"Yuna, lets' go"
Austin, who has remains quiet the whole time spoke up. He looked at Yuna, the look in his eyes dark.
Feeling a bit rude to just leave, Yuna left a parting word "I hope for your success in entering the academy"
Finishing saying her sentence, Yuna hand was grab by Austin and pulled away from the siblings.
Scilla look at the retreating back of Yuna who was pulled away by the boy with golden hair— the cold and dark look playing clearly on her head as the boy gaze at her before taking away the girl with obsidian eyes.
Belatedly, looking down at the carcass of the monster, Scilla seem to realize that they were saved not because the boy wanted to help them but because the girl wants to save them.
Containing and putting away her tangled emotion of happiness, gratitude and all other complicated feelings, Scilla instruct her siblings "Lets' move from here before the monster carcass attract other monster"
...…..
"Austin, I can walk on my own, you don't have to hold me" Also, it hinders your fighting prowess!
Austin as if not hearing what Yuna said continue walking, even tightening his hold on her hand.
Seeing such reaction, Yuna is sure that he is on his stubborn streak again. Why he act so and what used to trigger his stubbornness, Yuna has long give up on understanding it. Just how women are complicated, men are as well.
Also, deep understanding of people takes time, patience and great care and Yuna lack the patience and care.
Maybe he was angry because she was quite meddlesome.
She has completely relied on him. Their food inside the dense forest, a place to rest at night, navigating traps and battling monster or beast that they come across; she has done nothing except following him like a pretty flower vase.
During all this, she will pull him to stop from time to time when they come across a severely injured people. She gave them a recovery potion although she didn't speak to them and left as soon as she gave them the potions.
Maybe it was an accumulation of annoyed building up that trigger his stubborn streak to hold her hand and not let her wander off again and again.
As a burden flower vase, Yuna also shut up obediently and let him hold her hand amidst her discomfort.
After a long silence, Austin was the first to speak up, his pleasant voice breaking the silence inside the gloomy forest "Yuna…." Her name came out almost as if a sigh "Don't pay attention to others"
Her attention going to others, especially to those three siblings is quite unbearable, a sight for sore eyes.
He could reluctantly ignore her giving recovery potion as she leave immediately. After all, they are not miserable people, Yuna attention on them stop at that.
But those three siblings….
Yuna attention always seems uncontrollable drawn to those who are in misery and Austin could not tolerate her paying attention to them like she did to him.
Yuna is his, why must he share her concern and attention with others?
It doesn't matter even if they suffered, Yuna is the heaven compensation from his long year misery, why must he share her with others?
Everyone in someway wants to be the most important person to someone, they want their best friend to not have any other best friend then them, the most important friend to them. Likewise to their lover and for people like Austin, that desire is even more intense.
The subtle jealously when that friend or lover is more happier with other than with them, their care that was more to others than them. It was a normal human reaction.
But normal people understand the boundary to their desire but people like Austin who does not have a normal social relationship and kinship failed to understand such boundary. Even if he did understand, his mindset that have already grown twisted could not care less about it.
Thinking that Austin really get annoyed by her constant stopping and helping others while relying heavily on him, Yuna obediently agreed "Alright"
She has decided to stop paying attention to others anyway, her vanity seems to be too inflated, it needs to calm down.
With that being said, their tracking and traverse inside the dense forest to reach the final line became faster. Austin who spends his days hunting for monster and beast, as well as his previous life expertise in dealing with monster makes traversing the dense forest much easier.
Since both of them didn't aim to get a reward for killing monster, to reduce time spends inside the forest, they avoid direct confrontation with monster as much as possible.
On the third day morning, as they neared the final line, Yuna and Austin cross path with the Crown Prince, Alaric Kaelar, his study companion Cailum and three others whom Yuna does not know was beside them, likely forming a group.
Not far from them, Yuna caught sight of the Arryn siblings.
Aside from them, there are also quite a few others as well.
Their wariness and tense countenance could hardly be concealed.
Although there is no direct mention of individuals having to compete, but some competitors practice the method of attacking others to eliminate them, to reduce competitors and gain more probability of obtaining a seat inside the academy.
The children who could reach at this point this early are by no means weak. Each one a forces to reckon in their own way.
Yuna and Austin stood far away from them, not wanting to get involved if chaos ensued.
Amidst the subtle atmosphere, the crown prince owing to his title speak out "Being able to reach this place early, everyone strength is undeniable. Reaching this place is not easy so I hope we can continue to walk forward without conflict, Congratulations in advance and wishing you all well"
Saying so, the crown prince took a step forward, walking towards the three flag that prominently stood out metres away.
Maybe as if to give face and in silent agreement with the crown prince, the others also walk towards the flag. It may also be because they are the first group of competitors who almost reach the finish line and there is no need for further competition.
Yuna sigh with relief.
Its' good to be able to avoid confrontation with others, although she has absolute trust in Austin, conflict when it can be avoided should be avoided as much as possible.
Yuna envisioned herself being able to finally take a bath, her pace couldn't help but hurried. Trying to ignore the premonition that she felt as much as possible, Yuna pull Austin and walk a bit faster.
Main Character, in this kind of setting tends to encounter unexpected things and those unexpected scenario became a stage where they show their brilliance although the process in showing such brilliance is hard. So far, nothing untoward have happened since Austin take on the academics admission test.
Though suspicious on how things go way too smoothly, Yuna suppressed her uneasy feelings as much as possible. She wants to reach the finish line, fast.
What does Murphy Law said again?
~Anything that can go wrong will go wrong~
A violent and menacing howl rang out and Yuna who is ever so sensitive to sound feel as if her ear is going to explode.
With her ear ringing and her head faint, Yuna look at the source of such terrible howl.
There, in front of them stood a giant beast.
An advanced level beast.
"Ozark Howler.."
Yuna heard Austin faint mumble beside her.