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Chapter 23: Ladies were no Angel.

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Moonlight.

Blue moonlight illuminated the square in the naval base, accompanied by blue lights, coming from crystals all around the compound. Nearly two hundred people stood in front of the platform, waiting for the time.

Wind was blowing.

They were shivering a little, but they were patient.

Eyes frowning, Medron was with his fellow knights, standing still on the main platform.

Kent and Natalia stood by his side, along with twenty odd knights. The squires were standing around the square, on stand by duty.

Medron turned to his two deputies.

“Feels rather, not enough?”

Kent and Natalia nodded.

“Including us, there’s more than this. Surely they aren’t late?”

“Can’t see Julia. Candidate Krone’s not here too. That boy, gosh.”

“By the way, I can’t see Padre anywhere?”

Medron asked the two, inquiring about his squire.

Just as he did, a bell rang somewhere. The ringing sound echoed the vicinity, the whole base and outside.

Nearby, Aurenburg’s clock tower had hit 9.00 o’clock.

Bells rang, counting.

As it finished all nine rings, Medron noticed movement. It was coming from the direction of the dining hall.

“The hell…”

A shy hundred people were rushing towards the square, frantic.

Some of them were staff members. Among them, he noticed a familiar face.

It was his faithful squire, Padre.

“Disgraceful. Just what did he do to forget time? Hmph!”

He banged his sword’s sheath onto the ground, fuming.

Natalia made a consoling remark, smiling;

“Ah. He’s always on time, Sir. There must be something? I’m sure we can inquire him, yes?”

“Hmph!”

She calmed the old man down.

As she did, she noticed a familiar face among the incoming crowd. He was lightly running alongside a giant boy and three girls. His expression was pleasant, happy even.

No guilt, whatsoever.

Her left eye twitched.

“That lucky bas— son of Kharlussia!”

She stomped her feet, clenching her fists, gritting her teeth. 

As she did, wind came, blowing her hair. The knights around her were stunned, soon backing away.

“How-dare-he, he, him being late. What nerve of steel, hmph!”

She laughed, inwardly.

The blue moonlight made her blonde hair bluish, waving. It was akin to an evil sorcerer’s hair in fairy tales. Even Kent backed away, while Medron raised both hands to her, consoling;

“Now, now, Natalia… Surely there’s a reason, yes?”

“Reason? Reason or not, he’ll pay. Dearly.”

“Yes, yes… You’re right. But within limit, within limit.”

“I’ll spend some quality time with him later. You mind, Sir Medron?”

 “Ah, well, I-I don’t mind, it’s not against rules or anything, you do that, haha…?”

As he laughed it off, his squire, Padre, stepped onto the platform.

“Padre! What happened? For someone your caliber to be late.”

The young man nodded.

Giving a formal salute, he gestured his master to lend him an ear. He spoke to him, in a hush.

As he did, Medron’s eyes turned wide.

“That happened, really?”

“Yes, even I was mesmerized. My apologies.”

“Well, I’m interested. Tell me the details later. It’s time.”

 “Yes Sir.”

The crowd had arrived, waiting.

Medron flicked his finger, giving signal. Two staff members took out a wide announcement board. Fifteen knights at the back, each took out a paper and placed it on the board.

On each paper, five numbers and short names were written, in large size. On top of each paper, a large ‘Team’ with a number was written. Some staff brought five crystal pillars, placing them along the board as lights.

Medron flipped his cape, catching the audience’s attention.

He gestured at the names.

“These are those who passed the second screening. All of you are grouped in a team of five. Congratulation for passing. Tomorrow will be the team battle. Your opponent will be announced tomorrow morning, after breakfast. Sir Kent,”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Medron called his deputy out.

Kent nodded, stepping forward.

“Be silent. I will now read out the names!”

He read out each team with the five names. Starting with Team One, Two, Three, and;

“Team Four; Krone, Doran, Thiana, Liliana, Athea!”

“Eh.”

“Ah?”

“Wha…”

The announcement stunned Athea and the twins. Noticing their reaction, Doran was puzzled, wondering what was wrong.

By their side, Krone held his laugh in.

Hearing the announcement, many candidates turned to him.

To Krone and company.

Huh..?

How is that possible?

Isn’t this unfair? Or did the knights…

The knights! They’re in cohort!

Most of them already knew their names, as they were interested.

These five had been together since morning, just after the obstacle course. Those who did not notice were in the few. If the candidates had been given choice, Krone would no doubt form the group with them.

But for them to be grouped in one team by the knights?

Suspicious!

Yet seeing the team, it was not a particularly powerful team.

Sure, Athea and the twins were quite good, but nowhere this arrangement could be called unfair. Still, many were not satisfied, desiring to protest.

That was, until they hear the team;

“Team Seven; Ryan, Ron, Julia, Kyril, Shana.”

Huh?

What?

The hell, Ryan, Ron, Julia?

Isn’t that, unfair?

What’s with the lineup?!

When they heard the names, they knew something was up.

The first three names, most of them recognized. However;

“Who’s Kyril and Shana?”

“Anyone knows them?”

“Ah, I know Kyril.”

“Shana, I know her.”

They murmured.

Even for the less known names, Kyril and Shana, some shared what they remembered. The two scored quite high in the exam, even when one of them had been nicknamed The Fallen One.

With that, the sharper ones could see what was coming.

That’s what they’re after…?

The team battles will not follow the team numbering?

Ryan, Ron and Julia noticed this as well. Their eyes started to search for their teammates.

Other than their own name, many had forgotten to listen to Kent’s announcement of the team names. Since they could just look at it afterwards, they could not resist discussing.

Kent ignored them. They were hushing, after all.

After the 15th Team;

“Alright, be silent. I’ll explain some simple rules and advice. Wait till I’m finished before asking questions, or discussing.”

His last word silenced all.

They knew best not to offend deputy head judge. Plus, they had to follow the rules afterwards.

For those who were not called, they had come to term with it.

They knew they were lacking; from the sparring to the Arte Exhibition, they pretty much had little hope to pass. Still, having experienced the test firsthand, their hope for next year flared.

They did not complain, just sighing by themselves.

Kent explained the rules.

All one hundred fifty candidates will have to stay in the base. A room for each of them had been assigned. They will have to go to their room by 2300, leaving them little time to mix in or discussing, or even to say goodbye to their family members still waiting outside.

Each team will have their rooms assigned near to each other. A curfew would be in place from 2300 to 0700, on which the candidates had to stay within the residential compound.

As for the team numbering, it was for convenience.

Their team’s opponent would be announced tomorrow. The match’s rules would be explained that morning. For the night, they were advised to make acquaintances of each other, made a general plan and rest.

“That is all. Breakfast will be at 7.00 am, right after the curfew. Further rules and your opponent, will be announced by 7.45 am here. Be on time. Take your rooms’ key with the staff members there, and oh, get it by group. That’s all. Any questions?”

Some raised their hands, asking trivial questions. Kent answered them all without fuss.  Soon, having no more, he and the knights left.

All, except one.

She stepped down from the platform, going straight for Krone.

“Natalia?”

She smiled towards him, her eyes knitting. 

Wind kept her hair waving. She approached him, step by step.

“Wait, that kind of smile, I better!”

Feeling dread, Krone turned away, steps rushing.

Pa!

Too late.

A tender hand grabbed the back of his neck. Pleasant fragrant invaded his sensitive nose.

He gulped.

He sweated.

Red lips breathed out at his side, near his ear.

Tingling, all the way to his lower spine.

“Hey, now… Where, are you, going, my dear Krone?”

“Ahaha, L-lady Natalia? I, I just need to use the washroom, if you don’t mind…?”

“Washroom, again? Oh my, I’m worried, you’ll be lost, especially since it’s night. Let me lead the way.”

“No, no… No need. You’re an esteemed Lady, unbecoming. I remember the way, yeah. I remember!”

“Aww, don’t be shy now. It’s no trouble.”

She turned to the four, startling them as she did.

She smiled.

A pure, innocent smile.

“You guys mind waiting a little bit? I need to make sure he remembered, the way, yes, the right way.”

Hairs standing on end, Athea, Doran and the twins shivered. Nodding furiously, they gestured her to take him away.

“Well then, excuse us.”

‘Traitors! We didn’t even formally start yet, yet you!’

Natalia dragged the pale Krone into the building. As she did, his eyes gazed his so-called comrades, pleading.

…

…

A beast-like wail pierced the sky, startling many.

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Silence.

Blue moonlight graced the night of Kharlussia, the sky was visible for all to see.

Within the residential building, blue lights filled the corridor. Originating from a crystal, it was a standard lighting within Kharlussian base. While the crystal was not cheap, it was economical.  Able to absorb sunlight during the day, it was able to give off light during the dark.

Thus, the whole base, especially so in important areas, dim lights were always available.

A creaking of a door pervaded the corridor.

A pair of thin legs came out, in white veiled pajamas, walking out towards the interior garden.

==

“Ouch, that Natalia…”

In a tracksuit, Krone was walking down the corridor, going out for meditation and fresh air.

He was holding his two cheeks, each with a cloth holding ice. The swelling was no more, but both were still hot from the passionate pinching of a certain lady.

A pinching he would never forget, all his life.

“Still, those traitors!”

He recalled what Athea, the twins and Doran did when he returned. He had to return, since they were going to take the keys together. Since it was not a life-threatening injury, his accelerated healing did not activate.

When they saw his swelling cheeks, they could not hold it in.

They burst out, laughing.

“Taking pleasure at my misfortunate, eh? It’s fine, it’s fine. What goes around, comes around, yep. I’ll make sure you guys remember that well, oh so very well.”

Within his mind, he already planned the necessary re-, um, training. He laughed by himself, his keke voice echoed the corridor.

“Natalia too, I’ll get back at you girl, hm, huh?”

He sensed something.

As he exited the corridor, he made his way to the interior garden, just before the building’s exit. Within the garden, the moonlight shone with all her glory, illuminating the various flowers.

Though the flowers had various colours, it was all bluish.

Yet what caught his attention was not the garden, but what was within.

No, who, was within.

‘Julia…?’

In the middle of the garden, a lady in veiled pajamas was hovering. She was standing still, with both hands stretched out in a T-like position.

Graced by the moonlight, it seemed she was in the middle of a meditation. It was not yet four in the morning, but she was there.

Up and down, hovering a metre above the ground.

‘She’s hovering.’

Krone witnessed her meditation.

With her hovering and her thinly veiled pajamas, she was like a painting of an angel, bathing in the moonlight, descending onto earth.

Though he knew very well, ladies were no angel.

‘Ultima-mana’s meditation, what a rare sight.’

He strolled along, eyes on her.

Near her, he sat down, wondering.

Such a sight.

A beautiful, magnificent sight. For her to be able to hover like this, she must have attained the ideal harmony between the mana of the heaven and earth. In addition, her mind must be in full reflection of the way of mana.

During this time, she would expand her mana pool, and if successful, also refined her affinity.

Hovering like this, in complete silence.

It was the peak of meditation.

The Harmony.

Any distraction during this meditation, would pull her down instantly.

‘Somehow, her Master must have known the way to refine affinity. This is one of the few. Just who was her Master?’

The timing was impeccable.

The dawn before the morning, specifically half the night, or the third, or two-third of it, was crucial. Those who meditate during this time, since ancient times, were called Meditators of Dawn.

They would think about the Law of Nature the Creator had set up.

They did so, almost every night.

This was an open secret, usually only stressed onto the best of their disciples.

A secret that even when being told to others, they would just shrug it off as nonsense. This was because there was no immediate result to observe.

Plus, many were just too lazy to wake up, too lazy to think.

After the fifth year of the war, an old Grandmaster could not bear the loss Kharlussia faced, thus made the decision to inform the Minister of Defense, Shurran, his secrets.

The secrets he held dear, one of which was this way to refine affinity.

Had it been someone else, they would not believe him. Shurran however, was different.

He tested it out, finding it to be reliable.

All Knights were notified, soon it was regimented into all soldiers’ training without deeper explanation. Later, much later, the results could be observed.

‘Better core absorption, better concentration, superior mental strength.’

This was one of the reasons why the knights and some soldiers could resist Big Eye’s hypnosis. The beast’s ability was terrifying. It usually used pleasure as the main scheme, thus those who got caught in its spell would not resist.

Fortunately, they who resisted its magic charm managed to break its hold on the others. Had it not for them, a regular army could fall victim to just one of these beasts.

‘I need to incorporate meditation within the training program. As for her, I really…’

He observed her with a heavy heart.

At first, he thought he had the resolve to do it. However, the more he thought about it, the more doubt crept in.

In front of him, was someone puzzling him.

Hovering, her tranquil face and white bluish veils seemed to console him, faintly asking him to soften his heart.

And so it did.

‘Julia, know that I do not hate you, whatsoever.’

The moon witnessed the troubled teen, then sitting in front of the hovering, angel-like figure. Sympathizing, she showered him with all her lights.

…

Soon, the blue moonlight closed her curtain.

“Forgive me.”

===== Chapter 23 End =====