Vanguard of the Eternal Night

pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ

translator: xiin

editor: kara

There was only one thing that wasn't good when virtual reality and reality were mixed up, which was that some things needed to be done twice.

The two of them returned to reality and stood there beneath a small street lamp. Tyron pulled the ring out once again.

Victor accepted the box and opened it up carefully.

Inside was a pair of silver rings decorated with some peculiar patterns. Some seemed like feathers while others were like vines, winding around a diamond at the middle of the arch. Diamonds weren't rare in the interstellar era, but what made it really precious was the symbolic significance, and the hidden thing--

There was a drop of blood from each of them.

The red blood was permanently sealed inside like a bright red ruby. The light that refracted through the colorless diamond would dye it with a layer of pink.

Victor flipped it back and forth and looked at it, his chest hot and his face steaming red. He asked, "When did you take my blood?"

"In secret." Tyron thought for a moment, then added, "That day when you sat on the sofa in those fluffy pajamas, stole my late night snack, and incidentally made a cup of hot chocolate. You didn't notice when the TV show ended because you'd fallen asleep looking at your cell phone. I suddenly thought… well, that's why I brought out the needle."

Tyron seldom spoke so much in one go, but he couldn't help saying so this time, because the memory of that day was so vivid. It seemed as if he could still feel Victor's breath against the sofa cushion even now, causing a small piece of silk cloth to flutter up and down. The entire scene had appeared very soft.

Victor placed the ring in his pocket, then smiled, and looked up at Tyron. After a while, he suddenly pounced into his arms.

Tyron could feel that he was acting a little coquettish and secretly found him cute as he hugged him beneath the street lamp for a long time.

Tyron felt that his arms were both full and warm. It was a warmth unlike anything he'd experienced in the past millennium. It seemed that the heat could spread through every gap and calm down every inch of his rebellious and indifferent heart.

Without this bit of rebellion and indifference, the master assassin suddenly felt that it was very good to be taken care of at home. Sometimes, being obedient was quite good. As long as he still had the freedom to be an occasional bully… it was even better!

It was clearly already like this, and he was so completely won over yet this warmth was still seeping in.

It felt too itchy, making Tyron tighten his arms and rub Victor almost viciously.

Then, Victor lifted something up against his chest and pushed him away.

Tyron looked down and saw a small suitcase. It was square, compact, and tightly closed.

Victor's eyes were soft and moist as he handed him the suitcase, then said, "Open it up and have a look. I made a special trip for it and finally had it done in time. It's completely customized according to the model, but I don't know if it's what you wanted…"

.

Inside the suitcase was a frame used to affix valuables. When the frame was opened up, Victor's gift laid quietly inside.

Tyron: “&#k2026;&#k2026;”

Song of Triumph and Deep Silence laid there quietly on the velvet satin, affixed to the frame.

Tyron stretched out a hand, and his long index finger slid slowly along Deep Silence’s blade.

Victor couldn’t help speaking up, “Be careful! This isn’t just a model. I especially commissioned a studio to make them, and they used two types of alloy metals. The sharpness is up to D6, but the weight couldn’t be reduced, and both weapons are around 300g&#k2026;”

All of a sudden, Tyron retrieved his hand and gave Victor a long, unfathomable look.

Victor stared blankly at the blades, then back at Tyron, and the little tail that was wagging behind him slowed down.

Tyron closed the suitcase, then said, "They're very good, but I can't accept them. I have to return them back to you."

"……"

Victor froze for a moment, then said, "I spent so much time customizing them, why can't you accept them?"

Tyron's lips curved, and he knocked his knuckles against the suitcase, making a crisp sound before explaining, "For us, there are two meanings to gifting weapons. One is a king's reward to his subordinates. It means encouragement, appreciation, and support if he gifts a sword. If it's a dagger, it means that he wants him to die and do the job himself."

Victor squeaked and shook his head, asking, "What about the other meaning?"

"Hmm, freemen and other similar figures can send daggers to their favorite noble lady to show their love and loyalty," Tyron said.

Victor was excited when he heard this, and his smile was a little naughty, "Can't I have that meaning?"

"Which is why I can only give them back to you," Tyron explained, "If the noble lady accepts the dagger, it means 'this weapon fulfills your obligations, but you are still free', which is to say that she refuses the love of the other party. If she returns the dagger, it means 'serve me with your weapon', which is to accept the presented loyalty and love."

Victor: "……" There were so many rules!

Victor accepted the suitcase back in a daze, looked down, then looked up at Tyron again.

Suddenly!

He came back to his senses!

Victor: "You mean to say! The daggers I gifted you just now were a proposal?!!"

Tyron: "……"

The master assassin coughed and looked helplessly up at the sky. Two seconds later, he said, "Yes."

Victor held the other's face excitedly and forced him to face him directly, "So, you returning the weapons back to me means that you're agreeing to marry me?"

Tyron: "…………" Child, pay attention to your wording.

Victor wasn't paying attention to the wording at all. He clenched his hands into fists and pumped twice at the air, "Oh, yes!"

Victor was so excited that he did a little dance on the spot. After two turns, he rushed back to Tyron in a delighted mood, grabbing him and pushing him back hard, finally managing a kabedon.

He hadn't been so happy that he'd lost his composure in a long time. Even just the heat emanating from his head was enough to show the volcano erupting in his heart.

--Oh, it was really cute.

Tyron sighed again and extended an arm, gently encircling Victor's waist. He asked in a low voice, "What do you want to do to me?"

His expression was very indulgent, and he even deliberately lifted his head and leaned it against the wall behind him, exposing the line of his throat.

Victor swallowed hard, not noticing the devil's cunning look hidden in his half-narrowed golden eyes. He was fascinated and mesmerized and said, "I, I, I, want to sleep with you."

……

Ten minutes later, the two of them rushed into the house.

Victor was carried into the bedroom. His coat was still neat and tidy, all the way until he was pressed into the door and 'slept' with once.

At the start, Victor was still smiling. He thought that Tyron would always be in favor of the unhurried yet timely camp. However, this time, he showed his true nature, and his eyes were filled with a predatory gaze.

It wasn't long before Victor couldn't smile anymore.

After that, he was 'slept with' on the bed, then the bathroom, then to the sofa.

He was really unable to hold on by the time they had reached the sofa, and Tyron was very considerate about giving him a half-time break, holding him and watching TV instead.

Well, it was Tyron watching TV. Victor was crying and begging for mercy.

Then, Victor was finally 'slept with' thoroughly as he'd wished. After the happy ending, he had no time to complain as he sprawled out and went straight to dreamland.

The next day, Tyron skipped his morning exercises for once and got up early instead to make breakfast.

Victor struggled to get up later, two dark circles around his eyes. The first thing he did was touch his chest and ascertain that the ring was still there, confirming that it hadn't been a dream.

He sat on the bed and giggled for a while, but he only managed to sit up for two minutes before his waist became too sore for him to remain seated, and he fell back onto the bed.

Victor: "……"

Victor laid there and fingered the ring, thinking to himself: He still needed to learn more about the customs of Tyron's hometown. How long did they have to wait after their engagement to get married? What were the marriage customs?

Obviously, the ring was an interstellar custom, and Tyron was in the habit of taking care of Victor, so he'd chosen an interstellar-style marriage proposal.

After people proposed in the interstellar era, the rings were kept by both parties, even if it was an engagement. Generally, they only needed to tell their friends and relatives that they'd gotten engaged.

On the day when both sides decided to formally get married, they would send out wedding invitations in advance, apply for the marriage certificate, and do an assessment of the premarital properties before marriage. They then would prepare for the wedding where they would exchange rings and vows.

In Tyron's world, there were almost no legal procedures.

In an era where order and chaos coexisted, some people would have chosen to ask the Empire to stand as witness, and some would have asked the deacons of a temple to be notaries.

There were also some people who hadn't wanted any ceremony. When they saw their lover's first confession that 'they were the only one for me', they would remain loyal, chaste, and wait for them forever, even going so far as to die for them. The other party might not even know that they had been loved so deeply--this had been the story for a famous elf ranger.

According to the elvish custom, Tyron had proposed in his native language and done so in front of the entire world.

Sometimes, the gods would hear this and send envoys to bless or curse the marriage; if there was no god, sometimes, there would be decrees from the king, princes, or lords; if those weren't present either, then the marriage should be presided over by an elder; if there were no relatives, then other elders could also stand in.

In this interstellar world, no gods or nobles had appeared, but tens of thousands of people had witnessed the scene, and tens of millions of people would see this moment later--could there be a better confession and proposal?

After that, before getting married, the elves would take ten days to mediate away from their loved ones.

During this period, the two sides couldn't meet each other. They should focus on their marriage, their present and future, their lives and deaths, their companionship and separation… everything.

After meditating on it, the elves would make a final decision--it was a decision that could never be changed

An elf would only ever have one companion forever.

These ten days could be arranged at any time.

But now?

Tyron didn't want to leave Victor's bedroom right now.

He brought in breakfast and placed it at the head of the bed. Victor was swiping through his cell phone.

Victor wasn't aware that a certain someone was looking at his bare shoulders and back with a dangerous gaze. When he heard the sound of movement, he turned his head and said proudly, "Quickly come and take a look, the forum is exploding. Hahaha, it's so lively. What kind of message do you think I should send to feed them some dog food…?"