CHAPTER - 188
Narrator: Several hours passed.
As the sun began to slowly descend in the sky, painting golden hues on the castle walls, Dav woke up, stretching lazily in the large bed.
He opened his eyes slowly, squinting and reopening them several times, as if his brain was struggling to sync with his body.
He immediately noticed Selene's absence beside him.
His hand moved instinctively to the still-warm spot on the sheet where she had been.
He slowly sat up, his gaze lost, hair tousled, and the usual silly and vaguely confused expression he always wore when waking up.
"Mmh.. Selene?" he mumbled softly, receiving only silence in return.
He got out of bed, slipped on his shoes haphazardly, and stretched again, yawning loudly before leaving the room.
The castle was wrapped in an unusual calm: silent, with only the rhythmic steps of maids and butlers moving through the halls with natural elegance.
The guards watched over the forbidden corridors, impassive, while from the outer courtyard came distant sounds of clashing blades and shouted commands.
Drawn by those sounds, Dav stepped outside.
The fresh air immediately hit him, further messing up his hair.
He slowly walked to the large courtyard behind the castle, where a group of soldiers were training.
He watched them for a few seconds with curiosity before sitting directly on the grass, folding his arms over his bent knees.
His crimson red eyes silently studied every movement.
He observed the determination in their eyes, the sweat soaking their tunics, the encouraging shouts between comrades, and the hard sword blows.
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It was a living, tangible energy.
"Mmh.. they seem to take it all very seriously"
he murmured to himself.
Shortly after, a figure approached him. Dav sensed the presence even before looking up.
A robust man, with an imposing build, clearly past middle age.
Short, graying hair, a deep scar on his right cheek, a black eyepatch over his left eye, and deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
Despite that, he smiled with genuine warmth.
"How’s it going?"
the man asked, stopping in front of Dav.
"Are you enjoying the training, sir?"
Dav, still half-asleep and with wind-blown hair, looked up at the man with his crimson, fiery eyes, red as pure blood.
He remained silent for a moment, then replied in a low but clear voice:
"They train with consistency and determination.
Very humble."
The man let out a sincere laugh, with a hoarse, deep voice.
"Haha! Humble, yes, but also a bunch of lazy bums if no one keeps an eye on them."
Dav gave a slight smile and returned his gaze to the soldiers.
Then, glancing slightly toward the man, he asked:
"Who are you, sir?"
At that question, the man drew his longsword and brought it firmly to his chest, startling Dav for a second.
Dav made a funny, puzzled face, like “what the hell is this guy doing?”
The man, however, simply bowed solemnly, the smile still on his face.
"I am the Supreme Lord Commander Algernon Thorne.
It's an honor to meet you, legendary hero."
He bowed formally, without being asked to.
Dav, visibly surprised, scratched his head and sighed.
"No formalities, please.. I'm just a guest today, and honestly, I don’t like ceremonies. Ahah.."
Algernon laughed again, this time with a calmer tone, and sat beside him on the grass, folding his arms naturally.
"What brings you here, if I may ask?"
Dav assumed his usual lazy-thinker pose: elbows resting on raised knees, hands dangling, and a half-drowsy gaze.
"I kept Royal Guard Selene company during her evaluation with her family."
Algernon raised his eyebrows, also turning his eyes back to the soldiers.
"I see. And.. how did it go?"
Dav replied in his usual casual tone, with a crooked, lopsided smile.
"SS rank. The first one, aside from Azrael the Top one."
Algernon remained silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh and smiled proudly.
"I see.. Little Selene has grown even stronger, then.
That truly makes me happy."
Dav looked at him sideways, curious after those words.
"Little Selene? What's your relationship with her?"
Algernon smiled once more, eyes still on the training ground.
"I’ve been her instructor since the first day she held a weapon.
I saw her fall, get back up, sweat, grit her teeth.
Now she’s grown.. and she no longer needs an old wreck like me. AHAHAH!"
His laughter echoed through the courtyard, full of affection and pride.
Dav watched him for a moment in silence.. then lowered his gaze, smiling softly.
That strong and stubborn woman was loved far more than he had imagined.
END OF CHAPTER - 188
