Chapter 023. A collusion of masters
“So Ayla and Miroh are childhood friends from Keziah?” Hika asked in awe, chewing on a rice cake while sitting criss crossed with Ayla and Miroh on the floor.
After the incident, they decisively chose a less crowded area to rest up away from the lingering stares with Hika following them like a lost puppy.
During their wait, they started talking about things about their life to ease the boredom. This also means that it was the time to test Vega’s drawn up backstory for Ayla in front of a stranger.
“Ye-yeah, we’re neighbors before so our mothers let us play together since we’re little to take care of each other.” Miroh stated. Aside from the slight stutter, he was able to woven a whole story within the lie so naturally Ayla almost uttered ‘really?’ in disbelief.
According to a master of con-artistry, to make your lie believable, the performer must take notice of the details surrounding the lie. Miroh unwittingly just executed that rule like a genius.
Ayla didn’t know if she’ll be glad to see a budding con-artist beside her. You might wonder who could’ve influenced him…
“So did you witness…that break the barrier?” Hika leaned closer and lower his voice, eyes looking around cautiously before he continue his question.
That question can be considered Miroh’s inverse scale. It was a question that will always set his mood down like most who had lived to narrate the fall of Keziah.
“It was colossal. The valkyrie seem to have appeared just to break the tower and disappeared just as the barrier disappeared.”
“The life I once knew disappeared that day as with everyone in my hometown.” Miroh gaze lowered as his hands clenched into a fist. That resolve for vengeance had been simmering for a long time in his soul, fighting through his incapability as a knight.
It made him recall the times when the chief always told him how his spirit was the brightest among his men even facing the sidelines as a mere porter.
Now, he was given a chance to try again to work his way up again with his newfound strength.
“It must’ve been pretty scary. If I was in your shoe, I would probably not survive. You guys are the strongest people I know.” Hika uttered sincerely. His feeling of respect for the them soared after learning their backstory. Not everyone can talk about their trauma nonchalantly like them especially Miroh.
Hika can see Ayla looking away with a faraway look on her face. She hadn’t speak much since they were together, but he was always good at judging people by first impression.
Ayla felt like a guarded fox, but still follows your every move curiously until it comes to a point where it will pounce on your face as a happy greeting.
They don’t know it yet, but Hika has always been complimented in his hometown as someone with the brightest mind among his peers. A person fated to be a scholar, but still chooses to use his mind as a weapon for humanity.
It wasn’t hard for him to deduce they both came here for a bigger purpose with a closer look. But his judgement of their characters made him back down.
“Thank you. All struggles in life will eventually passed with enough will.”
“I’m sorry If I let you remember something sad. I won’t question about it again.” Hika stated, giving Miroh another box of rice cake as apology.
Miroh wore an incredulous smile. How many rice cakes did he bring? “It’s okay. I already got used to that question every time I said I’m from Keziah.”
Hika was kind enough to steer the conversation to him again. He began to get more talkative after they exchanged a few sentences cordially. It was not hard to deduced he was just a normal kid raised by his grandfather in a countryside in Jemima.
“ID No. 202412, ID No. 200413, ID No. 201118…”
“I think that’s our numbers.” Miroh muttered, glancing down at the slip of paper he had been folding in odd shapes since earlier.
“…That’s mine too.” Hika muttered, glancing down at his own paper.
They looked at each other in bewilderment.
“What crazy coincidence.”
…
“So…how is it?”
Vega’s eager and incredibly curious voice leaked out of the telecommunication device as soon as she accepted the call after the night falls.
“Well, it’s fine. The room has everything a student need here to stay.” She placed the device on top of the room’s provided study table, looking at the room’s only furnitures which is a bed and a closet blankly.
Very militarist and rigorous…
“Ugh, I remember how their rooms feel very claustrophobic…I shared one room with five other girls during my time…not fun. Anyway, at least you have your own room right?”
Ayla wasn’t able to reply when Vega’s face suddenly bounced closer to the screen. “Ah. right! Remember to put the solution in your hair once a week or else it will fade!”
Ayla’s face crinkled in disgust after being reminded of that god awful task. They actually couldn’t keep the color permanently so Ayla has to reapply the solution weekly. “Yes, yes. I’ll do it. I’m not craving to die yet.”
Between having the kingdom as her enemy and let letting that thing come to her hair again, she would choose the former.
“Ayla, that’s not funny! I’m really gonna fly there and put that on your hair myself, try me!” Vega exclaimed, holding her chest wearily. Goodness, she feel like they just let Ayla out for a day and they’re already this afraid of something big happening.
Can they not continue this anymore? This concerned guardian wants to back out!
“Nothing happened, Vega. In fact it was Miroh who got into trouble. He defended someone being bullied by some rich brat.” There was an underlying pride in her tone as she gave her a run through of what had happened.
“Miroh did? Well, that’s just easy to solve! Give me that bastard’s name and I’ll send someone to take away his family’s title or make him crippled!”
“What the fuck? No?! What are we a mafia?” Ayla exclaimed incredulously. She clamped her mouth instantly realizing she accidentally raised her voice in the dead of the night.
“I’m just joking. Geez, I wish we are that powerful.” Vega laughed out loud, seeing Ayla holding her forehead from the screen.
Vega asked Ayla about her impression about the school, which set off a long rant about the long wait at the admission process. Vega listened happily while sometimes sharing her own input from her experience in the military.
They talked for long time until it was almost close to curfew.
“Ah. By the way, this will be our last call for awhile since it’s hard to establish connection in a military area without alerting anyone.”
“You’ll be okay on your own right?”
“Oh, right, is Leo and Dabih okay? What about the others in your team? You better not let them die when I am not there. Your experiments can be over the top sometimes.” Ayla’s voice was laced with threat as she uttered those words. It was something someone who looks after someone would say.
Vega’s worried tone reminded Ayla of the people she had known for a long time. This will be the first time they’ll be away for a long time. Two years will be pass by quickly for many things to happen.
“Yeah. I think I will be okay.” Ayla shrugged.
There was a faint rustling of papers in the background, which Ayla failed to notice.
“We’re working on that. Hah…I forgot we don’t have you here anymore so we’ll have to alter our methodology a little. In any case, shouldn’t you be telling that to others too?” Vega complained, eyes wandering to a hunched figure a couple of meters from the device.
“Oh yeah, is Keid busy?” There was a hint of grievance in her tone when asked about Keid.
Vega blinked her eyes innocently. The rustling papers also paused as if waiting for her response.
“What about Keid?”
Ayla shrugged. “I haven’t heard of him for a while. I guess he must be busy. By the way, I really like that town that is famous for their pumpkin spice latte. They said it was only suitable for autumn, but I say it should be consumed in whatever season you are. It’s crazy good!” Ayla then began to babble about how it was the perfect beverage for any pastry or cakes you want until she had to begrudgingly end the call because of curfew.
“Tell him he’s ridiculous since the latte is expensive, but thanks for the treat.” Vega quoted Ayla’s words during the call pensively, leaning her tired back on the chair.
“You heard that? So don’t get salty anymore. Hah. You really spoil Ayla without her knowing, it’s ridiculous to see this as your employer.” Vega remarked bluntly.
Keid hummed noncommittally, eyes not sparing Vega a glance as he remained on his seat focused on stacks of documents that never recede in height since morning.
Vega huffed, dismissing herself sarcastically instead of the military courtesy of being dismissed by the superior. However, she was only met with a cold snort.
“Tell Caelum to hire a knight who knows how to make a pumpkin spice latte with us, preferably someone from that town she mentioned. You are dismissed.”
He won the best daddy award with an outstanding landslide alright.
Keid’s eyes finally glanced up only to be met with Vega’s ridiculing look. “You’re looking at me like that when you know someone will buy a pumpkin farm for her once he knew about this.”
“Yes sir. May the light of Celestia bless us all.”
‘Ayla, daddy can’t give you material things, but only affection. Your other guardians are materialistic assholes.’
Vega cried to herself, cursing the two people in her mind repeatedly for being arrogant asses with fat bank accounts, while walking on the chilly hallway of the Winter moon HQ.
“Oh, Professor Vega! I keep seeing you around here now. Is the recon trip finally ending?” A jubilant tone which harshly rebounded on the hollow silence of the hallway came up, startling her.
Vega saw a tuff of ginger and almost cursed out loud. Ah, right. This was her excuse for disappearing for months around here after all the most ridiculous rumor began circulating after her absences. Her flimsy excuse finally bit her in the ass, and the one to put her on the spot is one of the people that she must avoid.
Should she just admit that she married a rich tycoon and settled in Jemima with their imagined three sons like the rumor before?
Vega’s conflicted expression must have translated different to him since he immediately apologized. “Oh right! The details is top secret right? I forgot, sorry, sorry.”
“Hey, Kazier. Where have you been—Bloody hell, I haven’t seen you in ages! I think the building aged up since you went away!” Another voice piped up, but with a sly drawl into it.
“Good to see you too, Farahdel twins.” Vega wanted to cry after seeing another tuff of ginger, swaggering to them.
Golden eyes glinting with identical color of mischief with their signature fiery ginger hair...
Vega wanted to really cry. One twin is enough for her to handle, so why is the other twin here?
“It’s strange to see you together. Is there anything wrong with Carheil’s work?”
They both looked at each other before saying ‘no’ in unison.
“We were—“ Kazier started.
Then Xavier interjected like a practiced performance. “—going back together—“
“—to scrub each other’s back.” They finished that sentence together openly, you’ll almost overlook their ridiculous sentence.
It was futile to ask them questions they don’t want to answer. You’ll probably just get a response like Carheil fell in love with a rich lady and eloped with her or Carheil suddenly realized he wanted to become a bard and become obsessed with rhyming words with orange.
“You know what? I don’t want to know. I’m tired. You guys will just make me want to go bald.” Vega muttered, wiping her face tiredly while passing them.
The ginger twins stood silent, watching Vega with a identical cheshire grins on their faces until her figure disappeared in the corner.
Their smiles dropped in unison. The fresh look they usually show in the morning was nowhere to be seen with their inquisitive eyes.
“I can’t believe Professor Vega’s here. She’s been away for a long time I thought she’s planning to desert.” Xavier muttered amusedly.
“Something must be going on.” Kazier added.
There’s nothing like coincidence when we talk about the legendary Chief Tactician. But the question is if this is worth to get cautious for?
“What do you think boss? Should we investigate?” Xavier asked, holding up the small communication device that has been listening quietly from the start.
At the other end of the call with a distance of several hundred miles, inside a room in the military academy, the candlelight flicker occasionally as it’s glow illuminated the tall figure of person, creating a mysterious shadow on his face.
He just came back from taking a shower so his bangs, which had concealed his eyes the entire day has been pushed back, revealing a noble visage of a man with his peach blossom eyes that can send shivers down anyone’s spine if they make eye contact.
This man is none other than the Black Winter Moon’s own Commander-in-Chief, entering the military academy today as an ordinary recruit with an aloof, unremarkable presence.
The communication device lay on Xavier’s hand motionless while waiting silently for Carheil’s response.
“Don’t bother. All we need to know is that Keid must be planning something. Let’s focus on fulfilling our own plans instead.”
He wasn’t concern about Keid’s actions in the slightest. There’s also the firm belief that Keid wouldn’t plan anything that will harm or jeopardize the name of Winter Moon.
It’s better to focus on finishing the task so he can leave this place immediately.
“Yes, understood!” The twins muttered in unison.
“By the way, how is the military academy so far, Commander? It’s good to experience being a recruit in our career. I remember Chief took you in to become a knight instantly before, right? You should enjoy the experience while there, Commander!” Kazier remarked brightly.
‘Maybe they’ll get some good seedlings to join their ranks too,’ he thought hopefully.
“Is that so?”
Carheil merely hummed. He gazed outside the window with the brilliant view of the forest under the night sky while leaning on the study table. On his hand is a steaming tea held by the rim of the cup.
“Well, I haven’t thought about that yet,” then his eyes harden, looking at his dirt stained pointed finger after running it on the window sill in disgust. “But this room badly needs a thorough cleaning.”
The two froze in unison at the words spoken in annoyance. They had a brief war flashback of the constant cleaning session in the building. Since the commander left, the place had loosen a little bit on the rigid cleaning schedule imposed throughout the HQ.
‘If the Commander knows about this…’
The twins looked at each other with terrible expressions as if they just munched on a bitter gourd. Fortunately, this wasn’t a video conference.