Off To Preschool

No sooner did Darius clean the floor, than someone burst through the door. Analeis scanned the bathhouse, her axe in her hands.

A few moments ago, she felt like someone was hurting Aaran. She even got a whiff of blood mixed with perfumed soap. But when she tried opening the door, it didn't budge.

Sensing the danger, she slashed the door in half and rushed inside. But to her surprise, everything seemed normal. Even the smell of blood was gone.

"Do you need something?" Aaran asked, looking over his shoulder.

Amara had told Analeis that Aaran was shy around girls. But the kid before was anything but shy. Submerged in the pool, he seemed more comfortable than anything else.

"Blood… I smelled blood—" Analeis replied.

"Oh, you mean this?"

Aaran lifted his hand. There was a slight cut on a finger. It wasn't alarming, but Analeis couldn't help but feel there was something else going on there. Her hunch had never been wrong. It was unlikely she'd be wrong now.

"…Are you waiting for me to get out?"

"My apologies."

Analeis bowed and left. Only once she was out of earshot did Aaran let out a sigh of relief.

Her senses are sharper than I expected.

"You missed the perfect opportunity to mesmerize that girl," Darius clicked his tongue.

He's a playboy even in death.

Aaran shook his head, enjoying the warm water.

***

A week passed, and it was finally time to leave for Velrune. Almost the entire capital came to see Aaran off. In the four years he lived in the capital, the people hadn't seen him once as he was confined in the castle. But suddenly, he was leaving the city.

People found it strange but didn't comment on it. After all, the matter of royalty didn't concern them as long as it wasn't about taxes.

But the Aurelians weren't the only ones there.

The barbarians were also there, though not to bid farewell to Aaran.

"Analeis, don't forget to take care of yourself while watching over the young master," Bika, Analeis's maka, reminded her.

"Yes, boss," another barbarian chimed in. "And don't forget about us!"

"Don't cause any trouble while I'm gone, alright?" Analeis reminded the gang of ruffians.

Meanwhile, Aaran was sitting inside the carriage with Dread. He had sent Darius to investigate the source of the monster attacks plaguing Aurelia. Since he would be gone for a while, he wanted to ensure everything was fine.

I hope it gets solved soon. The dark circles under Father's eyes are getting deeper with each day.

"Are you worried, son?"

Amara's voice interrupted Aaran's thoughts.

He smiled and shook his head. But Amara was his mother. She could tell something was on his mind.

She assumed it was about leaving Aurelia for the first time. In her eyes, even though he loved to act independently, he was still a child, leaving his nest for the first time.

It was natural to feel nervous and out of place, especially after the attack.

After a minute, Analeis joined them, and their journey began. Soldiers moved on horses, surrounding the carriage.

Although the monsters roamed the outskirts, Amara didn't want to take any risks. Till they reached the teleportation circle, everyone would be alert.

That was half the reason Amara was accompanying them to the circle. She didn't trust the temples to not attack Aaran again. The other half was out of affection and worry.

"Aaran, I don't think I have to remind you—"

"Don't worry, mother. No one shall know a thing about you-know-what."

A smile appeared on Amara's face before she nodded. Her little man had grown so much. Even so, it pained her heart to see him go away. But it was for the better. She could always call him back once she dealt with the temple.

"We're here, your highness," the coachman announced.

"…"

Amara didn't say a word, but Aaran noticed her holding back the tears. He nodded towards Analeis and she got off, dragging Dread behind. Once alone, Aaran grabbed Amara's hand, and sat next to her.

"Mother, I'll be fine," he said. "I've got Dread and Analeis with me. No one with evil intentions would get past them."

Amara wiped a stray tear and nodded. Her little boy was acting more mature than she was. Finally, she hugged him, kissing his forehead.

"…Don't get into trouble, understood?"

Aaran nodded.

"And don't let the empire's wealth tempt you."

He nodded again.

"Make us proud."

Nod.

"And take care of your fiance."

Definitely—WHAT!?

"Fiance…?" Aaran asked, startled by the sudden disclosure.

"Your father told Leon about the situation, so Leon is sending his daughter to Velrune, too," Amara replied. "He wanted you two to get acquainted, so get along with her. You'll be spending your life with her, after all."

"So much for not being interested in women."

Darius's voice startled Aaran. As much as Aaran wanted to ask what the spirit was doing there, he kept his mouth shut. Luckily, Amara couldn't hear Darius, or things would've spiraled out of control.

Darius didn't need Aaran to speak to figure out what he was thinking and answered his unasked question.

"I completed the task, my liege," he said, before scratching the back of his head. "And… you won't like what I found."

It's the temple, isn't it?

"…why bother making me work if you already knew?"

It was a hunch. No, it's a calculated guess.

"So what now?"

Nothing.

"What?"

A smile crept on Aaran's lips and instead of worrying, he saw it as a perfect opportunity to find the one behind the attacks.

Let them dig their graves. Just… keep father safe.