Noah was a bit taken aback when he heard Faith's words. He knew that she and June talked about many things, but he didn't expect her to mention the dual cultivation right away.
The memories of the week spent helping June with her higher energy appeared in his mind, and his eagerness to hold her resurfaced stronger than ever. He suddenly missed their long cohabitation in the separate dimension and the possibility to be with her whenever he wanted.
Yet, that wasn't the right time to expose their relationship. Noah could only suppress his longing and learn about his lover from Faith.
"You are as curious as ever," Noah said, "I bet you asked for the details too."
"Of course!" Faith replied while revealing a bright smile. "You should have seen her. She was so shy whenever she talked about it. I didn't think you could have held back for so long with her in that state."
At her words, Noah understood that she probably knew every intimate detail about his relationship with June. Yet, that fact didn't bother him. If June had decided to tell her that, it meant that Faith was worthy of her trust.
Noah shrugged his shoulders as he suppressed his instincts and spoke. "I love her, and she needed my help."
Faith's smile widened at his words, but she felt a bit disappointed to see that Noah didn't show any trace of shyness when he said that. His expression remained relaxed and aloof.
There was someone in the room that didn't take his words so lightly.
Daniel was calmly sipping his wine when he heard the word "love" coming out of Noah's mouth. The surprise almost made him spit the wine back in his cup, and the coughing that followed claimed the attention of the other two cultivators on the room.
He couldn't believe his ears! Noah Balvan, the bane of the Elbas family, the lone cultivator that had fooled the big nations, the monster that unleashed destruction wherever he went had said to love someone.
What surprised Daniel the most was that Noah didn't flinch when he gave voice to those words. He made it appear as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"You-" Daniel began to speak, but he had to gulp the remaining wine in his throat before continuing. "Do you have a lover?"
For some reason, he felt that he needed to know the answer to that question.
Noah stared at Daniel with a cold expression. In his mind, he was trying to understand if he could trust him with that information.
Yet, Noah soon dismissed his doubts. Daniel was the cultivator that had the most to lose inside the Hive. The very survival of his family depended on how he behaved.
Also, the oath that bound him was quite strict. There was virtually no chance that he could expose some of the internal matters of the Hive even if he wanted to.
"Of course, he has!" Faith intervened before Noah could say anything. "They are perfect for each other, and they are so cute when they become intimate."
Faith covered her mouth to hide her strange smile, and she pretended to know nothing when Noah shot a cold glance at her.
Daniel could see how the two of them appeared quite close. They didn't act as the talents of two different organizations.
When he linked Faith's words to that behavior, Daniel started to wonder whether her relationship with Noah was more than just friendly. However, Noah understood that Daniel was having strange thoughts and decided to clarify the situation. "We are just friends. My lover happens to like her, and I have to hang with her when she decides to visit me."
"Precisely," Faith added as she patted Noah's shoulder. "Also, June would kill me if I tried anything, and I mean it. I even think that she can beat me now."
When Faith mentioned June, everything clicked inside Daniel's mind.
He wasn't ignorant when it came to the noble families that had joined the Royals in the past. After all, the Cause gathered many pieces of information back then, and the Elbas family didn't hide its social activities.
Instead, the Royals would often announce specific fusions with other noble families to improve their image in front of their underlings. They wanted to show how their power continued to grow even if they were already at the peak of the Utra nation.
Yet, as far as he remembered, June Ballor was the most grumpy and unapproachable talent of his generation. Many called her a battle maniac, and she spent most of her time training in seclusion or during the secret missions of the Elbas family.
Daniel could even understand how Noah and June managed to see each other. He knew about the existence of the separate dimension, and he was aware that it was almost impossible to track.
However, he was still surprised that such peculiar characters had ultimately ended up together. Also, there was a grave doubt that screamed to come out of his mind.
"Why did you accept to feel love?" Daniel asked as he wore an incredulous expression. "Why you of all of us have chosen to focus on something unrelated to the cultivation journey?"
Noah's growth had inspired Daniel to forsake every irrelevant matter in his journey toward the peak of the cultivation world. His individuality had become a light capable of purifying the life itself of all its useless aspects.
Nevertheless, Noah had taken the opposite direction and was accepting things in his life that didn't strictly involve his cultivation.
Of course, Daniel couldn't possibly know that Noah didn't have much choice on the matter. His feelings had fused with instincts after his body reached the fifth rank, and seeing June again forced him to decide whether to pursue what he wanted or suppress himself.
He ended up with June after that, and she had become a core part of his creation as their relationship evolved.
"I didn't lose focus," Noah said as he refilled his cup. "I've simply become strong enough to enjoy a few things."
That was the truth. Power had always been the priority in Noah's mind. Yet, as his level increased and through Elder Julia's advice, he had learnt to appreciate other parts of his life.
"But," Daniel didn't seem convinced by the answer and continued with his questions. "You are on a different level! What will happen when you leave her behind?"
Noah revealed a complicated smile and gave voice to soft words as June's figure appeared in his mind. "June is strong. It will be up to her to follow me once I go away. I will only keep her spot empty because I know that she will reach me."
Daniel couldn't understand him completely, but Faith stepped in the conversation when she saw his confusion. "You can't purify your way to the sky. You'll end up with nothing if you keep on throwing away parts of you."