The Slayer's Chosen

(5) Day 2

Lux now suffers from another short flashback-dream.

"Remember the human experience scheme of the empire  I told you about? Yeah that one, I don't know how to say this, but... they are going to get their hands on 'her' as we speak." This time, Lux and Fugil are having a conversation in a hidden room, with a map on a table between them. "Speed is now a critical." "Yeah, I understand, Nii-san."

...

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The only thing Lux remembered before he groggily opened his eye , still not fully awaken, is that he fell asleep against the wall along the corridors in the Girls' Dormitory. 'Soft...' As he grab a blanket nearby, his hand grabbed something soft and bouncy. 'Wait...' As he begaen to regain most part of his conscious, and fully opened his eye. He jumped upon the sight of a very loosely dressed Philuffy, with a great part of her skin exposed, He screamed a little and backed away.

"Huh? Ah, you're up, Lu-chan." The pinkette, still with her airhead personality, woke up with a closed eyes. "Wha- how?" "This is my room, I picked you up by the corridor." Hey body swinging slightly, unable to sit up stratight due to the fact that she just woke up and unable to thing clearly.

"*Knocks* Philuffy? Wake up, I know today's a day off, but still—" As Tillfur opened the door and see the sight of a nearly undressed Philuffy and a dressed Lux, she was taken aback, and decided to walk away and closed the soor. "Sorry for the intrusion!" "Wait, no! This has been another misunderstanding!"

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Lux now meet up with his sister Airi at the dining hall, still accompained with Noct. 'They seems to be very close together...' "Nii-san, are you there?" "Ah- yes, Airi?" "*sigh* I have no words to say... right after your enrollment and you spend a night with your childhood friend in the same room..." "I protested against Relie-san, but she just said things like 'I shall leaven my sister in your care' and 'It's fine, she's also alright with it too'." 

She nearly slammed her teacup on the saucer. "She what!?" Her roommate looked at the two. "Approved by her sister... this will cause unwanted misunderstanding, if that's the case." As Noct added with her usual stoic expression. "Also, Nii-san, there are rumors about you spreading through the academy." "Is that so?" "That's right." As they stand up and was about to leave.

"Ah, I was expecting a breakfast with you." Lux heard his sister murmured something. "Huh?" "Nothing, Nii-san. Before I left, about 'that thing', I hope you will never use it anymore." "I know."

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Lux is currently standing in from of a warehouse, with it's door opened. "Hello?" He yelled, no response. "I am Lux Arcadia." He walked inside the warehouse, "I am here, as the paper requested."

"Hmm..." He looked to the source of a soft moan, and saw a blonde in a lab coat, lying on a piece of clothes. "Eh? Lisha-sama?" "Huh? Lux?... ah, the work..." The princess is still barely awoke, so Lux decided to leave for two cup of tea. He returned to see Lisha, who tidied up her clothes when he was away.

"So, where is the head of the workshop?" They are back to the topic after their cup of tea. "Right here, standing in front of you." "Eh?" Of course, no one whould really expect a princess, in a young age, to be in charge of Drag-ride, modification and repairing.

"By the way, the reason I called you here was that I fixed your Wyvern." She pointed to his wyvern on the side, "I wanted you to join out Knight Squadron, that is." "Knight Squadron?" "That's right, a squadron of elites within the academy, our tasls are usually given by the military branch with rewards."

Lux approach the Wyvern, but he noticed something was off... "Lisha-sama... can you explain this?" He noticed a drill on its left. "Ah this, yes, this is very cool isn't it? I managed to find such a rare parts during a Ruin exploration." "No." "Wha-" Lux find her puffed-up cheeks cute, but he really don't want to mount a drill on his Drag-ride.

It tooks then some times, but they still managed to take it down. "Say, Lux." "Hm?" "Do you so happened to have any other works to do afterwards?" "Ah, about that... no, Lisha-sama." "Well then, can I make a request now?"

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Lux soon find himself walk on the streets of Cross Field with Lisha. "I believe it is necessary that we, as soon-to-be partners of the Squadron, to get along with each other better" is what she told Lux, who in turn, can't help but feel nervous as he keep thinking that the two are going out together.

"I know a nice restaurant." And she took him to a high-class restaurant. Lux stopper her before they went in. "Hm?" "Lisha-sama, eating in such an expendive place..." 'That is no problem at all! I am a princ- huh?" As she begin to look though her uniform. "You forgot your purse, is it not?"

And with that, he lead her to a couple of stalls to have some street foods, and they sit down by a fountain, with the foods they bought between the two. 'Sorry, I was the one supposed to treat you with a meal, but now..." "Don't mention it. Here, take a bite while it's warm." She took a apple pie from Lux's hands, and took a small bite.

"It's good!" "I'm glad you like it— hm?" He noticed her face has a red tint, and audible breaths. "What's wrong?" "Nothing... just that, my heart was beating so fast..." "Should we find a place to rest for a while?" "That is... not needed, I just have to sit down for a while." "Ah, I know a good place for that." "Huh?"

Lux has taken her to the bell tower of the city, and they loked down upon the city. The buildings are built with white wall an red roofs, and so they saw many white and red spots from the top. The wind grazed through their hair, causing them to flutter in the breeze.

"Woah— this is a nice place!" "I have once requested to clean this place back then, and I eventually take a liking to this place — I really admire Lisha-sama, You know a lot about Drag-ride, and is able to be both a Drag-knight and a mechanic of such... You are a amazing princess- huh?" Her expression turned sour, and to Lux's shock, leap over the shrt wall and walk near the edge.

"... What is a princess?" As she turned back towards Lux, he can saw her grim expression on her face. "How should a princess act, Lux Arcadia?" He was frown slightly upon the question, as he has a small realization of what's about to come to him, as he decided to keep quiet. "Remember the crest I showed you?... Five years ago, I was captured by the Old Empire, as a hostage against my father who wa plotting a coup..."

"At first, I believed that he would eventually come to save me from them. Yet, my father refused, and continute his plotting. Abandoned, the crest was marked on me, the sign of a property of the Empire. I really did hoped that my father would be there, that he would chose me over the nation. I was scared then, not having the courage to end my own life..."

"I used to build up the courage to accept my fate, and with such thoughts, I deemed myself unworthy of the title of a princess. Yet... After the death of my father, I become the princess of the New Kingdom as the only children of the Astimata family. The fact regarding the crest of the Old Empire had been covered since then... Lux, as the prince of the Old Empire, had you ever feel pain after losing such title?"

"... I dont... As if I had done anything that is what the people expected from a prince in the past..."