Final Exam (4)
While Sivar was undergoing his not-quite-a-test test, Kara was with Luna for the afternoon's self-training session. To be more precise, she was receiving training and sparring from Gloria and Chronos. They made a point of training her on every self-training day, since the instructors were well aware of the academy schedule.
"That's enough for now. Let's take a break."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Kara bowed after her spar with Chronos. It had been just a practice bout, but he'd put real power into it, leaving beads of sweat glistening on her skin. This only deepened the tone of her signature tanned complexion, radiating an even healthier allure.
"Hoo."
Kara let out a long-held breath as she plopped down onto the ground. Sparring with Chronos was exhausting in every way—most of his attacks carried immense force. Blocking them required a massive expenditure of mana, so dodging was usually the smarter play. But Chronos exploited that tendency masterfully, making him a nightmare opponent. A general from a mighty nation like the Granada Empire, and one of its top talents at that.
And I got distracted, too.
Truth be told, she could have kept going. But her mind was a tangled mess right now, and Chronos had picked up on it, cutting the spar short.
How can I offer Sivar terms that'll actually satisfy him?
Kara's distraction boiled down to the final exam—or more accurately, hiring Sivar. She usually took the team leader role during practicals and tests. It was natural, given her age and her innate charisma plus real combat experience. So naturally, she was agonizing over the most crucial element: hiring Sivar.
If I can just hire him, victory's guaranteed.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say Sivar held the power to decide victory or defeat in this exam. At a glance, it might seem like high risk, high reward—especially considering his monstrous appetite. But Kara knew better. Hiring Sivar wasn't high risk; it was low risk. With him on board, they could wrap up the entire exam in a single day. She'd seen his power with her own eyes, so she was certain.
The problem is how to hire him... Would actually hugging him work?
The sticking point was the contract. To hire Sivar, her side had to make the offer first. If he accepted, fine—but if the other side dangled a similar deal, things would get messy. And Luna had already spilled that Sivar, having lived wild for so long, craved human warmth.
Plus, he's got a thing for maternal affection...
That thought flushed Kara's cheeks naturally. She recalled Ellie indulging Sivar's clinginess. Anyone else, and she'd have shoved them off in a hurry—but with Sivar, it made sense. A wild man driven more by instinct than reason. And she'd heard somewhere that men, regardless of age, were drawn to a woman's breasts. Factoring that in, his behavior was understandable. The issue was how hard it was to express that openly in civilized lands.
Tatar's more lenient about that sort of thing, but...
Tatar, still young as a nation, retained much of its tribal culture. Chastity was a prime example. Married women had to devote body and soul to their husbands, and remain pure until then. That sounded like standard tribal fare, but Tatar was a bit different—lenient in appearance, strict in practice. It applied only to married women; otherwise, it was fine. Not that it meant you could treat your body carelessly—such women were shunned or despised in any culture.
Ah, hugging might be okay? No, that's too blatant...
Growing up in Tatar culture, Kara held some oddly specific notions. They wore highly revealing outfits for rituals, yet direct contact with men felt embarrassing. Especially if she harbored feelings for the guy? Reason clashed with emotion, breeding desire and torment.
The exam itself isn't that big a deal...
Kara turned her head. In that direction, Luna was training with Chronos. In just a few short months, she'd made staggering progress. Her technique still needed work, but it was noticeable enough. Kara didn't pay it much mind, though. Luna getting stronger didn't hurt her in any way.
But the idea of Sivar sticking to her side? No thanks...
It just irked her that Luna had brought it up first. How did Luna know all that? She'd shared it so openly, like it wasn't even a secret. It was impossible not to get suspicious. And suspicion had a way of snowballing. She'd only recently figured out why Luna groaned with muscle pain every morning, but the girl was still on her watchlist.
...Or maybe she really doesn't think anything of it?
Luna's innocent nature lent that idea credence. She might've just blurted it out with zero ulterior motive. Either way, the girl had a knack for confusing people. Kara half-wanted to peek inside her head.
Grace is a wildcard too... Haa. What a headache.
Kara sighed and hung her head. Ignorance might've been bliss, but now her mind was a whirlwind. Was this some advanced psychological warfare? But from Luna, of all people? If anyone else had said it, she'd have snorted and moved on.
"Something troubling you?"
"...Huh?"
As Kara floundered in her turmoil, a soft, melodic voice reached her ears. Looking up, she found a beauty with snow-white eyes gazing down at her—Gloria, the instructor and her sparring partner. She smiled warmly, her expression brimming with curiosity for some reason.
"Chronos mentioned you seemed distracted today. Am I wrong?"
"Well... yeah, I was distracted. But why'd you come over?"
"Just being nosy. Can't have you moping and missing out on training. Oh, but you don't have to say anything if you don't want to."
Gloria settled beside her casually. Kara felt no discomfort—only a sense of familiarity. They'd sparred during every self-training session, and Gloria had even shared some top-tier techniques, drawing them closer.
"What's on your mind? If I can help, I will."
"It's nothing big. Just... exam stuff."
"Exam? Oh, right—the finals."
"Yeah."
"I thought you weren't the type to fuss over exams, Kara."
Gloria tilted her head questioningly. She knew full well Kara didn't obsess over tests or evaluations. As Tatar's representative, her reputation mattered more than grades. Good scores would boost that rep, sure—but only as a warrior, which wasn't a huge deal.
"You're right. Exams aren't my priority. But this one's a bit tricky."
"Tricky how?"
"Can I even tell you?"
Kara's expression asked if it was okay. She wanted to stick to the rules, at least. Gloria waved it off with a playful grin.
"Pfft. The academy doesn't sweat that stuff. As long as weird rumors don't spread."
"Hmm... if you say so."
"Yep. So, spill—what's really bothering you? It doesn't seem like the exam itself."
Sharp. Kara's eyes widened at Gloria's insight. She'd noticed during training: Gloria had a keenly perceptive side. Even calling out that reputation trumped grades earlier had been spot-on.
"You nailed it. It's not the exam. See, here's the deal..."
Kara laid it all out, from the final exam details to hiring Sivar. Gloria listened quietly. One thing became clear: this wasn't about the exam—it was all about Sivar. Kara skimmed the test content to cut the fluff, but it only highlighted her fixation.
"So, to sum up: you're worried about losing Sivar to someone else?"
"'Losing' sounds weird. But yeah, that's the worry."
"Hmm..."
Gloria kept a calm facade, but inside, she was grinning. This was getting fun. She glanced at Luna, who was laser-focused on her training.
"Interesting."
"What is?"
"You don't care about the exam, but you're fretting over the most important part of it—Sivar. Doesn't that seem contradictory?"
"Uh...?"
Gloria's pointed remark halted Kara's thoughts. She had a point. With Sivar, the exam was a sure win—but Kara barely cared about the test itself.
"Let's be honest. You don't want Sivar going to Luna, do you?"
Gloria asked with a mischievous smile, like a kid who'd caught her prey. Kara stammered, flustered, feeling exposed.
"Th-that's... absolutely not it."
"Really? Can you swear to Lord Gulrak that you have zero interest in him?"
"......"
She couldn't go that far. Boldly swearing would be one thing, but dragging Gulrak into a lie? No way. As Kara fell silent, Gloria nodded smugly. The fun was just beginning.
"It's fine. I've kinda suspected as much."
"...Was it that obvious?"
"Dunno about that. I've just been through something similar."
Similar experience? Kara cocked her head. She didn't know about Gloria and Chronos's relationship. Human relations, sure—but romance? She was a total novice.
"Anyway, what made you take a liking to Sivar? You approached him without the 'barbarian' prejudice everyone else had?"
"...Are you psychic or something?"
Kara shifted from flustered to baffled. Every guess hit the mark. Gloria beamed proudly, chin raised like I knew it.
"That's a solid reason to like him. But get this: Sivar feels the same about you, for pretty much the same reason."
"Wh-what?"
Not every guess was right—but this miss was a big one, and somehow still spot-on. Kara's eyes went wide.
"Remember? This training was originally just for Sivar and Luna. But Sivar insisted on including you."
"Uh... yeah, I do."
"That's when I realized: he likes you. That's why he pushed for it."
"......"
Gloria's words carried real weight. The circumstances alone made it convincing. Approaching each other without bias was huge—it must've boosted their mutual fondness. Like a king swayed by a sly advisor, Kara found herself drawn into Gloria's tale.
"So no need to worry, Kara. Times like this, you gotta go bold. And it's not like there aren't rivals, right?"
"...Rivals? You mean Luna?"
"Can't say. It's a secret."
Luna it is. Gloria called it a secret, but Kara saw right through it. She glanced at Luna, who had just finished training and was resting.
No wonder she spilled the secret so casually.
Luna had a talent for sowing chaos with words. Yet it didn't annoy or disgust Kara—quite the opposite. It sparked her competitive fire. This final exam would clarify whom Sivar chose. No doubt about it.
"...Guess I'll have to step up."
"You got this. I'll be rooting for both of you."
As Kara kindled her competitive—not quite rivalry—spirit,
What's for dinner?
Luna truly had zero thoughts on the matter.
And elsewhere...
"Perfect. This plan is flawless. With this, even Sivar... hehehe."
Someone was hatching a truly dangerous scheme.