The moment the mist had cleared, the knights swarmed Ren like excited children around a festival performer.
"Kid, that was insane!" one laughed, shaking Ren's shoulders. "You were moving like water out there!"
"That punch you landed on the first guy? I felt it in my own stomach!"
"You didn't even look tired!"
Ren scratched the back of his head, cheeks warming. "No, no, you guys are exaggerating. I didn't even do much—"
"Oh, come on!" another knight barked, slapping his shoulder a little too hard. "For someone who's never fought a real battle? That was insane!"
But then—
His eyes drifted past the laughing knights… toward Vaspera.
She stood at a distance, arms folded, blank face .Not angry. Not impressed. Just cold.
Ren's smile faded a little.
Ren excused himself from the knights and walked straight toward her, still limping a little.
"So," he said, forcing a tired smile, "Madam Vaspera… how did I do?"
"Bad."
Her answer landed like a heavy thrown stone.
The knights behind them instantly shut their mouths.
Even the wind seemed to hold still.
"…Bad?" Ren echoed.
"You took too long to finish the final enemy," she replied without blinking. "Unacceptable."
Ren stared at her. She stared back.
Then—
Minutes later...
---
The two of them sat inside the carriage again, wheels rattling.
Some knights had already departed back for the capital, escorting the captured bandits. The rest of the group continued onward toward the dungeon.
Inside Ren and Vaspera's carriage…
the silence felt heavier than the cold mist from earlier.
Ren sat by the window, cheek puffed out, arms crossed, head turned away. His body still glowed faintly green as he used healing magic to heal himself.
Vaspera felt the tension pressing against her temples.
What is up with him?
Is he sulking because I said he fought badly?
Ugh… why am I even thinking about this? It shouldn't matter.
She exhaled, annoyed at herself more than him.
Finally, she spoke.
"Hey, Ren."
His voice came out cold. "What?"
"You got something to say?" she pressed.
"No." He didn't even look her way.
Vaspera clenched her jaw.
Seriously… what is wrong with him? and What am I even trying to talk to him for? I don't care.
She turned back to the window, refusing to deal with it.
The silence stretched.
Stretched more.
Stretched until even Vaspera—who could sit motionless for hours—felt a pressure tightening her chest.
Her eye twitched again.
"…Damn it," she muttered under her breath.
She turned back toward him. His cheeks were still puffed out, almost like a balloon.
Vaspera sighed.
"You did good."
Ren's cheeks deflated instantly.
His glowing green body paused mid-heal.
He slowly turned to her, eyes wide in disbelief.
Vaspera cleared her throat, eyes flicking away for a moment.
"I didn't say anything earlier because I didn't want you getting full of yourself," she continued. "But for your first real battle… you did good. Better than expected."
She met his eyes again.
"Great, even."
They stared.
Neither looked away.
Seconds passed. Neither blinked.
Then—
"Ehem." Vaspera looked aside again, cheeks faintly pink. "But don't get ahead of yourself, you stupid brat. You're still weak."
Ren didn't respond.
He was still staring.
Her cold glare snapped back. "Wh—what are you staring at, brat?"
Ren jolted. "Huh?! Ah—um—nothing!"
His face turned tomato red. He faced forward so fast his neck almost cracked. "I wasn't staring, I was just—uh—resting my eyes. While awake. At your direction. But not at you!"
Vaspera blinked. "…What?"
Ren wanted to roll out of the moving carriage and die somewhere quietly.
He was now staring at his feet to hide the redness.
Vaspera's own cheeks carried a faint warmth now. She turned stiffly back to the window, pretending to admire the passing trees.
The silence returned.
Except this time, it wasn't sharp or cold.
It was… something else. Something neither of them wanted to acknowledge.
And because neither said anything—
the air between them somehow grew even more tense.
Not like before but stupid, awkward, entirely-new tense.
A kind of tension that didn't exist fifteen minutes ago.
A kind that made both of them look anywhere except at each other.
And thus, the carriage continued toward the dungeon with two idiots pretending they weren't blushing.
---