The sound of a knock woke me up. Did I sleep through the whole night? It was almost midnight when I closed my eyes. Checking the clock on the table, I see it's 6 a.m.… someone's an early bird for the last day of the week.

The knocking intensifies by the second. I rush to the door to see who's come to visit me. To my surprise, it's not the blonde girl I was expecting—it's a small-headed black-haired girl. "Ogine? What are you doing here?" Her face shows a clear desire to keep sleeping and a deep hatred for waking up early.

"I lost a bet yesterday… my punishment was to come early and invite you to join us for a walk around the city this afternoon. Who's going? Let's see… Shawu, Areci, Humyr, and me. The twins are busy. You coming?" She's growling while trying to stay awake, still wearing her pajamas, and it looks like she could fall asleep any second.

I glance toward the dome while thinking quickly. I have time to practice my spatial affinity all morning and read a bit. I already obtained my new ability—I deserve a proper break. "Yeah, I'd love to." I answer while turning to look at her. In those few seconds I was thinking, she almost fell asleep standing up. How did she even make it here?

"Excellent." Her voice is barely a whisper. "See you at 16:00 in front of cafeteria 2 at the academy. Bye." Not wanting to stay awake a second longer, Ogine turns around and disappears down the corridor. She's probably going back to sleep. As for me, I should train and make the most of my hours—I've slept enough, and my life mana restores my stamina quickly.

I barely finish washing my face and stretching a little when, about ten minutes later, someone knocks again. Did Ogine forget something? I hurry to the door, only to find something unusual—it's not my sleepy friend this time.

Brendu stands there, dressed in formal, expensive-looking clothes—a fitted jacket and matching pants that probably cost as much as my house. A touch of makeup highlights her beauty, and her sharp, confident gaze is the opposite of Ogine's drowsy look. "Brendu? Why are you here so early? And why are you dressed like you're going on a trip?" She glances down at her outfit and smiles.

"Do you like it? Does the makeup suit me?" I can only blush, unable to answer before she immediately notices my reaction. "Do you prefer me with or without makeup? I have a meeting with some big names in the city on behalf of my family, so I need to look elegant and sophisticated." She doesn't look particularly thrilled about it either.

"You look beautiful either way. The makeup makes you look a bit more mature, but you also have a naturally lovely face to show off without it." The best way to fight back is to be direct—it puts her on the spot instead. It works; her cheeks turn slightly red.

"Never mind… I'll have free time this afternoon. Where will you be? I'll come find you." She changes the topic as fast as she can, and I don't mind—it saves me from pushing it further.

"This afternoon? Well, a friend just came by to invite me on a city outing with our group of friends…" I do want to spend time with Brendu since I always have fun and feel comfortable being myself around her.

"You have friends? Are you sure it's just a friend?" Her teasing tone makes me roll my eyes.

"I do have friends… well, some." I stop myself before admitting a few. "Yes, she's just a friend—it's Ogine. She invited me along with Areci, Shawu, and Humyr." She doesn't look upset, just thoughtful.

"Then there's no problem—I'll join you all in the city. What time and where are you meeting?" Brendu speaks with growing confidence in every word, as if saying no is impossible.

"At 16:00, in front of cafeteria 2. But Brendu, I don't want to sound rude—they only invited me. I'm not sure I can bring someone else." I'm being honest; I don't know how they'll react if I show up with an uninvited guest.

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"It'll be fine. I used to go on those outings with them years ago. They'll be surprised, but no one will object if I join. I'll come here thirty minutes before the meeting so we can go together. See you soon." She kisses my forehead and rushes down the hall toward who knows where.

I touch the lipstick mark on my forehead and can only think one thing: They're going to kill me. I do what any man in my situation would—forget about it and move on with my day. When they say something, I'll just act offended and dodge the blame. Brendu can handle it.

Now that I think about it, she did say she's gone out with them before—that means they've been friends for years. No wonder she convinced Shawu so easily. I close the door and train with my bracelets as hard as I can.

Brendu arrives right on time, dressed in blue jeans, red shoes, and a gorgeous red jacket. I'm shirtless and drenched in sweat at the moment. "I'll go take a shower, give me a sec." She grabs my shoulder before I can leave.

"I hadn't seen those tattoos before. Do they mean something?" Brendu looks genuinely intrigued by my arms. Because of the cold, I usually wear long sleeves, so this is the first time she's seen my tattoos. I glance at Glia, still asleep—I still don't know when my little sister will wake up.

"Yes, but I can't tell you yet. It's better if I show you in a few weeks." She looks ready to protest, so I keep talking. "I promise, just give me some time. I have no reason to lie to you." She nods softly, then pushes me toward the shower, calling me dirty.

Ogine's Point of View:

"Why did I have to lose that stupid bet?" I can't stop complaining. It was hard enough to wake up early after staying late at the beach with the group. At least I got more sleep after inviting our new friend.

The whole group's gathered already, ten minutes before we head to the city. "Maki's coming—but he's not alone." Humyr points toward the domes. I see our new friend walking in casual winter clothes—with the princess beside him. So the rumors are true? Are they dating? How did that even happen? Curiosity burns inside me.

Maki approaches with his head down, while Brendu clings to his arm with a radiant smile. "Hey everyone, you're early… I was wondering if Brendu could join us." He looks like a puppy being dragged to the vet.

Areci is the first to respond. "Sure, no problem, Maki." The rest of us nod after hearing the director's daughter speak. "Just like old times, Brendu." Our group leader is right—Brendu used to hang out with us before her father forced her to join a new circle of nobles from her kingdom.

The only ones allowed to call her by name are Areci and Shawu. We got her approval too, but we refused out of respect. The twins—being from a powerful noble family—and Humyr, son of one of the strongest alliance leaders in the East, whose father is an obsidian rank, have the right to call her Lady Brendu or Princess Brendu. They never use her name directly to avoid disrespect.

As for me, being the daughter of two ruby-rank doctors, I'd never dare to call her by name. To me, she'll always be Princess. I can't even imagine my parents' reaction if their daughter called the princess of an entire kingdom by her name—they'd probably send me off to some remote clinic to reflect on my manners.

The only ones who can truly be called her friends are Areci and Shawu. The rest of us joined the group shortly before she left, so to us, she's a friend of our friends. And then there's Maki, who apparently has something with her. I want to know more.

We take Areci's family's largest carriage to the city and arrive at a small food fair held once a month—our first stop. There's a crowd everywhere, the familiar noise of the city I grew up in, and everyone enjoying the fair. Security here is impeccable; even nobles face consequences if they misbehave.

Everyone looks cheerful—children and elders alike. A noise catches our attention: an elderly couple seems to have dropped a bottle of juice on someone. We move closer. The other person is dressed in expensive clothes and wearing jewelry, and from the logo, it's from a well-known fishing company. His family's wealth rivals that of a minor noble.

"The old folks didn't do anything! That drunk idiot bumped into them first, and that caused everything!" We hear a young man nearby explaining what happened. We can't make out the exact words, but judging from the man's gestures, he's clearly drunk, shouting furiously while the elderly couple tries to apologize. I open my mouth and cover one eye when the drunk idiot raises his fist at the old man.

I feel mana building near us, and something shoots forward, leaving an electric trail. Before I can even react, Maki appears in front of the drunkard. He looks furious, grabbing the man's arm just before it lands on the elder.

The drunkard, frustrated at being stopped, gathers mana and Imra into his other fist. His control is terrible—he's one of the weakest sapphire ranks I've ever seen. Maki doesn't give him a chance. He punches the man in the stomach so hard it makes me flinch. The drunk collapses to his knees, and Maki uses some kind of skill to restrain him. Everything seems to return to normal instantly, and people start moving again.

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