Chapter 56 - There is No Love Like the First

The next day the group, minus Tarek, met again. This time, one of the silkpants, Krum Ferri, joined them.

They went out ice skating and spent most of the day on the winter market. Krum and Karim frequently attempted the capture of a young maiden's heart, while the others indulged in tarts, crepes and mulled wine. Eren and Shu didn't join those two casanovas; the former was more interested in "protecting" his sister Emilia it seemed. While Shu Huang, on the other hand, appeared utterly uninterested in skirt-chasing, a stark contrast to the memories Bazuul had of him. Hours later, they had walked through the market a couple of times, tasted rare types of chocolate, among other things, bought several items offered at a multitude of stands and watched a play.

"Guys, how about we return to a room of my Hall of Fortune and Fame?" The previously absent Karim asked with a bright smile as he returned to the group with a young woman by his side.

Bazuul could only return a wry smile to his old friend. Especially after seeing a disgruntled Krum that came back alone. Eventually, they decided to return to a room inside the Hall of Fortune and Fame at Karim's suggestion.

Once again, the group ordered a couple of bottles of Nightshine and several dishes. Karim generously poured the drinks for everyone, especially for the young maiden nestled to his side before there was even food on the table. Bazuul lightly shook his head at this...eager to mingle youth and chuckled again. An action that didn't go unnoticed this time around. Emilia, who sat next to him, slightly nudged him and teasingly asked with a smile, "What is it, my prince? It could not be that you are possibly jealous of Karim? Or does his Highness miss the warmth of someone else?"

Her younger brother Eren immediately chimed in and said with a laugh, "Very odd indeed, sister! I only remember this brother of mine with at least one woman by his side, yet lately, I only see him solo."

"I don't even know what you're talking about, Eren," Bazuul said flatly and looked the other way.

Eren and Emilia tried to repress their laughter at this sight, but the muffled sounds that escaped their hands was no different. "It can't be you still don't know, brother? Our prince here has already found a princess. Isn't that so...Zuuuuul?" Emilia said far more teasingly than before.

"These siblings…" Bazuul thought while trying to ignore them, yet a slight smile still escaped him when he thought of her. When Eren saw Bazuul's smile and almost "gazing-yearningly-into-the-distance" expression, he immediately started teasing his old friend again. Obviously, Emilia also joined in. Eventually, Bazuul could feel the heat rise on his face, and his complexion slightly turned red. After all, he wasn't really used to all this. Although it was an old love, he had carried in his heart for a long time. All this clamoring from the friends around him was something he hadn't experienced as of yet.

Slowly growing annoyed at the siblings, he was just about to tell them to stop it when knocks resounded from the door of their room, "Your dishes are ready, dear patrons." A young female attendant said as she entered with several waiters and waitresses, each with plates in their hands.

The group ate merrily and savored the exquisite work of the chef in charge of the Hall of Fortune and Fame's kitchen. Shu and Krum, in their drunken state, somehow attempted to out-eat each other.

While all of them enjoyed their food, suddenly some noise came from the hall outside the room. Karim stood up to see what was going on when the door was abruptly shoved open, and Markus Bender, the crown prince of the kingdom of Eras, entered. He took a short look around the room and immediately bolted toward Bazuul's direction. When Karim saw this and felt this unknown person dash right passed him, his first thought was an assassin had come for the prince. Then, right before he could react, the unidentified young man grabbed the hand of the person next to Bazuul and went down on one of his knees. "Oh Emilia, ever since our match in the royal tournament, I can't forget about you, your beauty and your grace!"

This abrupt change in the situation greatly startled and embarrassed Emilia, which caused her to flush beet red. Eren, on the other hand, was outraged but also dazed and unable to utter anything from his mouth. Of course, the others were similarly shocked.

"The determination in your eyes then, the nerves of steel when we fought, all this, captured my heart. Would you consider this one's feelings and give me a chance?" Markus went on with his confession.

Seeing Emilia get her "just-deserts," Bazuul couldn't help but chuckle and returned the favor from earlier, thoroughly teasing her. He whistled and lightly slapped her shoulder, while Karim and Krum also joined in on the fun.

Meanwhile, Markus realized the situation he brashly rushed into, he became aware of what he just said in front of all these strangers and blushed slightly. The embarrassment he felt only grew when the others teased her, Emilia, but when he saw the fourth prince of Ralun touch her on the shoulder, his wires snapped. Instead of dealing with his embarrassment, he diverted it towards Bazuul and immediately questioned their relationship but only received a non-commital shrug accompanied by a slightly sardonic smirk.

Even though Markus should have been aware of this prince's aggravating nature, he still stepped right into his trap. Obviously he had seen Bazuul in action back in Donar, yet the shame coated in red around his face clouded his rational thought. "Stand up, let us go outside and decide this as men should!" Markus abruptly said as the will to fight shone, nay almost burned in his eyes.

When Bazuul saw the burly youth's state, he once more chuckled and decided to play along. He stood up, walked toward Eras's crown-prince, and said, "Well, let's go then, recent development surely has given me a reason to vent."

Rattled by the path this situation took, Emilia, tried to stop both of them, but in the end, both seemed too stubborn to hear her. When she then saw Bazuul's excited, almost delighted expression afterward, she finally gave up.

Bazuul told Markus to follow him since he knew a place where they could fight undisturbed, and both directly left. Intend not to let them have their way completely, Emilia went along with Eren in tow. Karim looked at Bazuul and asked if he should join them. As Bazuul looked back and saw Karim, Shu, and Krum eager to help, Bazuul chuckled and told them to stay here and keep the room warm, since he would be back soon.

"Ahh, my sister truly is a country toppling beauty. Two kingdoms with one stroke…" Eren thought to himself.

The group eventually reached an empty alley five minutes later and began their duel. Markus revealed his real strength, which, unlike in Donar, wasn't actually at the seventh stage of the true qi realm but somewhere in the early origin realm.

Emilia's and Eren's turned pale at the pressure Markus exuded, but Bazuul remained unperturbed by this new information. He had been in battle with people in that realm a couple of times already, he had been a lot weaker, while his enemies were after his life back then. Thus he remained remarkably calm in this situation. Obviously, Markus noticed this and decided to go all out just in case. Yet, Bazuul rather easily managed to defeat the already flustered Markus with mind games and several other tricks.

Stunned by this defeat, Markus was on his knees. His eyes looked hollow as he stared into nothing. Bazuul then tapped his shoulder and said after a slight chuckle, "You know, Emilia and me, we're just friends…"