The break lasted almost an hour, and the first ten minutes were strange. The two women in front of me were talking as if they had been lifelong friends. I knew they had crossed paths at a few events in the past, but they had never been anything more than acquaintances.
Are women always like this when they're talking about something they're both interested in? That was my first thought. They had continued talking about fashion, runways, and all that stuff I couldn't care less about.
I was doing everything possible not to yawn. I had absolutely no interest in the subject and not the slightest intention of learning anything about it. I wasn't going to complain either. I'm not stupid.
I knew that if I opened my big mouth, I'd become the center of attention and the topic of conversation, so I preferred to stay quiet, staring at the ceiling and getting lost in my thoughts. I glanced at both women again. They were still smiling and chatting as naturally as ever.
The rumors were true, both of them were once-in-a-generation beauties. Looking at them was a feast for the eyes. Neither had a single imperfection, and every one of their movements was captivating.
I was used to seeing Brendu's beauty every day. I'd even lived with four beauties at the same time. Arisa, Marga, and Sol were also incredibly beautiful; the beauty of those three girls was several levels above anything most people could imagine.
But, but... seeing two beauties of such a high caliber talking only a few centimeters away was mesmerizing. I didn't even want to imagine what a normal person would be like in this situation.
Both of them had something special that set them apart. Brendu looked more like a mature woman and gave off the impression that she knew everything; on the other hand, Lully had the kind of beauty of an innocent and cheerful young woman. Their movements and expressions perfectly matched their personalities.
They were genuinely engrossed in their conversation. I could feel something strange in the air, it really did feel different, but I took my chance to escape once more than half of the break had passed.
When I said I was leaving for a moment, neither of them really paid me any attention. I felt offended, even a little neglected.
I approached a table occupied by only two people. No one else had gone near them during the entire break, all the other participants had given them their own space. Obviously, I was different.
"Can I join you?" I asked with a smile on my face, resting my arms on the chair as I waited for an answer.
"How could we possibly deny you a seat, young Maki?" Grox answered first. I could hear the sarcasm in his voice.
"As if we could refuse in the first place. Make yourself comfortable and join us." Kensein seemed quite happy to let me sit with them.
The first thing I noticed when I sat down beside the two Diamond Rank men was something shiny. I couldn't help wondering if they were related. I knew it was kind of stupid to think all bald men might be family.
"You managed to escape from that prison. You're pretty slippery." Grox spoke while looking toward the table where I'd been sitting a minute ago. "I've stood in front of monsters that made me want to run away less." I could hear a faint chuckle.
"I felt a lot of pressure. At times, it felt like an anaconda had wrapped itself around my neck." I didn't deny his words. He was pretty accurate.
"What's an anaconda?" Kensein asked. Sometimes I forgot that some animals had completely different names here. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't seen many snake-type monsters. They weren't very common in this area.
I knew there were plenty near the enormous jungle to the north. Someday I'd go visit it. It was an extremely dangerous place, with powerful monsters around every corner, but it was also a good place to train and find treasures.
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"It's similar to..." I explained it to the two men, who looked a little confused. "I read about it in a book a long time ago. I don't even remember the name of the book, but that name stuck with me." With that, I finished my explanation.
One topic led to another, that one led to something new, and so on. I realized that they had known each other for a very long time, possibly several decades; their stories about facing each other or fighting together were incredibly entertaining.
Their friendship reminded me of my father's relationship with Uncle Camux. In the past, they had been very close, great friends, although I didn't know if they were still as close nowadays. Circumstances had separated them and placed them in similar positions, but in different places.
Talking with them was much more interesting than sitting with the beauties. I also noticed something again that I'd always thought. Men don't grow up much mentally under certain circumstances; we still behave like competitive children whenever the situation calls for it.
"One minute until we resume." Ritmo announced through the voice amplifier.
I said goodbye to the two bald men and returned to my table. On the way, I crossed paths with Lully, and we both gave each other a big smile.
I tried not to make any sudden movements or loud noises as I returned to my seat. An anaconda could react violently if it discovered that its prey had left the nest to have fun and then returned afterward. I couldn't sense anything strange in her Imra, but it was difficult to judge when it was so tightly sealed.
"To be honest..." Brendu brushed her fingers against my hand. "It's difficult to stay jealous when Lully is as energetic, cheerful, and friendly as ever. We'd only had brief interactions before, but she always gave me that impression, and after talking with her today, I realized my suspicions were right." The princess sighed before continuing.
"She's an incredible person. Not only is she extremely talented and beautiful, she also has an enormous heart. It's genuinely difficult to feel any kind of negative emotion toward her." Brendu really was very mature.
Her eyes were locked onto mine, her words strong and profound. "I don't know if we'll become good friends in the future, but today was a good start."
The meeting continued for several more hours. If the previous round had gone well, this one was even better. Something had changed in Grox. He seemed less combative toward the proposals and was more willing to follow the standards that had already been established.
They finally reached a final agreement. I didn't know how many hours I'd spent trapped inside this place, and I didn't want to know either. The party outside had already ended several hours ago... that alone showed just how long we'd been locked in here.
Lully, Kensein, Grox, Ritmo, and my grandmother would stay longer to sign the necessary documents and make everything official. The rest of us dispersed after saying our goodbyes.
The walk back with Brendu was peaceful. We both enjoyed the nature along the way. We could've flown back, but we preferred to walk and enjoy the little details.
She had returned to her usual self, which was good. I hated seeing her in a different mood, and it was even more painful when it was my fault. The same thing happened with Arisa, Marga, and Sol. It was incredibly painful seeing them angry because of something I'd done.
"Tomorrow Lully is coming over for lunch. You're not invited, so go wander around wherever you want at lunchtime." Brendu stuck her tongue out at me as she announced that I had to leave my own house.
"If my ears start burning, I'll know why." I answered without getting angry. There were plenty of things I could do during that time. I could visit a lot of people.
"You're not the center of the world, dear. There are plenty of other things we can talk about." The princess rolled her eyes. "Although we will talk about you. I'll take the opportunity to get everything I've been keeping inside off my chest." She looked thoughtful.
"I'm the best boyfriend in the world. I never do anything that makes you angry." I looked at her, confused and slightly offended.
"Don't make me remind you. I could start with today and go all the way back to the day we met." Brendu was on the verge of starting, so I covered her mouth with my hand.
"There's no need. Tomorrow I'll leave early so you can prepare whatever you want with her." Better to let the monster sleep. It was easier to keep it calm that way.
I could think of plenty of ways to spend my day outside. I could go hunt monsters, explore a different dungeon, visit several friends, or spend some time with my siblings. Maybe I'd ask one of the elders to train with me.
I slowly closed my eyes while deciding what I would do. Tomorrow's Maki would have to decide. Today's Maki needed to rest after thinking far more than necessary during the meeting.
Brendu had already fallen asleep. She had a unique ability to fall asleep. She simply closed her eyes, and a few seconds later, she was already deeply asleep.
"Good night, Princess Anaconda." I whispered beside her. I pretended to be asleep when I heard some sounds, then quietly laughed at my own joke because she hadn't woken up.