Chapter 1710: Safeguard
While Anak was changing into her pajamas and getting comfortable, Phae was waiting quietly near the side of her bed, a cup of tea in hand as she silently sat savored its contents with her eyes closed. It was only when she heard a pitter-patter of footsteps, followed by a shuffling of fabrics, that she opened her eyes to find the peculiar glowing pupils of Anak staring back at her.
Seeing the adorable creature just out of arm's length, a touch of affection could be seen in Phae's smile as she set aside her tea and asked, "Do you want to talk about it? Like everyone else, there are some secrets I cannot divulge. However, if my intuition is correct, it shouldn't be an issue to answer the questions weighing on your mind..."
Anak had frowned when she heard the part about everyone keeping secrets, her own rising to the surface of her mind. She had more secrets than most, many she was even willing to die for, so it was difficult to find fault in Phae's words. Still, that didn't stop her from asking, "Why are you and Gandr so nice to me...?"
With her smile turning somewhat sad, Phae took a slow breath through her nose before answering, "It is the will of our Lord that all children be safeguarded and given a chance to seek the happiness they deserve. No person should be held accountable for the circumstances of their birth, so, even if you are far older than a traditional child, it is our instinct to protect and care for you..."
Sensing no falsehoods in Phae's words, Anak scrunched up her nose slightly as she didn't like being treated like a child. In the current group of Regulars, she was easily one of the oldest, so, while she knew the significance of her current appearance, she wouldn't let people look down on her.
Noticing the displeasure visible in Anak's countenance, Phae tilted her head down slightly, her eyes turned up in the characteristic way that mothers used to warn their children before they said or did something regrettable. This caused Anak to frown even deeper, but, rather than refute the previous statement, she broke eye contact, head hanging as she muttered, "I don't need anyone's pity..."
Surprisingly the green-skinned Princess, Phae nodded her head, asserting, "True..." before following it up by adding, "What you really need is unconditional love and affection, the things you lost in the past and yearn to reclaim through your vengeance..."
Grasping the covers in a death grip, Anak glared at the calmly smiling Phae only to find herself at a loss when the latter added, "His Imperial Majesty also lost his mother when he was very young. The incident haunted him for a long time before he was finally able to put it behind him with the help of many others. Since then, he has always done his best to create an environment where children, and all within his dominion of protection, can live happily. You see, Anak, he wasn't always the man that people refer to as the Sage Dragon Emperor. There was a time when Vahn was nothing more than a frail boy, suffering injustices at the hands of others by virtue of nothing more than his birth..."
Though her first instinct was to deny the similarities between her situation and the Emperor's, Anak found it hard to speak after seeing the overwhelming emotion contained within Phae's eyes. All she could do was continue listening silently as the former went on to add, "None of us will try to get in the way of your revenge. We can, however, help you bear the burden while showering you with love to the point revenge no longer seems important. Even with all your hatred and resentment, you are the most aware of the fact that your mother would have wanted you to be happy, not seek revenge at any cost..."
With Phae's tone turning even gentler towards the end of her statement, Anak felt an excruciatingly sour feeling in her nose. It was impossible for her to deny the woman's words, as, whenever she fell asleep, memories of her mother pleading for her not to seek revenge haunted her nightmares. The Jahad Empire was simply too powerful to oppose with an individual person's might, but, unable to move forward since the moment she was separated from her mother, this was the only course of action that Anak could think of...
Surprising the Princess what a bit, Phae's expression turned tender as she asked, "Can I sit in your bed? I'm not your mother, but I promise you will feel better if you cry it out. Then, once you have calmed down, I will continue answering your questions until you are satisfied..."
Rather than answer Phae's question, Anak tucked up her knees, hugging them as she hid her face from view. This made Phae consider sitting in the girl's bed and giving her a hug, but, before she was able to make the decision, Anak broke the silence by muttering, "Tell me...why do I always feel like you and Gandr are deceiving me...?"
Having already expected this question, Phae exhaled a tired sigh and simply spoke the truth, albeit without the specific details, saying, "Gandr and I are extensions of our Lord. While we are real, living and breathing people, our existences are fundamentally linked to his. You could say we are one and the same, extensions of himself that help to fulfill a specific purpose. This might be difficult for you to understand right now, but His Imperial Majesty carries his Empire with him. Soon enough, there will be more people like Gandr and myself appearing in this world. The first will be a woman named Fenrir, the big sister to Gandr and the most faithful companion of His Imperial Majesty. After that, a group known as the Four Sacred Beasts will follow suit...in the end, this Tower is fated to become an extension of my Lord's desire to protect the things that he believes must be protected..."
Anak wasn't able to understand everything Phae was trying to say but there were a few key parts that stuck with her. To that end, she revealed her tear-stained face to absentmindedly mutter, "So you are three parts of the same whole..." before going on to ask, "Is the Emperor an Irregular...?"
Without denying it, Phae nodded her head, explaining, "We hail from an impossible distant world, a living planet known as Gaia. There, trillions of people live relatively peaceful lives...it is a place with no systematic racism or political corruption...a paradise where people are allowed to freely pursue any path so long as it is not at the expense of others..."
Though she felt like Phae was embellishing things, Anak couldn't sense any falsehoods contained within the woman's words. In fact, from the moment the woman had professed to be an extension of the man known as the Sage Dragon Emperor, the uncomfortable feeling that had been plaguing her seemed to disappear in its entirety. It was like an obscuring veil had been removed, allowing her to see the woman before her clearly for the first time...
Noticing the subtle change in Anak's gaze, Phae offered the closest approximation to a motherly smile she could manage before saying, "It is fine to build walls around your heart. We won't try to break them down. Instead, we will just fill the surroundings with people who can understand your pain and show you the affection you deserve. When you are finally ready to come out, we will be here waiting for you..."
Feeling another sour sensation spread through her nose, Anak adopted a rather adorable pout as she, once again, concealed her face from view. With the feeling that she was being lied to gone, it was a lot harder not to be influenced by Phae's words. This made her feel slightly resentful, but, in the most protected regions of her heart and mind, Anak felt a bit of warmth take root in places she had long closed off to others...
---
While Phae was systematically breaking down the walls around Anak's heart, Gandr found himself in a far more troublesome situation.
As could be expected, Endorsi had taken exception to the fact he departed the commissary before she even had a chance to sit down. As a result, she currently stood on the outside of his door with a visibly annoyed expression and a plate of food in her hands, shouting, "You had better open up this door! I'm already going to lose points for breaking part of the commissary! Don't think I won't kick down this door next...!"
Fortunately, while Endorsi's presence was more than a little troublesome, Gandr was spared by the fact that Shibisu, Hatsu, Nare, and Hong Chunhwa had decided to follow after her. The latter was a rather handsome man with brown hair, brown eyes, and, though he was currently wearing nothing but a tracksuit, he always carried around a sword with him. He was the man Nare referred to as her Knight, and, though it caused quite a number of people to tease him, the man was pretty smitten with the rather 'youthful-looking' young lady.
After failing to deter Endorsi be saying he was 'grounded', Gandr ultimately keyed open the door to allow five entry into his room. Before they could enter and make themselves comfortable, however, Endorsi didn't miss the opportunity to haughtily remark, "You've got a lot of gall to break a promise with a Princess. I decide to sit next to you and you run off? There are people who would pay just to be in the same room as a Princess of Jahad? You really should consider yourself fortunate...hmph!"
Seemingly finished with her criticisms, at least for the time being, Endorsi was the first to enter into the room, her golden eyes shifting around the relatively empty interior before promptly deciding to sit on the bed. There was no way she was going to sit on the floor while wearing a skirt and tights, so, with the only table being the one near the bedside, she decided to claim the position near the headboard for herself.
Taking the opportunity to roll his eyes the moment Endorsi walked by him, Gandr turned to the four standing outside the door, smiling as he said, "Feel free to come in. I'll probably get in trouble for having company right now, but I'm sure I can convince Phae not to be too mad. Here, let me grab some cushions from the closet so you can make yourselves comfortable while I make tea."
Accepting the offer of entry, Shibisu walked past Gandr with a wry smile on his face, patting the boy's shoulder as if to say, 'you have it rough, kid'. Following immediately after him, Hatsu just gave a curt nod while Nare and Hong Chunhwa just offered understanding smiles. Then, with the former grabbed the latter's hand, Nare impishly stated, "We just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Since you're grounded right now, I'll see you in class tomorrow. Come along, my Knight~."
Though it made him slightly embarrassed to be pulled along by someone nearly half his size, Hong Chunhwa didn't really resist as he rubbed the back of his head and said, "See you next time, Gandr."
With a simple wave of his hand to see the duo off, Gandr closed the door to he room before setting about to do as he had previously stated, Before he could grab the pillows from the closet, however, Endorsi interrupted by asking, "That 'grounded' thing wasn't just a lie to chase me away? What did you do to get placed under house arrest...?"
Rather than answer, Gandr just shook his head before making his way to the closet as he said, "It isn't something I should talk about. If you want to know, you should try to get along with Anak. I can tell you don't actually hate her so the two of you should talk it out after you set aside your pride."
Frowning in response to Gandr's words, Endorsi was tempted to remark that she had no interest in a false Princess, but, remembering the boy's previous reaction to such words, she ultimately chose to remain silent As for Shibisu and Hatsu, they were already beginning to feel out of place, but, as Gandr was their friend, they did their best to tolerate the growing awkwardness. Shibisu even pulled out a deck of cards, his expression turning serious as he stared at the returning Gandr and stated, "I will avenge my fallen points..."
Understanding Shibisu was just trying to break the tensions, Gandr snickered in his characteristically mischievous manner as he said, "Don't worry, even if you end up going broke, I'll make sure to buy you the cheapest meal whenever we're in the commissary~."
With visible tick marks appearing on his head, the upper-half of Shibisu's face became a little red as he indignantly shouted, "Oh, you're so on, you little brat..!"
(A/N: Even if it sometimes feels like you are alone, there are others who have also suffered similarly. Find people you can share your burdens with, as, united, we can overcome all adversity~")
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Chapter 1711: Moving Forward, Step-by-Step
There was fire, an intense, all-consuming, flame. Its heat brought neither warmth nor illumination to the world around it. Instead, it encroached upon everything without mercy, consuming things that previously brought joy and inviting darkness to descend upon a once-vibrant world.
Whenever Anak closed her eyes and descended into the now-familiar darkness, the flames were always the first thing that came to mind. Immediately after that, she could feel intense pain in her chest, her lungs straining due to the lack of oxygen, the smoke charring her lungs and making it feel as though her body was being cooked from the inside.
Despite the intense and excruciating pain, Anak no longer cried out in her nightmares, accustomed to the sensation after many long years. At one point, she even started looking forward to the pain, welcoming the darkness that once frightened her just for the chance to see what lay beyond...
---
Peeling open her eyes, Anak was preparing to wipe away the evidence of her night terrors before freezing in place when she realized her current position. Her face was nestled into something much softer than her pillow, a sensation accompanied by a sweet aroma that tickled the nose...
Turning her head up, Anak found a pair of gentle blue eyes staring back at her, compassion visible within their depths as the owner asked, "How are you feeling...?"
As was customary when she wasn't arguing with someone, Anak didn't immediately respond to the question that had been asked of her. Instead, she stared blankly at the woman tenderly embracing her, the previous night's events replaying in her mind. She could vaguely remember Phae hugging her body and encouraging her cry while lightly patting her back. After that, she couldn't recall what happened, only that she felt warm and safe up until the moment her nightmares returned...
Seeing the confusion visible in Anak's eyes, Phae's expression softened further as she gently stroked the girl's back and said, "It's still early. I'll send a message to Gandr to bring us breakfast so you can go back to sleep if you're still feeling tired..."
Though she hadn't yet found her voice, Anak managed to shake her head in response to Phae's offer. Then, even though she was enjoying the warmth of another person, she managed to wiggle out of the woman's grasp before rolling over and facing away from her, tailed curled up between her legs as she defaulted to a fetal-like position.
Suppressing a sigh, Phae decided to give Anak a moment to think, raising her tired body before alighting from the bed and stretching. She had stayed awake all night tending to Anak and her night terrors, lightly caressing the girl's back despite the fact her body was being squeezed hard enough to indent steel.
Anak had a tremendous amount of power despite her small size, and, though her durability was quite high, Phae wouldn't have been able to escape without some serious bruising if she had been a normal person.
After stretching her body for a bit, Phae noticed her pajama-clad figure within the standing mirror she had previously gifted Anak. It might be a little narcissistic, but she, or, more specifically, Vahn, couldn't help but admire their handiwork. She might not be able to directly compare to someone like Da Vinci, but, in many ways, her aura, appearance, and figure combined to create what many would describe as a Masterpiece...
Amused by her own thoughts, Phae smiled at the version of herself within the mirror before taking a seat at the nearby vanity to style her hair and apply a very light coat of makeup. Vahn had learned quite a bit about both in order to properly pamper and attend his women, so, while it was far more difficult to self-style, Phae was quite proficient at it. The only reason she allowed part of her bangs to flow freely is that it helped accent the confident look she was going for while also allowing her to comb them aside whenever she wanted to lower someone's guard.
People, in general, relied heavily on social cues and body language when they were trying to gauge a person's interest. So long as you could convince the other party you were interested in what they had to say, people could be very open. This was especially true when it concerned members of the opposite sex, as, even if the other person was far beyond your reach, it was borderline instinctual to ingratiate yourself to them the moment they showed even a small level of interest.
Truth be told, Vahn, and, by proxy, Phae, and Gandr, didn't really enjoy deceiving people. However, when it concerned any kind of intimate relationship, be it platonic or sexual, each and every single one of them relied on some level of deceit. It was important for people to have secrets, and, though you might not do it with malicious intent, it was common to lie when you wanted to pacify another person. This could be as simple as telling them you were okay while you were actually feeling sick or something as major as promising them you would return before heading off to a battlefield.
In the end, what truly mattered was the intent that went into the deception, so, while it made them a little uncomfortable, Vahn, and his derivative forms, had all come to accept that deception was an intrinsic part of interpersonal relationships. There were even times when it bled over into the realm of the intrapersonal, something he, personally, was guilty of. After all, there were times when it was necessary to deceive oneself, a truth even the Gods were unable to escape...
With her hair fixed the way she liked it, Phae smiled back at herself once more before turning her head to face the girl observing her from the bed. This caused Anak to immediately after her eyes, an action Phae found quite adorable. This time, however, she restrained herself, her smile softening as she asked, "Will you be okay on your own? I'll only be gone long enough to grab you something to eat, but, if you want me to, I can wait until you're ready so we can go together. It is important to eat a balanced diet if you-"
Before Phae could finish her statement, her smile blossomed like a radiant flower in response to the loud rumbling of Anak's stomach. This caused the girl in question's face to turn a vigorous shade of red, temporarily replacing the green coloration of her skin.
Doing her best to restrain her laughter, Phae rose to her feet and simply stated, "I'll be waiting out in the hall. If you intend to come with me, I'll be waiting for around ten minutes. If you don't appear before then, I'll assume you wanted to sleep in for a bit. If that's the case, I'll have Gandr bring your breakfast so you can apologize to him for the previous night. Remember, even if the two of us are just an extension of the Sage Dragon Emperor, we are still the people we present ourselves as. You don't have to trust us completely, but know we will never do anything to harm you..."
With her words finished, Phae surprised Anak quite a bit by activating her own [REquip] system to change back into her smithing attire. She was quite fond of the outfit, and, though it took quite a bit of getting used to, wearing a dress was actually pretty comfortable. The way the fabric breathed was rather pleasant, and, though she could never quite get used to wearing panties, they no longer gave her the impression she was doing something wrong just by wearing them...
---
While Phae was eating an early breakfast alongside Anak, the two of them sitting alone within the commissary, Gandr could be found in one of the Resort's many training rooms. Across from him, wearing vaguely oriental attire, Hatsu could be seen breathing heavily, his sword trembling slightly within his hands from the strain of blocking several heavy blows.
A stark contrast to his opponent, Gandr had a relaxed expression on his face as he wielded the sealed form of Laev-tan in a relaxed stance. This had previously annoyed Hatsu, as he believed Gandr wasn't taking him seriously, but, after several exchanges, he was forced to admit that he simply wasn't at a level that required his skills to be taken seriously.
Truth be told, it wasn't that Gandr wasn't taking Hatsu seriously, his form was simply without form. He had tried to explain this to the young man, even using Shinsu to reinforce the idea that attacks show flow naturally yet powerfully, just like the current of a river. Unfortunately, Hatsu was far from the level where he could fully comprehend such nuance, at least for the time being...
After taking several deep breaths, Hatsu gradually loosened his grip before holding his katana to the side in a two-handed fashion and saying, "I'm coming..." in a resolute tone. Immediately after that, a watery pulse could be seen around his feet as he moved at more than double his previous max speed.
Having yet to take a single step their entire spar, Gandr wasn't about to move from his position just because Hatsu had empowered himself with Shinsu. Instead, he casually raised his sword using his right hand, the tip of his blade drawing a watery arc through the air. Then, as if he had just cut open the side of a balloon or a high-pressure container, a massive volume of 'water' erupted from within the thin line, crashing into Hatsu's body and causing him to slide backward several tens of meters.
Seeing Gandr's demonstration of Shinsu control, both Hatsu and everyone viewing the battle from the side had incredulous looks on their faces. They had only recently made their contracts with the Floor Guardians, so, while a few of the more prodigious among them had been able to perform a feat similar to Hatsu, none were even close to being able to create a literal torrent of Shinsu with a simple sword stroke...
Without taking his eyes away from the downed Hatsu, Gandr let Laev-tan rest on his shoulder as he said, "We should stop this pretty soon. We still have class later today and there is no need to push yourself in your current state. You are still struggling with the fact that your techniques aren't really suited for combat within a Shinsu environment. If you want to make tangible progress, you'll need to focus less on your techniques and more on mastering yourself. As you are now, your power will be reduced by more than 90% the moment you lose your sword. A true Master can even wield their hands and fingers as blades...come..."
With Laev-tan still resting on his shoulder, Gandr casually raised his left hand, extending nothing more than his index finger. This caused Hatsu to adopt an extremely sullen expression, but, after a few seconds had passed, he managed to catch his breath enough to perform one final charge, this time leaping into the air to strengthen his downward cutting force.
Having already made up his mind, Gandr focused his sword intent into his index finger, raising it to meet Hatsu's blade without a moment's hesitation. This was a ridiculous notion to those observing the match from the side, but, compared to them, Hatsu's shock was several times greater. He felt a familiar sensation when the edge of his blade impacted the tip of Gandr's finger, identical to metal striking metal. Immediately thereafter, a thin crack appeared at the point where Gandr's nail made contact with his blade's edge, severing his katana cleanly before the resultant shockwave pushed him back to his original position...
Staring at the location where the final 1/3rd of his blade had been, it took all of Hatsu's remaining willpower not to give in to the urge to just fall down. He suddenly felt like all his efforts to master his clan's sword arts had been a complete waste of time, Gandr's words resonating within his mind like a record on repeat.
Seeing the light of determination fading from Hatsu's eyes, Gandr appeared soundlessly in front of the boy, flicking him on the forehead and saying, "That's exactly what I'm talking about. Your mind is filled with doubt yet you want to master the sword? There is a reason most masters spend their time meditating rather than swinging their swords. If you truly wish to reach the pinnacle, you need to clear your mind of doubt and focus on becoming one with the blade. Once you reach that point, the only time your sword will shatter is when you, yourself, break..."
Since Hatsu had been knocked to the ground as a result of the previous head flick, Gandr extended his hand towards the young man, adding, "I once encountered a man who could even cut through the concept of immortality using a twig. The pinnacle of swordsmanship is far higher than any of us can ever truly know. Rather than aiming for it, we will get a lot further just mastering ourselves and completely ignoring the concept of limits. Now, are you just going to continue sitting there on your ass or are you going to take my hand?"
Though he was still in the midst of processing Gandr's words, Hatsu had enough sense to accept the hand that had been offered to him. Gandr's skill was so far beyond his own that he didn't really have any ground to stand on if he wanted to refute the boy's claims. This filled him with a moderate sense of indignation, but, more than anything else, a resolution to surpass his previous limits began to take root in his mind as he said, "I'll do it...I will see what lays beyond the concept of limits..."
Offering a toothy smile in response to the man's convictions, Gandr pulled Hatsu to his feet before patting the youth on his back and saying, "Now you're starting to sound like a swordsman..."
With an uncharacteristic smile spreading across his face, Hatsu was about to thank Gandr for the lesson when a sudden shrill noise sounded throughout the training room, exclaiming, "Teach me how to use Shinsu like that...!". Immediately thereafter, Endorsi closed the distance between herself and Gandr in an instant, her ghostly eyes shimmering with excitement as she grasped his hands and demanded he fights her next...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'When pain and loneliness are your closest companions, the warmth of others can be even more painful than third-degree burns...','Anak's Stomach: Top 10 Anime Betrayals','Slice through the Heavens with a single finger...!')
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paypal.me/Einlion
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