Chapter 43: Breeder (3)
Opposing factions entrenched in conflict, yet a love story that transcends it all.
At first glance, it's the kind of setup that would drive women wild, a clich that has persisted for ages.
Due to certain reasons, the factions engage in conflict and strife, yet at some point, they begin to harbor feelings for each other. A story that can get tiresome if overdone.
But always fresh and thrilling, this is a scenario that never truly wears out, hence its enduring popularity.
"Since it's uncomfortable, how about we go now?"
"Really shameless, aren't you? Who broke the rules first?"
"I came early specifically to avoid this."
"If that were true, you should have yielded to me first. Don't you think?"
Elegant as a swan, Gloria, and ferocious like a bear, Kronos.
The two were seated side by side, radiating a tense atmosphere as they spoke.
Facing them, Luna appeared overwhelmed by the mood, while Kara looked fascinated by the unfolding events.
"Sorry, but there are some matters I simply cannot cede, even for the sake of the empire."
"Oh my, how unusual that we share the same thought."
A battle without a hint of concession. They were engaged in a strategic battle to claim Luna for their respective nations.
The sight of representatives from two widely known rival nations fighting it out.
Usually, they would avoid direct confrontation, but them openly battling was truly a rare spectacle.
They're really building up to something.'
However, I know the entire truth behind it all. They have probably already agreed on their terms.
Which means all this is just an act. On the surface, they appear like oil and water, but in reality, it's quite the opposite.
Due to their personalities, ideologies, and fighting styles, it is true they clash like oil and water. They've just mixed through turbulent motions.
Behind closed doors, they have likely done everything a couple might. They're enjoying a thrilling secret romance.
Do they each yearn for what they themselves lack?'
Kronos, for the elegance he lacks, and Gloria, for the unwavering firmness she does not possess.
Kronos, born a commoner, carved his own path and rose through the ranks. Gloria, of noble birth, walked a path already laid out for her.
Although their beliefs, characters, and lives were polar opposites, ironically, they were each other's ideal types.
There was conflict, including physical clashes, but even those issues didn't last long.
"This will never end at this rate. We need a definitive way to decide."
"And what way might that be?"
"Through a duel. It's the only thing we can do, is it not?"
At Kronos's mention of a duel, Gloria smiled broadly.
Her expression showed she had been hoping for just such an answer, fully satisfied.
"Here we go again."
"Don't you ever tire?"
"I cannot fathom why she'd bother with a man like that."
While Gloria seemed to enjoy the prospect, the onlookers, starting with her attendants, were less pleased.
They stood slightly apart from her, close enough to intervene if necessary, yet every bit of their conversation reached my ears.
"Shouldn't we stop this?"
"Let it be. Every time she comes here, she ends up fighting that guy anyway. It just adds to our troubles if we intervene."
"What can you do? They're supposedly mortal enemies. It will only end when one of them is dead."
Kronos's attendants were next. They seemed to be used to such scenes, taking it all in stride.
Whether from the Matra Empire or the Granada Empire, they were all bystanders, as if nothing would change if they tried to intervene.
To them, it must feel like a yearly festival by now. They've been so worn down by it that they can merely shrug and move on.
"Very well. Theres no better way to make things clear. Isn't that so, student Luna?"
"Yes, yes, yes?"
At Glorias call, Luna stammered out her response. She seemed to be struggling to keep pace with the swift unfolding of events.
Gloria found Luna's reaction endearing and smiled gently, then said in her distinctively melodious voice.
"The order of our counsel will be decided based on the outcome of our duel. That's all you need to know."
"Do we really have to duel?"
"There's no other way. It's an essential matter for the student's sake, too."
Kronos answered Luna's question in a way that might seem reasonable to anyone listening.
Indeed, wherever Luna goes, she's bound to draw interest from any organization. It would be cleaner to set the order like this now.
But it's all just an excuse.'
Naturally, the inner motives are different. It won't just be Luna used as a tool for their purposes.
However, the part about determining the consultation order isn't a lie. It's not about priority.
"Shall we go ahead without further delay? I've been looking forward to a good stretch."
"I feel the same."
Without any more hesitation, the two stood up.
The quick progression had Luna questioning them with a bewildered tone.
"Where are you going? You're not heading to the dueling ground for a duel, are you?"
"That's not it. This is a matter we need to settle by ourselves. We're planning to do it somewhere else. For example, theres a forest near the academy."
Gloria answered with a bright smile. Her smile was so stunning that even Luna was momentarily dazed.
"You can watch if you'd like. But"
"But what?"
"We won't be held responsible if you get hurt?"
" "
Luna looked flabbergasted. Their words essentially meant theyd handle it themselves and she should wait.
If Gloria and Kronos dueled, the nearby terrain would likely be badly damaged.
Not to the extent of utter destruction like when Hector and I fought, but a few trees would certainly be shattered.
"Just wait a little bit. It will be over quickly."
"That's right. There'll be results by tomorrow."
As they sparked each other's fighting spirit and sense of rivalry, it was clear no one could intervene.
Their relationship has been well known publicly. They have been at it for more than 10 years, so it'd be odd not to be aware of it.
And theyve fought many times. Each visit to the academy heralds another battle, so it's their attendants who suffer the most.
Seeing it in person does give you the feeling that things are being rushed.'
To the uninitiated, the seamless progression of events would leave them speechless from astonishment.
But knowing the truth, even to me, it seemed a tad hasty. Even the most coherent build-ups can feel too fast.
The sense of dissonance was almost palpable, but to the attendants, who considered this just another event in a series, they couldn't even think to doubt it.
"If everyone is ready, lets proceed."
"I'm always prepared."
As they stood up, it seemed they were anticipating the fight to come, or perhaps they were looking forward to some time alone together.
To an observer unaware of their circumstances, they might appear excited for the impending battle.
"Are you fighting with that man again?"
"What choice do I have? I need to test my skills too, so it works out well."
"Haah"
As Grace's attendant handed her a rapier, a deep sigh escaped his lips.
"Please win, General. If you lose, it'll become a national tale."
"If you spread rumors, I'll sell your gold teeth at the pawn shop, just so you know."
"Hahaha! You're joking too hard. Anyway, here's your weapon."
Kronos's attendant laughed heartily as he handed over the battle-axe.
Hold on a moment. One might wonder if anyone suspects the truth about these two. They say familiarity breeds fondness, after all.
But the chance of such suspicion is near zero percent. Their reputations have shattered even the slightest what if' doubts.
"Shall we go?"
"Hmm."
Gloria and Kronos smoothly and naturally exited the buffet, leaving the impression of a storm passing through.
Luna seemed to have sensed it too, remaining stunned for a while before listlessly leaning back in her chair.
The look on her face suggested her soul had momentarily left her bodyshe seemed utterly squashed.
"Interesting. I kind of want to watch them fight. Wonder if I could follow along?"
"Forget it. I don't want to get swept up in their mess."
"Okay. If you're done eating, I'm off to the training grounds first. Need to change."
"Sure."
Kara, who had been watching the whole affair as if it were none of her concern, left first.
That left only Luna and me in the buffet. Her face still seemed like it was devoid of any soul.
"Luna."
" "
"Luna."
"Huh, what? Why?"
She was so out of it that I had to call her name twice before she responded.
Luna fluttered nervously at my call before opening her mouth. The bewilderment in her wide-open eyes was evident.
I stared at her and then pointed to where the couple had just left.
"Follow."
"Follow? Follow what?"
"Let's go."
At the suggestion to follow, Luna looked even more puzzled. Then she looked in the direction I was pointing.
Kronos and Gloria were already outside. She then looked at me, seeking clarification.
"To follow Kara? No way. She's gone to change."
No, not Kara.
I shook my head to indicate not Kara but them.
Kara had just left, so it was understandable she'd be confused. But my interest wasn't her.
"Then who?"
"Man. Woman."
"You mean Kronos and Gloria?"
It took her long enough to catch on. My words were short, making it hard to explain.
Regardless, Luna gave me a puzzled look when I nodded, not understanding why I suggested following them.
"Why suddenly now? Do you want to go and watch the duel?"
"No."
"Then why?"
For you, girl. And incidentally, I want to get some teachings too.
I had to keep my true motives pressed down as I opened my mouth. It's tough trying to raise this girl.
"Strange."
"Strange? They are strange?"
"Yeah."
"Whats strange about them?"
Ugh, this is frustrating. If Kara were here, she'd have approved without fuss.
Trying my best to suppress the irritation, I brought up the explanation.
"Just."
I can't really explain the detail. I know the secret, but Luna doesn't.
Luna looked dumbfounded at my concise answer and blinked several times before turning her gaze towards the direction the secret couple had taken.
If we don't do something, well miss them. I wish she would make up her mind quickly.
Even if not today, there are plenty of opportunities left. It's just the right moment now.
"Alright. But if they start to duel, well leave right away, okay? We don't want to get in the way."
"Yeah."
She seems not to be completely clueless after all. For now, she seemed to trust me.
Luna rose from her seat, haphazardly filled her plate, and headed outside. I too followed her.
Fortunately, it wasn't difficult to find Gloria and Kronos. Both had such distinctive styles that they were quickly spotted.
"Ah. There they are. Let's hurry"
But this idiot was about to move forward without noticing. We couldn't get any closer from here.
If we reached a certain distance in the Soul World, we'd invariably be detected. If that happened, it would surely just lead to a duel.
Given that we needed to maintain a secret relationship, every little detail had to be handled with care. Even a little suspicion could spell the end.
Thump-
"Huh? What? Sivar?"
So, as she tried to lead the way, I grabbed her arm. I didn't just stop at grabbing her arm; I dragged her into the alley between buildings.
Luna had no choice but to be dragged along by my strength. The difference in our physical abilities was such that she moved as I wished.
"What the hell are you doing! If people misunderstand, then what?"
Finally arriving in the alleyway and letting go of her arm, Luna was furious. I just let it go in one ear and out the other.
What's important now is to follow the two quietly. It doesn't matter if I'm alone, but Luna is accompanying me.
So, I have no choice but to use the proper method. There is one main method used in the Soul World.
Thump-
"What the hell are you Eek!"
The method is to chase after them from the rooftops of buildings.
As I jumped up high with her arm still in my grip, Luna screamed shrilly.
Although the building rooftops were quite high, one jump was enough to reach them. Luna must be a little scared.
We arrived on the rooftop and quickly located them. There wasn't much distance left until we reached the site of the event.
"Ugh My heart"
All the while, Luna had sat down on the spot, holding her chest with both hands. My sudden actions seemed to have made her heart drop.
I blinked at this and then spoke quietly, feeling sorry.
"Sorry."
Would this be enough, I wondered? Luna looked at me with sharp eyes and murmured a small retort.
"You'll see later."
That sounded genuinely scary.
*****
Luna had often observed Sivar's eccentric behaviors. Just yesterday, he nearly banged his head in Ragnarok.
However, no action today was as incomprehensible as what she'd just witnessed. Even the rapid change in situations was too much to grasp.
Following strange people she had just met today in secret. She didn't know if this was correct.
Apart from that, she became curious about the reason. Why was Sivar shadowing those two?
She also didn't know why she had to be involved, so it was all a mystery.
Come to think of it, didn't Grace tell Delphoi to be cautious?'
While jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Luna glanced at Sivar. His purely and pretty profile was visible.
Sometimes he behaved like a wild being, and it was hard to associate that with his face.
If he had a stern appearance like Hector or Kronos, she might have grown accustomed to it more easily.
But with that face doing all sorts of wild things, she just couldn't get used to it.
Is that really a wild sense?'
Whether he really knew the future, like warning Grace against Delphoi or being sure that Kara would lose, was confusing.
If he saw the cave paintings, the likelihood of knowing the future was high, but even that was uncertain.
The more days passed, the more he felt like the embodiment of a riddle.
There they are'
After some time, Luna saw the two entering a forest.
It was a forest far from the academy, surrounded by a specially treated wall to prevent monsters from easily entering.
Gloria and Kronos opened the gate installed in the wall and walked in. Entering the forest for gathering herbs and hunting was freely allowed.
They were probably planning to duel in the forest. A fierce duel in an arena would indeed be a nuisance.
Flash-
"Sivar? What are you doing"
As soon as the two entered the forest, Sivar scooped Luna up in what's commonly known as a princess carry.
As Luna was startled, Sivar jumped down from the building.
"Eek!"
The height made for a long fall. Unconsciously, Luna wrapped her arms tightly around Sivar.
She could have descended comfortably herself, but Sivar was in a rush.
Thump!
Soon, Sivar's feet touched the ground. Once Luna was on the ground, she relaxed her arms a bit which had been around him.
But what's happening now? Sivar didn't let her go despite her being in his arms.
Even her slight squirming asking him to put her down made no difference. Naturally, Luna was perplexed.
"Sivar? You can let go now"
"Quiet."
Before Luna could finish speaking, Sivar answered sharply.
"We'll be caught."
"Caught?"
"Quiet."
""
It seems like shes just supposed to keep quiet and remain being held. Though Luna was bewildered, she decided to heed Sivar's words.
Raising her voice here would likely lead to getting caught. She figured it was best to keep quiet now and reprimand him later.
Oh, I hope I'm not too heavy?'
Yet, there was no getting around the embarrassment. With her head still raised while being held by Sivar, she could only see his face directly in front of her. Fair skin that matched his beauty.
She felt her face growing hot with embarrassment. She had seen many handsome men at the academy, but none stood out like Sivar.
What if someone really asks him out just based on his face?'
What would happen if Sivar adapted to civilization and took an interest in romance? Such thoughts suddenly crossed her mind.
While Ellie was sure to teach him well, she couldn't help but worry.
No, what am I even thinking?'
Right now, she had to focus on shadowing. Luna quickly recovered her senses and turned her head away.
While holding Luna, Sivar moved through the forest without making a sound. Not even the crunching of leaves underfoot could be heard.
More surprisingly, despite his presence, it felt as though he wasn't there. It was like he was fooling not just sight, but senses too.
So, that's why he's holding me.'
She couldn't erase her presence like Sivar from a thief's line of work.
While slowly accepting the situation, at one point Sivar abruptly stopped walking.
He stared intently at one spot. Luna followed his gaze.
"Nobody will be here, right?"
"Should be empty. Nobody followed."
Those voices They were Gloria and Kronos. But their tones sounded strange.
Their speech in the dining hall was utterly stiff, but now well, it was somehow friendly.
"No, not just friendly syrupy even."
Luna questioned her own ears at the content of their conversation. It was certainly their voices, but the tone was worlds apart.
The two who were at each others throats, seeming ready to kill one another just moments ago, were now exchanging intimacies warm enough to drip honey.
Luna peered out further to catch a glimpse of them hidden behind a tree. Despite hiding, she barely managed to see them.
Shortly, what entered her sight was
Smack- Smooch-
The sight of the two, Gloria and Kronos, affectionately locking lips, like lovers.
"So what?"
If shocked enough, people lose speech. Luna was the perfect example.
Why were those two kissing? Kissing is an act reserved for loving couples.
But those two were sworn enemies, hostile enough to fight on sight, weren't they?
A whirlwind of confusion overwhelmed Luna, but an afterthought hit her.
Not just she knew what was happening, but Sivar was also witnessing the same scene.
At that thought, Luna frantically looked up.
""
Sivar looked on with curiosity at the novel sight of a couple kissing, his face showing a typical expressionless demeanor. But the slight agape of his mouth was undoubtedly a face of astonishment.
What changes might this prompt in his, perhaps, innocent heart? The pace was simply too fast.
With that thought, Luna covered Sivar's eyes and shouted, trying to keep any further implications at bay.
"Don't look! Close your eyes!"
"Who's there?"
Alerted by Luna's exclamation, the deeply kissing couple was also startled, shouting with a threatening air.
Luna faced a truly awkward situation as she thrashed about in Sivar's embrace.
Sivar seemed to understand her wish and gently set her down.
"Who dares Luna, you?"
"Oh."
During that time, Gloria had approached. Gloria looked perplexed at the sight of Luna and Sivar.
Kronos followed, equally surprised. His face all but yelled, Why are you here?'
How do I handle this!'
It seemed like she stumbled upon a secret better left unknown. It could lead to the worst-case scenario.
Luna did her best to think quickly and turned to face Gloria, crying out as convincingly as she could muster.
"I I didn't see anything!"
A plea bound to fall on deaf ears.
"I saw."
Sivar, however, delivered the final blow with refreshing straightforwardness.
"Kiss."
And with that, secrets were laid bare.
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