Len and Eric's eyes remained fixed on Ethos's back amidst the swirling dust of the grounds. The thud of Ethos's heavy boots created a rhythmic silence on the earth. Without turning, he marched toward the supervisor with measured strides. Eric lowered his sword slightly, but his crimson eyes were still locked in the direction where Ethos was heading.
As Grand Duke Ethos approached the man, an unspoken tension permeated the air. Ethos's towering stature stood like a wall before the man. The supervisor did not shift his posture; not a single line of fear or dread surfaced on his face. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and looked directly into Ethos's gaze, displaying a quiet confidence.
"Back so soon?" the man asked in a very cold, steady voice. There was a familiarity in his tone that existed only between equals. Ethos offered no reply, merely casting a deep and stern look upon him.
The man gave a slight smile, a mischievous tug at the corners of his lips. He tilted his neck slightly and gestured toward the two boys practicing in the distance. "I suspect you've taken quite a liking to those two," he said in a low voice.
Amidst Ethos's silence, the man's smile deepened. "It's the first time I'm seeing you take such a keen interest in anyone, Ethos. What is it about those little ones that has sparked curiosity in the Grand Duke's heart of stone?"
A fleeting smile appeared on Grand Duke Ethos's face, momentarily softening his stern persona. "You aren't wrong," he admitted, keeping his voice low. His gaze settled on Eric, who was practicing amidst the swirling dust in the distance. "Those two... turned out to be far more interesting than expected."
The man gave a light chuckle, his smile now deeper and more mysterious. "Interesting they are," he said in a hushed tone, "but you must also remember that one of them is the apple of our 'Queen's' eye. She is far too fond of him."
A sudden stillness occupied Ethos's eyes. "I know," he replied flatly. Then, as if trying to untangle an old knot, he lowered his voice even further. "But I still don't understand how that child reached so close to Astria? Despite all the layers of her security, how did he become such a part of her life?"
That familiar smile still played on the man's face. He took a deep breath and looked at Ethos as if reading an open book. "Grand Duke, how could you not know?" he asked, his tone a mix of irony and truth. "After all, you are the one who raised him. Yours were the eyes that watched him grow... so who else would know this secret better than you?"
The air on the grounds suddenly turned cold. Ethos offered no reply, but his silence made it clear that this question was no longer just a curiosity—it had become a deep-seated secret with roots stretching far into the past.
Ethos and the mysterious man were still whispering in the distance, but every movement they made remained under Eric's sharp gaze. Eric loosened his grip on the sword's hilt, yet his focus didn't waver from them for a single moment. He could feel that the words floating between them were somehow pointed toward him.
Just then, Len touched Eric's shoulder, breaking his concentration. "Eric? What are you searching for in that void?" Len asked curiously, his own eyes drifting in the direction where Ethos stood.
Eric slowly turned his neck and looked deep into Len's golden eyes. Instead of answering the question, he made his voice low and serious. "Len, is this truly all you are capable of? The way you just struck... I know your abilities go far beyond this. You are hiding your strength on purpose."
A mischievous glint flashed across Len's face. He tilted his sword to the side and gave a careless shrug. To prove his innocence, he raised both hands—his palms were open toward the sky, fingers naturally spread. His wrists were softly bent, and both hands were extended outward parallel to his shoulders, in a gesture that said he had nothing to hide.
"Hey, I haven't even done anything yet!" Len said, gesturing with his open palms while putting on an innocent expression. "Eric, why do you think I'm hiding something? And why would I even do that? I'm just here having fun."
Len's physical posture and carefree attitude silenced Eric for a moment. But Eric's crimson eyes still spoke of the fact that he had sensed the true intensity hidden behind Len's effortless mask. In the dusty sunlight of the grounds, Len's gesture of standing with open arms reflected his nonchalance, while Eric's silence sought the truth that Len was cleverly dodging with a smile.
"Alright," Eric said softly. He tightened his grip on the sword's hilt and abruptly shifted the expression on his face. "Sorry, I was only joking."
But Eric's next move belied those words. Without any prior warning, he swung the heavy sword with just one hand. The steel sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, heading straight for Len with the speed of lightning. The strike was so sudden and precise that an ordinary person would have had no time to react.
Yet, Len's reaction was nothing short of a natural marvel. Just as the cold steel was about to graze him, Len's body sprang backward into the air like a flash of lightning. His agility was so immense that not even a speck of dust could touch his clothes. He landed safely several paces away from Eric in a single blur, as if he were not a human but a gust of wind.
A genuine, faint smile finally emerged on Eric's face. His crimson eyes now viewed Len through a new lens. On the other side, even after this lethal 'joke,' not a single line of anger surfaced on Len's face, nor was there any hatred in his eyes. He stood with the same grace and composure as if nothing had happened.
"Why did you do that?" Len asked in his calm and melodious voice. There was no complaint in his tone, only clear and direct curiosity, as if he were trying to comprehend the reason behind Eric's sudden assault. In the middle of the grounds, the two friends now stood facing each other—one who had made his move, and the other who, with infinite patience, was asking for an answer.