Myths Reawakened

Young Lady’s mansion.

Seeing three girls huddled together playing cards, Wayne shamelessly barged in and reshuffled the cards for a new round of strip poker—well, no one actually stripped, but notes were stuck on the losers. Soon enough, Vera’s face was all covered up.

Having a good eye didn’t mean having good luck. Vera was lacking in that department, so much so that her progress lagged behind the other girls even though she had been first in line.

“Oh, isn’t this Brother Wayne? It’s been a while. The last time I saw you...” Veronica thought for a moment before saying in realization, “Right. It was a few years ago. If you came home a little later, you would’ve missed my wedding.”

The cutting sarcasm was obviously not Veronica’s style. Without thinking, Wayne hit Vera’s head with a hand chop.

“Ow!” Vera held her head with a petulant look. “Veronica said it. Vera didn’t. Why did you hit Vera instead? What a poor girl Vera is!”

“Veronica couldn’t say something that smart!”

I like hearing that. Keep going! Vera shook her head, turning away to hide her grin.

That irritated Veronica and drove a wedge between the close-knit alliance between the three girls. The boat they shared was leaking. It didn’t capsize only because Senna was too formidable a rival.

Wayne glanced at Kristen and her unchanging smile. “I’m about done with my work, so I’ll have more free time in the next few days. It’s only the next few days, though. Her Majesty has just made a national address through broadcast. Windsor declared war on Franc and Prussia. Auston can’t do the work alone.”

Technically, he wasn’t busy since Mona was doing all his work. However, to better manage his time, he had to be busy and productive. Only then would the three magical girls be productive. Otherwise, if they stayed together at the Lando Estate, Veronica would be the only one benefiting.

Vera jumped, asking with her besties on her sides, “Where’s Master Senna? Where did she go? Why haven’t we seen her for so many days?”

“She’s the Church of Nature’s Oracle High Reverend, busier than I am. She returned to the headquarters after finishing her mission.” Wayne looked at the three of them like they had just asked an obvious question. “What else? Do you think she would stay in Londan forever?”

Yet again, reality proved that the best way to unite people was a formidable common enemy. Now that the girls’ shared enemy was gone, their internal conflicts showed.

Kristen lowered her deck of cards. “Veronica, I haven’t gone home for days, and there are many things I have to take care of. I can’t stay with you tonight. I’ll visit another day, for sure.”

“Same here,” Vera said with a serious nod. “My parents have been urging me to go home.”

Traitor! Both of you!

Veronica gnashed her teeth together. Go home? Parents? They just wanted to sleep with her fiancé.

The three of them glared at each other. The card game ended on an unpleasant note. Veronica grabbed Wayne’s arm and said, “Whatever, Wayne’s staying to play cards with me. You can both go home.”

“Alright.” x2

Under Veronica’s stunned gaze, her strategist and her general left at the same time, moving so quickly that she had to wonder if she had grabbed the wrong person.

“You have grabbed the wrong person, Veronica. I’m not the key to this problem. They are.”

Veronica didn’t believe it. She tightened her hold on the bastard’s arm and sniffed him. What if... what if the bastard had left evidence in a moment of carelessness?

“Stop,” Wayne exposed her. “There’s nothing between Senna and me. Besides, she left a few days ago. Even if any scent had gotten onto me, it would’ve been gone already.”

Veronica scoffed. “She’s so beautiful and... shameless. You must want her.”

“I have no feelings for her. I’m not that easy.”

How about Senior and Vera?

Veronica knew the answer, so she didn’t dare to ask the question out loud.

That night, Wayne stayed the night at the Lando Estate. The second day, he returned to his residence. Then, on the third day, Vera asked him to meet her parents.

***

In a restaurant in the Western District, the patrons conversed less about love affairs and gossip and more about the international climate, engaging in intense debates. In the end, they came to an agreement and started trading Francan jokes.

Francan jokes never got old.

If anyone found Windsorians snobbish and difficult to interact with on any occasion, just joke about Franc.

By a window sat the Watson family and Wayne. The family composition was bizarre to say the least. There was the bald gym-bro father who, counterintuitively, only attracted the opposite sex, the petite twenty-six-year-old mother, the twenty-year-old daughter who would be twenty-one next month, and the daughter’s boyfriend, a scumbag who was also twenty-six years old.

Even more bizarrely, Wayne was the successor of the Sun Knight, while Cushing and Carter were the knight’s squires. Moreover, Wayne had modified Cushing’s thoughts and body and was now Cushing’s faith.

Although Wayne had erased that memory from Cushing’s mind, and he thus remained an avid fan of the Goddess of Sun, spending his days working out and wrestling, he had taken an intense liking to Wayne.

Cushing knew that Wayne had other girlfriends. Any other father would’ve found that intolerable, especially a hotheaded muscleman like him.

Even so, Cushing still retained his strong goodwill for Wayne, which he attributed to Wayne being the Sun Knight’s successor. He liked Wayne so much that he wanted to urge Vera to pack up and move into Wayne’s house the next day.

You saved my life, and you’re my future boss. Since I have no other way to repay you, I’ll entrust my girl to you.

Noticing Cushing’s strange gaze, Wayne knew that it was time to deal with the problem. Who knew how Cushing would act if left unchecked? He might even invite Wayne to the gym to train his sphincter.

“Cushing, I met Sun Knight Leo in the Frozen Land. There are things I need to talk to you in private about.” Wayne invited Cushing to a private meeting after the meal. Cushing readily agreed.

Vera snuggled up to Wayne with a happy look on her face, completely disregarding his involvement with Veronica and Kristen. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t defeat her two best friends. She was clever and could trick the two idiots into doing her bidding. Sooner or later, she would be the one in charge.

After the meal, Cushing and Vera were both pleased, while Carter, the only normal person in the family, was worried.

Watching her husband and Wayne walk to the establishment next door, Carter patted Vera and quietly shared her concern. She believed her daughter was being reckless. While Wayne might be an excellent successor to a chosen knight, he was definitely not a good boyfriend, let alone husband material.

Carter had been in slumber for fifteen years, preventing her from raising her daughter. With her mental age stagnating for fifteen years, she was unable to speak with conviction, especially since she was feeling guilty. She worried that she would make her daughter unhappy if she pressed harder.

In comparison, Vera was much more mature. She put a hand on her hip and talked about her love rivals and her eventual victory. Simply put, her mother was too young to understand love. She would understand in a few years.

Since her daughter insisted on jumping into the burning pit, Carter could only pray for her. “The Watson family’s calling is to serve the chosen knight as their squire. We’ve been serving Sir Leo. Once the knight passes the torch, we should be absolved of our duty since the new knight should have squires he trusts. Now, though...”

Carter shared her resignation. If Vera insisted on being with Wayne, it would be difficult for her parents to stick up for her when she got hurt.

Vera’s eyes lit up. Yes, she was the knight’s squire and had every reason to get close to Wayne. Not even Veronica could find any fault in that. Why hadn’t she realized that before?

“Vera, are you listening?”

“You’re overthinking, Mother. He won’t hurt me,” Vera said with certainty, believing in her judgment.

She had not done anything wrong in this relationship.

“Perhaps...”

Carter looked at Wayne’s gift to her: ten stocking vouchers, which she could exchange for free stockings in any large malls in Londan. She was told that stockings’ price would increase significantly in the future, becoming the most expensive luxury item.

Carter didn’t really understand it, but she supposed it was human nature to want to look beautiful. She considered it a considerate gift. She wondered how she would look in stockings and if that would be enough to make her husband let go of his bosom buddies.

At least Wayne only had girls in his arms.

After a while, Wayne and Cushing emerged with their arms around each other’s shoulders. Cushing made an excuse and left with Carter, while Wayne continued his date with Vera.

They walked on the streets arm-in-arm. Now that she was no longer single, Vera saw everything through rose-tinted glasses. After a few hours, when night was falling, she stopped and massaged her calves.

“I’m tired, Wayne, but I’m so far from home. What do I do?”

“Call a taxi.”

Vera silently stared sideways at her boyfriend. She knew that Wayne could read her unspoken message.

“Alright, no taxi. I’ll give you a piggyback.”

When he crouched down with his back to her, Vera hopped onto his back despite her grievances.

Seeing that Wayne was walking toward her home, Vera whispered into his ear, “Where’s the candlelight dinner? You said you would set it up.”

Rushing again!

Wayne thought for a moment before sharing his feelings, “We can have that anytime, but don’t you think we’re progressing too quickly? It’s not romantic at all to do something just for another thing to happen.”

What’s romance going to do? It’s not going to satisfy me!