Chapter 398

It was time for Sivar to roam around the palace, guided by Kara.

The academy students were taking a break in their own unique ways after the desert crossing.

Most of the students sprawled out on their beds, trying to catch up on sleep. After all, sleep was the true essence of rest.

Especially after crossing the desert, showering became an absolute must, leaving their bodies and minds feeling languid.

However, sometimes those with ‘Toughness’ would dive straight into their training without a moment’s pause.

Even in the scorching heat, they swung their weapons with all their might.

-Swoosh! Slash!

Instead of practice wooden swords, real blades moved gracefully.

There was not a hint of tremor in their flawless blade work. Refined movements flowed effortlessly.

The owner of those blades was a blonde girl, marked by a rather stern expression.

She trained diligently, sweat pouring down her face, her lips pressed together. But her gaze was unwaveringly serious.

‘Anticipate the opponent’s attack.’

The blonde girl, Luna, thought this as she moved her sword with determination. The sword, gripped tightly in both hands, flowed according to her will.

Though nothing was there, she behaved as if someone were before her.

‘Find the opponent’s habits through defense.’

But she wasn’t just mindlessly attacking. Sometimes she would take a defensive stance, preparing for something.

‘Measuring distance is crucial. Lure the opponent into a miss.’

The most important part was her legs. She was constantly moving not just her upper body, but her lower body as well.

Whether wielding the sword, taking a defensive stance, or even when doing nothing at all, it was the same.

Perhaps because of that, sweat poured down her lower body more than her upper body. The heat rising from the ground pressed down on her.

But Luna didn’t give up; she swung her sword again and again. Even while swinging the sword, she didn’t stop moving her legs.

The courtyard of the lodging was spacious enough to accommodate many people, but it was entirely within Luna’s realm of movement.

“Haah.”

Breathless, Luna slowly lowered her sword. Her once-busy legs followed suit.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them slowly to gaze ahead. Her view was blurred by sweat, but what she was looking at wasn’t in front of her.

‘Thanks to the desert crossing, my stamina has increased.’

What Luna was observing was the status window, as Sivar had said.

Specifically, it was the status window showing her physical abilities. She paid close attention to the window.

[Luna Estelle]

• Strength: 95

• Agility: 98

• Stamina: 105

• Magic Power: 99

• Luck: 60

• Faith: ??

Most of her stats hovered around 100. The growth compared to when she first obtained the status window was significant.

However, Luna wasn’t entirely satisfied. This was merely ‘physical ability.’

Above all, what surprised her most was after coming to Tartar.

‘The guides and guards in Tartar had stats mostly around 100. Even ordinary people had at least 80.’

She still vividly remembered. When she first obtained the status window, Luna’s strength was 72.

Yet, the locals in Tartar easily surpassed that number. Excluding those who were too young, of course.

She was astonished when she realized that even a frail-looking woman had strength exceeding 100.

As someone had said, each Tartar inhabitant was built for combat. Their race was simply strong.

‘What was even more amazing was faith.’

Kara’s faith exceeded 140. And even ordinary civilians had faith that typically surpassed 100.

This indicated how much Gulrak loved Tartar, and it equally suggested that Tartarians deeply revered Gulrak.

In contrast, Luna’s faith still remained marked as ??. Occasionally, a message would pop up saying her faith had increased, but it remained unclear.

‘First, let’s reach the average of Tartarians.’

Upon obtaining the status window, Luna realized a few things. First, stats increased the more you faced ‘actual combat.’

Like when the demons attacked the academy to seize Sivar. It was immediately after that when she experienced rapid growth.

Despite various incidents occurring in the process making it hard to fully track it all, that was the turning point.

‘Would it increase further through duels?’

Another thing: training was also one way to raise her numbers.

However, training couldn’t be done carelessly. It should be as close to actual combat as possible, like just now.

Even at the academy, while getting beaten up by Rod during their duels, she never lost focus. Thanks to that, she learned a lot.

‘The Chancellor became even stronger as he regained his youth.’

With the reverse aging, a state discussed in the Eastern Empire, Rod grew stronger.

After regaining his youth, each of his stats increased by an average of 5. There was no way she could win.

In contrast, it meant that aging was utterly terrifying. No being could escape from age.

‘How did the Saint regain her youth?’

She suddenly became curious. What kind of experiences had Rize gone through to maintain her youth?

Especially considering her deep ties to demons, particularly with Sivar; she had many secrets.

But since she was on their side, Luna didn’t pry too deeply. After all, she barely had her own issues to worry about.

‘When would I become strong?’

Luna exhaled a sigh internally. After the demon’s assault on the academy, she had grown a bit anxious.

She never knew when or where demons might target Sivar. Fortunately, there were no signs of such in Tartar.

Perhaps it was because Tartar was Gulrak’s cherished land. Or maybe there were other hidden schemes at play.

She trained diligently in preparation for that time, but it felt far from enough. Even Kara had grown stronger over the last year.

‘I need to understand the demon’s true goals. I should also know what Chaos desires. So many things to figure out.’

Doubts chased one another, leaving only chaos in their wake. It was incredibly hard to grab a hold of.

Luna sat for quite a while trying to collect her thoughts before shaking her head vigorously. Thinking like this wouldn’t help at all.

It would be better to swing the sword one more time at this time. Just as she got up from her spot and grabbed her sword, she suddenly heard a voice.

“Still at it?”

“Huh?”

A voice radiating kindness and warmth. Hearing that familiar tone, Luna turned her head.

Golden, sparkling eyes. Neatly styled brown bob hair. A beauty where cuteness and purity coexist.

Last but not least, an exceptionally prominent bosom. It was Eli, one of Luna’s closest friends.

“Eli? You haven’t taken a break?”

Luna asked, puzzled. Eli was also a student who had participated in the desert crossing.

Moreover, she was in a Non-Combat Class, meaning her stamina should be significantly lower. By now, she should be out cold.

“I rode a camel in between, you know. As a doctor, I was treated as an important personnel.”

Eli shrugged with a bright smile. Her vibrant aura stood out.

Upon hearing that, Luna nodded and stared at Eli intently. She wanted to sneak a peek at her status window.

[Eli Mia]

• Strength: 45

• Agility: 47

• Stamina: 72

• Magic Power: 80

• Luck: 15

• Faith: ??

Despite being in a Non-Combat Class, Eli’s growth was quite impressive. Particularly, her stamina and magic power had significantly risen.

However, although everything else was progressing, her luck stat was still at rock bottom. What on earth does luck even mean?

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

Had she thought a bit too long? Eli tilted her head in question.

To that, Luna quickly turned off her status window and scrambled for an excuse. But before she could, chaos slipped out of her mouth.

“I just looked at your chest.”

“My chest? Why?”

“Because it’s really big.”

It was a clumsy remark, but it served as a sufficient excuse.

After all, they were both girls, and Eli’s bosom was something one simply couldn’t ignore.

Her face was beautiful, so was her figure, her personality was kind, and her abilities were extraordinary. She lacked for nothing.

‘…Do I feel like I’m losing at something?’

It had to be a misconception. With a chest that big, living normally would be pretty inconvenient.

As Luna shed a silent tear inside, Eli looked down at her own chest.

Unlike when wandering outside, she was dressed in casual clothes within the lodging. This highlighted her figure beautifully.

“Hehe.”

Eli let out her signature bright laugh. She felt pleased by an unexpected compliment.

Especially since Sivar liked her the most, Eli had no reason to complain.

“Luna, just make sure you eat well and sleep plenty. Then yours will grow too.”

‘…Thanks, I guess?’

Though Luna nearly choked on that innocent attack, she held it back with great effort.

Eli spoke with good intentions, and getting mad would only paint her as strange.

“Luna. Are you going to wash up right after your training?”

“Probably? Why?”

“Could you go somewhere with me after you wash up? I heard Sivar went to the palace, so I was going to go with him.”

That much she had heard. Due to the achievement of subduing the Queen Sand Scorpion, Kara had taken Sivar along.

Luna still distinctly remembered how furious Grace had been upon hearing that. But now, she must be busy sleeping.

“Where are we going?”

“To a clothes store. I had clothes custom fitted there.”

“What kind of clothes?”

“A dancer’s outfit.”

“….”

Luna imagined it. A dancer’s outfit draped over that explosive figure.

She had seen Kara wear a dancer’s outfit before. The memory was still vivid.

It would be catastrophically stunning. Just imagining it flushed Luna’s face.

If Sivar sees that… would he not rampage like a beast? A bit concerning for Luna.

“Do you want one too? It looked super pretty.”

“I… think I’ll pass. But you plan to wear it here?”

“No? The dancer’s outfit can only be donned by priestesses. So out of respect, I won’t wear it here.”

Thank goodness. It seems there wouldn’t be any unwanted attention.

Just as Luna internally sighed in relief, Eli, beaming with her characteristic bright smile, continued.

“Only for Sivar to see.”

“…Isn’t that kind of risky?”

“Are you afraid Sivar would pounce on you or something?”

Straightforward words. For a moment, Luna was so flustered she could only nod cautiously.

At that, Eli’s smile widened as she giggled. On the surface, it appeared to be the innocent laugh of a girl.

“But that’s even better.”

“Huh?”

“When Kara wore it, it was still intact. And it just slipped by.”

Then Eli casually shared an unintended plan in the purest of voices.

“If Sivar were to pounce on me, wouldn’t that mean he finds me more attractive? Just imagining it is thrilling.”

“… …”

“I sometimes feel sorry for Kara and Grace. I’m completely at ease since I have no backing, but those two don’t have it that easy.”

“Oh… is that so?”

“Yeah. I like being hugged by Sivar, but I also like just linking arms. In the end, it’s all the same as being by his side.”

What should one say?

“My feelings of being liked. That alone is sufficient.”

Eli began to tremble.

[Faith is increasing!]

******

[Faith is increasing!]

“?”

What’s this? Why did this pop up all of a sudden?

I expressed my confusion at the sudden message appearing. It always made me uneasy when something unexpected showed up.

‘Could it be Hector?’

But that worry didn’t last long, thanks to the voice I heard before me.

“What are you looking at?”

Hearing that voice, I turned my gaze forward. At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

Radiant, sun-kissed skin. Droplets of water accentuating its sheen.

Firm abs that enhanced the healthy look, making it so attractive, ignoring minor scars.

But what captivated my eyes even more was something else. Two prominent features, leaving me unsure where to direct my gaze.

‘Wow…’

Down below were smooth thighs paired with a short skirt.

Up above was a green bikini conveniently covering generous bosoms.

And what about her face? The red-haired woman tossed her hair back and flashed a mischievous smile.

That smile was so enchanting it nearly sent my sanity packing.

“This is a bit unexpected.”

The red-haired woman, Kara, showcased her body shamelessly as she questioned me.

“Do you not like water play?”

To that question, I mentally answered.

‘I absolutely love it!’

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