Rudeus's Point of View
A month had passed since the kids enrolled in the Academy. The change of season was evident, turning warm, so much so that students at the university had started wearing shorter clothes.
The warmth at home had its own advantages. Sylphiette had started wearing short-sleeved shirts, exposing a bit more skin. Seeing her like that was truly refreshing; sometimes, inevitably, I'd find myself hugging her.
In this month, several changes had settled in. Norn and Aisha made friends in different courses and spent time chatting around the campus. As for Aisha, she seemed to have developed a liking for gardening, and her room was filled with plants and other "girly things." She bought all of this with the money Arthur gave her for helping with his laundry (an arrangement that Aisha and Arthur reached).
As for Arthur, he had left three days ago on a mission to protect a merchant. Although Aisha and Norn wanted to go, he flatly refused. Personally, I wouldn't have had much of a problem, but it relaxed me to know that if they were where I could see them, it was one less thing to worry about.
While walking down the hallway, mentally going over the list of things I had to do before Arthur returned, I heard a soft noise, like a "fshh—shrr," inside the laundry room.
The door was ajar.
"Did they leave the window open again?" I thought.
I barely pushed the door... and my breath caught.
Aisha was facing away, leaning over one of the baskets, holding one of Arthur's t-shirts against her face, inhaling deeply as if trying to memorize every fiber of the scent. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
I froze.
"Am I seeing... what I think I'm seeing...?"
Before I could process it, I heard soft footsteps behind me. Norn was coming down the hall, an Academy folder tucked in her arm. When she saw me standing still, staring into the laundry room, she frowned.
—Brother... what—?
She peeked over my shoulder... and her eyes went wide.
The folder slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a dry thud.
—A-Aisha! What are you...?
Aisha jumped, spinning around with a completely red face.
—It's not what it looks like! —she said quickly—. I was just checking if it smelled too bad, that's all! I was just about to wash it!
The t-shirt was still pressed against her cheek.
I rubbed my face.
—Aisha...
She hugged the garment against her chest.
—I'm serious! I wanted to see if it needed double soap! —she insisted.
Norn, red to the roots of her hair, took a step forward. Her eyes constantly avoided looking directly at the t-shirt, but every time she did, she tensed up a little.
—Aisha... that... that's not what you do —she said, trying to sound firm, but her voice trembled a little—. It's... it's embarrassing!
Aisha puffed out her cheeks as if she were the victim.
—I wasn't doing anything wrong!
—Yes, you were! —Norn burst out, crossing her arms—. Arthur... Arthur wouldn't...!
She got stuck, trying to continue, but the words wouldn't come out.
I took a deep breath.
—Girls... please. Don't do this again, okay? Especially when he's not here.
Aisha lowered her head for a moment. Then she murmured:
—Okay...
Norn let out a small sigh, relieved.
For a moment, I thought it was over.
Until Aisha lifted her head with that smile that always means trouble.
—But... if Arthur doesn't mind... we could ask him when he gets back.
Norn instantly turned crimson.
—W-what are you saying?! You can't ask him that! Aisha! Don't be... don't be like that!
Aisha tilted her head, feigning innocence.
—If I want to know something... I prefer to ask directly.
—B-but... but...! —she stammered, clenching her fists.
I was completely defeated.
—I'm going for a glass of water... you two... don't blow anything up.
I left them there:
Norn completely flushed, staring at Aisha. And Aisha arranging the t-shirt in the basket for washing...
"Arthur, please come back quickly."
.....
Third Person with Arthur
—Achú!
Arthur sneezed so hard that a couple of birds flew out of a nearby tree. He rubbed his nose, frowning.
—...That's strange. Who's talking about me now?
The morning air was cool, damp, with that smell of wet leaves that announced the forest had been raining for days. Arthur readjusted the backpack on his back and continued along the narrow path.
To one side, the merchant Galt, already saying goodbye with the local guards, raised an eyebrow at his sneeze.
—Did you get sick, lad? Or did the famous mountain cold get to you? —he joked, adjusting his hat.
Arthur shook his head as he stretched.
—I'm fine. Maybe just dust in the air.
Galt let out a laugh.
—Or maybe some girl thinking about you.
Arthur stood still for a second...
and looked away, as if that phrase had piqued his curiosity a little.
—I doubt it —he finally said, though his tone sounded more uncertain than he intended.
Galt looked at him with an old fox's smile.
—Well, boy, don't worry, I won't ask.
The merchant finished saying goodbye and patted him on the shoulder.
—Well, young man. It was a pleasure traveling with you. If I ever travel again, I'll ask the Guild to hire you.
Arthur bowed his head.
—Thank you for trusting me. Take care....
After a few hours of travel, Arthur was advancing along the narrow forest path. The treetops filtered the sunlight in irregular patches, and the air smelled of damp wood and fresh grass. It was a quiet environment, almost too quiet for his taste.
He adjusted his sword strap at his waist and took a deep breath.
—One more day —he murmured.
Although he wasn't someone who thought much about nonsense, the merchant's phrase came back into his head uninvited:
Maybe some girl thinking about you.
Arthur parted his lips.
—Nonsense —he told himself.
But still, for some reason, the image of Aisha arguing with Norn, or the two fighting over small things, crept into his mind. They were usually just minor annoyances... but lately, it had become impossible for him to ignore them.
He sighed, kicking a stone on the path.
—They're probably getting into trouble again...
A noise to his right interrupted his thoughts. Arthur stopped immediately, his hand on the hilt.
The bush moved again, this time with a low whimper that was barely audible.
Arthur frowned, approaching cautiously.
—...An animal? —he thought, slightly relaxing his defensive posture.
Then he saw it.
A small wolf stumbled forward, almost collapsing onto the ground. It was the size of a young dog, with silvery-gray fur... but there was something strange; its body seemed to distort the light, as if parts of it were transparent for a second and then became visible again.
Arthur blinked.
—What the hell...?
The puppy looked at him. Its bright yellow eyes held no aggression; only pain and fear. It tried to get up, but its back leg trembled, and it fell again, letting out a piteous whimper.
Arthur, instinctively, took a step forward.
—Easy, little one... I'm not going to hurt you.
The invisible wolf backed up a little, and for an instant, half of its body completely disappeared, as if it were an illusion. But the movement made it bleed more; a deep wound crossed its flank.
Arthur felt a pang in his chest.
—Hey... what did they do to you?
The puppy raised its head. Its ears were pinned back, trembling.
Arthur extended a hand, slowly. The wolf smelled him and... instead of biting, it curled up against him, almost as if it knew it couldn't run anymore.
—There, there... —Arthur murmured—. First, I'm going to heal you, okay?
He made a gesture with his hand.
—Healing.
A soft light covered the little one. Arthur was a bit surprised to see how the invisible half of its body also glowed, revealing its full form for the first time: a wolf slightly leaner than common magical wolves, with fur that seemed to absorb light, not reflect it.
—Wow... this is the first time I've seen one of these in person.
The puppy let out a small, raspy bark, almost as if answering.
Once the wound closed, Arthur examined it.
—But... why were you alone?
The puppy looked down, hiding its snout between its paws.
And Arthur understood.
—You were expelled, weren't you?
The wolf didn't answer... but its ears flattened against its skull.
Arthur sighed, sitting down next to it.
—I can guess. Your species must be good at hiding, but you... —he looked at the irregular fur, the unstable transparency—. You probably don't control that ability well, do you?
Strong animals don't like what's "defective."
The puppy looked up, surprised by the accuracy of the comment.
Arthur smiled slightly.
—Well... I'm not perfect either. So don't worry.
The wolf tilted its head, as if it didn't understand.
Arthur stood up.
—If you want, you can come with me. I don't promise delicious food every day, but... —he thought of the two girls at home, how chaotic everything could be—. At least no one will kick you out for being different.
The puppy took a step forward...
Then another...
And finally gently bumped its head against Arthur's calf.
Arthur smiled.
—Then... I'll call you Fenril.
The wolf let out a soft *griuuf*, wagging its tail clumsily.
In that instant, its body glowed a little and... disappeared from sight.
Arthur flinched.
—Hey! Don't get lost on me!
The puppy reappeared, right in front of his leg, as if to say, "I'm here."
Arthur let out a laugh.
....
Arthur was walking down the wooded path that led back to Rudeus's house. Fenril walked by his side, almost imperceptible except for the faint distortion of the air that betrayed its figure. The invisible wolf trotted with a mix of joy and fatigue, and Arthur couldn't help but smile every time he saw it perk up its ears at any sound.
—Easy, we're almost there... —he said, though Fenril only responded with a soft puff that seemed to come from the air itself.
The day was cool, and the sky, barely cloudy, let through strands of light that filtered between the trees. Arthur took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of returning home.
Midway, he heard the sound of dull thuds, like rocks splitting. Arthur stopped and frowned.
As he approached a clearing, he saw it: Rudeus was training, sweat pouring down his forehead and the air vibrating with every discharge of mana. He was so focused that he didn't notice Arthur's presence until Fenril, curious, got too close and Rudeus felt "something" displacing the wind around him.
—What the hell?! —Rudeus jumped back, hand raised.
—Easy, easy! It's me! —said Arthur stepping out of the bush.
Rudeus blinked a couple of times.
—Arthur? When did you arrive...?
—Just now. Plus, look at this.
He snapped his fingers toward Fenril.
—Fenril, show yourself a little.
The invisible wolf only revealed its bright yellow eyes.
Rudeus stepped back, surprised.
—An... invisible wolf? What the—?
—I found him injured in the forest. It turns out his species can hide almost completely. He was marginalized by his pack... so I adopted him.
Rudeus looked at him as if he didn't know whether to scold him or congratulate him.
—...Right. Because these things always happen to you.
Arthur shrugged.
—Shall we go back together?
—Yes, I'm done with my training too.
Arthur and Rudeus walked back down the path, one relaxed and the other still glancing sideways at the distortion in the air where Fenril was moving.
—I don't know if we should go into the house with an invisible wolf —Rudeus looked concerned.
—If they don't see him, they won't be scared.
—That's exactly the problem! —Rudeus protested, though without genuine annoyance.
Arthur laughed silently and kept walking. Fenril trotted alongside, leaving only a flicker of light where the shape of his ears moved.
As they approached the home, Arthur frowned.
—I hear voices… —he murmured.
—Me too —Rudeus replied, tensing his shoulders.
They crossed the entrance, and the first thing they saw was Norn, Aisha, and Sylphie gathered in the center of the living room, with such serious expressions that both stopped dead in their tracks.
But when the three girls looked up and saw Rudeus accompanied by Arthur... their eyes widened in surprise. They hadn't expected Arthur to return at the exact same time as Rudeus.
Aisha even took a step forward, as if wanting to run and hug Arthur, but stopped, remembering why they were gathered.
First came Sylphie's matter.
Rudeus, worried, asked:
—Did something come up?
Sylphie swallowed. Her hands were trembling slightly.
—Umm... awawa... now that it's finally happened... I feel a little scared... —she whispered with a nervous smile.
Aisha looked at her with determination.
—There's nothing to fear, Sylphie-nee.
Norn nodded firmly.
—Yes... we're with you.
Sylphie took a deep breath, and with the support of both, took a step forward, standing right in front of Rudeus.
—Rudy, I… these last two months… he hasn't arrived…
Arthur opened his mouth slightly, surprised.
He understood instantly.
Rudeus, on the other hand, blinked in confusion.
"Hasn't it arrived yet??"
he thought, genuinely lost.
Sylphie continued, pressing her hands against her chest.
—And so... you know my physical condition isn't always the best... so Aisha insisted I go to a nearby doctor... —she took a deep breath— ...and he told me... "congratulations."
Silence fell.
Rudeus froze. Literally rigid.
He pinched his cheek.
—...Ouch.
"This is not a dream."
Aisha, with a huge smile, nudged him with her elbow.
—Brother, isn't there something you want to say to her?
Rudeus opened his mouth, but no words came out.
He was overwhelmed. His mind was a whirlwind.
And then, without thinking, he acted.
He swept her up in a strong, warm, trembling hug.
—Sylphie!… —his voice broke.
A couple of tears fell, but out of pure happiness.
He lifted her off the ground, spinning slightly with her in his arms, as if the whole world had become light.
Norn smiled, blushing.
Aisha clapped softly, as if not wanting to interrupt the moment.
Arthur watched the scene... and Fenril, invisible, let only his bright yellow eyes peek out from behind Arthur's leg, curious about all the fuss.
When Rudeus finally set Sylphie down gently, she hugged him tightly, hiding her face in his chest.
They were happy.
Radiant.
A new life was on the way.
Arthur smiled faintly.
—I guess... I came back just in time —he murmured, as Fenril poked out half an invisible ear.
End of chapter.