World Ixion/SAGA

Save 11 – Three are a crowd

I spent several days in a dark and smelly place, it was the academy's jail, I wanted to ask how they have something like that, but they would not answer me anyway so I did not inquire further.

The guards asked me annoying questions about whether I was from a hostile faction or if I was an enemy of the crown. Of course I calmly told them no, before they got any wilder Ixion threw in some tranquilizer gas and things went so slow they even gave me my own room, Ixion made it comfortable as it was a pigsty, after several days there a messenger came to tell me someone was calling for me.

This is where I am now. A huge place, no, gigantic you could say, the walls were so high that the ladder of a fire truck would fall short. The place was so elegant that it hurt my eyes because of how white it was.

There were statues and even an Olympic-sized fountain in the lobby.

I was inside one of those rooms, it was the study of the head of the household, a man I never imagined I would meet. It was Alicelotte's father, Siegwald von Bismarck, a tall, stocky man who wore a minister's uniform. Like his daughter his hair was golden blond, but graying, his eyes were as red as rabbits and his face was like a wrinkled stone.

At her side was a handsome and very tall man in armor with the coat of arms of the house engraved on his chest, he had the same color hair and eyes, it was her son and Alicelotte's older brother, Vayne von Bismarck.

They both looked at me as if they were looking at a mouse eating freshly made food.

I felt the same feeling when I was called to the manager and he yelled at me for doing my job badly, I could feel the pain and helplessness towards someone superior to me. But this time I will not allow it, I will speak only if I am asked and in a way that shows that I am not an insect, even my presentation and my way of stopping I made them as respectable as possible thanks to the indications of Ixion who is invisible next to me.

The owner of this household spoke to me in a big authoritative voice.

"First of all, Baron Bradford isn't it? I want to thank you for being my daughter's squire, as a father I thank you for what you did, but as a minister and duke I feel annoyed towards both you and my daughter."

(Waah- I imagined it would be like that, but fact trumps fiction.)

Without showing a single expression, my head was spinning toward his words.

"My daughter is certainly both guilty and responsible for what happened, I'm not saying that what Kingsfort's son did is inexcusable, but she is a woman of the aristocracy so she should know about these things."

Again, I figured it would be like this, I didn't show a single expression as I stared straight ahead.

"She knew how important this engagement with the duke's household was, but that silly girl ruined it, then the crown prince came and said very annoying things, currently the King is very angry to the point that he disinherited him as punishment and he's only a prince now."

My face couldn't help but make a surprised expression at his words, he noticed and laughed.

"It's certainly a surprise to anyone, you were locked inside so you didn't know naturally. Now let me hear your story, that's what I called you here for being such a busy man."

I was silent for a brief moment, they looked at me waiting for my answer, Ixion beforehand knew what they were going to tell me and prepared a counter measure, that includes about the prince. But now it is different to hear it from the very mouth of the man who claims to be my patron's father.

"Forgive my discourtesy duke-sama, but I would like to speak honestly."

He made an expression of astonishment at my request.

"Hoo- is that so? All right boy, tell me what you really think about this."

"For starters, I defended Alicelotte-sama at my own discretion, I was certainly an intruder in the private lives of two people of a status far above my own."

Her expression nor her son's changed, I continued speaking.

"But I do not regret it, I saw in the flesh the rumors about Duke Kingsfort's son, that is not the attitude of someone who will inherit a dukedom, in my eyes he was not a nobleman but a ruffian."

They continued to stare at me without blinking.

"That's why I decided without any compensation to help a lady in distress, I don't regret it if it will bring me consequences even."

This time he spoke up.

"I understand, but what about those two?"

There was a knot in my mouth, but I didn't hesitate.

"Certainly my conduct was not appropriate against my opponents, but they all had overconfidence and pride, if they were on the battlefield they would be dead by now."

"And what about Klein?"

"The same applies to him, his armed unit was of very poor quality, even if I also wanted to teach him a lesson about humility, his pride prevented him from seeing beyond his nose."

"..."

"What about the prince?"

"Exactly the same, the only difference was that his highness was someone who let himself be influenced under evil tongues, he did not listen to anyone who is not close to him, that could bring misfortune upon his future."

"I felt bad for what I did, but I know it was the right thing to do for the future of those young people."

"..."

I released what my heart held, but still seemed dissatisfied with her gaze.

Then I decided to pull out my trump card, something I learned in my other life.

"Probably His Majesty the King and Duke Kingsfort among other officials are upset with me."

"You're right." -He said in a sarcastic tone. "There are many people who are angry with you to the point that they are calling for your execution and that of your family."

That does scare me, but I won't give up.

That's why I prepared an apology gift beforehand.

"If you look in the corner of your desk you will find a box."

"I saw it before I came in, but I didn't open it, is it yours?"

"Yes, it is a gift for you and your family. I will also prepare another one for the palace later."

Then very cautiously he opened the box I had Ixion place there. As he opened it his eyes widened, his son's eyes also widened as he saw his gawking father.

"This is it!!!"

"How is it that someone like you can get something like this?"

"It's a secret, but let me tell you it's totally legal and it's obtained from my own territory."

He reached in and pulled out several white gold coins from there.

"The total size is five hundred thousand zest in white gold coins, you can count it if you wish."

One white gold coin is worth the same as thirty yellow gold coins, so how many do you think will be inside to make that total?

His gaze suddenly turned to me with a terrified look on his face.

"You, for you to give me this hefty amount means something personal doesn't it?"

He's right, but I won't tell him that.

In my world this is what you call bribery, but that word sounds very perverse so I opted for the honest solution of calling it "hiring a lawyer."

"I simply wished to keep his highness the King, the Duke and other officials from being upset with me, so I prepared a suitable gift for them and you."

After a cold silence he spoke.

"I understand... but you forget that you are not my son, nor part of my faction, let alone a vassal of my daughter. Why should I heed you and not take him money for myself and not bother with you?"

That sounded like something an adult would do, but so was I, deep down.

"That's not possible since you are a man who instilled his values in his daughter, it's impossible that something like that could happen, and even in the worst case scenario if it does, I would just write a letter that I get rid of my title and territory to save my neck and that of my family."

It's true what I said, I'm not interested in nobility, and even if I lose my territory, I would go with Ixion to another country to find where to live, no problem with that.

Again there was an awkward silence, but it collapsed in seconds when a great bear laugh was heard. Even his son was perplexed.

"Father did you..."

"Did you hear that, Vayne? How many crazies can you find like that. Tell him about that boy's situation."

His son proceeded to tell me something I didn't know after hearing his father.

"After the duel Alisa- Alicelotte spoke to Klein and he burst out in anger, he said such horrible things to her that he just embarrassed his household, the duke himself punished him with house arrest in his room."

"He sent a letter of apology and asked to cancel the marriage engagement because of his son's barbaric behavior."

For some reason, he sounds annoyed when he says the last.

But I'm glad that's the way it is.

Siegwald, the head of the family addressed me.

"My daughter after that came home devastated, she didn't want to eat let alone take a shower, as a father I am extremely furious about what happened..."

His gaze looked like a snake eyeing prey.

"We are currently dealing with many traitors in our faction, not only did they abandon my daughter, they were also part of those who booed her there are many vultures to eliminate it seems."

"If it wasn't for a commoner by the name of Irisdina, who was by her side accompanying her home from day one, who knows what would have happened."

His son spoke up in surprise as well.

"It is just as you hear, I never expected to see that, that girl comforted and helped take care of my sister, she deserves a reward."

This time Siegwald turned to me.

"That's why Baron I have a favor to ask of you. You have a territory that keeps expanding, don't you? I want you to take my daughter and that commoner to relax in the countryside of all troubles, of course I will send company to take care of her. you don't mind do you?"

"O-Of course not!!!"

Why did he sound annoyed emphasizing the last?

"That's fine, you may go, I'll let you know the news by messenger when I'm done."

"T-Thank you, with your permission I'll be leaving."

Then I walked out of there quickly.

◇

After politely closing the door I ran out, the hallway was so big it looked like a street.

I muttered under my breath.

"Now I must leave it in your hands, I hope the worst doesn't happen, otherwise it will be the end of me!!!"

Every step echoed in the place.

I have no problem with them going to my island to rest, but in itself it would be very painful for me since I will stop seeing Irisdina from next semester since I won't be there.

After being locked up in the academy jail I was notified of a prolonged suspension indefinitely, in nicer words it is a forced graduation.

I call it that because I am not being kicked out but avoided already.

I will have to take advantage of the little time I have left to keep her angelic smile in my brain. But still that girl is amazing, I was afraid of her at first, but now she is her moral support, friendship between girls without a doubt is something of the purest.

I kept on and on walking in this endless long hallway.

◇◇◇

After Rudel left, Siegwald spoke to his son.

"Doesn't he look like a curious boy to you?"

"Father?"

"I was originally planning to plead for him to keep him from being executed for helping my daughter. But then he spoke those words that blew me away."

"..."

"Vayne, how many men do you know who are willing to defend a woman and one of high status being someone of lower rank?"

"None, father." -Responded his son instantly.

"Besides he spoke the truth, lately the prince was behaving like a clown, the King himself asked me that he would thank the baron for giving him a lesson in reality. At least with him I don't think he'll have any trouble this boy."

"But..."

Siegwald rose from his chair as he put his hands behind his back and walked in front of his study window.

"That bastard Kingsfort, calling off the engagement..."

Siegwald bit his lip in anger.

"Had he found out that the engagement was just a front to corner him and bring him down for all his crimes against the country?"

Harder bit his lip at the thought.

"I didn't want to use my own daughter as bait to tie that bastard up, but he used his stupid son as an excuse to break the engagement, you sly old bastard."

Blood trickled from her lower lip.

"What's worse, that stupid son spoke something about a principality despite having a dukedom!!! How dare an outcast speak glory about his treacherous and extortionist family!!!"

Due to the pain he stopped biting his lip, his son handed him a healing potion to close the wound.

"Father, what shall we do with Baron Bradford?"

Siegwald, looked out the window once more, watched Rudel approaching the edge of a shipyard and from the sky descended a huge ship made of pure metal. The door opened in parts touching the ground, Rudel was climbing the stairs and on the inside he observed a strange creature, it was a golem before his eyes, he bestowed a glass of juice and a sandwich.

The door closed and the ship continued onward soaring into the sky. Siegwald still could not believe it. But his eyes showed a flame of ambition.

"I would like to take him under our wing, after all it is rare to find a true knight in our times. And who knows, maybe Alisa can win his heart and make him part of our faction?"

"I see. In that case, shall I prepare concubines for him from our still allied houses?"

"It would be nice to have insurance, but right now we don't know if we have more allies than enemies."

He walked over to his desk and grabbed his coat.

"Vayne, I'm going back to the palace to sort these problems out. Who knows what these old foxes behind the scenes are dealing with, I must also convince the King to make that boy stay in our country."

"Understood, father."

Hearing that, Siegwald walked out of there closing the door.

◇

It has been several days since I went to Duke Bismarck's territory. It is because I returned to my territory where I was under house arrest. My family hit my head several times crying saying that we were going to die...I can't tell them that it is not so and I hope nothing happens. I gave that old man a lot of money for a reason.

I was watching the scenery from my ship Brunhilde. A huge airship, four hundred meters long, it was made entirely of steel. I asked Ixion to remove the cannons and machine guns from the sides, anyone would think I came to conquer them.

I was returning from going to the Duke's mansion in the capital to pick up the girls and their maids.

Of course they were astonished to see this, under my mother's advice I decorated the rooms and other rooms to be suitable for several girls to live there for days, we took quite a while as I did not want to frighten them with their fast speed.

Ixion notified me while I was resting.

"Master, don't you wish to go see those two?

I looked at him without any interest.

"No~ I'm sure they'll be fine, right now you need the help of a friend and not a simpleton guy like me."

That's how I thought. Also, when I saw Alicelotte from a distance she was pale, her skin was white but now looked transparent, her hair was messy, her lips were showing cracks and a blue color. Even her elegant clothes were wrinkled.

I asked Ixion to prepare something for her that would help her after going upstairs.

The maidservants told me to let them help, but I told them that as host and squire it was my duty to help her. They looked at each other and left me after that.

Irisdina was helping her eat at the moment according to Ixion.

"Are you sure you're not going to visit them?"

"How persistent you are, equally there is nothing I can do."

I said that, but my eyes were looking worriedly towards the place that was Alicelotte's room.

◇◇◇

Inside an elegant room worthy of a high society girl were two girls. One was on the bed eating a special soup given to her by the other who was next to her.

"Alicelotte-san open your mouth, this dish was prepared by Rudel-san to help you recover faster."

Hearing that, the quiet Alicelotte moved her lips slowly.

"I see... he certainly is a good man... not only did he defend me, but now he's preparing something for me to get better..."

Tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"...Even though he tried so hard I could do nothing for him, he was taken to jail and then interrogated according to my father."

"As his employer I couldn't do anything for him. And then I went to Klein to try to fix things and then he loathed me with insults."

More tears spilled falling down her dress.

"I am the worst kind of woman who has ever lived, not only does my fiancé loathe me, I couldn't even protect my squire and now his life is in danger because of me..."

Alicelotte was slowly squirming.

She should have rejected him as a squire.

Irisdina spoke to him to stop him from criticizing himself further.

"Don't say that!!!"

He threw the soup on the floor grabbing her arms and making her look at his face.

"Rudel-san is not someone who would have allowed something like that in the first place!!!!

Staring at each other both, she continued speaking.

"Rudel-san is a great person, he helped you because he saw the injustices that happened to you!!! Rudel-san is that kind of person who helps others whether they ask him for help or not, even now he still continues to help others!!!".

"Huh?" -Alicelotte exclaimed at Irisdina's words.

"I heard from the maidservants that Rudel-san sent a large amount of money so that they wouldn't punish your former fiancé for speaking ill of you!!! He even offered his title and territory!!!"

Alicelotte's eyes widened showing her red color from crying.

"Even after that he wants to help Klein... I really am a terrible woman for not doing anything for him..."

Alicelotte cried again and Irisdina hugged her to comfort her.

◇◇◇

I was near the room when I heard terrifying screams.

My face made a strange gesture at the panic.

"H-H-Hey... Aren't these girls misunderstanding things!!!?"

"Certainly some of it is true, but the rest of it is totally false!!!"

I quickly walked away from there so that no one would notice my presence.

What Irisdina says is wrong, I'm not a great person as she thinks.

"It was actually a good idea to leave them alone, between girls they get along better and I would be in the way."

A part of me felt weird after saying that, but I didn't care, I wasn't going to see those girls again in the next semester. So it was better to cut ties now before it hurt more.

I'm sure Alicelotte will get better thanks to Irisdina from now on. I stopped in front of a corridor.

"I'm just a guy who woke up in this strange fantasy world, it's better for me to avoid having unnecessary relationships."

That was what I thought, and I wanted it to come true.

◇

And once again life tells me "No!"

It had been a few days since we arrived at my parents' house for Alicelotte to recover, I immediately went to my island to check that everything was going well. I left Brynhilt at home in case he would be needed, Ixion was upset, but I ignored him.

After finishing my preparations my ship arrived without any problems.

I had made different activities for the girls to enjoy without any problems... but there was one I wasn't expecting.

"I don't have any problem with you guys accompanying me, but I think you will have more fun if you go exploring by yourselves, I only do revisions every day and it wouldn't be fun for two girls..."

At my sides were in commoner attire, Irisdina and Alicelotte. The latter's color had improved and her sparkle returned to her eyes. It was all due to Irisdina's encouragement.

They should be exploring the island and not want to see me going through documents on farming and house building.

I was going to turn this place into a resort for profit.

A smiling Irisdina spoke to me with her cheeks red with excitement.

"I don't think it's boring at all, I think it's rather entertaining and fabulous all this, ahh, Rudel-san, look at this potato as big as a cantaloupe!!!

Irisdina was looking at the fields like a child on a candy excursion.

Alicelotte was the next to speak looking at me this time.

"I think it's more interesting to look at your territory together with you its discoverer, besides what did you call these floating golems, robots right? I've never been to the field before, but it's amazing that this whole place is run by these strange beings, they don't consume prana either do they? That makes them all the more mysterious and wonderful."

Her tone still sounded like a high class girl, but her way of expressing herself was simple like Irisdina's.

Then she opened her mouth with a big "oh" as she watched some automatons move a large stone pillar as a base for a house.

I didn't understand why they were here with me, but the maids also came and they were in the main house, that is, mine. Preparing the rooms and dinner while they fiddled around.

Irisdina grabbed my shirt like a puppy and I turned to look at her.

"Is something wrong?" -I asked her curiously at her blank stare.

"Rudel-san, for a while now she smells something hot."

Alicelotte accompanied her in her statement as well.

"It certainly seems so, isn't something burning?

Then I remembered what they were referring to.

With a smile I asked them.

"Would you like to go to a nice place?"

They looked at each other at my question and then mutually assisted.

◇

Inside the island was a large lake, Ixion worked very hard to divert the lake to the residences using pipes, among the destined places a special place opened up, in Rudel's past life it was a place he wanted to try sometime as it was for relaxation, it was called hot springs.

That's where the girls were.

Thanks to his rare science or magic, Ixion managed to heat the water of the place to be at a temperature suitable for anyone. He even added medicinal herbs and other soothing ingredients.

"Alicelotte-san, your hair needs good care, since it's long you should take better care of it."

"Tha- I'll take care of it, Irisdina."

"Yes. Leave it to me."

A naked Irisdina used a lotion Rudel called shampoo, and applied it to Alicelotte's hair.

Both of their bodies were soapy and wet from the showers that opened automatically as they walked by.

Irisdina used little lotion on Alicelotte's head and many bubbles started to manifest forming a hat on her head.

They both laughed at the sight of it.

Alicelotte turned to tell Irisdina that she also wanted to do the same and she gladly agreed.

In a clumsy and very lousy way, Alicelotte tried to make a hat on Irisdina's head, but nothing came out.

Irisdina laughed and spoke to her.

"Hehehe, I always wanted to have a sister or a friend to make something like this!"

"You didn't have one? -Asked Alicelotte still struggling to form a hat.

Shaking her head sideways she denied it.

"No, I am an only child. In my village there were few boys and girls were even fewer, I practiced with a dog that lived near my house."

Alicelotte paused at Irisdina's silence.

Irisdina to encourage Alicelotte told her her secret and she understood a little of its meaning just now.

"But!"

She gave a shout of joy after a while scaring Alicelotte.

"I met Rudel-san after joining the academy for a while and since then my days became more fun, some were sad as Rudel-san would end up crying or hurt, others were bad as he would start talking to me about his failed attempts to get fiancée."

The talk continued to the point that Alicelotte gave up with making the hat and rinsed Irisdina's hair to enter the hot springs.

After entering first, Irisdina gave an unintentional glance towards Alicelotte's body.

From head to toe it was not an exaggeration to tell her that she was a work of art, her golden blonde hair was so long it reached her back, her rabbit eyes like rubies were glowing even in low light, her face unlike her seemed to be sculpted by artisans down to her full red lips, her arms and legs were long but slender, her waist was so slender it looked like a chalice, her breasts were two large mountains overlapping each other.

After entering the waters, Alicelotte noticed Irisdina looking at her.

"Is something the matter?" -She asked her curiously.

Scared Irisdina answered her stammering.

"N-not at all!!! It's just that I was stunned by your slender figure unlike mine!!! Even your hair is softer and silkier than mine and...!!"

Irisdina's babbling went on and on, making Alicelotte giggle.

"You mustn't envy me anything, I'm a terrible woman who took her ex-fiancé to extremes to the point of getting fed up with her."

Deep inside Alicelotte there was a small part of her that thought it was her fault what happened with Klein.

"Rather it's me who should envy you."

"Excuse me?"

With a strange gesture Irisdina asked Alicelotte.

The latter replied with a sad look at her.

"You're Bradford's girlfriend, aren't you? The way you talk to each other, look at each other, and take him into your confidence shows how close you two are. I am truly envious of you. I wish you all the best for the fu-"

"You're wrong!!!

Irisdina abruptly interrupted Alicelotte from finishing.

Shaking her head from side to side, Irisdina denied it.

"I... I'm nothing to Rudel-san. We get along well, but the difference between us is gigantic."

With a sad look staring at the hot water, Irisdina hurt herself even more.

"He is looking for a girl of higher rank since he has been labeled as his own head, if it was just another son without inheriting his house maybe there would have been a chance, no... being a commoner there would never be a chance between us and..."

With a sadder tone she covered her hands with her face so Alicelotte would not hear her.

"...I'm sure Rudel-san just sees me as a girl who is not even his friend, but he treats well."

Alicelotte looked at her very sad and took back what she said.

"I-I'm sorry, it was my fault!! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, it's just that your relationship is so close that it seemed like you two..."

Removing her hands from her face, Irisdina looked at her with a smile still having her eyes closed.

"No problem, I'm glad I met Rudel-san and Alicelotte-san at the academy, they were short but very fond memories."

The atmosphere between the two seemed to relax, but there was a strange tension afterwards.

◇

"Ufufu, this is a real show!!! It's definitely my best idea so far, with this I will make several profits when I open my resort!!!"

What I had in my hands was a great fortune presented to me, and thanks to the girls I was trying it out.

"With this my income will become bigger than expected."

Ixion looked at me worriedly.

"Master, is this right for you?"

"Of course it is, with this I won't need you to make any more money with rocks!!!"

That's right, what I was holding in my hands was something revolutionary and it was... "Look Ixion, the first step in my life....".

...A scraping.

I had made it based on frozen ice from the lake so as not to invade other islands and get it from there.

I didn't want anyone to know about it yet, but thanks to the girls I was motivated to go ahead and after several failures with the ingredients I was finally able to make a perfect shave.

After dipping it in heavy cream I put the spoon on the tip and popped it in my mouth.

"Delicious!!!" -I shouted from the bottom of my stomach and heart.

"With this it doesn't matter if they are adults, children or the elderly, no one will be able to resist this revolutionary invention!!!"

I took another bite into my mouth and then another one, it was so delicious.

"I need to get more fruits to try more flavor combinations."

I took the spoon to Ixion, but he just stared at me.

"Master, are you making fun of me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry! I had forgotten you had no sense of taste, hahahahahaha."

My heavy joke made Ixion's red eye blink and from it, an electric attack hit me.

I made a babbling sound with my lips as harmonicas as the electric current coursed through my body.

I fell after a few seconds of receiving the attack. Ixion came up to me to tell me it was okay.

"Use minimal voltage, you should be fine now."

(This junk, I'll turn it into a floating trash can no doubt.)

"Master."

He spoke to me again while I was still on the floor.

"Are you sure you don't want to watch the footage of the girls in the hot springs?"

That's when I reacted and stood up.

"The girls weren't just saying what a wonderful place it was, they were also talking about you."

After shaking a bit, I turned to Ixion and with a shake I said.

"Idiiiiiiiot-"

I hit him with my fingers hard and he flew out of my sight.

"I told you to stop doing weird things. Don't even think about spying on them much less the daughter of an archduke, she'd kill me if I tried."

From the bar outside the baths, of what used to be a hot springs hotel, I noticed that they had both finally come out and sat down on one of the benches.

With a smile. I grabbed two glasses of freshly made raspado and took them to them like a waiter.

"You two sure had a good time."

Irisdina noticed me and called out to me, Alicelotte followed as well.

"Rudel-san, those baths are amazing!!!"

"I can't believe that a simple hot bath can do wonders for the skin, this place will be a hit if you open it to the public."

After hearing her kind words, a smile showed on my face.

"Fufu. I appreciate your compliments, but it's still incomplete your bath without trying this first..."

I stretched out my hand for both of them to take it, with a dubious face they grabbed the spoon and with a small taste they put it in their mouths.

Their faces made a happy expression letting out a kyaa in unison.

"Rudel-san, this is so delicious!!!"

"Something like this I've never tasted before, I can't believe you made this!"

Her words only made my ego grow bigger.

"It's a secret, but these are homemade products that can be produced anywhere."

Alicelotte looked at me and said "Really!" full of amazement.

I noticed that Irisdina saw me and I asked her.

"Is something wrong, Irisdina?

She then stared at the cup, then at the surroundings and to look into my eyes at the end.

"Rudel-san... What am I to you?"

She asked a question that astonished me.

Alicelotte also stared at her.

But I didn't feel her anything out of another world and answered her plain and simple....

"I obviously considered you a friend."

I said it with a smile, both of them were left with their mouths open. Then I turned to Alicelotte.

"The same applies to you, Alicelotte. I considered you a friend despite the fact that you are my employer."

Alicelotte after hearing my words looked down into the cup to then look up at me and say....

"Really? A terrible woman like me, you consider her a friend?"

I made a "huh?" at his response and continued speaking.

"I don't understand what you mean, but yes, I consider you a friend from the moment you entered my territory, the same for you, Irisdina. You are also a very important friend to me."

I told them what I felt in my heart. At first I wanted nothing to do with these girls, but then I realized that it wasn't boring to be around them. That's why I didn't want to approach them here as it would hurt me more to part.

Irisdina with a strong voice said to me.

"It's ok...yes.... We call each other in a special way between us!!!"

"I also consider Rudel-san my friend and Alicelotte-san I also consider her a great friend!!!"

She sounded very energetic saying that.

Alicelotte responded in kind.

"Yes!!! I also want to be her friend and to be called in a special way!!!"

With that said the two of them looked at each other as if ready to box, their gaze shifted to me after that.

"For my part you can call me Rudel, after all, it is my name."

Next was Irisdina. But it took her time to speak.

"...Call me.... Airi, yes. please call me Airi from now on!!!"

"Airi, huh?" It's certainly a pretty name if you shorten it.

Alicelotte looked excited and then with a rich girl's presentation said.

"Alisa. Just call me Alisa, that's what my relatives and servants call me."

Iris- no, Airi. She said her name over and over again to Alisa, as for me, I remembered another conversation with one of my cellar mates.

He was a nice guy with a weird hobby about the meaning of things, I remember he mentioned a name that had a special meaning in specific. And that was-.

"Alisa in an ancient language translated as noble heart and radiant happiness. No matter how bad you do in life, you were born to be someone who emanates a magnificent aura that makes everyone happy, as well as being someone who was born to be the happiest person in the world."

(It was certainly a good name, should I tell them?)

As I opened my eyes I noticed that both of them were looking at me red. One was redder than the other. Then Iris-Airi threw some annoying scratching at me and called me a traitor. what was that last one for?

Alice- Alisa called me laughing about the scraping on my clothes.

"Ahahaha, very good, did you know that Rudel has a special meaning in this country? I felt really weird the first time I heard it on a person."

I looked at her puzzled at her out of nowhere statement about my name, does this mean she can read minds!!! Is there any magic that can do that?!!!?

"It's from the ancient language of the kingdom, Rudel means..."

I looked at her with a worried face at what she was about to say, I thought it would be something bad, unbelievable or pathetic.

"Rudel was what they called mats in ancient times."

Yes, it was pathetic.

I let out a piercing scream at that and fell to the ground in a crouch.

"I was so surprised when I heard someone had the name of a mat hahaha, I seriously would like to ask your parents what they thought at that moment hahaha."

Her laughter was so annoying it hurt me, Airi burst out laughing too.

My fragile heart was shattering and then they both lifted me up with their arms.

"Don't feel bad, it was just a prank."

"Rudel-san, it's so easy to make you cry."

I looked at them annoyed and came up with an idea.

"Alright you two, would you like to play a game, the night is still young."

Both of their voices rose as if to tell me that they won't lose to me.

"Don't think you'll be able to beat me, the daughter of an archduke." -Said Alisa closing one of her eyes as she adjusted the sleeves of her robe.

"I don't plan to lose to Rudel-san or Alisa!!!" -Airi exclaimed as her eyes burst into flames.

At first I thought it didn't matter who I hung out with or if I were here with them it would be a bad third. But now it's different, as I think maybe three is not a crowd, but a pyramid in which none of its sides can be removed.

"All right you two, the game will be-"

And that's how I spent part of my vacation with my two friends, a commoner, a noble girl and me, a peasant, What a strange comical combination this turned out to be?