"Noooozzeeeeeelllllll!"

Everyone around the silver-haired Magic Knight all laughed out loud at his predicament when they heard their Captain's comical shout and Nozel's resigned sigh. Their Captain burst into the lounge of the Grey Deer seconds later and glomped the irritated Knight affectionately.

"You are a lifesaver! What would I do without you?"

"Captain, I would like to politely request for you to get off me."

"Nozel! Don't be so cold!"

Yami took another puff of his cigarette as he watched the unfolding debacle with a grin. About damn time people took notice of the silver-haired siscon. He had only been in service for half a year and yet he is already raking in Stars left and right like he is a farmer harvesting corns on a field.

"At this rate, we will be ranked as the best squad in the next Star Awards Festival!" Captain Julius said with bright eagerness as he clenched a fist and looked up at the ceiling with blazing determination. "The Grey Deer are so going to win this!"

Their Captain's proclamation got hoots of approval from the squad as they all toasted to his words. He and William looked on with equal anticipation. This is the first time their squad had such an overwhelming advantage over the rest. While their squad has been consistently ranked as one of the top squads every year, they are not always guaranteed a win. This is the first time they had flung all their competitors so far behind that they could barely be seen. There is still half a year before the next festival and Nozel had already earned them enough Stars to the extent that most of the other squads had gave up trying to win the competition.

Captain Julius was right to bring Nozel into the Grey Deer.

Nozel's addition was initially received with mixed reactions. The negative responses were mainly from those who comes from noble and royal families, people who viewed Nozel as a disgrace to the ruling class for getting himself exiled. However, Nozel had set them straight immediately by single handedly beating them into the dirt every single time such negative responses were spat to his face. No one had talked shit about him after that. Nozel is a quiet and patient person, but his temper is something to be wary about the moment his tolerance reached its limit.

Like what the older folks always say, it is always the quiet ones that you have to watch out for.

Nozel is the best candidate their squad has in dungeon-conquering missions. The successful completion of such missions can often take a long time even for an experienced group of Magic Knights. However, Nozel can solo a dungeon with no problems, freeing up a lot of extra manpower that their Captain can assign for other missions that are trickier to deal with. The speed at which Nozel conquered dungeons had earned both himself and the squad many Stars. Conquering a dungeon is a significant matter because they often hold valuable artefacts inside. Acquiring them would mean bolstering the country's strength. It is often an arms race against the other neighbouring countries whenever a newly dungeon emerged along their borders. Historically, there wasn't a clear winner leading the race.

Until Nozel appeared and suddenly, Clover found themselves with a significant lead.

Nozel's mad craze in conquering dungeons one after another without stop is because like him and William, they all wish for their Captain to be selected as the next Magic Emperor. They all believe that Julius Novachrono will be the one that can bring about positive changes for their Kingdom. If Grey Deer is able to consistently produce stellar results, then it will reflect well on their Captain and his leadership abilities. His chances of becoming the next Magic Emperor will be a lot higher if the squad he leads consistently clinched the top spot in every Star Awards Festival.

Hence, the reason why his Captain is so excited right now. Nozel's contributions had earned them a lot more Stars than they usually do and indirectly, significantly increased Captain Julius's chances of becoming the next Magic Emperor.

After the usual hubbub is over and William finally managed to placate their hyperactive Captain to go back to deal with his paperwork, Nozel went back to his room. He emerged with a small bag about ten minutes later.

"You are leaving already?" Yami asked curiously. Didn't Nozel just returned from conquering another dungeon two days ago?

"I'm taking a short break. I promised Noelle that I will be back today."

"Oh right, you are a siscon." Yami said with a look of realisation on his face. Everything the siscon does is somehow related to his little sister. "Well then, bye."

His stoic comrade waved his own farewell before leaving the HQ of the Grey Deer. Yami personally thinks that if his Captain really wants to thank someone for convincing Nozel to join the Magic Knights, he should be doing so to the Roselei house. If it wasn't for them helping Nozel raise his little sister whenever he is too busy to do so, Nozel wouldn't have been convinced to be a Magic Knight and Captain Julius wouldn't have things as easy as they are.

Still, is there anything going on between the siscon and Princess tsun tsun? Like, anything at all? Surely it isn't possible even for someone as stoic as the siscon to not feel anything towards the cold beauty of the Blue Rose? It is as obvious as day that the prickly noblewoman has a thing for the siscon, her knight in shining armour who had saved her from her curse. The story of how the two of them first met is like reading the classic fairy tale of a knight in shining armour saving the damsel in distress, just that this fairy tale is a real tale that actually happened.

Nozel doesn't have a house to stay in at the Royal City and their squad's HQ isn't the best place to raise an impressionable kid which is his little sister. Hence, after many persuasions on the Roselei's part, who are determined to repay their debt to the person that had saved their entire house, they had convinced Nozel to stay at the Roselei's mansion whenever he is off duty and for Noelle to be raised under the care of the Roselei house. This arrangement is also easier for the Roselei house to help Nozel care for Noelle whenever Nozel is off serving their Kingdom.

Maybe he should give the siscon and Princess tsun tsun a little push in the right direction? Not only would that relieve him of his boredom, but it can help to dispel the awkwardness hanging in the air whenever the two of them are seen together. Especially Princess tsun tsun, she needs to stop stuttering and acting like an airhead whenever she is in the siscon's presence. The siscon, on the other hand, looks as if he is totally oblivious to the feelings the Queen of spiny pricks has for him. Yami isn't sure if the siscon is really ignorant of them or if he chose to act unaware.

Oh well, none of his business. He isn't really cut out for this stupid romance crap anyway. He had always been the type to solve everything with his trusty katana. After all, if violence isn't able to help solve your problems, then it can only mean that you are not using it enough.

"Lord Roselei."

The current head of the Roselei house and father to Charlotte Roselei paused in his tracks and turned around. The royal and noble families had just finished their meeting with the King of the Clover Kingdom. He had barely taken a few steps after the meeting had concluded before someone had called him by his title.

Ah, the head of the Silva house. He can see where this is going now.

"Lord Silva." He greeted coolly as he mentally braced himself for what is to come. This is going to be such a pain. "What can I help you with?"

"You know full well what I am talking to you for." The patriarch of the Silva house hissed in clear hostility. "Do not take me for a fool."

"Then let's not beat about the bush." The leader of the Roselei house said without giving any signs that he is backing down. "You had disowned Nozel and Noelle. They are no longer a part of your house and they are free to do whatever they want. You no longer have any control or hold over them. My house also owes them a life debt by lifting the curse on my daughter. We are repaying it by helping Nozel take care of Noelle whenever he isn't free to do so. I don't see any legal or political repercussions in this arrangement or any reasons for you to have any disagreements."

"They are my children, Roselei." Lord Silva growled out. "Even if they are no longer a part of the Silva house, they-"

"How very weird." The Roselei in question looked totally unbothered by the threatening tone used on him as he inspected his nails without a care in the world. "Last I heard from Nozel, you had nearly killed Noelle, your daughter, in your rage. If it wasn't for Nozel's intervention, Noelle might have died on her fifth birthday. I am starting to have serious doubts about your claim that Nozel and Noelle are your children from how you had treated them. I certainly don't try and kill Charlotte even when I am angry with her."

This revelation got the many other representatives of the other royal and noble families to murmur among themselves as they watched the public spectacle play out in front of their eyes. Lord Silva is now visibly seething in rage.

"Watch your tongue, Roselei. You are but of a noble house while the Silva house hails from the royal families. We can easily squish you like a bug."

"Your threats mean nothing to me, Lord Silva. My house did nothing wrong for us to be persecuted. Your impulsive actions will only bring further shame to your house. Please think thrice before going through your threats for it will definitely not end well for you."

The murmurs had gradually gotten louder and people are starting to point fingers. Seeing that he is at a disadvantageous position, Lord Silva dropped the argument and stormed past him angrily, but not before dropping one last threat.

"I will not let this slide, Roselei."

Lord Roselei is many things, but he is not one to ever back down from a fight. He is not one to back down when the right thing to do is to stand firm in what he believes in.

"I stand by what I said, Lord Silva. My family did not do anything wrong in repaying our life debt to Nozel and Noelle by providing them with a roof over their heads. You can try to take action, but do remember that we will be forced to respond in kind if you do so. The Roselei house may be just a noble family, nothing as impressive as the Silva house, but we will not stand by and watch if acts of injustice were carried out in front of us. That includes such acts committed by royal families. The Roselei house has been diligently protecting the Clover Kingdom for generations and we offer our protection to any citizen that needs it, including exiled royals who had done nothing wrong. The Roselei house will offer Nozel and Noelle their protection for as long as they need it."

Lord Silva continue his march forward towards the exit as he spoke.

"Once a Silva, always a Silva. You cannot keep Nozel and Noelle away from me forever."

"All children will eventually learn how to fly from the safety of their parents' nest as they grow. I am not keeping them away from you, but rather, they are unwilling to return to their nest since they are unwelcomed there. It saddens me that we are unable to come to an understanding on this issue, Lord Silva." Lord Roselei cleared his throat before deciding to add another sentence. He just cannot resist taking another jab at the Head of the Silva house. He wants a perfect finishing touch to the end of this argument.

"Have a good day, Lord Silva, I bid you farewell. I will make sure to take care of your children as if they are my own, so don't worry too much about them."

The sight of Lord Silva nearly exploding into steam was satisfying to watch.

"Big brother!" Noelle exclaimed happily the moment she spotted her big brother walking through the gates that guard the Roselei mansion. She ran up to him and caught him in a big hug.

"Noelle." Her big brother greeted her with that usual soft smile. He is back! Her big brother is back!

"Look!" Noelle eagerly displayed what she can now do as she summoned some water before manipulating them into various shapes, showing him how much better her control over her magic has grown to be. "I am able to do shape manipulation now!"

"Good job, Noelle." Her brother praised her as per usual whenever she did something worthy of one. There's no hiding the pride in his voice. "Is there anything you want to do today? I have the next few days off."

"Really?" Noelle asked in excitement. Ever since her brother finally decided to do what he truly wants to do and be a Magic Knight, she is seeing lesser and lesser of him. It was a little hard to get used to initially, but she knows that her brother needs to stop obsessing over her well-being and she needs to stop being so dependent on him. Her brother deserves to be recognised for his abilities and where else is more suited for him to shine other than the Magic Knights?

That doesn't make his absence any harder to deal with, but she is her brother's sister. She can deal with a little loneliness. She will show him that she is a big girl now and she can take care of herself, but she will also not miss out on any chance to spend time with her beloved big brother.

"Can we go explore the newly opened bazaar? I haven't got a chance to see it yet!"

Her brother ruffling her hair fondly is the only confirmation she needs.

"So pretty!"

"If you really want it, I can buy it for you."

Noelle looked back to the brooch in her hand. Something as pretty as this have to be costly, right? She shouldn't burden her brother anymore. She is turning seven and she is a big girl now.

The decision was literally taken out of her hands when her brother suddenly took the brooch and passed it to the vendor to inquire its price. A minute later, the same brooch is pinned to her dress.

Her brother really needs to stop spoiling her.

The bazaar is sprawling with activities and just the sight of it gets Noelle excited, causing her to drag her brother from stall to stall in her enthusiasm. Sometimes it is just to do some window shopping, other times they will grab a bite or two if there are any snacks that look delectable. There are also several stalls that allow them to play some games for a few yul and while she didn't win any of them, the games are fun.

It is fun because she gets to play with her big brother.

"Big sis Charlotte!"

Spotting her older sister figure among the crowd makes her even happier. Charlotte is not her older sister by blood, that honour goes to Nebra, but Charlotte has been more of a big sister to her in this short span of half a year as compared to the five years she had lived in the Silva house with Nebra. Noelle can feel that Charlotte's feelings towards her are genuine, that Charlotte isn't being nice to her out of a sense of duty to repay the 'life debt' her family owes to her brother, but because she really views Noelle as her younger sibling.

"Noelle? N-Nozel?"

Charlotte walked up to them with a look of pleasant surprise on her face. She is dressed in her armour. Is she on duty? And oh, her big sis Charlotte is blushing at her big brother's presence again!

"Big sis! Are you doing window shopping too?"

"I am on duty, Noelle." Charlotte responded with a laugh as she ruffled the hair on Noelle's head with affection. "Members of the Blue Rose take turns to patrol these streets regularly. It is my turn to do so today."

"Awww mannnnn." Noelle whined at the thought. "It would be so much more fun if you and big brother can go shopping with me! You two can go on a date!"

Charlotte visibly sputtered and Noelle watched in hidden amusement as the face of her older sister figure turned redder than a tomato. Teasing big sis Charlotte is always so much fun!

"How did you even know about dating? What kind of books have you been reading?" Her brother pulled on her ear as he chided her. "If it is those crappy romance novels, I am going to burn them the moment we get back. You are still too young to be reading those."

"B-Big brother! They are not crappy novels!"

"So you do have those. I am going to burn them down later."

"Big brother! These books are not mine! They belong to big sis! You cannot just burn them!"

She counted the pause her brother took as a win. She mentally thanked whatever deities up there that she has a ready-made excuse in the form of her big sis Charlotte.

"Big sis has the best books! You should try reading them!"

"N-Noelle had said that it can be a little boring at home, so I told her she can read the books I kept on the bookshelf in my room."

Noelle did a mental cheer in her head. Big sis Charlotte! You are a godsend! Also, her big sis didn't stammer that much anymore in her brother's presence. Guess all the time she spent in secret teaching her big sis about her brother's likes, dislikes, and quirks had finally paid off! Now all she needs is a little nudge here and a little push there for her big sis Charlotte to really be her big sis! There's no way her stoic brother did not pick up on big sis Charlotte's feelings for him, right? If even a six-year-old like her can spot it, surely her brother did?

If her big sis Charlotte can really be her big sis, then life will be perfect.

The look on her brother's face told her that he didn't quite buy the flimsy explanation, but he did not press the issue any further.

"Big sis Charlotte! Go shopping with us! Pleeeeeassee?"

"I am on duty, Noelle."

"Pleeeeeassseeeee?'

"Don't put Charlotte in a difficult spot." Her brother put her whining to a stop when he flicked her forehead with a finger.

"But big brother! It's been a long time since I spent any time with both you and big sis Charlotte!"

"I guess a short while wouldn't hurt." Charlotte quickly added although there's no hiding the faint blush on her cheeks as her eyes determinedly looked anywhere but at her brother's face. Awww, a shy big sis Charlotte is just soooo cuuuuuutteee!

In the end, that day turned out to be the best day for her as she held her brother's hand with her right and big sis Charlotte's with her left, pulling them along from stall to stall in the busy bazaar as they let her have her fun.

She used to only have the best brother ever, but now she has the best older sister too.

Life is perfect.