Chapter 159

I was a bit taken aback by Kara’s unexpected appearance.

I lost track of who was coming while spending some intimate time with Eli.

But it seems she had planned to sneak up on us completely. She probably watched everything unfold right in front of her eyes.

“Uh, when did you come… no, before that, I mean…”

Eli also looked shocked to see Kara, her face still red.

Kara snickered at her flustered state and approached us slowly.

“Come on. It’s just a kiss. You wouldn’t understand, but I’ve already done it.”

“Huh? What do you mean… by that?”

“It means I wasn’t the only one doing things like that. I could show you right now if you want.”

Before I knew it, Kara had come closer and said with a smile.

Eli blinked twice after hearing her, then turned towards me, her head snapping fast enough to make a sound.

“Sivar, did you really kiss Sister Kara?”

“It wasn’t a kiss, just a peck.”

“Don’t tell me you did that with Grace too?”

“Yeah.”

Eli’s face fell in disbelief at my calm admission. She clearly thought she was the first.

In the meantime, Kara leisurely sipped her wine and then spat it out, her eyes widening as she looked at me.

“What? You did it with Grace too? When?”

Now that I think of it, Kara probably didn’t see anything after she left. She only had Luna with her, so it’s understandable that she wouldn’t know.

“After you left.”

“Wow, you really went for it, huh? Not surprising, I guess.”

Kara seemed more surprised by the unexpected fact but didn’t care at all. She was pretty straightforward in that sense.

Not that it applied to Eli. She wore a somewhat defeated expression and muttered softly.

“What? So I was the only one worrying about this? That makes it feel pointless.”

“But I didn’t do it as intensely as you did. I’m a little jealous though. Where did you even learn it?”

“I learned it from my mom. She said guys like it.”

What on earth did Eli’s parents teach her? Being from a rural area, their knowledge would probably be Eli’s knowledge too.

But that made it more understandable. With the limitations of the times, they’d likely stay in that village forever.

In other words, the knowledge she’d inherit would probably be passed down through generations without much change.

“Most people do like it, I guess. But what’s this ‘practice’ stuff about?”

“My mom said it’s a process of stepping through stages. How should I explain it? Like more than friends but less than lovers? Anyway, she said what we’re doing at this stage is practice.”

“That’s… odd. But strangely, it makes sense.”

Kara nodded. Still, practicing until a kiss?

Maybe the whole world operates differently, hence the different common sense.

“Isn’t being in a relationship not practicing?”

“Yeah. You use all the practice when you’re in a relationship. After a relationship, then you become partners. Am I right?”

“That’s true… but I really don’t know what to say. Let’s just seduce each other in our own ways. That sounds better.”

Kara confidently reached a conclusion. There was no room for my opinion here.

Even if I voiced one, it would probably end up getting dismissed like I didn’t know anything. To be honest, I’m not in a bad position, so it’s fine.

“By the way, how did you find out we were here?”

“You’re quick to ask. I saw you guys with the prince of the Matra Empire. What did you talk about?”

“I’m not sure. We just went on about freedom and that was it.”

Eli shrugged. With almost zero relevant knowledge, it seemed she brushed it off as nonsense.

Then again, I wouldn’t know a thing about things I’m not interested in back on Earth, so how could it be any different here? For people, it’s enough to eat well and live well.

“Seems he talked about that too. He said similar things to me. The future of the empire seems… quite complicated.”

“You talked to Karas too? When I saw you earlier, you were talking with other people. What were you all discussing then?”

“Just… various things, I guess?”

Kara approached us with a wry smile and then quietly passed by, leaning against the terrace railing and looking down.

Thanks to that, I could take a closer look at her expression. For some reason, she looked bitter.

“We talked a lot. It turns out people aren’t as barbaric as I first thought. I was worried about that.”

“Isn’t the problem the people who speak so openly about it?”

“I thought so at first. But facing it directly is something else.”

Originally, it was Prince Leo, brother of Karas, who insulted the barbarians. He had the audacity to suggest they become his concubines, among other things.

But having smashed his head, I had no reason to listen to his nonsense.

No matter how much Kara caused a ruckus, if someone dared to say such things in front of me, they’d likely be socially ostracized.

“I can tolerate being called barbaric. The issue is there are actual victims among them.”

“Victims?”

“Yeah. You know our Tartar used to raid neighboring countries, right? There were descendants of those affected.”

“……”

It’s quite a complicated matter. And it’s a karma that Tartar must bear.

At the time, it was necessary to raid due to a lack of resources, but now that a state has been established, excuses won’t cut it.

If Tartar hadn’t received the Byzantine’s blessing, it would never be recognized as a state. Even if they established one, disdain would always follow.

“Given the circumstances, he didn’t directly insult the person. But he subtly asked what would happen to the people who suffered because of us. Could we handle it?”

“What did you answer?”

I asked. It’s one thing to brush past the prince’s bluster, but this mattered.

We’d pretty much received the consequences of our actions. At a banquet, I could let it pass, but if we met outside, it wouldn’t be surprising if blades were drawn.

A similar situation unfolded in the Soul World. At the time, Kara was mentally immature and acted rather self-righteously.

Claiming there were no other options due to the harsh desert climate, or asking why such things were being brought up now, etc.

“What did I say? I bowed my head and apologized. Claiming there was no other way was an excuse. We were real barbarians back then. Even if the dead cannot return, just by apologizing, it seems they let it go.”

But this time was different. Kara responded quite maturely.

Humans tend to be opportunistic, focusing only on their own position. Yet Kara bowed her head and apologized.

She seemed to have matured mentally since last time, but I couldn’t pin down exactly when. Did some event occur that I missed?

“Isn’t your nation in a desert? There must have been some unavoidable aspects…”

“There were unavoidable ones, sure. That’s why we raided. But it’s all meaningless talk. Understanding and forgiveness are two separate matters.”

Kara is right. Wrongdoing remains wrongdoing, irrespective of understanding.

If one could always understand everything, they’d be an adult or a saint. Beyond that realm of understanding, there’s no room for forgiveness for wrongdoing.

For now, we can only apologize and slowly envision the future as we move forward. Even gods cannot haphazardly turn back time.

“Kara.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you dislike civilized people?”

Separately, I was curious. How did Kara grow through all this?

I searched my memory persistently, but I couldn’t find anything that would serve as a source. Just memories of laughing and chatting together.

Kara stared at me for a while after hearing my words. Perhaps it was the drinks, but her face had a slight flush.

“I did dislike them. This is a bit complicated…”

Then she turned her head with a troubled expression. From her fidgeting mouth, it seemed she had something to say.

I recalled she had said something similar before. She wanted to tell me something but felt the need to rely on the courage from alcohol.

Even now, with the alcohol in her system, it seemed like a difficult topic for her to bring up.

“…It might hurt you. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m okay. Because it’s you, Kara.”

“Yeah. Hah…”

Kara breathed out long. It seemed she was trying to calm her racing heart.

Finally, she took a refreshing gulp from the wine glass. Isn’t that stuff pretty strong?

“Eli.”

“Yeah?”

“What did you think when you first met Sivar?”

At Kara’s question, Eli looked upwards, deep in thought.

Then she blinked and came out with a straightforward evaluation.

“The person who saved me? That was it?”

“Didn’t you feel anything like ‘he’s a barbarian’ or anything?”

“That was about all I felt. I thought he was really strong too.”

“Yeah. That’s true.”

Kara nodded after hearing Eli’s answer, her expression still complicated.

“I thought the same initially. In fact, we understood each other better than most. Others approached me calling me a barbarian while Sivar was different. That’s also why we got close.”

That is true, but knowing Kara’s personality helped a lot in bonding.

While she had a violent side back then, it has nearly faded with time. Primarily, no one was approaching her.

“To be honest, I felt a bit lonely. I wasn’t someone who wanted to be alone. But after Sivar came, things changed. I had trustworthy people around me, and Sivar was the most reliable among them.”

“Me too. I like how Sivar is straightforward.”

“Me too. But… at some point, I started having these thoughts.”

Kara clenched her fist tightly as she spoke those words. She squeezed so hard, her glass chipped slightly.

It was a tough sentence to say, requiring enough strength to force it out. I waited in silence until she was ready to confess.

At last, she glanced at my face, biting her lip. It seemed she desperately wanted to get it out, but the courage just wouldn’t come.

“It’s okay.”

“…Sivar?”

“I understand. I can forgive.”

So I gave her the courage directly. Didn’t she just say that understanding and forgiveness were separate matters?

I mirrored her words. Immediate shock registered on Kara’s face as she stared at me, dumbfounded.

“Friend.”

“…”

“Kara is my friend.”

Adding in the word “friend” amplified the effect. Nothing held more weight for Kara than being called a friend.

Perhaps encouraged by that, Kara’s expression flickered, twisting in an almost weepy smile before breaking into an empty laugh.

“Really… I can’t even fault civilized people. While I denounce them, I harbor the exact same sentiments.”

“…”

“Me convincing myself I’m better than you is completely disgusting. In reality, I’m not better than you at all.”

So that was what it was about. I think I understood her feelings to some extent.

Having been despised as a barbarian, seeing someone lower come along provided her a sense of consolation.

That’s just human nature. Many people feel superior by comparing themselves to others.

That ugly jealousy fuels competition, but jealousy is still jealousy. From Kara’s perspective, it must have been self-loathing.

“You know what’s even funnier? The fact that I like you. If I think about it, it’s always been you by my side. I wanted to hide it, but I just couldn’t.”

Honestly, Kara’s response could be deemed incredibly dignified. No, she surpassed that to a great degree.

People have an innate instinct to conceal their true feelings. I have my own secrets that I’m not far from.

In contrast, Kara openly confided her feelings. She must’ve felt unable to forgive herself, yet it took remarkable courage to be so transparent.

“Sivar.”

“Yeah?”

“As awkward as this may sound… can I keep liking you in the future?”

Kara looked straight at me as she confessed. It felt similar yet different from the declaration during the final exam.

Back then, she hid her feelings, but now, there was nothing left to hide. Her dismal thoughts were fully exposed.

I looked at Kara’s face for a while before shifting my gaze beyond it. Eli stood beside Kara.

*Nod! Nod!*

As soon as Eli made eye contact with me, she nodded vigorously, signaling me to respond.

I didn’t even need a signal like that to decide to reciprocate. Straying from Kara would yield no benefits for me.

Above all, Kara is a good fit for me. Distance stemming from mere comparison would be bothersome for me.

“I like Kara too.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

*Peck!*

As proof, I lightly kissed Kara’s lips. Her green eyes widened in surprise.

She touched her lips with her hand and then chuckled softly. Relief radiated from her face.

“…Thank you. At this point, I can’t help but think that Gulrak has sent you to me.”

“…”

I don’t think that’s the case. If Gulrak heard this, he would have wept like a child.

[Your faith rises!]

He probably would’ve cried for real. Anyway, seeing my faith increase seems to suggest I handled that well.

For a while, things might become awkward, but it’s fine. It’s something that time will resolve.

“Want to drink more? The banquet isn’t over yet.”

“Sure.”

“Drink moderately. If you overdo it, you’ll be in trouble tomorrow…”

“Hey! You barbarian!!”

Just as we were about to leave the terrace, an unfamiliar voice cut through us.

Turning my head, I found a man glaring at us.

He had the same gray hair as Karas but bore a distinctly hostile expression.

“Not only did you hit my head, but you also stole a woman?! You barbarian choose all the right bits to act like garbage!”

It was none other than Leo, the prince who tried to get handsy and ended up getting a bottle smashed over his head.

It was totally smashed, and yet here he was, upright and about. How’d he even find this place?

“Who is that? Why is he suddenly causing a scene?”

“He’s a prince… He tried to touch me, then got hit with a bottle by Sivar.”

“What?”

“Uhh?”

While Eli was summarizing, Leo’s gaze shifted elsewhere.

He focused on Eli and Kara. Slowly, his expression relaxed into a sly grin.

“Oh? Looks like I struck gold! With that bronzed skin, you’re Tartar’s princess, aren’t you?”

“What of it?”

“What do you mean ‘what of it’? You’re the same barbarian, after all.”

“…”

Is it really going to develop like this? I found myself somewhat taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.

Kara tightened her expression, clearly displeased by Leo’s outright barb toward her.

Will she, like in the Soul World, punch him in the face? Or will she respond more maturely now?

“But you’re rather beautiful. Allow me to extend a personal invitation…”

*BANG!!*

Before I could ponder the development further, a familiar yet solid sound pierced the air.

At the same time, Leo’s body swayed noticeably. He placed his hand on the back of his head in disbelief.

He turned around, bewildered by what just happened. Behind him stood a familiar figure.

“Brother…?”

*Thud!*

With a brief word, Leo fell flat on his face. As he collapsed, another person became visible.

“Haha! Sorry! I didn’t think you’d cause another scene after I trailed behind you.”

It was Prince Karas. He held a half-broken bottle in his hand.

Given that there were glass shards scattered on the floor, I took a wild guess that he had hit Leo with the bottle just like I did.

From Leo’s perspective, getting hit from a bottle twice in one evening must be quite ridiculous. I hope he doesn’t actually die.

“Don’t mind me, just go ahead. I’ll take my leave now.”

Karas said this, walking away from the terrace while a guard carried Leo off like a sack of potatoes.

“…Was that person always like this?”

“Uh… well, who knows?”

“…”

Let’s just think of it as a whirlwind passing through.

******

The day after the banquet.

‘…What the hell?’

Luna was extremely bewildered. First off, upon opening her eyes, she found an unfamiliar ceiling overhead.

‘What the heck is going on?’

Then she noticed she was wearing nothing but her underwear—just a pair of panties, no less.

‘Seriously, what the actual hell?’

And right next to her lay Sivar.

‘What the seriously, seriously hell?’

Luna’s mind spun in a dizzying confusion.

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