Several days later and Elric was readily convinced of the similarities between Flania and Crazy. Many-a-times Elric almost began to think the princess really 

was

 Crazy. In his eyes, the princess and Crazy were essentially two peas in a pod and different only by physical appearance.

Regardless of the tactic used, Elric was never able to find an answer. In fact, more questions were formed when the other magi realized how something was wrong when they found Elric’s body devoid of mana.

In the end, it was Kebrilio that came up with a plausible answer to their problems. Because Elric used magic beyond his body’s limits, it resulted in his magic kicking back and inflicting temporary amnesia. It’d also explain his inability to gather mana. Ultimately, Kebrilio vowed to help Elric regain his memories and be able to use magic again.

Kebrilio was a magus of considerable worth and could accomplish almost anything he put his mind to. But despite constant experimentation and research, he was unable to treat Elric’s ailment. Having not really expected a cure, Elric always made sure to reassure Kebrilio whenever an experiment failed, saying that he would learn to adapt to his new situation.

It was a state of affairs that made the Karthian magi start to treat Elric better. From the best magus, Kebrilio, to the court magi, everyone spoke to Elric like a brother almost from the same social class.

The knights, whether it was the Royal Knights from Sovereign or the Paladins from Karth, members of both knighthoods referred to Elric as a hero.

Elric was being treated as an idol by everyone in both groups in no time at all.

The pressure soon became too much for Elric to bear. Before, he had to suffer a similar problem with almost the entirety of Sovereign learning about his mistake in the king’s court. Now, that same story was being circulated to the Karthian magi and paladins along with his more recent feats. Practically everyone he met nowadays would ask about a detail from one of those stories, making it extremely uncomfortable for Elric and prompting him to find places to hide.

The kicker was when someone disclosed the fact that he was the personal property of Crazy. 

That

 had made the news and saw to Elric trying his best to hide for an even longer amount of time.

For that reason, Elric forced himself to master a new technique—the art of disguise. He had to learn it himself, but it was worth it—especially since he was still halfway to the capital of Karth, Waldsk. 

But learning how to disguise himself didn’t do much to help Elric. The princess never managed to gain any crucial information from Elric, but that didn’t stop her from hounding him.

He was becoming more and more popular amongst the Karthian paladins and magi. He was the 

perfect

 chess piece for the game that was politics, why in the world would Flania leave him alone?

That being said, she didn’t forget the humiliation she felt after he embarrassed her in her father’s court. So she spent a few days rigorously training him to be a polite and competent envoy. It was a program she herself had devised.

And of course, being the one to devise it, the princess was more than willing to be the teacher.

And to make sure Elric was properly disciplined, Flania even made sure to enlist the help of Kebrilio.

The amount of people constantly going in and out the princess’ residence soon earned it a nickname from the Karthians: the Royal Circus.

The days and nights spent in Crazy’s laboratory ranked high on Elric’s list of ‘things he’d never miss’. But the longer this trip became, the more Elric began to rethink that list. He had to admit, those days spent in the Forest of Illusions 

might

 actually be more preferable than the teachings of the princess. For practically twenty hours of any given day, Elric was forced to undergo a strict schedule to learn more about social etiquette. The worst part was how sleeping was included in this twenty-hour schedule. Sometimes even the prince would get involved in all the ‘fun’.

There was one thing about these lessons that didn’t sit right with Elric. Sometimes, he’d see some of the paladins cover their mouths with their hands and look away when he came around. Even Kebrilio would often give him a smile that wouldn’t quite reach his eyes as if there was something not quite right.

Not even his friends, Kite, Belladonna, Jerry, and Jack, were unable to help him. Whenever he sought out one of the four, they’d make an excuse about having a pressing matter to attend to before leaving.

No matter how many times he looked at himself, Elric couldn’t figure out what was wrong. It didn’t seem like there was anything wrong with his body either.

And yet he couldn’t deny the changes in his demeanor. No one would assume Elric was the son of a grocer, but rather a prince of some kingdom. Truly, the princess was an excellent teacher in this regard.

She was a teacher whose torturous methods were also very effective. Everything she taught left a memorable impression in Elric’s mind (very much like how Crazy used to teach him). They both even used fatigue as a weapon to beat those habits straight into Elric’s life (also similar to how Crazy did it).

The group was already within the vicinity of Waldsk by the time Elric finished his training with the princess. When they entered, the group could all agree that there was a festive aura in the air.

Was today the Day of Triumph? Counting the days since they left Sovereign, Elric had to guess it was already time for that.

Elric could remember his father closing up shop every year on this day. The two of them would head into the forest to hunt for boar or fish and bring them back to the village. That night, the entire town would have a bonfire in the plaza and the children would always take part in a performance. The mayor would only start the feast once the performance was over, but the night would always grow to a feverish pitch from there on out. People would eat, drink, and be merry. In their town, the Day of Triumph was a three-day celebration, though Elric’s father would always resume business like normal on the second day. But Elric himself would be given time off, so this holiday was always very special to him.

He had to wonder how the Day of Triumph would be celebrated in Karth.

It was at this moment Kebrilio came walking by Elric’s side. He noted how Elric was so fascinated with the celebrations and walked with him to share the festive sights of the city.

“Ah, once again the Day of Triumph celebration is upon us. I remember celebrating this day in my younger days…Elric, you’re not seventeen yet, do remember you’ll need to perform in a few days then.” Kebrilio smiled.

“There’s that tradition here too?” 

“Of course. The Day of Triumph originated here in Karth.” Kebrilio explained, “Ah, your princess was looking for you earlier. You should hurry over and see what she wants. Though I fear she will most likely wish to test your training.”

There it was. That same strange smile. Her request wouldn’t be as simple as he’d like, most likely.

Thanking the magus, Elric turned to head over to where the princess was. He hadn’t even entered the front door when the princess called out to him, “Elric, I hope that you will remember your duty and stay in place now that we are here in Waldsk. Remember your duty.”

Then she turned around to her attendants. “Go and help Sir Elric prepare.”

Elric was already used to being forced to dress up in outfits and whatnot over the course of the last few weeks. But sometimes, he had to ask himself a single question.

Was it really necessary to make something as simple as clothes into a complicated mess?