The morning sun cast a golden glow over the encampment as Ophelia slowly stirred awake, her body shifting beneath the thin sheets. Beside her, Alexandra groggily stretched, letting out a small grunt as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The two moved in tandem, quietly slipping out of the couch and dressing for the day.
The night before had been tense, and though Ophelia felt no regrets about her actions, she knew others might not have the same level of understanding. Regardless, today was a day of recuperation, a moment for the camp to settle and truly accept the changes she had set in motion.
As she and Alexandra stepped toward the cart's exit, Ophelia reached for the door handle and swung it open—only to pause at the sight before her.
Tridra stood just outside, shifting from foot to foot, her posture tense with uncertainty. Her violet eyes flickered between the wooden floorboards and Ophelia, her hands wringing together as though she were unsure of what to say.
Before she could even open her mouth, Ophelia let out a small sigh.
"Do not worry. I understand where you were coming from... but just trust me." Her tone was soft but firm. "Also, the Gloomtaurs are not that weak. She will be fine in a few days. This was just to help form a better bond between her and her underlings."
Tridra blinked, her mouth slightly agape as if caught off guard by Ophelia's words. Slowly, she fell into step beside Ophelia and Alexandra as they made their way toward the breakfast tent.
After a moment, Tridra finally spoke.
"I-I'm sorry... I just... I don't know what was wrong with me," she admitted, her voice low. "I just felt like she didn't deserve to go through such a thing."
Ophelia barely glanced at her as she responded, her voice carrying that same unwavering certainty.
"Creating a central evil to rally people against creates unity among others."
Tridra furrowed her brows, processing those words in silence as they stepped into the lively dining area around a large bonfire. The moment they entered, every Worker and Holy Knight they passed gave them greetings—all bowing deeply towards Ophelia.
Breakfast was served quickly, simple but filling. As they sat, Tridra settled beside Ophelia, her expression contemplative. Then, finally, she spoke again.
"So... the lesser evil was what you were doing, and the greater righteousness... was unifying the Gloomtaurs under their leader?"
Ophelia offered no verbal confirmation. Instead, she simply took a bite of her sausage, a small, knowing smile gracing her lips.
That was all the answer Tridra needed.
After breakfast, Alexandra excused herself, heading off to train with some of the Holy Knights. The camp had no major plans for the day—this was a time for the Gloomtaurs to settle into their new reality, to truly accept their leader, and feel pride in serving under her.
Ophelia, however, had other matters to attend to.
She turned to Tridra and, without preamble, said, "Come with me."
Tridra blinked. "Huh?"
Ophelia had already started walking toward her cart, leaving Tridra standing there, caught off guard.
Tridra felt warmth rise to her cheeks. The way Ophelia had said it so casually, without explanation, sent her mind racing. Why did she want to talk to her in private?
Her mind immediately went to the time when she saw Ophelia and Alexandra enter the cart together and… very… strange sounds came from it…
Suppressing a nervous gulp, Tridra quickly followed, her steps slightly hesitant.
Inside the cart, Ophelia sat down on the couch and gestured for Tridra to do the same.
Tridra's heart pounded as she slowly took a seat beside her, her mind buzzing with all sorts of possibilities. But before any of those thoughts could take root, Ophelia reached into her pocket and pulled out a smooth stone, intricately engraved with runes.
Immediately, all of Tridra's wayward thoughts were crushed under the weight of reality.
Ophelia smirked. "What? Disappointed?"
Tridra's face turned an even darker shade of red. "I—I wasn't—I didn't—!" she sputtered, struggling for words.
Ophelia let out a light chuckle before exhaling, her expression shifting. The playful air dissipated in an instant, replaced by something far more serious.
Then, in a measured tone, she asked, "Do you not despise demons?"
Tridra's mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. The sudden shift caught her off guard. She hesitated, eyes flickering to the stone rolling between Ophelia's fingers.
She closed her mouth, swallowed, then finally clasped her hands in her lap, her head tilting downward as she gathered her thoughts.
Instead of answering directly, she asked something else. "Was killing those two Gloomtaurs really necessary?"
Ophelia didn't hesitate.
"Absolutely."
Tridra let out a slow sigh, brows knitting together. However, she also realized something upon pondering over breakfast. She was more worried about her upholding her philosophy of wanting to be a better person opposed to actually saving the people who died last night.
She had no room to dispute, so she soon answered Ophelia's actual question.
"Unlike the Holy Knights, who are essentially brainwashed in the academy to hate demons, I never cared much for the teachings when I was in school. It was just a regular school though. Not the Holy Knight Academy," she admitted. "There were definitely times we were taught that demons were pure evil, but the explanations were always... loose. I never really thought of them as bad. And after seeing the Gloomtaur leader protect her people, I know now that demons can be bad—but that doesn't mean all of them are."
Ophelia remained silent, the stone still rolling between her fingers. Then, finally, she spoke.
"I lied."
Tridra's head shot up. "Huh?"
Ophelia met her gaze, her silver eyes cool and unreadable.
"The Gloomtaurs are not demons."
Tridra froze.
Ophelia continued. "I only told the people in this camp that because it was easier to create tension—tension that would inevitably lead to an event like last night."
She should have been thinking the fact that this means Ophelia basically planned to kill those Gloomtaurs from the beginning… however… she had other thoughts.
Tridra's eyes widened in shock. "That makes it sound like you knew about the mistrust within the Gloomtaur army from the beginning..."
She trailed off as she looked at Ophelia—only to find her gazing up at the wooden ceiling, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips.
Then, turning to her, raising a single finger to her lips, Ophelia hushed her.
Tridra's breath hitched slightly, her heart skipping a beat at the gesture. She could hardly respond as a chilling realization settled over her.
Ophelia had planned everything.
"You... planned all of this from the start?"
Ophelia finally looked at her, tilting her head slightly as if amused.
"Do not tell anybody I lied. I trust you can handle that, right?"
At that moment, Tridra understood. Every action, every decision Ophelia had made—none of it was random. None of it was impulsive.
And now… Ophelia was testing her.
Tridra knew she had just become a piece in whatever grand scheme Ophelia was orchestrating.
Tridra swallowed hard, feeling a large drop of saliva slide down her throat as she nodded lightly, her body stiff with nerves.
Then, Ophelia raised a hand and gently ran her fingers through Tridra's hair, her touch soft and deliberate. The warmth of it seeped into Tridra's skin, melting away her worries as if they had never existed. A deep blush crept up Tridra's face, her heart hammering so loudly she swore Ophelia could hear it.
Just as she was getting lost in the warmth of Ophelia's touch, the hand lifted away. Tridra barely had a moment to process the loss before Ophelia raised her other hand—the one holding the rune-engraved stone.
"I believe you are ready to start learning about runes."
Tridra blinked. "R-Runes? Why?" Her voice was still unsteady, her mind struggling to catch up as she came down from her flustered state.
Ophelia shifted closer, holding the stone up between them, allowing Tridra to take a good look at the intricate carvings crisscrossing its surface.
"I wanted you to focus on melee work for a while, but I do not want you to just give up on your magic most of the time," Ophelia explained smoothly. "I want you to learn how to use runes to your greatest advantage. Incorporate magic into your melee."
Tridra hesitated, eyes flickering over the countless runes decorating the stone. "But... that means I have to memorize all of them, right? I'm not very good with any of that stuff."
Instead of answering, Ophelia scooted even closer.
Tridra stiffened as she felt their hips practically press together. Her breath hitched when Ophelia leaned in, her face so close that Tridra could feel the gentle warmth of her breath ghosting over her skin.
Her brain nearly short-circuited.
Then, just as she thought she might lose her composure completely, Ophelia suddenly lifted the stone between them.
"Look closely."
Tridra swallowed hard, trying her best to focus on the runes—but it was impossible to ignore Ophelia's proximity. She was right there. Every little movement, every shift, every breath was pressing into Tridra's senses, and she was freaking out internally.
Ophelia started explaining the runes, her voice smooth and steady. But the more she talked, the closer she leaned, her presence utterly overwhelming. Tridra tried so hard to listen, to follow the intricate patterns and meanings Ophelia pointed out on the stone.
But all she could hear was her own heartbeat, pounding so loudly in her ears that she swore Ophelia could hear it too.
Then, halfway through the explanation, Ophelia paused, her silver eyes flicking toward Tridra with an amused glint.
"Are you that excited to learn about runes? Your heartbeat is through the roof."
Tridra immediately froze.
Internally, she screamed.
'SHE CAUGHT ME!'
Her entire body jolted with embarrassment, and before she could stammer out an excuse, Ophelia lowered the stone slightly and met her gaze with a small smirk.
"I was hoping you would make the first move…" she mused, voice carrying a teasing tone.
Tridra barely had time to process those words before Ophelia reached forward, cupping her chin delicately.
Then, without hesitation, she kissed her.
Tridra's eyes widened in shock, her mind blanking as Ophelia's lips pressed against hers. A deep, scorching blush flooded her face, but she didn't pull away. The warmth of Ophelia's touch, the softness of her lips—it sent her body into overdrive, her heart hammering even harder.
The kiss lingered for a few seconds before Ophelia finally pulled back, licking her lips in a slow, deliberate motion. Her silver eyes twinkled with mischief as she smiled seductively.
"You are so cute, honey."
Tridra practically overheated.
Her body gave out as she fell forward, collapsing into Ophelia's embrace. Her racing heart pounded against her ribs, and Ophelia only chuckled, gently stroking her hair as if she found the entire thing endearing.
Tridra tilted her head up slightly, peeking at Ophelia with a nervous glance.
Ophelia smirked. "Overheating, baby—?"
But before she could finish her sentence, Tridra suddenly shot back up.
This time, she cut Ophelia off, locking their lips together in a desperate attempt to silence her teasing.
Ophelia's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but just as Tridra had done before, she didn't pull back. Instead, she took it a step further—her lips parted slightly, and without warning, she slipped her tongue into Tridra's mouth.
Tridra immediately reeled back, covering her mouth with both hands, her entire face a deep, burning red.
Ophelia tilted her head, an amused smile dancing on her lips. "Satisfied?"
Tridra covered her face, her hands barely able to contain her embarrassment. But despite her overwhelming fluster, she didn't look upset. Instead, she simply nodded, unable to form any words.
Ophelia chuckled, reaching forward to lift her chin slightly before pressing a small, lingering kiss to her lips once more.
"Let us continue with the lesson then…" she purred.
Then, after a short pause, she smirked mischievously.
"…And then maybe we can continue another lesson later~"
Tridra barely had time to react before Ophelia pulled the rune-engraved stone back into focus.
Tridra gulped again, nodding lightly—though internally, her mind was screaming.
'HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FOCUS NOW?!'