After sunset, when the crimson moon rose in the blood-red sky, Rein and Celine had already entered the cave. Everyone sat on their benches waiting for dinner to be prepared, and this time Celine cooperated in cooking with both Mona and Lina.
At first, Mona objected, but Celine insisted firmly: "I can't just sit here—I have to do something, too." Mona had no choice but to accept her determination, so the three girls worked together to prepare the meal.
Meanwhile, the boys were engrossed in conversation: Oran and Thiron were having a debate, while Leon and Rein stepped outside the cave to talk in private.
Leon reached out and patted Rein's wrist, then teased: "Aren't you going to tell me something?" Rein looked at him in surprise and replied: "What do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about."
Leon laughed: "Oh, come on—don't try to dodge. Your secret is safe with me!" Rein frowned in confusion, so Leon continued excitedly: "Your relationship with Celine! We all saw you two… you were in sync. So, did something happen between you?"
Rein's face turned bright red and he stammered: "We were just… in sync. Nothing really happened."
Leon laughed mockingly as he pointed at him: "Look at yourself—your face is as red as a tomato, and you're stammering! Come on, tell me— we're brothers, are you dating her?"
Rein's embarrassment deepened, but he answered calmly with a smile: "Honestly, nothing happened… I just feel comfortable with her. She eases my worries, keeps me company, and tries to understand me. I think I have some fond feelings for her, that's all."
He looked up at the sky with a relieved smile, as if freed from his embarrassment, then turned back to Leon: "Do you understand now?"
Leon regarded him with a strange expression, then relaxed as he stared at the crimson moon, saying wistfully: "I wish I could find someone who understands me… I envy you, Rein. You have someone to share your troubles with."
Rein was silent for a moment, then said quietly: "I hope you find that person."
They sat together on the edge of the cave, legs dangling in the air, as they continued to gaze at the crimson moon that, despite its strange appearance, held no special power.
Oran emerged from the cave, saw Rein and Leon sitting in silence staring at the sky, chose not to interrupt, and sat quietly beside Leon to join them in contemplating the moon.
They remained silent until Lina's voice broke the moment as she emerged from the cave: "Dinner is ready!"
Everyone stood and entered the cave, where the dishes were already laid out on the stone table awaiting them. They sat down and began eating the soup with venison that Mona had prepared with Celine and Lina's help.
A warm, comfortable atmosphere filled the place, and contented smiles appeared on their faces. Gratefully, the boys and Thiron offered sincere thanks to the girls who had prepared the food, but Mona smiled and said: "No need to thank us—it's our duty to you. You protect us, and we cook for you… isn't that fair?"
After eating, Celine began clearing the dishes and cleaning up the mess with Mona and Lina's help, while everyone else lay on the ground, relaxing with full bellies.
Leon broke the silence: "Oran, please continue reading that book for us."
Everyone looked up expectantly, and Oran replied calmly: "Let's wait until the girls are seated first—everyone should hear it."
When the girls settled onto their benches, Oran took the book from his bag, flipped through its pages, and said in a serious voice: "All right, listen carefully—I won't repeat it."
Then he began reading in a deep voice: "Chapter One, Part Four, from the Legends of the Sky…"
"The Skyblade had just awakened when a girl of his age arrived carrying the fencing attire. The Skyblade greeted her.
The girl returned his greeting and said, 'My name is Maya. It's a pleasure to meet you. Here are your clothes—the Master ordered me to bring them to you.'
The girl was beautiful, with long black hair, pale white skin, and dark eyes. She wore the fencing uniform and exuded confidence.
The Skyblade took the garments with a smile and said, 'Thank you, Maya. The pleasure is mine.'
But the girl did not linger; she continued, 'The Master wishes to see you—please go to him first.'
The Skyblade nodded and replied, 'Very well. I will head to him.'
He donned his new clothes and made his way to the instructor's hall. When he arrived, he knocked on the door, and a calm voice from inside said, 'You may enter.'
He opened the door to find his instructor seated at his desk, a pile of papers before him. The instructor held a quill, dipping it into an inkpot each time he wrote.
The instructor looked up, gestured for him to sit, and asked, 'Are these wounds from the forces?'
The Skyblade was taken aback by the question but answered, 'The forces captured me to serve one of the caravan masters. His guides bound and enslaved me. They whipped us for any delay. They involved us in their trivial wars… If I hadn't escaped, I would have died. They starved us to death, replacing us with new slaves was cheaper than feeding us daily.'
The instructor stood and placed a hand on his shoulder, saying softly, 'It must have been hard on you. Worry no more—you will be safe here. By the way, my name is Raven. I am pleased to meet you. You may go.'
The Skyblade spoke with enthusiasm: 'I am pleased to meet you as well, Master Raven. Thank you for everything.' Then he hurried to the training hall. Raven watched him go with a smile, sensing his excitement.
When he arrived, all the trainees turned to greet him, and he returned their salute before joining them. He picked up his wooden sword and began practicing with the others until Raven entered.
When Raven entered the hall, everyone dropped their swords in salute. Raven's daughter Maya walked beside him. The Skyblade noticed and asked the trainee next to him: — 'Why does she accompany him?' The trainee answered: — 'She is his daughter, Maya. She helps train us, and she's very strong—don't underestimate her.' The Skyblade nodded in understanding.
At that moment, Raven's voice echoed through the hall: — 'Newcomer, step forward!'
The Skyblade advanced immediately and bowed respectfully. Raven said, 'Stand. This is my daughter Maya. You will duel her now—don't underestimate her. Begin!'
They moved to the center of the hall as the trainees made space for them. Raven raised his hand to signal the start of the bout.
The Skyblade and Maya circled each other, waiting for the first strike. The Skyblade leaped and struck, but Maya parried instantly and counterattacked, which the Skyblade also blocked. They exchanged blows without either landing a hit, prompting whispers among the trainees: — 'Are they evenly matched? He said he's never fenced before!'
Raven watched silently until the Skyblade delivered a powerful blow that sent Maya back. The trainees murmured: — 'Will he win? Maybe he can beat her!'
Raven remained expressionless as sweat dripped from both combatants' brows. Suddenly, Maya seized a moment of distraction and struck with a surprise attack the Skyblade couldn't block. She pressed her wooden sword to his throat and declared firmly: — 'You have lost.'
Silence reigned for a moment before the Skyblade spoke: — 'I admit my defeat.'
He reached out his hand, and Maya shook it with a smile. He then announced loudly: — 'Give me one week, and I will defeat you next time!'
Everyone gasped at his confidence, even Maya, who said: — 'I'll wait until then—let's see who wins.'
Raven finally laughed and said: — 'You've surprised me. I didn't expect you to be so skilled—you were almost even with my daughter. But you say you'll win in a week? Very well. If you defeat Maya next time, I will make you chief instructor in her place!'
Everyone's eyes widened, even Maya herself: — 'Appoint him chief though he's a newcomer? That's strange!'
The Skyblade replied nonchalantly: — 'I'm not interested in the position—I just want to challenge her and win.'
Raven burst out laughing and teased: — 'I like that spirit! What do you think about marrying my daughter Maya? As you see, she's beautiful and charming.'
Everyone's jaws dropped as Maya's face turned scarlet. She cried angrily: — 'Father! What are you saying?!'
The Skyblade was stunned and scratched his head in embarrassment: — 'I… I don't know what to say, Master, but it's not my decision.'
Raven looked at his daughter and asked: — 'What do you think? If you win, the marriage is off; if you lose, you will marry him. Isn't that exciting?'
The Skyblade protested: — 'But sir, I haven't agreed yet!'
Raven smiled slyly: — 'If you don't agree, I'll expel you. You have no choice!'
The Skyblade stood dumbfounded, when Maya suddenly spoke: — 'I agree! If you win, that's the end; if you lose… we will marry.'
She uttered the last words shyly, glancing at the Skyblade. He remained silent, then sighed and said resignedly: — 'Very well.'
Silence fell for a moment before Raven laughed again: — 'This will be thrilling! I can't wait to see the outcome!'
Then he ordered: — 'All right, since everyone agrees, resume your training!'
After training ended, everyone returned to their rooms. But while they slept, the Skyblade sneaked into the training hall. He glanced around cautiously, and when he was sure no one saw him, he grabbed a wooden sword and trained alone all night.
At dawn, he slipped back to his room but, running, collided with someone and fell. He lifted his head in terror to find Maya standing before him, rubbing her head in pain.
She asked, stammering: — 'What are you doing at this hour?'
He immediately covered her mouth with his hand and motioned for silence: — 'They'll hear us! I'll explain later—go back to your room quietly, agreed?'
Maya nodded, and he released her. Then they both slipped away quietly.
When morning came, everyone was awake except the Skyblade, who slept until a loud knock on his door. Startled, he jumped up and opened it to find Maya standing there, her expression displeased.
— 'What are you doing? You're so late! Father is upset—do you have an explanation?'
The Skyblade nervously scratched his head: — 'I have nothing to say…'
Maya sighed: — 'All right, come with me. Training has already started; you can explain to Father.'
They arrived at the hall where the trainees were working hard. Raven turned to them and asked sternly: — 'Why are you late? Training has begun—do you have any justification?'
The Skyblade looked at Maya in surprise: — 'Were you late too?'
But she ignored him and stepped forward: — 'I apologize, Father, but we were discussing an important matter…'
Raven looked at Maya and the Skyblade seriously: — 'And what matter is more important than training?'
Maya answered with a calm smile: — 'We were discussing marriage. We need to get to know each other first, right?' Then she looked directly at the Skyblade.
The Skyblade stepped forward and said confidently: — 'That's right, Master. We should get to know each other before marriage—makes sense, doesn't it?'
Raven frowned and said firmly: — 'So that's the case… Even so, this is against the rules. Even if she is my daughter, and even if he is the one to marry her, this is the last time I want to hear about this!' Then he turned to Maya and asked: — 'But have you decided to marry him after all?'
Maya answered firmly: — 'No, Father. If he loses, he'll be expelled, and I won't marry him. If he wins, he'll marry me and take my place. We only discussed it—I remain at my decision.'
Raven looked at her, then said to the Skyblade: — 'Did you hear that? The agreement stands: if she loses, you'll be expelled, meaning you're not worthy to marry my daughter. Understood?! Now return to your training!'
The Skyblade nodded in agreement and then rejoined Maya to train with the other students.
Days passed, and the Skyblade continued rigorous training. He sneaked out at night to practice until dawn, then woke in the morning to resume his regular training. He defeated every opponent, even the boy who challenged him on his first day.
On the eve of the duel, the Skyblade seemed distracted. He had no choice: if he lost, he would be expelled; if he won, he would destroy the life of a girl who did not love him. He returned to his room after training and sat thinking until sleep overtook him, forgetting his nighttime drills.
At last, the awaited morning arrived.
The Skyblade awoke and headed directly to the hall for the duel. Maya was already waiting in the center, and everyone watched in anticipation.
He held his wooden sword and approached Maya, speaking quietly: — 'I'm sorry, Maya, but no hard feelings.'
Maya smiled: — 'No need to worry about me—if I lose, it's because I'm weak. And since I'll become your wife, is there a wife who wouldn't love her husband?'
They both smiled, and Raven announced in a strong voice: — 'Begin the duel!'
They leapt back and began, studying each other's moves.
Maya launched the first attack, but the Skyblade blocked it easily, then countered. Maya blocked his counterattack as well. They exchanged blows while beads of sweat formed on their brows.
They were nearly evenly matched.
The duel neared its end.
Suddenly, Maya leapt with a surprise attack the Skyblade hadn't anticipated. He barely blocked it but lost his balance and fell to the ground.
He braced himself and rose quickly, then looked at Maya and said: — 'I'm sorry.'
In an instant, he dashed with lightning speed and stood directly before her before she could move. Maya was too stunned to react as he pressed his sword to her neck. Her wooden sword fell to the ground.
The Skyblade spoke decisively: — 'You have lost.'
Raven declared Maya's defeat amid the astonishment of all. Maya stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had happened.
She then approached the Skyblade and said in a low voice: — 'I have lost… A promise is a promise. Father will arrange the wedding ceremony.'
Raven embraced his daughter and said: — 'You gave it your all, my daughter.'
Maya leaned on him, crying: — 'Despite everything… I lost, Father…'
The Skyblade looked at them, feeling sadness within.
Raven spoke quietly, looking at the Skyblade: — 'I knew you two trained in secret, but it seems you are truly talented. Hardship has made you strive. Do you understand now, Maya?'
Then he turned to everyone and announced seriously: — 'I have decided to retract my marriage decree. The decision is now up to the two of you.'
Silence filled the hall as everyone turned to Maya and the Skyblade, waiting anxiously.
Both were surprised by this decision.
Maya looked at the Skyblade and asked: — 'So, what do you think?'
The Skyblade looked at her and said quietly: — 'It's your choice. Whatever you decide, I will accept it.'
Maya stood in the center of the hall and announced clearly: — 'I have decided… I will marry him. A promise is a promise, and I will not break it.'
Everyone, including Raven and the Skyblade, was astonished.
Raven spoke in confusion: — 'But my daughter, I gave you the freedom to choose—why will you marry him?'
The Skyblade asked her: — 'Yes, why?'
Maya answered, hesitating slightly: — 'Lately, I've begun to see you as wonderful… You're also very handsome… And you defeated me. I want to marry someone stronger than me, so there's nothing wrong with our marriage. Do you object?'
The Skyblade was surprised by her words, but he quickly calmed and smiled: — 'All right, you have my blessing. You are also very beautiful and kind… I was worried about your feelings all this time, and now I feel at ease.'
He raised his head and announced to everyone: — 'I will marry Maya!'
Everyone cheered joyfully, and Raven joined in with a smile: — 'I am very happy—congratulations to you both!'
Then Oran closed the book and said with a smile: — 'I will continue the story later.'
Everyone was delighted to hear Part Four of "Legends of the Skyblade," then they went to sleep feeling joyful.
As always, Rein went out to gaze at the crimson moon while the others slept. After a while, Celine joined him and sat beside him in silence. They exchanged quiet glances, then continued to contemplate the moon all night.