Xing Ye placed the documents back on the desk and sat back down in her chair. She leaned against the backrest, her two short legs dangling beneath the chair, her toes still a small distance from the ground. After thinking for a moment, she simply propped both legs up on the edge of the desk, in the same pose as some mob bosses in certain places. Her gaze swept across everyone, as if considering where to begin.
“My first meeting with Cangya was twenty years ago.” She spoke, her voice weathered, as if describing a piece of history. “At that time, I hadn’t become Vice Director yet. I was just a teacher entrusted by someone to lead that year’s students who had passed the Assessment to participate in the Joint Tournament on the Central Continent. Cangya was the leader on the Beast Tribe’s side. She was younger than she is now, and not as tall either, probably only about a head and a half taller than me.” She reached out her hand to indicate the height, as if it were more than just that. “As for our actual first encounter, it was during the elimination rounds. My team and her team were drawn against each other. That match went on for a long time, but in the end it was a draw, because both sides had exhausted their Spiritual Energy.”
She lifted her head, her gaze distant, earnestly recalling the past. “After that we became acquainted. Well, not really acquainted, just knew each other’s names. Occasionally we’d nod if we ran into each other at an inn or on the street. Later, after the tournament ended, we lost contact. It was several years before we met again. By then she was already a core member of the Beast Tribe, and I had been promoted, become someone’s lackey. We ran into each other a few more times after that, but not once could we sit down and have a proper conversation. It was always fighting on the battlefield, and then each going their own way afterward. Her students were stronger than ours, but we are the Dragon Race, so our spells and methods far outnumbered the Beast Tribe’s. We fought for years, with roughly equal wins and losses, though we had a slight edge.” Her tone was quite calm as she said this. It seemed she truly didn’t care about the past.
“Luosi is from the Elf Race.” She continued. “I met him later than Cangya, about fifteen years ago, during a joint mission on the edge of the Central Continent. He was the Elf Race’s mission observer, responsible for recording mission details, so he never lifted a hand from beginning to end. After the mission ended, he came to me and asked some questions about tactical arrangements, why I had set up the formation that way, why I chose a flanking approach instead of a direct advance. I was very naive at the time, so I told him everything without reservation. As a result, in later competitions, he used the observation report on us to counter my students!!” Xing Ye’s emotional fluctuations grew more intense as she spoke.
Elsa listened entranced. “So you two are sworn enemies?”
Xing Ye fell silent for a moment. “Not exactly sworn enemies, but not close friends either. Just people who’ve known each other for a long time—friends, or something like that. Of course, that’s just my one-sided assessment. It’s not objective.” When she finished this sentence, her gaze drifted slightly toward the window, landing on the distant gray outline of the arena’s roof, as if something in that direction had caught her attention.
“Cangya has a fiery temper, while Luosi is the opposite. His mind is very meticulous. If you encounter teams led by the two of them on the battlefield, none of you will have an easy time of it.” Xing Ye paused here. She must have felt she had said enough. She gathered the documents and tucked them under her arm, took a step toward the door, and turned her head to look at Elsa. “Any more questions?”
Elsa shook her head. “No more, Vice Director, thank you for your answers!”
Xing Ye nodded and left first. But as she passed by Xuan Xi, her footsteps paused. She turned her head and glanced at Xuan Xi’s neck. “It seems you had a wonderful night yesterday.” She left after saying this, and before leaving she patted Xuan Xi with a meaningful look.
The door let out a soft thud as it closed behind her. Xuan Xi heard footsteps in the hallway, growing more distant, and then she could no longer hear them. She sat against the chair for a while, feeling the direct sunlight from the window, warm and very comfortable. Veralis stood up and walked to the wall to turn off the soundproofing barrier’s switch. The mechanism made a small click on the wall’s surface.
Elsa looked toward the door. After quite a while, she finally said something. “The Vice Director really has a lot of stories from the past.” Reggie nodded beside her in agreement.
Xuan Xi stood up, only to find that SigrdrÃfa was already waiting for her at the door. The hallway was very quiet, because the expensive wool carpet absorbed most of the footsteps.
Xuan Xi walked beside her. The two of them took the elevator up to the fifth floor and stopped at the door of 520. “Beep!” The door lock let out a soft sound.
The sunlight outside the window was just right, shining into the room, filling it with a gentle warmth that had been baked by the sun. Xuan Xi sat down at the edge of the bed.
SigrdrÃfa also sat down on the edge of her windowsill. Her gaze fell outside the window, not looking at Xuan Xi.
“Have you seen the Beast Tribe’s fighting style?” She asked.
“No, I’ve only read some descriptions in books, but I’ve never seen what it actually looks like in a real fight.” Xuan Xi said.
“I have. Their speed is very fast, probably faster than you’d think. The opening move won’t give you much time to react, so you need to make judgments in advance, not react after seeing the strike.” SigrdrÃfa said seriously.
“Mm, I understand.” Xuan Xi said.
Seeing that she understood, Sig stopped speaking. She let the wind from outside blow in, lifting the edge of the curtain a little before it fell back down.
The two of them fell into silence like this, until Sig broke the silence once more.
“Xuan Xi.”
“Hm? What is it?” Xuan Xi turned her head to look at her.
“I want to ask you, collect some interest…”
Xuan Xi was stunned for a moment. “Interest? What interest?”
“Of course it’s what you owe me.” SigrdrÃfa finally turned her head to look at her, her gaze resting on Xuan Xi’s face. “Do you remember what you said?”
Xuan Xi’s memory rapidly rewound within those few seconds. Unfortunately, after last night’s passion, her recorder was already broken. She remembered nothing.
“I don’t remember.” Xuan Xi said honestly.
“You said, ‘After coming here, I’m at your disposal.'” SigrdrÃfa said, her tone carrying a hint of teasing. “Now I’ve thought it through. I want to deal with my prisoner.” She didn’t look at Xuan Xi at all while saying these words, as if feeling somewhat guilty. “Anyway, just don’t move.”
Xuan Xi sat at the edge of the bed, able to feel her heartbeat quickening. She watched SigrdrÃfa stand up from the windowsill and walk toward her. She sat at the edge of the bed without retreating, nor leaning forward, because Sig had said she just needed to not move.