As the door swung open, a quiet tension fell over the room. Every head turned as Lucavion strode into the lounge, his presence immediately drawing attention. His expression was as composed as ever, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as if he were perfectly aware of the storm his victory had stirred.
Valeria’s gaze sharpened as she watched him, noting the relaxed, almost casual air with which he carried himself.
He had just humiliated a top disciple of the Cloud Heavens Sect, a fact that didn’t seem to weigh on him in the slightest. But his entry hadn’t gone unnoticed. Across the room, the Cloud Heavens Sect disciples glared at him, their faces dark with hostility.
“You!” “How dare you show your face!”
Two of the disciples stood abruptly, their hands twitching toward their weapons, their expressions murderous. They looked as if they would gladly challenge him here and now, regardless of the consequences.
“Hop, hop, hop…..Stay there…..”
But before they could make a move, a ripple of motion swept through the opposite side of the room. The Silver Flame Sect disciples rose to their feet as well, their gazes coolly fixed on the Cloud Heavens Sect members.
Though they had no particular allegiance to Lucavion, the principle was clear enough:
the enemy of my enemy is my ally.
This was an opportunity for the Silver Flame Sect to make their stance known, to ensure that the Cloud Heavens Sect wouldn’t act rashly in their pursuit of retribution.
The tension was thick, unspoken threats hanging in the air as the two groups faced each other. Lucavion’s smirk only grew as he observed the scene, his dark eyes flickering with amusement as he took in the obvious animosity. He didn’t appear remotely threatened, almost as if he found the entire display beneath him.
‘This…..They acted immediately.’
Valeria, still seated, felt the ripple of tension and glanced between the two factions. She had expected the Cloud Heavens Sect disciples to be livid, but the immediate response from the Silver Flame Sect caught her off guard.
Their cold confidence underscored the power dynamics between these sects—a readiness to undercut their rivals at the slightest opportunity.
They weren’t supporting Lucavion directly, but their message was clear enough: they would not allow the Cloud Heavens Sect to disrupt the arena’s order.
The Cloud Heavens Sect disciples, their faces twisted in anger, shot deadly glares toward the Silver Flame Sect disciples, their resentment almost palpable. The tension in the room spiked as one of the girls, her eyes blazing with indignation, hissed through gritted teeth, “This has nothing to do with you… so stay out of it.”
But the Silver Flame Sect disciples didn’t budge, their expressions calm but their eyes glinting with a competitive edge. One of the boys crossed his arms, a slight smirk tugging at his lips as he met the girl’s glare head-on. “Why not?” he asked, his tone cool and laced with amusement. “If you have a problem with the outcome, why don’t we handle it here? Or would that be… inconvenient for you?”
The Cloud Heavens Sect girls bristled, their hands tightening on the hilts of their weapons. One of them took a step forward, her voice laced with venom. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Always meddling in matters that don’t concern you. Just because you think you’re stronger, doesn’t mean you have the right to interfere.”
Another Silver Flame Sect disciple laughed, a short, mocking sound. “Ah, so you admit it then?” he said, his tone taunting. “You’re weaker, so we don’t have the right to stand here, is that it?” His gaze turned toward Lucavion, a faint grin of appreciation tugging at his lips. “Seems to me he just gave one of your strongest a lesson in humility. But if you’re so confident… we’re ready whenever you are.”
“Stop.”
Eventually, the girls were stopped by their Senior Disciple, Lira. Her calm voice echoed around the room, her eyes locked on the girls.
“Let’s nott cause a scene here, and lower ourselves.”
“But-”
“I said enough.”
Reluctantly, the girls exchanged glances before stepping back, releasing their grips on their weapons and returning to their seats, though each movement was tense with barely contained anger. The room’s atmosphere gradually settled, the Silver Flame Sect disciples still watching with thinly veiled amusement as the Cloud Heavens Sect girls glowered in silence.
With the immediate threat diffused, Lucavion took advantage of the lull and began walking over to where Valeria sat, his easy stride unfazed by the commotion he’d left in his wake.
He reached her table and, without a word, pulled out the chair beside her and sat down, a faint smirk still playing at the corners of his lips.
Valeria glanced at him, arching an eyebrow. His composure was as irritating as it was impressive. “Enjoyed yourself?” she murmured, her voice low enough not to attract attention, though the slight edge in her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely pleased with the scene he’d caused.
“Oh, immensely,” Lucavion replied smoothly, leaning back in his chair with an air of satisfaction. His gaze flicked toward the Cloud Heavens Sect disciples, who were still throwing daggers in his direction with their eyes before he shrugged with mock innocence. “They seemed eager for a lesson. I was just accommodating them.”
Valeria held back a sigh, watching him for a moment before looking away. “You’re courting trouble with them. Do you have any idea how much they’ll be watching you now?”
Lucavion raised an eyebrow, leaning in just slightly as he fixed Valeria with a curious look. “Why should I worry?” he asked, his tone casual, as if they were discussing the weather rather than the very real threat of an entire sect’s wrath.
Valeria stared at him, trying to process the sheer audacity of his question. She opened her mouth, then paused, momentarily thrown off by the calm confidence in his eyes. “Aren’t you…” She gestured vaguely as if searching for a way to make him see the obvious. “Aren’t you alone here? How can you possibly expect to go up against an entire sect by yourself?”
But Lucavion merely shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face. “Who said I’d be doing anything alone?” he replied smoothly, his voice laced with a quiet, unshakable confidence.
“Hmm?”
He leaned back, folding his arms with an easy nonchalance that bordered on arrogance. “Besides, they’re not nearly as dangerous as they think they are.”
Valeria couldn’t help but feel a flicker of disbelief. His confidence seemed absurd, reckless even. But looking at him now, utterly calm in the face of such odds, she found herself wondering if perhaps there was more to his certainty than sheer bravado. He seemed entirely unfazed, as though he’d already considered every possible outcome and knew he’d come out ahead regardless.
Finally, she shook her head, sighing as she gave him a sidelong glance. “Whatever,” she muttered, a hint of resignation in her tone. “If you’re so determined to bring a storm down on yourself, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Lucavion chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with amusement as he watched her. “Aaah….. Is Lady Valeria worried about me? This may be one of the happiest days of my life.”
“You! Who is worried about you?! I just pointed out the obvious.”
Valeria’s jaw clenched as she looked away, trying to ignore the infuriating grin Lucavion wore like a badge of honor.
This bastard is relentless with his teasing,
she thought, fighting the urge to respond with something sharp.
But Lucavion was far from finished. He leaned in just a little, his voice dropping to an almost conspiratorial whisper. “So quick to deny it,” he murmured with a faint, knowing smirk. “You know, for someone who just
pointed out the obvious,
you sounded rather… concerned.”
Valeria turned sharply, her eyes narrowing. “I don’t waste concern on people who don’t know how to stay out of trouble.” She crossed her arms, willing her expression to remain cool and indifferent, but the faintest flush betrayed her irritation.
“Heee…,” Lucavion hummed, clearly entertained, his eyes dancing with a mischievous glint as he leaned back in his chair, thoroughly pleased with himself.
“Tch!” Valeria scoffed, turning her gaze away from him and pretending to fix her attention on the arena. She could feel him smirking beside her, basking in the satisfaction of her reaction.
He’s impossible,
she thought, annoyed at how easily he managed to get under her skin.
Just then, a loud chime rang through the lounge, silencing the murmurs and drawing everyone’s attention. The arena doors swung open, and the remaining contestants began making their way to the center stage. The buzz of anticipation filled the room as spectators leaned forward, eager to see who would take the next matches.
“Anyway….”
And then one of the favorite times of her week came.
Talking about swords while watching the fights.
Regardless of what kind of guy Lucavion was, there was one thing that Valeria was forced to acknowledge.
When it came to swords…..his insights and comments were just better.
“What do you think about these guys?”