Bab 29: 29.Royal Banquet [6]:- Rivalry.
"I mean, I'll be participating in the tournament."
"Really?"
"Yes, but do you really think you'll be able to win?" Orion asked Adrian.
He knew Adrian was confident in himself in winning the tournament but now that Orion was also interested in winning the tournament, Orion wondered if Adrian would still feel the same way about the tournament.
Based on how excited and eager Orion was to win the tournament, Orion wouldn't be surprised to see Adrian suddenly feeling a bit less enthusiastic towards the tournament unlike before when he hadn't noticed Orion's presence in the hallway.
'He would probably think it would be best to let a royal family win the tournament again,' Orion thought to himself before returning his gaze back to Adrian while expecting a response from Adrian with reduced enthusiasm.
However, to his surprise, Adrian displayed a look of confidence on his face as he replied to Orion's question.
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll definitely win the tournament no matter who I face,"
Initially, Adrian's goal was to win the Junior Noble Elf Tournament, but after noticing the determined look on Orion's face, Adrian was able to assume that Orion was interested in breaking his mother's record and this made Adrian even more eager to see if he too could actually win against adults if he were to face against them in the tournament.
Before today, Adrian was satisfied with winning only the Junior Tournament, he was even prepared to admit defeat if he was asked to face against an adult, but after seeing the prince's determined look, Adrian wasn't going to allow a prince, younger than himself to win the tournament.
Now, he was eager to win it just as much as Orion.
This was his reason behind wanting to win the tournament and not just the Junior Tournament alone.
"Is that so," Orion said with a smile on his face. He really liked the look on Adrian's face as he stated his goal.
"Yes, your Highness." Adrian replied.
"I see. So, what's your name?"
"M-my name?" Adrian was puzzled as to why the prince would suddenly ask him for his name, and he hoped that he wasn't in any kind of trouble.
"Yes, you have one, right?"
"Y-yes, your Highness. My name is Adrian Meir and this here is Scott, my spirit guardian," Adrian introduced himself and his spirit guardian.
"It's nice to meet you, Adrian and Scott, my name is Orion Galdur Elfrida and she's Mia, my spirit guardian," Orion offered his hand to shake that of Adrian's.
Adrian was hesitant at first but he shook Orion's hand nonetheless.
As for Mia, Adrian dared not to offer his hand to shake her because he was certain he would be leaving the castle with broken bones if he tried such a thing.
It doesn't take a genius to know that Mia didn't liked him and the more she continued to glare at him, the more Adrian felt like burying himself in a hole.
'I can't wait to leave this place as soon as----' Adrian thought to himself with beads of sweat drizzling down his face but then, he suddenly heard Orion saying something to him.
"If it's okay with you, I would like to train with you once in a while before the tournament begins," Orion suggested.
"Huh? With me?" Adrian was taken aback.
"Yes, I'll discuss it with my mother, so that she'll allow us to spend some time together in the castle. If you want to, that is."
Adrian had two years of experience in training underneath, so it wouldn't hurt for Orion to train with Adrian once in a while.
"Um, does this mean I'll be coming over to visit you in the castle?"
"Yes, and of course, our activities in the castle won't be limited to just sparring with each other, we can do other things as well."
"Other things? Like what, your Majesty,"
"I don't know, maybe things like drinking tea or playing together, you know, things friends do together."
"H-huh? Your Highness? Are you saying you want me to be your friend?"
"Well, the choice is yours…"
"I'll be honored to be your friend, your Highness," Adrian swiftly accepted Orion's proposal. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined himself being friends with the prince of the kingdom.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime offer and Adrian grabbed his chance as quickly as possible.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Great, I guess this means we're friends now. I'm sure it will be nice to have my first friend visiting me to play and spar together."
"Y-your first friend?" Adrian couldn't believe what he just heard from the prince.
"Yes," Orion replied with a smile before releasing his hand from their handshake.
Adrian looked at the hand he had just used to hold that of the prince.
He slowly curled his fingers and tightened them into a fist while he replayed the words Orion said just now.
Everything still felt like a dream to him, but the feeling of the prince's hand on his was certainly real.
Adrian could see that Orion had acknowledged him as a friend.
Moreover, it looked like he would be Orion's first friend as well.
Adrian didn't want to lose the opportunity to become someone important to the prince.
He also saw this as his chance to become more than just a friend to Orion.
He wanted to be someone who would push Orion to the limit so that Orion would push him to his limit as well.
His fist tightened even more as his platinum blonde hair covered his forehead, casting a shadow over his eyes as he made up his mind on what he wanted to do.
"Y-your Highness?" Adrian called out, slowly raising his head to take a look at Orion's face.
"Hmm, what's wrong?"
"May I be so bold as to say what's currently on my mind?"
"Yes, you may."
"Thank you, your Highness, but as your friend, please don't think I'll go easy on you on the day of the tournament. Because, my goal is not to only earn the title of Earl, but I also want to give it my all with the hope of earning a prestigious noble title of Duke," Adrian said with a serious look on his face as he stared back at Orion not as a prince, but as his friend and rival.
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