It was a beautiful night.
Seven moons hung high in the sky, their pale light washing away the darkness and spreading a gentle chill across the world below. Enjoying the cool night air, a woman stood on a balcony with a glass of wine in her hand, gazing toward the moons.
A faint smile appeared on her lips as she raised the glass and took a sip. A blindfold covered her eyes, yet she looked completely at ease.
She was none other than Shuna, the caretaker of the Light God.
"Days keep passing, yet I still haven't met him," Shuna murmured in a lonely voice. "I wonder where he's been so busy. I'm the one handling most of his work here, after all."
A moment later, she seemed to notice someone behind her.
"Oh, Ishita," she said with a small smile. "Why are you standing so far away? Come closer."
Dressed in a black outfit that made her look even more elegant than usual, Ishita walked over.
Shuna looked her up and down.
"You look beautiful in that outfit."
"Tsk."
Ishita clicked her tongue.
"I never liked attending parties in the first place. I only came because you asked me to. Besides, I don't enjoy spending too much time around nobles."
Shuna chuckled softly and stepped closer.
"Don't say that, Ishita. We have to maintain good relationships with every country, and attending parties like these is part of that. Besides, what would you do if you stayed alone? Train all day again? You should rest once in a while."
Ishita lowered her gaze.
"I'm a Holy Knight. My duty is to protect people and maintain their faith in God. That's why I don't want to fall behind in anything, especially when it comes to battle."
"Oh my."
Shuna laughed lightly.
"It seems I've upset you."
"No."
Ishita shook her head.
"How could I be offended by your words? I'm a Holy Knight. I follow your orders."
Shuna gently lifted Ishita's chin with her thumb.
"Oh, Ishita. My baby girl."
A warm smile appeared on her face.
"You're very precious to us. Don't push your delicate body too hard with endless training."
She lowered her hand.
"And you never talk to anyone. At least give people a chance."
"I don't have much interest in those things."
Ishita paused.
"Honestly, I'd rather—"
She stopped halfway through her sentence.
Shuna immediately noticed.
"What is it? Did I remind you of something from your past?"
"No. It's nothing."
Ishita turned away.
"I'd rather go sit somewhere else."
Shuna pouted slightly.
"Are you really going to leave me here all alone?"
She placed a hand on Ishita's shoulder, but Ishita only looked more annoyed.
"I'm leaving."
Just then, another voice interrupted them.
"Oh? It seems my luck is quite good today. To think I'd meet Lady Shuna here."
Both women turned toward the speaker.
A man approached while carrying a wine bottle and a glass.
"Oh, Mr. Kiora," Shuna said. "It's good to see you."
"The pleasure is mine," Kiora replied with a smile. "I'm surprised you still remember my name."
"What are you saying? You're the Military Chief. Of course I remember you."
Kiora poured wine into Shuna's glass.
"By the way, I heard you've sent one of your Holy Knights to the Polard Kingdom."
"You heard correctly."
Shuna smiled.
"We spread our God's teachings across many kingdoms and nations. Traveling is simply part of our work."
Kiora placed the bottle on a nearby table.
"You know, that kingdom cut ties with most nations long ago. They rarely interact with outsiders. If something happened there, we might never even hear about it."
"You don't need to worry about her."
Shuna took another sip.
"She's not only powerful but also intelligent. She didn't become a top Holy Knight for nothing."
Kiora laughed.
"You're right. Perhaps I'm worrying too much."
He then looked toward Ishita.
"Miss Ishita, you truly look wonderful in that dress."
"Thank you."
Ishita nodded.
"Lady Shuna was the one who suggested it. Speaking of which... may I leave now?"
"Not yet."
Shuna immediately objected.
"The party isn't over. If you leave now, they'll think we didn't enjoy it."
Kiora joined in as well.
"Miss Ishita, has something disappointed you? Is there anything lacking in our hospitality?"
"No."
Ishita shook her head.
"It's not that. I simply don't like parties."
Kiora laughed.
"Well, if that's the reason, there's not much we can do."
After a brief silence, Ishita spoke again.
"Mr. Kiora, may I ask you something?"
"Of course."
Taking a sip of wine, she asked,
"Do you know why Sam and Lawine haven't arrived yet?"
Kiora thought for a moment.
"Now that you mention it, they should have been here already. Perhaps something came up."
A hint of disappointment appeared on Ishita's face.
"I thought they had already arrived. Then again, that's just like Sam. He's always doing something unexpected."
Kiora almost smiled at her reaction before turning back to Shuna.
"Lady Shuna, there was actually something important I wanted to ask you."
Shuna finished her drink.
"Oh? It sounds like you're trying to make me reveal a secret."
"Then let me ask directly."
Without hesitation, Kiora said,
"Can you tell me what kind of contract you signed with G-M.E.T.A.?"
For the first time, Shuna didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she smiled.
"You really don't know how to ease into a conversation, do you? Otherwise you wouldn't ask such a direct question."
She tilted her head slightly.
"But may I ask why you're so interested in that contract?"
Kiora slowly refilled his glass.
"You already know relations between our country and the government haven't been great lately. I don't want us to face a problem we aren't prepared for."
His gaze shifted toward Ishita.
"You know what they say, Miss Ishita. Trouble never announces itself before arriving."
"That's true."
Ishita nodded.
"Trouble rarely gives a warning."
Shuna sighed.
"Unfortunately, that question is far too confidential for me to answer."
Kiora's expression became serious.
"And may I ask why? We believed you stood on our side."
"There are rules and agreements involved."
Shuna smiled calmly.
"But don't worry. We have no intention of bringing trouble to your kingdom."
She turned toward Ishita.
"Right, Ishita?"
"Tsk. Yeah."
Kiora wasn't fully convinced, but he didn't press further.
"I see. Then we'll trust you. And hopefully, you trust us as well."
"Of course."
Shuna smiled.
"We'd like our relationship with your kingdom to grow stronger too."
Again, she looked at Ishita.
"Isn't that right?"
Ishita looked completely uninterested.
"Lady Shuna, it's not like you'd change your answer even if I disagreed."
Shuna laughed.
"What is it? Are you angry with me?"
"You know I can't be angry with you."
"Then don't say things like that."
Shuna moved beside her.
"Those words actually hurt me. Besides, we're guests here. We should enjoy ourselves while we can."
Just then, a masked waiter approached Kiora.
"Please forgive me, sir. A report has arrived."
Kiora nodded.
"Excuse me for a moment."
The waiter whispered something into his ear.
After listening, Kiora dismissed him and returned to the two women.
"Miss Ishita, you were asking about Sam and Lawine."
"Yes. Did you find out something?"
"I did."
Kiora smiled.
"They won't be attending tonight."
"Do you know why?"
"It seems a family matter came up."
Then he added,
"Though our special guest has already arrived."
Shuna raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? And who might this special guest be?"
Kiora's smile widened.
"Why don't you come and see for yourselves?"
"My, now you've made me curious."
Following Kiora, the two women headed downstairs.
As they descended the grand staircase, Ishita's eyes landed on a man talking with King Veld.
He wore a black suit.
A blue rose rested in his breast pocket, and a pair of black glasses hung neatly from his shirt.
The man was laughing confidently while speaking with the king.
Descending the stairs, Lady Shuna gently placed a hand on Ishita's shoulder, causing her to stop where she stood.
Kiora stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"My apologies, Your Majesty, for interrupting your conversation."
King Veld glanced at him and chuckled.
"Come, Kiora. I was merely discussing a few trade matters with our guest. Though I'm sure you already know him."
Kiora shifted his gaze toward the man standing beside the king.
He was remarkably handsome. Neither beard nor mustache adorned his face, and his dark hair reached just below his neck. A blue rose rested neatly in the pocket of his black suit, while a pair of black glasses hung from his shirt.
Kiora smiled.
"You're absolutely right, Your Majesty. Someone of his stature is known by all influential people. It is an honor to finally meet you, Mr. Kimera."
Kimera laughed lightly.
"You're flattering me, Mr. Kiora. The honor is mine. Being given the opportunity to conduct business with your kingdom is more than enough for someone like me."
"If a merchant of your caliber works with us, it will benefit our kingdom greatly."
Kiora then turned toward the king.
"Your Majesty, Lady Shuna wished to speak with you."
The moment her name was mentioned, King Veld appeared slightly surprised.
"Oh? Lady Shuna. My apologies, I didn't notice your arrival."
Lady Shuna stepped forward gracefully.
"There's no need to apologize, Your Majesty. I simply wished to say that we are grateful for the chance to stand alongside your kingdom. Just as the caretakers of the Healing God serve you, we too shall offer our support."
"You honor us with your words," King Veld replied. "Having a devoted servant of the Light God associated with our kingdom can only bring prosperity."
"You are too kind, Your Majesty. We should be the ones thanking you for accepting our invitation."
At that moment, Kiora interrupted.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but there is an important matter I must discuss with you."
He then glanced toward Lady Shuna and Kimera.
"If you'll excuse us, we'll return shortly."
Leading the king a short distance away, Kiora began speaking to him in a lowered voice.
Meanwhile, the party continued around them. Nobles chatted over meals and drinks while music echoed softly through the hall.
Lady Shuna and Kimera were left standing alone.
A short distance away stood Ishita.
Her eyes silently scanned the surroundings. Though her body remained at the party, her mind was clearly elsewhere.
Lady Shuna smiled.
"I must admit, I didn't expect someone like you to come here personally for business."
Kimera chuckled.
"You know how beneficial it is to maintain friendly relations with every kingdom. Besides, working with Verland Kingdom benefits both parties."
Lady Shuna blinked playfully.
"That's certainly true. Good relationships are always profitable."
She paused briefly.
"Just like the relationship you once maintained with Polard Kingdom."
Kimera fell silent.
Lady Shuna continued.
"Though after those accusations surfaced, you ended your ties with them."
For a moment, the smile disappeared from Kimera's face before quickly returning.
"It seems you've received some inaccurate information. What happened there was an internal affair of the kingdom. I had no involvement in it."
Lady Shuna laughed softly.
"Relax. I was only teasing you."
She places an empty glass of wine on the table and she added,
"Though after the party ends, I'd like to speak with you privately."
Kimera stopped a passing waiter and took two glasses of wine from the tray before handing one to Lady Shuna.
"Thank you."
"It's nothing."
He raised his own glass.
"Unfortunately, I have somewhere else to be after the party."
The answer clearly displeased Lady Shuna.
Taking another sip, she leaned closer and whispered near his ear.
"I need to speak with you... Mr. Blue."
The smile vanished completely from Kimera's face.
After draining the rest of his drink, he sighed.
"It seems I can no longer avoid that conversation."
Lady Shuna poured the remaining wine from her own glass into his and smiled.
From a distance, Ishita watched the exchange without the slightest change in expression.
As if she had expected Lady Shuna to do exactly this.
Just then, Kiora returned.
"My apologies. His Majesty remembered an urgent matter and had to leave."
"No problem," Lady Shuna replied. "My business here is already finished. Besides, the party is nearly over."
Kimera nodded.
"I've finished my discussion with the king as well. Mr. Falcon and I have already signed the necessary documents, so my work here is done."
Kiora then turned toward Ishita.
"Speaking of which, Miss Ishita, I almost forgot to give you something."
Without saying a word, Ishita simply stared at him.
Reaching into his pocket, Kiora pulled out a sealed envelope.
"Someone asked me to deliver this to you personally."
Ishita examined it.
"Another invitation? I'm not exactly in the mood to attend more parties."
Placing it in her hand, Kiora smiled.
"Whether you attend or not is entirely your choice. But if I failed to deliver it, Sam would probably be angry with me."
The moment she heard Sam's name, a faint smile appeared on Ishita's face.
"I suppose I can't refuse an invitation from Sam. In that case, I'll accept it."
Kiora then offered another invitation to Lady Shuna.
"Thank you," she replied politely, "but please inform Mr. Sam that I have other matters to attend to that day."
Turning toward Ishita, she asked,
"So, you're planning to go?"
"Of course."
Ishita answered without hesitation.
"I've already assigned the others to continue searching for those demons. If any information appears, I'll inform you immediately."
Her eyes lowered toward the invitation in her hand.
After so many years...
Since graduating and stepping out into the wider world, they had never met again.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
Then you'd better be ready...