THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"They are really beautiful. Where did you find them?"

Lanuvel has put the flowers in a pot and can't stop looking at them. She even went to sit at the table and just keeps caressing them while humming a song.

"On a mountain nearby. I was passing by and I saw them so I thought you would like them."

"Hm…You never gave me anything and now out of nowhere you bring me flowers. Did the Longinus suddenly disappear from this world or something?"

"You can say that again." Nobody asked you anything, Excia.

"And what did you bring me?" Farner's face is already on mine.

"Those flowers are for both of you."

"No, you said those are for Lanuvel. I want my own."

"Don't be selfish."

"I am not."

"Those are mine. Just go and find her something else." And Lanuvel isn't going to let it go as well.

"sigh… Okay, I got it. I will find some flowers for you as well, Farner."

"Yeah! Thanks Kevin!" Farner happily jumps on my neck and buries my head in her chest. Such a naughty girl we have here.

"You have ruined our game." Rocxia speaks harshly as soon as I look at her.

She stands up and leaves upstairs, surely to sleep.

"Oh, by the way, sir Frankher asks me to greet all of you." I speak right before Roxcia's feet disappear from the stairs. Now, she can't say that I didn't give her the information.

"Cool. How are the others doing?" Finally, Lanuvel leaves the flowers and comes to sit with us. "Farner, you can leave him alone now."

"Why? Are you jealous?" Farner looks at Lanuvel and I can feel a small tension rising in the air.

Excia also stands up and leaves, touching my shoulder before taking the stairs. It seems she saw the problem coming as well.

"Oh…and why would I be jealous when I am the one he obviously prefers?"

"Prefer? And when did he even say something like that?"

The mood instantly changes into an aggressive and unpredictable one.

"Hm…Wait a-"

"There is no need for him to say anything. Those flowers are proof enough of his unrelenting feelings for me."

"He just gave them to you first so that you wouldn't get jealous when he brings mine later."

"Ladies, I think we-"

"You shut up!"

"You shut up!"

Well, I will have tried at least.

"I am his first, to begin with. So of course, he doesn't want you to feel left aside by putting me before you every single time."

"That's completely irrelevant. To begin with, I have known him for way longer than you!"

"Oh, please! If it wasn't for me, you would have never noticed how cute he is." Huh, thank you, I think. Wait, should I really be happy about this right now?

"I always thought he was cute!"

"It doesn't matter! I am his first so he loves me more! That's all!!"

"Oh yeah!! I kiss better than you!!"

"That's a complete lie!! I can make him faint just by kissing him!!"

"You who just squeeze everything to death?! Of course, you make him faint! Because he can't breathe!"

"You want to bet, then?!!"

"Let's do this!!"

"Huh... wait, wait, wait!"

***

"Urgh…"

With the first ray of the sun, I wake up in the room where Farner is supposed to sleep. I can hear somebody rummaging through things outside. It must be Excia. I know that she always wakes up earlier than the others.

The two fighters from yesterday's night are on each of my sides. Their hairs are covering my face completely. Did they move around after I fell asleep? Lanuvel's hand is still gripping my neck even though she is sleeping. Last night…was rough.

Still, we are supposed to go to that dome today so I can't be late. Willhem and the others must be ready by now.

"Hnrgh…"

They don't seem to wake up as I move away from them. We will see each other tonight so I don't need to wake them up, right? Though, I don't really want to leave. Do I really have to? The guys are strong enough, right? They could handle things on their own even before I came, right? It would be a problem if I indulge in those two defenseless flowers in front of me, right?

Normally, that's when Cissa would say something about a mission to accomplish and something greate to achieve. Damn, I miss her and her lectures.

I dress up fast and leave. The more I stay here, the more difficult it will be to leave. I meet Excia right as I come outside. As I thought, she was the one who woke up first.

"Good morning."

"Good morning. Don't worry, I will wake them up."

"Thank you. And also…I am sorry."

"For what?"

"No, it's nothing." Why did I even apologize to her? It just came out like that. "Anyway, I have to leave. See you tonight."

"Okay, see you later."

I rapidly run out of the house and go to the mercenaries' quarters. On the way, the soldiers and mercenaries I meet just keep looking at my face. Some of them even laugh while others frown. Is there something on my face?

"Hey, capt'. Where were y…" Hendrick greets me first, he is already fully prepared. But then, he stops and simply walks with the most annoying smile of the world. "You should tell her to be less aggressive next time."

He whispers to my ear then leaves. What does he mean aggressive? What did those girls do? Worse yet, after Hendrick, the others come as well and all just laugh without saying anything. You know what, I don't even want to know anymore!

I go inside the tent and put my armor on then leave. Let's bust some heads.

When I reach the city's entrance, there are a bit less than half the number of mercenaries that I saw yesterday. So the rest didn't think they could do it, huh. Still, I see the old man from yesterday, the woman who felt insulted, and three other leaders with their respective groups. The old man especially looks at me with a meaningful and angry look. Yeah, I know, I am sorry. I really didn't mean to offend you…Or maybe I did. You guys pissed me off yesterday as well.

Let's leave him alone for now. The mission is more important. The commander is there yet, even though he told us to come early. What kind of bastard is he? In fact, none of the soldiers are here. Was the mission abandoned? The old man leaves his group and comes to me after a while.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

"You didn't honor our appointment from yesterday. You may not know but for a mercenary, honor is everything. It is the only thing that differentiates us from mere bandits..." Sigh…Like I thought, here is Excafol number 2 with his way too long lectures.

"I am sorry. I had prior engagements that I had to honor, no matter what."

"Prior engagement? With who?"

"Eh?"

"Do you not understand my question?"

"No, I did. But how is it…Why do you want to know that?"

"Because I should at least know who could have been more important than your men's lives."

"What?"

"You don't understand, right? Have you noticed that more than half the people who came yesterday aren't here anymore?"

"Yeah, I did." Fifty people leaving is something clearly noticeable.

"Do you have any idea why they left?"

"Because the risk is not worth it?"

"Exactly. But at least they got to express their opinion. But since you weren't there, your men were only listening without saying anything. And now, they are about to engage in a fight where they might not come back. And that without being able to expres-"

"Hey, guys! Does any of you want to leave?!"

I look at my group but they just look at me like the weird one.

"Leave, to go where?" Fiz is the first to answer.

"What? You want to bang your girl again, capt'?" Hendrick adds another annoying comment. You are going to pay for that?

"What are you guys talking about?" Willhem who wasn't interested in our conversation until now, butts in and places his arm around my neck.

"Old Davy. What are you telling to our captain?" So the old man is called Davy, huh. Willhem looks at him with deep, serious eyes but the old man isn't that impressed or influenced. He is a seasoned warrior after all.

"Nothing really important."

"he was wondering if you guys are ready to face death once we go inside."

"What? Puahahaha!!" Willhem's laugh explodes and breaks the silence that was maintained until now. All eyes are on us now. "Seriously, old man?! You forgot who we are?!"

"It would seem I did. I am sorry for that. By the way, I still haven't introduced myself. I am Davy Rolce."

"Kevin Dragonroad. The star of Mercuria."

"You are a named?"

"Yeah."

"I see. Then I apologize for my behavior."

"There is no need to. I am the one at fault."

We shake hands then Davy leaves back to his group. Willhem also stands normally and we both go to our group.

Ten minutes later, the commander finally arrives on a horse. The sun is already up though.

"Good morning to all of you. I see that the cowards left with their tails between their legs, fearing for their lives. Or is it just that you guys are crazy fools? Well, I will be the judge of that, I guess."

This guy…is really testing us a lot. Willhem looks at me but I just brush it off with my head. Let's leave it at that for now.

"Anyway, you guys stay on standby here for the next two hours. My men will make an opening for you first."

As he says that, the eternal army soldiers start to come out of the city, with the heroes and the Saintess leading them on horses. Seeing the four of them, they look stunning right now. Especially Farner. She is shining. No; seriously, there is a halo of light around her right now. Am I the only one seeing her?

"Ah, my dear beautiful goddess." Hendrick immediately goes crazy for my mom.

"Leave it, man. She is way out of your league." And Willhem talks to me while looking at Farner as well. Did he notice I was staring at her?

"Out of my league?"

"Yeah. She is a hero. Ain't no way you can conquer her? You should focus on the girl from yesterday. She is really cute as well."

Should I tell him? Should I? I can imagine his face if I say that we are both in love, Farner and I. Come on, let's tell him. It will certainly be worth it.

"You guys will receive a signal once it is your time. For now, you will stay here as not to hinder us."

While the commander speaks his last words, I see Samson and Lanuvel walking as part of a platoon. Though, they are wearing different armors compared to those of the soldiers. She sees me as well and blushes, which makes her bump into the soldier before her.

Willhem then walks ahead a bit and turns around to look at me.

"No…"

"Yep."

"Attaboy!!"