Chapter 11 — Hidden Card

It was not so long until the self-proclaimed overseer came out of the carriage to check on the two, only to find them taking their afternoon naps under the direct sunlight. Both hands on her waists, she walked towards the two with heavy steps.

Despite the extreme fatigue brought about by the travel, the two immediately stood to recompose themselves.

"W-We still have an hour to—" Percy attempted to negotiate.

"Hmp! You dare hope to be a Paladin, and yet here you are lazing around—"

"Zelda? Is that really you?"

The tension did not persist any longer when a stranger spoke from behind Zelda. Turning to the direction where the female voice came from, the three was greeted by a girl who must be of the same age as Anne. Through a quick examination of her outfit, it can be assumed that she came from an aristocratic family.

"The genius, of course. And who you might be?"

"It's me, Yvette! You forgot about me already, that's mean," her cheerfulness did not falter but was evidently tainted with disappointment.

"Oh, you. How's your first decade studying?" Zelda sarcastically asked. It does not seem that she holds any displeasure against the other girl, it is obviously just her nature to speak harshly to everyone. Yvette appears to be accustomed to it — luckily.

Even though Zelda does not show any interest in their unexpected reunion, Yvette stays casual and fairly enthusiastic in her approach.

"Well, I have decided to transfer to Miss Alfeon's class, she's the real deal! Anyway, Aqua and Pearl are here too! I'll show you to them."

Grabbing her hand, Zelda quickly and totally lost her cool upon the girl's sudden action.

"W-Wait, you can't just drag me around, you lowly undergraduate mage!"

Percy finally had his shoulders rested at the two's departure. Breathing a sigh of relief, he sat back to the brick floor he strangely finds comforting.

"Oh, the air's lighter now, you feel it too?" he jokingly said.

Meanwhile, Tristan who is currently feeding his eyes with amusement stayed standing in place, tilting his head left and right like a wandering child. A few seconds in that stance, something strange flew pass his field of vision.

'A dragonfly?'

Even with the complete recognition of the particular insect species, it does not look like those he used to see on the green meadows. Its wings are totally transparent but its body and wing edges are vibrant gold. If Thea's here to see this, she would immediately assume it is a fairy or spirit, no doubt.

"Are you really that dumb, not to recognize who you are rudely speaking to!?"

Another voice quickly caught the attention of the two village boys, prompting them to head to the direction where it seem to came from. It happens to be just a few feet away from behind their carriage, a young man who is obviously of noble class is shouting furiously at a palace guard.

The latter, being clearly inferior to the young man in terms of social class, keeps his head down while desperately trying to talk the issue over.

"Sir, I sincerely apologize but it was the Queen Regent's order not to give anyone a special treatment if it is the selection they came here for," the guard explained.

"Whoever gives a damn about that? You want me to just leave my splendid horse with these filthy plowing machines, you fool?" the young man yelled with rage, pointing towards the nearest carriage, which turns out to be Percy's. Exasperated, Percy almost marched towards the area of tension but was caught by Tristan's arms, telling him not to get involved.

"What's happening here — oh, Mr. Albrecht?" Another man, brawny and tall, intervenes. Guessing by his uniform, which is more intricate than the guard's, he is unmistakably of higher position.

"Finally, someone who can read titles. You see, this dumbass is hindering my way to the ranch, saying it's the 'Queen Regent's' order. Who the hell even submits to that bitch?" the arrogant man said, ending his statement with an insulting remark towards the Queen Regent.

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Albrecht, let me handle this."

"I bet he's never met uncle Felix, what a dork. I mean, they're both dorks."

Hearing another voice from behind, the two instinctively turned their heads around in a simultaneous manner. Much to their surprise, they were greeted by Anne's ever-smiling face.

"A-Anne!?" the two yelled in astonishment.

"What's so shocking? It's the palace, boys and I'm the Princess," the girl proudly said.

"Why are you on that outfit? And that hair?"

Aside from her sudden appearance itself, the two were so much surprised to see her wearing her 'village-girl' guise. Another thing, her natural brown hair is now colored black and her front hair is straightly cropped into a thick fringe. Her loosely flowing hair is also left untied but is neatly resting behind her back.

"Because I'm the Princess, ugh. I can't just walk around here, greet you guys wearing silk, petticoats and high buns. And yes, I did use a potion to dye my hair, doesn't it look fine on me?" she childishly winked.

"She's got a point — wait, you're the Princess—!" Percy on the other hand seem to have take a lot of time to finally realize the truth. It wasn't that much of a big deal for the other two, leaving him more dumbfounded than he already was.

"Shh!" Tristan and Anne interjected in chorus.

"Who's that guy by the way?" Tristan averted his gaze back to the young man be was intrigued by.

"That's Laurence Albrecht, a real pain in the head if you'd ask me, you know, typical rich boy." Anne's response made it clear that he knows that person very well.

"Figured that already. He's joining too?" he asked.

"Well, he's got an older brother who's more —how am I gonna put it — ugh, difficult to deal with? Given that, they already have the next family head on line, so he's out here trying his luck."

It is a norm within the aristocrats to pass on the management of the household and everything they have established so far to the eldest son of the main family upon the retirement of the previous one. The same goes with the Albrecht's and unluckily, fate must be slightly cruel for Laurence.

"I seriously do not think he's the type of person to relies on luck." Tristan remarked, stating the obvious.

"Anyway, I can't show up in front him like this, I mean, not this early. Let's go."

***

Anne held the opportunity to initiate a tour, despite the possibility of being spotted, which she avoids. After few minutes of walk, Anne unexpectedly took a stop out of nowhere and turned around to face the two.

"Percy could you spare us a moment to talk?" she asked.

"N-No.Of course not, This place is too crowded and—" hesitant, Percy was quick to reject the favour, regardless of the knowledge that he was actually being asked by the Princess.

"Then just stay beside that statue for the meantime, we good?" she politely suggested.

"Guess I have no other choice."

Anne did not waste any second and swiftly grabbed Tristan away by the arm.

"Tristan, are you really sure about this?" she agitatedly voiced her greatest worry out.

"You knew it from the start, right?"

The two never had the opportunity to properly talk about this matter. Although Tristan never intend to get the Princess involved, he knew that she is knowledgeable of his plans all along.

"Uhm, Thea told me. But hey, Tristan if it's all for that 'recommendation', I can do something about it. It's not plainly because we're f-friends, I know your sister's potential and I believe it is worth investing on her practice. My aunt's apprentice, Sher — Miss Alfeon is a professor at the Academia, I can talk to her. Tristan, you can still work at the palace if you would wish to but not this one, please."

Truly, Anne sincerely acknowledged Thea's potential of being a mage but out of her concern of Tristan's feelings, she never tried to propose her idea. But now that they are already a few minutes away from the selection, she fought her anxieties to put an end to her silence.

"I understand, Anne. I also know my limits and capabilities, and that it's no match with the others'. But there's something I want to show you if you're still worried about that."

"W-What is it?" Anne strangely felt nervous at his statement.

She knew Tristan from childhood, yes, that stubborn and clumsy boy never displayed any change in attitude until now. But as a responsible brother to two, it is not new for him to hide anything from people. Especially when he decided it is for the better.

What could it be this time?

"You're skilled with Crystal Magic, right? Draw one and launch it on me."

Crystal Magic is one of the specialties offered by the Academia after an average of three years of general Mystic Arts education.

As for Anne, Crystal Magic is the particular field her family cultivated the most in the past. All the necessary materials she needs were already provided on their archive room, the only thing she has to accomplish is to further train her skills.

"H-Hey! You know it won't just hit your nose like an ordinary pebble if I use magic right?" she joked out.

"Of course, that's why you won't just throw it on me. Use your mana energy."

Tristan's confidence did not help Anne at all, rather rose her agitation.

"Tristan, are you out of your mind? That's even worse, there's no way I'd—"

"I am serious, Anne. Just do it — a'ight, you'll see it soon anyway," he did not convince her any further.

But Anne's curious mind persisted instead, "Wait, Tristan. I-I trust you and argh, this won't let me sleep tonight. I'll do it."

As Tristan stated himself, he is really serious this time. Surely he knows what he wants and anticipates to happen, right? She thought. Of course, there is no way he would put himself in danger after all these efforts he has done to come this far.

"Very well, now while no one's looking."

Anne gulped. She may always show a carefree teenager personality but even Sherfy and the Witch themselves knew her skill is above intermediate.

As Tristan instructed, she draws a small, shining crystal out of her satchel and focused a little portion her mana energy on her hand. She placed the crystal on her palm and it glowed and flowed like a golden firefly.

Keeping her stance, Anne closed her hands and quickly let go of the stone with her palms laid out and five fingers pointing at Tristan. With her eyes open, Anne witnessed the crystal, now covered with mana energy forms a projectile sharply directed to Tristan's face.

Even with that amount of energy, anyone who gets charged at by that attack will be knocked out and fall on the ground due to the force applied to it and the power itself. But what happened next failed to demonstrate such presumed outcome.

Without the need to dodge, Tristan received the strike but was left unscathed. There were also no sediment left of the crystal Anne just tossed him. As it reached a certain point, probably an inch away from him, it was totally pulverised and its fine sediment went off and scattered on air. 

Anne's eyes widen in extreme shock, "N-No way. . how did that — how was that possible!? When did you learn about this?"

"It's not the right time and place for the storytelling. Look, Anne. Back when you saved me, I met a woman who brought me to that state," he recalled.

"Y-You know I saved you?"

Another reason to be surprised, Anne was completely unaware that Tristan knew it all along.

"Percy saw you. Johann said it was the two of them who brought me home. But it happens Percy was actually there and saw you being assisted by forest sprites to carry me."

Back then, before Anne met with Johann on a specific place, she encountered a group of forest sprites. They are short humaoids who look like dwarves but their physical features resemble the trees or plants, making them look like an ordinary forest object. Such aptitude lets them hide from human beings most of the time.

"Then why didn't he even help!?" Anne complained.

"He collapsed upon seeing the sprites — but that doesn't matter. Anne, this woman distorted my reality and had me fall into an illusion with just a single touch." Looking back into that terrible event is no easy for Tristan, but to clearly convey his true intentions and objectives, he definitely has to.

"So, if you have this ability to nullify magic, how did she—"

"You got it. And one thing more, I have to meet the Witch — the Queen Regent—"

To personally meet the Queen Regent is a decision he took some time to commit to. He feels neither approves nor reject her rulership but that does not mean he would deny her accomplishment and capabilities. And this time, he admits he needs her wisdom and aid. 

"Was it the same person who plans to revive the Witches? I heard you and Johann back then and . . ."

"And?"

"I-I . . have already told aunt."

Tristan lightly slapped his forehead in dismay. There really is no stopping this girl's mouth, he thought.

"Oh, it's you of course. Okay, now that I've told you all these. . ."

"I-I still can't wrap my head around it," Anne honestly replied.

Silence prevailed between the two for the next few seconds. For Anne, such revelation is not something she would hear of often. She had ditched her class for God knows how many times, but she is quite sure no ability alike this has ever been recorded before.

"You two done? We're being called already." It was Percy who broke the quietude between them. Facing him, the presence of another companion left Anne's mouth and eyes wide open in great surprise.

"Y-You—?"

"We meet again, your Highness. In case you've forgotten — which I do not think is possible — it's Zelda Beyerlein," she elegantly held the pleats of her skirt, brought her feet at the back of the other in a very ladylike bow.

"You know each other?" Tristan curiously asked, meanwhile Percy was too confused to even utter a word, alternately shifting his gaze between the two.

"S-She was my Beastology tutor," Anne shyly answered.