A Walk with Eternity-Chapter 45: Smitten

About half an hour later, all six of them stood before Syvestian, barely even sweating. They were all bloodied, however, they seemed somewhat refreshed from moving their body after that long ride on the carriage. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

It is as if they weren’t in a complete killing spree just moments ago.

"Well? Any clues?" Syvestian approached Kian, and Kian shook his head.

"I went all the way to the rear, but I saw no signs of suspicious activity," Kian answered. "I am assuming that we simply came across their campsite, because there was a campsite near."

I doubt that’s entirely the case, Syvestian thought to himself and simply sighed in surrender.

"Let’s head to the city and rest." He continued, and for some reason, they were all staring at him, as if waiting for him to say something. He was confused at first, but then, he realized.

Syvestian smiled proudly at them and said, "All of you did well, excellent work."

Their expressions lit up from his words. And from that, he couldn’t help but chuckle. In his eyes, they all seem like children seeking validation from their parents. Syvestian turned his back on them to walk back to their carriage, but he remembered something.

He looked at them over his shoulder.

"Let’s continue the evaluation during dinner later. You all have something to improve in a way..."

All six of them were still smiling after hearing what he said, and that made him more proud. As stubborn as they look, it seems they grew up to be the kind of people who can take criticism and advice, Syvestian thought to himself and walked away, they followed after him.

What Syvestian doesn’t know is that they truly don’t listen to anyone but him.

Another hour has passed and they were finally able to arrive at the city and the inn they rented for the night. They rented the whole place for peace and privacy, the owners did not refuse and warmly welcomed them. All of them had their own rooms and bath spaces. The knight guards had their own room as well, securing the valuables and the gifts to help their masters sleep in peace.

Dinner and evaluation went by fast, but it was impactful and important for the six students. Syvestian was only a little brutal.

"Ezio, you use your legs too much. You’re big, make it so that all your limbs are equally strong and agile. Aside from that, your fighting style is very flexible, I feel proud."

"Kian, practice speed. You’re too focused on control over your sword. Your control over the winds, however, is beyond what I imagined. I can’t believe your winds are strong enough to have you take flight, and controlled at that."

"Dolunay, focus on utilizing mist. Focus on achieving complete control over it. Your manipulation of gravity is very controlled, I am quite impressed."

"Milera, you’re strong, exceeded my expectations of a craftsman. I actually have no words."

"Lysander, I fought your body, but I didn’t fight it to its full potential. Seeing it today, I can see where you trained your body to become. You with a sword along with your shadows are unstoppable."

"Cimmerian, I’m most impressed by you. Centering your very little mana to your eyes to be able to assist with ease. However, remember to be alert around your surroundings, you’re as vulnerable as the people on the field."

The whole group decided to drink wine in celebration of Syvestian’s never ending compliments. And within an hour of drinking, all of them were already drunk... aside from Lysander and Syvestian. The sober two can only watch them enjoy themselves quietly on the sidelines. Kian, Ezio, Cimmerian, Milera, and Dolunay weren’t the loud kind, but they were still as chaotic. They brought the board game with them, pulling Kian into their ridiculous bet.

"Hah! I finally won! You lose, Kian!" Dolunay cheered, jumping from her seat. Her face was flushed red, but she was completely full of joy. Cimmerian, Ezio, and Milera were clapping proudly for the faerie. And Kian was smiling as if he didn’t just lose.

His eyes were glued on the faerie. His gaze was soft, his face was relaxed.

"He’s completely smitten," Lysander commented as he sipped on his wine, looking over at his friends. Next to him was Syvestian, who was simply watching drinking water.

"Seems like it," Syvestian says. Looking at them, he was reminded of how Samael looks at his lover Callista, who he considers a mother at this point. "He should just marry her at this point."

Love was a universal language. It was something he knows and understands completely, even as a deity, but is yet to experience it himself. Witnessing his adopted parents and his friends completely fall in love makes him question;

How does it feel...? I wonder.

Lysander can only smile at Syvestian’s words.

"That’s the problem. Kian is yet to properly confess," Lysander revealed, shocking Syvestian to the core. He spit out the water inside his mouth. As inelegant as it seems, he couldn’t help it.

"What? Are you fucking serious?" Syvestian asks, his jaw dropped.

Lysander sighs and nods in response. "When we were still training together, he was so obvious about his feelings. It was beginning to annoy us most of the time, so when we asked him about professing his love directly, he said he didn’t want to."

Syvestian raised a brow. "What, why?"

"Well, it was simple. Kian is the Crown Prince, and Dolunay is a free spirit. He didn’t want her to be tied down to a position just because of his love for her."

Syvestian was lost for words. It all made sense. It was simply that complicated. Love has many forms, and this... was one of those things.

Kian knows Dolunay. And he doesn’t want his love for her to be the first thing to cut down her wings. Despite how his feelings have been eating him alive, he kept them.

"I don’t know about now though," Lysander continued, a smirk forming on his lips. "After what happened? I don’t think he will hold back this time. Besides, we’re all twenty. The Crown Princess Selections is right around the corner. If he doesn’t secure their relationship this year, he might be forced to marry another woman."

Twenty-one years was a young lord’s coming of age in the Slora Empire. To the Crown Prince of Slora, however, it was the age of him being completely tied down to his position, as well as being tied down to a woman who will bear his heir.

"How complicated..." Syvestian comments, but he smiles. "But I think he’ll do alright, no?"

"Yes, Kian is old enough to know what to do," Lysander says as nods in agreement. He turned over to Syvestian, and without hesitation, he spoke his mind, saying, "What about you?"

This then confused Syvestian. "What about me?"

Lysander rolled his eyes. "Surely you’ve somehow met a person you fell for in this world."

Syvestian chuckled at that. "Oh, you know I don’t have time for that."

Lysander was not having any of this busy schedule bullshitery that Syvestian was spouting. He decided to ask him all the questions that all the others were curious about as well.

"What about Rue?"

Syvestian looked at Lysander more confused than ever. What about his siren student?

"I really don’t understand where this is coming from," Syvestian says, but Lysander sighs in surrender.

This oblivious sadistic deity is getting on my nerves... Lysander can only try to calm himself down before he completely flips the dinner table, but he is already too exhausted now. Whatever, I’ll leave you to deal with that dilemma on your own.

"Hey~!"

Milera came out of nowhere, walking over Lysander and Syvestian. "What are you all talking so seriously about over here~?"

She was obviously drunk.

"We were talking about what to do for tomorrow," Syvestian lied outright, which caught Lysander’s attention. He was confused, and it felt suspicious.

Does he just not want them to know how we were talking about Kian and Dolunay... or is it...?

Lysander doesn’t know what to think at this point, but he has assumptions. Syvestian wasn’t one to lie about something so simple.

Was it because we were talking about Rue...? Lysander was close to proving his own point. They all know that Syvestian still has a soft spot for the siren empress. He simply does not show it openly now.

"Oh! I want to ship out as soon as possible!" Milera cheers, catching the attention of the other four. "I want to meet Rue immediately. I want to see what she looks like now."

"Are we talking about Rue?! I want to meet her too!" Ezio joins in, raising his hand like a child.

"Don’t be ridiculous. You know we can’t act like her friends in front of her people now. I just know she’ll draw the line," Kian interjected, crossing his arms, sulking like a kid.

"It’s fine, as long as we meet her again," Dolunay says. Her tone reveals how melancholic she is at the thought of meeting a person she once called a friend. They all still think she’s a friend though.

"I wonder how she looks now," Cimmerian joins in. "She must have grown so beautiful."

"Surely, she did."

All eyes turned to Syvestian who uttered those words. Syvestian, on the other hand, was looking down on his glass of wine, completely lost in thought. He seems to have spoken his mind unconsciously.

"She is a siren, after all."

All their expectations were then crushed before it was even built.

This dense fucker...