The moonlit light, though still pale, illuminated the grand corridors of the temple as Lin, Yukio, and Cyrus made their way through them. Cyrus, a picture of serene amusement, walked with a gentle smile playing on his lips, occasionally glancing at Yukio. The Archsaint, meanwhile, was a study in controlled mortification. Her shoulders were stiff, her gaze fixed rigidly forward, as if by sheer force of will she could erase the memory of her undignified chase from the collective consciousness. Her face, though attempting an emotionless mask, still held a faint, tell-tale blush.
Lin, walking a step behind them, mused to herself as they walked. She could trust Yukio.
The Archsaint, for all her current embarrassment, possessed a core of unwavering loyalty and lack of guile beneath her formidable exterior. There were few people she knew who had more willpower to do what needed to be done than her, and she seemed to have a strong relationship with Kojo, like two kindred spirits. The Moonshadow's purpose was to eliminate obstacles for Kojo, to clear the path for the inevitable confrontation with Minatori. And given what she was learning about the Holy Land, their forces were bound to clash at some point. She felt that they could trust Yukio to have their back when the time came. The only problem was… Lin's gaze flickered to Cyrus, who, as if sensing her thoughts, turned and offered her a warm, knowing smile.
"Don't worry about it, Lin," Cyrus said, his voice soft and reassuring.
"Adults are merely children at heart, burdened by responsibilities. Occasionally, one simply needs to let their inner child out for a run."
Yukio cleared her throat, a strained, almost pained sound. Cyrus merely chuckled, a deep, resonant sound that seemed to vibrate through the stone. Lin found herself liking Cyrus, despite her usual cautious nature. He seemed genuinely good, a far cry from Aldean, his closest friend, who was a womanizer, flirting with the nuns and pestering Lin to have some time with him. Lin frowned. He was annoying.
But coming back to Cyrus, that very goodness made her task more complicated. How did one approach such a person with the clandestine machinations of the Moonshadow, especially when the person was involved in such operations as well? And this wasn't about just Cyrus. The other Glory Knights seemed like good people despite their individual personalities.
There was also another problem.
One couldn't be in a place where everyone was good. Lin suspected that there was a mole in their group, ratting out their activities to someone else. Either the Khaos Nocturni, the dark Apostle, or even the Pope himself. It didn't matter who the one behind the mole was; the fact that there was a mole meant that she couldn't just carelessly approach anyone of them with her intentions.
Some might think that she was overthinking things and that they were Glory Knights. They had the blessing of the goddess and so they were pure of heart. Her suspicions were unfounded. But that didn't really matter due to a number of reasons. Free will, being paramount. And besides, it was better safe than sorry.
"So, where exactly are we going, Yukio?" Lin asked, changing the subject, her voice a calm counterpoint to Yukio's internal turmoil.
Yukio, grateful for the distraction, replied, "We're heading to the Grand Training Hall. The Knights usually gather there for morning drills and sparring matches."
As they walked, Lin decided to try her luck and probe further.
"Cyrus," she began, "I'm curious. Beyond the official duties, what are the real activities that the Paladins carry out? The ones not mentioned during the meeting?"
Cyrus glanced at Yukio, who was still walking a few paces ahead, seemingly oblivious. He saw no reaction. He turned back to Lin, his smile unwavering.
"Why do you ask, Lin?" He inquired.
"Oh, nothing, just curious," Lin replied.
"Just curious, as you say?" Cyrus said with a smirk.
"Precisely," Lin replied, meeting his gaze evenly.
Cyrus's eyes held hers for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths.
"It is as you were informed during our meeting, Lin. The Paladins uphold justice, protect the innocent, and serve the will of the Goddess through martial might and unwavering faith."
Lin's internal sigh was almost audible. She knew it wouldn't be easy to get information from him. He was too poised, too practiced in the art of polite evasion. Too.... loyal?Was that it? Was that the reason he wasn't giving her an answer, though? Loyalty? She wasn't sure but decided to press no further, for now. She'd ask Yukio about it later that evening, away from any watchful eyes.
They arrived at the Grand Training Hall, a vast, cavernous space carved from the living rock, its ceiling soaring high above them. The air thrummed with latent magical energy and the scent of sweat and steel. And indeed, gathered in a wide circle around a central sparring ring, were the Glory Knights. Their sweaty bodies gleamed under the magical lights, and their faces were a mixture of intense focus and competitive anticipation.
"Ten gold on Leo!" a gruff voice boomed from the crowd, a woman with multicolored blue hair said.
"I'll take that bet, and raise you five against!" Elias retorted.
"Anyone for a side wager on how long this bout lasts? I say under a minute!" Razak voiced out.
"You're just doing this to make fun of Leo, aren't you? You tease him too much." Myron said with a chuckle.
"Hey, why are you placing a bet? You're supposed to be the referee!"
The bickering carried on, and in the center of the platform, two figures moved with blinding speed, their weapons clashing with sharp, metallic rings, observed by the silent, formidable assembly.
The Grand Training Hall buzzed with a different kind of energy now that Lin, Yukio, and Cyrus were inside the hall. The low murmur of betting and the sharp clang of steel grew louder with every step. As they drew closer, several of the knights, their faces slick with exertion and excitement, began to notice the Archsaint's arrival.
"Oh, Captain!" a voice called out,Elias', quickly followed by a scattering of respectful bows and hushed greetings.
Yukio, her composure instantly returning, cleared her throat and stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the gathered knights. "What's going on here?" she asked, her voice firm, then her eyes landed on the two sparring figures in the center. She let out a weary sigh.
"Leo again? Why does he always insist on fighting him?"
Elias, the burly knight with a grin as wide as his shoulders, shrugged.
"Leo looked particularly annoyed today, Captain."
Razak, a lean, quick-eyed knight, nodded in agreement. He didn't have a covering on his face and looked handsome with his dark skin and short dark hair.
"True. He just walked up to him and demanded a duel. Even brought out a gauntlet and dramatically threw it at his feet, and began to make demands." He said, standing akimbo.
"That's ninety-nine consecutive losses in a row now." Nico, who was sitting on Vanica's shoulders, chimed in, earning a few snickers.
Lin's gaze, however, was riveted not on the bickering knights, but on the object of Leo's relentless challenge. Her eyes found the figure Leo was currently struggling against. He was a slender man, yet powerfully built,his muscles rippled with power as he moved,with a face so perfectly sculpted it bordered on the ethereal. His skin seemed to glow, flawless despite the sheen of sweat that dewed his brow. Neck-length auburn hair moved like waves as he dodged and attacked, with a single, striking tuft of pure white at the front that served has a bang, partially covering his face,seemed to shimmer with various hues – sapphire, emerald, amethyst, ruby, and others – depending on how the lights caught it.
But it was his eyes that truly captivated her. His irises were not of typical color, but appeared to be made of liquid crystal, gleaming with a rainbow spectrum that pulsed with an otherworldly light flowing between gradients as he moved.
He wasn't just handsome; he was mesmerizing, stunning Lin for a moment into silent awe. She had seen him in the hall the other time, but she hadn't paid him much attention, and in her defense, it was his position rather than his facial features that had obscured him.
This was Levi Svalo.
Lin's mind supplied the name instantly. Not only strong, but strikingly beautiful as well. A smirk tugged at her lips as she stole a glance at Yukio.
"I understand it now." She thought.
Just as this realization clicked into place, she missed the decisive action. A sudden, sharp crack of impact, and Leo was sent sprawling, thrown cleanly out of the sparring platform.
A collective "Aaaah!" erupted from the knights. Some groaned, others cheered, and a few immediately moved towards Elias to collect their winnings. Leo himself rose to one knee, glaring with unadulterated fury at Levi, who calmly raised the hem of his pristine white shirt to dab at his face, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk playing on his lips. Leo gritted his teeth, pushed himself to his feet, and stomped towards a bench at the far end of the hall, turning his back to the victorious Levi.
Lin watched him go, a faint smile on her face.
"That's the hundredth time now, and thanks to him, I lost ten gold."
Lin turned to see a girl standing beside her, her hair a captivating cascade of shifting blues and purples. She wore no armor or mask, and her face, though not as ethereal as Levi's, was stunningly beautiful, radiating an approachable charm her eyes were the same as her hair, moving between gradients if blue and purple with a hint of turquoise here and there.
"Hi there! My name is Astra. Astra Galileo, but everyone calls me Astropunk," the girl said, flashing Lin a bright, genuine smile. "Let's be friends!"
Lin, genuinely charmed by the forthrightness, smiled back.
Yukio, meanwhile, let out another weary sigh and turned her attention to Lin.
"The reason I brought you here is in relation to what the Pope said." Her expression, despite the earlier mortification, softened. "Congratulations, Lin. You're now an honorary member of the Glory Knights."
From his bench, Leo spun around. "You can't be serious!" he exclaimed, his voice incredulous.
Astropunk was instantly on his case. She put an arm around Lin's shoulder and gestured toward Leo with her thumb, a smirk playing at her lips.
"He can't be serious, right? How can you lose to the same guy a hundred times?" She turned to Leo.
"Nah, your streak needs to be studied, Leo! I think there's more to this than meets the eye."
The other knights chuckled, passing comments and good-natured jabs at Leo, who simply gritted his teeth, unable to respond to the relentless teasing.
On his bench at the other end of the hall, Levi Svalo observed the unfolding scene, a faint, almost imperceptible curve to his lips as he calmly took a sip from his water bottle.
Lin, on the other hand, was in deep thought, her mind racing with the implications of what Yukio had just said. She shook her head, having made up her mind, and smiled at Yukio.
"Could you please elaborate on what you meant, Yuki?" She asked.