Chapter 10: Chapter 9 – Cold But Sweet

“There it is!” Alessia pointed towards a small shop on the side of a narrow street. 

There was a sign hanging over it, with the words "Dairy Prince" and the picture of a boy with a cape holding an ice cream as a sword.

“Ice cream…..”

“Do you not like it?” Alessia asked.

“I’ve just never tried ice cream before.”

“What?!” Alessia gasped. “You’ve never tried ice cream? Not even once? What have you even been doing with your life?”

“I’ve pretty much just been training most of my life. I haven’t really had the time to try out that sort of thing.”

“That’s too sad!” Alessia grabbed my hand. “Well today, I’m going to show you what happiness tastes like!”

She dragged me towards the door and we both entered the store. 

“I’m back!” Alessia said.

"Oh, if it isn't Alessia! Welcome back!" 

A woman standing behind the counter greeted her casually, as if Alessia was a regular customer. The interior of the place was rather cozy. The walls were painted a creamy white, decorated with various ingredients, chalk-filled blackboards and wooden displays to make the most out of the small space the store had. The main highlight of course, would be the big glass case containing a variety of frosty sweets we call ice cream.

"And is that…." the woman covered her mouth. "Oh my…you have a boyfriend already?! I see you've grown into a fine young lady. How time flies so fast!"

"N-no, we're just friends," we both said in unison.

"I see. What a shame….he's such a cutie too."

Why does this situation feel familiar?

"Hehe, I'm a little embarrassed to hear that, but thanks," I smiled.

"What's your name, cutie?" she said with such a sweet tone, particularly her last word. 

"L-Lars."

“Nice to meet you, Lars,” she giggled.

What's up with older women these days? Even back at home too….they treated me like I was some adorable little puppy. Are they all like this? 

"Well then, what would you like to order?"

"I'll have the usual Cookies and Cream!" Alessia said.

"Well…"

I looked at the catalog of colors on the glass display. All different flavors, each having something special to offer. Whatever I choose will be my first ever taste of ice cream. Should I choose wisely? Or does it even matter? Maybe I should just go with my gut.

"I'll choose this one," I pointed towards a tray.

"Oh, the classic vanilla. Pure, white, innocent and humble. A gentle flavor perfect for a person's first time."

The lady sunk the scooper down the cold surface and pulled downward, slowly rolling the creamy substance over until it formed a big ball of sweet goodness. She placed it on top of a waffle cone and handed it over to me.

"Here you go, Lars. Your first-ever vanilla experience."

"Thank you."

I picked up the ice cream from the lady and inspected it up close. A milky white head rests upon the waffle-weave cone, ready to be eaten at any moment. Is it truly as good as they say it is? I'm not exactly the type who indulges in sweets, stuff like this isn't common back in Sector 7. 

"What are you waiting for, Lars?" Alessia asked, holding an ice cream of her own. "Aren't you going to eat it?"

“I haven’t paid for it though.”

“I’ll pay for you. Consider it my treat.”

“You don’t have to-”

“I’m here to cheer you up! What’s the point if you’re just going to pay for it anyway?” 

She looked at me with those cute begging blue eyes, so I couldn’t contest any longer.

“Sigh, fine. But please, let me treat you next time.”

“All right, that’s a deal!” she smiled. 

“You two really act like a cute couple….” the lady said.

“We’re not!” we said.

Although we weren’t a couple, I always thought Alessia was a pretty girl. But I feel like I’m still way out of her league. I need to get stronger so I can stand by her side as equals. Maybe then, I would consider having an interest in her.

We left the ice cream shop and walked down the street with our ice cream cones. I looked towards Alessia, who was already licking up her ice cream with her tongue. She seemed to be enjoying it a lot. After a while, she turned to look at me and pouted.

“When are you going to eat your ice cream?”

“Ah, oops. Sorry, I forgot.”

Looking back at my ice cream, tiny droplets of vanilla were starting to leak down the cone. I stuck out my tongue towards the creamy surface and started to lick. Pulling my tongue back and smacking it to the roof of my mouth, a sweet stimulation began to breach through my taste buds.

“This is good….”

“I know, right?”

The next thing I knew, my tongue was moving on its own, continuously seeking for that next batch of sweetness. This is honestly addicting, it feels like such a guilty pleasure. Do I even deserve to taste such a delicacy?

“How was it? Do you understand the glory of ice cream?”

“Yep. I’ve tasted happiness.”

“That’s good to hear!”

“You know, ice cream reminds me of something,” I muttered.

“What is it?” Alessia looked at me like a curious cat.

“It’s cold, but sweet. Just like you.”

“W-What?!” Her face flushed red and looked away. 

“A-Ah! I’m sorry, I just blurted that out of nowhere,” I let out a nervous grin and looked away as well.

“I’ve said it before, I’m not that sweet.”

I turned to look back at her.

“Somewhere deep inside, I’m a cold ruthless woman that people are afraid of. No matter how hard I try to be sweet, it will always come back to me like it’s who I naturally am,” she gripped her arm. “The Ice Princess, that is my true self.”

“I would have to agree. But, you’re wrong about one thing.”

I patted her forehead. “I’ve said it before. You’re cold, but sweet. The Ice Princess may be aloof, but she can also be kind to everyone. Your true self is simply a combination of the two. The fact that you’re trying your best means your heart is in the right place. If no one sees that, then that’s fine. Because I’m here for you. I’ll stand by your side if no one will.”

“Lars…..thanks,” Alessia smiled softly. “I’m lucky to have you around.”

“No problem.”

“Anyways, I better get to the last person I need to apologize to.”

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“Cyrus, right?”

“Yes, he lives here in Sector 1, so there’s no need for worry.”

Cyrus. Another one of my teammates in the exams. He’s a selfish guy, but at least he didn’t bother screaming at me for my mistakes. Well, that’s because he ditched the group and ran off on his own anyway. I wonder if he passed the exams though…..

We arrived over at his house and rang the doorbell. The brown-haired boy opened the door and looked at us with his red eyes.

“T-The ice princess? What are you doing here?” Cyrus’ eyes widened.

“S-Sorry for killing you!” Alessia bowed.

Cyrus stared at her for a long moment, before opening his mouth.

“Seriously? There’s no need to apologize. That’s what the point of the exams are. The strong prevails and the weak turns to ash, simple as that.” Cyrus crossed his arms. “Look, as a Mage, I acknowledge your strength as the Ice Princess and admit my defeat.”

This reaction wasn’t something I expected from him…..

“Just know, this isn’t over,” Cyrus showed off the back of his hand, showcasing the Enforcer Mark. “I’ll surpass you one day and become the best Enforcer there is! Then I’ll become a Hero! Mark my words!”

“Thank you so much! I’m happy you think that way!” Alessia said.

“Hmph.”

This guy……he has the same ambitions as me. We’re both trying to reach the top. So I can’t lose!

“Cyrus!” I called out to him.

“Oh, it’s the sword guy. What’s a failure like him doing with you?” Cyrus ignored me.

“I didn’t fail the exam,” I grinned and showed my Enforcer Mark to him.

“You passed….with a sword?! No way. I don’t believe it,” Cyrus’ jaw dropped.

“You better believe it, he put up a better fight than you did against me,” Alessia smiled.

“B-But how?”

“I’ll show you, when the semester begins. I’m also aiming to become a Hero, so that means we’re rivals!” I pointed towards him.

“You, a Hero? With a sword and no magic talent? You really think you can beat me?”

“I-I’ll find a way!”

“Heh, go ahead and try. We’ll meet again, in the Academy,” Cyrus scoffed and closed the door.

Phew, I really called him out like that……..That was kind of embarrassing.

“Lars, you want to become a Hero?” Alessia asked. “You do know how hard it is to become a Hero? Even most of the best Enforcers like my Father who worked hard for years were never able to attain that status. The Heroes are the chosen elite few of the Enforcers. Blessed by the Council themselves. Those who stand at an unreachable peak beyond everyone else. Do you really think you can do it?”

“No,” I said. “But my master’s legacy burns deep within me. Even if I can’t do it, I’ll do whatever it takes to get there. After all, I would rather live my life chasing my dreams than to regret never doing anything.”

“Heh, that’s a fair point,” Alessia said. “Might as well aim to be a Hero too.”

“We’re rivals too, then!” I smiled.

“Yeah, let’s aim for the top together!” Alessia said. “Let’s make a promise to never stop chasing after our dream!”

“Sure thing.”

Alessia pulled out her pinky and smiled. “Pinky promise?”

I scoffed. 

“Pinky promise.”

……….

Eggs.

One would consider them as the most basic ingredient in the realm of the culinary arts. Yet such a simple thing can be transformed into many different forms. The amount of ways you could cook them may very well be boundless. It’s only a matter of what you choose to do with it.

I choose to crack the eggs, pour them all into a bowl and whisk the contents with the swirling of my hand. The spherical shapes of the yellow yolk start to break away, mixing along with the egg whites and blending together as one. Placing the pan on the stove, I turn up the heat. Medium to low fire, produced by a magic crystal known as Red Magium. I drop a piece of butter onto the hot surface, spreading it around the pan as it slowly melted into liquid. Following that, is the gentle pouring of beaten eggs. I picked up the spatula and started scrambling the eggs around.

“I’m really glad to have you around, Lars,” Miss Felicia said, chopping down some apples right beside me. “You’ve been a great help with the housework, it takes a huge load off our shoulders. But you don’t have to do so many chores all the time!”

“It’s fine. There’s nothing much for me to do anyway, since the academy hasn’t started yet. I might as well just use all my free time to be productive. Besides, it makes me happy to be of service to anyone,” I said.

“Ah….I feel so lucky! To think that we took such a good boy into our household, my husband truly does have a good eye for people!”

“I’d have to agree, that’s probably why he chose to marry a sweet person like you.”

Miss Felicia placed her hands on her cheeks and fidgeted around. “Lars, you never seem to miss when it comes to compliments!”

It's been a week since I started living with the Crosswell Family. I'm extremely grateful that they gave me a place to stay. If it weren't for them, I would have wasted time and money just to look for a good place close to the Academy. Being able to live in Sector 1 is such a privilege. I've heard that many students could only settle for places in the neighboring sectors and would have to take the train to go to school everyday. 

That's why I wanted to show my gratitude by doing whatever I can around the house and taking some of the family's burdens. This included things like cooking meals, sweeping the floor, cleaning the bathrooms, washing the dishes, doing the laundry and sharing some errands with Alessia. 

Whenever there's nothing left to do, I would either be borrowing books from Sir Alvarro's office or training my sword skills. Time continued to fly by and eventually there was only a day left until the academy starts classes.

I couldn't sleep that night due to the excitement I felt, so I decided to do a couple of sword swings to ease my mind. That was when I heard a knock on my door.

"Who's there?" 

"It's Sir Alvarro."

I opened the door for the dignified man in glasses and bowed my head.

"Is there something you'd like for me to do, Sir?"

"Follow me, there's something I want to show you."

As I followed behind his footsteps, Sir Alvarro went downstairs and led me down to the basement of the house. The place was usually locked, so I've never been here before. A punching bag on one corner, a workbench with disassembled gun parts on the other, some weights on the side of the wall and an open space at the very middle. But what caught my eye was a wooden rack of swords, spears and axes placed right beside where Sir Alvarro was standing.

“What do you think?” Sir Alvarro turned to me.

“Master’s house back at Sector 7 had a bigger training room,” I said. 

“Well, it is the Hero Artorias’ home. I wouldn’t be surprised,” Sir Alvarro smiled. “I remember when he used to teach hundreds of students on the art of the blade, even after the rise of the Gun Renaissance. But ever since he came back from the Great Surface Expedition, he threw away his status as Hero and shut himself in his home, refusing to speak with anyone. Truly a waste of talent, if you ask me.”

He stared sharply into my eyes, as if he were trying to search for some sort of answer from me.

“Yet here you are, claiming to be his adopted son and last apprentice.”

I closed my eyes and sighed. “Do you still doubt me? I’m sorry if-”

“No, I don’t doubt you. The look in your eyes and the ring on your finger is enough to tell me the truth. But what I do question is why he decided to teach you the path of the sword, despite pushing everyone else away from his life.”

“He wouldn’t tell me either. All I understood was that I was the only person he could talk to.”

Sir Alvarro picked up two wooden swords and threw one towards me. I caught it with my hand and raised my eyebrow. 

“Is this what I think it is?” I questioned.

Sir Alvarro pointed his sword towards me.

"Let's have a sparring match, shall we?"

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