Chapter 40: From Now On, You Are My Best Mate!

"Sophia! Don't be fooled by her appearance! She is wearing one of my family's items!" Edward raised his longsword and lunged toward Vivian.

Vivian held her staff; she was undoubtedly a mage. As a warrior, the best strategy against a mage is to close the distance before they can cast their spells.

You sat on Vivian’s shoulder, watching Edward charge toward you with a calm expression. An exquisite grimoire manifested beside you. Accompanying a sudden surge of a storm, a wall of wind blocked Edward’s path.

Though he was the son of a duke, Edward was a battle-hardened warrior and remained unflustered by the wind wall. His longsword radiated a silver-blue aura, and with a clean strike, he sliced right through the wind wall.

However, the very next second, a thick earthen wall stood in his way.

*Such fast casting speed!*

Edward’s eyes were filled with shock. He hadn't noticed any incantations, which meant these were instantaneous spells. Edward hesitated. He knew well that to achieve such a feat, one had to be at least a Level 6 Grand Mage—a powerhouse he could not afford to offend. Although she wore no rank badges, he had seen powerful mages who liked to "play the pig to eat the tiger" before.

Thinking this, Edward stopped. He shattered the earthen wall with his sword but did not advance further. Since the opponent hadn't pulverized him with magic, it meant she didn't want trouble. Continuing the attack might offend her and bring unnecessary complications. However, the ring on her hand was the Mad King’s Ring, a treasure of his family, so he still needed to make his stance clear. He shattered the wall so that, according to the dueling etiquette of the Imperial Capital, he could initiate a dialogue.

Edward plunged his sword into the ground and raised his hands to offer a salute...

Then, he saw a staff wreathed in pink flames whistling through the air, slamming directly into his head.

*Bang!*

The duke's son was sent flying by Vivian. His mind dazed, he looked toward Vivian, and for a fleeting moment, he felt his heart stop beating.

Bathed in the flames, Vivian’s long golden hair drifted in the breeze. Her simple robe looked remarkably holy upon her. Vivian gazed at him, and for some reason, he saw a flicker of concern in her eyes.

*She’s worried about me...*

Warmth welled up in Edward’s heart.

Ron silently covered his eyes.

Damn it! I am not writing a romance novel! Can you stop with these kinds of plot developments?

But it was hard to blame Vivian entirely. Sophia liked girls; that wasn't Vivian’s doing. Edward’s feelings were purely the result of the "Burning Passion" potion.

Damn! If I think about it that way, is the source of all this still my fault?

"Ah, is that so? I'm truly sorry!" Vivian listened to Sophia’s explanation, pressed her palms together, and gave an apologetic look.

Sophia waved her hands repeatedly. "Edward was the one who attacked first; we are the ones who should be apologizing."

You looked at the two beautiful girls interacting and sighed heavily. "I say... while you're talking, could you please go find that poor guy first?"

Vivian froze, then immediately turned to look in the direction Edward had been sent flying. "Eh? Where did he go?"

You said helplessly, "I suspect he's already rolled down to the foot of the mountain."

Before you could finish, you felt your body lift, then you were enveloped in softness.

"Wow! A talking cat!" Sophia hugged you happily.

You meowed, not minding the princess’s embrace. This new cat bed was just as large and soft. You were satisfied.

You opened your mouth, but it finally turned into a long sigh. Forget it. A man must face his own dirty little thoughts. If you self-reflect too much, it just ends up feeling pretentious.

Edward was finally found at the foot of the mountain. He lay there, staring at the sky with vacant eyes.

Vivian walked over, held down her skirt, and crouched. She poked Edward’s cheek with her staff. "Sorry, you charged at me so suddenly, I thought you were an enemy."

Edward regained his senses. He looked at Vivian, his expression growing solemn. As an Imperial Knight, Edward was firmly devoted to his admiration for Princess Sophia.

*My love for Princess Sophia is unwavering! Therefore, there can only be one explanation for that heartbeat just now!*

Edward raised his hand and patted Vivian on the shoulder, his expression exceptionally firm. "It seems you are my destined brother!"

"Huh?" Vivian was bewildered by Edward’s behavior.

Sophia quickly explained for Vivian. This was a tradition of the Lillard family. Each generation of Lillard heirs had two "destined brothers" who would help them through crises. In return, a Lillard would give everything for their sworn brother. Edward’s father, the current Duke Lillard, also had two sworn brothers: one was Sophia’s father, Roland VI, and the other was the Dean of the Imperial Academy of Magic.

As Sophia was explaining, Edward had already set up the ritual items, clamoring to swear brotherhood with Vivian. This ritual was also a legacy of the Mad King.

"This doesn't seem right," Vivian said, looking at the eager Edward, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Such an important position..."

Edward patted his chest. "My instincts are never wrong! You must be my destined brother!"

Clearly, Mr. Edward had mistaken the feelings brought on by the *Burning Passion* charm for his own intuition.

Vivian took a silent step back. She was seriously considering whether to stay a bit further away from this madman who was insisting on swearing brotherhood with her.

Sophia whispered to Vivian, "The Lillard family treats their sworn brothers better than their own kin; they will never refuse any request from them."

The clever princess had long since seen how much Vivian cared about the Ring of Holy Triumph. "As long as you swear brotherhood with him, he will certainly not ask for the ring back," Sophia said. She hadn't expected Edward to be crazy enough to want to swear brotherhood with a woman, but being mischievous by nature, she enjoyed the spectacle.

Vivian was indeed tempted. However, in the end, she refused; she didn't want to waste someone’s important position so casually.

Edward was slightly disappointed. At this moment, the favorability boost from the charm finally faded, and Edward realized, in hindsight, that he had been a bit rash.

This also aligned with the effects of Ron’s potion—the affection brought on by the drug would fade before the favorability was fully maxed out. That was why he usually forced it to the maximum in one go.

Edward still felt a bit of regret, but he said earnestly to Vivian, "Since that’s the case, I won't force it. Let this Mad King’s Ring be a gift from me to you."

Vivian, who had intended to return the item, was pleasantly surprised by Edward’s words. She hurriedly rummaged through her belongings, trying to see if she had anything to give in return.

"Then take this!" Vivian pulled out a bottle of pink potion.

???

You darted out of Sophia’s arms, jumped onto Vivian’s head, and scratched her indignantly.

"Ow! Ouch!" Vivian cried out in pain, clutching her head with teary eyes as she crouched down.

"We owe you a favor," you said, standing atop Vivian’s head and looking at Edward. "When you encounter any danger, you can come to us for help."