Chương 12: The Protagonist and Her Harem

Fake it 'til you make it, Tori. An amiable smile appeared on her face as she gave Alessa a small nod of acknowledgement. Alessa reached her side with Dimitri, both in high spirits. They seemed to be heading their group as immediately behind them were the rest of the love interests. The NPC filling their groups were bunched together a few steps back. There were two other girls and then four boys, all of whom seemed forgettable at first glance.

The girls of the group all had satchels around their bodies; likely their usual book bags from school. The five game targets had half-deflated rucksacks with bedrolls buckled on top. The real pack mules for the team were the four boys who were trailing behind the group and seemed to be carrying near-bulging rucksacks. Gideon really did make sure that Alessa and the other girls didn't have to carry anything remotely heavy.

"It's a nice morning for a hike, isn't it?" Dimitri was far too bright and cheerful for Tori, but she didn't want to be rude. These people were still her classmates and she had four years to trudge through with them.

"Isn't it? I love the smell of the forest. It's very clean and refreshing." She took a deep breath and exhaled to emphasize her point.

"It's nice to get out of the chaos of the city every now and then." That was standard hiking chit-chat. Dimitri looked back at her team, who was quiet and dutifully hiking behind her.

"It seems your group is well prepared."

"We are out in the untamed wilderness, Mr. Guthry," Tori said as she looked ahead.

"Preparation is key; don't you think?"

"Yes, it is important. I assume as the group leader you arranged all of this?"

"Is that surprising?" He chuckled, but didn't give her a yes or no.

"I saw you were the group leader when the groups were posted. Lion's Gate, is it? Are you all acquainted?"

"Yes, thanks to Ewan. He's my fellow swordsman at the Sword Association. He was kind enough to invite Ilyana and myself into his group."

"He made a good choice!" Alessa said.

"You look like you know what you're doing." Tori gave her a tight-lipped smile and nodded.

"And what about your groups? I heard you've also grouped up with His Highness' group."

"Oh, I'm being rude. I haven't introduced you," Dimitri motioned behind him.

"You are familiar with His Highness, Prince Gideon, and Fabian von Dorn, of course. The other students with them are from other classes." He mentioned their names and Tori blanked out and mentally assigned them 'Prince Lackey one to four', or PL1-4 for short. Gideon didn't even look at her and she was sure Fabian was pretending to be distracted with a map.

"They are in the group called the Armada," Alessa said, beaming.

"I thought that was fitting and suggested it." Tori almost smirked.

"It is."

"Our group's name is Summer Solstice. That's my roommate, Michelle from 2A and her classmate, Zofia," Alessa pointed out the two other girls who looked over from where they were walking, looking at Tori's group's matching attire with derision.

"A pleasure," Tori said with a nod.

"Behind me are Henrik, Ilyana from our class, Sonia and Jean Paul, and Ewan." Her group gave some greetings, but otherwise didn't say anything more.

"And these two are from 4A. Montan Alvere and Constantine Zisos," Dimitri said. Tori looked over and received no greeting from the blue-haired Montan. She likely didn't even appear in his cold, gray eyes. As long as he left her alone, she was fine with that. However, Constantine seemed to have no problem approaching.

"Lady Guevera, it's a pleasure to see you again." The feeling isn't mutual. Tori returned his smile politely.

"I thought I recognized you. From the inn, right?" He looked pleasantly surprised.

"Yes, you remembered! I must apologize for any ugliness that night."

"No, no I was rude myself. It's just that my brother went through the trouble of booking the rooms for us and I didn't want his hard work to be for naught."

"Understandable." Alessa suddenly appeared in the space between them and glanced from one to the other.

"You two have met?"

"We crossed paths while traveling to Horizon," Constantine answered her in a patient voice and Alessa nodded. Dimitri looked over.

"I've been meaning to ask. What are the big sticks for?"

"These are hiking poles," Ewan said from the back of their line.

"Tori had them made for us to help with our balance when we're carrying the heavy packs."

"She had them add on these waist belts, too," Ilyana said.

"To help us carry the weight of the bags."

"She had the bags custom made?" Alessa's eyes widened.

"She's really taking care of her group." She looked at Tori's hiking pole.

"Can I try?" Tori blinked. She didn't expect the protagonist to be interested.

"Sure. Make sure to keep your hand up here. Think of it as a third leg to help stablize you on uneven terrain." She handed Alessa her hiking pole and lowered her arms. Alessa furrowed her brows and sped up her walk to try to make use of the hiking pole. Dimitri laughed as he watched her.

"Feel any difference?"

"The ground is uneven, so it does help to steady you," Alessa said as she turned around.

"Huh...." Gideon raised a brow.

"The stick is surprisingly useful."

"It will definitely help later in the hike," Alessa said as the group caught up with her.

"Especially when you're carrying something." She looked at Tori.

"Do you have an extra one I can have?" Tori drew her head back, surprised. She glanced behind her and saw the looks of confusion on her group mates' faces. It was obvious they didn't have an extra one. Where would they have kept it?

"Um... no, we only had six make. One per person of our group," Tori said.

"How much does it cost?" A new voice caught her attention and she turned her head to the blue-haired young man. His face didn't hint at what was going on in his mind and he didn't seem curious. Still, Tori answered.

"I think we paid a few coppers, right?" she asked, glancing back at Ilyana. Her roommate nodded.

"Yeah, it's really just some scrap wood...." Her voice trailed off as she saw a few silver coins presented to her. She squinted, uncertain, at the palm with the coins and looked up at the blue-haired young man presenting it to her.

"What is this for?"

"I'll buy your hiking pole for Alessa." Oh, my God. It hasn't even been a month and you're buying shit off people you just met to give to her? You simp. Tori tried not to openly frown.

"I'm glad you think it's valuable enough to buy, Mr. Alvere, but I still need it for the hike." They'd barely just stepped into the forest and had two more days of hiking to go after this one.

"It's just a stick," Gideon said, looking over.

"You can find another one laying on the ground." It was something that should've been said to Alessa, but he was looking at her, meaning he was telling Tori to give up her hiking pole and pick up a stick. She narrowed her eyes at him. Then you pick up a stick for her, asshole.

"Our hiking poles were specially made and are part of our tent set up, Your Highness," Ilyana said.

"Tori still needs hers." All six of her group knew that they technically only needed three hiking poles as it was one per tent, but that didn't mean they'd just give one away.

"You still bought a tent?" Michelle, or as Tori thought of her, Girl NPC 1, said.

"We're only out here for two nights and they're so heavy and bulky. Was it necessary to bring that much?" Bitch, you aren't even carrying a backpack! What do you have to complain about? Tori almost dropped her jaw. Zofia, Girl NPC 2, shook her head.

"No wonder their bags are so big."

"Didn't you bring tents?" Sonia asked. She looked over at LP1 to 4.

"They're carrying a lot."

"It's mostly our bedrolls, supplies, and food," Dimitri said.

"We debated on whether to hunt or bring cooked food and settled on already cooked food, as hunting would take time out of our hike."

"Yes, that makes sense." Tori reached forward to take her hiking pole from Alessa, but found that the young lady didn't release it. She raised a brow.

"Miss Hart?"

"Lady Guevera, the ground is really uneven. This hiking pole would be really helpful," she said, looking at Tori with big amber eyes. Tori opened her mouth, but was unsure of what to say. She didn't expect Alessa to refuse to give her back something that belonged to her. She looked at the slightly shorter student. While she had changed into pants for the excursion, she was still wearing black buckle shoes with a slight heel that she probably wore to school.

They already had several scratches and were coated with dust. Tori frowned.

"Miss Hart, your shoes are not suitable for hiking. Even a small heel will cause discomfort and imbalance," she said in a low voice.

"It was why I insisted on getting suitable boots for my group." Alessa's face fell and she looked down.

"I can't afford new shoes...." she said in a soft voice. Behind her, Dimitri and Constantine looked at her with pity. However, Montan and Gideon shot Tori glares, as if blaming her for Alessa's poverty. Tori nearly choked.

"Not everyone has your amount of wealth, Lady Guevera," Gideon said in a cold voice. Tori stared at him. Motherfucker, are you chastising me for having money? You? Whose family lives in a palace? She was screaming internally and she hid one of her hands at her sides as it clenched into a fist.

"No, no, it's not her fault," Alessa said as she looked up with wet eyes. Tori almost wanted to nod. Even the protagonist understood that.

"Your Highness, new boots were also out of our price range individually," Henrik said behind her.

"We pooled our money to buy supplies as a group. It is often slightly cheaper to buy in bulk." Someone chuckled and one of the prince's lackeys gave them a knowing look.

"No wonder you four wanted Lady Guevera and Agafonova to be in your group. They're two of the wealthiest students in our class." The air in the forest seemed to grow colder. Tori narrowed her eyes as Ilyana let out a scandalized gasp.

"That's not why I asked them to join." Ewan stepped forward, looking as if he were ready to throw hands with the male student who implied they wanted to use Tori and Ilyana for their money. Sonia held out her arm to keep him back.

"Tori and Ilyana are friends. That's why I invited them."

"Forget it." Tori said.

"Ilyana and I did pay for a lot, but we all agreed that after the excursion, the majority of supplies will be returned to us. That's fair."

"And even if they weren't, I don't mind buying things for my friends," Ilyana said as she lifted her chin. Tori could almost see a sneer on her gentle face.

"I can do what I want with my money." Oh, shit, Ilyana... you're down for a fight. Okay, I got your back.

"Agreed," Tori said, looking at the four love interests, who also had money, in particular.

"They made me the group leader and as such, if spending my money will keep them safe and comfortable on this excursion, then I will spend my money." She cocked her head and smirked.

"There isn't anything wrong with taking care of your friends with the means you have, is there?" She watched them shrink back a bit, as if realizing that they, too, could've bought Alessa shoes and that her current discomfort could've been prevented. All three groups were quiet. Tori relaxed her shoulders and reached forward for her hiking pole again. She wasn't sure if Alessa was suddenly defensive or not, but she turned away, still holding on to the hiking pole. Are you fucking for real?

No one seemed to notice JP reach the head of the group. He grabbed Tori's hiking pole firmly with one hand and snatched it back. Before anyone could say anything, he shoved a large stick with just a few knots and twists into Alessa's.

"This one is lighter. It's about your height, which is suitable for your use, and it's smooth. You won't get splinters," he said in a matter-of-fact voice. He turned to Tori and handed her the hiking pole.

"Your pole." The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He gave her a subtle nod and silently returned to his position in the back, between Ewan and Sonia. His sister handed him back his own hiking pole and gave him a look of approval. The groups were quiet again and Tori turned towards Alessa. They couldn't just stand there in uncomfortable silence. She gripped her hiking pole in the hand furthest away from the protagonist and gave her a consoling smile.

"JP's right. You want to get a hiking pole that's more fit for your height," she said to defuse the situation.

"Give it a try. See if it works. The base is jagged, so it will have a better grip." She put on an encouraging smile and Alessa seemed to snap out of her daze. She nodded and took a few steps using the hiking pole. Tori held her breath.

"It is lighter!" Alessa whirled around with a bright smile, almost making Tori wince.

"Thank you!" Tori gave her another nod and a smile before looking back.

"All right, lions, let's keep going." She marched forward, avoiding the eyes of the other group. When they were ten steps from the other two groups, Tori had Henrik confirm their course. Aside from checking their path and reminding them to drink water, their hike continued in awkward silence. This was in no fault of their own. Twelve other people were following behind them and Tori couldn't blame her group for being quiet, especially after the tense atmosphere.

"Tori," Ewan said as he jogged a bit to catch up with her at the front. His eyes were downcast and he hunched forward. He kept his voice low.

"I didn't ask you to join because you're rich." Tori raised her free arm and lazily looped it over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I know," she said, giving him a small, comforting shake. It was awkward, since he was taller, but it didn't matter.

"Don't listen to what they say. They have no idea what they're talking about. And even if that was the reason, I don't care. It's not easy being in the same group as me. If you are good to me, I am good to you. So, don't worry about it." He cracked a smile and nodded.

"Thanks." She pulled back her arm and gave him a few firm slaps on the shoulder. They continued to walk in silence, but she felt her group was more at ease now.

"Lady Guevera!"

"Ugh...." Tori let out a grumble as she heard someone call from behind her group. She forced another smile on her face and looked over her shoulder.

"Yes, Miss Hart?" She came to a stop as she watched Alessa's group gather near some trees. The four pack mules with them were taking some wooden objects out of their bags and Tori realized they were small folding chairs with a cloth seat. A low table was also being snapped together. She couldn't stop herself from judging them.

"We're going to stop for lunch! Do you want to join us?" Tori glanced at her group and caught their tiny signs of rejection. Pleased that they were all of the same mind, she looked back at Alessa.

"Thank you, but we're not hungry yet. We're going to push a bit further."

"Okay! We'll see you later!"

"Enjoy your lunch!" Tori gave them a wave and continued forward in silence. After she passed at least fifteen trees, she spoke up.

"Can we still see them?" There was a pause before Ewan confirmed.

"Just barely." Tori bit her lips and nodded. Then she spoke in a low, incredulous voice.

"Did you see them bring chairs and a table?"

"I know!" Ilyana exploded, throwing her arms in the air. She must've been holding back.

"They know we have to hike for three days; why did they carry furniture?"

"I can't believe they were surprised we're carrying tents, but they brought a table and folding chairs," Sonia said, shaking her head with disbelief. She let out a scoff.

"And then that girl from your class. Did she just try to steal your hiking pole?"

"I know it's not something everyone considered bringing, but when I let her try it, I didn't think she wouldn't want to give it back," Tori said, also frowning.

"Anyway, thanks JP, for snatching it back." He shook his head.

"Don't mention it. She didn't look like she was going to let go if we didn't grab it back."

"Speaking of getting stuff, what's with that Montan guy?" Henrik said with knit brows.

"I don't think this was a situation worth trying to buy a hiking pole from someone."

"It's just a stick. He can find another one laying on the ground," Tori said, smirking. She glanced back at the group.

"Let's hope we lose them. I don't think I can bear another hike with such awkward silence." Ilyana snorted.

"I don't want to talk to them. They were so rude!" Tori nodded. She craned her neck.

"We should be close to the river. Henrik?"

"We never strayed far from it. We should see it if we walk that way a little," he said.

"Good. Let's fill our water canisters and eat lunch, then keep going. We'll double check our route and aim for the campsite Uncle Maurizo suggested. If we get there first, we'll have a nice cleared area to set up camp. There should be remains of a campfire there." Everyone agreed and their walk to the river continued. Their lunches were more pre-made sandwiches wrapped in paper.

The bread Tori bought was about the side of her forearm, then sliced and toasted before being stuffed with meat, cheese, and leafy vegetables. Then she wrapped them up and brought them with her. Dessert was one apple per person.

"Keep the paper. We can use it in the fire tonight," she said when they were done. They refilled their water canisters, double checked their location, and followed the river north. Along the way, they caught sight of several students. There was one group that was fishing. The river was at least twenty paces across, but it was going fast and was deep. At one point further downstream, it would bend and instead of going northwest, which was the direction they were going, it would suddenly start going southwest.

From what Henrik overheard, most students would follow the river up until its northernmost point and then cross there. Tori had asked her uncle how fast and deep the river was and if there was a place further down that was shallower. Uncle Maurizo circled an area where the river started to open up before a narrow lake. The current slowed and the water would be around her calves at most, but the distance to cross would be wider and it would take them another hour south.

They'd essentially lose two hours just to cross there, but it was safer. Tori, in a moment of dictatorship, told the group that was where they were crossing. No one disagreed. After all, the man who made the map suggested it himself. While most other students were trying to stay on the most direct course, they snaked around a bit, losing sight of the river a few times, but maintaining a steady direction.

Aside from stopping to snack on Tori's 'camping charcuterie' she'd put in flat metal tins to be passed around, and toilet breaks, they also gathered some medicinal plants that her uncle asked them to pick up. The air began to cool and Ilyana reached into the side pocket of her rucksack to fish out a crumpled ball of navy cloth. It was made of the same material as their sleeping bags; a quilted down vest Tori asked for last minute.

Whenever she went hiking in her original world, she had a down vest with her in case the weather suddenly got colder. She thought it would be useful during their excrusion, too. With her free hand, Ilyana wrung it out, allowing the vest to puff up.

"It's getting colder than I thought it would be," she said, wrinkling her nose. The vest closed with overlapping flaps and toggles. To Tori's disappointment, zippers were not yet a thing. Rather than take her bag off to put it on, Ilyana slipped her arms through backwards.

"Oh... smart," Sonia said. She reached back for her own vest.

"I'm going to do that, too." The sky began to grow dimmer and Tori turned towards the horizon. She lifted her hand towards the tops of the mountains on the west side of the valley and squinted.

"Henrik, how far are we from the campsite?"

"We should see it soon. I see the feeder stream that your uncle mentioned." She nodded.

"We have an hour before it gets dark." She lowered her hand.

"Keep an eye out for it." They had strayed from the Daga River and gone up a bit, following a mountain stream that would lead back to the river. As her uncle told them, they found a nice, flat area within view of the stream. It was cleared of any big trees and there was a dark spot of burnt wood and ash.

"Is this it?" Ewan asked, looking around. Tori nodded.

"This is it," she said. There was a large fallen log and a stump it probably came from that they could sit on. The burnt wood and ash was in between, making an ideal campfire location to relax around. On the side closer to the forest was a large open space suitable for their tents. Tori unbuckled the chest strap of her rucksack and moved to undo the waist strap.

"Okay, let's set up like we practiced!" They had a little more than forty-five minutes of daylight left. The first time they set up the tent, it took thirty minutes for single one, as they were trying to figure out how much tension was needed to secure the stakes to hold the corners down. Then someone would inadvertently let go before they could secure the tent down or one side was slack. The stakes were sometimes not pushed in all the way.

Tori made them set up and take down all three tents, multiple times, the first day they got them. The day after, Tori implemented vocal orders.

"Pull the corners! Hold. Secure the first peg. Secure the opposite peg...." This time Ilyana gave the orders.

"Hold!" She fell to her knees and crawled through an open flap with her hiking pole. A moment later, the tent began to rise and take shape.

"Pole in!" She crawled out and called for the next one. The five pitched the tents behind Tori with well-practiced precision and they were done and rolling out their sleeping bags inside before she managed to get the fire started in a hole in the ground she dug out with a large spade. She used the leftover paper from the sandwiches to feed the fire once it was started with fire steel. Inside the hole was some dried straw and small, burnable twigs she'd brought with her to get them started.

Everyone had their job once camp was set up. First, they dutifully checked in through the transmission crystal to assure their instructors that they were all alive. Then the twins went to get water from the stream in a small metal bucket and the metal pot they'd make dinner in. Ewan and Henrik went to get more wood in the surrounding forest. Ilyana cleared out the campfire area, lining it with stones and then helped Tori bring the flame over once Ewan and Henrik returned with an arm-load each of dried twigs.

They were sent back with JP and Sonia for more wood, but told to come back before it got dark. With a pile of burnable twigs and bark near them, Tori put a metal grid over her Dakota fire hole and then the metal pot over it. By the time the water started to heat up, night had fallen. Ilyana sat on the fallen tree across the campfire with Henrik, and Sonia sat on the ground, leaning against the log with her legs stretched out. They watched Tori feed the fire hole and check on the water two paces from the campfire.

Behind her, the tents glowed with a dimmed white light from their light crystals that Ilyana hung at the top of their tents. The front flaps were open, revealing a thin, gauzy material that allowed them to see within. Tori couldn't find netting small enough to keep out bugs, so went with the gauzy material. Their bags were also inside, with the exception of Tori's, which had the bulk of the food.

For a moment, the only things that could be heard were the faint sound of the stream, crickets, and the crackling of the fires. Then, they heard Ewan's light snoring. Henrik sat up straight and squinted.

"Did he fall asleep?"

"He probably decided to lay down for a minute and passed out." Sonia grinned.

"The sleeping bags do look really welcoming after hiking all day," Ilyana said, glancing longingly at her tent.

"Yeah, but if you crawl in now, you'll miss the view." Without taking her eyes off the pot, Tori pointed up. The three outside with her tilted their heads back.

"Oh...." Sonia muttered.

"So many stars...." Ilyana said in a breathy whisper.

"It's beautiful."

"You can't see that many stars in the city," Tori said.

"Even at night, Horizon has lights. You have to be where there are no other lights." Even Henrik grinned as he looked up.

"You're right. It is nice to get out of the city every so often." Ilyana giggled.

"I was really nervous about this excursion, actually. I've never been in the forest like this." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"It isn't as bad as I thought."

"That's because our group leader prepared us well," Henrik said.

"I know I complained a lot when we were practicing, but I get it now. We put up those tents in no time. You know what you're doing, group leader." Tori lifted her hand and gave a regal wave.

"I graciously accept your praise, group member." They laughed and JP stuck his head out from his tent.

"I got the bowls and utensils," he said as he stood up. He held a small stack of shallow metal bowls with several forks in the top one.

"Put them here and then get me the metal tongs," Tori said as she fished through her bag. She took out another brown paper wrapped package. She carefully laid it on top of her bag and opened it up to reveal several loosely bunched balls of dried noodles. JP put the bowls on the stump and went back to get the tongs. He came out snapping them as he put his other arm through his down vest. Tori put six of the balls into the metal pot and used her dagger to stir them.

"It's colder here than in Horizon."

"We're north of the city and even if this is a valley, we're in the mountains," Sonia said. She looked back up at the sky.

"But you really can't get that view at home."

"Hmm...." JP followed his sister's gaze and admired the stars for a moment.

"That reminds me of a poem." Sonia cringed.

"Oh no." JP coughed to clear his throat." Beneath a blanket of night, I weep; and willingly lose my mind. For nothing is as amazing to me, as the stars and sky intertwined." JP looked proud of himself and Sonia gave him a critical look.

"That's from a play, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Mikhail Kissing's 'Memories of the Plains'. It's in one of his monologues from the first act." JP lifted their bowls and sat on the stump.

"My elective class is going over it."

"Didn't they make you come up with your own poems when you introduced yourself in class?" Henrik asked. An even cockier smile appeared on JP's face, contrasting Sonia's look of horror, as he began to recite several of his own works. Ilyana kept a smile on her face and nodded to show her support, but cringed every now and then. Henrik tried to stop him, only to have JP scoff.

"Okay, Mr. Skuldsen. You give me a poem off the top of your head." Henrik sputtered. Tori chuckled as she stirred the pasta to keep the noodles from sticking.

"I have one." She slowed her voice as she spoke." From the stars reflected in her eyes; I am mesmerized at once. Lost in a galaxy I see no end to, nor wish to be released from, I am entangled...." She paused as a soft smile tugged at her lips." And I am hers." She lifted her gaze to look at her silent group mates. Sonia crinkled her eyes.

"I think I just fell in love with you."

"Pfft!" Tori laughed as the others joined her. Ewan snorted awake from the tent as he heard them. JP grinned.

"That wasn't bad. I'm going to use that."

"Use what?" Ewan said as he crawled out of the tent. He scratched his stomach before stretching his arms. His vest was lopsided and hanging open.

"Tori's poem!" Ilyana laughed.

"You have to practice the delivery," Tori said.

"It's that pause at the end that hooks them."

"Oh...." Ilyana leaned forward with a knowing grin.

"So, who was trying to hook you with that poem?" Tori opened her mouth as she looked back at the five teenagers and remembered where she was. And who she was. I can't say it was a random guy one night in Paris. I'm fourteen and have never left Presidio until now.

"I read it in some obscure book."

"Aww...." Ilyana wrinkled her nose and Tori chuckled.

"How much longer until the food is ready?" Ewan asked. He patted his stomach.

"I'm hungry."

"You ate an entire charcuterie tin when we were snacking this afternoon," Sonia reminded him.

"Not enough."

"I'm just waiting for the noodles to be ready and then I'll drain it and pour in the sauce," Tori said.

"It won't be long-" She snapped her mouth closed and sat up straight, pulling her dagger from the pot and looking towards the forest.

"Did you hear that?" Sonia asked in a quiet voice. Several of them nodded, alert and tense. They held their breaths and listened. Over the crackling fire, crickets, and the faint rush of water, they heard movement coming from beyond the trees. Tori reminded herself that there were no large predators in the valley. There was no need to panic. It was likely that they were just other students or perhaps instructors and volunteers who stumbled upon them.

Still, she remained crouched on the balls of her feet and adjusted her grip on the dagger, lifting it closer to her.

"I see a fire!" They didn't recognize the voice.

"Hey! We're from Lycée!" They began to see the faint light from the light crystals floating in the dark. Ewan stepped forward and squinted.

"Who is that?"

"It's already dark." Henrik frowned.

"They should've set up camp already."

"Or at least found a place." JP craned his head to see if he could make out who was coming.

"It's far too dangerous to keep going once the sun sets."

"Headmaster told us over and over it's not a race," Ilyana said, unable to hold back her disapproval.

"There isn't a point in keeping going until you can't see any more. Honestly, who can be so reckless?" Please, not the protagonist and her harem. Please, not the protagonist and her harem.... Tori silently prayed as an unsettled feeling pooled in her stomach. Ewan took a few steps closer to the treeline and shouted into the dark.

"Who's out there?" Several voices were heard and someone yelled back: "Summer Solstice and the Armada!" Tori's arms dropped and she tilted her head to the sky.

"Why are you testing me...?"

"It's Dimitri and His Highness' groups," Ewan said, looking back at the five around the fire. Henrik looked stunned. Those two groups had competent people; they expected better from them.

"Are they lost?" Before anyone could answer, the first person melted from the darkness clutching a light crystal in his hand. Fabian looked surprised to see them, as if he didn't expect that Tori's group would make it that far. Eleven others appeared behind him, stopping just a few paces away from the campsite. The love interests formed a small wall as they faced an unsuspecting group lounging about and waiting for dinner. Tori looked at them and raised a brow.

She tried to break the silence without opening an invitation.

"Good... evening?"

"Lady Guevera!" Alessa stumbled forward, squeezing her way between Gideon and Fabian. She grasped Fabian's arm to keep herself from falling forward. Her eyes looked from Tori to the set of welcoming tents glowing with faint crystal light and the rolled out sleeping bags waiting to be used within. She gazed over the crackling campfire, the boiling pot beyond it, and even the bowls on JP's lap. Alessa's hopeful face fell on Tori.

"Can we join your camp tonight?"