Claud and Lily watched as the others left, and then sniffed. He hadn’t noticed it back then, but Nero and Kemata actually seemed to smell like blood or something. The way they walked behind the others was also quite different — Claud could tell that the two of them had actually fought someone just a few hours ago.
Who were they fighting? And why didn’t Nero warn him about the possibility of hostile enemies in Vacuos?
“Claud?” Lily looked at him. “What’s up? You seem worried.”
“Did you notice something wrong with Nero and Kemata?” Claud asked.
“Something wrong?” Lily looked at the two of them. She stayed silent until everyone else vanished from sight, and then frowned. “They…I think they were in a state of high tension. I’m not sure what they did, but…”
“It feels like they were fighting, right?” Claud completed her sentence. “I could smell something like blood too. It wasn’t strong, and I wasn’t even sure if it was actually blood, but they were definitely fighting before they left.”
The two exchanged glances.
“You know, he could have told us about the possible dangers here,” Lily muttered.
“Right?” Claud shook his head. “I wonder what’s going in his head. Or maybe he was doing some Holy Son stuff.”
“And Kemata, the last Bearer of Destiny for the great Dark, simply tagged along?” Lily frowned. “I mean, sure, there’s probably actually some relation in the whole thing, since the two of them are O— ahem. But still.”
Claud looked at himself once, and then shook his head. “Or maybe they settled it, and didn’t want to distract us after the deed. It’s possible that he thought that way too.”
“Very possible.” Lily looked at the Trading Board in her hands, and then handed it to Claud. “Here! Don’t lose it!”
“I won’t, okay?”
Claud stored the Trading Board away. It was now irreplaceable — Schwarz had done something to it, which would apparently enable the two boards to message each other across the barrier.
The two exchanged glances once more, and Claud found himself feeling a bit bashful for some reason. Now that the others were gone, and they were in a perfect date spot, it felt like a waste to go back right now for the Third Tutorial. The sun would set in an hour or so, and it would be nice to watch an ultra-beautiful sunset with Lily.
“What are you thinking about?” Lily asked, her voice touched by a hint of nervousness. Her eyes were a bit brighter than usual, and there was a hopeful touch to her lovely expression.
“Let’s go and watch the sunset together. We haven’t done something romantic for some time, after all. It’s been doom and gloom for a long time,” Claud replied. “Let’s get some treats too while we’re at it.”
“I was hoping you’d say that!” Lily’s expression blossomed, and Claud touched her cheek.
“You’re number one, after all.” Claud looked up, staring at the faint orange sky. Soon, dusk would fall. If he wanted a good view…
“Let’s get some food first, and then I’ll show you my new skill.” Claud took a step back, bowed once and then offered her his right hand. “May I have the pleasure of escorting you, m’lady?”
“Of course.” Lily placed a hand in his. “Still, are you trying to act like a noble?”
“We are knights. I don’t really see the problem,” Claud replied. “I’m new to this, though. Do guide me if I look stupid or something.”
“You look dreamy. Don’t worry.”
The two of them walked around for a while, and then stopped at a desserts shop. While dinners usually called for meat dishes and rich soups, the two of them were going to watch the sunset. Claud couldn’t help but think that eating meat or anything that wasn’t small and elegant was just wrong, so to Lily’s delight, he brought a bag full of cold, sweet desserts.
“I’m happy that there’s a lot of rese—sweets, but aren’t you going to buy some main dishes?” Lily asked.
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“Nope. Meat, rice and soup do not go well with sunsets, in my very personal opinion,” Claud replied. “Only small, delicate food.”
“Is that how it is?” Lily tilted her head. “Oh, it’s something like a more graceful date, right? You want it to be more dignified or something!”
“I suppose?” Claud thought about it. “I wasn’t thinking that hard, but you know, we’re about to become high-ranked folders. Wouldn’t it be nice to tell the others that we were relaxing with the sunset while nibbling sweet pastries on the day we began the Third Tutorial?”
“Uh, you do know that you’re doing it first, right?”
Claud eyed her. “You know…”
“You can be weirdly childish sometimes.” Lily smiled. “But I like it.”
“Well, then.” Claud brought her to a shadowy alley. “Let’s start. Will of Freedom.”
He picked Lily up as he activated Will of Solitude, and no one noticed them as the two of them simply ascended into the skies.
“It’s not that different from Flight, but…how do I put it?” Lily tilted her head. “Usually, when you accelerate, you feel something pulling you in the opposite direction, right? Whenever we fly. But it’s gone now. It feels like…I’m really free.”
“It’s less of Flight, and more of being absolutely free to move around,” Claud noted. “Gravity doesn’t seem to work on me, and I move at really good speeds. I think I just need to familiarise myself with the whole process, and I’ll be able to match up to the Frozen Emperor.”
“How fast was he?”
“I remember that I could move from my throne on the Frozen Coffin to Rimestar in a single thought,” Claud replied. “That fast, probably. Once I truly master Will of Freedom, we’ll be able to traverse the entire world in a single bound. Think of the possibilities!”
Lily licked her lips. “We can have drinks at Schwarz’s bar in the morning, and then show up to freeload at Count Lostfon’s castle in the afternoon.”
“Exactly.” Claud rubbed his hands. “Alright, I’ll invest some time into learning this skill…”
The two of them sat down on the rooftop of one of the many towers in the Vacuos Palace. Claud wasn’t interested in some time-sensitive high-efficiency trading yet, which was why Count Vacuos still had his fortune.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Lily asked. “The sky…I wonder why it changes colour during sunrise and sunset.”
“We can ask some knowledgeable people here once we’re done with the—”
The world shuddered heavily once as the sun vanished beneath the horizon. The white moon rose from the east, but another mass of power was rising from the west at the same time. Claud turned to look at it, and his heart chilled even more. There, acting as what seemed to be the white moon’s counterpart, was a black globe.
“It seems that the effects of the Trial is beginning to show,” Lily whispered. “It has to be, right?”
Claud nodded numbly. “We…should go back. And quickly. I’ll complete my seventh mana circuit.”
The two of them raced towards their inn, and then slipped into the room. Claud was dead certain that something huge was about to happen — both he and Lily were seeing black and tri-coloured squares — textless ones — blinking all over their vision. Claud had no idea what they were trying to do, but it couldn’t be good for him.
His head throbbed once as they closed the door behind them, and Claud let out a small groan. Hundreds of boxes had appeared in his vision, and as his head throbbed painfully again, they condensed into a single, red box.
Claud touched his head again, and the red box that held the message shrank rapidly. It joined up with the other small boxes that indicated the cooldown of his skills a heartbeat later, and he struggled over to the bed. His head was pounding madly, his nerves flooded by a sense of deadly crisis.
He had a feeling that if he hadn’t activated Will of Solitude, a lot of people would have been headed his way now. In fact, he could actually sense six other brilliant beacons of might all over the world — the other Bearers of Destiny.
“Claud…”
“We’re still safe for now, but we really can’t return now. No. I can’t return. I’ll need to keep up Will of Solitude until this thing ends,” Claud replied, glancing at the red box.
“Will it end?” Lily asked.
“…That’s a good question.” Claud closed his eyes for a moment. “There’s no choice. I must begin the Third Tutorial now.”
“Okay.” Lily held his hand. “Okay. I-I’ll watch over you, no matter what.”
Claud handed her a few more skillstrips. “Use them if necessary, got it?”
He touched his head again, but before he could do anything else, Lily threw her arms around him. She didn’t make any noise, simply choosing to hold him tight, but he could feel her trembling.
“I’ll be fine,” Claud whispered. “No matter what. Remember, if something happens, use everything I gave you and run. If you can’t bring me along, leave me here.”
“I can’t do that. But it won’t happen.” Lily looked at him. “Come back to me safe and sound. Don’t forget that promise. Okay?”
“Yes. I will.”
Crown rolled onto his head as Claud drew on his mana, and another box appeared in his vision.
[Your Mana Circuit Superimposition has reached 7.00]
[You have achieved the qualifications to ascend in the hierarchy of life. Third Tutorial has been loaded. Start?]
He looked at Lily, who was putting on a strong front for him, and then hugged her once more. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Her hands trembled, and Claud felt his innards twist. Now that this…thing had happened, him entering the Third Tutorial would cause Lily to worry excessively. And yet…
He covered her lips with his, holding that small, tiny little contact for ten seconds, and then smiled at her. “I’ll be going first, then.”
“Mhm.”
Claud took a deep breath and hugged her. His breathing stabilised, and the fear drained away. All that remained was the conviction that he would return, and he spoke a single word.
His vision winked out a moment later.