The Poet's System
Chapter 74: Nights

Chapter 74: Nights

Deep into the nights, when silence became the loudest voice, all problems felt powerless and dire. That was what Daylan felt throughout his time at the Phantom headquarters.

The sun rose and fell, but the presence of the Infernal Four—especially Lost—made it feel like everything would be okay. It was a feeling of safety, like a child in their parents’ hands.

He spent four days with them and managed to train with all but Lost.

During Daylan’s duel with Pi—who, being created from a dragon, was only available at the Royal Capital—he discovered that Pi possessed instant regeneration and insane physical strength.

Though he wasn’t as fast as Daylan, he wielded a sword similar to Lost’s, only smaller and radiating dark energy.

It was said that a serious strike from him could collapse the entire mansion, which was why they held their duel outside. And even there, with a playful swing, a dozen trees fell.

Seeing Pi’s strength alone told him that fighting Lost would be a bad idea—and Lost herself refused to spar.

Even so, Daylan wasn’t about to let her off the hook. Playfully, he tried a few things with her and realized she could mimic anything he did with Dark Spiral—even better.

Foxy, however, didn’t like that Lost was getting all of Daylan’s attention. She was the second to propose a duel. She was fast—faster than Daylan, even with Dark Spiral and Spiral Edge—and her physical strength was backed by the sword she carried. It was so heavy that it took both Daylan and Medora just to lift it by the hilt.

His duel with Artist felt like a cheat. She gave Daylan no time to think before launching an attack, and it was as if her tattoos had no end.

She could change them at will—or even erase them entirely. She wasn’t the fastest or the strongest, but she was clearly the smartest among them.

By the time Daylan had to leave, it was a dreadful moment for everyone—especially Lost. The thought of leaving her to her solitude was hard to watch. Medora even suggested they stay a little longer.

But for Daylan, the longer they waited, the harder it became to say goodbye. He had to take in the pain and make the final push.

It was only a matter of time before they met again—and Daylan took steps to make sure that promise became literal.

He inked all of them, even his father. Though he feared he might not be able to teleport Lost because of her overwhelming power, it was worth a try.

With heavy hearts, they left the headquarters—this time through a different tunnel than before. It had been created by Giselle as her escape route and led just outside the city’s entrance, near the eastern district.

The moment they arrived at the entrance, they encountered Rhea, who was on patrol—keeping watch over the guards even in her free time.

"Where have you guys been?" Rhea greeted them with her usual enthusiasm, and Medora matched her energy.

They filled her in on everything and had less than two days before returning to their chivalry duties. But Rhea had something important to share. Realizing it was confidential, Daylan asked her to come to their home.

"Only if I get to spar with Dora," Rhea said without hesitation. Medora didn’t take a minute to agree. Meanwhile, Daylan remained lost in his sorrow over leaving Lost behind.

Without waiting any longer, they made their way to the mansion.

"I have something to tell you about the Fools."

Rhea murmured the moment they entered the house—enough to grab each of their attention.

"The association believes the Fools are now a concept—something anyone can become simply by putting on those masks."

"And what are they planning to do about it?"

"Well, that’s the thing. No one knows." She paused for a moment. "They’re struggling to make a decision... Your fellow chivalries reported that the Fools helped us fight, and I did too. So, you do have some kind of good reputation."

"But you know, people fear what they don’t understand."

The moment she finished speaking, she grabbed Medora’s hand and dragged her into the training room.

Daylan lingered in the living room for a while before heading to his room—and the moment he stepped inside, he fell asleep.

That day—and the one that followed—passed with Daylan feeling a bit timid. Partly because of the Infernals, but mostly because he was anxious about what exactly Pry meant by her final words. He couldn’t wait to get back to the monastery to finally speak with her.

The day of their return to the monastery finally came. They dressed in their uniforms and braced themselves. After nearly three months away, they had to face once again the hateful glances from their peers.

It was still early morning, with the sun just rising in the east, when Daylan and Medora sat calmly in their carriage as it rolled toward the western district.

The moment they arrived, the monastery looked no different from when he last visited two weeks ago—though now, he saw it all from a chivalry’s perspective.

They exchanged glances and made their way inside. As they walked through the pathways, none of the chivalries they passed seemed to care about them anymore—clearly because they weren’t with Astara. Both of them quietly appreciated the normal treatment.

Just a few paces into their walk, they arrived at the library—but it was closed. They moved on to the training center, only to find it closed as well. It was clear enough: Astara was no longer at the monastery.

It wasn’t something they hadn’t expected, but no matter the expectations, some negatives still break the heart when they come through.

Still, they didn’t dwell on it. Both headed to their room to drop their luggage before finally making their way to Captain Stanley’s office. However, he wasn’t there—instead, they were met by Lieutenant Bruce.

"You two have really grown stronger. The aura you radiate is powerful. Especially you, Medora," Lieutenant Bruce said, resting his hands on the desk.

Daylan glanced at himself, searching for his own aura, then looked at Medora, who returned his gaze. Medora had an intense presence of her own, and from her expression, it was clear she recognized the same strength in Daylan.

"I think you never noticed since you two are always together... it’s normal."

The moment Bruce said that, his expression shifted.

"Do you remember I said I’d be sharing good news with you?" Bruce asked Daylan, rolling his eyes slightly as he tried to recall before finally nodding.

"Well, I put in a few words for you—and for some reason, Captain Stanley did the same for both of you."

Daylan steeled himself, holding back a laugh. Hearing Bruce mention Stanley’s name with a mix of respect and barely hidden disdain said everything about their relationship—and it made Daylan want to laugh.

However, Bruce continued, "Neither of you is at the level of a Divine Arch yet, but your progress over just these few months speaks volumes."

Medora’s eyes lit up as she began to play with her fingers, struggling to contain her excitement.

"I’ll have to send another message confirming that you’re ready to head to the Royal Capital. So, to play it safe, you’ll be leaving for the Royal Capital in a week as Divine Arches. Use this time to train and prepare your minds."

It was great news for them, but what Daylan really wanted to hear wasn’t said. "What about Lady Astara?"

Bruce’s expression darkened. "You didn’t know?"

Both of them shook their heads, confusion clear on their faces.

Bruce shook his head again. "She’s a Colonel now and serves under Captain Stanley. Your paths will cross now and then once you join the Divine Arch."

They felt a little betrayed by her since they had already discussed it. But Daylan didn’t dwell on it—he believed she must have her reasons.

Before they left, they asked if they could use both the library and the training center. Their request to use the library was declined—Lady Astara had forbidden anyone from using it, not even them.

Medora’s excitement about becoming a Divine Arch vanished; the more she heard about what Astara was doing, the more irritated she became.

It wasn’t about pride or ego, but Medora believed the vulnerable moments they’d shared should have been enough for Astara to at least let them in on something. Unless she had completely betrayed them, there was no excuse for her actions in Medora’s eyes.

Through it all, Daylan remained optimistic about her actions. He had doubted her before—even alongside Medora—and he wasn’t about to make that mistake again.

As they left the office, Daylan said, "None of us have our thoughts together like you do, you know? Especially when it comes to being vulnerable."

Medora shot him a lazy look as they walked toward the training center. "What do you mean?"

"I doubted you all when I found out someone knew about me being the Poet. To me, you and Astara were both traitors... All I’m trying to say is, you wouldn’t have come to such an easy conclusion if you were in my shoes."

He sighed.

"Just believe in her. She’s probably making stupid decisions, like I did."

"Such a stupid couple the universe is creating with these two," she murmured, shaking her head.

Daylan narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"

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