Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress' Knights Tournament

Chapter 7

After eating breakfast, Caspian and Elincia left the inn and wandered around the town. It was early in the afternoon. The sun had risen above their heads, casting beams of warm light upon the earth, illuminating the hundreds of people that were walking along the street.

Caspian felt surprisingly refreshed despite having slept on the floor. There was a certain vigor to his movements that hadn't been there a week ago. He glanced at the girl walking by his side, wondering if she was the reason that he felt so good.

Elincia noticed him looking at her and quickly looked away. Her cheeks reminded him of a bonfire. Caspian frowned. She appeared to be agitated.

Did I do something wrong?

"Um, Caspian..." she started to say, her eyes flickering to him before looking away again.

"Yes?"

"What, um, what are we going to do today?"

"To be honest, I have no idea," Caspian admitted. When Elincia stared at him in surprise, he released a nervous chuckle. "I've never done something like this before... well, not quite like this anyway," he amended, remembering the time that he'd spent with Erica.

A little over three weeks ago, he'd been tasked with delivering a letter to Erica Demonica de Angelo, the sorceress who oversaw Ashtown, one of the largest industrialized cities in Arcadia. What should have been a simple delivery had somehow turned into him becoming her temporary knight. From that experience, Caspian had gleaned a lot of useful information, though at that moment, his mind was focused mostly on how Erica had forced him to go shopping with her.

"Well, I suppose we could visit some of the stores..." he trailed off when Elincia's eyes started to sparkle, their luster reminiscent of azurite. "Would you like that?"

"Yes!"

Elincia pulled ahead, dragging an amused Caspian behind her. He almost stumbled when he lost his footing, but he quickly righted himself as they waded into the crowd.

The streets were as populated today as they were yesterday. Scents from various people invaded Caspian's nose, and a plethora of colors filled his vision.

Since Arcadia was in the center of Terraria, many different people from the other four nations came to this country, either to live or as a stopping point during their travels. These people tended to bring a variety of clothing styles with them. That's why fashion in Arcadia was always varied and colorful.

"Come on, Caspian!"

"I'm right behind you, and there's no need to rush. We have all day."

Yesterday, Caspian had done most of the leading, this time, he allowed Elincia to lead him. His friend didn't seem to have a destination in mind. She appeared to be more interested in taking in the sights.

"You're awfully excited," Caspian muttered.

Elincia turned her head and beamed at him. "Of course. I've always wanted to go shopping, but Sylvia would never let me. Ever since you left, I've been confined to her mansion. The only times I was allowed outside was when I snuck out, but that grew boring after a while. I guess it was because you weren't with me."

"Heh, sorry about that."

"It's okay." Elincia shook her head. "I know why you left. We made a promise, didn't we?"

"That's right," Caspian said. "I promised to train hard and become your knight."

"And I promised to become a sorceress worthy of your companionship." Elincia's smile was so bright that it outshone the sun.