Indoor training ground.
The girl with pink hair held a longsword in her hand, practicing her swordsmanship with meticulous precision. Despite the beads of sweat already forming on her face and her breath becoming slightly ragged, she did not stop.
It was getting late; dinner time had long passed, and the entire training ground was empty except for the girl.
Ten years had passed, and like Peruere, Clervie had also blossomed into a graceful young woman.
At that moment, Yu Xie and Peruere walked into the training ground, but they didn't call out to Clervie.
Clervie's attention was focused on her training, and she didn't notice the two of them.
Seeing Clervie like this, Peruere slowly spoke up:
"She's been like this for several days now, training late into the night and cutting back on her sleep. If this continues, her body might not be able to handle it. Can't you talk to her?"
"Will my advice be useful?" Yu Xie replied, a bit helplessly. "You know how stubborn she is, and… why don't you say something?"
"Your words would be more effective."
"Hmm?"
Peruere turned to look at Yu Xie, her gaze seemingly carrying some unspoken meaning, but she said nothing.
Yu Xie decided not to pursue that topic any further. Instead, he took a moment to gather his thoughts and called out to Clervie:
"Clervie, why don't you take a break?"
Clervie stopped her movements on the training ground and turned to look, her face filled with joy.
Soon after, the three of them sat on a bench at the edge of the training ground.
Yu Xie and Peruere sat on either side, while Clervie sat in the middle.
After all these years, this had become their customary way of sitting together.
"Clervie, training is important, but you also need to pay attention to your health," Yu Xie said. "You can't disregard everything."
"I'm fine," Clervie replied with a smile. "I can handle it."
"It's not just about handling it. If you keep this up for a long time, your body won't be able to take it, and you might even stop developing properly."
"Really?" Hearing this, Clervie seemed a bit anxious.
She then glanced down at her chest and stole a look at Peruere's chest, falling silent.
"So it's important to manage your time wisely," Yu Xie noted, seeing what Clervie was thinking. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth; it seemed Clervie was quite concerned about this.
"But…" Clervie's expression shifted to one of worry, the light in her eyes dimming slightly. "I'm afraid there won't be enough time. If I don't hurry to hone my skills, I worry I won't be strong enough to face my mother…"
Her words trailed off abruptly.
"Don't worry, you have me and Peipei here," Yu Xie said with a calm smile, his gaze reassuring. "You must be hungry; let's eat first."
He then reached out his hand, and a golden light flickered in his palm. When the light dissipated, three bento boxes appeared in his hands.
"I guessed you hadn't eaten yet."
"This is… made by you, Yu Xie?" Clervie's earlier dimness was completely dispelled by the sight of the bento boxes.
"Yeah," Yu Xie nodded.
"I haven't tasted your cooking in a long time!" Clervie happily picked up a bento and handed one to Peruere. "Here you go, Peipei."
The sky had darkened, and the lights in the indoor training ground were on. The three of them sat on the bench at the edge of the field, sharing their bento boxes just like so many times before.
"Yu Xie, why is there so much meat in my bento?" Clervie asked.
"You've been training hard, so eat more meat to replenish your strength," Yu Xie replied.
"But I want to lose weight."
"Lose weight? You're already as thin as a lightning bolt."
"Yu Xie is right; you're already very slim, so you should eat more," Peruere added.
"…"
After the meal, it was time to rest.
In the park, the three of them lay on the grass, their heads close together as they looked up at the deep night sky.
The stars twinkled above, and the magnificent Milky Way spread across the sky.
Time felt slow and tranquil.
"Yu Xie, it seems like Iyeita has a bit of a crush on you. What do you think of her?" Clervie suddenly said.
"Is that true? Where did you hear that?" Yu Xie was taken aback.
"You don't need to hear it; I can tell," Clervie said with a smile. "Come on, tell me what you think of her!"
"I'm not really familiar with her, so there's not much to say…"
"Is that so…"
No one noticed that Clervie seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard Yu Xie say that.
Nor did anyone notice the subtle shift in Peruere's expression.
At that moment, a faint rustling sound suddenly emerged from the surroundings, accompanied by a concealed killing intent.
The three of them sensed it keenly and instinctively stood up, backing against each other.
"There are more than ten; they're coming for us," Peruere said, her gaze sharp as she stared into the darkness ahead.
"Did someone infiltrate the Hearth Manor?" Clervie whispered.
"I don't think so. With so many people trying to infiltrate, the soldiers guarding the House of the Hearth wouldn't have missed it," Yu Xie replied. "Perhaps these 'intruders' are actually people from the Hearth Manor."
"Are you saying that these people are our 'companions'?" Peruere's special eyes seemed to reflect a flicker of flame.
The Hearth Manor now was certainly different from before; the once-young children had grown up, and with their maturing minds, many had come to understand the true nature of the "Knave" rules.
Of course, some wanted to resist, but others found enjoyment in it.
For those who took pleasure in it, Yu Xie and Peruere represented the greatest threat.
"Most likely," Yu Xie said, staring into the dark corners. "Be careful."
As soon as the words left his mouth, dozens of figures sprang out of the darkness, surrounding Yu Xie and the others.
Without exception, all of these people were dressed in black night gear, their bodies completely wrapped up, leaving only their eyes visible.
"So you dare to act like this but are afraid to reveal your identities?" Yu Xie said calmly. "Under the current rules of the Hearth Manor, killing is an ongoing occurrence. If a few people were to die on a dark, windy night, the 'Knave' wouldn't investigate too deeply. That's what you think, isn't it?"
No one responded to Yu Xie's words.
The encirclement was gradually tightening as the figures brandished their weapons.
"Yu Xie, Clervie, leave it to me," Peruere said coldly.
Before Yu Xie and Clervie could respond, Peruere had already made her move.
A longsword appeared in her hand, and the curse on her arm spread further, red flames seemingly igniting from her palm, crawling up the sharp blade.
In the moonlight, Peruere moved with incredible speed, as if deep crimson spider silk was sprouting beneath her feet.
Before those in black night gear could react, the flaming blade was already before them.
A sharp buzzing sound rang out as the sword sliced through the air.
In an instant, as Peruere sheathed her sword, everyone collapsed to the ground.
In the shadows, Crucabena quietly observed everything.
As the dust settled, a smirk of satisfaction appeared at the corners of her mouth, and she turned to vanish into the night.
End of chapter
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