The golem observed Lloyd's struggle to retrieve his sword. At that moment, it lowered its sword to its neck and placed the tip against his wattle. Though it could not speak, its actions spoke volumes and conveyed to Lloyd that he should not move a muscle. Lloyd, who was on the brink of collapse, froze in place.
Their eyes locked in a fierce stare. The golem glared at Lloyd with its intimidating red eyes, and Lloyd couldn't help but feel intimidated by the creature's disappointment in his performance. After a moment of this intense gaze, the golem sheathed its sword and disappeared into the ground, just as it had emerged in the beginning.
"It's finally over," Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief, as he slumped down to the ground. His heart was finally returning to a normal pace as he inhaled and exhaled heavily.
"I shouldn't have worried," she thought to himself as he straightened his back.
Realizing the time, she got up and began to leave to prepare dinner.
"He will be out of there soon..."
She walked out.
"I will fall asleep here at this rate," he exhaustedly mumbled to himself.
'I don't want to get up but she will worry if I don't head up...'
He was exhausted enough that he couldn't even move an inch, but dinner time was upon him and without any confirmation, she would also be concerned.
He summoned his last bit of strength and made an effort to stand up, but his exhausted body protested.
"Not surprising, I can't go against the physical condition." He let out a heavy sigh and mumbled.
"Let's wait and recover enough strength to at least get out of here."
He stayed like that for almost half an hour and recovered enough strength to get back on his feet, even though he required the help of the wall. At least he got back on his feet.
After properly standing, he first tended to the cuts on his body. They were neither deep nor wide, only narrow and lengthy, like a razor cut, so they had already closed on their own. He quickly cleaned the wounds with a few wipes, hiding them because of how narrow they were.
He did this solely to make sure Alaya wouldn't worry. Alaya was very overprotective of him, and even he wasn't fully sure why that was. Even though she wasn't blood-related, she loved and cared for him like a little brother.
"Oh god, I'm so sweaty and stinky right now, I need to take a shower immediately!"
As his senses slowly returned, he became aware of how foul he appeared and smelled. His clothes clung to his body, drenched in sweat and black residue staining his once-pristine white tunic. The combination of sweat and residue made him smell unbearable. Realizing the urgency of the situation, he made his way to the training ground's bathroom to take a bath immediately.
"Too luxurious..."
He couldn't help but feel surprised by the grandeur of the bathroom, even though it was located in the training ground. Although he had grown accustomed to the life of luxury, he couldn't help but be taken aback by the amount of money that had been spent on such unnecessary extravagance.
As he stepped into the warm bathtub, the water enveloped him and he felt his exhaustion, pain, and stiffness fading from his body. He let out a sigh of contentment as he relaxed into the water, feeling his muscles unwind and his energy return. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to sink deeper into the tub, relishing the feeling of the warm water enveloping him. He took a deep breath and let his head fall back against the edge of the tub, feeling all his troubles melt away as he fully enjoyed the bath.
After bathing, he stepped out of the tub and walked over to the mirror. As he looked at his reflection, he couldn't help but admire his looks. Lloyd was without a doubt exceptionally handsome, with a sharp jawline and blonde hair.
He headed upstairs, where he found her organizing the dinner table. She brought the food to the table and they both began to eat.
"How did it go?" she asked, already aware of the outcome.
"Rigorous... Too rigorous, I would say," he replied as he ate ravenously, like a starving man.
She let out a small chuckle as she watched him devour his food.
"Hmmm, what happened?"
He looked up from his plate, giving her a curious look.
"Nothing. It's just that it's a rare occasion to see you act like that," she replied with a light smile on her face.
It was true, Lloyd had perfect etiquette and manners, even though he was just a kid. He was also strangely mature for his age. The only people who were familiar with his true self were his parents and Alaya.
'I try to stay in character to not raise any suspicion, but I sometimes unintentionally slip from it,' he thought to himself.
"Is it? Then I will let it be then," he said as he continued to devour his food like a demon.
Their chatting went on for almost an hour after dinner. After that, he headed upstairs to his room and collapsed on his bed, exhausted from the day's affairs.
The next morning, he was sitting on his chair, going through his journal one last time before burning it, ready to start a new day.
"I hate having to write this journal again and again, but my life depends on the knowledge I have, and to keep it fresh, I write these journals, read them, and burn them every day. It's frustrating and annoying, but what can I do?" he said as he watched the book slowly turn into ashes.
He knew it was a necessary task to keep his knowledge updated. Even though it was tedious, he knew it was crucial for his survival.
He sighed as he watched the last page of the journal turn to ash, ready to start a new one the next day.
*****
How does the chapter look and sound to you? Give it a rating. I would have uploaded it yesterday if I hadn't missed the uploading time. See you all on Tuesday.