren took Keela's hand.

  "You're not alone. I'm here. Whatever happens—I'll stand by you."

  "Thank you… my dear friend." Keela smiled gently.

Noren threw an arm over her shoulder, giving her a playful pat.

  "Of course. You silly, bush-diving princess."

  "Watch it, deal-crazy lady!" Keela growled, swinging a mock punch.

The two of them laughed, holding onto that moment—

as if to say, no matter what comes next, we'll face it together.

⸻

⸻

Scene 12: The Bright and the Bold

Elsewhere, Yue, Osiris, and Seraphina were playing with a flock of fluffy little birds.

  "These birds are so cute!" Yue exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

  "But I think you're cuter than all of them, Yue," Seraphina complimented without hesitation.

  "I'd say you fit the definition of 'cute' pretty well yourself, Fina," Osiris added flatly.

  "…Was that a compliment?" Seraphina tilted her head, unsure.

  "It is," Yue confirmed. "Osiris said you're cute."

  "Oh! Thank you." Seraphina grabbed the hem of her dress and did a polite curtsy.

  Yue blinked. "Osiris, what's up with you? You keep looking around like something's bothering you."

  "It's nothing," Osiris replied, her tone sharp as always.

  "I'm just scanning the area. Making sure everyone's safe."

  "In a peaceful little village like this?" Seraphina asked. "No way there's any danger here. You must've gone through a lot to stay so guarded.

  Some of the rumors about your group… well, they sound pretty exaggerated. Blowing this up, destroying that—seriously, is any of that true?"

  Yue's expression turned serious.

  "It's all true. But those explosions? That wasn't us. That was the enemies. They're the ones who get angry and blow everything up."

  "Wait, what? That wasn't your power?" Seraphina asked, wide-eyed.

  Osiris nodded.

  "I don't know about the other sins, but with Zekhtau… the one who used the Rift Cleaver? I was there. I barely made it out alive."

  "Yeah!" Yue chimed in with force. "Every boss we fought was insane. I don't even want to imagine how bad the ones we haven't met yet are."

  "You girls are amazing," Seraphina said, eyes sparkling with admiration. "Facing off against something that terrifying… I'd be shaking in fear."

  "I was scared. Really scared," Yue admitted openly.

  "If I had to go through that alone, I'd honestly rather just beg to die quickly and get it over with. No torture, please."

  "Then… why did you keep going?" Seraphina asked, bewildered.

  "Because I had my brothers and sisters with me," Yue answered without hesitation.

  "They never gave up. Not once. Even when the enemy was terrifying or smart or cheated—they just kept thinking of ways to win. Especially Akira. He always comes up with something."

  Osiris nodded.

  "His ideas are… strange. He always says they're from his home world. A world without magic. But to be able to merge that kind of knowledge with our magic and make it work? That's not easy. I'm honestly impressed."

  Yue's eyes sparkled.

  "Right?! Akira is so amazing. He's smart, kind, calm, always helping people."

  "He also takes on way too much," Osiris cut in, tone sharp again.

  "He carries responsibility until he forgets about himself."

  Yue puffed her cheeks. "Yeah! That time I took my eyes off him for just one second and—ugh! Where'd he even go now?"

  "Last I heard, Luvian asked him to take a walk," Seraphina answered.

  Yue puffed up again. "Hmph! Can't leave him alone for a minute, can I?"

  Osiris narrowed her eyes.

  "You say that, but you and Fina dragged me out here without even turning around to see if he followed."

  Yue flinched. "Oh… uh… heh." She scratched her cheek nervously. Seraphina giggled.

⸻

Meanwhile, the sparring match between Draco and Felix continued in the open yard.

Elina stood nearby, casting thin barriers of magic to soften the impact whenever the strikes grew too intense.

  "Nice form, kid," Felix complimented, deflecting a thrust with one of his twin spears before responding with a light counter.

  "Thank you," Draco replied, ducking with a smooth spin. "Your strikes are precise as well."

Felix glanced over at Elina, who sent out another perfectly-timed barrier without missing a beat.

  "You've got an interesting power. And your spirit's strong too. I like that."

  As for you—your timing's sharp, Miss Barrier. Must've had a good teacher."

  "Thank you," Elina replied with a faint smile.

  Draco spoke between blows, "Not really… I still lack a lot. My teacher said I'd only passed his first trial. He said I wasn't suited for his techniques."

  Felix paused mid-motion. "He said that? Well, he's either a genius… or blind as a bat." He frowned, clearly displeased.

  "You're one of our core members," Elina chimed in. "Seriously, you've grown so much."

  "I don't know… maybe I'm just a small fry to him," Draco said humbly.

  Felix rolled his eyes. "Good grief… I'd love to spar with your teacher. Just once.

  Who is he, anyway?"

  "He's from Draken. His name is Siryn Dragon," Draco answered casually, stepping back and resetting his stance.

Elina's head whipped around.

Felix froze. His eyes went wide.

His twin spears fell from his hands with a clank.

He stood there, stiff as stone.

  "You realize you just sent a martial arts junkie into shock, right?" Elina said, barely holding back laughter.

  "What? He asked who my teacher was, and I told him," Draco shrugged. "What'd I do?"

Elina placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

 "Well, you're my favorite small fry anyway."

Draco pouted slightly, but the corner of his mouth twitched up.

⸻