Chapter VI - The Rumors of the Prince

  "What else do I need?" Laura asked herself. "Water? Check. Food? Check. Map? Check. Oh, wait! I need a compass!"

  She looked around for a stand selling survival items. Then, she found the perfect one.

  "Hello! What can I get you today?" A cheerful woman asked as Laura approached the stand.

  "I would like to get a compass, please." Laura told her.

  "Ahh, of course. You’re a traveler, aren’t you? Then I’ve got just the thing for you." The merchant said.

  She reached for a chest and took out a gleaming compass. It had golden outlines, and the magnet shone like a star. Around the magnet, a mixture of colors blended so strikingly that it resembled a rainbow in the sky.

  "You’re in luck. We have a big sale today—it’s only 5 Shards!" She said.

  As Laura poured out the shards, a question popped into her mind. "Why is there a sale today?" Without realizing it, she spoke the thought aloud.

  "Curious young traveler, are you? The missing prince of Queen Astralis has returned!" The merchant replied.

  "Oh. That makes sense. Thank you for explaining!" Laura said as she walked away.

  But something about this felt a little strange. ‘I’ll have to deal with it later. First, I need to get back to my friends.’ Laura thought.

  With that, she headed toward the dark forest.

  Chapter VII - The Queen’s Lost Heir

  "Hey guys! I’m back!" Laura said as she walked toward them.

  "Oh, hey, Laura. You bought a lot of stuff. What are all these weapons for?" Isabelle, the ever-curious one, asked.

  "I’ll tell you in just a moment. Let me unpack first." Laura told her.

  "Okay. Let me help." Isabelle offered.

  ‘I wonder what that story about the missing prince is—and how he came back to Elrodia.’ Then, her mind wandered to one of her lessons with her father.

  "You know, in Elrodia, inheritance of the throne is a significant issue." her father had once told her. "The current Queen of Elrodia, Astralis, has only had one child—a prince. By law, he would inherit the throne after his mother. But before he was even old enough to talk, he disappeared."

  "What do you mean he disappeared?" Laura urged him.

  "We don’t know. That’s the problem. There have been rumors, of course, but no one knows what actually happened." he said.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "So what would happen if Queen Astralis dies?" she asked.

  "They are considering electing someone, but most are hoping the Queen has another child. Actually, now that you mention it, she has adopted a daughter—a girl named Ruby. Rumors say she is very beautiful, and many men adore her. Her taking the throne is definitely a possibility worth considering." he told her.

  "Okay. It’s almost time for school, so I’ll get ready."

  Then, she snapped back to reality when Isabelle waved a hand in front of her and said, "Laura? Hello? I think we’re done."

  "Oh! Thanks. Now, let’s get started." Laura said, surprised.

  "What were you thinking about?" Isabelle asked.

  "Oh, just something from the marketplace. I’ll tell you guys after training." Laura replied.

  "Wait—we have to train? Do we really need to?" Helen asked.

  "Yes, if you want to live. No, if you want to die." Laura told her.

  "Now, let’s go! Grab a satchel and get used to the weapons." Laura said as she got ready to train her friends.

  Chapter VIII - The Living Scarecrow

  "Oh my gosh! These are real weapons!" Mary shrieked.

  "Of course they are. What did you expect? A plastic knife?" Laura raised her eyebrows.

  "Oh come on. Don’t be such a crybaby." Helen said as she inspected the weapons. "So, what exactly are you training us in?"

  "Well, handling weapons to survive in Elrodia and learning how to analyze a situation and react accordingly is one thing." Laura replied as if it were obvious.

  "Okay. Now can we start?" Isabelle asked.

  "Sure." Laura said. "First, I want to see what you can do. Everyone grab a weapon—who cares which one. Pick the one that calls to you, the one you just can’t resist."

  Everyone scurried to grab a weapon. Isabelle grabbed a bow, Mary picked the staff, and Helen selected a katana. However, Madelyn looked from weapon to weapon, hesitating.

  "What is it?" Laura asked.

  "It’s just... none of these weapons really call to me, except the throwing knives, but they’re not really used like a weapon." Madelyn admitted.

  Laura said, “Madelyn, throwing knives are used as weapons. Just because it is small, it doesn’t mean it’s weak.”

  Madelyn stared at the knives. "Okay." she said simply, though she still seemed unsure.

  Laura walked to the other edge of the clearing, set up a scarecrow, and shouted across the clearing, "All right! Who wants to go first?"

  Her friends looked at each other for a moment before Helen stepped up. "I want to go first. What should I do?" She asked.

  "Oh, it’s simple. All you have to do is destroy the scarecrow. But I’m gonna warn you—it’s harder than you think." Laura told her.

  Helen walked up to the small starting line Laura had drawn with magical chalk. Laura shouted, "Ready. Set. Fight!"

  As Helen charged at the unmoving scarecrow, Laura silently murmured the life charm. "Viva res animetur."

  Suddenly, the scarecrow sprang to life. It stood up on its wooden legs and charged straight toward Helen.

  "Wha-!" Helen shouted in surprise as she dodged out of the way.

  ‘She’s good at fighting, but she let her guard down this time.’ Laura thought.

  Helen yelled, "What have you done to this scarecrow?! You used magic to bring it to life, didn’t you? Laura, you are so dead once I figure out how to get rid of this thing!"

  Dodging another of the scarecrow’s punches, Helen swung her katana at its neck.

  Thud.

  A loud sound echoed as the scarecrow’s head hit the clearing floor.

  "All right. Now, where’s Laura? I need to kill her." Helen declared, swinging her katana with mock violence.

  Helen swung her katana at Laura, but Laura dodged it effortlessly. "I think this is a lesson for all of you. Don’t ever let your guard down in this world." Laura said, evading another one of Helen’s violent attacks.

  Laura turned to Helen again. "Helen, you won’t be able to hit me unless I’m off guard, which almost never happens, especially not in this world." She said with a smile.

  "You were pretty good, you know." Laura added quickly. "I didn’t expect you to get the hang of the katana so quickly."

  "Don’t try to stop me with flattery. You’re just trying to make me stop." Helen replied, though ironically, she did stop swinging her katana.

  "Well, that was a bumpy start. Now, let’s get going." Laura said, walking off to prepare for the next person.