Soft golden rays of dawn light came through the tent's canvas. At first, Lucian woke up slowly and was confused by the strange warmth pressing against him.
Then all of a sudden, memories came flooding back, and his heart skipped a few beats.
What transpired last night undeniably occurred, and it was remarkable because their interaction was quite conventional, embodying a genuine love between them.
Glacielle lay peacefully next to him, her ice bikini armor gone by the end of the night. Her light blue hair fell over his chest, and she breathed slowly and steadily.
They were both wearing very little clothing, which made them feel both terrified and right.
As he looked up at the tent's ceiling, Lucian's mind raced, and of course, this was no dream other than reality itself.
She was really there with him, and he had chosen her completely and without reservation. She was the most beautiful warrior he had ever seen.
He looked down at her calm face, which was very different from the stern look she usually had when she was fighting. She seemed younger and more fragile in some way.
His heart was full of feelings he had never felt before in his life.
He thought, "I really don't know what I did to deserve this," being careful not to move and wake her.
But still... Glacielle's eyes opened and closed quickly, as if she could feel his gaze. Her pale blue eyes met his directly, and a small, real smile crossed her lips.
"Ahh... Good morning, Master," she said softly, her voice full of a weakness he'd never heard before.
"Good morning," Lucian said, suddenly very aware of where they were and how little they were wearing.
She also seemed to know it, as her normally pale cheeks turned a light shade of pink. But she didn't pull away or make space.
Instead, she got a little closer.
"Uhm... about last night," Glacielle said, lightly touching his face. "I don't regret it at all..."
"I wanted you to know that right away."
"Me too." Lucian felt a wave of relief. "I don't feel bad about it at all."
"Not because the system told me to," she said, running her fingers along his jawline. "But I chose you, Lucian... I choose you every day."
Hearing her call him by his real name instead of his title made his chest feel tight. He pulled her closer and carefully wrapped his arms around her.
"I choose you too, Glacielle."
"You're not just my warrior anymore," he had a hard time finding the right words. "But... you're all I need."
He kissed her forehead gently. "I really don't know what I did to deserve such a lovely, gentle warrior like you."
Tears formed in her eyes, an extremely rare emotional display. "You gave me a second chance at living, Master."
"After centuries alone in that summoning realm, isolated and purposeless, you made me feel alive again."
She pushed herself closer to him. "I would follow you into any battle. Not because I have to, but because I love you..."
"I love you, Master. I love you, Lucian."
"I love you too," Lucian said, and he meant it. "More than I can say."
They kissed softly and with meaning. Not in a hurry or desperate like the night before, just enjoying this perfect moment together.
The outside world faded away, and time seemed to stop.
A soft system notification popped up at the edge of Lucian's vision, not bothering him too much.
[Bond Evolution Detected]
[Glacielle - Bond Level: 6.0 Hearts - TRANSCENDENT STATUS]
[New Classification: Soulbound Partner]
[Synchronization: Perfect Harmony Achieved - 100% compatibility]
[Combat Coordination: Instinctive - no verbal commands required]
[Special Ability Unlocked: Lovers' Resonance]
[Effect: Combined attacks deal 50% bonus damage when fighting together]
[Note: This bond can never be broken by any means, magical or otherwise]
Lucian hardly noticed the notification because he was so focused on the woman in his arms. But all of a sudden, he was worried.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly, "Physically, I mean...
"I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?"
Glacielle laughed, and it was a musical sound he had never heard from her before. "Master, I'm an SSS-rank warrior... and it would take a lot more than closeness to hurt me."
Her face relaxed. "But I appreciate you asking. It shows that you care about me as a person, not just as a warrior or partner."
"You ARE a person to me," Lucian said with conviction. "The most important person in my life."
"I don't want this moment to end, even though today... we're going to be busy as we usually are."
"Then let's stay here a little longer," Glacielle said as she snuggled even closer. "Just us, before the world demands we return to reality."
They lay together in comfortable silence, enjoying the peaceful intimacy. No words are needed; just being there and understanding.
Then, with clear military precision, heavy footsteps came closer to the tent.
Both of them stopped right away.
"Oh no," Lucian said softly.
"It's Marshal," Glacielle realized with dawning horror.
The footsteps stopped right outside. There was a long pause that seemed to last forever.
Then Marshal's loud, commanding voice rang out. "ROOKIE! ICE GIRL! IN FIVE MINUTES, TRAINING BEGINS!"
Another break for effect.
"AND YOU'RE BOTH LATE!"
There was a lot of panic inside the tent. Lucian and Glacielle rushed to find clothes, bumping into each other in their hurry.
"Where's my piece of armor?"
"I can't find my boots!"
"Just take anything!"
Marshal stood outside with his arms crossed and a grin that was hard to hide.
She cheerfully screamed, "I CAN HEAR YOU TWO FUMBLING IN THERE!"
"NO MATTER WHAT YOU DID LAST NIGHT, YOU CAN'T BE LATE!"
"Warriors stay disciplined even after they have sex!"
It was clear that she was trying not to laugh at how scared they were.
Lucian was the first to come out of the tent, wearing armor that was clearly crooked and thrown on quickly. His hair was disheveled, and his face glowed brightly with embarrassment.
Glacielle followed moments later. Her ice bikini armor had changed shape, but it was still a little off-center.
Her hair, which is usually perfectly styled, was a mess. She was also blushing a lot, which was very unusual for her normally calm demeanor.
It was clear what had happened between them.
Marshal slowly walked around them, scrutinizing them thoroughly with an exaggerated sense of inspection.
She let out a big sigh. "Rookie, your armor is on the wrong way."
Lucian looked down in shock. "WHAT?!"
"Ice girl, your left frost fan is in the wrong place in its holster."
Glacielle checked and discovered it was indeed reversed. "A-Ahh! Sorry..."
Marshal could hardly hold back her laughter now.
"So," she said with fake seriousness. "You two finally made love by having brutal sex like a real warrior would do, huh?"
Both turned absolutely crimson.
"About damn time, honestly," Marshal continued. "But let me make something CRYSTAL clear right now."
She moved closer, making it clear that she was scary. "Even if you spent all night doing that, morning training is sacred to a warrior's routine."
"You need to be on time, have the right gear, and be ready to fight!"
"Love doesn't excuse being unprepared for battle."
"Yes, Marshal! Sorry, Marshal!" Lucian stood at attention in a bad way.
"We're very sorry, Marshal," Glacielle said, trying hard to keep her dignity but failing.
"As for the punishment," Marshal said with a wicked smile. "One hundred push-ups for both of you... RIGHT NOW!!!"
She stopped for a moment to make her point. "And you do them TOGETHER!"
"Partner push-ups, face-to-face!"
"Maybe that will teach you how to behave."