Chapter 307 - : 307 : The East!
The colosseum was still echoing with the commoners’ triumphant cheers.
Arisha rested her sword on her lap, sitting in her sit, and spoke softly, almost shyly.
"Thank you... Husband."
Aiden looked over his shoulder at her, one eyebrow raised in playful teasing. His free hand continued gently stroking Selvara’s white hair as he asked with a mischievous smirk, "Why? For the kiss?"
Arisha’s cheeks burned brighter. She glanced down at the sword in her hands, fingers tracing the hilt almost absentmindedly. "I mean... that was helpful, but I’m talking about the gift," she said, her voice quiet but sincere. "The sword felt... different. Stronger. It responded to me perfectly."
Aiden chuckled, low and warm. "Well... you’re welcome."
Inside his mind, a quiet thought passed:
*When her sword was in my inventory, the system assigned it as my own weapon. It allowed me to upgrade it, like a game. Pretty handy.*
Arisha hesitated for a moment and offered the heavy blade to him with both hands. "Here... please take it back for now."
Aiden accepted the sword with one hand, and with a soft shimmer of spatial mana, it vanished into his inventory.
Liana, who had been watching the entire exchange with bright, curious eyes, suddenly beamed from beside Ela. "Is that spatial magic?"
"Yes," Aiden replied simply, glancing at her with a small smile.
"Cool," Liana cooed, leaning forward with genuine excitement. "That looks so useful! Can you store anything? Like... snacks? Or weapons for everyone? Or—wait, can you pull out cookies whenever we want?"
Aiden let out a quiet laugh, still gently petting Selvara’s hair. "It has limits, but yes... it’s very convenient."
Arisha still stared at him lovingly, cheeks still faintly pink.
"You really did well out there," Aiden said softly, looking back at her with genuine pride. "The way you handled her sword attacks and kept your composure... I’m impressed."
Arisha’s ears twitched slightly. She looked away for a second, then back at him. "It was nothing special. But... the sword helped a lot. Thank you again."
Luna, still sitting on Selvara’s sit, tilted her head and smiled up at Arisha. "You looked really cool swinging that big sword! I was cheering for you the whole time!"
Nyxion’s fluffy tail swished happily. "Your strikes were clean and powerful. Heart Lord is very satisfied."
Selvara, still nestled against Aiden’s chest, huffed softly in her tsundere way. "Hmph... it wasn’t bad. You didn’t embarrass us. That’s... acceptable."
Venya rumbled from behind, wings fluttering with pride. "Arisha is strong! Venya is happy you won for My Lord!"
Valeforia smirked, crossing her legs. "You carried yourself like a proper general. Almost made me jealous of how effortlessly you dominated her."
Vegia clapped her hands together lightly, eyes sparkling. "You were amazing! I was a little worried when she kept attacking, but you handled everything so well!"
Zerra bounced excitedly on her seat. "You beat the noble lady so easily! That was awesome! I wanna learn how to swing a sword like that someday!"
Aethoniel fluttered her wings shyly, offering a soft smile. "You were very brave... I’m glad you’re safe."
Xylendra tilted her head, voice quiet but sincere. "You made it look effortless."
Lysandra smiled gently. "You fought with grace and power. We are all proud of you, Arisha."
Liana grinned brightly. "That final upward strike? Chef’s kiss! You made the nobles look so silly!"
Ela offered a warm, sincere nod. "You were very impressive. You handled everything with such composure."
Arisha took in all the praise. Her usual stoic expression softened just a little, the faint blush still lingering on her cheeks. She gave a small, respectful nod to the group.
"Thank you... all of you," she said quietly. "I’ll rest now."
"You did make me proud," he said softly, just loud enough for her and the nearby wives to hear. "Rest well. You’ve earned it."
Arisha’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade, but she gave another, the heavy sword now safely stored away.
Mira Vale’s calm, professional voice rang out clearly across the arena, magically amplified.
"Next duel: Nyxion Nightshade versus Líng Xīnyíng. Contestants, please come to the platform."
Nyxion’s fluffy black tail immediately began swishing wildly behind her. Her golden eyes lit up with pure, unrestrained excitement as she bounced in her seat, ears perked high. She turned toward Aiden with a bright, beaming smile, practically vibrating with energy.
"Heart Lord!" she purred, voice full of eager delight. "Give me a kiss before I go~"
Aiden chuckled, low and warm, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. Without hesitation, he reached out, grabbed Nyxion’s wrist gently but firmly, and pulled her toward him.
Nyxion let out a happy little squeak as she was drawn toward his side. Aiden cupped the back of her head with one hand and captured her lips in a deep, possessive kiss.
The kiss was slow and thorough. Nyxion melted instantly, purring loudly into his mouth as her fluffy tail curled tightly around his leg. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, body pressing closer as she kissed him back with eager, affectionate hunger. The entire gallery could see the intimate moment — the way her tail twitched happily, the soft sounds she made, the way her body relaxed completely in his hold.
When Aiden finally pulled back, Nyxion’s cheeks were flushed, her golden eyes half-lidded and dreamy, a blissful little smile on her lips.
The wives and the two guests immediately offered their encouragement.
Luna bounced excitedly. "Go get her, Nyxion! Show them how strong you are! I believe in you!"
Selvara, still nestled against Aiden’s chest, huffed in her usual tsundere manner but couldn’t hide the small, proud smirk. "Hmph... don’t embarrass My Lord out there. Just... do your best, okay?"
Nayla licked her lips seductively, voice purring with approval. "Mmm... go make it entertaining, Nyxion. I want to see you play with her a little before you finish it~"
Venya rumbled happily, wings fluttering. "Nyxion will win for My Lord! Venya knows you are strong!"
Valeforia smirked, crossing her legs. "Don’t hold back too much. Make it fun to watch."
Vegia waved her hands nervously but smiled warmly. "Please be careful... but I know you’ll do great! We’re all cheering for you!"
Zerra bounced on her toes, pumping her small fist. "Beat the noble lady! Show her what our family can do!"
Aethoniel fluttered her wings shyly, offering a soft, encouraging smile. "You’re very brave... I believe in you, Nyxion."
Xylendra tilted her head, voice quiet but sincere. "Fight well. We are watching."
Lysandra smiled gently, her elegant voice full of warmth. "You have our support. Show them your power with grace."
Liana grinned brightly from beside Ela. "Go kick her ass, Nyxion! Make it flashy! I want to see something cool!"
Ela offered a soft, sincere nod, her amethyst eyes shining. "Good luck, Nyxion. You’ve got this."
Nyxion stood up, still flushed and smiling dreamily from the kiss. She gave everyone a happy little wave, tail swishing behind her.
"Thank you... all of you," she purred, voice full of affection. "I will make Heart Lord proud."
With one last bright look toward Aiden, she turned and began walking down toward the central stage with bouncy, excited steps. Her fluffy tail continued to swish happily the entire way.
Aiden watched her go with a small, satisfied smirk.
The crowd’s energy shifted again — commoners cheering loudly for another one of Aiden’s wives, nobles muttering with increasing frustration at the pattern.
Mira Vale allowed herself a tiny, hidden smile of excitement from the sidelines.
Elowen Voss, on the other hand, looked like she was barely holding back a headache.
Nyxion reached the arena floor and took her position opposite Líng Xīnyíng.
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Back in the high gallery-
Aiden leaned back slightly. His mind wandered for a moment as he watched Nyxion facing Líng Xīnyíng.
*Her name... Líng Xīnyíng... that sounds distinctly Chinese,* he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. The pronunciation had a melodic, Eastern cadence that stood out sharply from the more Western-sounding names common in the academy.
He turned his head slightly, looking over his shoulder toward Ela Voss, who was sitting quietly beside Liana.
"Ela," he asked, voice casual but curious, "Líng Xīnyíng... her name sounds different from most here. Where is she from?"
Ela blinked, then offered a soft, polite smile. She adjusted her posture slightly, lavender hair shifting as she answered.
"She is from the East," Ela explained gently. "A distant eastern region of the human region. Their culture is quite different from ours — older, more rooted in ancient traditions and spiritual lineages."
Zerra, who had been listening intently while bouncing lightly on her seat, suddenly perked up and added with enthusiastic innocence, "Like Hantan Kairi!"
Ela smiled patiently, shaking her head with a small, kind laugh. "Yes, but not quite. Hantan Kairi is from a different part of the East. Líng Xīnyíng’s people follow a different lineage. They believe in the ancient Dragon God — a primordial deity said to have shaped their lands and bloodlines. Their royal family practices a secret dragon-style martial art passed down through generations. It’s said to channel the power and grace of dragons themselves."
Aethoniel tilted her head curiously, wings fluttering. "Who is Hantan Kairi?"
Valeforia leaned forward with interest, as she crossed her arms. "Yes... I’ve never heard that name before."
Xylendra nodded quietly, eyes soft with curiosity.
Nayla purred, licking her lips. "Mmm... now I’m intrigued. Tell us more."
Luna giggled and looked up at the group. "Yeah... you guys never met her. We’ll tell you all about our little history together later. It’s a long story, but she’s really nice!"
The wives exchanged glances — some amused, some genuinely curious — before turning their attention back toward the central stage where Nyxion had just taken her position opposite Líng Xīnyíng.
Aiden watched the two figures facing each other and spoke calmly, his voice carrying quiet confidence.
"Don’t worry, girls. Nyxion’s got this."
Nyxion stood on the arena floor, fluffy black tail swishing excitedly behind her. Her golden eyes sparkled with unrestrained joy as she faced her opponent. Nyxion bounced lightly on her toes, clearly eager for the fight to begin.
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END OF Chapter : 307 : THE EAST!
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