No More Pain For This Villain.

Adam's eyes fixated on me, particularly the hand Raven had placed on my forearm. It was a moment that seemed to catch everyone's attention. He blinked several times, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

A pregnant pause lingered in the air until a blonde-haired knight interjected, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity. "You do get along with this guy here, girl."

Raven didn't hesitate for a moment, nodding innocently in response to the query. Meanwhile, Amelia remained silent, her gaze assessing me as if I were an alien or some enigma she couldn't quite decipher. It seemed she was still dwelling on our last encounter.

Glancing around, I noticed Vexa and Isolde already settled in one carriage, which meant Adam was likely heading in that direction. As for the other carriage, a quick lean to the side revealed Aron sporting an irritated expression and Eric clutching his bag, actively avoiding eye contact with the first prince.

"Cecelia," I called out to her, snapping her out of what seemed like a reverie. Her reaction indicated it took her a few moments to process my words. Eventually, she nodded dumbly, her gaze now fixed on Adam, who remained frozen in place.

"Well, I'll get going now then," I announced, picking up my belongings and moving toward the carriage Aron and Eric occupied.

Raven seemed hesitant before finally releasing her grip on my arm.

'Dude! Just get over this drama!' Ignoring Blaze's irritation, I quickly stowed my suitcases beneath the seats in the carriage and hopped inside, promptly closing the door behind me.

The carriage was cozy, with soft seats lined against the walls. There were enough windows to let in plenty of sunlight, making the interior bright and airy. A couple of storage compartments were available under the seats for luggage, and there was ample legroom for everyone. The cushions were comfortable, and the whole setup felt pretty snug for the journey ahead.

As I glanced out the window, I caught Raven's eye and waved farewell. Just then, a voice boomed, "Here we go!" from the man controlling the reins.

Eric's eyes widened, and he clutched his bag tighter, clearly not ready for what was to come. "Wait, what?" he sputtered, looking around nervously.

I decided to break the tension. "How did your meeting with the broker go? Is he still in one piece?" I inquired, trying to start a conversation.

Before I could anticipate it, a hand swiftly darted towards my neck. Instinctively, I reacted, catching the hand mid-air, which caused a small jolt to reverberate through the carriage, prompting an alarmed query from the driver.

"It's... it's fine," I quickly reassured, my gaze fixed on Aron's masked crimson eyes. It was a spontaneous reflex, but it hinted at something that had been on my mind for a while. Despite our limited interactions at the academy, this seemed like a rare opportunity to delve into it.

"We can have a lengthy conversation after we land in Eshmera," I smiled at Aron.

I noticed his expression fading away as if he had seen a ghost or something.

"Umm... anyone want a piece of gum?" Erik asked, holding out a box of gums from his bag, his hand shaking as he offered it to us.

"Why not-" but before I could reach for the box...

Blaze leaped off my shoulder. I let go of Aron's hand abruptly, causing him to stumble forward. I reached out to grab Blaze's neck, but the mischievous creature slipped out of my grip with an acrobatic move and landed on Erik's hand—

"Kyaa!!" Erik let out a very... girlish scream as the box fell to the floor, and Blaze began munching on the gum.

"Hehe, My win," remarked the once mighty Klashier, now calm.

The current situation was awkward as I noticed Aron shaking from head to toe, possibly with anger or embarrassment.

This was going to be a long journey.