Valeria punggungkan badannya ke arah proyeksi itu.
Lucavion mengikuti langkahnya.
Ia mengalihkan perhatian ke jadwal reservasi di sisi kiri, dan ia condong ke arah sisi penglihatannya. Ketika pandangannya melintas ke fasilitas pemulihan, ia berlari sekitar tubuhnya dengan ketekunan seseorang yang sedang mencari tempat yang tepat untuk berdiri.
Valeria menahan rintangan pertama. Ia menghindari yang kedua dengan memutar proyeksi di antara mereka, hanya untuk wajah Lucavion muncul melalui kerangka biru muda kamar kultivasi.
Mulutnya mengerut.
Ia berpindah sisi lagi.
"Lucavion."
"Ya?"
"Berhenti."
"Aku hanya mencoba menemukan sudut yang kamu sukai."
"Kamu gagal."
"Lalu beberapa petunjuk akan berharga."
Valeria kembali ke peta, tapi sudut mulutnya bergerak sebelum ia menahan. Ia menekan bibirnya dan mengangkat satu tangan ke daftar fasilitas dengan konsentrasi baru.
Lucavion muncul kembali dalam jangkauan.
Senyum kecil melesap darinya.
Itu tak bertahan lebih dari sejenak. Valeria menoleh dengan cepat, satu tangan terurai ke bibirnya seolah-olah ia masih bisa menyembunyikan bukti.
Lucavion tegak, kepuasan menyebar di wajahnya. "Heh... Sekarang kita bicara."
"Kamu benar-benar tidak tertolerir."
"Tapi jauh lebih sukses daripada sebelumnya."
Ia tak memberinya waktu untuk pulih dari kehilanganannya. Dengan menggeser kasusnya ke tangan lain, Lucavion mundur dan mengikuti penanda ke tempat tinggalnya.
"Mau ikut?"
Undangannya terlempar di atas bahu sambil berjalan, tanpa keriangan untuk menjawab.
Lusa kembali kepadanya sebelum Valeria bisa merespons. Vitaliara mendarat di atas bahunya dengan keseimbangan sempurna makhluk yang tidak pernah perlu meminta izin, lalu menyelesaikan kakunnya di samping kerahnya dan menatap Valeria dengan tatapan pucat.
Valeria sudah terbiasa dengan tatapannya sejak waktu di Andelheim. Vitaliara juga telah belajar untuk mentolerir kehadirannya, meskipun toleransi tak pernah memperbaiki kebiasaannya.
"Grr..."
Suara itu bergetar di leher Lucavion saat Vitaliara menampilkan gigi kecilnya.
Valeria memandang penampilan itu sejenak, menutup proyeksi yang tersisa dan mulai berjalan di antara mereka.
"Masih melakukannya."
"Itu ekspresi kebahagiaan reunian."
[Grr...]
"Keajaiban yang kuat," tambah Lucavion.
Paparan berulang telah mengajarkan Valeria bahwa menjawab provokasi Vitaliara hanya mendorong Lucavion, jadi ia membiarkan komentar itu dan mengalihkan pembicaraan ke fasilitas di sekitar mereka.
Sudah diperiksa aula latihan terdekat, membandingkan periode reservasinya dan menemukan kamar pemulihan barat tetap tersedia sepanjang pagi. Detail berguna datang satu demi satu sambil berjalan, diiringi oleh gerakan kecil ke halaman bersebelahan dan corong menghubungkannya. Perhitungan apa saja yang membuatnya memeriksa semuanya sebelum mencapai kamarnya tetap mengikutinya.
Lucavion mendengarkan dengan senang.
Ia telah tiba, memetakan halaman dan menemukan tempat terbaik untuk berlatih sebelum kebanyakan freshmen menyelesaikan perdebatan dengan koper mereka.
Beberapa hal memang tak pernah berubah.
Rute mereka melewati papan terbuka yang menampilkan peringkat akhir Blok Seni Bela Diri. Beberapa siswa berkumpul di depannanya, membandingkan hasil individu dengan peringkat tertimbang di kolom paling kanan.
Lucavion melambat cukup lama untuk menemukan nama di atas.
Rowen menempati posisi pertama dengan 96.9, diikuti dekat oleh Varen dengan 96.0. Keduanya mendominasi mana, evaluasi kepedekan, dan penilaian senjata, meninggalkan sedikit ruang bagi siswa lain untuk menantang posisinya.
Valeria berada di posisi keempat.
94.4.
Nama Lucavion muncul tepat di bawahnya dengan 89.2. Hasil tertulisnya cukup baik, tapi angka empat di samping ujian lisannya kini terlihat menyakitkan sekarang seseorang memberinya kedudukan resmi.
Nilai sempurna dalam kepekenaian dan penanganan senjata telah memperbaiki sebagian besar kerusakan.
Lucavion melirik ke sisi Valeria. "Sepertinya kamu cukup baik."
Tempo dia tidak berubah, meskipun perhatiannya meninggalkan papan.
"Kamu terdengar terkejut."
"Aku sedang memutuskan apakah peringkat keempat butuh dikongratulasi."
"Dan apa keputusanmu?"
Ia mempertimbangkan hal itu dengan serius lebih dari yang seharusnya.
"Kecemasan, terutama."
"Untukku?"
"Untuk semua orang di bawah kita. Kamu sudah sulit ketika punya sesuatu untuk dibuktikan."
Tangan Valeria menyentuh gagang di pinggangnya.
"Kamu di bawahku."
"Di papan itu," setuju Lucavion.
Kualifikasi itu mendapatkan pandangan lebih dingin, meskipun sedikit candaan yang ia cubit sebelumnya masih mengelupas di matanya.
Ekor Vitaliara menyentuh lekuk di belakang lehernya.
[Mengapa kamu memberi wanita yang mengganggu ini keuntungan untuk berbicara di atasmu?]
Lucavion mengangguk kepala dan melanjutkan berjalan.
Valeria bisa bangga. Ia dipelihara di bawah sebuah nama keluarga yang memandang disiplin sebagai warisan dan kewajiban, lalu menghabiskan kehidupannya untuk mendapatkan kepercayaan yang diasumsikan diberikan. Posisi dekat di Blok Seni Bela Diri akan membuatnya senang, dan melihat Lucavion di bawah namanya akan memberinya kepuasan yang dapat diterima.
Ia takkan pernah salah memandang peringkat sebagai bukti bahwa ia telah melampaui dia.
Ujian tertulis, evaluasi lisan, dan penampilan seremonial bisa mengatur siswa secara rapi di papan. Valeria lebih suka ukuran yang lebih sederhana. Letakkan senjata di tangan mereka, beri ruang bagi mereka untuk saling bertarung, dan lihat siapa yang tersisa berdiri.
Itu tak pernah berubah.
Sejak Rackenshore, ia telah sedikit longgar. Andelheim mengajarkan bahwa aturan kadang-kadang tiba terlalu lama, otoritas bisa gagal, dan Lucavion akan tetap melakukan apa yang dia anggap perlu tidak peduli seberapa keras ia memanggil namanya. Ia bisa menerima jawaban tidak sempurna sekarang tanpa memandang ketidaksempurnaan sebagai serangan pribadi.
Pelajaran itu telah melunakkan tepi-tepi kepadanya. Mereka tidak mengubah baja di bawahnya.
Valeria menyadari keheningannya setelah beberapa langkah. "Sekarang, kamu sangat diam?"
Lucavion memandang ke arahnya. "Aku bisa berhenti berbicara kadang-kadang."
"Kamu bisa. Itu tidak berarti kamu melakukannya."
"...."
Dia menatapnya dengan tegas.
Keheningan itu berlanjut cukup lama untuk jelas bahwa ia hanya mempertahankannya karena dia protes. Valeria membiarkan dia menikmati kemenangan kecilnya sebelum kembali memandang papan di belakang mereka.
Nilainya di papan penting tidak sebanyak dua angka sempurna di sampingnya. Ia menyebutkan hasilnya dulu, lalu kepekenaian, seolah penilai akademi telah memastikan sesuatu yang sudah dia curigai dan menyediakan dua angka untuk rujukan nanti.
Lucavion menurunkan pandang ke estoc di sisinya.
"Kamu akan bisa mengujiinya suatu hari nanti."
Valeria menatap matanya.
Tantangan itu menerangkan matanya lebih terbuka dibanding kedatangannya sebelumnya.
"Aku akan menunggu."
"Jangan khawatir."
Langkah berikutnya mempersingkat.
SWOOSH!
Tangannya keluar dari sisi tanpa peringatan, dua jari memotong ruang sempit di antara mereka ke arah pipi Valeria.
THUD!
Valeria turned back toward the projection.
Lucavion moved with her.
She shifted her attention to the reservation schedule on the left, and he leaned into that side of her vision. When her gaze travelled toward the recovery facilities, he stepped around her with the innocent persistence of a man searching for the correct place to stand.
Valeria endured the first obstruction. She avoided the second by rotating the projection between them, only for Lucavion’s face to appear through the pale-blue outline of a cultivation chamber.
Her mouth tightened.
He changed sides again.
"Lucavion."
"Yes?"
"Stand still."
"I was trying to find an angle you liked."
"You have failed."
"Then some guidance would be appreciated."
Valeria returned to the map, but the corner of her mouth moved before she caught it. She pressed her lips together and lifted one hand toward the facility list with renewed concentration.
Lucavion stepped into view again.
A quiet laugh escaped her.
It lasted less than a breath. Valeria turned away at once, one hand rising toward her lips as though she might still hide the evidence.
Lucavion straightened, satisfaction spreading across his face. "Heh... Now we are talking."
"You are really intolerable."
"Yet considerably more successful than I was a moment ago."
He gave her no time to recover the severity she had lost. Shifting his case into his other hand, Lucavion stepped aside and followed the marker toward his assigned residence.
"Wanna tag along?"
The invitation came over his shoulder as he walked, with no ceremony attached to the answer.
White fur descended onto him before Valeria could provide one. Vitaliara landed across his shoulder with the effortless balance of a creature for whom permission had always been an optional courtesy, then settled her paws beside his collar and fixed Valeria with a pale stare.
Valeria had grown used to that stare during their time in Andelheim. Vitaliara had also learned to tolerate her presence, although tolerance had done little for the ancient creature’s manners.
"Grr..."
The sound vibrated against Lucavion’s neck as Vitaliara bared her small teeth.
Valeria regarded the display for a moment, dismissed the remaining projections and fell into step beside them. "She still does that."
"She is expressing the joy of reunion."
[Grr...]
"A powerful joy," Lucavion added.
Repeated exposure had taught Valeria that answering Vitaliara’s hostility encouraged Lucavion, so she left the comment alone and turned the conversation toward the surrounding facilities.
She had already inspected the closest practice halls, compared their reservation periods and discovered that the western recovery chamber remained available throughout most of the morning. The useful details came one after another while they walked, accompanied by small gestures toward adjoining courts and the passages connecting them. Whatever calculations had led her to inspect everything before reaching her room stayed with her.
Lucavion listened with growing amusement.
She had arrived, mapped the court and identified the best places to train before most freshmen had finished arguing with their luggage.
Some things truly refused improvement.
Their route carried them past an open board displaying the finalized Martial Arts Block standings. Several students had gathered before it, comparing individual results against the weighted ranking along the rightmost column.
Lucavion slowed long enough to find the names near the top.
Rowen occupied first place with 96.9 , followed closely by Varen at 96.0 . Both had dominated the mana, combat and weapon evaluations, leaving little room for the remaining students to challenge their positions.
Valeria stood fourth.
94.4.
Lucavion’s name appeared immediately beneath hers at 89.2 . His written results had been respectable, but the forty beside his oral examination continued to look vindictive now that someone had granted it the dignity of an official record.
Perfect marks in combat and weapon handling had repaired most of the damage.
Lucavion glanced sideways at Valeria. "It seems you did rather well."
Her pace did not change, though her attention left the board. "You sound surprised."
"I am deciding whether fourth place requires congratulations."
"And what has your decision produced?"
He considered the matter with far more gravity than it deserved. "Concern, mostly."
"For me?"
"For everyone beneath you. You were already difficult when you had something to prove."
Valeria’s hand settled against the hilt at her waist. "You are beneath me."
"On that board," Lucavion agreed.
The qualification earned him a colder look, although the trace of laughter she had tried to bury earlier still lingered around her eyes.
Vitaliara’s tail brushed the back of his neck.
[Why are you giving this annoying woman the leverage to talk over you?]
Lucavion shook his head and resumed walking.
’I am not doing such a thing. And Valeria is not the type of girl to talk over me over mere grades.’
[That is what she just did.]
’Sure. We both know that is not the case, don’t we?’
Vitaliara answered by striking the back of his neck with her tail.
Valeria could be proud. She had been raised beneath a family name that treated discipline as both inheritance and duty, then spent most of her life earning the confidence others assumed had been handed to her. A place near the top of the Martial Arts Block would please her, and seeing Lucavion beneath her name would provide an entirely respectable amount of satisfaction.
She would never mistake a ranking for proof that she had surpassed him.
Written examinations, oral evaluations and ceremonial performances could arrange students neatly upon a board. Valeria preferred a simpler measure. Put weapons in their hands, place them within reach of one another and see who remained standing.
That had not changed.
She had loosened since Rackenshore. Andelheim had taught her that rules sometimes arrived too late, authority could fail, and Lucavion would continue doing whatever he considered necessary regardless of how severely she pronounced his name. She could accept an imperfect answer now without treating the imperfection as a personal affront.
The lessons had softened her edges. They had not altered the steel beneath them.
Valeria noticed his silence after several steps. "Now, you are awfully silent?"
Lucavion looked over. "Well, even I can stop talking sometimes."
"You can. That does not mean you do."
"...."
She glared at him.
The silence continued long enough to make clear that he was preserving it purely because she had objected. Valeria let him enjoy that small victory before returning her attention to the board behind them.
Her weighted score mattered less to her than the two perfect marks beside his name. She mentioned his results in weapon handling first, then combat, as though the Academy’s examiners had confirmed something she had already suspected and supplied two numbers for later reference.
Lucavion lowered his gaze toward the estoc at his side. "You will be able to test it sooner or later."
Valeria met his eyes. The challenge brightened them more openly than his arrival had. "I will be waiting."
"Do not worry."
His next step shortened.
SWOOSH!
Lucavion’s hand left his side without warning, two fingers cutting across the narrow space between them toward Valeria’s cheek.
THUD!
Her palm intercepted his wrist.
The impact stopped his fingers less than an inch from their target. Valeria held him there, her grip firm, while satisfaction settled plainly into her expression.
"I knew you would do that."
Lucavion looked from her hand around his wrist to the cheek he had failed to reach.
"Got caught."
Valeria released his wrist, and Lucavion let his hand fall without attempting to steal the touch after being stopped.
"You have gotten faster," he said, rotating the joint once. Her interception had arrived cleanly, without hesitation or wasted movement. "It seems you did not slack off while I was gone."
The praise caught her more cleanly than his fingers had.
Valeria’s posture remained straight, but a faint warmth entered her eyes. Then her lips curved. The smile spread softly across features so often held under discipline, like a flower opening in a place where spring had been forbidden entry.
Lucavion stared.
He had intended to behave.
The intention lasted admirably close to a second.
SWOOSH!
His hand flashed toward her cheek again.
Valeria reacted from the first twitch of his shoulder. She had already seen the attack once: the shortened step, the direct line and the fingers extended toward the same target. Her palm rose to meet his wrist at the point where she had caught it before.
That expectation was precisely what Lucavion had given her.
The first attempt had taught her a rhythm. This one followed it until the final instant, his hand travelling at the same speed while her guard moved into place. Then his rear foot pressed into the stone.
His body slipped half a step closer.
The acceleration came in the middle of the motion, where an ordinary strike had already spent most of its force. Lucavion still had more to give. He folded his elbow before Valeria’s palm could close, rolled his wrist over the edge of her hand and threaded his fingers along the outside of her forearm.
Valeria’s eyes widened.
His hand reached her cheek.
Lucavion caught the softness between two fingers and pulled it gently to the side, ruining the composed smile before she could hide it.
"But still." He winked at her. "Neither did I."
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