Freedom's Heart

Chapter 12

It feels so good to be free again! Just over two years have passed since I defeated the lesser dragon, and I am finally allowed to leave my home again.

I am now eighteen, and over the last two years, I have learned first-hand what it is like to be a prisoner. I had no privacy during the day as someone always kept an eye on me apart from social events. I was forbidden from leaving my family home. It was a nightmare, but at least father still allowed me to practice my magic in the garden. Noah and Marshal kept making appearances, so I never felt lonely. Still, I could have done without the times Zeno teleported into my bedroom. The only good thing about that pervert elf is that I mastered a barrier technique that shields a room. The sight of Zeno's surprised face as he smacked into that barrier still makes me smile to this day.

As for Bozzair, well, he is still as cute and tiny as he was two years ago. My mother and several maids keep feeding him treats, so I was worried about his weight at one point, but I make sure he gets enough exercise every day. He really is a good pet. He helped me improve my spell casting, is good at fetch, can feed himself and never makes a mess on the rug. The fact that Bozzair also helped chase off Zeno when he refused to leave is just the icing on the cake. At first, I was terrified of Bozzair and the day we would have our rematch, but now I cannot imagine life without him.

But now I am free from my home, and both Bozzair and I could not be happier. I smile as I watch Bozzair fly beside the airship I am travelling on. The airship is something straight out of fantasy would as it is just a regular wooden sailing ship with sail-like wings. Standing on the ship's deck, if it was not because we were sailing between clouds, I would have no trouble believing we were sailing across the sea. As for why we are on the airship, it is simple. The magical academy where the game takes place is built on a floating island. It looked beautiful on the game's cover, so I am looking forward to seeing it.

It is strange. I no longer feel nervous about attending. Noah is no longer a threat to me as we have a perfect brother-sister relationship. Marshall has grown up to be just as kind as his father, thanks to Arial's helping steer him away from corrupting influences. Zeno is still a problem, but at least he does not pose a threat to my life. I should have a perfectly everyday school life as long as I do not accidentally harm the heroine.

"Excuse me!"

And speaking of the heroine, here she comes. This is just how the game begins, with the heroine getting airsick and vomiting over the ship's railing. Everything about her is the same as it is in the game. She has long blonde hair tied in a bubble ponytail with flowers woven into her hair. My hair used to be just as long before I started cutting it, but hers looks a lot softer and smoother than mine ever was. The heroines blue eyes are wet with tears but still somehow look adorable. No wonder she is the game's heroine and had boys falling head over heels for her. If I was a boy, I would have not hesitated too... what am I thinking about? I should not be thinking about things like that when she is the only potential threat to me.

Her name is Ellis Lockridge, and unlike most otome game heroine's she is not a commoner. In the game, she is the daughter of a noble but has never been treated like one since she was born from an affair her father had with one of his maids. Ellis had a hard life. Her mother would beat her, and her father ignored her. The only reason why they started treating her like a parent should at the end of the game was because they enormously benefited from her marrying one of the love interests. I hope things still work out for her. Maybe I could set her up with Noah. As much as I want Zeno out of my life, I cannot push a problem like him onto Ellis.

I watch as Ellis runs over to the side barely, making it in time. It is a good thing we are flying over the ocean right now, so no one will get hit by the vomit. I feel bad for her, but at least we are nearly there. In fact, if things play out just like they did during the game, then I should be able to... yes, there it is! As I look up over the ship's bow, I see it and the sun rising behind the magical academy.