Abyssal Awakening
Chapter 755: Gwen And Kaia

Chapter 755: Gwen And Kaia

Alice leaned against the fence while maintaining a calm expression. She folded her arms and stood in silence, allowing it to carry on while Gwen was lost in her own thoughts.

Yet despite her calm exterior, the inside of her was screaming and sweating.

’She is a FREAK! Even though she’s lost in thought why the hell is she still scanning my body??? I thought if you told me to tell her to go to the entertainment district she’ll leave me alone!?!?’ Alice screamed towards Cayla and Alyss.

Alyss was too busy clutching her stomach in pain from all the laughing while Cayla hid her face behind a book.

[Don’t- Don’t ask me. I don’t know anything.] Cayla tried to shrug off the responsibilities.

They didn’t want to tell Alice what the entertainment district was about but they thought it would be enough to push off Gwen. Yet they didn’t realize it would backfire in such a fashion.

Hell, the cardinal even teased Alice on whether or not she was feeling jealous!

Even if she set aside the. . . nature of Gwen, the fact that she’s allowing her to stay around was wayyyy too strange.

Like, abnormally so to the point where Alice was beginning to doubt this plan of hers.

This sun princess knew that Alice had her own goal, knew that she was trying to figure out the secret of this Vision yet she’s allowing her to be kept around?

Even when the fact that Alice wanted to make use of Gwen was put on the table, Gwen simply smiled and sat in silence.

Alice needed some kind of reaction, anything. A clue, a hint, something for her to work with.

Yet this entire time, Gwen has just been teasing, joking and nothing else.

’Haa. . . So what now? Are you going to tell her you want to leave? She did give you the option.’ Alyss asked curiously after calming herself down.

’That’ll be too much of a waste now wouldn’t it? But. . . Arg! I’m so confused right now!’ Alice was frustrated.

This frustration strangely didn’t stem from the fact that her plans are going awry nor was it because of annoyances.

No.

In fact it’s precisely because of the fact that it’s going stupidly well that had her confused.

In all her time, rarely did her plan go right the first time. She had to keep planning and planning and make adjustments as she went about the steps.

Yet this time, she didn’t need to do any of that. She simply had to be ’herself’ while sticking near Gwen and her objective will be achieved.

Hell, this was even better than what she had originally expected.

With Gwen now technically ’taking charge of her’ as a stray cat, she could get more information than before. A direct path to the source.

But it was just. . . Too weird!

Was getting close to a cardinal really this. . . easy???

###

Kaia was the one to break the silence after the long pause.

"You know. . . people might take advantage of you if you act like this." Kaia glanced away.

"Oh? Ohya? Are you perhaps~ Worried about me?" Gwen blinked her eyes before a cheeky grin appeared on her face. "Hm~ If you’re worried about me being taken advantage of~ maybe because I want to be? Or~" She trailed off.

"Because you want to take advantage of me? Depending on how you want to I might not be against the idea you know?"

"Tha- Tsk, you know that’s not what I’m on about. But yes, maybe, just maybe, I’m worried that people might take advantage of you. You seem. . ." Kaia struggled to finish her sentence.

"Easy?" But Gwen helped her out.

"Your words not mine."

"Well~ I suppose you’re not wrong. But let’s be honest, do you think anyone is stupid enough to take advantage of a cardinal?" Gwen hopped off the fence and flicked her finger.

A flaming spear instantly appeared next to her as the air began to warp from the heat.

"Naturally that’s including you. But you get a pass since you’re two kinds of stupid. Stupid to try and take advantage of me and also stupidly cute so the two cancels out haha~" Gwen dismissed her spear while Kaia tilted her head.

"I’m pretty sure my appearance is average though?" She blinked, surprising Gwen for a moment.

Just a moment ago she was talking about how she should go to the entertainment district yet now she couldn’t recognize some harmless flirting?

The two sides cancelled each other out as Gwen couldn’t help but laugh.

"Seems like you’re a little unaware of your own charm. But I suppose that’s why I call you a stray cat."

"Huh? What does that have to do with anything?" Kaia furrowed her brows.

"Ah~ Don’t worry about it my dear stray cat. Just pretend I’m a weirdo." Gwen dismissed.

"I don’t need to pretend for that part. But seriously, what do I do here? Just. . . Standing around and talking seems. . ." Kaia frowned.

"Boring? Peaceful? Monotonous? Or all of the above?" Gwen asked, hands behind her back while walking over to Kaia’s side.

"Let’s go with all of the above."

"Oh dear. . . What kind of life did you live if you can’t even handle a normal conversation?" Gwen blinked with pity in her eyes.

"Well that’s fine as well. As you get on in life, you have to get used to moments of monotony like this. Because once you’re on the battlefield for a long period of time, you’ll miss these moments." Gwen shook her head.

"You’ll miss these conversations, peaceful moments when you go for a drink with your friends. Joking around and simply free of the pressure and fear that you can be killed at a single moment."

"Don’t you think that’s a little ironic considering what you said to me earlier?" Kaia raised an eyebrow.

"I know what I said before but I don’t kill for no reason. Didn’t I even give you the option to walk away if you wanted? It’s your choice to stay after all." Gwen shrugged, gesturing for Kaia to follow behind her for now.

"Tch. Where are we going?" Kaia asked curiously.

The temporary base was split into five sectors from what Kaia could see. A field for both sparring and training, a place to sleep, armory, supplies and a meeting room of sorts.

They essentially repurposed a small section of Yuhai port for their own use while they were here.

"Obviously to your room. Or are you going to sleep on the streets?" Gwen glanced back.

"Give me a blanket and an empty spot on the roof or some tree and I’ll be good."

"No no, we can’t have that. While you’re following me around, I’m going to make sure you live like a proper human. None of this sleeping on the roof business okay?" Gwen shook her head.

Trying to be friends with someone who keeps others at bay wasn’t going to be easy. Especially if Gwen wanted to foster a good close relationship.

She needed to be the one to bridge the gap, to build the bridge of trust.

And. . .

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, she was very lonely. The only people that’s been put under her have been her dad’s subordinates. People that listen to orders rather than friends or someone she can talk to.

There was always the work relationship separating her from forming ideal connections with others.

But that’s not to say she was completely clear of fault either.

Thanks to Kaia saying what she said earlier, Gwen also realized that her personally wasn’t one suited to be friends with. At least for now. Her view towards the value of life was. . . warped in a sense.

That was something she needed to work on in her own time.

As they continued up the building, a frown slowly appeared on Kaia’s face.

They were walking past a lot of the good rooms that were available yet Gwen wasn’t stopping.

She simply hummed to herself while taking the lead.

"Are all the empty rooms occupied or?" Kaia couldn’t hold back and asked.

"Hm? Oh no, they’re just empty. We’re only borrowing this place after all." Gwen answered without turning around.

"So. . . If that’s the case then shouldn’t I take one of the empty rooms?" Kaia raised an eyebrow.

"Hm~ Maybe~"

Tilting her head in confusion, they soon reached the top floor where Gwen brough out a set of keys.

Of course, breaking into a Cardinal’s room was practically a death sentence so no one would be stupid enough to try.

Compared to the other rooms, this one was far more spacious.

There was an office, two bedrooms, even a kitchen and the living room with a view of the whole city.

"I hope you don’t think badly of me. Since you’re going to be following me, I’ll have to keep an eye on you okay?" Gwen apologized as Kaia scratched her hair.

"So basically we’re going to be sharing this place?"

"Yep~ Ah but don’t worry, I don’t be watching you while you sleep. That’s a little far even for me. Instead, I’ll simply make sure you’re not snooping around at night." Gwen took off her shoes and made her way to the office.

Meanwhile, Kaia cast her gaze towards her room that was next to Gwen’s office.

"Make yourself at home~"

Taking her advice, Kaia made her way to the room and shut the door. Sitting on the bed, she laid down and let out a deep sigh.

As for Gwen, she sat down behind her desk and took out an orb.

It’s been a rather long day with a lot of things happening. Her dad and aunty must be worried by now. . .