Secrets and Sweets
Too bad. If only they'd held out a little longer. I could've gotten a real show.
That wasn't why I called it a shame, though. It was because I'd missed the chance to observe their skills firsthand. If they'd come all this way just to get caught fooling around and head back, wouldn't that raise suspicions? They'd probably waited until after the sparring was mostly done. In the game, the story unfolded with the player getting spotted during the sparring itself.
"Th-that's... I mean, how did this... happen?!"
Luna flailed about, having witnessed a secret she never should have seen. Her eyes spun in panic, her hands fluttering aimlessly. Anyone could see she was flustered. The illicit lovers were no different—faces flushed with embarrassment, expressions screaming they hadn't seen this coming at all.
"...That said, you managed to slip past our senses and confirm it, huh?"
Gloria fanned herself with her hand as she spoke. It wasn't accusatory; for her, grasping the situation came first. She needed to know how we'd tracked them. They'd been on high alert right up until entering the forest, paranoid about something like this. So, having pierced that vigilance, they'd feel more curiosity than anger.
"W-well..."
At Gloria's question, Luna glanced at me nervously, stumbling over her words. She was debating whether to mention me. The Luna I knew couldn't lie, at least. After agonizing over it, she answered honestly.
"S-Sivar..."
"...Sivar did?"
"Yes. Sivar said to follow, so..."
That much was true. Luna had come because I'd insisted. She had no other choice but to say it that way. But Gloria saw it differently. Her refined features twisted slightly as she spoke in a voice tinged with irritation.
"I'm disappointed, Luna."
"P-pardon?"
"We've heard about Sivar. That he lived wild in the forest."
Luna looked utterly bewildered at Gloria's rebuke, unable to fathom why she was being scolded.
"If you're going to lie, don't make it so obvious. You think Sivar wouldn't know better?"
"P-pardon? N-no, that's not... I mean..."
There was a perfect expression for this: speechless and flabbergasted. That had to be how Luna felt. She'd told the plain truth, only to be branded a liar out of nowhere. Her sense of absurdity was off the charts.
"It's true... Sivar, say something."
"Yeah."
"Not that. You said to go, right?"
"Did."
I had, yeah.
"Sigh... Luna?"
"Y-yes?"
"You're becoming more disappointing by the minute."
"Why?!"
Even so, it was hard to see those two buying it. Luna knew me well from all our time together, but Gloria and Chronos didn't. They'd assume I was some pure soul from the wilds, innocent in worldly ways. They'd probably chalk it up to Luna buckling under pressure. From her perspective, it must've been maddening—honest, yet accused of deceit.
"I-I've never lied! Sivar really...!"
"Enough. We'll let it slide. That's not the point right now. But I'll commend you for slipping past not just me, but even EE's detection."
"......"
With no trust forthcoming, Luna gave up. Her face was full of injustice. She let out a deep sigh, then spoke in a tone near resignation.
"...Fine. So, you two are in that kind of relationship?"
"If you mean lovers... yes. We are."
"But your homelands... aren't they enemies?"
"Explaining that would take a while..."
Gloria glanced at Chronos, having caught what Luna was getting at. He looked just as awkward, managing only a strained smile.
'Love at first sight? They wouldn't buy it.'
It wasn't empty flattery—they'd fallen for each other at first glance. They'd denied it back then, but after clashing weapons, the attraction grew, leading to their secret affair. So what if their nations were foes? When your ideal type drops right in front of you, you don't hold back. And it wasn't one-sided. They meshed so perfectly it was almost nauseating. That was info you could only get from affinity levels—gauging how much it had built up.
"That's not the issue now. Luna and Sivar know our secret, and we have to ensure it stays that way."
"...And if I spread it?"
"Matra Empire and Granada Empire lose valuable assets. We just run, and we're done."
Luna muttered something about a lovers' flight at the crisp reply. It sounded romantic on the surface, but reality was anything but. If the secret leaked, they'd be fugitives for life. Branded traitors by both empires, hunted endlessly. No happy ending in sight. That's why they met in secret—and why they'd grant any demand to keep it hushed.
"But neither EE nor I want that. Regrettably, we both love our homelands in our own ways."
"I... see."
"In exchange for your silence, we'll help however we can. Material aid included."
As Chronos's earnest plea showed, they knew their positions all too well. They were the faces of their nations—proud symbols. Gloria embodied Matra's cherished justice and honor; Chronos, Granada's prized strength and pragmatism. If those faces were secretly lovers? The fallout would be chaos incarnate.
'Perfect romance novel setup.'
Reality was a cesspool, though. Turning it novel-like took grueling effort. Breaking the pact would tank affinity and reputation. Unless you were playing a villain protag, best to keep the secret.
"Even so, nothing comes to mind right now..."
"Hmm... How about this? Learn our techniques. Luna's already under our wing, so no one will bat an eye."
Gloria perked up, raising her index finger like she'd struck gold. Exactly what I wanted. Luna was a rising star eyed by both empires. Training under them? Zero suspicion. A mediocre talent getting the same treatment? Red flags everywhere. But Luna's gifts backed it up. Looked like ass-kissing to win favor, but as hush money? Perfect. Win-win.
'Good thing she's top admittee.'
If she were average, direct training would've been off-limits. Too many eyes; they'd send proxies. A hidden piece unlocked by top grades and sparring prowess. No faction choice penalty, full benefits. Prime pick.
"We'd be grateful. Just keep the secret?"
"Easy to say. But humans crave spilling secrets like that."
"I can keep it. I swear on the heavens."
"You'd better."
Chronos emphasized with a veiled threat; Gloria elbowed him. Why poke the bear?
"But that bear doll earlier..."
"Shh. Enough. Ignorance is bliss sometimes."
"......"
She'd silenced Luna with her own half-threat. Chronos coughed awkwardly. They exuded untouchable auras—except with each other, melting like jelly. Gloria, who seemed allergic to cuteness, played coy; Chronos showered sappy lines. 'Teaching Luna, they'll show plenty.' Her reactions? Gold. Some players rage-spilled the secret watching them flirt during "private lessons." Spectacle city.
"So, Luna's settled. Now, Sivar..."
"......"
"......"
Luna's part wrapped neatly; now it was my turn. The mood turned awkward. From their view, I was a wildcard. Would I even keep the secret? Of course I would—spilling hurt only me. No reason not to.
"...Luna."
"Yes."
"Does Sivar... grasp what this secret means?"
"...Probably not?"
They figured I was clueless about its weight. Natural assumption. I planned to milk it for all it was worth, playing their misconception. But "milk" meant training, like Luna. 'Plenty useful.' Their teachings bordered on traits—skills that evolved into traits at certain ranks. The higher raw stats, the better. Essential for me.
'Gloria's crit chance; Chronos's damage amp.'
Gloria's style: small, sharp, 1v1 killer. Chronos: heavy, broad, 1vMany beast. Polar opposites, even in flaws. Her win rate edged higher in spars, supposedly. Learning from both? Massive growth.
"Best if you train with Luna. We'll teach techniques as baseline, and..."
"Know what Sivar likes? Awkward to ask, but material bribes ensure silence best."
Chronos treating me like a wildman? Fine by me—exactly what I wanted. Luna eyed me at his words.
"Sivar. Want anything? In exchange for... them..."
She trailed off, picking words carefully. Face reddening, she glanced at Gloria and Chronos—blushing harder. Whatever she imagined, it was that kind of thing.
"Don't ever mention the k-kiss. Got it?"
All over one peck? Pure as a country girl. I chuckled inwardly at how cute, then looked away. Gloria and Chronos tensed subtly. Techniques were enough—they'd supercharge my raw stats. But materially? One thing.
"Money."
"...Money?"
"Money. This."
I pinched my thumb and index to mime it. Three jaws dropped. Never dreamed money from me.
To build trust, nothing beat tangibles.
"...Why money suddenly? Something you want?"
Luna finally spoke amid the shock, probing if I grasped currency. Kara'd explained before—plenty consistent. And yeah, I wanted something with it.
"Candy."
"...Candy?"
"Yeah."
Lord's banned candy. My body now needed sweets. Bonus snacks too. No hunting or herbing now—extort them.
"...Luna? Get what he means?"
"W-well... yes. He loves candy. But after recent trouble, the president banned it."
"Asking us for candy money?"
"Probably?"
"......"
Gloria and Chronos stared, expressions indescribable. I held out my hand, blunt as ever.
"Money."
I wanna eat candy now. Head hurts.
*****
With the secrecy pact(?) sealed, we chatted more. Secret out or not, they still sparred—just longer. Plus, another round post-spar was planned, so the delay raised no flags.
"Another spar after the spar? What?"
"Literal. Know 'language of the body'?"
"...?"
"Guess not. It exists."
Luna tilted her head, lost. Gloria doted, but she couldn't parse it. Anyway, things wrapped well; time to bounce. Lingering gained nothing, just disrupted. Lunch hour nearly over—afternoon classes awaited.
"Um... Gloria."
"Just Gloria's fine. What?"
"Well..."
Luna glanced aside. There, I inspected Chronos's weapon.
Whoosh! Swish!
"W-wait! You'll hurt yourself!"
"Whoa."
One-handing a massive battleaxe like a twig. Glimpse of my strength. Luna watched the guys play, then turned back. Up close, Gloria was stunning: snow-white hair and skin, piercing blue eyes. Mystical beauty. Snapping from awe, Luna asked what burned inside.
"How long have you and Chronos been together?"
"I'm 30 now... about seven years."
"Never caught?"
"Nope. Crises, sure, but no real suspicion."
Luna marveled at the tightrope walk. How? Creating alone time like today seemed miraculous. She glanced at me—balancing the axe on my head by the handle on my forehead. Incomprehensible antics.
"...One question?"
"Shoot. How we met?"
"No, how to be alone without suspicion."
"Oh my."
Gloria covered her mouth in surprise. Didn't expect that. Facing earnest Luna, she whispered.
"You get suspected alone together?"
"Mm..."
Luna eyed me again. Gloria clocked it—something between us. And yeah, oddities piled up. Like us tailing them. Her instincts fired.
'Sivar? Really?'
While Luna pondered, Gloria eyed me. Objectively handsome, but too lean for her taste. She liked bear-builds like Chronos.
'Unique taste. Not that I can talk.'
Still, root for her. Luna'd brought me first, per reports. Bonds sprout from such starts. Theirs had too. As Gloria stacked misconceptions—not delusions—Luna spoke innocently.
"Probably. We're hardly ever alone."
"Hmm~"
"Any way around?"
"Always a way."
Luna brightened, sensing alone time with me soon.
"But words alone won't cut it."
"Huh?"
"Earn my trust, and I'll share the know-how."
Disappointing follow-up, but fair. Why spill to a stranger? Trust first, as she said. Time would build it—secrecy proving loyalty.
'Plenty of time.'
Time aplenty. Only I and Ratatosk knew of Sivar's cave murals. He ignored them—exception fine. I alone held that card.
"...Got it. I'll earn your trust, Gloria."
"Thanks. Don't think you'll break it, but our situation forces caution."
"I get it."
"But this much I can share."
As Luna nodded to move on, Gloria hinted advice. Luna perked up, meeting her gaze. Gloria smiled gracefully.
"Love transcends borders. Like Chronos and me."
"...Pardon?"
"You're no different, Luna. I'll cheer you on."
Luna judged quickly.
"...Understood?"
Affirmative seemed safest.