THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

For the next three days, nothing really important happened. Everyone got surprised from seeing me flying, Frankher included but aside from that, nothing else can be said.

"Cissa, do you think there is a solution to my problem?"

"Which one? You seem to have a lot lately."

"Flying. Every time I fly now, I am uncomfortable."

"I don't know. But if the problem is between your usage of wind and earth Angas then that means there is a ratio you need to follow."

"A ratio?"

"Yes. Don't use a hundred percent of each, try to balance them.."

"Hm…Easier said than done."

"With your dragon heart, it will be indeed easier."

"I hope so."

***

"Sir, you have received a letter."

This morning, while we are having breakfast, one of the butlers gives me a letter. Do I know somebody who would do this? I don't think so.

"Who sent it?"

"A certain Claire Kagar."

"Ah, okay." Claire? Why?

When I open the letter, Lanuvel and Farner somehow manage to squeeze themselves to read it with me.

"Ah, it seems you have caused trouble again."

"And where exactly did you read that, Farner?" This girl, I swear…

"Who is Anriette?" Lanuvel looks at me…with a bit of anger. Wow.

"It is a girl I saved once. You guys, I haven't even read it myself yet."

"Ah, Anriette, the cute little one!" Yeah, thanks Farner, now Lanuvel is piercing my face with her stare.

"The squirrel?" Excia makes a comment out of nowhere and I am even more lost now. Anriette looked like a squirrel to you?

"Yep! That one. Apparently, she has disappeared and her parents are looking for her."

"Disappeared?" Excia looks at me with a questionable face.

"I obviously did nothing."

"You sure? She was really cute."

"I am sure. Besides, she…" Should I really tell Farner and the others that she said she loved me? It might not be a good idea. Farner almost broke my neck last time.

"Anyway, I did nothing."

"Hm…Suspicious."

"Yeah, I think so as well. You aren't hiding her somewhere?"

"No, Lanuvel. I am not."

"Hm…"

"Please stop staring at me."

"You guys are really having fun, huh…" Cordel and the others have been looking at us from the beginning without saying anything. Keltia and Peter are discussing on their own. Or more like she is talking and Peter is trembling. Roxcia is nowhere near interested in us.

After breakfast, we all start preparing. Today, we are going to my new estate. Claire's letter only said that I should answer if I saw her or try to ask around if anybody did so I will write an answer saying that I didn't and I will look around. Not that I will really do it though.

"She is surely in Mercuria." She isn't the type to venture out. Nor does she have the strength to do so...

Maybe the guild sent her to a new area and she didn't have the time to inform them.

***

Two hours after departing, we reach Ariol. Like the king said, it really wasn't far. When we arrived, the first thing that I noticed is the lake. It is gigantic, almost the size of a city. Actually, I can't clearly see the end of it from where we are. But what is even more incredible is the fact that the whole lake is frozen.

There is a small city near the lake that we can already see from the road. Among those houses, one especially sticks out at the end, taller than the others. Our carriages reach the city but there aren't a lot of people outside. There are some children playing around in the snow but that's about it.

We reach the biggest house I saw earlier and there are four people waiting for us at the entrance. A man, two butlers, and a maid. The whole house is surrounded by a fence made of flowers. Though it is winter so the flowers are barely noticeable themselves.

The carriages stop and Frankher is the first to get down, I follow him and find the four people kneeling on the ground.

"We greet our master: The STAR OF MERCURIA."

"Kevin, this is your new house."

I bow as well to them and greet them as politely as possible.

"Greetings, please take good care of me."

"As you can see, the Star of Mercuria isn't much for formalities and such so you can speak to him with ease."

"We will try to, Sir."

They all stand up while Farner and the others get down the carriage. The butlers go and start carrying our luggage while the maid advances to us and shows us the way. We follow her inside and find ourselves in a hall.

The whole ground floor of the house seems to be a hall judging by its size compared to the outside size of the house. At the end of it, there are stairs at the end left and right and a statue at the center. The statue represents a woman with her arms opened while looking at the sky. This is a statue of MEETIA.

"Please follow me." We go through the stairs on the left side and there are other stairs still going up.

"On this floor are the kitchen and the dining room for this side. The guests' rooms are on the other side. Upstairs, there is the master's bedroom as well as a small armory and a balcony."

"I see." Frankher is smiling happily while listening to the maid's explanations. "Kevin, as you can see, you have quite the house for yourself. Better take good care of it." He pats my shoulder then looks at the maid again.

"W-we have prepared a warm meal for you. If you would follow me to the dining room."

"Of course." Frankher, is it my visit or yours? The guy is walking ahead of all of us like he is the one who actually owns the place.

***

In the evening, as the sun starts setting, a snow tempest starts. Frankher was going to leave today but now we are all blocked here.

"Hm…Oh well, I was a bit tired anyway. So, where can I sleep?" Frankher looks at me. Don't ask me, you are the one who visited the whole house. I look at the maid and she shudders a bit.

"I-I believe master's bedroom would be suitable for you, Sir."

"No, how could I sleep in the master of the house bed."

"Well, she is not wrong. You should just sleep there."

"Oh well, if you insist." Ah… old men are all the same.

The maid goes with him upstairs while a butler brings us to the guest's room. There are five bedrooms. The one I open has the size of the dorm's room. I guess they will all be the same.

"The dinner will be ready in about an hour. Please be patient."