These Side Characters Have More Important Things To Do

On one side was Prince Rian in white. On the other side was Earl Rosewood in black.

Queen Mira cast the personal sparring shields around the two. She then cast a sound-amplification spell.

“Prince Rian Azure, do you agree to magically duel against Earl Ayden Rosewood?”

“I agree.”

“Earl Ayden Rosewood, do you agree to magically duel against His Highness Prince Rian Azure?”

“I agree.”

“Then, step into the arena and take your positions.”

On cue, the opaque shield disappeared, revealing its contents—

The duelling field had drastically changed!

Instead of the usual flat ground, there was now a complex landscape with huge rocks and water flooding the area between them! It wasn’t just duelling, the combatants also had to manoeuvre through the environment!

Some avid duellers in the audience couldn’t wait to try out this new duelling field set-up, and some preferred not to.

Regardless, it was going to be an interesting duel already!

Earl Rosewood and Prince Rian both jumped off the floating wooden platform. Rather than speeding up, both slowed and landed lightly on two square pieces of flat rock on either side of the field—the only flat ground in the new field.

Queen Mira descended to the referee’s spot outside of the field. Another mage activated the big duelling field shields. These new shields were very high, high enough that the duellists could fly and fight in the air space.

The audience quietened, leaning forward in anticipation.

Queen Mira spoke: “Let the duel begin.”

Ren Xiyang’s eyes sharpened. With a bam!, he jumped off his flat rock and headed into the rocky outcrops.

Across the field, Rian smirked and followed suit. As he went, he pulled up water from below and turned it into solid ice.

In this field with multiple sight-blocking obstacles, Ren Xiyang had an advantage: he could use his heat-sensing ability to locate Rian’s position. In contrast, Rian and the spectators had trouble finding Ren Xiyang.

In this field with an abundance of water, Rian had an advantage: he had plentiful ice that he could turn the water into ice in a fraction of a second. He made an ice square and balanced on top, using the ice platform to navigate the field.

Ssh-sshh-sshh! Blades of fire arced around the rocks, heading straight for Rian.

Rian narrowed his eyes and propelled himself forward, the water turning into deadly spears of ice that blocked the fire blades and destroyed the rock in front of him.

The rock burst, revealing no one behind. A beat later, balls of fire came from a completely different direction.

Rian raised his hands and all the water in the field surged up all the rocks. Ren Xiyang had to escape, revealing his position for a moment. Rian immediately attacked, and Ren Xiyang immediately countered.

Alexius leaned forward in his seat, his eyes filled with longing. He wanted to be able to do all that!

Count Aegean’s stress went up and down and up and down. He knew that Prince Rian would be fine, and he knew he wouldn’t be responsible if anything went wrong, but he couldn’t stop being stressed about it!

There were frequent explosions as fireballs exploded and rocks were destroyed by ice. Eventually, the rocky obstacle course was reduced to rocky rubble among a heaving sea of icy water. Ren Xiyang had to maintain a constantly flying position to avoid the treacherous water.

Rian’s breath was starting to get heavy and his magical reserves were getting low. He had to end this now.

Thousands of ice needles shot towards Ren Xiyang. Ren Xiyang flew up higher and higher. The needles followed him, before being vapourised in a blue-hot flame.

Rian threw more ice and pure magic attacks, but the distance between the two meant that Ren Xiyang had ample time to dodge, destroy and block.

Ren Xiyang flew above and looked down with calculating eyes. He was constantly drawing in sunlight to partially power his attacks—the shields were permeable to light. Rian would be out of magic first.

And Rian knew it. He gritted his teeth. The ice below him condensed up and up, rising like a tower that lifted him to Ren Xiyang’s height.

Of course, Ren Xiyang couldn’t just leave him be. He formed a fire blade and sliced through the ice tower like a hot knife through butter. He kicked the upper part of the ice column away, forcing Rian to switch to levitation to keep himself from falling. The ice block fell into the water below with a huge splash.

Adrenaline rushed through Rian’s blood.

The two dipped and weaved through the air, as fire and ice made a fast-changing obstacle course.

This kind of battle was now impossible for most mages. Very few could levitate themselves with that level of agility.

The academic mages comforted themselves, but the combat mages felt their blood rushing. A new form of combat was being showcased right in front of their eyes, and they needed to catch up.

A gasp suddenly rippled through the crowd.

Amidst all the ice, Ren Xiyang flew towards Rian and kicked him straight in the stomach. And he didn’t stop there, shoving Rian so hard that he fell down and smashed into the water. The water started to turn to ice, and then it abruptly turned back to water and started to steam.

Rian gritted his teeth. He leapt back onto his feet, trying to turn the water back to ice. But before he could form an ice weapon, Ren Xiyang created a sharp fire blade and stabbed it towards Rian’s throat. It hit against his personal sparring shield.

“This match is now over! Victory goes to the challenger, Earl Rosewood!” Queen Mira announced.

There were mixed gasps and roars from the audience, followed by a brief silence.

Should they clap for Prince Rian’s loss?

Alexius began unabashedly clapping. Ayden had done it, he defeated Rian!!

Ren Xiyang’s fire dissipated, and he held out a hand instead of a blade. “How did it feel to lose, Your Highness? I thought about letting you win…but it’s no longer your birthday.”

Rian smiled wryly as he accepted the hand. Ren Xiyang extended his magic, levitating Rian over the destroyed field and onto the flat ground outside the field as the shields were taken down.

“I’m surprised you didn’t boil off all the water at the beginning,” Rian said.

“Then it’d make the field humid,” Ren Xiyang said.

Rian blinked innocently. “But then I could form ice straight from the air much more easily.”

Ren Xiyang snorted.

A senior healer hurried over to see Prince Rian.

“Magical exhaustion, good food and rest, Your Highness.”

Ren Xiyang declined the healer to look at him next. Despite the progress in his transitioning so far, a good healer would be able to detect that things weren’t quite ‘right’.

Queen Mira and King Edric came over.

“Congratulations, Earl Rosewood,” King Edric said. “A powerful display you’ve shown here.”

Ren Xiyang lowered his head. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you for allowing us to change the field.”

“It’s quite interesting,” Queen Mira said. “It opens up many possibilities.”

At that point, Alexius ran over, followed by Günter and the other children.

“You were so strong, Ayden!” Alexius said rushing over to Ren Xiyang, completely ignoring Rian. “Can I go out onto the field too? I want to take a closer look!”

Rian felt a flash of annoyance as Ren Xiyang’s attention turned away from him.

“If you wait, we can get Mage Hazelwood and Mage Aqua to fix up the field,” Ren Xiyang said.

Alexius’s eyes shone. “Oh! Yes!”

Mage Hazelwood and Mage Aqua were called over. They were the original ones who created the duelling field. But rather than returning the field to its prior state, they made more forgiving rocky outcrops and flat surfaces, such that it was possible to walk or jump between stones among the water.

Ren Xiyang led Alexius and the other children over, while Rian sourly watched from the side, still magically recovering. And he wasn’t the only one looking over with longing or envy. There were both children and adults who also wanted to explore the new duelling field.

Eventually, Rian stood up. “Earl Rosewood, I’ll be returning to the Imperial Palace first,” he said loudly.

Ren Xiyang looked over and nodded, before returning to his baby-sitting.

Rian had a sour feeling in his mouth and a tight feeling in his chest. Unusually, he lingered for a moment. Ren Xiyang didn’t look back.

Rian walked alone to his quarters at the Imperial Palace (not including all his servants and Royal Guards).

His servants prepared a bath for him. After they helped him undress, he entered the bath.

The warm water enveloped his body. Rian drew some magical energy from the water, raising his internal reserves.

Rian told his servants to leave.

In private, Rian’s mild expression switched to a sulk.

He was the one who befriend Ren Xiyang first. He was Ren Xiyang’s best friend. And yet, everyone else wanted to monopolise Ren Xiyang! Did they want to offend him?

He knew it was jealousy. But it wasn’t pure and simple.

He sighed and sunk deeper into the warm water.

Ren Xiyang was his best friend and closest confidant across both of his lives. Looking back, he had become true friends with Ren Xiyang extremely fast. No one else had drawn and attracted him the way Ren Xiyang did.

It had been over a week since Rian read the Rosewood fief census report.

One particular statistic stayed with him, whispering in his ear.

It was possible.

It was possible for men in his world to love other men too.

Rian wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t dense. He didn’t shy away from difficult problems.

No one, in both his lives, had ever attracted him so much as Ren Xiyang did.

No one, in both his lives, had ever caused his heart to inexplicably skip a beat.

He liked him.

It was something completely unimaginable. But it had happened.

He, Rian, liked another man.

Not just any other man. Ren Xiyang, Earl Ayden Rosewood, a traveller from a different world, the most powerful fire mage he had ever seen, and with the most deadpan expression that made Rian want to pinch those cheeks.

Rian unconsciously smiled as he thought about Ren Xiyang’s expressions. He still couldn’t believe that Ren Xiyang had picked up an I’m-innocent

look.

Rian’s chest ached, he wanted to see Ren Xiyang right away, he wanted to play with him right now.

Admitting that he liked Ren Xiyang was freeing. Yes, he liked him! And he wanted to spend time with him and chase away annoying kids! Couldn’t they see that Ren Xiyang/Earl Rosewood is too good for their grubby little hands?

But then Rian sobered up.

He was expected to marry a noblewoman of good standing. Cassiopeia Schauss would have been a prime candidate.

Rian knew Sedavarian history. He knew that no king had a male consort.

Ren Xiyang would never agree to be a mere lover on the side. And Rian wouldn’t want to do that to him.

If Ren Xiyang had been a girl…

But the point was that he wasn’t. And Ren Xiyang would ignore him if Rian said something so stupid to him.

Then, could they ever be together?

Rian became depressed.

He wasn’t worried about whether Ren Xiyang liked him back. He was confident he could tempt, coax, and seduce Ren Xiyang if he had to. A chest full of gold—no, three chests of gold—would be 90% of the battle.

But as a prince of Sedaveria, he couldn’t simply follow his personal desires.

What would he need to do to be with Ren Xiyang publicly? What would he need to do to become the first king in Sedaverian history to have a male consort? Did he need to concede the throne to Alexius instead?

Rian wallowed in his gloomy feelings. He vented by making and crushing ice blocks. Once he could maintain a pleasant expression, he called a servant in to help wash and dress him.

As Rian was dressed again in his finery, his heart became firm. He was the eldest prince of Sedaveria. And there was no challenge he couldn’t overcome.

 

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Rian went back out to the duelling field to call Ren Xiyang in for lunch. But despite Rian’s presence, Ren Xiyang ignored him in favour of babysitting the children instead!

To be fair, babysitting was a full-time job. More than one accidentally fell into the water or wet their feet, and Ren Xiyang had to dry them off.

Rian strolled forward. He had enough magical energy to float up to a tall rock close to Ren Xiyang. “Earl Rosewood, it’s almost time for lunch,” he called out.

Ren Xiyang finally looked at him and nodded. With the other children corralled off the duelling field, Rian took Ren Xiyang back to his rooms to change into something more appropriate for lunch at the Imperial Palace.

After lunch, Rian and Ren Xiyang headed back to Rian’s study room. After Rian cast his latest sound-blocking spell, his mild and pleasant expression became aggrieved.

“You’re here to visit me, not to look after children,” Rian said.

“You look a lot like Alexius right now,” Ren Xiyang said.

Rian pulled an imperious, cold expression, straightening to his full height. “Where do I look like my little brother?”

“Your hair colour and eye colour are the same. Your faces look similar too.”

Rian snorted. “Can’t you think of a better response?”

“You’re right, I’m tired of babysitting kids all day,” Ren Xiyang said with a shrug. “There was a particularly big kid I had to play with in the morning…”

“I am growing bigger,” Rian said shamelessly. “Do you need to use me again? It looks like you’re growing too, but not as fast as me. I think you need to look at me some more.”

“Should I expect you to grow more cocky?” Ren Xiyang said drily. “Lie down.”

 

 

 

 

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Rian: Seducing Ren Xiyang will be the easy part!

Ren Xiyang: …

 

 

 

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The inspiration for the duelling field is the pokemon gyms hehe

By the way, I collected all the suggested ship names here!