CH 20 The First Morning as Friends / Birth of the Trinity

During dinner, the dining hall was filled with laughter—a rare sight for those who knew the usual atmosphere in the room. Sylveria and Isao sat beside each other, giggling and chatting like old friends. Isao talked animatedly about everything that crossed her mind—flowers, magic, and even the funny shapes of clouds she’d seen that afternoon—while Sylveria, surprisingly, listened with genuine amusement, giggling softly and responding from time to time with teasing remarks.

Sayuri and Accla watched them from across the table, smiling faintly at the newfound warmth between the two. Meanwhile, Isla had eaten much earlier and gone straight to bed, determined to wake up early and train before anyone else.

The next morning, around 8 a.m.

The sound of wood striking metal echoed across the training field. Isla was already sweating, swinging her wooden greatsword with sharp, disciplined movements, her every strike sending vibrations through the practice dummies.

“Yaaawn… Morning…” Isao greeted lazily, walking toward her alongside Sylveria. Both were dressed in training attire—Sylveria in her elegant blue battle dress with light armor, and Isao in her kendo uniform, her black hair tied back in a ponytail.

Isla stopped mid-swing, her brows twitching. She turned sharply toward them. “Blue blue and pinky…” she muttered under her breath.

“You—! … Ugh…” Sylveria started, her temper flaring, but she caught herself, exhaling slowly. 'Don’t rise to it, Sylveria… remember what lady Accla said…' she thought

“Haha… Uh… Isla, we just… well… want to train with you.” Isao said with an awkward smile, scratching her cheek.

“Don’t wanna…” Isla replied flatly, then froze mid-sentence. Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered something—her talk with Cateleya yesterday, and the promise she’d made to befriend them.

“Uh… Isla?” Isao tilted her head curiously.

Isla remembered the advice she receive from Valerica last night before going to bed, asking how to make friends. "Just give them food, that's how you make friends!"

Without a word, Isla reached into her pocket… and pulled out a banana.

“Ba… nana?” Isao blinked in confusion.

Isla began peeling it silently. Then, with the same deadpan expression, she said, “Banana,” and held it out toward Sylveria like an offering.

Sylveria’s eye twitched. “…W-what—”

Before she could finish, Isla shoved the banana straight into Sylveria’s mouth.

“Mmmpf?!” Sylveria’s muffled protest came out in a strangled noise as she stumbled backward, wide-eyed, while Isao stared in absolute shock.

“Wha—Isla! You can’t just shove a banana into someone’s mouth!” Isao yelled, flailing her arms.

Isla blinked once, completely unbothered. “That’s how you make friends… right?”

Isao gawked. “No! That’s—wait, who told you that!?”

“Master.” She replied flatly

Isao groaned, slapping her forehead while Sylveria coughed violently, trying to recover her dignity.

“This girl…” Sylveria wheezed, glaring at Isla with teary eyes. “I am never eating bananas again.”

Isao couldn’t help it—she burst out laughing. “Pfft—Sylvie! You look like a monkey princess!”

Sylveria turned beet red. “I-ISAO!!!”

Meanwhile, Isla tilted her head innocently, muttering, “Monkeys are strong though.” Then she peeled a banana and shove it into Sylveria's mouth again.

Sylveria gagged and coughed, clutching her throat as her face turned red. “Cough—gah!"

"S-Sylvie!!!” Isao shouted, panicking at the sight.

“Hmph. There,” Isla said with a tiny, satisfied smile, closing her eyes and crossing her arms proudly—as if she had just achieved a noble deed.

Sylveria finally caught her breath and glared furiously at her. “Gah—cough! What the hell was that you damn commoner!?” she yelled, half enraged, half horrified. She genuinely thought she was about to die—by banana of all things.

“Hmph… tsk, stupid princess,” Isla muttered, looking away, her expression tightening in quiet pain. “Doesn’t even know I’m trying to be friendly.”

“H-hah!? Friendly!?” Sylveria’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “No one makes friends by shoving a banana into someone’s mouth!”

“You ate the banana I gave,” Isla said matter-of-factly. “I was successful.”

“You forced it into me!!!” Sylveria shouted, hands trembling in outrage.

Isao could no longer hold it in—she burst out laughing again, clutching her stomach. “Oh, Isla…” she said between giggles, tears forming in her eyes. “You’re unbelievable!”

“Isao, this is not funny!” Sylveria snapped, her face red from both anger and embarrassment.

“Hahaha—well, come on, Sylvie,” Isao said, wiping her tears. “You brought something for Isla too, right? Give it to her already~”

“Ugh…” Sylveria groaned, glaring at both of them. “I am regretting this.” She puffed her cheeks, reluctantly rummaging through her bag.

Meanwhile, Isla tilted her head, watching curiously, her expression calm and unreadable—but there was a faint hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

“See?” Isao whispered to Sylveria, grinning. “She’s opening up, in her own… weird way.”

Sylveria sighed, exasperated. “If this is what friendship with her looks like, I’m not sure my royal heart can handle it.”

“Just feed her without choking her next time, okay?” Isao teased looking at Isla, still laughing.

“Quiet, pink menace,” Sylveria grumbled—but despite herself, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Come on, where is it?" Isao asked, leaning over curiously to peek inside Sylveria’s bag.

"Just give me a second! This is a dimensional bag—there are many things in here..." Sylveria muttered, rummaging through with a sigh. "Ah, here it is!" She pulled out a golden-brown pastry topped with powdered sugar. “I asked the baker to make this one specifically. It’s a cream puff.”

Isla tilted her head, expression deadpan. “No thanks. Looks weird. And I don’t accept food from Blue Blue.” She turned away with a huff.

Sylveria’s eyebrow twitched. “Oh, you little—” She forced a deep breath through her nose and smiled sweetly. “Isla, could you turn around for a moment?”

Isla sighed, visibly tired. “What is it this time Blue Blu—”

Before she could finish, splat! Sylveria shoved the cream puff straight into Isla’s mouth with pinpoint precision.

“MMMMPH?!” Isla’s eyes went wide as cream splattered slightly on her cheeks.

“I-ISLA!!!” Isao yelped, covering her mouth in disbelief. She couldn't believe Sylveria will do the same thing Isla did.

Sylveria smirked triumphantly, brushing her hands together. “That… felt so satisfying!” she declared proudly, raising her hands in victory.

“Pfft—Sylvie, you’re just as bad as her!” Isao said, half-laughing, half-scolding.

Isla coughed, then blinked as the sweet taste melted on her tongue. Her expression softened, and her eyes slowly began to sparkle. “...Sweet…” she murmured. Then suddenly—whoosh!—she stood up and ran straight to Sylveria, gripping her hands tightly.

“We are friends now, Blue Blue!” Isla said earnestly, her grey eyes shining like stars.

Sylveria and Isao blinked, stunned. “W-what’s with you all of a sudden?! And it’s Sylveria, not Blue Blue!”

“Okay, Sylv.” Isla said calmly, still holding her hands. “Now give me more of those.”

“W-what!? That’s my snack for later!” Sylveria sputtered, trying to pull her hands back.

“Here, Isla!” Isao giggled, grabbing a sakura mochi from her sleeve and shoving it into Isla’s mouth.

“MMMPH!” Isla’s face lit up again. For someone usually expressionless, she looked like she was tasting heaven. Then she suddenly wrapped her arms around Isao and Sylveria. “Isao… friend... Sorry for yesterday,” she said softly, eyes closed, smiling faintly.

"Uh haha... Y-yeah..." Isao said blushing with a smile.

“Y-you can let go now, Isla…” Sylveria said flatly, crossing her arms.

“No,” Isla replied, muffled through her chewing. “Cream puff.”

Sylveria’s brow twitched. “You—! If I knew sweets were the key to taming you, I’d have done this ages ago!”

Still, despite her grumbling, Sylveria smiled. Isla wasn’t just annoying anymore—she was trying, really trying—and that made all the difference.

From a distance, Sayuri, Accla, and Valerica watched with proud smiles.

“Looks like they finally bonded,” Accla said warmly.

Valerica sniffled dramatically. “My students… growing up so fast…!”

.

.

.

“W-wait, Isla! Those are my snacks!!!” Sylveria screamed suddenly as Isla darted away with her dimensional bag and the remaining pastries in her arms.

“Too slow, Blue Blue.” Isla called back.

“Come back here, you annoying whitey!!!” Sylveria shouted, chasing after her with Isao laughing so hard she could barely run straight.

And for the first time since arriving, the training grounds of the Citadel echoed not with the sounds of sparring and arguements—but with laughter.

From her office window high above the Citadel, Lady Cateleya gazed down at the courtyard below. There, the three young girls—Isao, Sylveria, and Isla—were laughing, chasing each other under the morning sun. A soft smile graced Cateleya’s lips.

“They’re finally blooming,” she whispered to herself. “Like flowers intertwined by fate.”