Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress' Knights Tournament

Chapter 16

As the finals drew ever closer, more and more people arrived in Axium. The inns had become so overbooked that Headmaster Strattelo, who also acted as reigning governor of the city, had ordered them to set up temporary tents for people outside the city limits.

Erica was lucky. Being a sorceress, she wielded far more power than anyone else, and she was therefore able to procure a place to stay without effort. The inn that she'd housed herself and her staff was not extravagant, but it was nice. Her room was well-furnished and comfortable, though it lacked the luxurious amenities that she was used to. At least it had warm water and a bath.

It was late morning. Rays of light peeked in through the window, and the noise from outside kept Erica from going back to sleep.

She sat up in bed, reading through a document that had been delivered to her via carrier pigeon. It was a correspondence letter from the headmaster. As she read the neat cursive handwriting, she couldn't help but snort.

"So, the old man isn't interested in changing some of the curriculum," she mumbled to herself. "I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. That old man is a stubborn one."

She'd been trying to convince the old headmaster to fix what his students studied by providing more accurate information on certain historical events. While the headmaster was amenable to this and said that he would look into presenting more accurate information, he seemed to be taking his sweet time in effecting those changes. It rankled on her nerves.

"Nnng..."

Derek stirred beside her. Erica looked down to see her Knight lying on his stomach, his face buried in a pillow and the muscles in his back exposed. She gently scraped her nails through his hair. Derek sighed contentedly before burrowing deeper into his pillow and going to sleep.

"Mistress Erica?" a voice called out and a knock came to her door.

"Come in, Cassidy."

The door opened and in walked her maid. Cassidy was dressed in her usual outfit. However, she did not appear to be her usual self. Her normally bright, if shy, personality seemed dim. She walked with slumped shoulders and a stooped gait. Oddly enough, her balance seemed to have improved with her depression, as she didn't trip over her own two feet as she walked over to Erica and placed a tray of food on the bed.

"I brought you and Master Derek breakfast," she said, not even looking at Derek, which Erica found even more odd. Whenever delivering them breakfast, Cassidy would always look at Derek and blush bright red. It had been one of the many things that Erica teased her about.

"Is it still bothering you?" Erica asked.

Cassidy looked perplexed. "Pardon, My Lady? Is what still bothering me?"

"The fact that Caspian is so enamored with his childhood friend that he barely even notices you, of course."

"W-wha—" Cassidy's face turned red. Erica smiled. There was the blush that she was looking for. "O-of course not! I would never be so petty as to—I mean, it's not like I can't understand why Master Caspian would prefer her over me. Lady Elincia is very pretty, and she seems to be really kind, and... and..."

Erica rubbed her forehead when tears gathered in Cassidy's eyes. Her maid was way too open for her own good. Reading her was even easier than reading a book, but that might have just been because she didn't like books.

"Ufufufu, my dear Cassidy, you are a terrible liar."

"Meep!"

"But do not worry," Erica continued. "I have a plan to give you some quality time with young Caspian, if you're interested."