Chronicles of the Red Sovereign - Chapter 88

Firefly finally started and everyone couldn’t help but marvel at the sight inside Anatoli Stadium.

Firefly is an event where floating magic orbs of different colors are scattered all over the stadium. The participants will catch as many magic orbs as they can, collecting points. Just like the tags and jade slips, each color has a corresponding point. Once a participant reaches five hundred points, the round will stop and whatever points the other participants gained will be their team’s score. There are two rounds which will be played by different representatives. Therefore, the highest possible score for a team to have is a thousand points.

From what I remembered, Freya would play the first round while Torii would be playing the second one.

The event finally started and cheers erupted from the audience. Even though it was an evening event to cater the glow of the magic orbs, everyone seemed very excited and cheerful which made the stadium so alive.

Of course, those from Praiji cheered for Freya who was steadily racking up points. She actually learned Flight Magic just for this event after all and her training actually paid off. But we couldn’t just be complacent, after all Retoulis’ representative was also speedily collecting points on her own.

Once the buzzer sounded, I was shocked to see that Freya only managed to gain four hundred ninety points. The one who achieved five hundred points and stopped the round was the participant from Retoulis.

Even though I wasn’t there to see Freya’s expression up close once the round was over, I could tell she was upset, but unlike before where she’d lash out at those who are better than her she was rather calm and bowed; a ‘thank you’ gesture to the participants, audience and event committee.

“No need to be down.” Peter said. “Senior Torii is still there for the second round. Our school still has a chance!”

Most of my friends agreed with him. I was about to but then I heard Kai mumble; “But the one who will have the highest score will be Retoulis Royal Academy.”

Okay, maybe it wasn’t really a mumble but I did hear it and it looked like I was the only one who did. I stared at him but he only blushed and looked away.

See? Strange.

To my shock, what he said really did come true. Torii was the one who achieved five hundred points while Retoulis had four hundred ninety-five points. Plus the score from the first round, Retoulis Royal Academy had the highest overall score for the event. And worse, it was also Retoulis Royal Academy who ranked first so far with the total points of two thousand two hundred fifty-eight points, only five more points than Praiji Imperial Academy’s score. The school with the lowest score was Pisma Academy of Magic who only had one thousand eight hundred eighty-five points.

-Retoulis really is our greatest rival in this year’s Grand Academy Games. Wait, how did Kai even know Retoulis will take the first place for the second day?

“Kai, how did you know that?” I asked my white-headed friend with a confused look.

“…Err, a guess?”

-Like hell I’ll believe that!

“But even if I tell you, you probably won’t believe me. And besides, I can’t tell you either.”

He was really acting strange so I couldn’t help but be put off.

I never got to ask further since I was called for a team meeting. We had a meeting regarding the G.A. Games second day but I never really listened since my mind kept wondering about Kai’s sudden change.

Well, he had become weird and somehow more mature. His new demeanor reminded me of Aunt Zaira; someone who knew something but will not share it, it was giving me bad vibes. At least I knew Aunt Zaira was keeping secrets for her own satisfaction and/or the nation’s benefit but I couldn’t figure out Kai’s reason. He had always confided to us, his friends, whenever he had a problem or something.

“-na! LUNA!”

“Yes!” I accidentally yelled after I got suddenly pulled out from my thoughts. “Uhm… I apologize. I was thinking about something.”

Senior Trent just sighed. “Well we did have a long day, so let’s all go rest. Remember to get up early and do warm-ups in the morning. Capture the Flag will start at nine o’clock tomorrow. We will be against Cedi Royal Academy and our match will be the last one for Capture the Flag. Dismiss!”

I immediately left the room and headed home. Well our team was supposed to stay in one building for the duration of the G.A. Games but I needed to see my aunt. I had a feeling she had the answers to my questions. As for actually her answering it was still uncertain.

I reached the entrance of the Celestine Manor just in time Aunt Zaira’s carriage made a stop. I was about to walk up to her but I stopped once I saw her getting off her carriage followed by Kai.

-Why is he here? What is he doing with Aunt Zaira? Just what the hell is going on?!

Once they entered the gate I Immediately marched up towards them and stopped them from their tracks.

“Luna?” Aunt Zaira called me which I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Unless we were with her subordinates, or people who knew our relationship, she would never call me by my name but ‘Ms. Hysi’.

-So there really is something going on.

“Kai.” I saw the white-head stiffen. I notice his foot shift, as if attempting to run. “Vyfal, restrain him.”

<”Roger!”>

Vyfal pounced on Kai but he was able to slip past her in which infuriated me.

“Vyfal, I order you to return to your original form.”

Vyfal glowed blue and seconds later a dark blue qilin about twelve feet tall was in place of her fox form. She cut off Kai’s escape with her tail and restrained him by putting one of her paws on his chest.

“Luna, what are you doing? Even though you’re friends, he’s still the Prince Royal! You even had Vyfal transform to her original form!” Aunt Zaira yelled, reprimanding me.

“I just want to know why he’s acting strange! But he’d either avoid me or change the topic! It’s putting me off and I don’t like it! He’s my friend! And he had always confided to me everything and all of a sudden he’s become a stranger.”

“Why do you care?” Kai asked, making me freeze. “What are you to me that I should tell you everything I do?!”

I was speechless. No, I was shocked ‘and’ speechless.

-That’s right. We’re just friends. We’re not obliged to share everything to each other. Even I’m doing that to them. But why does it feel painful hearing that from him?

“Vyfal, release him.” I ordered.

I felt like crying but I was controlling myself from doing so.

<”But Luna, you-“>

“Just release him. He’s right. His life is his life and he has privacy. He doesn’t have to tell me everything.” I said with my hands and jaw clenched.

<“Luna.”>

Vyfal let go of him and I saw Aunt Zaira shake her head in disbelief. “You can return to your fox form and go out hunting Vyfal. I apologize for such an unsightly display Your Highness, Your Excellency. I will take my leave now.”

I left the property and wandered around the city. I didn’t remember how I ended up in the forest but I did remember asking Vyfal to leave me alone. When I was more of myself, I was already drenched in monster blood and corpses of said monsters were strewn around me.

-Damn it. I went overboard.

“Kai you idiot.” I grumbled, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. “But I guess that’s on me. I suppose this is karma. After all, I keep secrets from my friends.”

Later on, I realized I wasn’t angry at Kai because I thought of him as a friend.