The next morning didn't wait for anyone to get over anything.
The expedition moved.
Massive Mystic Circles hovered in formation, each one carrying groups of Richinaria Divines as they advanced over Technographia's fractured terrain. Those who could fly moved freely around them. Adelasta flew in a trail of controlled flames. Anamorsia and Throenia flew with their angel wings spread wide. Leones, Leon and Milliania sat on individual Mystic Circles Veneri had crafted with each one customized to their energy flow. Veneri moved with his Flight Circles on his back.
Anamorsia slowed down, drifting closer to Veneri until she matched his pace. She tilted her head towards Leon, who was a few meters away, sitting quietly on his circle.
"Hey. Something's wrong with him."
Veneri didn't even look. "Yeah."
"You're not even going to check first?"
"He got dumped."
"What!?"
Adela, who was flying just ahead, turned her head immediately.
"Keep your voice down."
Anamorsia covered her mouth. "Wait, seriously?"
"Throenia ended it before it began."
Anamorsia looked back at Leon again, and this time her expression shifted completely.
"Damn. Poor guy. That's why I don't want anything to do with love."
"What? Why?"
Anamorsia gestured lazily toward Veneri to answer Adela's question.
"Because of him."
"Oi, what did I do?"
She stared at him like he just asked the dumbest question possible.
"You exist."
Leones, who was close enough to hear, snorted. Milliania chuckled under her breath. Anamorsia continued, completely serious as she said it.
"You, father, even Leon now. All of you messed it up for us. You're affectionate, attentive, patient, you actually listen, you don't act superior and somehow you still manage to lead a Dynasty without being insufferable. Do you know how rare that is?"
"I thought that was normal."
Leones laughed this time.
"That's the problem."
Milliania nodded to her sister's point.
"Men like that don't exist here. So now our standards are ruined."
Adelasta let out a quiet laugh. "That sounds like a personal issue."
"It is," Anamorsia said immediately. "And it's your husband's fault."
"I didn't do anything."
"You raised us. You set the perfect example and now look at him. He actually tries. So yeah, I've accepted it. If I want someone decent, I'm going to another world. Anyway, talk to him."
"Why me?"
"You're the only guy here he'll actually listen to. And don't say you're bad at this."
"I am bad at this."
"You have five beloveds."
"I didn't plan that."
"That's the point."
"Fine."
He shifted direction mid-air and moved toward Leon. Within seconds, he landed on the edge of Leon's Mystic Circle and sat down beside him like it was nothing. Leon didn't look at him.
"What?"
"You okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you're not smiling."
That got his attention. Leon glared at him.
"What?"
"You're always smiling. You're not doing it now."
Leon scoffed and looked away again.
"I'm fine."
"If you're going to act like that, you're going to suffer."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means if you convince yourself you're fine and try to move on like nothing happened, it's going to hit you later and it's going to be worse."
"How do you even know what this is about?"
"I'm married."
"That doesn't answer anything."
"It answers everything. You're upset, you're quiet and the only thing that changed recently is that a tall, beautiful Seraph from Heaven told you to stop before you even got the chance to try."
Leon froze.
"You're actually serious right now? Are you making fun of me?"
"If I was making fun of you, I would've told everyone already."
"That's true."
"I'm petty like that. You're avoiding the question so tell your big bro. What happened?"
Leon leaned back slightly, looking out at the horizon.
"I didn't expect much from her, you know? I knew what she was. I knew her responsibilities. I knew this wasn't something simple but it still hurts. Once this Second Epoch Cycle ends, everything's going to get worse."
"Worse?"
"Yeah. We're going to deal with the Mopherian Deities, whatever comes after that and then everything goes back to normal. And by normal, I mean women lining up to fight over me."
"Wow. Rough life."
"Don't start. You know what I mean. It's just… that's how it works for us. Noble men don't choose. We get chosen. And now I don't even know what I'd do if someone actually chose me for me. Even if Throenia said yes, she wouldn't leave her role."
"And you wouldn't leave yours."
"Yeah. So what am I supposed to do?"
"Leon, what would you do if she found someone else?"
"What?"
"If Throenia found another partner," Veneri repeated. "What would you do?"
Leon frowned, thinking about it.
"I wouldn't be happy, obviously. But… I wouldn't stop her. I'd be glad she found someone."
Veneri nodded once. Then he said five words that made Leon look at him in pure disbelief.
"I fought for love too."
"That's a fucking lie. All your relationships just happened. They forced themselves into your life."
"That's true, except for Adela. When I found out about the betrothal, I hated it. I didn't want to be tied to someone who clearly didn't want me. And she didn't. She hated me. But after my weapon training ended, I fought her and I lost. I lost over and over again."
Leon stared at him.
"Okay, now I'm interested."
"That's when I realized something. Whether I liked it or not, she was going to be my Grand Duchess and my wife. And she hated me."
"So you decided to fix that?"
"I decided to reduce it. Hatred doesn't disappear easily. I kept fighting her, over and over again for seven years."
"And you didn't use Magecraft?"
"No."
"Why?"
"It felt like cheating."
"You fought Adelasta for seven years with only Weapon Mastery while she was trying to kill you."
"Yes."
"And you're alive."
"Yes."
"That's insane."
Veneri ignored that.
"Eventually, I won. That's when she started taking me seriously because I proved something to her. It wasn't love at first. It wasn't anything like that but it became something. By the time I realized what it was, I was already too deep."
"You didn't tell her, did you?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I thought she'd find it disgusting. She had the power to leave and I didn't want that. But she married me anyway. And I didn't refuse."
Leon let out a deep breath.
"So you really did fight for it."
"I did. I'm not going to tell you to give up or to chase her blindly."
"Then what are you saying?"
"Think about your present and stop thinking ten steps ahead. You're already worrying about her duties, your duties, the future, other women and everything irrelevant. None of that matters right now."
"Then what does?"
"Simple questions."
He counted on his fingers.
"Would being with you make her happy?"
Leon didn't answer immediately.
"Does she actually know you? Do you know her?"
Leon frowned deeper.
"What happens when you disagree? Do you walk away? Does she?"
"..."
"You're thinking about a future that hasn't even started. For people like us, that's meaningless. We live for millennia. You can be with someone for decades and still not be close to marriage. So the real question isn't 'what happens later.' How long are you willing to fight for her? Is it worth it? If you answer those questions honestly, hhyou'll know what to do."
Leon leaned forward again, resting his arms on his knees.
"So it's either fight for something that might not even be love yet, or let it go and wait for something else."
"Exactly."
"That's annoying."
"It is."
Leon glanced at him again with a faint, tired smile finally forming on his lips.
"You give good advice. Thanks."
"Anytime. Now hurry up and figure it out. I still have to find husbands for our sisters."
"What?"
"They said it's my fault their standards are too high."
Leon stared at him.
"You're really fucked."
"Yeah, I know."