“It shouldn’t surprise me anymore since we’ve been together for so long. The way you learn and improve is unfairly fast.” Brendu yells from the side. I try my best not to lose focus so I don’t crash into one of the dome’s walls while flying.

  I’m moving pretty fast suspended in the air, my speed almost reaching what I had back in Emerald rank. If I get distracted, it won’t be just a bump—I’ll break a few bones at minimum, and lose a couple teeth if I go in face-first.

  I feel like that superhero in a suit from my past life. These bracelets act like thrusters and stabilizers. As the days pass my understanding has gotten better, and now I can glide through the sky like a bird. There’s only one issue… dodging things is still hard, and I need more practice. Brendu summons huge wooden logs; I dodge the first one but the second brings me back to reality.

  “That hurts…” I complain while healing my broken arms. At the last second I managed to raise them as a shield, but the impact twisted the bones into strange angles.

  When I stand up, my body is good as new again. I brush off my clothes as if they were dirty and turn to see Brendu holding back her laughter like a decent actress—her Imra betrays her though.

  In these five days, I can already consider myself very competent with the bracelets’ control. Now it’s just polishing reflexes, adjusting flight details, and the most important part—making it feel as natural as breathing. That will take a few more weeks.

  Brendu hugs me. “Good job.” I thank her. As soon as she lets go of her tight embrace, I start my teasing act, touching the spots where her arms had been.

  “I felt something like thorns on my body.” I’ve been doing this at least once every two days. I love seeing her annoyed face whenever I make jokes about her nickname. I sense a build-up of mana on the floor behind me; I conjure a thick wall of ice at the last second before being turned into a perforated colander.

  I hear her click her tongue. “I want you ready tomorrow at 10 in the morning. I’ll pick you up.” A giant question mark forms on my face. Her rough attitude and annoyed expression soften little by little, and I see a malicious smile under that fake face.

  “Didn’t I tell you? Tomorrow we have a lunch with some nobles from the empire and other kingdoms. You’re coming with me. There’s no option to refuse.” She just hit me where it hurts most—I’d rather be impaled from behind by her abilities. I’m being forced to fulfill noble duties after avoiding them all this time.

  “Tomorrow? Why do I have to go?” All my enthusiasm crashes through the floor. The joy from improving with the bracelets and finishing the orbs vanished instantly.

  “I already confirmed your presence.” She gives me her judging stare. “If you don’t go, I’ll be going against my word. You should be grateful to be my companion—you should be hopping on one leg and thanking me.” The sarcasm is obvious… she won’t let me escape. I deserve this for teasing her about her nickname.

  Brendu places her hand on my shoulder. “Cheer up, these gatherings always have the best chefs. The food is essential.” She gently wipes the spot where she touched me as she removes her hand. “I don’t want to leave any thorns.” That closes the discussion—there’s no way to refuse.

  How miserable must I be to not brighten up even at the mention of food? To shake off the growing dread, I go back to training. Maybe slamming into some logs or dome walls will help.

  “You can look like a proper gentleman when you want to. That face and body definitely match someone who should be standing beside me.” Brendu adjusts the noble outfit she chose for me, and now I’m ready for that gathering.

  We arrive at a massive castle outside the city and are welcomed with exceptional treatment from the start. Only now do I truly understand Brendu’s status—everyone treats her differently from other nobles, much more carefully, paying attention to every gesture and word.

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  We greet each noble along the way. Brendu always strikes a perfect balance between friendly and formal, even asking personal questions—how a relative is doing, how a sibling is recovering, how a situation in their territory is going. These aren’t just nobles from her kingdom, but from the empire and other nations too. She clearly gathered all that information beforehand and memorized it, but it’s still impressive. My job is to smile, greet, and say goodbye.

  We sit at a table reserved for us in the hall. Many round tables are arranged in perfect order. Minutes later, everything is full. The room is filled with polite, borderline friendly conversations—only a few speak like genuine friends.

  I spot familiar faces—some are students I’ve seen around school.

  “Fix your posture.” For a moment I had been slouching like a turtle. Brendu hits my thigh to make me react. I shouldn’t sit like a stiff pole either, but at least not like some misshapen creature.

  “It’s not bad so far.” I can’t complain; the event isn’t as terrible as I feared. I haven’t had to deal with pointless conversations or forcefully polite phrases. Though now, I must measure my words carefully—one mistake could affect the princess’s reputation.

  “They’re all teenagers like us, the atmosphere is just a little tense. Be careful with some of them; they love asking uncomfortable questions subtly.” I tap her leg to show I understand. She smiles and we keep chatting casually.

  The first dish arrives, delicious with no complaints. Some nobles stand and start rotating tables. Even Brendu’s friends from the inauguration ball approach us—they all came at once to our table.

  I’ve spoken with them many times at school and in the halls. Most treat me like a friend, though a few speak to me as if I were a prince… which makes me uncomfortable.

  People rotate freely; those of lower status move more, hoping to meet higher nobles or potential allies. “Maybe I should hop to a table for the next round. That one near the Celestial Pillar looks nice.” I gesture subtly with my mouth and immediately get smacked on the neck with her Imra.

  “I was kidding, I won’t move.” That table was a group of five young noble ladies who looked at me like hungry wolves earlier. They didn’t approach because I arrived with Brendu. Noble girls can be terrifying in that sense.

  “I trust you. Sincerely. You’ll respect me even if you’re alone.” I feel her Imra reaching for mine, so I lower my defenses and embrace hers gently. Brendu trusts me completely—I can feel it. “I don’t trust those climbers. You’re too soft to say no directly. You’ll receive proper training when we get back.”

  Her eyes are serious and resolute—she really intends to give me an intensive course on responding to certain situations. I had lessons from my mother and grandmother when I was little; I know how to behave up to a point. I accept gladly—some training will be useful before meeting her family.

  The hours pass and we move to a more open area where people can mingle more freely. I enjoyed speaking with the children of knights, baronets, or barons the most—they’re the friendliest. Some study at the academy, others are here making connections while running family businesses.

  The discomfort grew when some nobles started speaking nonsense just to show off. When I stepped away from Brendu for a moment, I felt a hint of malice that disappeared instantly. I couldn’t tell who it was.

  But suddenly, I felt almost every gaze on me. They kept talking as they watched me discreetly—it was a deeply uncomfortable situation. The first to approach me was the son of a baronet I’d spoken to earlier. He seems like a good person. But then others came, arrogantly, with questions that clearly had hidden intentions.

  Not a single girl approached me. I immediately understood why—Brendu’s best friend was nearby, examining every noble girl like a hawk. They must have sensed the danger of offending her. When Brendu returned from the bathroom, everything returned to normal; people stopped staring at me and went back to their things.

  I hate being the center of attention, at least not like this. Thankfully no idiots like the ones at Sol’s party, or maybe they’re just hiding their claws. Only that brief wave of malice worries me—I strengthen my focus and Personal World as a precaution.

  In the end, nothing happened, and we returned without issues. “What exhaustion… my brain is fried.” Staying formal, keeping good manners, and looking presentable the whole time was exhausting. Not as bad as I expected, though—Brendu being there lifted a lot off my shoulders.

  “Would you like to go again soon?” she asks while putting on her pajamas.

  “Not soon. I’d rather avoid it as long as possible.” I answer honestly.

  “Then I’ll avoid them too. I’ll go only when you’re ready. I can use the academy as an excuse.” She hugs me and pushes me onto the bed. “Thanks for coming with me.” Her bright smile warms me.

  We lie down together. Tomorrow I have plans, so resting is the best thing to do now.