Chapter 18: A Rare... Moment of Calm

It had been a day since the Bloodbath ended. Lyne was trying to meditate to clear her thoughts.

"Ever since Kaega put the dagger in my right hand, for some reason... that person hasn't said a single word in my head anymore."

Lyne took a deep breath and exhaled. This was an exercise her mother had taught her. Her mother once said it was an exercise from her father, a rare person from the eastern continent who had come here. Lyne suddenly remembered her mother's face as she spoke about her father.

<-Lynette, it's not that you don't have a father... but your father is a man with many enemies... he didn't dare stay long with us and also reminded me not to use his surname to name you...

When Lyne was young and small, she asked her mother.

-Mom, so is Dad a bad person?

She just smiled and answered, but not really. In her eyes was an indescribable joy and pride.

-To the world, I'm not sure, but to me... your father is the hero who freed me from my prison...>

Lyne pushed the memories out of her head... to avoid losing her meditative state... but she couldn't stop remembering the old days.

<Lyne had now completed many missions for the organization... she didn't talk to her mother as much as before, and the time spent training in the guild had made her rigid in her communication, thus further widening the gap between the two...

One day, after returning from a mission, her mother initiated a conversation.

-Lynette... was this mission okay?

-Yes, mother. The mission went very well, although there was some difficulty infiltrating, the target was not too hard to assassinate.

-Lynette, you did well... you should find a day to rest... it's not just by throwing yourself into missions that you'll help the organization... and maybe.... in the future, you can replace me as the leader without having to go on dangerous assassination missions anymore...

Mrs. Marina's eyes flickered slightly in the darkness. Lyne didn't notice any emotion in them, but she replied.

-Thank you, mother, for your concern. But I need to prove myself worthy of the position that mother will pass on to me.

-Lynette, have you noticed anyone monitoring you lately?

Lyne looked confused but quickly replied.

-No, I haven't felt anything!

-Alright, then come here and let me check...

Lyne approached and held out her hand for Marina to check.>

"Mother... why did you betray them...."

Lyne's head was sinking into memories but she snapped back to reality.

"I can't, I have to focus. In a few more days, I'll have to face the truth."

Thinking of this, her face couldn't help but show worry...

"Kaega, what is your plan in the end... and why are you helping me...?"

Just as she thought of it, she felt a familiar presence. She opened her eyes and saw Kaega, sitting in front of her, eating a cake Elina had made for him, looking extremely relaxed and natural.

-What are you doing here?

She closed her eyes again.

-Sitting here watching you practice...

-Don't you have anything to do?

-Hmmm... nooo...

-Then why don't you go eat somewhere else?

-Because I want to eat and watch a girl at the same time.

-What about Elina, why don't you watch her?

-She's a priestess and she's older than me.

-So you think I'm younger than you?

-Hmm, looking at you, probably.

-Ha... let me remind you, since I got lost in the forest for a whole year, since that  I haven't felt my body develop anymore.

-So that means you're an old woman, right...?

-Right....

Lyne suddenly realized she had just been called an old woman by Kaega and had even agreed.

-Kaega, get out of here and leave me alone to meditative state...

When she opened her eyes, Kaega was nowhere to be seen. In front of her was just a plate of cake placed on the seat, with a note.

"Remember to practice a lot after eating. This has a lot of energy, not practicing will easily make you slow down. Signed, Kaega."

A vein popped on her forehead. Kaega had just called her an old woman and said she was fat.... then she calmed down.

"His sense of humor is really strange, very different from the person he is when he's calculating..."

She thought as she picked up the plate of cake to eat.

"How long has it been since I've eaten a cake like this...."

After eating, she no longer sat in meditation but stood up and started running... after running continuously for an hour, suddenly some boys came out from the house.

-Are you Mother Elina's friend, miss...?

-What is it, kids, do you need something?

-No, we just....

The kids hesitated, not knowing what to say, but then another, older kid came up.

-It seems you are a very strong person and know how to fight. Please help us train.

-Huh...?

Lyne was surprised by the sudden request but then heard the children continue.

-Although we were also born in Aquila, we were too weak and couldn't fight, so we needed Mother Elina's help.... we want to help Mother Elina share some of the pressure....

-But didn't Miss Elina already teach you how to fight?

-Yes, she taught us the basics, but she only taught healing arts, and only Robert could learn it. The rest of us don't have the talent to learn them.

"Robert seems to be that orange-haired boy."

Lyne remembered the person she had met when she went to check on Kaega's condition.

-We went to ask the brother in the darkness for guidance, but he told us to come to you to learn, so please help us train our fighting skills.

-This.....

It wasn't that Lyne couldn't teach, but they were leaving in more than a day, so she couldn't teach these children much...

-After tomorrow, me and that guy in the darkness who's up to no good will have to leave. I can't teach you kids much...

-We know, but we will still learn if you are willing to teach us.

Lyne sighed at the group of kids Kaega had pushed towards her.

-Alright, I guess so. What do you kids want to learn now...

-We want to learn how to fight!

-Then show me what you can do!

-Yes!

A moment later, Lyne was surrounded by the kids. After Lyne's signal to start, they charged up like a herd of bulls.

-Too simple.

Lyne jumped out of the encirclement, causing the kids to bump their heads together.

-If that's all you've got, it's very difficult for me to teach you kids.

-It's not over yet!

One kid stood up and rushed forward with the intention of grabbing her. Lyne gently dodged without any trouble.

-If you're too straightforward, it's hard to beat me.

-In that case, you guys split up. Now we'll take turns catching her without letting her rest.

-Huh, wait...

Before she could finish, the kids had surrounded her in an orderly fashion.

-You kids said you don't know how to fight... how can you form a formation like that?

-This is the strategy that the brother in the darkness came up with. He said if you wanted to test your strength, you should use this method.

Lyne suddenly realized Kaega had sold her out to these kids.

-According to the strategy, I'll go catch her first.

The boy quickly ran to try and catch her. Lyne dodged again, but the boy had a smile on his face, because as soon as she landed, another boy immediately rushed from behind with the intention of grabbing her.

-Again!

She jumped up again, dodging to the side.

-She jumped into the air, pinpoint her landing position now.

-What...

A group of kids intended to wait for her to land and catch her.

-Not good...

Lyne stretched her body in the air without changing her trajectory much, but it was enough for the kids to not be able to touch and catch her.

-Ahh...

-It'll hurt a little.

Lyne tripped the kids who were waiting and jumped away, but for some reason, she jumped close to another kid...

-Careless.

-Grey, there's a chance.

The kid named Grey quickly spread his arms with the intention of catching her.

-This isn't enough!

Lyne bent her body backward and lay down, dodging the catch.

-Huh...

Lyne didn't wait for the kid to react but continued to trip him.

-Ahh.....

Lyne grabbed the collar of the kid named Grey and gently threw him back to the group of children.

-Hey, if you kids don't succeed, I won't teach you anything.

-Reform the formation, then one by one.

And so, a strategy was repeated over and over for 3 hours. The constant dodging for 3 hours had exhausted Lyne.

-Hey.... you kids are persistent... really...

-In that case... please... agree to teach... us...

However, looking back at the children, they were out of breath after playing catch with Lyne for 3 hours.

-Alright... I'll teach you kids tomorrow... learn what you can... now go into the dining hall and eat...

-Yaaaay!.... we did it....

The children sat down, exhausted, and celebrated together. Lyne wiped her sweat and looked towards the upper floor window. There, Kaega's silhouette was looking out. Then he turned his head and disappeared.

"This guy still really likes to set me up, but his strategy for the kids is really scary..."

-”HE'S VERY DANGEROUS, ISN'T HE? IF HE BETRAYS YOU, YOU'LL DIE....”

Lyne unconsciously was about to put her left hand on the dagger, but her right hand had already grasped it... and another day was slowly passing. After one more day, the Blood Feast would begin.....

“HEAD MEASURER.... I WILL DEFINITELY CUT YOUR HEAD OFF!!”

Lyne went into the house, took a bath, then ate, and once again continued to meditate......