Chapter 142

Sivar was undergoing a test that wasn’t really a test.

Since the afternoon class was Autonomous Training, Kara was with Luna.

To elaborate, she was receiving training and dueling from Gloria and Kronos.

On days when Autonomous Training was scheduled, it was generally the norm to train with them. The trainers were well aware of the academy’s schedule too.

“That’s it. Let’s take a short break.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Kara, who had just finished a duel with Kronos, exchanged greetings.

Even though it was just a duel, she had put in enough effort to break a sweat.

Thanks to that, her naturally brown skin looked even more radiant and healthy.

“Ahh.”

Kara exhaled a breath she had been holding and collapsed onto the ground.

Dueling with Kronos was bound to drain her energy in many ways. Most of his attacks were packed with power.

To counter that power, one would have to exhaust a significant amount of magic power, so avoiding it was usually the best strategy.

But Kronos seemed to know this and took advantage of it, making him challenging to face.

He truly was a general of a nation—a capable figure from the powerful Granada Empire.

‘I’ve had a lot on my mind.’

In fact, Kara could continue the duel if she wanted, but her head was a mess right now.

Kronos, recognizing that she was distracted, abbreviated their sparring session.

‘How can I present conditions that would satisfy Sivar?’

Kara’s thoughts were occupied by none other than the final exam, specifically Sivar’s employment.

She usually took on the role of the team leader during practice or exams.

It was natural, given her status as a senior and her innate charisma along with real-world experience.

So it was only logical she was troubled about Sivar’s employment, which was crucial.

‘If I just hire him, we’re bound to win.’

In this exam, the fate of victory or defeat rested in Sivar’s hands, without a doubt.

At first glance, it might seem like a high-risk, high-reward situation, and considering Sivar’s enormous appetite, that’s partly true.

But Kara knew hiring Sivar was not high-risk; it was low-risk.

The moment he was hired, they could finish all the exams in one day.

Having witnessed his power firsthand, she was certain of it.

‘The real issue is how to hire him… would a genuine hug work?’

The problem lay in the contract. To hire Sivar, she had to make a proposal first.

Unless Sivar accepted that proposal, the moment the other side initiated a similar offer, things would get complicated.

Moreover, Luna had already informed her. Sivar preferred the warmth of people after living in the wilderness.

‘Not to mention the nurturing side he has…’

At that thought, Kara’s face naturally flushed. At the same moment, she recalled when Eli indulged Sivar’s whims.

If it were someone else, she would have hurriedly pushed them away, but with Sivar, she understood. A wild man driven more by instinct than reason.

Above all, she’d heard somewhere. Men, regardless of age, prefer a woman’s bosom.

Considering that, Sivar’s behavior made sense. The only problem was that such expressions were difficult in civilized societies.

‘Tartar tends to be lenient on such matters, but…’

Tartar, being a relatively young nation, still held on to tribal customs. One of the most notable being “chastity.”

Married women were expected to devote their bodies and minds to their husbands and shouldn’t tarnish themselves before marriage.

At first glance, it seems like common culture found in tribal societies, but Tartar is a bit different.

It may seem lenient but is strict in certain aspects. It’s limited to married women; otherwise, it’s acceptable.

Of course, this does not mean one can freely act. Women who do so in any cultural context are usually shunned or despised.

‘Ah, would hugging be acceptable, though? No, that’s too overtly clingy…’

Kara, accustomed to Tartar’s cultural norms, had developed a rather peculiar mindset.

Despite wearing revealing outfits for rituals, direct contact with men was embarrassing.

Especially if she had feelings for that man? Her rational and emotional sides clashed, creating desire and anguish.

‘The exam isn’t really that important, though…’

Kara turned her head. In the direction she turned, Luna was training with Kronos.

In just a few months, she had made incredible strides. While still lacking in technical aspects, her growth was visibly noticeable.

But Kara didn’t pay much attention. Luna getting stronger wouldn’t hurt her anyway.

‘But the idea of Sivar getting attached to her… that’s a different story…’

She was merely disturbed because Luna had mentioned such things first. Why did Luna seem to know so much about it?

She even shared it as if there was no need to hide a secret. There was no way not to be suspicious.

Suspicion tends to lead to further suspicion. She only recently learned the reason she was sore every morning, yet she still viewed her as a target of caution.

‘… or is she truly just that oblivious?’

Given Luna’s blunt personality, it’s quite plausible. She might have genuinely said those things without a second thought.

Regardless, the confusion remained unchanged. All she wanted was to look into her head.

‘Grace’s a bit unsettling too… sigh. This is a headache.’

Kara sighed and lowered her head. It would be better if she knew nothing at all, but her mind was all jumbled up.

Could this also be a form of advanced psychological warfare? But of all people, it had to be Luna. If someone else had said it, she would have just brushed it off.

“Is something troubling you?”

“… Huh?”

Just as Kara was struggling in her thoughts, a sweet voice reached her ears.

Looking up, she saw a beautiful woman with snow-white eyes gazing down at her. It was Gloria, her trainer and dueling partner.

With a bright smile on her face, Gloria looked at Kara, clearly intrigued for some reason.

“I heard from someone that you seem distracted today. Is that not the case?”

“Uh… yes, I was distracted, but why are you here?”

“I thought I’d poke my nose in a bit. If you keep moping like that, you won’t be able to concentrate during training. Oh, but it’s fine if you don’t want to share.”

Gloria said that while plopping down next to Kara. It felt like a natural action.

Kara didn’t feel uncomfortable with her actions. In fact, it felt quite friendly.

Every Autonomous Training session, they dueled, and she had shared some good techniques with her, so they had grown closer.

“Is something troubling you? If there’s a way I can help, I will.”

“Nothing major. Just… because of the exam.”

“The exam? Ah, come to think of it, the final exam, right?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you didn’t care about exams, Kara.”

Gloria expressed her confusion. She knew Kara was someone who didn’t fret much over evaluations.

Kara was from Tartar, where reputation was undoubtedly more important than tests.

If she did well on an exam, that alone would elevate her reputation.

But that was a reputation as a warrior, which wouldn’t hold much significance.

“That’s right. I care more about other things. It’s just that this exam is a bit complicated.”

“Complicated… in what way?”

“Is it okay to talk about it?”

Kara asked wantingly to adhere to the regulations, at least.

In response, Gloria waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh, the academy doesn’t really care about that stuff. As long as no weird rumors spread, it’s fine.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, so can you share what it is? From my perspective, it seems like you’re worried more about something other than the exam.”

Sharp as ever. Kara couldn’t help but widen her eyes at Gloria’s insight.

Although she had learned this through training, Gloria possessed quite a keen mind.

Earlier, when she mentioned that what mattered to her was reputation, not evaluations, it felt similar.

“You understand well. You’re right, Gloria. What happened was…”

Kara decided to clear the air and began explaining everything from the content of the final exam to Sivar’s employment.

Gloria listened quietly to her explanation. As she did, one fact became evident.

It was focused not on the exam but on Sivar. The details of the exam were glossed over.

While Kara tried to avoid unnecessary tangents, it only seemed to emphasize them.

“In summary, you’re worried about someone taking Sivar away?”

“Saying ‘taking away’ makes it sound strange. Either way, I’m indeed worried about that.”

“Hmm…”

On the surface, Gloria maintained a calm demeanor, but internally, she was smiling. Things were getting interesting.

She then turned her head to look at Luna. Luna was concentrating more on training than the exam.

“That’s amusing.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not worried about the exam, yet you’re specifically worried that the most important aspect of that exam, Sivar, might be taken from you… it sounds a bit contradictory, doesn’t it?”

“Uh…?”

At Gloria’s pointed remark, Kara’s thoughts briefly halted. Indeed, it was a valid point.

If she brought Sivar along, that exam would be in the bag. However, even though Kara concentrated, she didn’t stress much about the exam.

“Let’s speak honestly. You don’t want Sivar going to Luna, do you?”

Gloria asked with a playful expression. She looked like a mischievous child who had just hit the jackpot.

Kara was so surprised that she stuttered for a bit. It felt like her innermost thoughts had been laid bare.

“Th-that’s… that’s absolutely not it.”

“Really? Could you swear to Gulrak that you have no interest in Sivar at all?”

“…”

She couldn’t go that far. If she were to swear boldly, she would, but selling out Gulrak was out of the question.

As Kara remained silent, Gloria nodded with a satisfying expression. The air was already filled with the scent of sweet entertainment.

“It’s okay. Honestly, I had a hunch.”

“… Did it show that much?”

“I can’t say for sure. But I’ve had similar experiences myself.”

Similar experiences? At that, Kara tilted her head in confusion.

She still had no idea about the relationship between Gloria and Kronos.

While she might be well-versed in human relationships, when it comes to romantic ones, she was pretty much a novice.

“Anyway, why does Kara have a fondness for Sivar? Is it because you approached him without prejudice when others called him a barbarian?”

“… Do you also make prophecies?”

At this point, she became more astounded than anxious. Every bit she shared somehow turned out to be spot on.

As Kara stared at Gloria with a bewildered expression, Gloria wore a proud smile. She even lifted her head as if to emphasize her point.

“If it’s for such a reason, then you have plenty of grounds to like him. But do you know? Sivar also takes a liking to you for similar reasons.”

“Y-yeah?”

Of course, it wasn’t always correct. But in this case, she seemed to have hit the nail on the head.

The magnitude of her insight was significant enough to leave Kara’s eyes wide open.

“Do you recall? Originally, this training was supposed to be just for Sivar and Luna. Yet, Sivar insisted that you be included.”

“Uh… I remember.”

“At that moment, I realized. Sivar likes Kara. So he insisted you be a part of it no matter what.”

“…”

Gloria’s words held considerable weight. Given only the context, it simply made sense.

Firstly, approaching each other without prejudice must have weighed heavily in their favor. That alone would have heightened their mutual affection.

Like a king being manipulated by the tongue of a villain, Kara began to slowly immerse herself in Gloria’s narrative.

“So there’s no need for you to be scared, Kara. In fact, during times like this, you should take a stronger position. Plus, it’s not like you have no competition.”

“… Competition? You mean Luna?”

“I can’t say more than that. It’s a secret.”

Luna, huh? Kara could see through the obscured nature of that secret.

She shifted her gaze toward Luna. She seemed to have just finished training and was currently resting.

‘No wonder she said she openly reveals secrets.’

She possessed a knack for confounding others with her words.

Yet, despite that, it didn’t feel uncomfortable or unpleasant in any way. On the contrary, it fueled her competitive spirit.

With this final exam as a turning point, it would be clear whom Sivar would choose. This much she was sure of.

‘… I need to put in some effort.’

“Good luck. I’ll be cheering for both of you.”

While Kara was filled with competitive spirit, Luna was genuinely lost in thought.

‘What should I have for dinner?’

Luna was truly empty-headed.

And on the other side…

“Perfect. With this plan, it’s flawless. With this, Sivar will… hehehe.”

There was someone plotting something truly dangerous.

---