'Yushin?' Nuriel raised one of his eyebrows in surprise.
Preferably, the best candidates for him to use would be certain individuals that aren't loyal to anyone. Yevdokiya's strange hate towards the symbol of the kingdom, the Steel Witch, was one thing, but for all he could know, she might be loyal to the crown instead.
For Yushin, not only is he an otherworlder, which gives him no ties to this world, but he also knows that Yushin has a burning taste for hatred and vengeance—something he could easily provide with power.
He hoped to see a dream that was set in Yushin's homeworld. That way, he could gain more insight into his mysterious position as a single cultural exchange student.
Nuriel placed his index finger on the silver string, hooking it before pulling lightly. Once the tug was sufficient, he eased the muscles on his finger.
The silver string snapped, and almost immediately, a harmonious sound engulfed the throne room.
Before he could yield to the force, he saw a panel in front of him.
[Stay safe]
Something penetrated Nuriel's heart!
But he focused his attention on the pleasant hum while he pressed his lips together and gazed his eyes away in an awkward expression.
***
Without even opening his eyes, he had already imagined himself to be in his ethereal form. After a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes to inspect the surroundings.
He spawned in the center of a circular platform. Surrounding him were expertly crafted masonry that took on the shape of a circular building supported by pillars. Above him was a glass dome that drenched the platform in natural light.
Nuriel twitched at the architecture, circular rooms and large domes seemed to be a favorite style amongst the architects of this kingdom.
Turning his gaze towards his front, he saw nothing but racks of training equipment like weights and practice swords.
'So it's not Yushin's homeworld. Is this in Owhen...? For a training hall, it's massive.' He admired the space, slowly turning his body around.
Eventually, he landed his gaze on two recognizable young lads sitting at a petite table fitted with a tray of assorted snacks and some tea.
Yushin had his silver-engraved blade leaning between his thighs while he had his hand sitting in the air near the tray of assorted snacks.
Unable to decide, Yushin hung his hand in the air for much longer than he had anticipated.
In front of him, Jonas was peacefully sipping his cup.
Unable to bear his indecisiveness, Jonas quickly snatched a single cupcake and placed it on Yushin's palm.
"Is it your first time eating this kind of delicacy?" Jonas asked, but his tone made it so that it was a statement instead.
Yushin hesitated a little and closed his eyes in deep thought.
Although Jonas hid his inner emotions well, he couldn't help but pop a vein. As someone from a premier swordsmanship family, he wasn't someone that would be met with behaviors like Yushin's hesitancy.
Making a child of the Yuncandel family wait would be considered the highest form of disrespect!
But then again, Yushin was also an important figure. As far as Jonas had knowledge of, it was an extremely rare event for an otherworlder to step through the mysterious gates connecting other worlds—Much less a cultural exchange between two foreign countries separated by distances only the Steel Witch could comprehend.
After a while of silence, Yushin opened his eyes and ate a mouthful. "We... have this in my planet."
. . .
Jonas held a stern expression as he watched Yushin eat the cupcake. "Is talking with your mouth full a culture?" he muttered quietly.
In under ten seconds, Yushin devoured the cupcake given to him, which led to Jonas becoming curious about the pastry's taste.
Grabbing a piece for himself from the tray, Jonas ate the same cupcake—finding the taste to be mediocre.
Nuriel floated to where they were and leaned against a pillar. 'They're already that close?' he observed the two eating.
'I can't believe it...' Nuriel thought about how swordsmen would get to know each other. 'is it like, talk to me with your sword, kind of thing?' he observed their physical conditions.
It seemed that they had just finished practicing their swordsmanship and were now taking a tea break. But the break didn't last long as Jonas gulped down the last of his drink, not even bothering to relish the flavor.
Jonas stood up and walked towards a rack of wooden swords, then picked one up for himself before asking a question, "May I ask why you're in my world?"
Yushin stayed quiet, choosing to focus on the other snacks in the tray.
Ignoring the blatant silence, Jonas started speaking again while admiring the quality of the wooden mock-up sword. "Well... I'll assume that's classified information."
Swoosh
Woosh
Jonas swung his blade around in a way that made him look like he was figure skating.
From the force and speed alone, the tips of his blade created crackling noises in the air, similar to the ones made from whizzing bullets passing by.
It was as if his eyes were entering a trance-like state. Jonas began practicing his stylish swordsmanship on the center stage. "Do you know what's going on in my planet?"
Swoosh
"My kingdom is about to go to war, with the Empire of Solaris," Jonas switched stance and changed his style to piercing attacks. "This is what those military dogs call... a near-peer adversary."
Boom
Jonas pressed the tip of his sword in a forward motion, making the air around it gush forward in a strong breeze.
"This war will change the course of history, but we won't lose!" Jonas stopped for a while, inspecting his wooden sword again. It now had tiny cracks that formed on its edge, and its tip started to flatten.
"Do you know the race of beast men? It takes about five normal humans to beat them in a strength contest alone. However—
Jonas continued practicing.
"It's not the army, with its hundreds of thousands of soldiers."
"It's not the navy, with its sheer firepower and range."
"It's not the airforce, with its witches."
He swung his sword sideways, creating a shockwave of wind. "It's us!"
"The families of swordsmen and women—the same families who brought upon this kingdom's birth from ancient history!" Jonas finished his practice off with a wondrous swing that seemed to slice the air itself.
At that same moment, the wooden sword shattered into tiny pieces.
With Jonas's back against Yushin, he clenched his fist near his chest and continued his little speech.
'wow... with the lighting coming from the dome, he looks like a real hero,' Nuriel quietly stared at the strange performance.
Suddenly, the air around Jonas started to become chaotic, eventually forming a torrential tornado that surrounded him.
At that instance, Nuriel called upon the scepter to allow him to see the essence as a bluish fog.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'so this is what it looks like!'
The essence around Jonas condensed and swirled around him before being absorbed by his body. After a certain point—and at the same time—the torrential winds around him ceased.
The essence around Jonas suddenly exploded into a fire-like aura that constantly raged.
"So, my guess is... you're here because my kingdom needs help from other nations, right? So, if you teach us your culture's swordsmanship, then I will gladly share my family's techniques with you." Jonas quickly turned around and extended his arms toward Yushin. "What say you?"
. . .
In the background, Nuriel was covering his face with his palms while hunched over in embarrassment.
Landing his gaze towards Yushin, he quickly realized that he seemed to be peacefully sleeping on his chair with a cupcake in his hands. "were you... even listening?" Jonas's veins truly exploded at that point!
Nuriel silently bawled in the corner. 'Yushin, I beg you! I didn't get Jonas to befriend you for nothing!'
Fortunately, Yushin opened his eyes and slowly placed the uneaten cupcake on the table. He stood up and settled his silver sword on his chair.
Jonas felt a piercing gaze emanating from Yushin.
With his demonic red eyes, he eyed Jonas—along with a pleasant smile that could consume anyone's heart.