Chivalry of a Dark Knight [Batman x Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry]

CH15: A Game and a Stage (prt 2)

"What's up? Something wrong?"

It was what Ikki asked after the trio exited the training arena and descended down the steps, when he noticed Bruce suddenly pause and fix a suspicious stare towards a certain direction. Ikki followed his gaze and he immediately realized what caught his attention.

"Oh, so you've noticed her too." he said.

"Hm? Noticed who?" Stella asked.

She looked towards where the two male had trained their sights on but nothing stood out to her. It looked like the same paved path she had always walked through; the same road, the same foliage, the same beautifully designed moat that ran adjacent to the path.

"Since three days ago." Bruce responded to Ikki, ignoring Stella in the process. "She's been skulking around everywhere we went. Though not exactly been doing a good job hiding."

"Who's hiding?" Stella asked in confusion. "Who are you guys talking about!?"

"You think she came out of the arena like us?"

"No, I would've noticed otherwise. My guess is that she had been waiting there the whole time."

"Hey! Is anyone gonna answer me or what?!"

Sensing Stella's irritation, Ikki decided to explain the situation to her.

"I think we're being followed."

"WHAA! You mean like a stalker!? The kind of guys who shave their mustache and mail it to you!?"

Her reaction uncharacteristically caused Bruce to break his steely focus and address the princess with a skeptical expression.

"Is this some uninformed guess or did someone actually mail you their shaved off facial hair?" he asked.

"I don't know! I used to get all kinds of things in the mail, okay!?"

Bruce couldn't help but really wonder about this girl sometimes.

"Anyway..." Ikki brought the subject back on track. "Does that mean you've been ignoring her this whole time?"

With his hawk-like gaze returning towards the path ahead, Bruce replied.

"Only when I'm not giving her the slip. She usually runs off when I'm looking towards her direction."

The whole situation, of some hidden unknown person watching their every move, began to unnerve Stella and she imagined this ugly goblin of a human being with a sick grin plotting some nasty unspeakable act.

"Well, she's not now. It seems she really wants something." Ikki commented.

"W-w-what does she want? She's not gonna break into our rooms and pee on our beds, is she?" Stella asked in fear.

Both Bruce and Ikki momentary cast a glance towards the red-haired princess, not knowing if she asking out of experience or if they should even ask if she is. Sometimes they couldn't help but really wonder about her.

"Err, I don't think she has THAT kind of intent, Stella. Maybe she's just an admirer of Bruce."

Bruce scoffed at the idea and smirked at him.

"I doubt that. You're the one who's popular with all the girls, remember?"

Stella's imagination veered into unexpected scenarios; creepy malevolent intents were one thing but the idea of the ugly goblin harboring an obsession with Ikki turned her emotions from dread to jealous ire. As so she stood before her taller companion and pointed towards the area of interest.