As the three got comfortable, Archer felt Halime and Nefertiti cuddle up to him. As they did that, the other eight girls piled onto the bed and claimed any part of him they could rest on.

Archer smiled when seeing this and soon fell asleep. He woke up the following day to a heavy wind hitting the tent, causing a rattling noise, before using Blink to get out of bed because the girls were all over him.

He stretched while walking over to the window to check out the weather. When he looked outside the window, wind and rain battered the tents while the dark clouds hung overhead.

That’s when he saw Professors and other students rushing around the field where the group stages were being held. While watching, he spotted Aeris walking along but noticed that a group of girls and boys were following him.

Seeing this, Archer walked out and followed behind, forgetting to put on a shirt as he only had a pair of pants and boots. He trudged through the wet camp while getting soaked himself.

They paused near a small tent when one of the girls spoke sharply. “Why do you look like a woman, Redcliff? Aren’t you a man?”

Aeris stood in the center, head bowed, enduring the taunts and insults with a stoic silence. Suddenly, one of the girls in the group lashed out, her hand connecting with his cheek in a sharp slap. The black-haired boy flinched but remained passive, his eyes fixed on the ground.

The sight struck a chord within Archer, stirring up memories of his own experiences with bullying, the pain and humiliation he had tolerated at the hands of his own family.

Anger boiled within him, fueling a newfound resolve. Without hesitation, he cast Blink, reappearing in front of his bleeding friend. His violet eyes blazed with fury as he faced the bullies, his fists clenched at his sides.

“You think you can push people around because you’re stronger?” His voice was low and menacing, cutting through the air. “Well, not anymore.”

Archer launched himself at the bullies with a primal roar, his fists raining down on them with relentless fury. Gender became irrelevant as he unleashed his pent-up rage, striking out against anyone who dared to harm Aeris.

The bullies were caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, their faces contorted in shock and fear. But Archer did not listen to their cries for mercy, his mind consumed by a singular purpose: to protect Aeris at all costs.

The scuffle drew the attention of onlookers, who watched in awe and disbelief as Archer fought with the ferocity of a cornered beast. After five minutes, the bullies lay defeated at his feet, battered and bruised. He stood tall and defiant, his chest heaving with exertion.

Turning to Aeris, Archer offered him a hand, and his expression softened. “Are you okay?”

Aeris nodded, a grateful smile gracing his lips. “Thank you.”

But that’s when Archer noticed his cheeks going red as he looked at him, which caused him to become confused until he looked down and realized he was only wearing pants.

Archer grinned when he spotted everyone looking at him, which sent his narcissism skyrocketing. He turned back to Aeris, who was staring at his body, which made him uncomfortable as he commented. ”Like what you’re seeing, ay? It’s a shame you’re not a woman. I bet you’d be beautiful if you were.”

When Aeris heard this, he quickly looked away, becoming even more embarrassed, which made Archer laugh. The two were about to walk away when a group of Professors appeared.

Two men and a woman he had never seen appeared in front of them with angry expressions before one of the men, who was chubby and bald, stepped forward to demand. ”Why have you hurt our students, boy? They are from the Starlight Academy.”

Archer looked at the man with a grin. ”They were bullying my friend and deserved what they got.”

The woman looked understanding, but the second man protested. ”You’ve hurt them just before their fights. The healers won’t be able to heal them in time.”

”Oh, that’s all you care about, eh? I’ll heal them, but Aeris Redcliff is staying with me from now on.” Archer answered.

That was when the woman finally spoke up. ”That’s fine. Aeirs will be fine with that, right?”

Archer turned to the black-haired boy; he soon realized he was still blushing and teased him. ”Why are you acting like a lovestruck girl? Do you want to stay with me and the girls or not?”

Aeris turned to the woman and gave her a nod, eliciting a smile of satisfaction from her. She then turned to Archer and asked in a polite tone. ”Could I talk to you in private for a second?”

He nodded but cast Aurora Healing on Aeris and the students, which healed everything apart from their bruised egos. When they stood up, the group rushed off, avoiding the black-haired boy.

After that, Archer approached the woman with a smile, admiring her beauty. Her short orange hair framed her beautiful face, drawing his attention. As he looked into her eyes, he couldn’t help but notice their matching color.

His gaze then trailed down to appreciate her curves, admiring the way her figure filled out her professor’s robes, mainly her massive boobs that sat perfectly on her chest.

While studying her, Archer was interrupted by a cough, causing him to look up and meet the woman’s amused gaze.

She smiled teasingly before speaking. “I see those eyes of yours wandering all over little old me. I didn’t know someone as young as you would be interested in older women. Not many boys your age pay attention to us. They prefer younger, prettier girls.”

Archer chuckled as he replied. ”Well, boys my age are stupid. Older women are still beautiful and charming. I honestly don’t care for ages. If we like each other, then there’s no issue.”

The woman smiled before introducing herself. ”I’m Professor Eleanor Ravenscroft. I teach the Magical Creature Studies at Starlight Academy.”

”Isn’t the SummerfieldDuke called Harrington Ravenscroft?” He asked in a curious voice as he remembered Sia mentioning him.

Eleanor smiled. ”Yes. He’s my elder brother.”

The woman with orange hair gently shook her head before speaking again. “Thank you for taking care of Aeris. It’s not easy for him, given his circumstances, and the other students don’t let him forget it. So, when I witnessed you standing up for him, I was taken aback. Most people tend to avoid him.”

He glanced at the woman and surmised she might be friends with the Redcliff family. With a nod of acknowledgment, he replied, “Aeris is my friend. Naturally, I’d stand up for him. Him being a dark wraith doesn’t bother me; he’s always been open about it. But I must ask, is he actually a girl?”

When Eleanor heard this, she started laughing before shrugging. ”Who knows, Archer Wyldheart. Now I must check on the students who you dealt with.”

Archer nodded with a smile.After she vanished into the crowd, he glanced at Aeris, noticing the unknown look in his eyes. It was a mix of gratitude, confusion, and something else that he couldn’t quite translate.

“You alright?” He asked while approaching the black-haired boy. Aeris looked up, meeting his gaze with a mixture of emotions swirling in his eyes.

“I… I don’t know,” he admitted but continued. “Thank you for standing up for me, Arch. But… why did you do it? Why risk your reputation for someone like me?”

Archer reached out, placing a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder while replying. “Because you’re my friend, Aeris and I don’t care for reputation or anything like that. It’s meaningless to me; otherwise, I’d be a noble in the empire instead of a wandering dragon who does as he pleases.”

Just as Aeris was going to reply, a voice was heard. ”Darling! Ella’s cooking. Want some?” 𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ

He turned back to see Teuila standing outside, smiling at him. When the blue-haired girl saw Aeris, her eyes narrowed before speaking again. ”Bring your friend as well.”

Archer smiled as he returned to the tent, with Aeris nervously following behind him. When they entered, nine pairs of eyes looked at him and smiled, then greeted him with kisses.

After that, Llyniel approached him with a smile as she spoke. ”Mother and Father want to see you. Can you come now?”

He nodded at her before turning to Aeris, who nervously fidgeted. Wondering why he was acting like that, he asked. ”Can you stay here? And why are you acting like that?”

Aeris was just about to reply until Nefertiti interrupted. ”You see Lyn’s parent’s husband. Your new friend can stay here with us.”

Archer smiled before grabbing the elf’s hand and letting her lead after putting on a shirt. Who happily took him to her family’s tents, where he would meet her father for the first time.

When he was gone, Hemera approached the nervous black-

haired boy before speaking knowingly. ”Don’t you think you owe us an explanation, Aeris Redcliff?”

If there are any mistakes, point them out, and I’ll edit it. Thanks

Updated from 𝑖𝘳.𝒸ℴ𝑚