Everyone Has a Plan (3)
The early days of the United Academy boasted a long history, with many things that had vanished and others that endured. Back then, there were no comprehensive hospitals like today, nor any special training arenas. The same went for restaurants as institutions. While some eateries had disappeared, surprisingly, others maintained a steadfast legacy. The restaurant Grace had reserved was one such place.
Once an utterly ordinary diner, it had evolved into a proper restaurant over time. By stubbornly sticking to the same menu for ages while holding its ground, it had preserved both its unique character and its flavor.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
"...Please eat slowly, Sivar."
"Yeah."
But to Sivar, it was just another butcher shop selling meat. History be damned—meat was meat, and it all tasted good. Grace gave an awkward smile as she watched him devour four steaks already. Calling it "eating" might be generous.
The restaurant where she and her teammates sat was pricey but offered generous portions. Nobles and commoners alike could leave satisfied if their wallets allowed. Yet Sivar was too busy stuffing his face to care.
What was even more surprising was how deftly he wielded both fork and knife.
'Well, it's a vast improvement over eating with his hands.'
Had he grabbed it bare-handed and torn into it, even Grace might have frowned. This was tolerable. Plus, he wiped his mouth with a napkin now and then. He clearly grasped basic hygiene.
It was far from the elegance and nobility Grace, now rising as an aristocrat, aspired to—but it didn't violate manners outright.
Crack! Snap!
"Whoa... he's even eating the bones..."
"......"
That was harder to stomach. Like Lee Yeonju's astonished reaction, Sivar was gnawing through the bones with relish.
The reserved spot specialized in meat itself, offering a wide variety—including bone-in steaks like T-bone. Just like what Sivar was demolishing now.
'Is he really a beast? What if he chips a tooth...'
Absurdity and worry mingled in her, but then a memory surfaced: Sivar versus Elvin. He'd crunched through iron mace far tougher than bone without a second thought. So this was nothing.
The consolation was that those jaws weren't aimed at people. Grace let out a hollow chuckle and focused on her meal.
"......"
As she finished eating, Sivar—who had pulverized even the bones—stared blankly at her. Sensing his gaze, Grace slowly looked up. His expressionless face met hers head-on.
She hadn't understood that look at first. But now she did.
"...Would you like more?"
"Can?"
"Of course. This is nothing."
"Yeah!"
His simplicity was refreshing, in a way. Grace stifled a smirk at his bright reply. Was it because he'd only recently entered civilization? His most basic urges—especially appetite—seemed overwhelmingly strong.
'With civilization's bounty everywhere, unlike the wilds, that makes sense.'
He'd always had a voracious hunger by necessity, but now food was limitless. Every meal must feel like a feast to him.
'Thinking that way... he seems a bit pitiful.'
Sympathy welled up. In the forest, he probably couldn't even cook properly. Who knew if he'd mastered fire, the dawn of civilization. Those steel-hard teeth might stem from that—ripping raw flesh, grinding bones to survive. A beast in every sense.
'Even his sweet tooth fits the pattern.'
Such thoughts bred tolerance. People inevitably formed biases when measuring by their own standards, after all.
Grace gained this new insight(?) as the meal continued in a warm, fuzzy atmosphere. Unlike Sivar's messy devouring, she maintained her poise. Finally, Lee Yeonju: she ate Eastern-style prepared meat with chopsticks, not fork and knife.
Grace found the sight intriguing.
"Yeonju."
"Y-yes?"
Lee Yeonju flinched at Grace's call, replying like a startled small animal. Impressive reaction. Grace had assumed she'd finished eating, but this level of surprise seemed excessive. Puzzled, she voiced her question.
"Do all Easterners use chopsticks? I'm a bit curious."
"Ah... yes, mostly. In my region, we use spoons too."
"Spoons? Aren't those just for soup or porridge?"
"Usually, but... my country—no, no, no."
Lee Yeonju nearly said "country" before hastily correcting herself. Grace raised an eyebrow. The girl glanced around, as if checking for eavesdroppers.
"...Our region's culture is unique. Hehe."
"Hm. I see."
If it was just quirky local customs, Grace could let it slide. Culture was culture. But that reaction nagged more—the over-sensitivity to a mere slip.
'Come to think of it, the Hwan Empire is "empire" in name only, more like a federation, right?'
Unlike the West's constant brawling, the East had recently unified into one nation—or rather, a federation under Hwan's thumb. They'd cunningly leveraged international ties to absorb vassals.
'They treat them well in return, I heard... but there's more I don't know.'
Lee Yeonju hailed from the Hwan Empire, but strictly speaking, from an allied state. Hence the touchiness. Plus, Hwan pushed hegemonism hard—not unlike Granada. Swallowing the entire East proved their leaders' ambitions.
'Hwan's original name translates to "Eastern Federation" in our tongue—shortened to East. Now it's morphed.'
"East" had become a regional label, with Hwan Empire first on most lips. Vassals must seethe internally. Hegemony bred resentment everywhere.
'Digging deeper wouldn't hurt.'
She had little interest in Lee Yeonju herself—just Hwan's innards. Information held value in itself; details could become weapons.
Grace tamped down her glee at the new lead. The real priority was the upcoming exam.
"Do you like sweets, Yeonju? I hear Easterners prefer bland flavors."
"I-I don't dislike them."
"Got it. Sivar."
"Yeah."
Grace called to him, glancing down. A pile of empty plates stared back—no bones even, all crunched away. Food waste minimized.
"You like sweets, right, Sivar? You mentioned candy earlier."
"Yeah."
"Then you'll love cake. Know what that is?"
"Cake?"
He tilted his head, questioning its existence. The place fused East and West, but cake? Not a café.
Oblivious, Grace smiled warmly.
"Yes. Sweet and soft dessert. You'll love it."
"Yeah."
"Good. And you, Yeonju?"
"I'm fine either way."
Cake for all. Grace summoned the waiter with practiced ease. As he left, she broached the main topic.
"Alright. Shall we plan for the practical? With Sivar, survival's no issue—but that's key. No need to attack recklessly."
"Then why not hide the whole time? Other teams will target us for sure..."
Lee Yeonju ventured timidly. Better not to engage at all. Typical of her reluctance.
Grace disliked it but kept smiling, persuading gently.
"Not a bad option. Professors stressed survival above all."
"Right?"
"But Yeonju, then the professors might..."
She trailed off. Actually, it wasn't bad. As noted before, Sivar transcended ecosystem disruptor—he was a destroyer. No student matched his survival prowess. Even knowledgeable ones would falter in execution. No mage meant no easy fire. Others might envy him superficially, but up close? Not so much.
'With Sivar, upper ranks are the best we can hope—break-even at best.'
Double-edged sword. One blunder, and elimination tanked their odds. Other teams would warily eye them too. In the forest, anything went—hiding worked.
"...Not bad at all. If safety first, your plan's fine, Yeonju."
"Th-thank you."
"Sivar..."
Grace turned to him, their eyes meeting. Should she even ask? He barely spoke coherently. But team leader duties called. No bias—she posed the question.
"What do you think, Sivar? Survival focus like Yeonju says?"
His reply was brutally simple.
"Dunno."
"......"
Simple enough to sting. A brute with brawn but no brains. Asking him made her the fool too.
Grace nodded graciously. But for rapport, "talk" must continue. Isolation bred distance.
"Can't say 'dunno.' You heard us, right?"
"Plan?"
"Yes. Thought you might have one."
Sivar blinked, then pondered, head down.
"Here. Enjoy."
"Thanks."
Meanwhile, dessert arrived. Grace smiled at the waiter, handing Sivar a slice.
"...?"
The cake's sweet aroma tickled him mid-thought. He looked up. Fluffy, sugary, topped with strawberry—irresistible.
"They say sweets sharpen the mind. Take your time—eat and think."
"Nom."
As Grace explained, Lee Yeonju speared a strawberry first, nibbling cutely like a critter. Sivar stared, then mimicked: fork, strawberry.
"...Mmm!"
Eyes wide, he exclaimed at the first bite—pure delight. He sampled cake next, beaming with each morsel.
Grace felt odd warmth, but pressed on.
"Tasty, right? My treat."
"Thanks."
"So, any plan ideas?"
He'd inhaled it. Sweets should kickstart his brain. Sivar eyed the empty plate wistfully, then her.
"Survive. Win. Right?"
"Yes."
"Win. Done."
Simple to the point of primitive. Grace half-expected it. His enthusiasm alone sufficed—no grand schemes hoped for.
"But."
"But?"
She perked up. Something coming.
"Cake. Give."
"Cake? You mean cake?"
"Yeah."
He nodded, continuing.
"I. Help. Win."
"So..."
Grace puzzled it out. Kara would've got it instantly—this took effort. Key words helped.
"You'll help us win, so give cake after?"
"Yeah."
"Perfect. I'd love that. Even more now if you want."
Ideal for her. Unlike apathetic Yeonju, Sivar was unpredictable. His going rogue was a worst-case. Full commitment? Reassuring. Survival theme amplified it.
"Yeonju, isn't there an Eastern saying for this? Like gaining a million troops."
"Yes, but..."
Lee Yeonju eyed Grace's grin, then Sivar, tilting her head dubiously.
"If all that power's in one person... that's its own problem."
"What do you mean?"
Grace probed, unsettled.
Lee Yeonju poked her cake cautiously.
"If Sivar gets eliminated, we lose our million troops."
"Oh, that? No worries."
Grace soothed, dismissing it.
"Who'd be crazy enough to go after him?"
******
As Grace plotted every angle, Luna savored rare freedom. Sivar nagged at her from afar, but not enough to fret constantly. Up close, she'd dreaded his next mishap.
Still, no slacking—she had her own team meet for the practical.
"So..."
Luna trailed off, flustered. She wasn't in the president's residence but a café. Like Sivar's group, hers gathered too.
"Target Sivar first—not survival. Team up with others?"
"Exactly. Quick on the uptake."
Across from her, Antonio wagged a finger smugly. Scheming vibes matched his ratty look. Luna shot back incredulously.
"That's insane. You saw—he's ridiculously strong. Beating him is..."
"Who said beat? I'm no idiot. No student's winning head-on."
"Then why..."
"Did I say win? Eliminate him."
He nailed it. Not victory over Sivar—knockout. Survival ruled; bracelet intact meant safe.
"Target the bracelet obsessively, we've got a shot. Even Sivar can't fend forever."
"True, but... isn't it cowardly?"
To Luna, allying against him felt dirty. Granada-bred Antonio thrived on it. Polar mindsets.
"Cowardly? Watch them take first? There's limits to getting screwed over."
"......"
"Sivar breaks balance from existing. He goes first for fairness. You agree, right?"
"I do too."
Even their teammate nodded. Luna sank deeper into thought.
Antonio was spot-on. Sivar's sheer presence was unfair—priority target. Plan: scout teams fast, ally, swarm him. Others likely shared the gripe.
'Feels wrong...'
She agonized. Was this right? His power, proven against Hector, dwarfed them—mosquitoes buzzing. But core was "eliminate," not conquer.
'Worth trying. Evaluations unknown, but...'
Antonio aimed first, trumping all else. Luna sighed after turmoil. Cowardly, yes—but curiosity burned. Could Sivar defend against a mob?
"Fine. Let's try. But you convince the teams—I'm no good at that."
"Naturally. Thanks for listening, team leader."
Antonio grinned sleazily, looking fouler. Luna smirked inwardly.
'Wonder if Kara-unnie would buy it.'
Felt like it'd earn curses.