Chapter 43

  Audrey

  After the situation with our kidnapping had resolved, the two weeks leading up to the rank exam passed peacefully. I wasn’t sure what had happened to the guard captain, but we stopped seeing him at the gate whenever we left the city for quests. Now, I could wear my artifact as usual.

  “I didn’t hate the bracelet… But it feels best like this,” I said, placing a hand over my pendant. It had hummed with a gentle heat since becoming a piece of my soul, and I was glad to have it back over my heart.

  “I have to agree, my guardian,” Aurora said with a smile in my mind. “Now, you should stop escaping reality.”

  “My goddess is too cruel!” Lydia and I were heading to the guild for some last-minute studying before the exam started. Her emerald eyes looked over her shoulder with a pleasant smile as she felt my gaze focus on her. “Are you ready?” She asked.

  “Do we really have to…?” I complained as my girlfriend led me by the hand. “We’ve done nothing but study in between quests this whole time! Isn’t there also a combat test?! We should have sparred at least a bit!”

  “Why? I have no doubt we’ll pass that section just fine.” I could only grumble at her assessment.

  “Even so… It would have been more fun…”

  “Too bad. Now tell me: What herb is known for its coagulating effect when applied to open wounds?”

  “Ah! I know this!” I said, thinking hard about the countless pages I’ve read in the guild’s archive. Lydia had been throwing random questions at me with no mercy, even during meals or when falling asleep.

  After a minute, she spoke up with a small laugh. “Would you like a hint?”

  “No! It’s on the tip of my tongue…” As I focused, I hemmed and hawed while entrusting my walking path to my girlfriend. “Kre… scy… No! It’s the Krundell plant, right?” I said confidently.

  “That’s right. Good girl!” She cooed, reaching up to pet my hair. My eyes narrowed in contentment before I shook the feeling away and pouted.

  “I’m not a dog!” I cried, causing Lydia to laugh aloud as we climbed the stairs to the guild’s entrance.

  “If you say so.” She sounded unconvinced and pulled the large door open. I flinched momentarily as my senses were flooded with noise, but managed a few deep breaths to calm down.

  “It’s much busier than usual…” Lydia mumbled. The guild hall was filled with adventurers, and the stairs up to the archive had a constant stream of feet. They must all be preparing last minute for the exam too… My girlfriend’s eyes flicked to me after taking in the crowd.. “Are you alright, Audrey? We still have an hour before the exam starts, so we can go somewhere else to wait.” I shook my head in defiance, even as my stomach twisted at the thought of stepping into the middle of it.

  “What kind of adventurer runs away because of other adventurers?” I said, thumping my chest. Taking the lead, I pulled Lydia toward the reception desks. “Lynn said we had to check in, right? Let’s get that done, then we can find some books to read.” I could sense my girlfriend’s concerned gaze boring into me from behind, but I kept moving through the crowd.

  “There’s no need to push yourself so much, Audrey,” Aurora said, the same concern lacing her voice.

  “I’m not! I’m totally fine!” We both knew it was a lie. “Even if I wasn’t… I can’t lose my nerves with something as simple as crowded places. What if I’m needed on the battlefield again? I have to be ready.”

  “I told you, time is the best remedy for these kinds of things…” My goddess sighed, but fell silent, realizing there was no point in arguing.

  The light reflected off the various armor and weapons around us as we joined the line for the reception desks. “Audrey, you’re pale,” Lydia stated bluntly, her eyes narrowing.

  “You’re seeing things.” I tried to brush it off with a smile. “I feel fine, how about you?” What a dumb question…

  “I thought we agreed to stop lying to each other.” Her statement pierced my chest, and I hung my head.

  “I’m sorry. I feel sick, to be honest.” My stomach had been in knots this whole time, and I felt lightheaded.

  “No doubt. I’d tell you to sit down but…” She looked around the guild floor, but there were no free seats. Even the cafeteria area was filled with adventurers.

  “It’s fine. Honestly, I feel the most comfortable next to you.” I squeezed her hand, and Lydia gave me a gentle smile.

  “Well, since it turned out like this, we can do some practical exercises instead of studying.” She said.

  “Really? I love you so much!” I knew she was being considerate of me, and I was grateful for it. It took us another ten minutes to reach the desk, and Lynn greeted us with her usual smile.

  “Good morning, girls. IDs, please.”

  We greeted her in return and placed our guild cards on the desk. “I hadn’t expected so many people today,” Lydia said as Lynn worked on getting us registered.

  “It’s always like this with the rank exams. Each branch only holds the exam once or twice a year, causing an influx of ambitious adventurers to travel wherever the next exam is held.” She explained. Once she added us to the list, she returned our cards.

  “There are a few sparring rooms down the back hallways, though I don’t know if any are available right now.” She said, gesturing around the corner.

  “Are those always open?” I asked, glancing at Lydia, who looked away suspiciously.

  “You have to fill out a form, but we rent them out for blocks of time.” The receptionist revealed, and before I could say anything else, Lydia grabbed my hand and pulled me away.

  “We’re holding up the line, Audrey! Let’s go!” She said, her tone a little panicked. I waved back at Lynn, who returned the motion before turning to the next adventurer with that professional smile.

  “You knew there was a space to practice and didn’t tell me?” I turned back to my beautiful girlfriend with an accusatory glare.

  “Excuse me for protecting us from property damage charges!” She shot back. At that, I dug my heels in and stopped her from pulling me any further.

  “I’m perfectly capable of holding back!” I cried out, and Lydia turned to face me, our hands still joined.

  “How many times will we have this conversation, I wonder?” I heard her mutter, her emerald eyes subtly turning gold as Azure no doubt chimed in.

  “Azure said it was for the best.” Aurora filled me in, holding back a laugh.

  “Azzy hasn’t even known me that long!” I said in defiance.

  “But I have, and I agree.” My goddess said, causing me to pout. Teasing laughter surrounded me, inside and out, as Lydia and my goddess poked fun at me. And I just know Azure is joining in, even if I can’t hear!

  I huffed and turned toward the hall, letting go of Lydia’s hand. “Fine then, if none of you trust me, you don’t need to come.”

  “Audrey!” I heard my girlfriend shout behind me, her footsteps trailing behind as I began to peek inside the sparring rooms. “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean it! We obviously trust you!” Confusion filled her voice at my sudden change of attitude. Most of the rooms were used by other adventurers, but luckily, we found a group that was just leaving, so I quickly stepped inside to claim it.

  “I apologize as well, my guardian. I was ignoring your feelings.” Aurora’s sincerity was apparent, and I sent my forgiveness through the bond.

  Lydia walked behind me, her eyes filled with concern as the door closed. I moved to tie my hair up, turning away from her again in the process, but her hand reached out and held my wrist gently.

  “Hey… Audrey. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking about my words.” She said, and I finally met her gaze, still angry.

  “It’s not the teasing I care about, Lydia,” I said quietly. I knew better than anyone how I was, and it has never been a problem. I poke Lydia and the others just as much in return.

  “If it’s not that, then please tell me what's wrong.” She asked, and I bit my lip in frustration. I’m not even sure why… I just feel so…

  “You knew all this was here!” I said, gesturing at the simple sparring room around us. Wooden weapons—not just swords—sat on racks against the wall for training. The wooden floor was waxed to perfection, and our boots squeaked across the surface. Soft pads of animal fur are layered on the lower half of the walls to help prevent injury. “All we’ve been doing for the last two weeks is gathering quests and studying!” I said, my voice rising in volume more than I meant. I paused to take a deep breath and calm myself. “I knew it was for the rank exam and our income. But I also know that you enjoy those things… Not to mention all the time you’ve had to practice your new magic.”

  The words just poured out as I verbalized and sorted the messy feelings that had suddenly sprung inside me. Part of me knew I was being childish and unfair, but the way she had played dumb at the desk replayed in my mind.

  “Audrey… I—” She tried to speak, but I cut her off.

  “Were you even thinking of me?” I snapped, folding my arms as I stepped back to glare at her more. Her hand went limp and slipped from my wrist as her mouth parted slightly in shock.

  Anger was still a new emotion for me, and I never dreamed it’d be something directed at the person I loved most. Still, I was beginning to understand something important about it, and how flawed the relationship between Lydia and me had been until now.

  “Well?” I asked sharply. The silence stretched on, and tension filled the air as we stared at each other.

  The kind of love I wanted wasn’t superficial. Lydia and I loved each other; that much was just a fact. But being in love wasn’t just about what you liked about the other person. It was seeing every side of them, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly… And still choosing to accept them. The kind of love Lydia had shared with her siblings and parents.

  “Look at you, my guardian. You’ve come a long way.” Aurora whispered in my head, and I had to shake off the giddy smile that threatened to break my scowl.

  We needed to show each other every side of ourselves. Lydia had hurt my feelings; it was only fair that she knew that.

  ***

  Lydia

  My whole body ran cold as Audrey’s words rang in my mind, and my thoughts whirled. Not thinking of her? But I’m always… Denial flooded me initially, but I realized she was right as I reflected on the last two weeks. Audrey had been the one picking up the slack on the gathering quests so I could practice my magic, and while she did grumble, she always sat with me in the archive when I wanted to study.

  “I… You’re right, Audrey. I’m sorry.” I said, looking away, ashamed. A moment of silence fell over the room before a confused noise escaped my girlfriend.

  “H-huh?” My gaze was drawn back to her, but I didn’t understand why she was confused.

  “I said I was sorry,” I repeated. “It was unfair of me to ignore your needs.” I knew better than anyone else the type of person Audrey was. She was beautiful and energetic, and loved being active. “I promise to practice with you from now on.”

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  “Oh… Thank you.” Her puzzled expression was quite cute.

  “Why do you look so unsatisfied?”

  “I’m not…” She started. “It’s just… I was kind of expecting a fight.”

  Now it was my turn to be confused. “Why? I was in the wrong, and it’s only expected that I acknowledge that.”

  “It’s just, all the stories I read—When lovers fight, they yell and scream at each other before making up dramatically.”

  “Did you… want me to do that?” I stepped closer, the air changing around us to something more lighthearted. I tapped my finger against her chest with a small smile. “I can still get angry, if that’s why you prefer.”

  “N-No. It’s fine.” I watched her throat bob nervously as those sapphire eyes drifted away from me. “It’s just… You fought all the time with your family. You even get mad at Leah, but we’ve never done that…”

  Oh, I think I get it.

  “Audrey, every relationship is different. You're mistaken if you think I hold myself back around you.” I took another step closer, and she took a step back in turn.

  “I just want us to know each other completely…” She whispered, and that gave me pause. My hand caressed her cheek, and she finally looked at me again.

  “We do. We don’t fight because we have that honesty and openness between us,” I said gently. “It also helps that we are quite literally divinely connected, I’m sure.”

  “Divinely connected, huh?” Audrey’s eyes grew a little dark. “Do you think… We would still love each other if we were normal?”

  The question pierced my heart, and I even heard Azure gasp a little in the back of my mind. Still, the answer escaped me with no hesitation.

  “I don’t know.”

  My blunt response shocked the fear I saw in my girlfriend’s beautiful eyes away. “Y-You don’t know?” She repeated quietly, and I laughed a bit.

  “Of course I don’t, Audrey. A world where this connection between us doesn’t exist may be somewhere out there… but it’s not ours.” Whether my feelings for this girl were of my own volition or the result of our powers didn’t matter. “Because the only truth in this world is that I’m hopelessly in love with you, and there is no point second-guessing that.”

  Light returned to Audrey’s eyes, and she returned my smile with relief. “Of course.”

  Our hands intertwined, and I squeeze hers before pulling away again with a teasing wink. “Now, all that doesn’t mean our relationship is perfect. There’s still plenty about you I’m not particularly fond of.” The way her mouth fell open was very entertaining, and I made my way to the weapon rack and retrieved two wooden swords.

  “Like what?” She asked as I threw her one of the practice blades. She caught it effortlessly, and I couldn’t help but admire the casual way she moved.

  “You’ll have to beat me to find out, I suppose.” I teased as I took a ready stance, and she did the same.

  “From what my Sis has told me… You don’t stand a chance, Dia.” Azure commented unnecessarily in my head.

  “Of course I don’t.” Audrey had beaten me handily in the past, and that was before her time in actual combat. I had no doubt my girlfriend was much stronger than I knew, but that wasn’t the point. “I just want her to have fun.” It was my way of atoning for neglecting her these last two weeks.

  I refocused on Audrey as she accepted my challenge. “I’m excited… I haven’t fought for fun since leaving the capital.” Her murmur made my heart ache slightly, but I shoved the feeling down.

  “I’ll do my best to entertain you!” I said, then moved toward her as fast as possible. The grin that graced Audrey’s lips stole my breath away as she met my blade. I realized again in that moment that this was also a side of her I adored, and I missed it desperately.

  ***

  Lydia

  “I… Really didn’t think… It would be this one-sided…” I gasped out as I doubled over. The spar had barely lasted fifteen minutes, and we still had another fifteen until the rank exam started.

  “You’re out of shape, Lydia,” Audrey said, her arms wrapped around my body as she pulled me back against her. Her chin rested on my shoulder as I relaxed against her curves. “It makes sense, though, if we think about all the time you’ve been putting in magic practice recently.”

  Her accurate words made my face burn a little in embarrassment, but my heart also fluttered as I understood just how reliable Audrey had become. I could feel the toned muscles of her arms and stomach through the cloth of our uniforms, and it made me want to stay in her embrace forever.

  “You’re not even out of breath, and there’s barely any sweat on you!” I said with a pout, trying to distract myself from my thoughts.

  “Well, my fighting style has always been physically demanding.” She laughed. “I guess I’ve just grown used to it.” That is true… Even with magic, she typically doesn’t keep her distance.”

  “My guardian seriously needs to exercise more…” Azure muttered, and I gracefully ignored her until… “You’ll get fat.”

  “Excuse you? Princesses don’t get fat.” I said in defiance, but I couldn’t help how my fingers pinched at my stomach just to be sure. A sigh of relief escaped me as I found no squishiness.

  “What are you doing?” Audrey asked, and her hand lay over mine on my stomach.

  “Just making sure there’s no extra,” I said ambiguously, but my girlfriend smirked anyway.

  “Did Azzy say something about your lack of training?” She asked, and I turned my head away as my face flamed. “Don’t worry, even if you doubled in size, I’d still love you.”

  “I know that!” I scoffed, failing to mask my happiness and shame. “I wasn’t fishing for a compliment!”

  “Yet, I’m completely hooked on you.”

  “We’re not doing flirty fish puns,” I said seriously, which made her laugh even more.

  “Are you ladies done flirting yet?” A sudden voice made us both look toward the door in surprise, and a tall, bald man with well-groomed facial hair stood with his arms crossed. A massive battle axe was strapped to his back, and the leather straps of his armor hugged his muscular frame. When we didn’t respond, he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, and I could barely see some movement in the hallway. “My party would also like to practice, do you mind?”

  His curt tone made it clear he was pretty annoyed at us, so we separated quickly out of embarrassment and approached him.

  “Of course, sorry about that.” I apologized as we slid past him, but he only glared harder at me.

  “This line of work is no place for weak girls. If you want to flirt, go find a florist shop.”

  His insult made my blood boil, but Audrey just pulled me away with a pleasant expression on her face as she ignored the man and his party entirely.

  “He must not have seen your sparring match, if he dared to say such things,” Azure commented.

  “We would have noticed him if he had peeked in then,” I said while taking a few breaths to calm myself. In the middle of a fight, Audrey and I are both completely alert. We just let our guard down afterwards.

  “You can only think of each other when being all lovey-dovey.” My goddess sighed.

  Audrey and I spent the remaining time till the exam in the archive brushing up on some of my girlfriend's weaker areas of knowledge. When the time came for us to meet in the lobby, a loud bell echoed through the building. We joined the crowd back to the ground floor, and I kept a tight hold on Audrey’s hand to help comfort her as we were pushed against other people to accommodate the large gathering.

  A man with sharp features, and wearing a more embellished version of the guild uniform appeared and stood on a portable stand the staff had brought out.

  “For those who don’t know, I am the guildmaster of the Oylutz adventurers guild. My name is Zarek, and I am pleased to see so many hopeful examinees.” He continued on to describe what Lynn had already told us about the exams. We would draw lots to determine what testing group we were in for the written exam, which would be held in the various conference rooms of the building. The combat test would be inside the practice rooms, and it was up to us to decide when to take it, as long as we did so before the testing periods ended.

  After he finished, all the adventurers filtered through the desk lines once again to receive their written test placement. Audrey and I ended up in group 3, so we had nearly two hours before we had to report to one of the conference rooms.

  “We should get our combat exams out of the way.” I said, leading Audrey back to the sparring area. Luckily, we managed to get into a room and checked in with the guild proctor who said we should be finished well before our assigned time for the written portion.

  Since the combat exam was a one-on-one fight with a veteran adventurer, there was plenty of space along the edges of the room for spectators waiting their turn, and we joined the audience. The result we received wasn’t decided whether we win or lose, but judged solely on our performance.

  “Tch. Just great, we ended up in the same room as the little girls pretending to be heroes.” Audrey and I turned our heads to find the bald man who had caught us flirting before. Now, we finally got a good look at his party, which were all men.

  “Are you talking about us?” My girlfriend asked, pointing at herself in confusion.

  “Of course I am! Do you see any other little girls around?” The man retorted while crossing his arms. “This job is too dangerous for the likes of you.”

  “His words are harsh… But I don’t sense any hostile intent.” I observed as I let Audrey handle the conversation with the man. I had been too focused on his words and had let my anger get the best of me before, so I hadn’t noticed.

  “He does seem to be a bit different than those other lowlifes that dared to kidnap you.” Azure agreed.

  “So you’re worried about us? That's very sweet of you.” I heard Audrey say, which drew my focus back to the interaction. “But we’re both more than capable of handling ourselves. Plus, I’ve been trained with a sword, and Lydia here is learning the bow.”

  I cringed a bit as she mentioned my archery, because I hadn’t practiced as much as I should’ve. Now that I’m somewhat comfortable with my light magic, I should focus on the bow. The truth was, I enjoyed it immensely more than sword training, so I made a new commitment to training the way Daniel had shown me in the village.

  “Is that so?” The man scoffed, looking down at us. There’s that same look like he's worried about us. My opinion began to rise as I also realized his gaze never drifted to any suspicious places. “You don’t look it. Where’s all your muscle from swinging a sword all day?”

  “Swordsmanship isn’t just about strength.” Audrey countered with a smile. “My technique relies on speed, agility, and a mix of magic.” I let her statement slide because I didn’t think my girlfriend understood how strong she was physically. However, that’s likely because of her divinity.

  My own thoughts aside, her answer seemed the right one as the bald man relaxed a bit in thought, rubbing his beard as his gaze switched from concern to appraising.

  “I guess we’ll see the truth when you fight, little girl.” He said, and he and his party settled against the wall beside us. “I can tell by how you talk, you believe what you say, at least.”

  “My name is Audrey, not ‘little girl’.” Her cheeks puffed in that familiar way that showed her annoyance with something. It was a habit she shared with Sasha. My girlfriend is the cutest in the world, after all.

  “Right… Sorry about that.” The man said, slightly off balance from the unexpected sight. “And who’s your friend here, little– I mean, Audrey?” He gestured to me as he corrected himself.

  “This is Lydia. She’s my best friend and lover.” The area around us fell silent as Audrey just casually announced our relationship to the world. If I had been drinking something, I had no doubt I would have choked.

  “O-Oh? Congratulations?” Why does that sound like a question?!

  “Thanks; we’re very hap–” Finally, I covered her mouth with my hands as my face turned red.

  “Alright! That’s enough, be quiet now!” I said with embarrassment. My heart really can’t take it when she's so open about everything!

  Azure was laughing uncontrollably in my head, and I did my best to tune her out as I turned to the man, trying to salvage the situation.

  “Sorry about her. We’re indeed like that, but that doesn’t change the fact we’re still capable adventurers!”

  The man only stared at the two of us in shock before laughing with amusement. “You girls are quite the pair! You’re fun to be around, at least, but I’ll hold my judgments until after the exam.” He paused, then held his hand out with a smile. “The name is Bernard, and this is my party, ‘Shining Wind’, B-Rank. I apologize for my unwarranted comments until now.”

  I reached out and grasped his hand firmly. “Apology accepted… You were trying to provoke us on purpose, right?”

  “You saw right through me, huh? I’ve seen lots of newbies come and go… If they can’t handle a little prodding, then it’s usually for the best to let the guild know.” As he spoke, there was a flicker of sorrow, but it quickly disappeared.

  “I understand,” I said gently, trying to ease his mind. “But I believe you’ll appreciate the outcomes of our fights.”

  “I hope so as well.”

  After that, Audrey and I chatted leisurely with Bernard and his party as we watched the exam matches. Most of the adventurers in our room were D or C-rank, so they didn’t even come close to landing a blow on the A-rank we were set to fight. Still, I believed more than a few earned a promotion.

  “So, all of you are B-rank? That’s so cool!” Audrey asked excitedly. After Bernard dropped the act, so did his party. They all turned out to be decent men who treated the two of us as equals. It’s quite refreshing after everything…

  “We are! Trevor here just ranked up a few months ago.” Bernard said, pointing to one of his friends who smiled proudly.

  “My wife was more excited than anyone. I’m truly blessed to have her," the man in question said with a sheepish look. The rest of his party began to gang up on him with jokes, despite all being married themselves.

  The matches passed quickly with the company, and eventually, it was my turn. As my name was called, I squeezed Audrey’s hand and let go, a bit worried about her. But my concern was unnecessary because she excitedly wished me luck without a single flicker of fear.

  I moved to the center of the room, focusing on my breathing as I faced my opponent. I kept my sword sheathed, simply because it would only slow me down for this. Blue flames appeared around me as I intentionally kept the power down. The last thing Audrey and I needed was to draw more attention to ourselves, so we had agreed only to use our base magic.

  The A-Rank adventurer who stood as my opponent looked at me coolly, not a single flicker of hesitation on his face as we stared each other down. The guild proctor raised his hand and began the countdown.

  “3! 2! 1! Start!”