Hestia's Hall was east of Hephaestus', the abandoned. As they made their way due east, they discovered there was no road that linked Hestia and Hephaestus'.
What was before them was an extension of the bamboo forest. The map on their phones couldn't show the terrain until the user had threaded that path. What the map showed were location tags of all the halls of residence and visible threaded paths.
Since they had been to Hall Olympus, the small woods, Dionysus' Hall, the bamboo forest, Gaia's Hall, south of Hephaestus' Hall, and the terrain they took in all these places, the map showed them in high detail.
"Another bamboo forest? Or is it the same one?" Corsair asked, looking at the scenery before him.
"Since they stopped the construction of Hephaestus', it's logical to say they didn't bother linking its terrain to the eastern side." Looking at the map on his phone, Aeron said.
"Let's continue," Luna said as they commenced their movement into the bamboo forest.
…
Somewhere in the boarding world, a place that sits on defense, having a peculiar situation like no other—a headless faction.
In a dark abandoned dorm, before the dawn of the day, the swordsman woke up sharply at a sound so faint even someone awake would not have noticed.
He picked up his katana resting next to him but didn't unsheathe it. He got up slowly and cautiously, walking and looking around his environment. His caution gave no hint of fear.
"Reveal yourself and spare yourself from the wrath of my blade." His voice, though calm, carried sincerity. "The next words will be from my blade."
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm very sorry, please spare me." A second after his threat, a young girl threw herself into the dorm through the window she was hiding behind, kneeling face down and crying before him.
"A kid?" The swordsman said in his home language.
"Please don't cut me, I was only curious, please don't punish me." The young girl's cries continued.
"Okay, that's enough," the swordsman sighed, yawning as he went back to his sleeping spot.
The young girl, who was in the four-rose petals uniform with the black jacket, changed her prostrating position to that of a kneeling one as she wiped the tears off her eyes.
"State your business here then," the swordsman commanded.
With her hands covering her eyes, the young girl's sobbing expression transformed into a wide smile, her lips curving upward.
"Hm?" The sudden change in the young girl's expression piqued the swordsman's interest, and the thought of going back to sleep left his head.
The young girl slowly dropped her hands down from rubbing her eyes. With the smile still on her face, she slowly opened her pink-colored innocent eyes.
In a comical swiftness, she pulled out two mega chocolate bars from her pockets. "Mega chocobars for the two of us!" she yelled with her tiny high-pitched voice, revealing her white-as-snow set of teeth.
"I've come to share," she said, looking at the swordsman.
Lost for words, the swordsman wore a confused expression on his face as he had not met any female kid like her before now.
"No thank you, you can eat your stuff elsewhere." Just after he said this, his stomach grumbled loudly.
"You see, even your body pleads for some snacks." Saying this, she hurried toward the swordsman's side.
"I'm no—" Before the swordsman could complete his statement, the girl shoved one of the chocobars into his mouth.
"Relax, feel the taste and the texture all at the same time." Her tone and expression were seducing.
The swordsman's iris and pupil disappeared in anger and disbelief, but since he couldn't deny the satisfaction he had from having something to eat, he quickly calmed down.
He removed the chocobar from his mouth. "How many years are you?" he asked calmly, his voice deep.
"10." The young girl replied, her mouth full of the chocobar.
"You behave older." He bit a portion of the chocobar. "Which hall are you from?"
"Here, you?" She continued munching on the chocobar.
"Gaia's," the swordsman replied.
"Why'd you come here though?" She looked at him.
The swordsman paused his eating, thinking about what he'd tell her.
"It's the safest right now." He continued eating.
"Right." She wore a disappointed expression on her face that caught the swordsman's attention. To him, it seemed like he wasn't giving her the amount of information she wanted.
"Do not lie. Were you sent here and by who?" he asked, his voice deep and his eyes locked onto hers.
"What?! No, I wasn't sent here by anyone. Like I said earlier, I was curious to know you," she replied uneasily, in fear that he might misjudge her and unsheathe his sword.
"Meaning you watched me come here." He pointed at her. "I don't like that."
Looking down, she apologized and became sober as the tension in the atmosphere was high.
"Your name and which city are you from?" After some seconds passed, the swordsman asked.
"Huna. Nexus Stella," she said. "You?"
"Eosara. Sorry, I can't give out my name for sensitive reasons," the swordsman said, munching his chocobar.
Damn it, I should have said the same thing in the first place! Huna thought, clenching her fist and gritting her teeth.
"What's 'cat' called in your language?" An idea lighting up in her head, she asked.
"Neko. Why do you ask?" the swordsman said.
"Since I need to call you something, and your eyes are like that of a cat's, I'd call you Neko," she smiled giddily, looking at the swordsman as she bit into her chocobar.
"My eyes? Like that of a cat's?" The swordsman soliloquized, looking down, confused. "Hmph, soothe yourself."
After a while of silence and munching, the swordsman thought.
"Are you close to the other combatants like this?" he asked her.
"I'm only close to Rayne and Bjornar. The others are not so friendly." She kissed her teeth. "I bet they're lonely."
"And what made you think I'd be friendly?" the swordsman asked.
"I wouldn't know until I tried. I tried for the others too. And besides, you're cute," the girl replied, biting into her chocobar.
Cute? Is that also how my opponents see me? The swordsman thought to himself, confusion and disgust on his face.
"What do you know of Rayne and Bjornar?" Without wasting time, the swordsman asked.
"Rayne tells me funny stories and teases me all the time while I like annoying Bjornar cause his reactions make me laugh," Huna said with her mouth full.
"Have you seen any of them, including the others you dislike, in battle before?" the swordsman asked.
"Hmmm yes, but only Rayne and a bit of Snide. It's kinda been a long time, so I can only remember flashes. They haven't been in battle since then," Huna replied.
Snide, the one with the crossbow. The swordsman soliloquized.
"When were they in battle and what was the cause?" the swordsman asked, his voice slightly desperate.
"I'm not really sure, but from what I remember, it was during the time when supplies were cut off and news about faction wars all over the boarding world started to spread. There was an attempt by a resident of this hall to create a faction as the head. He was the most famous, and almost everyone liked him. He was a capable fighter, as well as his friend.
"Majority of the people here were eager to join his faction and wage war against other factions for resources, but Rayne and the others didn't like it, and so a civil war broke out between the most famous student and his followers against Rayne, Bjornar, and the others, in which the latter won… that's all I know." Having said all that, Huna sighed.
A civil war? That explains the occasional damages in some places. More importantly… The swordsman soliloquized. "What became of the famous student and his friend when they lost?" he asked Huna.
"They fled." Biting from her chocobar, she replied.
"Give me your chocobar, mine's finished."
The swordsman bit into his chocobar. "Not a chance."