Tact (2)
One thing Luna was confident about, no matter what, was her stamina. Coming from a rural background where the only thing to do was farm, play in the countryside meant plenty of physical activity—unlike in the city. On top of that, Luna was an orphan. Raised right by the villagers' love, she helped out with all sorts of chores: basic farming, milking cows, repairing buildings, you name it. Through those odd jobs, her stamina gradually built up. And with basic conditioning from her master on top of that, her endurance was better than most students'. That stubborn mental fortitude everyone saw as extreme? It stemmed from her physical base. After all, mental strength only grows under the protection of stamina.
I'm gonna die...
But yesterday's training with Lize had shattered all that confidence. As she trudged along, Luna thought to herself. Not a single part of her body didn't hurt. Limbs were a given, but the backs of her thighs screamed the loudest. Push-ups and sit-ups had been tough, but squats were hell. Any slip in form meant starting over from one. And you absolutely couldn't rush—each rep had to be perfect, ensuring the stimulus hit right.
At least it's just once a week like a test...
She felt like she'd never do it again, yet knowing she had to made it all the more bleak. No clue how long the soreness would last. She was barely hanging on now, her mind foggy.
"You okay?"
Sivar even asked with genuine worry. Usually, it was the other way around. Meaning Luna looked like a zombie. Walking was a struggle—that said it all.
Luna gave him an awkward smile in response. It hurt like hell, but she was fine.
"Yeah. I'm good."
"For real?"
Poke—Sivar prodded her arm with a finger to check. Super light touch.
But unfortunately, that spot rivaled her thighs for soreness.
"Kyaa!?"
The moment Sivar touched it, Luna let out a weird yelp. The real problem came after: startled, her other muscles tensed up, sending waves of pain crashing through her whole body. Must feel like a glimpse of hell in a split second. Luna barely kept herself from collapsing.
"Ughhh..."
"Looks like it really hurts. Sivar, no more pranks like that."
"Sorry."
Yeah. Apology accepted. Luna mentally let it go after Kara scolded Sivar and he apologized. Truth be told, she was in too much pain to care. Please, just make it stop.
What about afternoon training...?
Morning classes were one thing, but practicals? Could she even last?
"Are you alright?"
Then an unfamiliar male voice reached her ears. Luna slowly lifted her head.
White and gold robes blended elegantly—priest attire. The man's looks were plain enough. But his brown eyes sparkled with sharp intelligence. The priest assigned to their group. She'd been introduced earlier but hadn't paid much mind.
"Y-Yeah... I'm fine..."
"You don't look fine at all. Is something hurting?"
The priest firmly contradicted her. Anyone could see Luna was in bad shape. No point lying, so she came clean—skipping the Lize part, of course.
"I... overdid some exercise yesterday. Bad muscle soreness."
"Ah, I see. Your urine isn't red or black, is it?"
"No, not that bad."
She got what he was worried about. Lize had warned her too. Muscles literally melting, leading to organ damage—worst case, kidneys.
"Good. If it's unbearable, you can head back. Hate to say it, but there's no cure for soreness."
"N-No, I'm okay. Not that serious."
It was Sivar's dumb poke that set her off—not dorm-worthy. Just don't touch her.
"No cure for soreness? Aren't you a priest of Gaia?"
Grace sounded baffled by the priest's words. As she said, he served Gaia. Whose hallmark was healing. So why not heal Luna's pain?
But the priest shook his head, denying it.
"True, but training-induced soreness is best left alone unless it's urgent. Builds efficiency."
"Efficiency?"
"Yes. Gaia's healing accelerates your natural regeneration to the max. But until then, it acts like a patch—protecting the injury. Once healed, the patch vanishes."
"Like Santia's compound fracture treatment. Pin the bone with rebar, remove later when it's good."
"What's that got to do with soreness?"
"Soreness comes from muscle damage and repair. The pain makes them remember and grow stronger. Healing patches over the pre-repair state—wipes the gains."
"Healing isn't omnipotent, huh."
Grace looked fascinated. Gaia's healers were top-tier everywhere. Archbishops could even regrow limbs—with some exaggeration, but still elite.
"Only gods wield omnipotence. If we could, the world would be even more chaotic."
The priest smiled warmly. Wise way to handle a potentially offensive remark. Grace realized her slip and apologized sheepishly. He accepted graciously.
"Can you walk?"
"...Probably."
Luna was dying from soreness, healing talk be damned. But the painkiller from the priest helped a bit. Without it, dorm-bound for sure. Others might bail, but Luna's stubborn diligence kept her going. Call it foolish or pigheaded—that was her strength.
"Before we start, anyone visited a church or altar lately?"
Before entering the museum-like building, the priest scanned the group.
Only one hand went up: Kara, devout Gulrak follower. She hit the academy altar weekly with offerings.
The priest eyed her standout tanned skin and nodded in realization.
"Judging by your skin, Tatar, right? Don't they make Gulrak the state religion?"
"Yeah."
"Any difference between the academy altar and Tatar's?"
"Just the shape. Felt the same."
Altars varied in form and size, but effect was identical. Priest nodded, as expected.
"As the student said, gods disdain empty rituals. Sincerity matters. Keep that, and you'll earn their favor."
"..."
Sivar looked unimpressed. He didn't want divine favor—yet got it anyway. Especially dubious from Chaos. And from no one else.
Oblivious, the priest smiled softly and led them inside. The group followed.
"Whoa... it's, huge..."
"Yeah. Knew it existed, first time inside."
Like Yeonju and Grace said, the interior was vast. Myth-related artifacts everywhere—like a museum. Built by the academy for education and tours.
"The academy was founded long ago by the hero who beat the Demon God and their comrades. Gods helped too. So this building ties deep into myth and history."
"You been here, Kara?"
"A few times during adjustment period weekends. Nothing else to do."
As Kara answered, Luna scanned the room. Other groups already milling about—reason for splitting, to avoid chaos.
"Brace for boring history. Hope you're into myths."
Priest joked lightly, then moved on. Group followed silently.
All but one. Sivar, eyes locked somewhere, went off alone.
Luna was too sore to notice; Kara and Grace were chatting.
"Myth fans know rainbows appeared at creation. Those colors are life's light. They grant us life."
"What if no colors?"
"Demons—neither here nor there. To fight them, that thing over..."
Priest pointed back, then froze.
Group turned, puzzled.
There stood Sivar, holding something: small wooden-stick-sized stone, shaped like the academy spire.
Priest startled, yelled.
"S-Student there! What are you doing? Put that down now!"
His voice echoed hugely in the museum-like space. Cave-level reverb.
Crack!
Startled Sivar failed strength control, shattering the stone in his grip. Just squeezing pulverized hard rock.
"..."
"..."
Silence blanketed the group. Sivar blinked in surprise, rolling his eyes like a guilty pup gauging reactions.
But he wasn't a dog. Quietly, he placed the shattered spire pieces back, carefully aligning lest they crumble again.
Rumble—
Too late. Forced fit just collapsed again.
"..."
Sivar eyed them nervously. Didn't know what he did wrong, but knew it was bad.