Akali didn't think there was anything wrong with the possibility that Riven harbored some improper desires toward her teacher. After all, according to the intelligence reports, when her teacher returned to Ionia, he was accompanied by this war orphan from Noxus.
Especially considering what Zed and Shen had said: this woman named Riven was a Noxian war hero, but after seeing the true face of Noxus, she had fallen into a state of profound confusion. It was only through her teacher's guidance that she resolved to find meaning in life again. For this reason, she set foot on Ionian soil, and in the face of Ionia's great traditional culture, resolved to bring change to her homeland of Noxus and put it back on the right track.
The prodigal returns—what a story perfectly aligned with the Ionian worldview, right? No wonder that guy Shen was always telling her to learn from Riven. This was also one of the reasons Akali understood Riven so well: before witnessing the situation in the Ionian coastal regions with their own eyes, Shen—and those who shared his illusions about Noxus—believed there was still room for mediation.
Therefore, Shen and the others never gave up on the idea of making Akali understand the true path of the Kinkou, hoping she wouldn't continue her rebellion.
It wasn't until they witnessed the damage inflicted upon the coastal regions firsthand that Shen and the others finally stopped talking about "the prodigal returning."
And Akali knew very well that for someone like Riven, who had fallen into confusion, falling in love with the person who offered salvation and companionship was perfectly understandable. After all, it had to be said, her teacher was exceptionally outstanding in both achievements and looks. At the very least, in Akali's eyes, he was vastly superior to those rule-bound Ionian peers...
Heaven knows how much Akali detested those who blindly followed tradition... Day in and day out, they only knew how to preach, preach, and preach. But if you actually asked them why things had to be that way, they'd suddenly act as if their mouths were stuffed, stuttering and unable to say anything of substance, only repeating bullshit like, "This is just how tradition is. Could we possibly be wiser than our ancestors?"
Based on this point, at least in Akali's eyes, rather than his superior looks, it was her teacher's undisguised casualness, wildness in temperament, and unrestrained spirit that truly suited her tastes.
But... this shouldn't be the reason why Sona felt such goodwill toward her teacher, right? After all, this big-breasted woman had only met him less than half a day ago, and hadn't even spoken a few words along the way—since she was mute, after all. But why did her gaze look so intimate?
She didn't have any feelings of jealousy; Akali was just a bit curious as to why Sona felt so close to a stranger she had only just met.
Hating Ionia's culture of implicit subtlety, Akali, upon feeling confused, bluntly asked, "Teacher, are you and Sona very close?"
Hearing Akali's question, Faen, riding leisurely on his horse, turned back and said, "It's about the same as my relationship with you and Sona—it's the first time we've met. Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
To this, Akali replied, "It's nothing, it just feels a bit strange. When Sona looks at you, Teacher, her eyes look exactly like she's looking at a family member she hasn't seen in a long time. And when you look at Sona, your eyes are full of gentleness, as if you've known her forever."
Hearing Akali say that she looked at Faen as if he were family, Sona's face flushed red, and she lowered her head in slight embarrassment.
To this, Faen explained, "That's because I can communicate with Sona."
"Communicate?" Hearing this, a look of surprise appeared in Akali's eyes. "Isn't Miss Sona mute? How do you communicate?"
As soon as she said it, seemingly realizing there was a problem with her phrasing, Akali turned to Sona with a somewhat helpless look. "I don't mean to hurt you, it's just... I'm a bit curious, because I also want to chat with you... and stuff."
Hearing this, Sona managed a strained smile and nodded to indicate she understood.
Sensing Akali's confusion, Faen simply explained the matter regarding melody magic.
"Melody magic? So you can do that too?" Hearing this, a flash of surprise appeared in Akali's eyes. Beside them, Sona nodded at Akali, then gestured with sign language, clearly trying to explain things for herself. Unfortunately, Akali didn't understand sign language at all, so she turned her gaze toward Faen instead.
To this, Faen acted as Sona's translator, saying, "Sona says she really wants to be friends with you too. But she was born without the ability to speak, and she hopes that if you ever feel uncomfortable, you'll tell her immediately. She doesn't want to lose a friend."
"Oh, oh, no problem! I was just curious why you and Teacher were making eye contact so frequently, I didn't feel uncomfortable at all." Hearing this, Akali quickly waved her hands and said, "Sometimes I'm just a bit blunt when I speak. If that had a negative impact on you, I apologize."
Although the people of the Kinkou Order considered her rebellious, Akali actually didn't think there was anything wrong with her. Speaking bluntly and directly is considered rebellious? That's completely baffling.
Encountering someone like Akali for the first time, Sona blinked. But much like Seraphine, Sona could also sense the thoughts of others through melody magic. This was especially true for people like Akali—who spoke straightforwardly, or in other words, whose outer expressions matched their inner thoughts perfectly.
Just as Sona was thinking this, Faen said from the side, "Sona likes you very much."
"Eh?" Akali pointed at herself in surprise. "Me? Likes me? Really?"
Akali's astonishment wasn't faked, because for quite a long time, the people she met all thought she was rebellious, abrasive, and so on.
To this, Sona was already so shy and excited she didn't know how to express herself. Her two small hands waved wildly, seemingly trying to explain, but Akali couldn't understand Sona's sign language at all.
Right at that moment, Faen continued, "You understand Ionia's traditions. In order to make themselves appear sufficiently subtle, gentle, and harmless, many people say one thing but think another. Of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with this. A gentleman is judged by his actions, not his thoughts; being able to restrain one's malicious thoughts is also a virtue of willpower. But melody magic allows one to sense some of the other party's thoughts. Although it doesn't reach the level of mind-reading, it's enough to perceive certain inclinations."
"Based on this point, to Sona, your frankness is a rare virtue."
"Eh? So that's how it is?!" Hearing such a theory for the first time, Akali widened her eyes in curiosity.
Beside her, having her inner thoughts exposed, Sona was already losing control from sheer embarrassment. Seeing that Faen was about to say more, she lunged at him in a moment of desperation.